Stolen Bones [Alakazam & Grungeknuckle]

As he spoke she continued to look more and more panicked. He wouldn’t be getting the urn back. So he wouldn’t need her. There was no reason for her to be alive. It made sense to her, which was even worse because it made it harder for her to find a way to reason with him.

When he moved toward her Aria’s squirming slowed, and she looked at him, tensing when he laid his hand on her cheek. She had half expected another slap. As he spoke she looked puzzled, not understanding why he was trying to comfort her. This man was truly confusing. And due to that her anger was rising. The woman had been about to lash out at him, but then he said something that peeked her interests.

He had slumped down in front of her, explaining how she could help him, and she assumed, how she could remain among the living. Amber eyes stared at him, her entire body taking in everything he was saying. Her face had begun to look hopeful again, until he began to falter in his explanation. The look of confusion returned to her face as she tried to piece together what he was saying. It took her a few moments before she deciphered what he was saying and then she laughed, though it sounded forced and sad. “Of course that would be the only way,” she said, looking at him with a strained expression on her face.

There wasn’t any reason to say no other than her pride, and even that she figured she could swallow. It helped that he himself didn’t look comfortable. He hadn’t been looking at her with greedy eyes, and when he had stolen looks at her she hadn’t felt the same hate she felt for the men who had tried to get the better of her in her youth. Still the idea didn’t sit well with her. He had harmed her and threatened her life. Every muscle in her body wanted her as far from him as possible. The last thing she could imagine would be willingly pressing herself against his body, letting him take of it what he wanted. Still life was enough a prize for her to do it.

“I don’t see what is keeping you from doing that now, considering I’m not exactly capable of refusing you,” she said, pulling at her bonds to make the point clear, “however, if you want a more cooperative partner and it means I will have my life…. I’m willing.”

"Well, it's either that, or eating part of each other. And I'd rather keep all my fingers and toes, thank you." Samuel replied, flustered. There was an underlying magic to many otherwise mundane things that most people took for granted. Love, hate, birthdays, oaths, gifts and bequeaths, the stars, and faith, especially faith, had power, old, deep-seated power. Given, it paled when compared to "magic" magics, the type of power where you could see and hear and feel the flow of energies working and churning. But more often than not, the old magics lasted longer, they were more ingrained in the fabric of the world, an inherent part of it, rather than something being lain atop it.

The suggestion that he could have simply raped the thief at his leisure, taken her against against her will left a bitter taste in Samuel's mouth. True, he had kidnapped her, and there was certainly some... inappropriate touching on his part. He was trying to tell himself that it had been necessary, he had to do those things, but he knew that there was no excuse, no acceptable reason.

Was this part of the slide? Had he already been infected, had an obsession with dealing death and all that was vile already taken hold in his heart? He wished there was a way to know for sure.

"W-well... technically, yes. Keep in mind, I work with undead spirits, not living ones, but the premise is..." he paused again, trying to explain it properly, "It could, possibly, work if I so-called 'took' you, and 'forced myself' on you. But the connection would be stronger if we, and I know this sounds like poetic drivel, most of these things do, stop making that face," he groaned. Samuel wasn't even looking at the woman right now, he'd closed his eyes, and was pinching the bridge of his nose in irritation, "It would work best if we 'gave ourselves' to each other. I... I think the idea is, the exchange is equal."

In the back of his mind, Samuel considered if killing the girl and becoming evil would be all that bad after all. It certainly seemed easier.

While he thought he had already been infected with all things vile, Aria just thought he was in the wrong school of magic. He seemed to be rather uncomfortable with the entire situation. He even avoided the word rape, as if the word itself was unimaginable and unspeakable.

As he tried to explain himself her mind worked. She was adaptable, a trait more forced upon her than something she had actually been blessed with, and so she was quickly becoming more comfortable with the idea of "conjoining their souls" than he was. If it meant life it was worth it. Though she did want to spin it more in her favor. Her arms and wrists ached, and the idea of being taken like some tavern wench, barely participating, was not ideal. Aria liked to be in control in most aspects of her life, and this was no exception. At least if not in control a more active part of it. And plus she wanted to stretch her arms and get a look at her wrists. Her leather bracers had helped, but from all the struggling they still felt uncomfortable.

By the time he was done speaking her expression had relaxed. In fact her whole body had. From the way he was acting she felt like she had the upper hand, if only slightly.

"Well as I already stated I'm willing, though if we want this to be equal I would love to be free of these binds. Plus I have been told I'm good with my hands," she said leaning forward slightly as she spoke. His eyes were closed but hers still watched him, more eagerly now that she could see a way out of this cellar. Even if that meant her first stop after would be his bed. Though perhaps he'd want to have this union happen in the cellar. Who knew what necromancers were into.

When the thief mentioned she was "good with her hands," Samuel opened his eyes and looked up sharply, gaping a little. "I-I... well... yes, of course." He was feeling unnaturally warm under the collar, and it probably had something to do with the woman's still-bared breasts.

Samuel had limited experience, and limited success, with women in the past. There was a merchant's daughter he had been quite close with, before discovering his abilities. There'd been a barmaid he'd flirted with back in the military. And then there was the dwarven blacksmith who'd taking a liking to him, and had helped him construct his staff. Perhaps something might have happened with her, perhaps not. As always, Samuel had left before anyone got a chance to know him.

So the idea of simply hopping into bed with this woman, even though it was his idea, was making his head swim. He leaned in next to the woman, fumbling with the rope, momentarily forgetting how to untie knots. When the bindings finally slipped off her wrists, he stood, and offered her his hand.

"Ah, well, there's some mead upstairs. That is, if... if you think you'll need it. And the bed is on the top floor..." he blinked, "Although, I suppose you'd already know that."

Oh he was nervous. As he leaned in to undo the bindings she let an amused grin slip, but the moment she felt the ropes loosen her face fell, not wanting to let on that this was entertaining her as much as it was. Naturally she began to wonder just how many women he had been with. With the way he was acting she couldn’t imagine the number was large.

She definitely had a decent number under her belt. It had started when she got into her less than honest trade. Men were always easy targets, especially when she could lure them away somewhere and let them think they would be getting their way with her. Before they could get their fill they would find themselves tied to the nearest object with Aria taking their money and then splitting town. Of course, she wouldn’t be pulling that trick with the necromancer. She already knew he could find her. Eventually when she had startled settling in big cities for longer periods of time she had started getting closer to people, but one thing remained, she never let anyone get the best of her. Aria liked to be in control. It made her feel the most at ease.

A relieved sigh past her lips when the ropes fell from her wrists. Her hands first went to her pants, pulling them back up in order to keep her from stumbling when she stood. Then he offered her his hand. The elf raised her eyebrow, surprised by the gesture but she took it, more because her legs were stiff then because she needed it. Once up she immediately removed her bracers to examine her wrists. When she did what had been left of her shirt felt to the ground. No blood, that was good, but they were red. He spoke as she rubbed her wrists. A smile spread across her features when he mentioned her already knowing where his room was. “That is true,” she said with a more genuine sounding laugh.

The woman then stretched, happy to no longer be stuck against the beam. Her body was now very much on display, she realized, but there wasn’t much point in being modest now. Aria was lean, years of hunting and thieving very clearly on display from her muscles to her tattoos and scars. She looked strong, but her body was still very much feminine.

Amber eyes fell back on him, and arms crossed over her chest as she turned toward him. “Oh darling,” she said in elvish, the old language falling off her tongue easily, despite the rarity she spoke it nowadays. Though she hadn’t meant it to sound like he had endeared himself to her, she did hope to make him more comfortable. This was her way to life, so she had quickly cozied up to the idea, but he seemed to not be quite at the same point. “Mead does seem to make these things easier, doesn’t it?” she asked, taking a step toward the stairs. She had wanted to say it would make him more comfortable, but the last thing to do would be to point out how little confidence he seemed to have. “My name is Aria, if you would like to know.”

As the girl stretched, Samuel found himself openly staring. Her breasts were well on display, but it was her thighs and hips he found himself looking at the most. Not the skinny sticks of a princess or lady in waiting, not the heavy legs of a bar matron, hers were full of strength and endurance, of lean muscle and soft curves. He found himself wondering what kinds of things she could do with those legs...

His head snapped up when she said something in elvish, the words were lost on him, but her tone... there was a certain purr one could put into elvish to sound all the more erotic and seductive, and she did that perfectly. A stupid grin momentarily flashed across Samuel's face. "Eh-heh... I... I don't speak elvish..."

When she offered her name, Samuel nodded, and on reflex, shook her hand. "Samuel. Good to -" He looked down at their joined hands. Idiot. He did what he could to turn the handshake into simply holding hand, leading her upstairs, grabbing the jug of mead as he went. Nas and Toth were hanging around upstairs. For Toth, it was more literal, his shadowy figure levitating about a foot of the ground, the specter of a noose around his neck, as he blankly stared at the wall, unfeeling. Nas turned to face them, his eyes hungrily licking over Aria's body, eager to follow the two to the second floor, and watch them.

Samuel headed him off. Pointing at him with the same hand that held the bottle, he sharply reprimanded the poltergeist, as if it were a bad dog. "No! Stay! Stay here!"
The spirit balked, and floated closer. It was rare that one of his creations ignored his orders, but it simply meant that Samuel needed to put more force into the command. He let got of Aria's hand, planted his feet, and stared down the creature. "Thou shall do as I command, and stay. Mind thy watch! Obey!" As when he was using incantations, there was a darker undertone to Samuel's voice, an echo of power, of force. A ripple ran through Nas's form, and the creature hissed, backing off, returning to it's corner.
Samuel scooted Aria up the second flight of stairs, but cast one last piercing glare in Nas' direction.

Her words had had the desired effect. She had yet to meet anyone who wasn't at least a little charmed when she spoke in her native tongue. Aria had to fight to keep herself from rolling her eyes when he mentioned not speaking elvish. She had guessed as much, but that wasn't really the point. The stupid grin that had spread across his face. That was the point.

When he moved to shake her hand she raised an eyebrow, but before she could say anything he had recovered and was moving her upstairs. With the way he was acting she found it easier for herself to keep calm. It wasn't as if he was just greedily taking her in the cellar with no regard for how she was being treated. In fact she was beginning to feel a little comfortable, until they had come up onto his first floor and she spotted his two spirits.

The one with the noose made her uneasy, but the other one was even worse. It had been the one to wrestle the dagger harshly from her hand, and with the way it was looking at her it all made her stomach drop. Her free hand moved back up to cover her chest and she stepped back, putting Samuel between her and the spirit. It didn't heed his first order and she looked panicked, but then he let go of her hand and ordered the spirit in the same voice he had used before when blighting her. She bit her lip, remembering again very clearly all the things that had led up to this moment. Glancing toward the door of his home her body screamed for her to leave, but she knew that was a foolish idea. Aria swallowed the feeling, and let him usher her up the stairs.

Once up she was up she walked to his bedroom, remembering where it was. It hadn't been that long after all. Before walking in she stopped at the doorway and grabbed the jug of mead from him, taking a quick swig of it before handing it back to him. She needed it after her moment of doubt and seeing the spirits. "I know I shouldn't be making demands, but...at this point it should be clear I'm not going to run. I'm not dense...so please, I don't enjoy being tied down, and not because of what you did, just...due to my own reasons." She leaned up and trailed a few kisses up his neck, her body leaning into his as she did. Once she got close to his ear she stopped. "Is that agreeable?" she asked. Aria didn't really expect him to say no. He seemed like he probably hadn't done this much so she doubted he even completely knew what he liked. And he had been so willing to untie her in the cellar she didn't think he would want to retie her but still, the woman didn't trust him...or really anyone enough, to surrender herself so completely.

Watching Aria climb the stairs, Samuel relaxed a little. It wasn't that he had no control over his minions, he just needed to reinforce that control on the more willful ones every once in a while, let them know who commanded them. He usually didn't even have to exert any sort of power on them, for most, they simply obeyed.

He felt no need to exert any kind of power on Aria, and truthfully, felt more comfortable, more relaxed, now that she seemed to be taking charge. She wasn't going to run. She wasn't going to fight him. He didn't have to tell her what to do, control her, command her. He didn't have to worry what she'd do without his supervision. He could let go with her.

Samuel had leaned down to Aria so that she could kiss him, and as her lips pressed against his neck, he let out a sigh. Everything about him seemed to let go, to loosen up, and relax. It felt like everything went loose in him at once, muscles Samuel didn't even know he was clenching finally eased up. Nodding his head, he replied, "No tying up. Got it. I don't normally make a habit of it." He placed the jug of mead down, and promptly forgot about it.

Kissing Aria up the length of her ear, his hands went to her hips, sliding behind her, under her pants, under her underwear, cupping the round of her asscheeks, his thumbs lowering the hem of her garments. Awkwardly, he walked the elf girl the few steps over to the bed, before sliding onto it, kneeling down on it with her resting beneath him. Her legs now in the air, Samuel slipped her pants and panties off her, before pulling off his own tunic.

Samuel was thin, with tight, lean, but toned muscle running up his body. Though most of his weight came from his sheer height, but he still managed to keep in shape from his military days, simply from moving and traveling all the time, with the occasional digging up of graves. Curled hair, silver like the ones on his head, lightly covered his chest, and made a line down his stomach, giving the odd illusion of an older man trapped in a younger man's body. He had much fewer scars than Aria, and they stood out, almost white on his pale skin.

Samuel let his hand move over Aria's legs, and he bent his head down, kissing her knee. His lips moved up her thigh, kissing and nibbling it, caressing it with his hands, until he reached her mound. Gently spreading her lips, he pressed his mouth to her womanhood, running his tongue up and down he slit. He didn't have much experience, but that dwarf had taught him a few things.

It was an odd contrast, with Samuel crouched between Aria's legs, his pale skin pressing and kneading her darker, sun-kissed body.

He had suddenly seemed to relax, which made her feel better considering she still felt the desire to just run. But she wouldn't, she couldn't, and the warmth of the mead helped calm her down.

He helped as well, a small smile on her face as he kissed her, the woman's ear being a particularly sensitive spot. As his hands moved under her remaining clothes hers slipped under his tunic, exploring the muscles in his back.

When they made it to the bed and she had laid back she let him slip off the rest of her clothes, feeling much more comfortable than the previous time he had viewed her bare body. Her black tattoo ran down the length of her side and sort of tapered off around her thigh, while part of it curled in toward her womanhood, just barely reaching below her waist. And her womanhood itself was covered by s mall landing strip of sorts, the hair cut short with the rest around it shaven.

He wasn't bad to look at, and Aria took in Samuel's own lean form, her hands trailing over his chest and down his stomach, tracing the subtle outline of his muscles before he moved down and out of her reach. He was so unmarked, with such few scars, it almost seemed sweet to her, like he was some young, fresh pup, even if he was probably just around her age if not older. He was so tall too. She was perhaps short for an elf, but by his kids standard that wasn't really all that short. Even so he was large in comparison to her, though she didn't mind at all. In fact she quite liked it.

His journey downward pleasantly surprised her, and she sighed as he kissed her thighs, enjoying the touch, and then grinning when she felt his lips against her. Her hands moved to find his arms, the closest thing to her that she could grab of his, and as she moaned she gripped him a little tighter. As he worked she arched her back, clearly enjoying the feeling. She was quickly growing wetter as he worked. "You're generous," she said breathlessly, a smile on her face as she looked down at him.

Samuel gave her bud a deep kiss, sucking on it a little, the light hairs on her mound tickling his nose, before taking his mouth away from Aria's warm honey-slit. Crawling, he continued to kiss her, making a line of them up her stomach, sliding one hand up her hips. He didn't look up at her when she spoke, preferring to keep his face pressed to her flesh.

He wanted to reply that he though he owed it to her, but thought better of it. There was no need to bitter the warmth they had between them, no need to bring up past mistakes and transgressions. "Not at all. We all deserve some kindness, now and then." He kissed her navel, and only then looked up.

She was smiling. Smiling with all the warmth and comfort of a sunrise, a promise of better things. Despite all that had passed between them, all that Samuel had thought of her up to this point, she looked innocent and beautiful. He slid further up her, kissing her collar bone, her throat, her lips, holding her tightly in his arms, rolling over to put her on top.

He was surprisingly kind. That was what she was realizing as he kissed his way back up her body, winning soft pleasure sighs from her as he went. The pit in her stomach that had formed when she had convinced herself she could sleep with the man that had harmed her was shrinking with each touch of his. Though it still lingered in the back of her mind, it was becoming easier and easier to enjoy herself. There was a comfort in his softness she rarely found with the crowd she kept, and it was a welcome change.

His lips on hers was a surprise, and the woman tensed momentarily, not entirely expecting the more personal kiss. While it seemed odd to think of it as meaning more than any other place he had touched with his lips, there was something about being face to face and so deliberately intimate that felt more invasive. Despite this she relaxed after the moment, not at all minding the warmth of his arms holding her.

Aria willingly moved with him, lips remaining on his as they rolled over. But once she was on top she moved, kissing along his jaw and neck as her body moved to crouch over him. Her hands moved down his chest, reaching the hem of his pants and toying with it, occasionally dipping down tease him. Her game didn’t last too long though, and her hands busied themselves with pulling off his remaining clothing, grinning at her triumph once she had removed everything.

After doing so she moved so she was hovering just above his shaft, and she made a move that would make him think he was going to feel her completely, but instead her slit pressed against him, wetting and rubbing against his length but not letting him inside, not yet. Her hips moved back and forth, teasing him each time she reached his tip, lingering just slightly as if she would let him in before sliding back down his length. All the while Aria smirked at him playfully as she ground against him.

She liked to play games. And Samuel liked to let her.

As he lay on his back, watching her undress him, tease him, Samuel's smile briefly, but genuinely, deepened into something more than just an amicably pleased smirk. Something with a little more warmth than he was used to showing these days. The more he saw of her, the more of a person she was to him, and the harder it was for him to resent her.

And yet, she still seemed reluctant to bare herself to him. True, her body was fully visible to Samuel, a sight he was enjoying immensely, and it showed, but her mind, her soul. She'd flinched when they'd first kissed, even relaxed she seemed to be holding back. He didn't blame her, how could he. They both wore masks, both hid who they really were from others, finally letting go of that facade could be difficult, painful even. He'd dropped the act only because he'd been discovered, because he was tried of keeping it up, he needed to get out from under it and breathe once again.

As for Aria? He wasn't so sure. Was she teasing him because that was her nature, or was it a way to distance herself from the act, from him? Was this an aspect of herself, or just another mask? Samuel found himself uninterested in discovering the answer. Analyzing, deciphering, interpreting... he had to do these things all day long, with people, with the dead, with the cold, lurching currents of the underworld... he didn't want to. Not now. Now, he just wanted to be here, in this bed, with this woman.

Aria's grinding made Samuel tightly grip her legs, and buck reflexively beneath her. He closed his eyes as his head fell back into his pillow, his hips jumping in time with hers, as she slid her wet pussy up and down the underside of his shaft. The dampness left behind made his cock tingle, and Samuel moaned out loud. "Uuuuhhnnn... You're quite talented with this..."
One hand moved up her leg, sliding past her rocking hips, up her waist, caressing her smooth skin, slipping past each scar, giving her breast a slight brush with the thumb. Samuel eventually took hold of her hand, and brought it to him. He leaned forward, and gave Aria's knuckles a light kiss.

Aria noticed everything. It was what kept her alive. To not be aware of her surroundings was to allow more room for the unexpected. So when his smile briefly changed to something much softer and warmer than it had been she had noticed that. And it made her stomach flutter in an unexpected way.

What she was doing was not out of character for her. She liked to play games, and she especially liked the effect they had. The moans, the tension, the almost desperate looks, it all delighted her. What was out of the ordinary was his own reaction. He was playing along, not trying to deter her or rush to the end. It was exciting for her, but at the same time the look he had given her was not something she could shake. It wasn’t overt, but it had been a look of admiration, and she wasn’t used to that. Or perhaps she had just never been looking for it and she was only noticing now because each moment like that made her feel more at ease.

It wasn’t as if she had lived a life completely devoid of kindness or amicable relationships. She had loved and cared for a good number of people in her life, but ironically they were never people she had laid with. Not that she was in love with Samuel, but it was different. More intimate maybe…she couldn’t really put a finger on it. But whatever he was doing it was breaking her.

His grip on her legs made her grin, and she was enjoying watching his reaction. His compliment caught her off guard, and she laughed. “It helps to have a willing partner,” she added, her own breathing a little bit hard now. While the work wasn’t taxing he wasn’t the only one benefiting from the friction between them, and her face was flushed from the pleasure. Her eyes then followed his hands as he moved up her body, producing a sigh from the girl as he explored her body.

If the look and compliment had surprised her, the kiss he gave her on her knuckles was almost enough for her to break rhythm. In fact she faltered just slightly, but she didn’t expect him to notice. It was ridiculous, all of it. The fact that she was very willingly giving him any amount of pleasure after what had happened was laughable. She should’ve just let him fuck her already, gotten it over with. Who cared about comfort, this act was the price for her life.

But the little act was so sweet it had caught her off guard. Her expression softened and she found herself interlacing her fingers with his. Despite what he had done and despite what he was his actions all carried a sort of softness with them that was making it hard to even remember what had brought them together.

She stopped grinding and moved so his tip was right against her entrance, tantalizingly close. But before she did anything about that Aria leaned down to kiss him, her body pressed against his and her free hand cupping his head. “You’re quite endearing,” she said in her tongue, the elven words coming out in a cooing purr. Perhaps she should’ve said it in his language, but she hadn’t been entirely willing to let him know exactly what she was thinking. He would be able to take away enough from the tone of her voice.

After that she kissed him again before leaning up away from him, and as she did so she slowly slid down onto his length, giving them both time to adjust to the feeling. Once he was completely inside her she looked down at him. The woman was now sitting in his lap so to speak, her hands near his shoulders, supporting herself, while her amber eyes watched him and his reaction.

As Aria kissed him, Samuel kissed back, their lips moving and pressing against one another. Again, she whispered to him in elvish, her words obscured to him, but her tone obvious. Sort of. Maybe? He was in no mood to discern her exact intentions, happy to enjoy the moment.

Happy. He was happy. A rarity for Samuel, these days. The most he could usually hope for was a sense of satisfaction, of finding a new place to stay, of finishing a particular project, each goal being but another step in an endless trudge of research, experimentation, a plod for survival moving at an achingly slow pace.

He didn't love her. He didn't know if he could even truly call Aria a friend either. But in this moment, he cared for her, and she seemed to return the gesture. For him, that was enough.

Aria's words had made him smirk. She almost seemed to be cheating, using elvish in the bedroom, few other languages were as romantic or poetic. And the only other language Samuel knew was hardly a match. The Undertongue was more fit for insults and threats, for curses spat in the dead of night.

Feeling her pull back, Samuel gazed up at Aria with half-lidded eyes, his hands sliding up her legs and settling around her waist, as she herself settled down onto his cock. He tensed up, and let out a low groan as his hardened manhood slipped deeper into her wet sex, and simply held her down on top of him, talking the moment to adjust to the feeling of flesh on flesh in flesh again. He'd missed it, the comfort, the affection.

One hand reached up and caressed Aria's cheek, gently cupping the side of her face in his palm, pale fingers threading through her hair. He didn't say anything, just started lightly moving his hips beneath her, grating in and out, slowly building up speed, taking his time. No need to rush. This was a moment to be treasured.

She leaned into his touch when his hand moved to cup her cheek, smiling at the contact, another moment of sweetness. The woman was beginning to realize how long it had been since she had allowed anyone to get so close to her in this manner. Her last few encounters had all been the kind that made others blush when she recounted them. They had been the kind of flings that were easy because she kept her distance. Fast and full of animalistic desire.

This was different. This was the kind of thing that would stay with her. Their actions were filling desires far deeper than just sex. At least for her they were.

When he began to rock beneath her she moaned, and her body began to move with his, matching his slowly building pace. The woman leaned back a little farther again, allowing for a little more motion as well as the opportunity for her hands to move to his chest. They moved up and down his body slowly, tracing the outlines and scars as she rocked against him.
The warmth spreading through her body as they moved against each other was enough to dispel the remaining chill in her bones from his past transgression. It was a welcome feeling, to be able to forget about the lingering cold, and as their pace continued to quicken so did her moans.

Aria grinned down at him, the playful look in her eyes returning as she leaned back so that she was perpendicular to him. One hand moved up to move his hand from her face to her breast. The elf then began to rock her hips in a more exaggerated movement, moving him almost completely out of her before settling back down to take his entire cock back into her. The pace wasn’t fast, making the moments she pulled away from him all the more long, but it had the added benefit of her body being completely on display.

This didn’t last too long, her own need being too great to keep up the teasing pace, and as her hips began to rock faster Aria leaned down to plant kisses and light nips along his chest.

Samuel's thumb moved in small circles around Aria's nipple, feeling it become stiffer and more taunt under his touch. Bringing his other hand up, he carefully kneaded her breasts, feeling their soft weight, letting his palms and fingers trace their curve. He sucked in a sharp breath as she started to bounce on him with more veracity, pinching her nipples a little more than he'd intended. Samuel's hands immediately slid back down to her waist, to steady Aria, to lift her up and bring her down back to him. Though his hands stayed put, Samuel let his eyes wander, taking in the sight of Aria riding on top of him, her smile, the bounce and slap of her bosom with each thrust, the lines of ink decorating her firm and fit body. He squeezed her hips a little harder, thrusting himself into her each time she came down, feeling his cockhead hit the walls of her cunt.

Breath coming in in gasps and moans, Samuel would flinch each time she nibbled his chest, not from pain though. He was simply ticklish.

Aria's pace set Samuel's loins and mind ablaze. He couldn't let her do all the work, that would be unkind. As she bounced atop him, Samuel slowly sat up, steadying himself with one arm, cradling her with his other, bringing his legs underneath them both, until their positions had almost switched. Now Aria lay on her back, Samuel kneeling between her legs, holding her, thrusting into her. Curled into one another, he kissed her shoulder, her neck, her ear, uttering "Gods of light and breath, you feel... Aria..."

The feeling of his hands on her chest was enough to bring a satisfied grin to the woman's face. She once more leaned into his touch enjoying the feel of him massaging her breasts. Perhaps he had pinched her harder than he intended, but it didn't bother her at all. She was used to rougher hands, but the change from that was nice.

When his hands moved to her hips the added stability allowed him to go deeper into her, and her moans increased as they moved together. And then he moved to sit up her hands moved from his chest to wrap around his back, steadying herself as he shifted. Her eyes moved to meet his when her back met the bed. The elven woman gave him a quick kiss before he settled back into a rhythm again.

Her entire body curled into him and her hands grasped at his back, occasionally gripping him perhaps a little too hard at certain points when his lips met her ear. If she had been more focused and aware she would have thought it odd he was mentioning the gods of light and breath considering his trade, but her mind was not concerned with the details right now. Aria was focused on Samuel's hands, lips...on how her name sounded as her whispered in her ear.

As her pleasure built her hands moved all over his back, before one arm settled wrapped around his back, and the other found itself tangled in his hair, gently gripping the silver strands. "Oh please...Samuel, don't stop," she breathed out as her body pressed against him before kissing his ear and neck, moaning between kisses. The pleasure was building within her as he thrust into her, and as she began to climax she moaned louder than she had yet.

Samuel's forceful thrusting had reached a frenzied apex, the bed beneath them creaking and groaning with their efforts. Again and again their bodies crashed together, his shaft pounding into Aria's cunt, stabbing into her, filling her, then grinding out of her again all within a half-second's breath. His gasps came out hot and ragged on her skin, as Samuel buried his face into her neck.

Scents of the city, it's dirt, it's grime, it's people, all mixed together with her sweat and lust. Beneath that, her scent, the smell of warm wooded summer, of new fresh green shoots, of fruiting blossoms, and the slight tang of the mead. She smelled warm, wild and alive, all things Samuel had been without for so long. It was only now that he was realizing what he'd been missing, how much he needed this.

The feel of her hands on his back, the sharp pinch of her nails on his skin as she gripped him tighter from time to time, was another reminder, and one that surprised him. Pain. It felt good, alive. He didn't want a beating, didn't want to be stabbed or cut, but the sharp sensation of her holding him... he wanted more of that.

There wasn't much time to reflect on that now, though. Samuel's own climax was building. He thrust into Aria one last time, and tensed up, as if to hold it in. With a cry, he pulled out, just in time, as hot cum jetted out, splashing onto Aria's stomach and pussy.

As he continued to thrust her own movements became more desperate, wanting more and more of him. A lot of this felt right. More than she would like to admit. Despite the circumstances that brought them together being with him in the moment all seemed okay to her.

After he had came the woman uncurled from him, letting her body relax as she laid back more fully on the bed. While one hand moved to brush her hair out of her face the other moved to his arm, stroking up and down lightly. It almost felt that if she wasn't touching him whatever peace they had with each other would be gone. And she didn't want that. Not yet. For the moment nothing was complicated.

"For a man that spends so much time with the dead, you're terribly lively," she said with a laugh. Her eyes, which had been looking at the ceiling, moved to meet his. "It was a nice surprise," she added.

Aria knew that all of this wasn't over, that there was more work to be done, but now that she was no longer concerned over torture or some terrible sexual encounter she felt relaxed...and tired. The past hours of stress and what not were catching up with her. She felt fatigued, and her eyes drooped a little, but before the woman gave into the urge to close them she shook her head, attempting to shake the sleep from her body.

She then moved out from underneath him, perching herself on the edge of the bed and stretching before looking back at him. "Is there...ah...something I can use to take care of this?" she asked, gesturing to what was left of their encounter on her stomach. "Sorry if that ruins the mood." Now that the euphoria was wearing off Aria was finding herself a little lost, not entirely sure how she should handle the situation at that point. The lack of control perturbed her, but she was trying too keep that from showing.

(Sorry for the delay! Should be smooth sailing from here on out, though.)

"Well, when they won't stay that way, you have to be," Samuel happily groaned, letting his fingers trace a lazy line up and down the woman's thigh. He didn't want to leave either, not so much for fear of their peace breaking, but because of what was still to be done. Facing the consequences of your own mistakes was never pleasant, and the task ahead would not be an easy one.

At least her part was nearly done. Samuel took some solace in the face that he wouldn't have to ask much more of her, and what he would need was very simple. She, at least, would be out of harms way. And after that, the rest of the city as well. And then... Well, Samuel preferred not to think about what the next daylight would bring. They both knew what the other was, that alone would be enough to tie Aria to secrecy, but still, he knew he couldn't stay here anymore. Now that he'd been discovered, the risk was too high, already he could feel the walls of the city closing in on him.

But the prospect of not seeing her again... that almost hurt more than having to pick everything up and move his life again.

As she moved, so did he, sliding over to the other side of the bed. "No, I... I understand. We don't have a whole lot of time anyways." He motioned over to a small table, over by the window. "Bowl of water and a washcloth, by the window. Water'll be cold, but it'll do the trick."

Now that the moment was passing, that old weight was sliding back onto his shoulders, that tired demand of responsibility that came with power. As he stood, and walked over to the bowl, Samuel noticed it was more bearable now, though. He had let go, let someone in, and instead of it turning into the disaster he normally expected, it had left him feeling better, more... human. He picked up the cloth, "Here, I'll help you get cleaned up."

((No problem. Good to know you're back!))

Now that she was no longer in a haze of pleasure Aria's mind was working again. She wondered what the next few steps of his plan would entail, though it had seemed like he considered this the most difficult part, so her thoughts didn't linger long there. Instead they moved to what had happened over the past hours, considering every detail. Perhaps now wasn't the best time to be so introspective though. Her body still felt pleasantly warm, and his own body was still on display in all it's pale glory. Still she wouldn't say he was unattractive, far from it, but the differences between the two were hard to not notice.

As she moved to the table he had pointed to part of her already missed the contact and closeness and that concerned her. Despite the pain he had inflicted on her, he had also surprised her, and done things that out of the context of the moment would have won her over. At least in terms of friendship. How he was acting now as opposed to before was so different it was almost jarring.

Making it to the table she paused for a moment, looking out the window. The elf didn't plan on running, and from just a glance it was clear she was deep in thought. She almost didn't hear when he offered to help clean her up. Her head jerked away from the window to look at him and she smiled a little coyly. "Can't keep your hands off me?" she asked, her own hand reaching out to rest on the nape of his neck, her thumb brushing back and forth against his skin.

Aria stared at his chest for a moment after that, her thumb still absently stroking his neck. Once more she began to get lost in thought, wondering what was next, if looters had found her home, where her bow and dagger were, if he would trust her not to tell anyone of his trade, if she could trust him not to rat her out as a thief. "How long does the bond last?" was the question she decided to settle on asking for the moment.

The distance between them was growing, they didn't have much time left. Even knowing this, a nervous chuckle escaped Samuel. Of course he couldn't keep his hands off her. Just watching her walk, the way her hips moved, the way the scant moonlight slid across her skin, it made him want to get hard again, just so he could take her back to the bed.

"Would If I could, but alas, it's not possible. Your form begs investigation, and I must oblige," he gave her a soft smile, looking down at her, his own eyes wandering to her chest and soft breasts. Perhaps he could fondle them again, one last kiss... It was a while before he noticed Aria's own distant look. He placed a hand lightly on her hip, not so much to try and bring her back, more simply to touch her.

When she finally came back, she asked about the bond, one of the many worries on Samuel's own mind. "Not long. An hour or less, but it should be enough time for us... for me to do what I need to." He kneeled down in front of her, damp rag in hand, carefully wiping down her stomach and pussy, streaks of cold water dripping down her legs. "Don't worry, though, you don't have to do much. Just be there, so I can find my way back." It was Samuel's turn to become lost now, staring at the portion of her stomach, just below her navel, just above the neatly trimmed line of her pubic hair. He'd wanted to kiss her there. He'd wanted to add "to you," to his last sentence.

But this was a one-time thing, though. An act of necessity. Blissful necessity, but necessity all the same. Samuel stood. "We... will need to go back to the cellar for this, though. It's easiest if we're closer to the earth. I'm... sorry." He was sure she'd have no desire to go back down there, but they didn't have much choice, and time was running out. All he could offer was one last piece of advice. "Try to... try to think of fond things. It should keep the bond strong."

Both hands moved to his shoulders as he knelt in front of her, and she watched and listened carefully while he spoke and worked. The cold water made her tense a little, a small shiver ran through her body from the sudden chill, but she was otherwise fine. Aria hadn't expected to feel so comfortable with all this, but she was not bothered by his closeness or by the actual sincerity in his touch.

He seemed to get lost in thought for a moment, and one hand moved to rest against the side of his head. "So you can find your way back...you were right most magic sounds like poetic drivel," she mumbled, not entirely sure if he was aware enough to her. Aria was thinking aloud more than anything so she supposed it didn't matter.

Her eyes had been resting on his face until he mentioned the cellar and she glanced away for a moment, not entirely excited about being back down there. Besides what had occurred down there it was a small space with one means of escape. It was the kind of place she tried to avoid spending time in.

Aria pushed the panic back though and leaned down to press her lips against his forehead. "Well you've certainly given me plenty of fond things to think of," she said before leaning back up and taking a step away from him. The woman surveyed the room, looking for something to cover herself with, not entirely keen on walking by his spirits without some amount of coverage. She saw his tunic first and walked over to it, plucking it off the floor. Before slipping it over herself she looked to him, "Mine is in pieces so I'm sure you don't mind." Despite the reason as to why her shirt was ruined Aria had a teasing smile on her face that remained as she began to search for her pants. "The underworld...is that dangerous?" she asked while she glanced around the room, figuring now would be the best time to satisfy her curiosity.

He was halfway to his feet when Samuel felt Aria's lips on his forehead. The kiss was unexpected, but he welcomed it, closing his eyes and letting her affections play across his brow. It was in the face of such contact, for this brief moment they shared when he was not buried in his research or looking over his shoulder, that Samuel realized how much he missed people. A sense of community and family and connection that, for so long, he'd convinced himself that he neither wanted or needed. As he stood, he took one of her own hands in his, and pressed her knuckles to his lips, returning the light kiss.

He didn't say anything as she pulled on his shirt, just gave a nod in concession. Samuel couldn't lie, he was disappointed to see Aria covering herself, though she looked as alluring as ever. He bent down, picked up his own pants, and tossed the elf's breeches to her.

"Well..." He thought her question over, "it's not safe, that much I do know. My own interactions with the underworld have been very minor, just going beneath the surface." He hopped in place a little, getting one leg, then the other into his pants. "This city doesn't have a long history of violence or death, so the veil here should be strong and stable. No reason for anything to be lurking." He grimmaced a little, heading towards the door. This was the exact type of thing he had designed the Urn for, now to have to make a trip to the underworld without it... he'd have to be careful. Halfway down the stairs, he turned back to Aria, "Don't worry, though, you won't be in any danger."

When he had returned her kiss with one of his own Aria had blushed a smidgen and had mumbled something about him being sweet in elvish. It seemed she mostly often used her language when her thoughts were too jumbled for her to be able to use the proper tongue. That had been one of those moments.

As he spoke about the underworld she slipped on her own pants, in a way much more fluid and quick then he was. She felt like she was falling back into her usual rhythm. Her movements were quick and quiet, and she was once more aware of her surroundings. Not just his room but the noises, or lack there-of, coming through the window. She noted when and where his floor creaked, how many steps it would take to get to the nearest door. But Aria also noted the way his lean muscles moved as he collected himself, and how becoming his gray her looked on him, despite the oddity of him.

And of course she listened to him, and once he was at the door her own boots were on and she was rolling up the sleeves of his shirt, as well as knotting it at her waist so she wasn't swimming in the extra fabric.

"If I was concerned with danger I wouldn't have become a thief...but thank you for the reassurance," she said as she followed him down the stairs. In truth it was a bit of a relief to hear. An armored guard she could handle, but spirits, she had no idea how to handle those. While she was aware of magic she didn't have it in her veins like others did. Her understanding of it all was very surface level. Knives though, that was something she could get behind.

As they neared the bottom of the stairs she drew closer to him, still unnerved by the spirits that he seemed to command. They weren't like him. There was no sign of humanity or kindness in them, and the memory of their faces and the chill of their presences was enough to make her nervous. While she wasn't thrilled to go back to the basement she still slid past Samuel once they reached the bottom of the stairs, her eyes watching for the two as she moved quickly onto the second set of stairs.

She glanced back, partly to check for them, and partly to check for Samuel. "What do you need of me for this? Just my presence...or blood?"