Ask The Bloom Festival

[Altair Din]

The spring festival was an event that drew tourists from all over the galaxy. There were brilliant flowers and blooms around, and there were endless food stalls, trinket shops, games and live performances. He may have changed a lot over the years, but his love of attending festivals remained the same. The only difference was that he didn’t bring an instrument this time.

He had asked Kalique to meet him at the entrance of the festival and the entire stretch of road that was filled with activities. Altair was still surprised at himself for outright asking her out, but perhaps it was easier since he figured she would run for the hills soon anyway. The tiefling was standing around leaning against a tree, scrolling through his NalPhone. He was dressed casually, taking a nice break from his Imperial and royal duties. No one would recognize him here, and the festival was used to all races visiting.

There was a large lake to the side of a bridge where countless boats were cruising beneath lanterns floating in the sky. It was all cheesy frou frou stuff, but Altair had been a sap at some point. He briefly looked up from his NalPhone, spacing out as he stared at the boats.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

What exactly had Kalique expected after the formal event? If she was being honest to herself, she hadn't been completely sure whether Warmaster Din would just ask her out officially. Not because he was lying or pretending to be someone else on that balcony, but somehow he had expected that their daily lives would simply catch up with them.

Never had she ever expected that the Warmaster would indeed ask the Knight Captain out as there were some roles conflicts revolving around this whole thing. Still, as she had received the invitation soon after, she had been happy, excited and nervous at once.

The venue he had chosen was just perfect if she was being honest. It was a beautiful festival, however so far away that they wouldn't meet as professionals. They'd be tourists just like everyone else and she really appreciated getting such an opportunity to meet the real him, away from all duties and regular positions.

She had chosen an attire fit for the context of a festival, but couldn't even remember when she had last worn something that casual. Usually, it was either her in armor or uniform, but Altair was also one of the few people who had seen her in a real gown. While the woman usually never lacked any confidence, she was admittedly nervous. Not because she was meeting the Warmaster again, but it was also that she hadn't been asked out in ages.

Kalique was approaching the coordinates and the rendezvous place he had named, forcing herself to breathe slowly to keep her heart from racing. It was a welcome change to her usual business, but she also still couldn't believe she was about to go on a date with the handsome Tiefling she had spent time with in the sewers...

This here was a hard contrast. The chosen venue was stunningly beautiful and admittedly romantic, which made her wonder whether her superior was into these things. Maybe that was the first new detail she was learning about him. Still, she found it hard to focus on all the lights, lanterns, petals and boats as she finally spotted him in the distance, seemingly staring into nowhere.

Mustering up all her confidence to overcome the nervousity once again, she approached him slowly. She couldn't surpress that warm smile on her lips as the florally evening breeze rustled through her hair. It took a moment for her brain to process what he was wearing at it was something completely different and perhaps even a little surreal that there was this strange hint of normality in the way he casually leaned. Of course he also looked damn fine.

Maybe it was best if she tried to block out who he really was and just focused on the date aspect of this pleasant occasion, she thought. "Not a single stair in sight...I'm impressed". The happy, excited smile soon turned into a sly smirk as she tried play it cool. If he'd listen closely, he'd even hear her heart pounding in her chest, but apart from that, she was trying hard not to let any of her inner turmoil bleed into her features. She resisted the urge of complimenting him on his style choices as she had absolutely no idea whether he'd consider this appropriate. Kriff, she had no idea whether this date was even appropriate, but she would have never refused his invitation...

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair glanced at her when she arrived, happy to see she didn’t dress too formal for this. First dates were always better when there was no pressure to be super formal. He straightened up from his lean, offering her a smile, “But there is water, so who knows..” He remarked at her comment. If she was that clumsy around unmoving stairs, he could only guess how she would be trying to get into a boat.

“Name’s Altair,” He reintroduced himself, making it clear he wasn’t the Warmaster tonight. He wasn’t even King. He was just Altair Din. He hardly remembered what just being Altair was anymore, but hopefully this would remind him, “You look beautiful, Kalique,” He said to her with a smile.

With that, he jutted his chin forward and fell into step next to her to walk into the festival. They walked past a few stalls, the entire road carrying the wonderful smell of the blooms. He could tell she was a bit nervous and it was actually endearing. He forgot what a first date felt like.

“So I suppose this is the part where we ask each other questions to get to know one another,” Altair said with a grin. He looked around the festival sights, “What do you feel like doing first? We can go on the boats, try some of the food stalls, go watch a show or concert,” There were endless activities, but he’d let her have first pick.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

While the venue was just stunningly perfect, he immediately opened the conversation just as playfully which let a pleasant warmth spread through her body. Clicking her tongue dramatically, she shook her head, adding"I bet you put that in my file..." before her lips curled up in a smile again.

While their exchange was playful, she did have a feeling that in his eyes she did have this clumsy trait. He wasn't entirely wrong, but she was usually good in not letting anyone notice that quickly. Also, the mood immediately changed as he suddenly reintroduced himself smoothly which literally made her heart race again.

A sudden realization hit her. This was really a date and tonight they'd just be themselves. Could she even be just herself? She usually always had her own walls up when she was Knight or Knight-Captain Demici and even if they had gotten engaged in a rather flirty exchange before, this was real.

Altair wasted no time and while her cheeks turned rosé again, she tried not to let him notice. "Your name is beautiful...and damn, I had no idea you were that stylish". He was attractive regardless of his attire, but he was simply rocking this casual look. The way he said her name immediately sent a chill down her spine as she simply didn't hear her first name very often and there was something about the way he pronounced it that was simply fascinating.

She began walking with him and immediately noticed that this was also new, or at least not that common these days for him either. "Yes, I believe so...although we could try not ticking off every cliché" she suggested playfully, before another idea crossed her mind. "Or we do exactly that". Without waiting for his reply, she slipped her hand into his and intertwined their fingers, not minding being that bold but also having to come this inner voice that kept screaming "He's the Imperial Warmaster and you're supposed to keep it professional!!". But then again, there was also this part of her that just wanted to try...

"How does that feel?" To her, this was honestly making it better because somehow this contact between skin and skin helped her calm down a little. As he asked her what she wanted to do first, she did scan the various options up ahead. "Hmm...what about grabbing a snack of one of those stalls first before we try our luck with the boats?". She was hinting at how he was probably half expecting her to end up in the lake at some point with a smirk, however the subtle absurdity of this situation was still in the back of her mind.

"I'm still trying to process that we're actually doing this...don't get me wrong, I'm more than happy to be here, but I'm a little nervous as well", she admitted after a moment, her tone soft, however hoping that she wasn't just being a dork.


@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

He was about to open his mouth to contradict her comment about avoiding cliches, but she jumped on that topic by grasping his hand. It was his turn to flush a bit. Though his black skin didn’t reveal much, his tail swished back and forth eagerly when she did so. Altair said nothing, walking along with their hands like that. It had been a while since he had done this and he realized how much he missed it. When she asked her question, he could tell she was nervous. He gave her a sly grin, “Sweaty,” He answered honestly since her nervousness made her palms sweaty. However, he purposely gripped her hand tighter reassuringly in case his comment made her panic and pull away.

Altair nodded to her suggestion before he started walking towards one of the stalls. She blurted out about being nervous and this whole situation and he chuckled to himself, “It’s just a date,” He said calmly, “Cute girl like you probably gets asked out all the time,” He gave her a wink before arriving at the food stall. There was a large variety of food options to select from. Altair chose a bowl that had a spicy mixture of meats and veggies. As a tielfing, his spice tolerance was far higher than most humans and even Firrerreo. He was curious about what she would select - as a cook himself, he often liked to discover the preferences of others.

He walked over to a nearby table and sat down, looking around at all the visitors, “This festival happens every year. I used to go to festivals around the galaxy like this. Most of the time I took my guitar with me and set up stalls to dance or sing,” Altair smiled at the memory, “I used to perform for tips and save up that money. For a while it was the only way I paid for food and lodging..” It felt surreal now. He was a King and the Warmaster. How did all that change?

@LadyRen[/abox]

 

[Kalique Baize]

She was rather happy that he didn't object when she just grabbed his hand, still, she then had a reason to apologize. "Sorry...I'm not used to having men making me nervous like that" she smirked up at him, admitting that he was still flustering her. What mattered to her was that he liked the idea of purposely holding onto to certain cliches, so obviously having a quick bite on this romantic venue was just the first part.

At the food stands, she went for a selection of assorted greens and meat as well, however chose a completely different seasoning that was more exotic, however less spicy. While she usually also had the stomach for it, she did not intend to continue this conversation through watery eyes, hence the milder option seemed like a fair compromise. "It does happen regularly, but I normally just decline as I'm always tied to the professional contexts...Also, guys just normally aren't as smooth and gentleman-like as you". The food was already smelling deliciously and she couldn't wait to try it with him, but through the prospect of starting to do something she was at least calming down a little through the distraction.

They took a seat and she tried a bite only to realize that it was indeed very tasty. "Mhm...you've got to try the sauce" she slid her bowl over to him, however remembered what she had said earlier and withdrew it again. "Wait, that's cuter" she used her own wooden fork to pierce through a piece of saucy, tender meat before offering it to him so he could take a bite.

"No way!" she then followed his story with great interest, actually finding it hard to believe that he had started making money just like that. "That's pretty cool though. I bet you've seen a lot. I'd love to hear you play some day" she warmly smiled at him before she took another bite. "What was the coolest festival you've ever been to and why?". She was enjoying how lighthearted the mood had already become and she truly found herself enjoying this night more and more already. She really hadn't had an actual date for ages and somehow, despite the absurdity of how this had started, it felt very real. For once, her mind was not concerned with work...

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

“Well I hope it’s not a bad thing that I make you nervous,” Altair said with a sheepish smile.

He eyed her curiously as she went back and forth on sharing food, and then opted to do the cliche thing. Altair chuckled in response, shaking his head as he took a bite, “Damn this is good. I’ll try to make something similar when I’m home,” He mused aloud. He hadn’t taken the time to properly cook an extravagant meal in a while.

Coolest festival? He had to think about that one - he had been to hundreds of these, “Okay, this is going to sound scandalous, but probably one where Emryc Thorne showed up to promote Emryc Energy. Before the war, I admired the guy and I still follow his fitness routine-” He looked down at his food, -Not the diet,” He couldn’t ever imagine going vegan, “The guy is like 10 feet tall and looks like a mountain!”

Altair finished up his meal and looked at her, “So, being from a noble house practically makes you royalty,” He smirked, “Do you have a strict family you blow off to do things you shouldn’t?”

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Was it a bad thing he made her nervous? Well, she wasn't used to it and the way he simply had that power over her did bother her a little. She had been nervous when she walked right into him on their first mission, but back then it had been a different kind of nervous. "No...and you're right. Maybe I shouldn't be". This was supposed to be a beautiful, yet casual date and they'd simply see where this would lead to.

"It is a perfect harmony of flavors...please don't tell me that you can even cook like that" she added, perhaps with the slightest bit of disbelief but more in a way that she was in complete admiration. "You really do want to come back to what you said on that balcony, right?". He was indeed becoming more and more interesting, simply because he was so grounded despite his position and just so...sweet. But that was when she reminded herself that this was casual and just for fun. He was emotionally unavailable and this was too absurd to work, why try?

His outline about the festival simply made her laugh in a very warm and genuine matter. She could literally imagine how back then, he had seen him as his idol and this admittedly massive figure had now grown into being his literal enemy. "The image in my mind of you having been a legit fan boy is hilarious" she admitted, obviously amused, even though she could relate.

She took a sip from her beverage that had come with the meal and found it pleasantly refreshing before he posed a question for her. The nobility issue would obviously turn up at some point but somehow she had assumed it would be later. Not that she didn't want to talk about it, but she usually didn't bring it up herself. "I wouldn't consider myself royalty-" quite contrary to the King. She has almost forgotten about that as well. It wasn't just his military position but that he was literally also a king..."rather just nobility. With the actual heir having been estranged, there is the issue of succession though".

As her cousin, she wasn't actually that far off, but Kalique had sworn she wouldn't become the noble lady her parents had expected her to become. "My family isn't strict I'd say, or at least they're shifty when it comes to enforcements of rules and I've always kind of did my own thing actually. They weren't too pleased with me joining the military at first, but that's because they used to take everything for granted". A grin followed, while she playfully tilted her head to the side. "Damn...you told me your 'just Altair' for tonight but now that you've reminded me I feel like I've been owing you a curtsy for ages, your Grace".

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

“Of course I can cook it,” Altair said, “A man that can’t cook is worthless,” He felt very strongly about that, as did the rest of his family. When she asked about his comment on the balcony, he paused and stared at her, “What about it?” He would let her drive that topic. He wasn’t in the habit of volunteering more than he had to. If she wanted to ask him questions, she was free to.

When she referred to him as ‘your grace’ he began to cough, unable to suppress the laugh, “Well, you may have to do that if you’re out in Eiattu. However, tonight I’ll give you a hallpass on giving me the King treatment,” He smirked.

“Come on, let’s try the boats,” Altair declared as he stood up from the table. He gathered up both their leftover plates, neatly piling them and tossing them. His farmer politeness would always shine through regardless of what titles he held in the galaxy.

However, before they could arrive at the boats, he suddenly stopped walking to where Kalique may run into him.

“No way!” Altair called out, practically speedwalking towards a giant rink, “Have you ever gone rollerblading before?” He asked Kalique. It was a very old time activity and a noble definitely wouldn’t have done anything like it. Altair and his siblings did it because it was common at festivals and cheap malls.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

She was not necessarily surprised but simply fascinated by the new revelation of her date. "And you claimed you weren't that interesting..." she couldn't help but the add, throwing him another warm smile before he threw a rather direct question at her.

"You also claimed you'd break my heart sooner or later...I can't deny you're desirable after all" she admitted truthfully, giving him the elaboration he requested. In her eyes, this was truly a date, even if she was still struggling to believe this all was real.

However, he had made it rather clear where he'd want this to end. It was not like she could lose her heart and frankly speaking, Kalique was not committing herself to serious things easily anyway, but she was feeling attracted to him for sure and was curious to see what more she could learn about him.

"A hallpass for tonight? How extraordinarily gracious, your Grace". Again, she couldn't hold back the laughter, but the way he had phrased it was simply too funny. As she had no objections with moving on to the boats, she immediately got up and following him.

At his abrupt stopping and because she was already looking for boats, she did run into him. "Oh...sorry" she apologized with a sheepish smile at the realization about her having the potential for occasional clumsiness just proven again.

She turned her head and raised a brow as he suddenly darted forward, her own eyes widening as she got closed herself. "Ooh shoot. Nice. I've always wanted to try because it looks fun, but no, this is my first time!" she replied with geuine excitement bleeding into her voice.

Without hesitation, she hurried over to the owner and paid for the two of them before she waved for Altair to come over. "Shoesize?". She gave the owner her own and received a pair of rollerblades in exchange soon which she immediately started to put on. "I take it you've done it before? You have to hold my hand at first one way or another".


@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair was surprised she hung onto the words he said on the balcony. They weren’t exactly kind, and they would drive any woman away. Was she regretting her quick rebuttal with a kiss that night? He smirked at her, “I don’t break hearts on purpose. It just happens,” He shrugged, “I’m sure there’s a woman out there that can handle me where it doesn’t need to end that way..” He trailed off, leaving things vague. While he was not looking for anything serious, he wouldn’t close the door either. He just expected some nonsense to get in the way and end it all.

“And of course I’m desirable,” He grinned, “I’m powerful. Women gravitate towards power,” He stated bluntly. He wasn’t naive enough to think his position wasn’t at least a big factor in her attraction to him. The women in the past were the only ones that were drawn to him well before he ever held any titles and positions.

He was surprised she forked over the cash for them both. Altair was still not used to the role reversal on dates, as he was raised very traditionally, "I used to go with my family when I was a kid," He grabbed his skates and put them on, helping Kalique to her feet, “Don’t worry, I won’t let you fall,” He said with a smile.

“So the stopper at the front helps you pause,” He showed her, “Put your feet apart a bit and stand like this,” He demonstrated, “And let’s try,” Altair started to move, gripping her hand as he did so. He was very slow and took his time, letting her get the hang of it.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

She raised a brow once again, finding his explanations both interesting and contradictory. "You have to elaborate on that. Those things don't just happen, Altair. I'm sorry, but that's an odd statement" she smirked, potentially putting salt in the wound. It wasn't her intention, yet somehow this vagueness bothered her a little. "Also, you make it sound like that's your signature mindset. When you claimed you already knew how this would end, weren't you creating a self-fulfilling prophecy?". Was the Imperial Warmaster potentially a self-saboteur?

"Nuh uh" she immediately shook her head, having to interject something here. "Power is sexy, agreed. But honestly, what makes you much more attractive is how...grounded and approachable you are" she corrected his assessment confidently, again noting how in his head he seemed to have a few entrenched ways of thinking and even an image of her.

She was more than happy for his help with getting back on her feet and swayed back and forth at first before she used to force to steady her. "That's so cool...honestly that sounds like a lot of fun". She took his hand with another warm smile of hers.

Taking a deep breath, she took the position as instructed, however as she literally tried to make her first step, she brushed one foot against the other which made both shoes wedge. Tumbling forward instantly, she yanked at his hand hard to steady herself, but her feet already began to scoot back and forth as she desperately tried to regain balance.

Her cheeks were immediately bright red and it literally needed her hands on the ground before she finally stopped moving. "Oh hell...how? Why is this so difficult?!". With shaking knees and his helping hand, she slowly straightened her back to come back up again. "You make it look so easy". He just stood there like on normal shoes. Why was she sucking at something so mundane?! Mustering up all her confidence, she dared to try once again, now grabbing his hand like her life depended on it, but what happened was something that he'd surely found amusing...

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair wasn’t expecting to be challenged on his pessimistic views regarding dating. He only stared at her in wonder, amethyst eyes wide with surprise, “I think women expect me to be a good guy and I’m just not,” He shrugged, “And damn girl, you drive a hard bargain for a first date,” He chuckled to himself. She was right -in a lot of ways he sabotaged his own relationships. He simply never had someone outright call him out on it. He was going to try and sidestep the hell out of that.

The tiefling had expected her to be terrible, but this was far more entertaining than he could have guessed. He bit his lip to keep from laughing, though he couldn’t hide the grin. She almost took them both down a few times, but he managed to keep himself steady by parting his legs further, “I’ve done it a lot!” He responded with a smile, not minding the vice grip on his hand.

At some point she almost toppled over, but his tail jutted out and coiled around her waist to stop her from falling. Altair couldn’t help but chuckle then, “Look at me,” He said softly, turning her so she faced him. His tail slowly fell away from her but remained hovering behind her in case she fell. He reached down and grasped her other hand, holding both in his.

While meeting her gaze, he gently nudged her back, allowing her to skate backwards while he led the way, “Just keep looking at me,” He reminded her, gently leading her through the rink and even slowly spinning them. Altair smiled at her, “Better?”

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

While her opinion and analysis on his issue had just slipped out, she was still convinced what she had pointed out was true. Still, she found herself reflecting on whether there had been a more diplomatic way to convey her argument, but fortunately, he didn't seem to take it the wrong way.

"Maybe that's a lack of communication then? I mean if you know what you're getting, you wouldn't be upset, right?". He had been rather upfront with her and she appreciated that. She hated vagueness and wasn't assuming that all the previous ladies he was referring to had misjudged him that severely...or had they been looking for their Knight in shining armor? Maybe he could be that as well, but she was well aware that he was much more than that.

"I always try to avoid complications...they are a waste of time. Clear communication is key, but some people simply can't handle directness" she shrugged, not needing him to go into detail. "That's why your honesty is appreciated as well". As for the part about the hard bargain she simply couldn't help but to laugh as he was definitely right about that. "Isn't that what you want as well?". She stiffled the laugh, which then turned into a sweeter smile again, but there communication soon shifted towards the perilous activity he had chosen.

At first, she found her apperent lack of practice and skill a little embarrassing. Then though, it was frustration that settled in. "You must think I'm an idiot", she laughed, actually feeling like a severe klutz right now. One leg in front of the other and sliding instead of walking, you'd think it wouldn't be that hard...

As she caught her with his tail, she was a little surprised by how effective that additional body part was. "Good catch...". He then turned her around and while she thought he was being crazy now, he soon realized that his idea wasn't even bad. She tried to stay focused, but couldn't resist the reflex to glance over her shoulder once, which then again almost made her fall yet another time. Fighting against that urge, she then however managed to stay focused on him and he was right about one thing: As long as she stayed focused on him, she was skating, backwards even!

The deep eye contact accompanied by the way their hands were gently touching was somewhat intimate, but it really felt great. He managed to maneuver her rather effortlessly through the rink and she couldn't believe that it was actually working. "Much...thank you" she softly replied, her muscles still rather tense as she still needed it to stay on her feet. "That's really nice. Did you use to skate on street or was there a rink as well?", she curiosly asked, wanting to know more about his childhood while he kept leading her onwards.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair shrugged at her assessment. He suddenly felt like he was in a therapist’s office. Maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing, though not what he expected on a first date, “I never have girls outright tell me what they want from me and they’re shocked I can’t read their minds,” He stated bluntly. That had been the case time and time again. If someone wanted him to be their boyfriend, they simply needed to spell it out instead of bullshitting or wasting their time.

The rink offered a nice distraction from the heavy topics for now. Altair slowly moved them both across the rink, dodging past others that were skating, “Only at rinks. My family and I would go out sometimes on the weekends. Was a popular date spot too, though no girl wanted to go out with me back then,” He said with a grin.

After a moment, a song came on, and he decided to continue on their agreement of being cliche and cheesy. As the song played, he began to move to it. He took her by one hand and easily coasted her with him across the rink. At some point, he released her, singing along with the song the entire time. He let go of one hand, twirled her and then caught her hand with his other hand, effortlessly orbiting her around himself while switching off hands.

Altair released her again, letting her stand there while he sang and skated around her. His voice projected beautifully above the background song, several others pausing to watch. It almost looked like a serenade and would probably put her on the spot, just like in Holomovies. He went in and moved with her again, dipping her back and smiling down at her before tugging her up into a twirl.

At some point he spun around and let her stand behind him with her hands on his shoulders. He crouched down a bit and zoomed quickly around the rink, letting her get a rush while zooming them both around.

The tiefling was clearly having fun, and he dragged Kalique all over with him. The song came to a close and he spun around to face her again, his hands slipping down to her waist now, “So what do you feel like clearly communicating right now?”

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

"That's a shame then...and I'm sorry you had to put up with that" she immediately replied, giving him an almost apologetic grin. In past relationships in which she had really let anyone close to her, communication from her side had never been an issue. Thus, she was used to receiving vague replies...so maybe his answer wasn't even that surprising. It still made the past ladies drama with him somewhat more relatable and again she was realizing that despite his positions he was indeed confronted with the mundane problems most couples were.

"No girls wanted you back then? That's...hard to believe" she admitted, however trying to guess why that was. Tieflings weren't such a common species across the galaxy and she guessed that it might have bee related to tbe issue though, however she found it funny how this had now changed. "Hm...so seems like nowadays the women mostly want you for your assets then I guess. Isn't that ironic? I bet your teenage friends are now quite frustrated with not having fired their shots".

What happened next was happening way too quickly for her and while she tried to hold up somehow, she was just basically following his lead. He guided her into twirls and dips and somehow it just worked while her brain was still busy processing the continous change in movement, direction and speed.

She was still enjoying herself a lot and was smiling the whole time, the brightest when he took over the whole show and started singing along like a main character. If truth be told, he was. Not just in this moment, but as he pulled her closer again she couldn't help but to laugh. At some point she simply started singing along happily, however a few excited screams escaped her when he was zooming through the rink while dragging her along. "Oi! AH! Ohhh my, watch it!". Her slightly frightened cries however always resulted into an amused chuckling as this rush just triggered a whole cascade of adrenaline.

With her heart loudly pounding in her chest and her hair a little all over the place, she smoothed it down while sniffling her genuine laughter. When was the last time she had enjoyed herself so much? Inhaling and exhaling more slowly to catch her breath, she was facing him happily as the whole world around them just seemed to stop. "Actually...", she reached up, her hands gently sliding along his neck before she had her fingertips touching themselves behind the tall Tiefling. "I'd love to kiss you right now". While she did spell it out, she was convinced that actions spoke louder than words anyway and so she just did what she had just communicated.

She had to get on tiptoes a little to reach him and thus used the Force to stabilize herself, so that his tail was off duty for a moment, before she gently let her lips melt against his. An immense warmth and excitement immediately flooded her body , somehow realizing that she might have longed for this a little longer than she had first thought. It simply felt right, and thus there was no point in fighting it.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Her laugh was infectious, and it drew out smiles from him. He may have changed a lot and was far more reserved now, but it didn’t mean he no longer had his old humanoid qualities. The tiefling, as promised, ensured that Kalique never fell the entire time despite all the impressive maneuvers and dancing.

He was still smiling from their little antics on the rink, gazing down into those vibrant emerald eyes. When she spoke, his eyes widened with surprise. However, he didn’t pull back as she leaned towards him. Altair tilted his head slightly, allowing their lips to meet. The desire she expressed on the balcony that night manifested then, the two sharing a tender kiss right there in the middle of the crowd. And of course it was her first glimpse into his infamous studded tongue that probably had more of a reputation than he did as Warmaster.

Altair pulled her closer against himself, familiar desires building. However, he drew back after a moment, giving her a smile as his tail swished back and forth lazily, “Damn, you sure know what you want,” He said quietly with a chuckle.

He glanced over towards the boats and then back at her, “Still wanna go on the water or switch up the order with somewhere more private?” Altair asked. If she was being direct, it certainly opened the door for him to do the same.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

While she had entered this date without wanting to follow any set plans or hold onto any agendas, she found this date truly amazing until then. The venue he had chosen was breathtakingly beautiful, the meal had been absolutely delicious, the date had barely even started and she had enjoyed herself severely and was simply appreciating his company.

Culminating in their first kiss, the date was just becoming even better and while the kiss was starting rather gently, the crescendo of their withheld desire was slowly starting to burn, leading them to a much more passionate encounter. She was kissing him more demandingly as soon as he brought his studded tongue into the game, immediately leading her to want more.

After the first taste of his lips, he withdrew himself, giving her one of his irresistibly smug smirks before he shamelessly asked whether she intended to slip away for a little while. "I think you already know my answer..." she replied softly, desire bleeding into her voice though before she bit her lip.

"You seem good at reading me" she added in terms of him knowing what she wanted as they made their way towards the shoe exchange where they'd received theirs again. "Do you see anything more clichéd than the stalls? Might not be the most romantic place..." she briefly glanced around, her gaze however landing at the boats again. "Actually...not many people are on the lake right now..." with a rather mischievous smirk, she was hoping he was just as adventurous as her. She'd surely not object if he had his eyes on something more comfortable, but in her eyes, boats also worked.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair thought about the boats and every scenario he envisioned ended with them in the water. He exchanged his shoes and gazed around till he spotted his destination. It was a tall water tower that stood above the entire festival. He jutted his chin towards it, “May as well have a view,” He said with a grin before he grasped her hand and led her towards it.

The journey up would require some discretion as it was technically not open to the public. At some point, he came across a guard. He applied the Force to sway his mind, watching his eyes glaze over as he walked off into the darkness. Altair didn’t display his Force abilities often, but it was clear he was immensely powerful with it. He was a Councilor level, after all.

He leapt over a fence with the aid of the Force, easily landing on the other side. He waited for Kalique to hop over before jumping up on the ladder to climb up. It was exhilarating as he kept having to glance back to see if anyone was watching. The air was cool and breezy up here, the noises of the festival echoing below them. After finishing the climb, they were high above the festival and could see the brilliant lights, the crowds and everything below them.

Altair helped Kalique up to the high levels of the tower, pulling her towards the railing that overlooked the festival. He eyed her, nudging her back against the railing while he faced her. There was a rush to be up so high and where if someone really bothered to look, they may spot them. Altair’s hands grasped her by the waist before they slid slowly down the sides of her thighs, coming up teasingly beneath her dress, “Let’s see if I can get you louder than the music,” He said with a wink before leaning in to kiss her again.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

While Kalique found the boat idea very exciting, he did have a point. The tower was not only a safer bet but the view would be grandiose and the chance of falling into the water minimized. "Good choice, actually" she softly remarked, following along without any objections.

Their journey was just as adventurous and exciting as she had presumed their potential risqué affair on the boat would be become, so by the time they reached the tower she was already thrilled for what was to come. Altair dealt with the guard effortlessly and they could simply slip in unnoticed before they started their ascent.

Like the gentleman he was, he helped her up before reaching the very top and despite her wanting Altair righ pt here and now, her gaze quickly drifted towards the stunning view before he was already nudging her backwards. He had her full attention then, and while her body was already flooded by this inner heat, the first gasp escaped her as he slid under her dress.

"You know you could have already taken my on that balcony if you would have wanted to..." perhaps that statement wasn't fully right as she was usually to classy to rush things like this, but he had done enough to really make her want him. This burning desire within was flaring up and she shamelessly pulled him closer, pressing her hips against his as she answered, "and that is a challenge I'd love to participate in...". With that, she passionately kissed him again, her tongue sensually playing with his studs while she really wanted him to show her how much he wanted her then.

@Sreeya