The Laughing Peaks // Fantasy OxO // Open!

Orion's fingers were calloused from strumming the lute and rougher than the delicate shade of his skin would suggest. He had a firm handshake. "Well I can't lay in on thin, can I Florence? Wouldn't want to lose a catch like you." His smile got impossibly wider when Florence noticed and he nodded, the trinkets on his horns jingling pleasantly. "And you did! Not many humans around willing to call me gorgeous, what with the…" he waved at his face vaguely, as if that finished his sentence.

Florence’s hands were rough and calloused as well, though his were from years upon years of manual labor and lugging things around. “I can’t see why. I think it enhances your features.” Florence noted, clasping his fingers together behind his neck. He leaned back comfortably in his chair, now pleasantly distracted from the pain of that day’s work. “Although, to go back to an earlier point: you’d have to try a little harder than just not complimenting me if you really wanted me gone.” He laughed softly, taking another draught off of his mead.

Orion watched him sprawl back in his chair and he itched to write, to sing, to memorialize Florence's perfect beauty. He was like a work of art, all smooth lines and ease. Instead, Ori tapped his fingers against his thigh and let out another laugh, softer and more well worn than the first. "You'd be surprised," he murmured, mostly to himself, and then took a swig of mead to wash away the train of thought. He was starting to get properly flushed now, half from mead and half from conversation. "I'm sure it's not that hard to get you gone, darling. You seem like the type who can be… discerning about who he speaks to."

“I might be.” Florence purred, leaning in just a tiny bit. His eyes wandered Orion, focusing in especially on his face. “But you seem like a good enough conversationalist, and that’s always a nice trait to have. So you’re worth speaking to.” That, and just the sound of Orion’s voice made Florence feel glorious. He gave him an easy grin, smiling with his teeth for the first time that night.

If Florence's smile before was a sunset then this one here was the stars, a million balls of blazing fire, glorious and awe-inspiring. Damn the gods for letting him forget his pen, he wanted to write sonnets about this boy. "With someone like you, the talking is easy." He slid closer, letting their shoulders bump together companionably, and downed another sip of mead. "All I have to do is look into your eyes, and suddenly the inspiration to speak is there, making me run my mouth before I even know I've been talking."

Florence laughed in surprise, his blush growing more aggressive. He looked away from Orion, though made no efforts to move at all- in fact, he leaned into him just the smallest amount. “I would say you’re a poet, sir, but I suppose you already know that.” Gold. Orion’s words were gold to him. His honey-sweet words were enough to render Florence speechless, but he kept talking. “I don’t suppose you’d let me buy you another drink once that one’s gone?”

Orion was pretty much cursing every god he could name when he saw Florence blush like that. How could he be expected to remember such a beautiful expression!? "I did, but I wouldn't mind hearing you say it too darling." He reached over and set his hand on top of Florence's, soft in case he pulled away. "I would love a drink from you, but I'm afraid just hearing your voice is payment enough for my company. Perhaps you would let me buy you one instead?"

“Well, then I must say: you’re quite the poet, Orion.” Florence practically melted at the feeling of Orion’s hand on his own, trying his best to keep cool and collected on the surface. “If you insist on it, then I don’t have any choice than to accept, do I? I wouldn’t want to be rude.” He took the last sip of his mead, polishing off the mug. “So.. how long have you been in Gravemner?”

Orion was likewise doing his best not to melt into a pile of goo on the floor at the sweetness with which Florence delivered the compliment. He laced his fingers with the human's after a few seconds, content that he wouldn't be uncomfortable, and signaled for the barkeep to fetch them another round while he thought about the question. "All in all about… five years, though most of that's on and off. I travel often."

Florence rubbed the back of the tiefling’s hand with his thumb, looking around the tavern. “Five years, wow. That’s a fair amount of time to spend in a place like this, even on and off. What’s your travel like?” He cocked his head curiously, face almost resembling a curious puppy’s as he asked the question.

Too cute, too cute entirely. Florence was going to kill him before the night was out and he didn't even have the strength to be upset about it. "Not for a tiefling, darling." He squeezed Florence's hand happily. "I'll live hundreds of years, five is just a drop in the bucket. My travels are usually for adventuring, sometimes for inspiration, sometimes to have some fun, but I always come back here for a few days when I'm done."

“This is a nice place to come back to. It’s a homey place.” Florence nodded. “Hundreds of years, though, wow. That has to be something to behold, all of that history unfolding before you.” He mused, squeezing Orion’s hand back and leaning against him slightly. Mostly to test the waters and see Orion’s reaction, but he just wanted to be close to him. “One second, sorry.” Florence laughed, undoing his bun and letting his shoulder-length hair fall down. “Damn bun’s been in my hair all day, starting to get sore.”

"It is," Orion agreed, laying his head on Florence's shoulder with a dreamy sigh as he leaned closer. Humans were always so easy to snuggle with and Florence even fucking smelled nice, like new rain and cut grass and horses. "Though it gets a bit lonely when you live so long." He perked up a bit when Florence drew his attention and then froze, watching the hair fall across his shoulders with so much longing it hurt. Stupid stupid him, forgetting his pen when this siren, this god among men, was sitting in front of him like living poetry. "If you don't mind me asking, are you sure you're totally human?"

Florence blinked. “No, I don’t mind, but why do you ask?” He thought for a bit, leaning his own head on Orion’s. “My grandmother is a half-elf, if that helps you at all.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Why do you want to know?”

Orion nuzzled him, watching with unblinking eyes as he shifted. Gorgeous idiot. Stupid pretty mostly-human boy. "You are… very uncommon, in your appearance" His voice was soft, slightly awestruck. "I'm sure even the sun herself is envious of your beauty."

“Uncommon? Thank you..” He purred, his face flashing pink again at the compliment. “Stop it! You’re sweeter than honey, Ori, really.” He laughed, covering his smiling mouth with a hand. “I told you that you were a poet, but somehow I feel like that isn’t strong enough to accurately capture you and your words.”

Orion couldn't help but preen at the reaction to his compliment, drinking in the human's blush like it was the finest mead. "Only because I have such a beautiful muse to spur me on." He took Florence's free hand in his, pulling it down into his lap so he could admire the look on his face. "Why cover your smile? You look beautiful like this, 'tis a gift worth all the world to see it."

Florence giggled slightly. “Again with the compliments! It’s just a reflex, darling, nothing more, nothing less.” God, he’s such a charmer. I’m fucking giddy, how did that even happen? Florence got a little closer, completely closing the space between the two. He studied Orion’s hands, taking them in his own and looking them over, studying everything from the callouses on his fingers to the lines on his palms. He couldn’t read them, no, he was only interested in the story they told.

Oh gods, he was giggling—fucking giggling— and calling him darling. Orion was about to have a heart attack. "And I could say my compliments are just the same, pretty boy: a reflex when confronted with someone as breathtaking as you." He was only half teasing, smiling over at Florence brightly. He knew every way in the world there was to tell a man's future, from cards to dice to good old fashioned tea leaves, but his favorite was reading palms. He flipped over one of Florence's, running his finger along the callouses. "Such nice hands, you must work hard at that job of yours."

“If I’m breathtaking, the same goes double for you.” Florence tilted his head at Orion’s observation of his hands. “Thank you, thank you. But I like to think that I work hard.. raising animals here is no joke.” He laughed, thinking about his job on the farm. “Out there daily with the cows, but they don’t call us the cowhand Brosnears for nothing!” Florence’s nose noticeably scrunched up when he smiled, his eyes smiling along with him lips.

Ori laughed and didn't bother to keep himself from skimming across Florence's face all over again. So pretty, with a laugh like music. With all that dedication to a job that seemed so small to Orion, who had seen a great many things. "I'm sure you excel at it, darling, but doesn't it get boring? I know I wouldn't last a day in a cow pen."

“They’re like my babies, Ori.” Florence chuckled, still smiling. “It’s not just cows, either, anymore. Now it’s also chickens, sheep, dogs, so many animals. It’s heaven for someone like me.” He lit up at the opportunity to talk about his job, praying that Orion wouldn’t judge him too harshly as a stupid farmhand. “It’s not boring until you want it to be.”

Ori leaned against his shoulder as he lit up, watching him speak with a lazy honey-sweet smile. "Maybe not for you, darling, but animals have never been my forte. I'll believe you when you say you love them though, it's written all over your face." He hoped he could stick around for Florence to look at him like that, but those were hopes for another day. "Tell me more about your animals, are they half so sweet-tempered as you?"

“I like to think that they are. Let’s see.. we’ve got a couple heifers, they’re gorgeously well-mannered and gentle. The chickens.. not so much. Bastards, the lot of them.” He laughed again, trying to think about the others. “Our sheep, yes, they’re a breeze. The dogs are obedient, but most of them are too energetic for me.” Florence’s eyes sparkled. “What about you? Do you have any animals at home?”

Orion listened to him talk with a soft little hum, soaking up all the information he could about Florence's life. It mostly boiled down to easygoing with good opinions about chickens, but hey. It was a start. "Afraid I don't have a home to keep one at, should I even want a pet in the first place."

“That makes sense.” Florence nodded. He let out a quiet yawn, leaning against Orion sleepily. “It’s late, isn’t it?” The human’s eyes trailed back outside the windows, taking in the darkness outside. “I may have to go soon, but I think I have a little longer.”

Orion nodded and leaned forward to kiss the top of his head, watching with interest as Florence curled up against his chest. Adorable when he was full of energy and adorable when he was half asleep. Was there any way this human didn't look precious? "If it's not too forward of me, could I walk you home?"

His heart jumped into his throat when he felt Orion kiss his head. “Of course you can. If you’re not afraid of the walk, of course.” Florence sat up, rubbing his eyes, though he didn’t stand up just yet. “Do you have somewhere to stay for the night? I know you said that you don’t have a home here.”

(I’m just about falling asleep, so I may log off for the night! Gn!)

(Good night to you too!)

"Darling, I'm never afraid of anything." He let go of one of Florence's hands so he could loop an arm around his shoulders, pulling him back against his chest. He'd carry Florence home happily if it meant keeping him curled up like this. "I was planning on rooming at the Inn across the street, but if they're full I'm sure I can find something suitable."

“Never? Well, you’re quite brave, aren’t you?” Florence was practically fawning over Orion by now, almost cursing himself for already falling head over heels for the tiefling’s charm. A happy little giggle escaped from his lips as he was pulled back into Orion’s chest. “That’s a nice inn, but they fill up quickly. Especially with it being the time that it is, with the Festival of the Gods coming up soon.. rates will be high.” Florence thought for a moment. “I think I have space for you at my house if you can’t get into an inn, if you’d like to stay with me?” He worried that he was being too forward in his question, but what he said was true- inn prices were sky high around this time of year, and rooms were scarce.