The Drow Queen of Glaley [Very NSFW]

[Zevran]

"Gesundheit." The strangely popular orcish word slips out despite himself.

[Shisou]

The boy stares at him blankly for a moment, then a smile creeps across his face. "J-j-j-joke. Th-th-that was-- th-th-that was f-f-f-un-ny." It wasn't really, but the fact that the new guy is joking when a moment ago Shisou thought he might be another Nathaniel is a good sign.

[Zevran]

Dammit Zev. Eyes still closed, Zevran dips one shoulder ever so slightly in muted shrug.

[Shisou]

Shisou watches for a moment, small smile fading. "P-p-p-please d-d-don't b-be anoth-ther Nath-than-n-niel," he whispers. "It gets l-l-lonely. The h-h-h-arem is s-so s-small. I was h-h-hoping..."

[Zevran]

"Hope is dangerous," Zevran murmurs without any other change.

[Shisou]

Shisou's shoulders slump. "Y-y-y-y-eah," he admits softly. "It's... it's n-n-n-not a b-b-b-ad l-l-l-life h-here, you kn-know. N-n-n-nobody m-m-m-m-makes f-f-fun of my st-st-st-st-st-st-st-st-st-stutter. A-a-and L-l-l-lady P-p-p-p-rimfana r-r-r-r-rarely c-c-c-calls f-f-for us and M-m-m-m-m-ist-tress is r-r-r-r-rarely h-h-h-h-home. It g-g-g-ets l-l-l-l-lone-ly, b-b-b-but..."

[Zevran]

"A soft whip and a pretty cage then?"

[Shisou]

"C-c-c-c-c-could b-b-b-e w-w-w-worse, r-r-r-r-right?"

[Zevran]

A soft, empty chuckle, then a single word that feels more like Abyssal than common.

"Yes."

[Shisou]

"w-w-w-w-w-will you l-l-l-l-let us b-b-b-bathe and d-d-d-d-d-dress you?" asks Shisou, quietly. "I th-th-th-th-think the t-t-t-t-t-t-wins c-c-c-could m-m-m-make you b-b-b-b-but n-n-n-n-n-n-nobody w-w-w-wants to d-d-d-do that."

[Zevran]

A single eye opens to study Shisou and the barely repressed violence in it is breathtaking. "No, they could not," he promises the younger man. Not waiting for a reply, he smoothly gets to his feet, ruthlessly repressing any sign of pain or stiffness. "Lead. I will bathe and dress myself. Alone."

[Shisou]

"o-o-o-oh. U-u-um. O-o-o-ok-k-k-k-kay." Shisou shivers a little, hanging his head as he leads the way through their compound. 

By the light of day it's easier to see; natural light streams in the windows, lighting the small building. The corridor he's on has many rooms, which he has no reason to believe are any different than his own: small, bare bedrooms, with a cot, a closet, and a desk but no decorations or other furnishings. The hallway has paintings, however: mostly the night sky, brilliant with stars and the moons. At the far end of the hall is a copper statue, a bust of a woman who looks fierce and dangerous even in monochrome. Shisou heads away from the statue, around the corner and down some steps to the basement, where it seems the baths are. 

The baths are public; there are three tubs sunken into the ground, and a portable rack of clothing stands at the far end beside a built-in wall unit holding towels, washcloths, and soap. Already present at the baths are three other figures: the aforementioned "twins" and one other. 

The twins are already naked; the golden-haired twin is washing the darker-haired twin's back, both of them male and beautiful as a painting. The third is sitting huddled by himself in a second tub, careful to hold his wings up out of the water so they don't get wet. He would likely be better served by a steam room, but there doesn't appear to be one, so he combs his wet hair and holds his wings out of the water as best he can. One of them doesn't open all the way, old scar tissue preventing it from being able to, indicating that he likely cannot fly. But his long, red hair is beautiful, despite the old scars criss-crossing his back, despite the ruined wing, despite the blank look in his eyes. 

"Th-th-th-th-this is the b-b-b-bath," says Shisou quietly. "Um. I'll just... I'll sh-sh-sh-sh-sh-share with the tw-tw-tw-tw-twins." Leaving him the third tub to himself, for what small bit of privacy that gets him. 

One other thing his keen eyes notice: a small tattoo on the right shoulder blade of each of the figures he can see. The tattoos are abstract, but they match perfectly -- and as Shisou slips off his tunic, Zevran can see the nearly-healed tattoo there. A brand, then. Great. 

[Nox]

Scowling briefly, Zevran ignores the others in the room after a quick sweep with his eyes. Without any sense of awkwardness or shame, he moves to the rack of clothing and pushes it between the empty tub and the other two. A token show of his demand for isolation made, he steps into the tub with a hiss.

Eyes wide, Lux watches Zevran silently. His brother does as well, but only briefly. Instead, he turns to Shisou, then demands in a low whisper, "what happened?"

[Shisou]

"He s-s-s-s-s-sounded l-l-l-l-like Na-t-t-t-than-- Him. S-s-s-said h-h-h-h-h-h-hope w-w-was d-d-d-d-d-d-dang-g-g-erous."

[Nox]

Lux groans softly upon hearing that answer and slumps backwards into the tub until he's soaking up to his nose. After a moment, a disappointed 'blurble' pops out of the water near his mouth. "Lovely," Nox grumbles in agreement. "Hopefully her Ladyship has better luck with him than, ah, him."