[ Any remnant of defiance or uncertainty peels away with the last of Eridanus' clothes, and as he humbly lowers himself to the demure posture of a supplicant, whatever ill-temper had lingered with Lucius vanishes as well. Though this ritual is new, its weight settles over them as easily as a drama rehearsed a thousand times before; Lucius draws a breath as if its gravity might fill his very lungs, and as Eridanus turns that worshipful gaze upward, Lucius brings a hand to his skull. Fingers thread into the hair at his nape, already loose and disheveled, as his claw-thumb drags along the opal freshly grown over his jaw.
It's precisely the monstrous face had has missed in the past months—almost too much so, in fact. Quiet seconds pass between them, and only then does Lucius recognize the tear track scars he had rended into Eridanus' cheeks a month before. Half-covered, half-lost among the clutter of tusks and second eyes, despite their new glittering shade, they don't stand out on his troll-skin in the same way they had upon the face where they were first placed. What was once the pad of his thumb rubs against Eridanus' cheek, as if the rest might simply be cleared away—but, of course, nothing rearranges itself for his touch.
A heartbeat's disappointment settles over him—but then he realizes that he might simply use the opportunity to make this reunion between all the more special, and his eyes widen with sudden light. He steps back to retrieve the Lucid Dream from where it has been respectfully left at Eridanus' bedside; when he stands before Eridanus again, however, he draws it from its sheath himself. It's small in his hand, but he acclimated himself to that unfortunate reality, and he hardly notices as much as his free hand comes forth to cup Eridanus beneath his chin and tilt his head back. ]
Did you notice, Eridanus? [ The words are a sigh, breathy with his own anticipation. ] No, I suppose you can't now. This skin hides it, but I thought that moment between us deserved to be immortalized on my flesh.
[ Meaning that Eridanus has been allowed to leave his mark on him twice now—albeit in a more indirect way, this time. ]
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It's precisely the monstrous face had has missed in the past months—almost too much so, in fact. Quiet seconds pass between them, and only then does Lucius recognize the tear track scars he had rended into Eridanus' cheeks a month before. Half-covered, half-lost among the clutter of tusks and second eyes, despite their new glittering shade, they don't stand out on his troll-skin in the same way they had upon the face where they were first placed. What was once the pad of his thumb rubs against Eridanus' cheek, as if the rest might simply be cleared away—but, of course, nothing rearranges itself for his touch.
A heartbeat's disappointment settles over him—but then he realizes that he might simply use the opportunity to make this reunion between all the more special, and his eyes widen with sudden light. He steps back to retrieve the Lucid Dream from where it has been respectfully left at Eridanus' bedside; when he stands before Eridanus again, however, he draws it from its sheath himself. It's small in his hand, but he acclimated himself to that unfortunate reality, and he hardly notices as much as his free hand comes forth to cup Eridanus beneath his chin and tilt his head back. ]
Did you notice, Eridanus? [ The words are a sigh, breathy with his own anticipation. ] No, I suppose you can't now. This skin hides it, but I thought that moment between us deserved to be immortalized on my flesh.
[ Meaning that Eridanus has been allowed to leave his mark on him twice now—albeit in a more indirect way, this time. ]