Deception

"Oh, they weren't jerks. They were just drawn in by Lysander, which is inevitable really. Who would resist being integrated into his inner circle and being personally invited to all the events he puts on? And he's a handsome man, so they inevitably fell for the idea of being with him in an intimate sense. I've certainly fallen for it. It... is mildly irritating that they get so caught up with him that they forget I exist, but that happens anyway. I'm invisible in this place sometimes, but I prefer that," he shrugged, his broad shoulders hunching a little as he forced himself to act as though he was seriously interested in the tea in his hands, eyes fixated on the tea leaves still stewing in the liquid.

"...I just don't think he realises what he's doing is all. He's selfish. He'll admit that himself. It's a shame that you'll inevitably fall for him and become one of the many... people he has on call when he wants to have sex, but he's the King and I suppose he's entitled to do what he wants with consenting friends. Anyway, I'm moaning and I have no right to. I'll admit that I'll miss you when you abandon me, inevitably, but... Lysander's appeal is far greater than my own. He's the King and... he really does care for you. It's not difficult to propose that you two will be close within the week when he makes a move."
 
"I don't... I don't want to be a part of any 'inner circle'. I don't like parties or anything like that. I've been on my own for years so... I don't know. You're nice to me, I don't want to lose that. If Lysander wants to... show me some affection, I-I... I don't know, that's never happened to me before," he admitted, his whole face covered in a blush as he nervously laughed.

He never had a lot of confidence him, after all. He was a boy in Harenae, which itself was a rarity. The fact that he was also half lamia, half elf only made his insecurity all the more intense and prominent. He never felt right, no matter where he was, hence why he traveled. The idea of having anyone find him attractive just didn't make sense, why would they? He wasn't normal and it seemed people always liked normal.
 
Themus hesitated before he planned on answering, preparing to open up about how appealing Neotoma was to not just Lysander, but himself too, though he never had the chance to do so, the King himself opening the door without bothering to knock. The room was Themus', but evidently, as King, Lysander didn't think he needed to knock doors within his own castle - it felt ludicrous to do so when this wasn't a bedroom and there was no expectations of privacy as a result of it.

Unaware that he had thwarted his friend's efforts at telling Neotoma how much he liked him, the fellow demon grinned at the cosiness between the two, correctly identifying it as a blossoming friendship - something he felt both men needed. His arms folded over his bare chest as he leaned against the doorframe, making little attempt to hide the fact he had just had sex, not bothering to even untangle his hair or cover up the scratches along his body. He didn't feel he had time to do that and, even if he did, he didn't think it mattered anyway.

"Can you guys make a tonic up real quick for Imogen? She's alright, she's better than alright, but it's just to be on the safe side. She's tired out and I don't want her coughing when her lungs are being real shitty to her today," he murmured as he smiled at Themus' quick obedience, his eyes turning to Neotoma curiously. "...You've been crying--? What's Themus said to you? Has he been an ass?"
 
"Oh, I-I... no, it's just, um... just thinking about home," Neotoma replied, wiping his eyes quickly. He had hoped it would have been a bit more subtle now that he had calmed down and he hadn't picked Lysander to be the most observant person, which meant that he must have really looked horrible. Wiping his face for extra measure, his face was then replaced with a blush upon realizing what the King has done.

He had been gone for a hot minute so, implying they had just finished, he couldn't help but be shocked and a bit impressed. They were both demons, which he had been told were notorious for their strength and stamina, so the rumors must have been true in that regard. Clearing his throat, he watched Themus work as to avoid eyes with the King.

"Her lungs, you said? That isn't good," Neotoma murmured, moreso to himself than the two demons. "It'll be fun to test out more of your stuff, you know? I know this is serious but... it's also fun, in a way - to me, at least."
 
"Hey, as long as you find the secret formula that makes her life just a little less painful, you can have fun concocting all sorts of potions in your spare time. Borrow funds from me all you like. As long as you really put effort into helping Imogen -which I know you will- then I don't care what you get up to in your spare time," he smiled, taking a seat when he saw from Themus' body language that the tonic wouldn't be brewed as quickly as he thought it would be.

Which, given the other's distraction, gave him ample time to at least test the waters and initiate a little flirtation with Neotoma, as Themus had predicted.

"You're missing home, huh? I did mean it when I said we could go together and warn your mother about the attack. I don't want anyone you care about hurt when my forces invade," he smiled charmingly, resting his hands behind his head as his eyes subtly grazed up and down the half-lamia. "...Certainly not if it hurt you in the process. You know I care about you, don't you? More than I ought to. It'll muddy our professional relationship somewhat, but... well, I'm not one to care about that."
 
"That would be lovely, yes. I would also love to show you, Themus and Imogen - if she's feeling up to it- Harenae. It's nowhere near Ingius but the weather is similar, which is nice. I'm from a more touristy area; my mother made jewelry from the jewels in the mines just a bit away from our home, it was how she made money. I wish we weren't subjected just to tourism but the jewelry was beautiful, I'm not going to lie. I have one of the necklaces my mother made on my bag, and the ankle bracelet on... my ankle," he noted, his eyes quickly glancing down at his ankle.

One thing he liked by the new kingdom was the fact that he hadn't been forced out of his traditional Harenaen attire, that of which he felt most comfortable in. It was mostly handmade, thanks to his mother teaching him how to sew, so it meant there was even more feelings attached to it all. Working in Pruina, not only were his clothes not meant for the weather but he had been teased for them and instead forced into a suit for his role as a servant.

"I mean, I care about you as well. You've been really nice to me, I... I don't deserve that kindness," he added with a meek smile, sniffling as he tried to force back his urge to get emotional
 
While Neotoma had to force back his emotions, Themus had to force back the urge to groan at his friend's words, having heard him use the same spiel to most of the people he was trying to charm and form some sort of romantic entanglement with. If anything, it annoyed him knowing that it worked almost on everyone he said it to, hating the arrogance that developed in Lysander as a result. His friend had a thousand reasons to be cocky, and normally, at his side, Themus was wholly supportive and encouraging of the presence of those characteristics, but sometimes he detested them.

He struggled to make friends, and when he did, they were inevitably pulled away by Lysander because the man found the cute and wanted someone else to fool around with, as though he already didn't have dozens of people he could go to for a one night fling.

If anything, it made the fact Neotoma had confided in him rather enjoyable. He hated what the Harenaen had done, but secretly, he was starting to love the fact he knew something Lysander didn't.

He forced back the urge to smile about that, handing across the tonic as the King nodded and accepted it gratefully, his eyes locking back down on Neotoma. "Do you want to come and give this to her? She might look upon you more favourably if we say you made it for her - Themus won't mind you taking credit."

"...No, that's fine. I encourage that. I want her to like you," the doctor encouraged as he nodded in return. "Tell her to down it all in a single go, or the taste will only put her off and she won't finish it."
 
"Sure, I'd love to come with you!" Replied Neotoma, sensing the tense and sexual energy with ease. Taking in the vial curiously, he held it tight nonetheless in case he somehow broke it. It would be a shock to no one if he did, in his eyes, and he wanted to avoid it at all costs.

"I don't think she likes me," he admitted with a quiet chuckle before slipping off the chair that made him feel like a child. He wasn't the tallest, that was true, but he certainly was no elf or fairy. The fact that he was still towered over only made him feel, well, small. He was a foreigner that was struggling to express himself properly in a foreign language all the while feeling like an ant in comparison. He kept those anxieties to himself, instead simply offering Themus an encouraging smile before heading out of the small laboratory, despite it feeling like one of the soundest and most familiar places in the castle.

"You, ah- you werent too rough with each other, we're you?" He questioned, taking in the deep scratch marks. From what he understood, demons healed quickly. If that was the case, Imogen's nails must have dug deep for them to have not healed up yet in the time it took for Lysander to meet them. "I hope she's okay, you... seem like you'd be the rough type."
 
"Hm? Oh, these'll heal themselves soon enough. She was rough with me. I was... gentle, by normal standards. Let's just say I made sure she was comfortable and did what she wanted me to do. I'm not selfish. If I knew she could handle it, and she urged me to, then sure, I took it a little rougher. I know to be careful with her, though. Which is why we didn't just have sex; we did a lot of stuff. I wanted her to have a good time," he shrugged casually, perfectly happy admitting to his sexual exploits now they had been brought up. He liked to keep some things private, which was why he didn't go overboard with the detail - normally he wouldn't care, but with Imogen, he wanted some details to be between them and them alone.

If anything, it was another example of how much he loved her in comparison to the lovers he casually had sex with now and then.

"...We can go tomorrow, to see your mother. The next meeting with the other royals isn't for a week or two, so we have time to prioritise you tomorrow. We can discuss business on the way, you can spill your guts about everything you know about all those kingdoms you travelled through. May as well do something with our time, hm? I can't wait to meet her, you know. I'm good with parents, they love me. Imogen's folks loved me. Imogen loved me even more when I had them sent to the gallows-- for good reason, don't think I'm a monster."
 
"There's no need to prioritize me, I just... I want to make sure my mother is safe and healthy, is all. It isn't about me, though - you can find information about Harenae whilst there. The trip is long, though, what with it being the farthest away and all. Are you really okay with going such a distance? Would it be just us?" He questioned curiously, his black eyes sparkling as he gripped the bottle tighter.

"It's a lovely place, though you might not like it. As I said, the air is very dry there. There have been tourist who have come who had nosebleeds from just how dry it is," he continued, speaking slowly as he tried to form the right words. As he spoke, he couldn't hide the smile in his tone as he followed Lysander obediently. He had no intentions of ever staying there permanently but he did miss it, in a way. "I'll help translate, of course. Harenaen language is much different to yours, so there's no real point in trying to figure it out."
 
"Assuming they don't know I'm the King, I'm sure I could have a look around the kingdom? Though, saying that, I'm sure they haven't seen a demon before so I'm guaranteed to attract attention either way - but that'll be something we'll face when we're there. As long as your mother likes me, that's all that matters. I certainly like you and want to build a connection with you, so... if she sees how good my intentions are regarding you, I'm sure she'll at least like me a little," he smiled, finding his excitement growing at the idea now it was starting to become more fleshed out. He had no real interest in the other kingdoms for his own reasons, so exploring them wasn't something he felt a great desire to do.

The orcs in Palus lived in a kingdom full of swamps and marshlands, and the constant pouring of rain alongside that wouldn't make exploration at all enjoyable. Pruina was far too cold for his liking, and it didn't help matters that he hated their Queen and, thus, felt inclined to hate the kingdom itself too. The centaurs and fairies in Silva seemed to have an interesting kingdom from what he had heard, and the forests that made their kingdom up were probably beautiful... but he could never find it in himself to feel excited about anything from there when the species that ruled it were too boring.

If any kingdom was going to intrigue him, it was Harenae, finding the climate of the desert and the species that dwelt there mostly appealing.

His efforts of communicating that would have to wait when coming to his bedroom door, peeking in to ensure his girlfriend was decent before trailing in properly. "Neotoma has a tonic for you - I insisted he make it specially. That's really nice of him, right Imogen? He went out of his way for you."
 
She was decent, albeit she wouldn't mind if she wasn't. She was wrapped nicely in the blankets on the bed and she was exhausted, so much so that she had already fallen asleep. She did rustle awake at the sound of Lysander's voice, grumbling bitterly at being interrupted but nonetheless sat up. She quickly covered her chest when noticing Neotoma enter alongside her boyfriend for the Harenaen's sake.

"Well, isn't that sweet?" Imogen commented, her voice hoarse from both her condition and from the fact that she had moaned pretty loudly. Holding her hand out expectantly, she gave it a sniff before grimacing in disgust. She knew it wouldn't be sugary sweet and grew nervous, but reluctantly chugged it down.

She immediately groaned, gagging in disgust. Just the sound made Neotoma grow uncomfortable himself, covering his mouth to keep himself from gagging as well. She did eventually calm down before coughing hard and laying back down on the messy bed.

"That was horrible." She stated flatly, covering her eyes with her arms. "I have a wonderful time with you and this is how we finish? That isn't fair, I thought I did a lovely job."
 
Knowing Neotoma's tendency to grow flustered, the last thing he wanted to do was subject him to any more sexual chat if it did only serve to embarrass him. Of course, if it did, he had no idea how he was going to try and introduce the fact he liked him - he thought he had done a good job of it, though when he received nothing really substantial in return that gave him an indication of Neotoma's feelings, he was admittedly struggling to make it anymore obvious without just kissing him, and h really didn't want to do that and overstep the boundary.

He pushed the thoughts from his head easily enough as he sat on the bed, grimacing himself at the sound of gagging. He had been warned that it would taste dreadful, but if it helped Imogen relax and be at ease during the night, he would ensure she drank it and anything else Themus suggested.

"You were amazing, you know that," he reminded as he adjusted the blankets helpfully, doing so as subtly as he could manage. "But you also know that you have to have the tonic or you'll be up all night coughing and... I want you to sleep through without pain, so... it's a bad end to the night, but it's worth it, right? Besides, we can snuggle until we fall asleep, that's cute."
 
"I think it's the least I deserve," she murmured with a pout, completely disregarding Neotoma at this point. Leaning up a tad to offer a peck on the cheek, she almost immediately laid back down with a deep sigh in exhaustion. For once it was from something fun rather than just her being sick which made her smile at the very least.

"Look, go and do some work. I'll be here so when you're done, you can come and join me. Or don't, though I would prefer to snuggle with you," she admitted with a chuckle before waving her boyfriend dismissively. She was desperate to hide how upset she would be if the other did leave but she couldn't be spoiled when the other was busy being King.
 
Lysander did have a lot of work to be getting off, the pressure only growing when he took into consideration the trip he had abruptly planned for the following day. That said, any intention he did have of making an excuse to her left the moment he looked down at the other demon and realised just how badly they needed to spend the night together properly - disappearing now would only ruin the progress they had made in strengthening their relationship.

Once he had decided upon that, he motioned for Neotoma to go, albeit with a bright smile and a general piece of advice for him to get a few things paced that he wanted to take with him on the trip.

"...We're off to Harenae tomorrow, to see his mother; warn her about the attack so she has time to get to safety," he explained easily as he moved back into bed beside her, his strong arm naturally moving back around her. "We'll be gone most of the day, but we'll be back in time for the evening meal I imagine. If you're up to it, you should eat downstairs again. I... apologise for... assuming I knew how you felt. Clearly you know your body more than me, and that's my fault for being an asshole and assuming I knew better, so-- hey, I'm just glad we did this. It was great, Imogen. You kinda shredded my back and chest up a bit, but I don't mind~"
 
"Should I... should I leave?" Melton's squeaked as he watched the two, his shifting weight evidence of his discomfort. It didn't feel right, being in the room while the two clearly enjoyed each other. Him being there just felt like he was watching them be intimate which was an idea that made him blush.

He also was having mixed feelings. With lamia, more often than not they stay with their partners for life, wholly committed. It was something deeply engrained in his head when he heard children tease him for having a single mother and a father that not only wasn't there but one that wasn't even of the same species. He knew that every species and kingdom had their own culture but the fact that Lysander was flirting with him while also showing clear love for Imogen only made him feel nauseous. Noticing this discomfort, said demon waved the Harenaen off dismissively.

"Yes, please leave and... thank you, for the tonic. I'm glad you're willing to help, Neotoma." She answered with a smile as Lysander held her close. She was exhausted and wanted nothing but sleep but the idea of sleeping felt wrong without Lysander by her side. "Sleep well, what with your big travel tomorrow."
 
"...I know you're wary of him, Imogen, but he really wants you to like him. It's sweet. I'm proud of you for going easy on him, hm? Poor boy's terrified of us most the time; we're like giants to him. Mind you, he seems close to your brother, who is, to my chagrin, far taller than I am. They look ridiculous together, your brother being as tall as he is and Neotoma being... well, not as tall as we generally are," he grunted in amusement after the Harenaen had left the room, not that rude or oblivious to do so in front of him. He wasn't saying anything bad -he was complimentary, if anything- but he didn't want to fluster the halfling more than he was already.

"I'd make a move on Neotoma if a) I thought you were comfortable with it, which I'm not convinced you are, and b) I thought your brother would be happy about it. He won't be, I already know he won't. He's as easy to read as a book is; I see right through his little attempts at seeming nonchalant to my efforts at flirtation with Neotoma. Either it's because he likes me, or he likes the boy. I'm not sure which it is," he admitted as he kicked his socks off and adjusted the pillows underneath his head, having made the decision to stay so, naturally, wanted to get as comfortable as he could for the night ahead.

"If he does like me, I don't know what to do about it. Equally, if he likes Neotoma, I'm not sure I can simply... step away. Not unless you asked me too, and you haven't done that yet."
 
"He's adorable and sweet and blah, blah, blah. Look, I'm just worried that maybe he's not what he seems," she explained, her eyes closing as she buried her face in her pillow. She didn't care much about other people's feelings but Lysander was an exception, and she rolled to face the man despite wanting to sleep.

"I've stated that I don't care who you sleep with as long as it isn't my brother. This Harenaen? Have all the fun you want. You could, I don't know - you could have sex with him every day if you want, but Themus is off the board. As for Themus liking this new halfling, what are you going to do about it? Scoop him up or something?"
 
"I don't want to sound too harsh on him, given he's your brother and the only family you really have other than myself, but... if it's a choice between him and I, then I'm fairly confident Neotoma will opt for me. Not that there's anything wrong with Themus, but he's hardly... me, is he? The amount of people he's liked who go for me in the end is a figure I can't count at this point, so I'm assuming Neotoma will be the same," he smugly smiled, his arrogance being something that he had always been known for. He wasn't afraid of displaying it, not seeing any reason why he should hide what he thought, especially when he didn't think anything he said could be debatable.

In his head, he was a much more appealing person than Themus was, in terms of looks and personality, so he didn't hold back from saying so.

"Your brother is my best friend but there's obviously a reason why he can't get himself a boyfriend. His lack of skills in that department isn't my problem to deal with. So if -or rather, when- Neotoma and I become intimate, I fail to see any reason why I should feel guilty about it."
 
"Well maybe you could rub off some of those amazing 'people skills' you have and get him someone because, between you and me, he needs someone badly. He's always in his little lab working, it's not healthy to have that little contact. That's why Neotoma might be good for him, if only as friends. I want him to come out of his shell a bit," Imogen explained, her eyes rolling at her boyfriend's cheeky arrogance, though it earned him a smile nonetheless.

"Sounds like s problem that you'll have to figure out yourself," she decided, offering the other a pat on the back with a chuckle. "Here I am, thinking that being King would come with responsibilities like checking up on food supply and all that but in reality, the true struggle is on how the hell Are you going to stop all of these beautiful people from falling for you?" She drawled.
 
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