OOM - Eric's room, Athelstan

[onceaviking]

The room is cool and tidy.
There's a bed (huge and covered in red bedding), a desk with a closed laptop, and a small table with a couple of low chairs. They're draped with skins (deer and sheep), with carved backs.

Eric turns to face Athelstan.

Comments

[athelstanthescribe]

"Yes", he says, dousing his hands and wiping at his eyes once they're dripping wet. "Much. Sorry."

[onceaviking]

He dries Athelstan's face off with one large hand.
More gentle than he'd be comfortable admitting to being able to be.

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan wouldn't dream of telling anyone. He peers up at Eric, meeting his eyes steadily.

"Thank you. Again."

[onceaviking]

Eric sighs. Again. Just a little.
"You don't tell people 'thank you' after sex, Athelstan."

Not little monk.
Athelstan.

"They are not doing you a favor."

[athelstanthescribe]

"But you have done me others. You've been... kind. Which will stay between us."

[onceaviking]

"It had better," Eric mutters.
He likely isn't joking.

[athelstanthescribe]

"Don't worry", he says dryly. "I'll have a care for your reputation."

[onceaviking]

That earns him a just as dry (and perhaps slightly amused) snort.

Eric steps out of the shower and starts drying off.

[athelstanthescribe]

And Athelstan finishes washing himself, more carefully with the lather around his eyes this time, before he does the same.

"...how do they make these towels so fluffy?"

[onceaviking]

"They're made on machines. And they are washed and dried by machines, too," he replies, toweling off his hair.

[athelstanthescribe]

"And this is that cotton, that grows in the unknown parts of the world?"

[onceaviking]

He nods.
"So are the sheets on the bed. Egyptian cotton."

Little luxuries.

[athelstanthescribe]

"It was very... smooth", he remembers, for lack of a better word to describe it. "The Egyptian kind is the best?"

[onceaviking]

"Mm," Eric says in a affirmative purr.
Then he drops the towel on the floor and stride back into the room. Naked.
Still hard.
Unconcerned.

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan stares, then catches himself, finishes drying off, and scuttles after Eric to reclaim his clothes.

"It must be expensive. But you can store away a lot of money in a thousand years."

[onceaviking]

"Yes. If you're smart about it."
Eric sits down on the bed and looks up at him.

"And if you know a magic bar where you can prepare yourself for what the future might hold. Financially."

[athelstanthescribe]

"By storing your money and gold here?" he guesses, stepping over to get his trousers.

[onceaviking]

"And by knowing which goods to buy and which not to trade," Eric replies.

He lets his eyes rest on Athelstan's body. Pink from the hot water.
It's a good look.

[athelstanthescribe]

"Of course, knowledge of the future - " He glances up and catches Eric looking, not that Eric was trying to hide it, and - ridiculously, given what they did not half an hour ago - goes a bit pinker in the face.

[onceaviking]

Eric suppresses a sigh.
"Come here,"' he says, calling him close with one finger.

[athelstanthescribe]

There's a tiny hesitation - he's still very new to this - but Athelstan obeys and goes.

(Based on his one canon sex scene, the mun has a feeling he likes being dominated.)

[onceaviking]

"Sit," Eric says, putting a heavy hand on his shoulder.

"You are not walking around making doe eyes at anyone at home? Any men?"

He's not quite sure why he feels the need to warn him. Apart from perhaps a small desire to balance the scales. He's taken a life. Now he might prevent an untimely death,
Perhaps.

[athelstanthescribe]

"No!" he protests. "Things are... very different there."

[onceaviking]

"Yes," Eric agrees. "They are. It's not manly. But - " he hesitates, unsure if how to explain it.
"Someone might decide to take you. That won't necessarily reflect poorly on you. Because you're property."

He smiles a little.
It's meant as reassurance.

"And there's always the girls."

He's pretty, women like that. Some of them.

[athelstanthescribe]

"I'm Ragnar's property", he says quietly. "And as such, for his own honour, he must defend me from anyone doing that without his permission. And yes, there are some... very lovely girls."

He does notice.