• Closed • Not A Morning Person

[Edalene]

20th Cylus 717

Edalene woke up slowly. Sleep clung to her eyes, and this time, waking up, she pulled herself closer to the warm body beside her. Duncan slumbered on, his expression peaceful in rest, his frame relaxed - a sharp contrast from the night before, when he was all energy and tension. It hurt to open her eyes, though not from drink this time, but from tears. The dried saline had sealed her eyes shut, and they cracked as she opened them. Edalene wrenched them open, and there was only one thought in her head in the cold light of the morning.

Narav.

He was back. She had met him by chance, a chance she thought would never happen, and all it had done was shake all the foundations she thought she had built. She had learnt to live without him - no, she had had to live without him. Keeping him in her heart would have been too much, when she was already so fragile. Her fingers worried at the cool, empty pendant that hung around her neck, the silver cold from the chill. Empty. How had she let it become so?

Edalene thought about waking Duncan. After the night beforehand, he probably would not want another round - not after the breakdown she had had in his arms - but neither did she. She had fucked the anger out of herself, and now, all that was left was stiff joints and tired heart. What would waking him do, but draw him into her problems again?

She sat up, bringing the blanket around her frame as she did so, before ducking down the floor to pick up strewn socks and her night gown, a thick wool perfect for this weather. Wrapping the robe around her naked body, she stood, and did something odd. She leant down, pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. A rush of affection filled her, something she had not expected to feel for him, but he had sat, and he had listened, and Edalene had not been able to talk for a long time. Sure, she had not told him everything. In fact, she had barely told Duncan anything, skirting around the details and only telling the bare essentials. But it was a start. Finally trusting anyone but her brother was a start.

[Duncan Oisin]

Duncan had slept surprisingly well, tired in both body and mind, he'd been able to sink into sleep quickly, and stayed there throughout the night and early morning, stirring only occasionally. He'd begun to float closer and closer to consciousness as the morning had worn on, to the point that he'd stirred fully, blinking sleepily as Eda stirred next to him, pressing a kiss to his cheek. He grumbled, pushing himself up and onto his elbows, rubbing at his face as he attempted to pull himself fully from sleep now. "Morning darling." He yawned, finally pushing himself into a proper seated position next to her, stretching and then wrapping an arm around her narrow shoulders.

"How're you feeling, Eda?" He murmured, studying her face carefully, taking in her puffy eye's, though her expression itself seemed much calmer than it had the night before. He'd been able to tell that something had been wrong immediately when she'd found him the night before, but he'd let her be, waiting for her to open up on her own. And Immortals had she. Duncan cringed ever so slightly, wondering if he'd been any help at all. Sighing he leat his head against the top of her own, pressing a tender kiss to her hair.

His relationship with Eda was proving to be fairly strange, and like nothing he was used to. They slept together, and were affectionate, but Duncan felt only platonic love for the younger woman. He was physically attracted to her of course, very much so, and he wanted to care for her and protect her, but the romantic, warm butterfly inducing love wasn't quite there. "Come on." He said finally, taking Eda's hand and standing, pulling her up with him. "I'll make some tea?" He grinned knowing he was totally incapable of making anything else. He made his way to her door, pausing only to scoop up his underpants and drape them over his shoulder, continuing out and into her living space.

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[Aeodan]

The night had brought sleepless break after sleepless break for Aeodan, who tossed and turned in his bed until morning. He knew nothing of his sister's escapades, and instead dwelt on his work, turning it over and over in his head. He had reached a natural stopping point, a question whose answer posed multiple directions he could take his work. He could pursue linearly, navigating the topic with as much narrative as something like that could have...

Or he could branch off, tying in his theory of the necessity of his work. Ideas were tumult in his head, and the storm brewing behind his eyes could have leveled the city. Rather than continue to struggle with the work, he decided to have breakfast, perhaps to clear his mind... or to avoid the problem altogether.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed, bristling at the coolness of the floor. After a moment of adjustment, Aeodan began the process of standing. It was not this way all the time, only after long stretches of him being off his feet. Gingerly, he put weight on one leg, then the other, then shoved himself from his bed to wobble on both shaky legs. At first, he swung his arms to keep his balance, but as he found his center, he stopped. It was too soon.

The weak muscles of his legs gave out and he toppled forward, crashing to the floor with a grunt. In frustration, he pounded a fist on the floor, but it made nearly no sound as his strength had yet to return to him. With some effort, he pushed himself to a sitting position and grabbed his bed post, once again trying to haul himself to his feet. With the bed's support, he found that he could stand, and he let his legs gather their strength before once again trying to walk on his own.

The ache in his legs was a constant discomfort, but never more so than his first steps. As he made his way to his door, now a full ten bits after he first tried to stand, he winced and grimaced with every step. He considered removing his pants, loose-fitting brown sleep pants that he wore when it was cold. He was still bare chested, his slim but unmuscled from dotted in goosebumps. His nipples, tiny and brown, stood on end, and the cool air sent a shiver through him. Deciding the cold would be too overwhelming, he left the pants on as he hobbled through the door.

The kitchen was deserted when Aeodan entered it, and he immediately set about starting a fire to begin frying some eggs. As the flames came to life, he sat back in a chair, close enough to enjoy the warmth emanating from the grate. He waited until the flames were larger before setting about to find a pan, which was easy enough to find. Some animal fat, and he was cooking. Literally. But as soon as he began cooking the eggs, he heard a noise behind him. With a faint smile, he turned to greet Edalene...

And it wasn't her. It was a man, naked except for the undergarments slung over his shoulder. Aeodan's smile faded immediately, and instead he just cocked his head at the man, jaw clenched. His eyes showed no emotion, which was more perturbing than it should have been.

"Good day. You're not my sister." With that, he turned back around and focused once again on his eggs, not offering any to the man who just joined him. Changing direction was a pointed attempt to get Duncan to assume the underpants he was carrying.

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[Edalene]

Eda smiled softly at the waking man, a sight less sharp than her usual biting grin. Edalene leant into the wrapped arm, grateful for both the warmth and the comfort. "I don't know..." she murmured, in answer to his question. Smiling she ducked her chin at the pressed kiss into her tangled hair. It was strange how, this morning, Edalene had no desire to press her lips to his - that seemed to be a want for the nights. This morning, Edalene just wanted to be held like a gentle little thing.

"I'm really sorry about last night." With a grimace and a shrug, she avoided Duncan's eye. It had been so long since she had really let anyone in. The closest she had come was Aeodan, of course, but even he did not get the full story every time. She was both grateful Duncan had been there to listen - and honestly, the sex had been helpful too - and embarrassed, at the same time. Gods, he must have so many questions. Questions that she couldn't rightly answer. Not without pushing him away.

"Tea sounds good," she smiled softly, taking his hand, letting his strong arms pull her up. She giggled at his antics, but right as she reached the door to the shared space, a thought occurred to her. "Oh, my brother lives here too. He might be -"

And there he was. Tired, skinny Aeodan, making eggs, carefully avoiding looking at Duncan's very prominent nakedness.

"Awake."

Sighing, she darted around Duncan, as he stood stock still in the door way. "Aeodan," she said, darting hurriedly over to the fire, giving her brother a quick peck on the cheek and a nervous smile. "This is Duncan, a friend. Duncan, this is Aeodan, my brother." A nervous grin between the two, before she waved Duncan hurriedly over to the table.

"Will you join us for breakfast?" she asked Duncan, quickly, before a thought occurred to her. "Errr... Aeodan, can he stay for breakfast?" Despite the awkwardness of the morning after situation, and this was certainly not the first time Aeodan had seen a previous night's lover, she was reluctant to get rid of Duncan so quickly. It would seem like coldness if he were to leave now.

[Duncan Oisin]

To say Duncan was surprised to see that they had company was an understatement. He froze stiff, eye's caught on the tall, thin man before him and swallowed heavily, eye's darting up and down his frame. He was frail and pale, but handsome, with his plush lips, thick brown hair and angular features. Duncan choked out a cough, brain finally gearing into action as he grabbed the underpants off of his shoulder and began to tug them on, tightening and tying them securely. "Sorry! He said finally, eye's still glued to the other man's smooth back, despite the fact that the young man seemed to have no interest in him whatsoever. "I'm uhh... uh..." Duncan started, attempting to introduce himself and cover up how flustered he was, and failing spectacularly. Eda moved around him, and Duncan followed her further into the room, flushing with embarrassment.

Edalene introduced him instead, and Duncan moved to the table, leaning against it and crossing his arms over his chest as he watched the siblings interact with one another. He was struck for a moment by how similar the two looked; hair, eye's, build all quite familiar to one another, both stunningly attractive to Duncan. Get it together! He scolded himself, taking a deep breath and rubbing his hands over his face and hair. He's just some kid, don't be stupid. Edalene spoke, and Duncan's head darted back up, gaze flicking between the two uncertainly. "I'd loved to stay." He said quickly, before his gaze slid back to Aeodan, raising a brow in question. "If thats okay..?"

He waited until Eda had returned closer to him, and pulled her over, lowering his voice and speaking into her ear. "Why didn't you tell me you had a brother!?" He croaked, glancing around her to make sure Aeodan couldn't hear them. "Immortals save me." He breathed. "He's cute."

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[Aeodan]

Barely paying attention to the man, Aeodan was focused on the eggs when Eda finally made an appearance. Giving an almost imperceptible tilt of his head, Aeodan continued cooking the eggs. When directly spoken to, though, he turned and placed his foggy orbs on Duncan, freshly garbed in not so fresh undergarments, expression blank. He managed a weak smile, polite but not warm, and nodded at Duncan.

"Pleasure, Duncan." With that, the lanky boy turned back to the eggs, which smelled delicious. He took them from the pan and placed them on a plate, six in total, before dropping sliced pork into the same pan. No expert at cooking, he just wanted to eat. Then, as the pork sizzled in the skillet, he set the table... for three.

"It is as much your home as mine, sister. Should Duncan wish to stay, he may." Aeodan was strange, for sure, but never more than when he was uncomfortable. As he returned to the pork, he passed his sister and planted a light kiss on her cheek, smiling. It brought him within close proximity to Duncan, who smelled of primal instinct and sweat.

He tasted a piece of the pork, satisfied with its saltiness. He slid a slice onto each plate and sat, pouring water stale from the night before. It tasted just fine, he thought.

"It's not much, but it's..." He trailed off, eyes glossing over. A few trills passed before he resumed chewing, the pork delicious and hot in his mouth. He didn't finish his thought, but instead continued to mull the problem over in his head. Quietly, he muttered to himself, but all the other two could see was his lips moving... There was no sound.

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[Edalene]

Edalene tried and failed to hold back a laugh at Duncan's hurried putting on his underpants. She hastily turned it into a cough, before grinning at Duncan. She was not perhaps the most subtle of people, but after the last few trials, she thought she deserved to find some humour where she could. And there was just something about Duncan that brought the playful side of Edalene out...

She stood from the fireplace, smiling gently at Aeodan, before going over to Duncan's side where he was leaning against the table. Cheekily, she wound an arm around his bare waist, before leaning in to nuzzle against him. She was not an idiot: she had seen the way he blushed and stammered around her bare chested brother. She was not in the least jealous - she had no reason to be, for she was only interested in him for the physical release - but that didn't mean she couldn't have some fun.

"Perfect!" she chirped, in response to both the men, a far cry from the emotional state she had been in before. Perhaps she just didn't want Duncan to bring it up in front of her brother. There was too much to say, to explain, and honestly she didn't have the words for it just yet. Even though it had been four arcs.

A distraction in Duncan leaning in and hissing to her while Aeodan made the breakfast. Cute? Her brother, cute? She took a sidelong glance at the man; as far as she knew, he kept to himself, unlike Edalene. She supposed he was rather attractive, but she had never given it much thought, as Aeodan had always seemed content to remain with his studies. "We weren't doing much talking before, darling." Grinning, she moved to the seats, patting the empty one beside her seductively with a wink, while Aeodan brought the breakfast over.

"Thank you, brother," she nodded her head at him, before leaning in to savour the deliciously fried food. Inhaling it quickly, she ate for a few trills, before looking up at Aeodan with a grin on her face. A glance to Duncan would show she meant to poke some fun at the pair.

"I'm sorry if we were too loud last night, Aeodan," she said, shrugging, before reaching for her water. "You know how it is."

[Duncan Oisin]

The moment Eda spoke, Duncan knew that something was up. He glanced at her, eye's narrowed suspiciously and took in her cheeky, gleeful expression with a growing sense of dread. He glanced briefly back over to Aeodan where he had returned to cook the meat, before returning to Edalene. "Eda!" He huffed in frustration, following to sit down next to her, his gaze slipping back to the man across from him. Duncan shifted uncomfortably in his seat, glancing between the twin's uncertainly. "The foods good, Aeodan." Duncan finally managed when the younger man trailed off, despite the fact that he'd hardly touched his food yet. "Much better than anything I usually eat." The mercenary continued.

The meal felt much like a family meal, and Duncan stretched his mind to try and remember the last time he'd sat down with family to eat, like Eda and Aeo sat together at that moment. Duncan came up empty, and looked down at his plate quietly, finally began to eat. The food was delicious, salty, greasy and hot, but his thoughts had left an odd, hollow feeling in his chest. He'd had no siblings, or at least none that he knew of, no father, and barely a mother, if one would even deign to call her that. Family dinners for Duncan had consisted of the young boy scouring the streets, looking for scraps or poorly guard pockets, while his mother disappeared with that seasons lover. Half a lifetime since I've seen her. He thought to himself bitterly, shoving a large forkful of meat and eggs into his mouth. And she can still make my blood boil.

He was distracted from the somber thoughts as, quite unfortunately, Eda decided to start up with her teasing again. His head shot up and he choked on his mouthful of eggs. Reaching forward he snatched Eda's glass of water from her hand and drank it down rapidly to clear his throat, eye's watering and glaring daggers at the young woman over the rim. He set the cup back down on the table heavily and wiped his face, face still red from the combined effects of choking and embarrassment.

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[Aeodan]

Aeodan politely nodded his head as Duncan praised the food, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He continued to eat, though, enraptured by the scent and taste this early in the trial. He couldn't understand why some didn't eat breakfast. It awakened the senses to the trial, and to Aeodan, that clarity was something special.

And so he sat, quietly enjoying his meal, eyes wide and unblinking as he chewed. It was obvious he was lost in thought as the three of them ate, like a family, but he did not seem to notice their flirting. It wasn't until Duncan nearly choked that Aoedan returned to the present reality, and even still, he seemed disconnected.

"Hm? Oh, I heard nothing, sister. Though I was consumed by my work. But I am sure that whatever noises you were making were more than adequately cancelled by the thickness of the pillow." It would have been catty, if Aeodan had the malice to be catty. But it wasn't. Instead, it was said with an innocent earnestness that could have been misconstrued for a simpleton's innocence. That is, if he were a simpleton. He was not.

Instead, he stood silently on sore legs and refilled the water glass, offering to Duncan again, whose face was red. A polite inclination of the head accompanied the gesture, giving it a sincerity.

"Perhaps you should chew more slowly. There is plenty, and neither of us will steal it from you, Duncan." The name was said with emphasis, Aeodan trying to implant it in his own brain for future recollection. He nodded and turned quickly, returning to his seat where he sat again. This time, though, he looked at the other two with a childlike wonder, eyes still unblinking.

"Relations aside, how did you two meet?" Ever the curious one, Aeodan did not understand that the question may make them uncomfortable. He could not know the tensions that were there, the one-night-stand effect. Instead, he thought that Duncan and Edalene may be more than just physical lovers, and if Duncan were going to be around, Aeodan might as well get to know him.

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[Edalene]

Edalene grinned innocently as Duncan choked, his large hand snaking out to snatch the water from her hand. Her face was the picture of innocence. Turning such a strong man into a mess of embarrassment was fun, and honestly she didn't think she'd scare the man away any time soon. Not with the way he was looking at Aeodan. And honestly, not with the tenderness he had shown Edalene, not just during sex. A rough man, Edalene thought there was still more that met the eye with Duncan.

Edalene met his piercing gaze with an expression of an angel. "What? I didn't do anything." She picked up a spoonful of the eggs, brought the slightly salty but still hearty food to her lips, before looking to Aeodan. A slight frown came to her brow. He seemed distracted, distant. It might have had something to do with the newcomer at her table, but Edalene had brought people home before and Aeodan never seemed disconcerted. No, this distance was a result of a night of study, a night of tossing and turning and focusing too hard on one book. Edalene could relate; she too became obsessive and focused on her work, sometimes, when she caught the scent of knowledge, but with his health, it was a bad idea for Aeodan to sit in one place for too long - and even worse to not get enough sleep. She had seen the stiff way he had risen to get Duncan more water; she knew he was in pain.

Duncan might have taken Aeodan's reply as a joke, but Edalene knew there was sincerity in his statement. He was far too distracted to indulge in wit and teasing right now, and so Edalene did the kind thing for her brother, as much as making Duncan squirm was fun. She dropped the joke, shifting her body away from Duncan to give them a little more space between them. Shrugging her shoulders, she answered truthfully. "Ah, we just met at a bar a few nights ago. I found Duncan again last night - sorry I never came home, by the way - and ended up bringing him home again. Simple, really." The reason she had sought Duncan out was hardly simple, but perhaps Duncan and Aeodan would notice the way she avoided their eyes as she said that.

Standing, she escaped the table for a moment, disappearing into Aeodan's room. An evasion tactic, yes, from the truth behind the matter, but also for Aeodan. Returning after a few moments, she carried a thick woollen jumper, draping it over her twin's shoulders. Bare chested was never a good idea for Aeodan, especially in Cylus - you never knew when a chill would barrel him over. Then heading to the fireplace, calling over her shoulder, "I'm making tea - would anyone like some?"