I love me some gen threads, especially funny or drama-filled ones, but I am also shamelessly here for shipping AUs. The general Liem-shipping vibe is "I want more than this, but I shouldn't & they can't possibly want me back," so if you're into that, I've got what you need. His default setting is very D&D-like high fantasy, but I'm comfortable playing him in modern fantasy settings as well. Pretty much any prompt can also accommodate Liem being a full vampire instead of a dhampir, if that's your thing.
Prompts for inspiration:
• Arranged Marriage: Liem's shady vampire family has arranged his marriage to you, but he seems a rather reluctant fiance.
• Bodyguard Shipping: It's Liem's duty to keep you safe and out of trouble, possibly despite your best efforts.
• Companion to Royalty: Reclusive vampire king Liem and YOU! Are you a gift from a local power? Sacrifice from the townsfolk? Or did you just stumble up the road to his castle during a storm?
• Enemies to Lovers: Maybe Liem is a foreign agent trying to sabotage your country or organization. Or maybe you're rebelling against the current regime and he's trying to take you in.
• Fake Dating/Fake Married: A relationship is your cover story while you're travelling for some secret reason. Gotta keep up appearances.
• Hunter & Hunted: Are you a hunter trying to track Liem down? Or a snack that proved more than he bargained for?
• Hurt (Comfort Optional): Whether he's hurt, sick, drugged, or just upset, two things remain constant: Liem needs help, and he doesn't want to accept it. But maybe you don't want to fix him anyway; maybe you want to make him worse.
• Living a Lie: Whether you're undercover on a mission, or you lied to cover something up and now you have to commit, you're stuck playing a role until you accomplish some secret objective — or until you can shake off your nosy company.
• Loss of Control: For whatever reason, one of you is struggling not to go berserk — or perhaps has already failed. If it's Liem, can you help him come back to himself, or are you the one pushing him over the edge?
• Out of the Frying Pan: The classic "tried to help someone in trouble, ended up with a new and possibly worse problem" situation. But at least you're in it together!
• Priest/Celibacy: Default here is that Liem is the priest, but it could go the other way. Smutty, or just laden with UST? You decide.
• Texting: Stupid TFLN-style text threads, my beloved...
• Random Scenario: For if none of the above tickle your fancy.
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no subject
Hmm, it fits you quite well.
[He repeats the word from before, almost absently, then reaches out to take her hand gently in his. Callused fingertips brush over the heavy gold band, probing to see if it's liable to slip. The thought of its sliding off and getting lost makes him feel uneasy, but the ring seems unlikely to go anywhere in its present location.]
It looks good on you. I hope it's not too ostentatious.
[He's opted to stow his other rings for now—even the magical ones, which he feels a bit naked without. This one is one of the more exquisitely made rings in his collection, but none of them are exactly humble-looking; thus their current home in one of his pouches, out of sight.]
I thought the two-headed eagle would best signify a connection, since it's Abadar's creature. How does it feel?
no subject
- There's that word again? She almost asks, but.
Oh. His hands were... She mistook it for smoothness, almost, but no. It's a faint chill, like his lips had felt. She really... His circulation must be so poor, she'd have to try and make sure they stayed places along the way that were warmer.]
I think this ring would look good on anyone... It's very handsome.
[Those might not quite be the right adjectives, but Taldane wasn't the easiest language to learn. Obediently, she surrenders her hand and the fit of the jewelry to his inspection, wanting it inspected to make sure everything was fine when... by the looks of it, the ring was likely worth more than she made in months. Maybe even a year. Or two. Cautiously, she flexes her fingers in the cup of his hand, alternating between a slow fist and a splay of her digits, noting how... incongruous it looked, such a fine thing on the calloused, slightly scarred hand of a woman who obviously made her living in manual labor and harsh environments. But maybe that was fine... Just like with her dagger, it made it more believable, in a weird way. What man would entrust such a fine thing to a centaur guide just for a ruse?]
I'm not used to this sort of thing, but I don't think it will get in the way... and I'll- I'll be much careful with it, I promise.
[If she expected such for her dagger, the least she cold do is treat his false gift the same... And, just because she doubts she'll ever see something this fine again, certainly not on her... Konoha does accidentally take a moment just to look at it, admiring the glint on the metal and how detailed the eagle looked. The craftsmen who made it must be so skilled...]
... Oppara must be such a shiny place...
[She's just heard stories.]
no subject
Not to mention, the less contact she ends up having with his skin, the better.]
Ah… You've probably heard it called the Gilded City, yes?
[Liem's business-like expression brightens slightly at the mention of his home city. It's a constant in speaking with him that the topic seems to consistently put him in a pleasant mood.]
It's been a very long time since the buildings were actually gilded, but the city is still quite beautiful. And there's still certainly plenty of glitter to be found.
[On artworks, in shining marble and glass, adorning Oppara's aristocracy. He didn't really appreciate the full extent of the city's beauty until he began travelling, but Liem hasn't yet seen it's equal, even since leaving Taldor's borders. Although some of the things he's spied in Tian Xia have come close.]
This knife you've lent me is also quite beautiful. I promise to take proper care of it while you're letting me keep it.
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Mmm...
[So she nods. Gilded... glitter... A last look at the shining gold now adorning her finger that looked to her like a pretty convincing troth. Curling her fingers back inwards, she lowers her hands, unable to stop them from fussing just a little at the hem of her waist sash as she smiles again.]
Please do... I have the best marriage knife in my province, pretty sure... My father is a woodworker, but he's getting on in years, I don't know if he could make another one as good if something happened to it...
[Maybe a lot of women think that about their own knives and make similar brags... But Konoha sounds pretty confident, even if it was just to cover her doubts, hoping that this plan she's come up would work. It would work. They could make it work. And if they were lucky, they wouldn't have to fall back on it much at all... It would be just in case.]
Father-
[No, she should... She should practice calling him as a wife would, or she might mix things up by accident and ruin something.]
... Liem. You rest here for today. I wasn't finished shopping for supplies, so I'll go get those and bring back some dinner with me, alright? I'll get a blanket and sleep on the floor or sleep standing, you take the bed.
[He's the paying customer, to start with... and she's the one who'd started this whole marriage ruse. Admittedly, this was a room for centaurs, so the bed is more of a thickly stuffed pallet than a proper framed bed, but. It was decently comfortable despite how it might look to someone used to finer things in life.]
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[Liem agrees willingly with her assessment of the knife's artistry, despite his own lack of practical knowledge about craft work. He's no more than a man who appreciates beautiful things, but Konoha's pride in her father's work is enough for him. In any case, the value inherent in an object like this one is mostly cultural. The artistry involved in the piece makes no difference to his intention to take care with it regardless.
In contrast, he frowns when she speaks next, objections crowding visibly into his expression. He dislikes relegating Konoha to the floor so he can take a bed he'll hardly even benefit from; it isn't as though he ever sleeps the night through, even in comfortable circumstances.
He also isn't inclined to hide indoors when he still hasn't learned the answers to any of his questions. The trouble is, he already said that he'd ducked into that tavern to rest in the shade. It would only be suspicious to insist on going back out, and probably foolhardy in the extreme if he slipped out by himself after she left.
He masters his frown with an effort, giving her a small nod.]
Very well. I'll stay out of sight here.
[Her job will be easier without a foreign man to tow around, in any case.]
Take whatever time you need.
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She's observed him enough, so far on their journey... to have asked for no sauce and spice on his. She ate the rest of her two stomachs' fill while she was out, so he wouldn't feel any pressure, and after arranging some things for the next mornings' departure... she bids him goodnight, and backs herself into a corner of the room, locking up her knees and crossing her arms beneath her breasts, letting her chin dip down and her eyes close to fall into the light sleep of a creature able to rest standing.
Their first hurdle as "husband" and "wife"... comes quite early, when they leave the inn the next day only to find that one of the two centaurs who had accosted them the previous day was hanging around in wait. ... And not to take revenge. It becomes quite awkward quite quickly, when it seems that the stallion had a vested interest in knowing if a relationship like there's was actually possible, something unrequited and suppressed in his own desires. Thankfully... they fake their way through it, and Konoha can't help, in the end, wishing their former "enemy" luck in his pursuits.
They have luck themselves, along the road. It isn't high season, and there is not so much traffic to contend with just yet. They make good time at first, with hired cart part of the way, a ferry crossing, and then back to foot travel, slow and steady, camping under the stars in tents along the way. In fact, Konoha even starts to think they might make it to the next inn without incident beyond a few odd looks... until, having to take a detour in the wake of a flash flood having washed a road out, the rockier terrain ends with a bit of a twist and a sharp stone lodged in her hoof. A hoofpick and a bit of help from Liem dislodges it, but...
It's aching a little more than she'd like by the time they made it to the city, and then to their lodging. She doesn't try to hide it, but she also doesn't complain, still evaluating... But, perhaps she won't sleep standing tonight. The floor would be kinder on her fetlocks. Setting down her supplies, she gives a long, self-indulgent stretch, both arms arching above her head and rump twitching as she cracks her neck left and right, letting out a low sigh.]
We still made decent time with all that... So far so good!
[They'd even managed to avoid most conversations about their relationships, not too many lies needed with knife and ring on open display, and thanks to her updated map they'd avoided more openly hostile tribes (as of yet)...]
Do you mind if I use the bath after you, Liem... ? I'll just soak my legs.
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He is bothered, though, by essentially robbing Konoha of the chance to sleep in an actual bed on the rare occasion that they reach an inn to spend the night in. They have to share a room, of course; it would be tremendously suspicious not to. But trying to suggest that she let him sleep on the floor instead of her is a non-starter. The long days under the sun and his inconsistent sleeping habits leave him looking permanently tired, no matter how peaceful their nights are. He looks like a man who needs to be tucked into bed for a proper rest for a change, instead of making do with a bedroll on a clear patch of ground.]
Not at all. I'm sure they must need it.
[Hanging up his hat and cloak, Liem glances down at her leg, wondering how badly her hoof is paining her. Walking on it for hours on end surely hasn't done her any favours. He's already not in the habit of taking long, leisurely baths, but he makes a private note to be extra brisk today.]
I'll be quick.
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Aha, yeah...
[Until she's determined exactly how bad it might be, she just gives a little laugh and agrees. Her legs might need it.]
But there's no need to rush, or anything... I need to rearrange some supplies, anyway! You should soak...
[After the maid is summoned to start the tidy little fire and re-heat the water in the large but simple jinba-sized tub in the corner of the room, she arranges herself in the way that would best offer modesty for him, putting her back to the bath and trying to focus on supplies instead of how easy it was for her keen senses to pick up things like rustling clothing and lapping water.
Her tail swishes gently across the floor as she keeps her hands busy, stuffing heavy packs that she carried on her back with new supplies from this outpost, taking longer than needed to pack everything as tightly and efficiently as possible. But silence is... Well, she was comfortable enough with it, but she ends up not being able to help herself...]
Is the water nice... ?
[The inn had changed hands since she last came through this route, so- It was... worth asking...]
I heard that Goka has whole bathhouses that use water that springs from the earth hot... and some of them have healing properties, even!
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The tub is large enough that he's very nearly swimming in it, only his head and shoulders rising above the water's surface although his posture is as straight as ever. Though he expects she isn't looking his way, Liem sits with his back to her, his glasses resting nearby to be put back on once he's ready to get out. He hasn't allowed her so much as a glimpse of his eyes since they started travelling together; when asked about the habit, he'd said it was a personal preference, and left it at that.]
Does it?
[Of the things Liem has gone out of his way to learn about Goka, the quality of its bathhouses has not been a feature.]
That sounds enjoyable. I've heard of such places, but never been.
The water's still quite nice, though you may want the maid to heat it again before you get in, if you want a proper soak.
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That's what I heard, anyway!
[She chirps back a cheery answer as she folds a rain cape into the smallest shape possible. If someone asked her why her "husband" wore shaded glasses all the time, what should she say... ?]
There are springs near my home village, actually, but you have to worry about snakes and leeches... I'd definitely go to a nice clean inside bathhouse if there was one...
[It occurs to her to ask something else, then, and without thinking she just turns her head to do so, because obviously you just looked at the people you were asking things, but-]
They don't have them in...
[His back is to her, and the tub meant for jinba is so large that it's not like she sees anything untoward, but Konoha is actually shocked by what she sees anyway. He'd described his work only vaguely, yes, but with his weakness in the sun and how he always seemed so tired, she had just assumed it was something sedentary and scribe-like, nothing that would... require a lean, muscular back much more like that of an archer or lancer.
Oh. Liem is... fit?
And Konoha forgets to finish her sentence or respond about the maid until it's been far too obviously long.]
... Oppara?
[Maid, right, she should... grope for the cord near the door that calls the maid...]
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Ah, well yes. A real bath is certainly nicer than contending with biting creatures in a stream somewhere.
[The pause in her question hangs conspicuously in the air between them, and he almost turns to look back at her before recalling his current state. Instead, he turns his attention back to kneading the stiffness from one of his calves, listening as she finally finishes her thought.]
Oppara does have bathhouses, of course. But it isn’t anywhere near the mountains, so the water there is heated only by the sun.
[Which means, of course, that his only choices for visiting are to show up when the bathhouse first opens, before the water has warmed much, or to endure the sun on his naked skin, which is one of his least-favourite sensations he has to experience with any regularity. He almost always opts for the former.]
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[Oh… When he moves, the muscles of his back move. Which. Made sense, of course, but… Konoha still watches a bit longer than is really proper. It was… it was odd, right? Or… maybe it wasn’t, maybe he did charity work for Abadar or… had to work construction as penance for something, or just… liked a certain sport or fitness routine? Still, it was… his shoulders are so well built, almost like an-
The bell rings before Konoha realizes she’s just absently tugged it, and a second later she registers it, straightening up in alarm and slapping a hand over her face to force herself to stop looking. Eight million plains gods, she can’t blame it on being distracted by his physique???]
Ah- ! Sorry, sorry, I called too soon, um-
[She turns back around to not get caught peeping but then… oh, no, that would look so weird to the maid if it seemed like she was trying not to look at her husband disrobed… !]
I’m going to look! To be natural! Just stay in!
[The walls of the tub were quite high, it’s… it’s fine! She throws some supplies around behind her and quickly resituates, trying not to blush so terribly or look too directly so by the time the maid arrives with more wood for the fire…
Konoha is only blushing a little and she even manages to say a mostly convincing We’d like to reheat the water, please.]
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Ah— Don't trouble yourself over it. I'm sure the maid is accustomed to such things.
[To being called upon mid-bath, he means. Probably they're less used to rooms being shared between a human man and a centaur woman, but it doesn't trouble him if the staff at this outpost establishment have something to gossip about tomorrow. Once morning comes, he and Konoha will be on their way regardless.
Once she mentions looking natural, however, it occurs to him that it would be highly unusual for him to avoid looking at the maid for the entire time she's present, even if she has questions about the water temperature. He leans hastily back out of the tub to retrieve his lenses, sliding them on just in time for the maid to knock and come inside.
He's been seen naked by strangers before, of course. The public bathhouses in Oppara aren't separated by gender, so he isn't exactly shy about being seen bathing. It's definitely more awkward when it's just him, his guide, and one inn maid though. Liem waits as casually as he can manage while she builds up the fire again, going back to kneading the muscles of his calves as though she hasn't interrupted him in the slightest. It doesn't take a long time to stoke the fire sufficiently, but it's still longer than he'd like, and he catches a few sideways glances from the maid when she thinks he isn't watching.]
hello!!!
And sure, he's probably right that the maid is probably used to this sort of thing... But she isn't. There wasn't exactly a lot of opportunities for a woman in her line of work to meet people. At least, people who weren't clients or just... brief, brief connections. She hadn't been able to help herself from indulging in a bit of heat-induced flirtation, she'd entertained a courtship or two... but centaurs didn't quite do things the way humans did, and having been raised by two-legged parents... She found herself a bit disappointed in some ways, mentally, no matter how fine it was physically. ... She didn't see so many men in the bath, is the point.
But she strives to act like this is totally normal for her- for them. She leaves Liem to instruct the maid on temperature, and mostly just tries to continue packing, but. It's normal to look, right? It must be. So she occasionally makes a point of looking... not staring, just. Glancing over. Saying things like We'll be getting up with the sun tomorrow, alright? and Not still sore, are you?
Very natural. But as part of her looking... She notices... she isn't the only one.]
Ahem.
[If she were a wife... Would she be the jealous type? Maybe? She's not sure... But Konoha still clears her throat rather loudly, just a bit possessively, nodding her head towards the door.]
... You can go now, miss. Thank you.
[So then she wasn't the only woman in the room blushing a bit, briefly, before the girl skitters back out the door with stories to regale the other staff with later. Weirdly, Konoha feels a bit satisfied for a moment... Before she remembers.]
Oh, right-
[She covers her eyes with her hands for a moment, it's easier than getting back upright enough to turn her heavy body all the way back around again.]
You can get out now, Liem... Thanks...
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Finally, he glances back at Konoha to see her covering her eyes with her hands. A smile touches the corners of his mouth as he rises back out of the bath and climbs, dripping, out to wrap a spare robe around himself while he waits for his skin to dry. The room is plenty warm from the bath's fire, so for now he simply seats himself on the edge of the mattress, his body angled away from the tub.]
Thank you. You can get in now.
[He looks over at the supplies she's been busying herself with, which he sees are mostly stowed by now. Still, it seems she wasn't rushing as much as she could have.]
I can finish putting those away, if you like.
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Ah… If you want to. Otherwise I’ll just finish up later, it’s fine.
[So she might feel a little bad making a client do work she herself should’ve done far more timely, but one thing Konoha understood was wanting to help, and she herself didn’t usually like was being told that her help wasn’t needed if she’d offered. She won’t do that to someone else, even if she provides an easy out to excuse him from the task. Now that the bath is free and he seems to be seated, she lets her hands down and picks herself up off the floor, making her way over to the tub, pleased with the steam she sees roiling off the surface of the water.]
Oh, that looks nice…
[As tempting as it was to take a full bath… She only pulls up her robe a bit to make sure it didn’t get wet as she carefully steps in over the tall rim to just soak her lower half and legs, including the slightly swollen fetlock. Though she hisses a bit when that leg goes in, the water irritating a few very minor scrapes and cuts from the stumble, the sound ends in a happy sigh as the heat envelops her.]
Oh, that is nice…
[Thankfully designed for jinba, the tub is up against the wall and has a sort of shelf that is perfect for half-laying against so that she can actually take her weight off her limbs. Settling into it, she lets out another sigh of contentment, stretching out her sore legs and flexing them slowly.]
Much better…
no subject
I don't mind. It will give me something to do.
[Most of his own supplies are already safely stowed, most notably the eye-catching pieces of finely-made equipment clearly made for hunting and fighting rather than clerical work. Even his vestments aren't exactly standard for a travelling priest, but the extra sturdiness isn't too terribly obvious at a glance, and he can at least explain them away as a precaution against dangers on the road.
He smiles to himself when he hears her ease with another sigh further into the heated water. Embarrassing interaction with the maid aside, he's pleased that he suggested heating the bath again; her legs could obviously use it. After another moment, he gets up and kneels where Konoha had been earlier to pack away the rest of their supplies.
The silence is comfortable enough, and he's content to keep it for a while as she soaks. After a while, though, he speaks up.]
You're not going to sleep on that leg, are you?
no subject
She thanks him again, and returns to enjoying her “bath”. Dip. Half soak. To be just a bit safer about dampening the fabric more than just giving it a good steaming she ties her robe up a little higher on her “waist” where human-like skin transitioned to hide, and pulls a long tie from a sleeve and deftly trusses those up as well. Task done, she lets herself relax, and silence… As chatty as she could be, she didn’t actually mind quiet.
For a little while, there’s just the sound of lapping water, little content sounds mixed with small groans that accompany stretches, and an occasional trickle when she wets her hands and does a little bit of spot washing. Hands. Neck. Face. Back of the ears.
… She does start humming a little tune, eventually, though. Not because she doesn’t like quiet, it’s just stuck in her head! He might recognize it as something they heard another traveler whistling along the road earlier. The question, though-]
Aha, maybe not standing, no…
[Probably best to keep her weight off it for a while, just in case. They had a long journey ahead.]
I’ll lay down on the floor tonight. Don’t worry about the sound, though! I’ll put one of the blankets down so hopefully when I roll over my hooves won’t be too noisy.
[Unlike standing, laying down necessitated rolling over every few hours to avoid the discomfort of her own heavy weight crushing itself… But the blanket should help muffle the clacking sound!]
no subject
You should take the bed, if you’re going to sleep lying down.
[Turning to his own pack, he opens it and pulls out a shirt and trousers he can sleep in. His skin is mostly dry now, even if his hair is still damp, and he should hang his robe up so it has a chance to dry properly as well.]
I don’t really need it. I can just use my bedroll.
[He tries to sound firm without being overtly concerned, but he doesn’t like the idea of Konoha sleeping all night on an uncomfortable floor with her injured ankle. Wouldn’t it be better for her leg to have something cushioned to rest on?]
no subject
I can’t let you sleep on the floor on one of the few nights we have a proper inn!
[Though he isn’t looking in her direction, she can’t help but wave her hands as if to ward off even the thought of such a thing. Even if she wanted to, he already looked rather consistently tired and stressed physically by their journey, so the last thing she wanted to do was stand (ha ha) between him and a good nights sleep. More importantly-]
Sha Gozen would kill me if I had a client sleep on the floor!
[It’s not like she wouldn’t appreciate a bed, but…]
I could… I could pretend we had a couples fight, if you want, and try to get a separate room, that way we both have-
[Except-]
Oh, no, they said they were full up tonight already…
[Brow furrowing in concentration, Konoha makes a rather intense face at… well, the water? He’s not looking at her, it would be weird to stare at the back of his head-]
I’ll take the floor! I’m used to sleeping on straw and outside more than you, it’s fine, really… It’s nice of you to worry, but…
[There is. One thing. She could think of, but. She certainly couldn’t suggest it, could she? (Nevermind she’s… suggested an entire fake marriage. That was fake!)]
no subject
Are you planning on telling Sha Gozen every detail of our sleeping arrangements when you return to her?
[There’s honesty with one’s employer, and then there’s just oversharing. Surely Konoha’s boss doesn’t actually need to know things like that. Liem would like to maintain at least the illusion that the people he contracts aren’t going to gossip about him once their job is completed.
Fastening his trousers, he shrugs out of his robe and moves to hang it up near their supplies.]
Besides… I’m the client. If I’d rather sleep on the floor, you can’t actually stop me.
[Maybe he’ll sleep in his bedroll whether or not she agrees to take the bed. Maybe he loves sleeping on the ground!]
no subject
[She certainly didn’t see a point to self-reporting that, and maybe he’d keep his mouth shut, too, but… She’d know and that was enough??? The less important or grave an issue was the more likely she was to spill it by accident or in a cluster, too, and that would just cause so much confusion… Okay, they could…
Konoha catches a glimpse of those unexpectedly well formed muscles again as Liem gives a very poor reasoning for why he might sleep on the floor and leave the bed free for her to use, but she covers her face respectfully a moment later, her voice muffled behind her palms.]
Oooooh, that’s such a silly argument, Liem… No one prefers the floor— We really are going to have our “first fight”… !
[Hopefully the maid couldn’t half-overhear and think that her peeking really had inspired a couple’s argument… Konoha kicks a bit in frustration, water splashing in the tub, but… If he’s going to be that stubborn, she has no choice but to suggest It. After a long, long pause, her voice a bit more timid than it usually was, still a bit muffled by her hands…]
We could… If we’re not telling Sha Gozen anything then we could… maybe share… ?
[The bed was technically meant for up to two jinba…]
no subject
Once he's hung up his robe, he stoops to scoop up a simple long-sleeved shirt and pulls it over his head. He still feels a little naked standing in the same room as his guide in essentially just underclothes, but he's not going to climb into bed fully-garbed. For one thing, it would be modest to the point of peculiarity. For another, his clothes would wrinkle atrociously.]
That really isn't necessary. I'd be happy on the floor.
[He glances at Konoha where she's speaking into her hands, then notes how her clothes are hiked up around her warm brown waist and looks quickly back at the bed. It's easily large enough for the two of them, even if they want to keep a modest distance; she's not an especially large centaur, and he barely requires any space at all. Still, ever since his sister left when he was still a child, the only people he's shared his bed with have been the occasional hookup or lover. The context makes him feel nervous.]
… Would you really be all right with sharing?
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Once she thinks she hears him dressing, Konoha pulls her hands back down from her face, now ruddy with frustration with on top of her flash of embarrassment.]
I’m alright with it…
[Or she wouldn’t suggest it!]
I’m used to sleeping with other people in my village anyway.
[A moment later, reaching for a towel, she realizes how that could potentially sound, hastily correcting as she begins to ease herself out of the bath as the water shifts from hot to just warm.]
M- My parents! When it’s cold I share the bed with my parents, I mean…
[Not that she thought of Liem like a parent... Far from it, but- ! Maybe that would reassure him… somehow? It sounded filial at least? Certainly not perverse… It's just that she worked the trail routes most of the year and only got to stay put during the winter season when the snows were too heavy for most travelers who'd hire an escort or guide like her.
And… honestly he’s so small compared to the other jinba the bed was meant to hold, so she thinks they might could even arrange themselves so they don’t even touch! … As somewhat lonely seeming as that was as an idea, the inn mattress could just wait for a proper couple to stay the night and find that fulfillment...
Towel retrieved, she carefully drags herself from her soak, beginning to try and dry her dark bay coat.]
no subject
Oh—of course, yes.
[Three centaurs in one bed seems like it would get rather crowded, but presumably they found a way to make it work. And if Konoha is at least used to sleeping with family, then perhaps it wouldn’t be an imposition on her after all.]
I always slept alone in my cell at the temple, but I suppose it can’t hurt to share for one night.
[Carefully, he sits down on the bed and folds his legs underneath him, tucking his feet off of the floor. He resolutely avoids glancing back in Konoha’s direction as he hears her climb out of the bath.]
I didn’t know you lived in a village.
[He had assumed her family would be nomadic, like many of the centaurs they’d encountered on their travels. Even outposts they’d stopped at recently seemed strictly for trading and temporary rests; there were few permanent homes that he’d seen.]
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