For Sinric

[hot_water]

[OOC: From here.]

Tahno's rooms are gigantic. They're more a collection of suites, an apartment decked out in deep purple and black, with white and silver accents. He selected dark wood furniture with clean lines, with no slats or wicker to catch on clothes or skin.

He leads Sinric through the common room with its own bar to the bedroom with a stone, gas-operated fireplace and a sumptuous bed wreathed in black silk. "Make yerself comfortable," Tahno drawls, letting go of Sinric's hand.

Comments

[hot_water]

"I don't have a stool, sorry," Tahno drawls, crouching down. The spray streams down his pale, hard back. "First use some of the product I gave you, then rinse, then use some of the green bottle, rinse, and finish up with the blue bottle. Thanks, man."

[thewidewideworld]

"Understood." He squeezes shampoo into his hand and lathers slowly and thoroughly through Tahno's hair, massaging his scalp with practiced hands.

[hot_water]

Tahno groans quietly, more a sigh than any real noise. He closes his eyes, and his lips part slightly. "That feels great. Thanks, man."

[thewidewideworld]

"It is my pleasure." He squeezes most of the lather out before rinsing Tahno's hair. "I know how good this feels."

[hot_water]

"You'll get a turn, too," Tahno drawls, running his hand over Sinric's wet hair. "I love that hair of yers."

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric smiles, arching softly into the touch. "Only if you wish." He reaches for the next bottle and starts working it through his hair. "But I would be grateful."

[hot_water]

"Yeah, of course," Tahno drawls, submitting to the gentle touches. "I'll give ya the same treatment I do fer my hair, and then we can brush it."

[thewidewideworld]

"I would like that very much." He smiles, his fingers curving around Tahno's ears to be sure the lotion is well massaged in to every part of his hair. "That is how Yan and I first bonded - brushing each other's hair."

[hot_water]

Tahno rests his wrists on his knees and grins up at Sinric. "Good call, man," the waterbender drawls, nearly melting at the care the androgyne gives to his scalp. "Maybe I can even braid it. You'd look good with a braid."

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric smiles and kisses Tahno's shoulder before beginning to rinse. "You have such bright mirrors. It would be lovely to see it braided." After all, mirror in his time are no more than small polished silver things, making it difficult to see more than a bit at a time.

[hot_water]

Tahno glances at the mirrors behind him, which take up the entire wall. "What can I say," he drawls, his grin morphing into a self-satisfied smirk. "Mirrors and me get along. But ya don't have 'em where yer from?"

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric giggles. "I can imagine so. I'm sure Narcissus would have loved mirrors like yours."

He runs his fingers through Tahno's hair, combing and carding it as he goes. "The mirrors of my time are small, and not so clear. I have only ever seen my whole self at once in this place."

[hot_water]

Tahno leans his head into Sinric's fingers, thoroughly enjoying the grooming. "Narcissus? Who's that?" the waterbender drawls. "And really? Wow. I hope they gave you a great look at yerself."

[thewidewideworld]

"He was the son of a water god Cephissus. A hunter, proud and beautiful. A spurned lover tricked him into looking into a pool of still water and he wasted away pining for love of his own refection."

He ducks his head a little and doesn't answer.

[hot_water]

"Wow, that's pretty awful," Tahno drawls, reaching up to thread his fingers through Sinric's golden mane, scratching along the scalp. "Remind me not to spurn a lover. We don't got a lotta stories about the children of gods; my world basically has lionturtles and spirits in their myths."

[thewidewideworld]

"The spurned nymph named Echo was ashamed of what she had done and prayed to the goddess of love to unmake here so she would feel shame no more but Aphrodite loved Echo's voice too much so made the nymph disappear until she remains a voice, heard by all and seen by none. So when your voice is reflected back to you, it is Echo you hear."

He smiles and reaches for the last bottle as Tahno scratches him. "I was very much in love with the tales and songs of the old gods when I was a child. I made my master teach me Latin so I could read them for myself."

[hot_water]

Tahno furrows his brow. "That's terrible. Poor Echo. What an awful punishment, y'know?" he drawls, shaking his head in the steam of the shower. "Do ya still love 'em? Or did that fade?"

[thewidewideworld]

"Oh I still do. But loving them grows strange where here one may find oneself walking beside them." His smiles is fond and distant for a moment.

[hot_water]

"Yeah, no kiddin'," Tahno drawls, the corner of his lip quirking at that smile. "Ya ever met any gods here?"

[thewidewideworld]

"I have." He nods, his voice growing soft and lyrical.

"Ganymede was the loveliest born of the race of mortals, and therefore
the gods caught him away to themselves, to be Zeus' wine-pourer,
for the sake of his beauty, so he might be among the immortals."

[hot_water]

Tahno closes his eyes momentarily, reveling in Sinric's gorgeous voice.

"Ganymede?" the waterbender drawls quietly. "I don't think I've met him. Is he really that beautiful?"

[thewidewideworld]

"He is. I was always so drawn to his story for in my heart we were much alike - the property of powerful men, prized for our looks. Although the poetry of legend makes smooth the roughness and cruelty he suffered at Zeus' hands. His master was not so kind as mine was."

[hot_water]

"Huh," Tahno drawls, wiping some water away from his face. "That sucks. Is he a free man now?"

[thewidewideworld]

"He is, and has been for many hundreds of years as far as I uncertain how he gained his freedom. I shall have to ask him some day." He draws Tahno's hair back, spreading the last treatment evenly. "There. All done."

[hot_water]

Tahno catches Sinric's hand in his own, pressing a quick kiss to his knuckles. The waterbender stands, and moves under one of the sprays of hot water fogging up the glass to fully rinse his hair out. "Thanks, man," he drawls, and reaches for the first bottle after completely rinsing. "Yer turn."