forum Romance?

Started June 22, 2020 by @ElderGodSwimwithGamers group

tune

Archer caught himself. “Ah, sorry, I’m used to do doing this alone. We should get to know each other.” He smiled sheepishly, searching for questions to ask. But eventually he decided on, “So, um, tell me about yourself.”

Sebastian thought a moment.
"There isn't much to tell," Sebastian admitted. "I'm not much different from my public image. My mother is a foreign commoner, so I've worked most of my life to prove my worth to others. That's why I do what I do."

“Ah, I see.” Archer held his notebook at his side. “For me, it was the opposite. Well, in a way…” he wasn’t sure what else to say. This used to always happen at the palace. He would try to start a conversation with the servants or the noble’s children, and it would go no where. Over the the years, he found it was better to explain his awkwardness. And so he did.
“I’m sorry, I’m better with dragons than with people,” Archer rubbed his neck, avoiding Sebastian’s eyes. “Being alone with them for two years didn’t help, haha.”

(Nonono, that's not it! I haven't been responding to some rps because I can't really type out long responses on my phone, and I didn't take my tablet on the vacation I took! I'm sorry I didn't tell you!)

Sebastian watched Archer as he spoke, the conversation dying a little.
"I understand," he said with a faint smile. "You seem better with dragons than most people are to each other." He kept walking, just a step or two behind Archer the entire time. He enjoyed this, even if he still felt the need to for Archer proper respect.

Archer looked up in surprise. “Really? Thanks. I, uh, a-appreciate it.”
Why was he stuttering all of a sudden? He never stuttered. Wait, he thought. Was that even a compliment? Or was Sebastian just acknowledging what he said? He had a sneaking suspicion it was the latter.
“Oh wait,” he said suddenly. “I mean… um…”

(Sorry writer’s block has me in its deadly grip)

(I totally understand ma dude, no worries! Don't feel obligated to respond!)

Sebastian blinked a little.
"It's alright," he said quickly, the small smile still on his lips. "I think you had it right the first time." He nodded a little, running his hand through his hair a moment.

(Ok thanks for understanding)

“Oh.”
Archer paused. He sighed, then said, with a small smile on his face, “Thanks.”

Sebastian smiled back a little, walking with Archer a moment in silence. He adjusted his belt.

They walked on. Archer continued asking the drakes various questions and writing in his notebook. At one point, he went to the back of the group to measure footprints. The sun dipped lazily in the sky, casting warm light and purple shadows across the landscape. Eventually, they came to a river; the evening sky was spangled with stars.
“We can rest here for the night.” Archer said, exhausted.

Sebastian was exhausted as well. He nodded, taking deep breaths. They'd traveled a good distance today. He stepped over to the river, kneeling down to cup some water to drink. Oh god, it was nice and cool.

Archer was tempted to follow his example, but instead he turned to the drakes. They seemed tired as well. He could see a hunting party emerging from the underbrush, with two white-tail deer in their jaws. He went over to the Zenpiri.
“Zenpiri,” he said, bowing a little. “I would like to ask you some questions.”
He nodded his head in acknowledgment.
“Are any of you sick or injured?”
“No.”
“I can see you have food, so… How will you settle in for the night?”
“Since we are only staying for tonight, we will sleep in a circle, on the ground. The more vulnerable of us will sleep in the middle, and the least vulnerable will sleep on the outside. I and a few of the zunthos will keep watch.”
Archer raised an eyebrow. “Zunthos? Like, guards?”
“Yes, I believe so,” the Zenpiri rumbled. “And you? How will you settle in for the night?”
“Oh,” Archer glanced at Sebastian. “I was going to make a fire. After we eat, we could sleep around it.”
The drake snorted. “Fire? Fire is dangerous.”
“Only when it’s out of control, Zenpiri.”
He stared for a moment, studying him. “I would like to see how you control it then, human.”
“Of course, I’ll let you know when I’m going to make it,” Archer bowed again, then went over to the river to drink. Once his thirst was quenched, he turned to Sebastian.
“I have some bread and cheese left, but we could get some fish from the river, if you’d like. Would you help me make a fire, too?”

Sebastian looked up when Archer spoke of the fire. He nodded to Archer, sitting up a bit more from the water.
"I can gather wood," he said, nodding. "I have some fire starters in my bag, and I could fish after the fire is going." Sebastian knew he could manage to catch a few fish, but he wasn't sure if they would be much at all.

“Wonderful. I could fish with you, if you want.” His voice went soft at the last few words. For some reason, he felt nervous asking him this.
Then he remembered. “Oh, and the Zenpiri- the big drake with the stripes- he wants to see how humans make fire, so just a heads up.”

Sebastian was a bit surprised by how soft Archer's question was.
"I think we'd do much better if we both fished." He smiled just slightly. He'd get to fish with the prince. With Archer.
"Oh, he does? Well, we'll have to make sure he's there when we get it going then."

“Yeah,” Archer returned the smile, meeting Sebastian’s eyes. “Sounds good.”
Despite his exhaustion, being with him was uplifting to Archer. He took a deep breath, taking in the night air.

Sebastian stood. Archer's eyes… They were amazing. Nothing less from the prince, he supposed, but a small part of him knew it wasn't just the fact Archer was the prince was why he thought this way.
"I'll go gather some wood," Sebastian said. "I'll be back soon." Unless, of course… If the prince wanted to come with him.

Archer stood as well. “Oh, I suppose I could help you with that too. I’ll come.”
He felt it was only fair. Maybe he could observe the drakes when they were done.

Sebastian couldn't help but give Archer a small smile.
"Alright then." He was glad the prince was coming with him. He started into the trees again, pulling out a small hatchet in case he needed to cut down any small trees. Maybe cut off a limb or two for a long lasting fire.

Archer opted to search for already fallen branches on the ground. He shivered as exhaustion caught up to him; he fell quiet. Suddenly he didn’t feel like talking anymore. Though, he had to admit, it was nice to be in the presence of another human being for more than five minutes.
The two men were bathed in sliver and blue light, sometimes covered by the shadows of the trees. Fireflies could be seen flickering in the air. Archer heard the occasional owl hoot in the distance and crickets chirping. He couldn’t hear anything else, which was probably a good thing.

Sebastian became silent as well, moving through the forest slowly with Archer by his side. He smiled a little, moving a little brush away to reveal an old, dead tree. It had been beaten down by the weather, but it didn't seem rotten. Sebastian pulled his hatchet out, about to begin cutting when a firefly landed on the blade. Sebastian examined it a moment, then gently nudged it off, watching it fly away. The night was beautiful, to be sure.

Archer managed to find some branches that weren’t wet or rotting. He turned to Sebastian, and couldn’t help but giggle. “There’s a firefly in your hair.” He reached to brush it off.

Sebastian blushed lightly.
"Oh," he said quietly. He and Archer were close now. The firefly was out of his hair, but why had butterflies entered his stomach?
"We should head back," he said softly.

Archer realized he was smiling like an idiot. “Oh… yeah, hehe. We should. I think that dead tree and these branches will do.”
His feet drifted back toward the river.

Sebastian followed after Archer, carrying the tree back to the camp. He looked around for a good spot to build the fire, setting the tree by it.
"Are you going to get the… The leader?" He didn't even bother trying to say the title, knowing he couldn't pronounce it. "I'm going to be starting the fire soon."

Archer set down the branches. “Yeah, I‘ll go get him.”
He found the Zenpiri with the other drakes, enjoying a meal of white-tail deer. Truthfully, he would have gladly watched how they ate and digested their food, but he took a deep breath and prepared for more talking. Still, he pulled out his notebook and wrote down a few observations before walking up to him.
“Zenpiri,” he bowed. “Me and my friend have gathered what we need. Would you like to see how we create fire?”
Other drakes near them looked up from their meals, curious.
“Of course, human. I said so myself, had I not?”
Archer wasn’t sure whether to laugh or sigh with exhaustion. “Yes. Do you need to get closer to see?”
“No, I am not blind.” The drake growled.
“Of course not, Zenpiri, I was only asking.” Archer wondered if the exhaustion was getting to the drake as well. He made a mental note to write good eyesight in his notebook.
He bowed and went back to Sebastian. “He can see from over there.” He suppressed a yawn.

Sebastian nodded. He was tired as well, but the fire and fishing came before sleep. If they just crashed now, it could get really bad later on in the night. He set the kindling that had been collected, as well as some of his own from his back, in an area with fewer than branches over them. He pulled out a strip of metal, filling a small pile of it onto the kindling. Once the metal, what we would know as magnesium, was in a good enough sized pile, he pulled it his Flint and steel, striking. He caught a spark, blowing softly. He encouraged to small flame to grow, slowly adding larger and larger twigs and branches until they had a decent fire going. He put his things away, cutting off a chunk of the dead tree trunk for a long he added.
"Tada," he said quietly. He yawned into his hand, putting his fire making tools away and pulling it his fishing line.

“Thanks,” Archer said, soaking in the warmth. He looked over to the Zenpiri and the other drakes, who had been watching with interest.
The Zenpiri’s eyes widened, but he was silent. Though, Archer heard high screeches and deep growls from the others.
”By the Zenpiri’s teeth! It’s so bright and beautiful!”
”How? It’s like a tiny sun.”
”Did you see what the human held in his hand? I saw the fire erupt from it!”
”It won’t spread, will it?”
The Zenpiri raised his tail, and gradually, the drakes fell silent. His eyes seemed to glow as the fire flickered in them. He bowed his head in respect.
”My curiosity is satisfied, humans.”
If he had any suspicion that Archer or Sebastian would use fire against them, he didn’t show it. Archer bowed his head in return.
He turned to Sebastian. The fire lit his features quite nicely, highlighting his strong jawline and those eyes like the blade of his sword. Archer caught himself staring, and quickly looked away, starting to say something.
Then, his stomach growled like an angry drake.