[center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/906786541437874176/906786589173219359/54EC2CB2-AD17-4DC9-8FCF-228EFB528A04.png[/img]
[sub]Co Op between [@ThisisFine] and [@WindsofFate][/sub][/center]
[indent][sub][COLOR=7ea7d8][sub][b]Location:[/b] Sanctum Sanctorum - Raph’s Room[/sub][/COLOR][/sub][/indent][indent][sup][right][COLOR=7ea7d8][sub][b]Interactions:[/b] Raph [@ThisisFine][/sub][/color][/right][/sup][/indent][hr][hr]
[indent][color=AFABB0]Aielah’s eyes had begun to close as he controlled his breathing to help control his blood flow.  It wasn’t long until he felt his body lift.  He was able to open his eyes slowly to see Raph toting him somewhere.  All Aielah could think about was the second intruder and if Raph and Orias were hurt.  The warriors of the Sanctum had vowed to protect it at all costs and unfortunately a few had done just that.  Aielah groaned as Raph placed him on the bed.  He could feel Raph’s emotions and Aielah wondered why this man cared about him when they’d only met an hour ago.  It seemed that when Raph showed up, so too did the troubles, but neither Raph nor Orias were the culprits.  They stayed to make sure Aielah was safe.  

Healers stepped into the room and quickly went to work on closing the lacerations and deep wounds on Aielah’s side.  It was painful.  Though magic had its advantages, it took a lot out of the body to experience the effects of the arcane energie that were pulsing through him.  He forced his mouth to stay closed when he noticed Orias out of the corner of his eye, as well as Raph.  When the healers started to remove his clothing, Raph had taken Orias away, but Aielah wanted to call out to him and tell him it was alright.  Still, he was too weak to do anything and closed his eyes as the process continued.  When the healers were done, one touched the side of Aielah’s face and smiled before leaving.  Aielah opened his eyes to see Raph standing in the doorway.

“[color=B507E1]Hello[/color],” he said, his voice weak.  He’d lost quite a bit of blood but still managed a soft smile.  “[color=B507E1]Come closer[/color].”     

No one got to see Aileah without clothes, but at this moment he was on the bed with no shirt on, only his pants which clung gently to his waist.  Due to his strict training, his body was hardened, toned with lean muscle.  His abs glistened under the moonlight that cascaded through the window.  His biceps were evident and at this moment, his feminine features seemed to soften.  What was left of the wound on his side was nothing more than a scar, a very painful scar.  There was no instant healing that could remove the pain.  It would always be there, but what could be done was close the wound to prevent more blood loss.  Aielah pushed himself to sit up, and instantly regretted it, but managed while clenching his jaw.

“[color=B507E1]Is Orias okay?[/color]” Aielah asked, still shirtless, his long hair draping across his shoulders and chest.  His beautifully tanned skin seemed to draw in light and captivate.

Raph entered the room slowly at the wizard's beckoning. His eyes were drawn curiously to the site of the former wound before they began to drift over the rest of him. Aielah appeared somehow both soft and hardened. Raph once again found himself wondering who the actual angelic one was here. He then realized he'd been silently staring at the man's chest for a second too long, and quickly looked away. His cheeks lit up red. 

"Orias is fine," He said softly, "I took him back to bed. He got scared but...he's asleep now." Raph had gotten scared too. He didn't want to lose the one person who seemed willing to show him kindness. His eyes wandered back to the new scar, carved into unwilling flesh much like Raph's own. A permanent reminder. 

"You'll be okay?" He asked, gesturing to the former wound, "There was a lot of blood." As was evident by the brand new shirt that Raph had somehow managed to soil with blood in under a few hours of having it. It was a talent of his.

Aielah took notice of Raph's eyes as they lingered on his nude upper form.  He blushed softly but did not turn away. It had been a very long time since someone had come seeking refuge at the Sanctum and Aielah had worked hard to maintain his celibacy for the sake of his own inner sanctuary.  He couldn't risk allowing his emotions to flare.  Even with all his inhibitions, he still wondered what this man's touch felt like.  His eyes lingered on the man's lips wondering how his lips tasted.  It was a bit overwhelming, but Aielah's urge to touch Raph was winning. 

Aielah listened at the concern laced in Raph's voice when he asked if he would be alright due to the amount of blood that was spilled.

"[color=B507E1]The interesting thing about pain is that eventually, it becomes your friend.[/color]"

Aielah looked down at the scar and gently touched it. 

"[color=B507E1]Eventually things fade.[/color]"  He looked up at Raph and noticed the blood on his shirt.  "[color=B507E1]I'm sorry for causing you to worry and ruining your shirt.  I'll get you a new one.[/color]"

Trying to stand was a mistake.  His downplaying of the blood loss earlier soon became an obvious issue as his head began to spin and he fell.

Luckily, Raph was standing close enough to catch the wizard. He leaned forward and caught Aielah under the arms, then carefully sat him back down. It was as if Aielah hadn't weighed more than a feather to Raph. 

"Maybe you should rest some more," He suggested helpfully. Raph took a moment before he realized that his hands were still planted on Aielah's sides. He let go and looked sheepish again. "Sorry." 

Over the course of his miserable life, Raph had hardly ever gotten to experience a kind touch. He wasn't even aware of how much he craved that contact until he had it, and he longed for more. But he had also been taught the hard way that showing such a sign of weakness could yield terrible consequences.

Aielah gripped onto Raph when he felt his resistance.  He was thankful that the taller man was there to quickly grab him and keep him from the cold embrace of the floor.  Raph's hand was touching Aielah's side and remained there until Raph realized it.  Aielah adjusted himself on the bed and groaned lightly.

"[color=B507E1]Unfortunately I can't rest.  My duties are never-ending.  One day, maybe I can show you,[/color]" Aielah said, "[color=B507E1]and don't be sorry.  We are both adults are we not?[/color]"

Aielah reached over and touched Raph's chin, turning his head so that they were facing each other.  Aielah's eyes searched for Raph's, but he noticed the blood-stained shirt again and sighed.

"First you need a change of clothes.  Maybe then you'll be more comfortable."

As if on cue, a nurse appeared at the door and entered in slowly, leaving the change of clothes. 

Raph seemed a little startled when Aielah reached for his face, as if, for a brief moment, he expected to be hit. But at the wizard's gentle touch, Raph froze instead of retreating. His own eyes looked back at the icy blue gazing into his soul. Or so it felt. He only tore them away when the nurse entered the room and surprised him. Raph seemed to be a little jumpy, which was to be expected given that this whole experience was strange and unfamiliar to him. 

He looked down at his soiled clothes and then at the bundle that the nurse had dropped off. It consisted of a fresh cotton T-shirt and a pair of soft sweatpants. Raph approached the offering and inspected it for a moment before he seemed to work up the courage to change again. The wizard had already helped him in the bath, after all, what difference did it make now? 

He peeled off his bloody shirt or at least tried to. Getting in and out of normal clothes was always a hassle. Raph stretched and struggled and flapped until he'd gotten the garment off, but not before popping a couple of seams and losing a couple of white, downy feathers. Fortunately, peeling off the lightly blood-adorned pants wasn't quite the same fight. Raph let the dirty clothes drop on the floor while he pulled on the new ones.

The branded scars on his legs saw the dim light of the lamp only briefly before Raph covered them. As much as he hated the mark on his chest, he hated the line of text on his outer thigh even more. 

Raph fought the shirt until he had it on and looked pretty exhausted after. He'd only managed a couple of hours of sleep the whole night before the commotion had woken him up. He bent down to pick the soiled clothes up and dispose of them into what he thought was a dirty clothes hamper, then plucked the lost feathers off the floor and looked around for a trash can.[/color]

[color=AFABB0]Aielah watched as Raph struggled with his clothes.  He would've helped had he not nearly face-planted earlier for trying to stand.  His eyes lingered a little too long on the scars on Raph's toned body.  The wings were beautiful to behold.  With all the strength he had, he stood up and managed to find his footing.  Slowly he moved over to Raph who was looking for a way to dispose of the feather.  Aielah grabbed his hand and slowly took the feather out of Raph's grip.

"[color=B507E1]Every feather that you drop, I would love to keep if that is okay with you,[/color]" Aielah said, his hand soft on Raph's.  "[color=B507E1]Please, don't be ashamed.  I noticed your struggle with normal clothes, but alas the nurses aren't familiar with your anatomy.  Give me a moment.[/color]"

Aielah removed his hand from Raph's and held the wing to his eyes.  Such beauty, yet they seemed to be a nuisance to the man whose burden it was to carry.  Still shirtless, Aielah exhaled slowly and closed his eyes.

"[color=B507E1]Your body holds stories I one day wish to hear.  The mark on your thigh.  The mark on your chest.  Your scars.  Such things carry tales that only the mouth can reveal, though sometimes the mind wishes to forget.  Will you?  Will you one day tell me?[/color]"

Raph froze again at the new touch. Aielah's hands were gentle and soft, unfamiliar but comfortable. Raph didn't know what possible use his fallen feathers could have, but if Aielah wanted them, Raph would gladly let him keep them. 

He blushed a little when the wizard mentioned his obvious struggle getting dressed. His wings were nice when he was flying, but otherwise, they were two giant appendages protruding from his back. His cheeks didn't fade when Aielah came closer to inspect his feathery limbs. The man's voice was so soothing and inviting as he spoke, even as he spoke of unpleasant things. Raph didn't like talking about his past, but if he could tell anyone, he felt it was Aielah. 

"Yeah...maybe…" 

Raph couldn't help but notice that the man was still half naked, and still very nice to look at. It made his heart flutter and stomach ache in a way that was completely foreign to him. Was he sick? 

"My chest feels funny," He blurted without thinking. 

Aielah tilted his head in response to Raph.  Raph had given him a maybe in response to his question.  Raph would one day tell him the tale of his scars, of his past, and Aielah would be happy to sit and listen.  It was dangerous to be in the room with Raph.  He couldn't think as clearly as he wanted.  He couldn't even focus on the fact that something was stolen from the Sanctum and his men had been killed.  He needed to leave as quickly as he could, but his attention returned to Raph when he mentioned his chest feeling weird.

"[color=B507E1]Let me see,[/color]" Aielah said as he softly pressed his hand against Raph's chest.  The man's heart was beating fast.  Was he nervous?  Anxious?  Yearning?  Had he never experienced closeness to anyone before?  Aielah removed his hand and smiled as he got closer to Raph, the distance almost nonexistent as they were chest to chest.  "[color=B507E1]I have to go, but you will be fine.  Tomorrow, meet me in the memorial room.[/color]"

They were so close.  Intimate touch was possible, but Aielah stood as if trying to figure out what to do.  His body wanted to feel Raph's touch, and wake up next to him, but his mind resisted and begged him to perform the duties he had been assigned.  Without warning, Aielah's hand cupped the back of Raph's neck and pulled the taller man's head so that their lips met in a sudden embrace.  The kiss was brief but satisfying, and when Aielah released Raph, he contemplated on what to say next and quickly stepped away.

"[color=B507E1]Goodnight Raph.  Sweet dreams.[/color]"

His cheeks burned ever brighter as Aielah came closer and put a hand on his chest. Raph's heart was beating hard under his touch, but he didn’t want it to stop. Part of him wanted to hold the man close just to feel his warmth. There was a sad, needy little gremlin inside him that craved this touch like a drug. Something he'd always longed for, but had been cruelly denied. 

Raph's mind went utterly blank when Aielah pulled him in for a kiss. His brain may as well have been TV static. It just didn't compute. How could someone so wonderful and beautiful and perfect deem [i]him[/i] kiss worthy? Raph didn't kiss back; he didn't know-how. He'd never found himself in this situation before, and all he could do was stare wide-eyed and slack-jawed as Aielah retreated.

[I]Don't leave.[/i] The words caught in his throat. He didn't want this to be over. He wanted to try again. But when he went to speak, nothing but a dumb "Uh…" came out. Aielah was heading for the door, causing Raph to panic. 

"Wait!" He called after him and stepped towards him again. [I]Return the gesture, show him what you want, let him know how you feel[/i]. It was good advice in theory, but Raph was still flooded with confusion and conflict and he just couldn't make a decision. "...Have a good night," He finally said, that same sheepish look and soft tone returning. Aielah looked back at him and smiled, nodded, and then disappeared. 

Raph was left standing there for far too long. Finally, exhaustion outweighed his urge to beat himself for being so socially inept and Raph crawled back into his bed. He curled up under the sheets, wondering for the first time in his life what it would be like to be curled around someone else.

Aielah’s mind was filled with Raph until he was approached by a warrior as he made his way towards the inner sanctum.

“Master, we were infiltrated,” the man said.

Aielah’s eyes snapped to the man as he realized just how unprofessional he had been moments ago.  He turned back to look in the direction of Raph’s room before returning his gaze to the man who’d approached him.

“[color=B507E1]What was taken?[/color]”

“Umm, sir do you wish to get changed first before we escort you to the relic room?”

Aielah took notice of his current attire and nodded.

“[color=B507E1]Give me a brief moment and I will be ready.[/color]”

[center]===
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Aielah approached the relic room after taking a brief moment to fix things in the memorial room.  The warriors were hard at work fixing what was broken and removing any dead bodies they found, but even they couldn’t replace what was stolen.  He wondered who had the power to break through the powerful ward that protected the Sanctum.  None he knew could even get through it, but someone knew exactly how without consequences.

“[color=B507E1]I will restore the ward after speaking with the Vishanti.  In the meantime, we will double on security.  Two guards at every entrance, and an extra guard will rotate the halls.  Oh, and our guests cannot know about any of this.  They’ve seen too much as is.  I’m still not entirely sure if they aren’t involved in this.  Alas, let’s get to work.[/color]”

“Sir, you’re injured, are you sure you’ll be okay?” 

“[color=B507E1]Yes, I will be fine.  It is a task I have to complete.  The relics are important.  They can be either a blessing or a curse if they are in the wrong hands.[/color]”

After a few minutes, Aielah figured out the missing relics.  He sighed unsure why they’d chosen to take three relics, one being Satan’s Tears.  Someone was up to no good, and it was his task to figure out who and stop them.  

“Sir, the Vishanti await.”

“[color=B507E1]Thank you Aurian.[/color]” Aielah said, leaving the relic room and moving swiftly to the meditation room.  There he sat down and closed his eyes as the Vishanti appeared before him.

“[color=B507E1]The Sanctum has been infiltrated.[/color]”

“By someone powerful, as the ward cannot easily be broken.”

“[color=B507E1]Yes, while I was able to dispose of one, the other got away.  They took three relics, one of which was Satan’s Tears.[/color]”

There was silence for a moment before the conversation continued.

“Make sure you increase security and ensure this doesn’t happen again.”

“[color=B507E1]Yes,[/color]” Aielah said.  “[color=B507E1]I will do everything I can.  What about the relics?[/color]”

“Find them and destroy them as well as the one who took them.  No doubt you’ll need all of your wit and strength to face whoever it is.  Relics in the wrong hand can cause devastation to the natural order of things.  We trust you will do all you can.  We will be in touch.” 

The Vishanti vanished and Aielah was left alone in the room.  His eyes opened and his head turned wondering where to start.[/color][/indent]