digitizedsouls | (psl) we all got secrets, so are you gonna keep it

To an especially… fruitful evening. Cheers.

[ He would wink, but… you know. Instead he clinks his glass to hers and downs his first drink. Damn, it’s good. How much money did he just pour down his throat?

Taking his glass lightly in his fingers, he settles back on the couch to listen. Though his expression is cool and mildly interested at best, he grabs hold of each and every little detail to store away into his ever-growing file of Fódlan’s messy politics.

For Kaeya’s own part, he hails from Mondstadt, the nation of freedom. There are no nobles to contend with, no royalty to impress, but that doesn’t mean Kaeya doesn’t know how to do that dance, himself. Being the adopted son of one of the most affluent families in the region comes with its own share of expectations, as does his holding the rank of Captain with the Knights of Favonius, sworn protectors of the realm in the absence of a ruling class. It’s because of Hilda’s position, and Mondstadt’s proximity to Fódlan’s borders that they can even carry on like this at all. ]

It’s very sweet of you to let him continue to believe he’s the one playing with you.

[ They haven’t even slept together and the man is buying her bottles of vodka that cost more than some people’s rent. She has him right where she wants him. ]

But what will you do if he ever gets it into his darling head to pop the question?

[Hilda laughs and shakes her head in response to his question.]

Ooooh, I have no intention of letting it go that far. Why do you think I haven't slept with him?

[The absence of the word "yet" suggests that she has no intention to do any such thing. A girl has to be careful when playing these kinds of games, and she recognizes easily enough that escalating this particular relationship would be a huge mistake. Boy Toy would be down on one knee before he even managed to get himself off.]

Right now I still have plausible deniability that he thinks we're in a relationship, believe it or not. Once the word "dating" or "courtship" comes up, I'll play it dumb and cut him loose. [She bats her eyes at Kaeya, her expression the very picture of innocence.] He'll be heartbroken, of course, but it'll probably help him get his act together. I'm doing him a favor, really.

[Much as she's loathe to admit it, Hilda's not immune to the games that nobles play. Lere is a vassal to her brother, and making sure the family doesn't fuck things up comes under the responsibility of House Goneril. Holst wouldn't approve of her methods, but he doesn't have to know what she's up to. Somehow, he's the easiest person for her to pull the wool over his eyes.

That's probably for the best.]

Personally, I figured it was because he was lacking in certain… departments.

[ He makes a vague hand gesture, certain she realizes what he means. It’s a joke, of course, because he has realized why she hasn’t dragged the poor boy to bed. Best not to tie any strings one can’t quickly sever - especially when dealing with nobility and the politics thereof.

He’s also certain her brother has little to no idea just how she carries on, which is an impressive feat in it’s own right. Kaeya might go so far as to call Hilda a much more formidable ally than even her brother. ]

So… [ he remarks idly, swirling the liquid in his glass around with a lazy motion of his wrist. ] Are we placing bets on just how much longer this little arrangement will last?

You're terrible.

[But it gets a giggle out of her all the same.]

I'd put my money down on "soon" if I were you. I'm not totally heartless.

[Which is the truth, more or less. The game is fun while it lasts, but after a certain point it becomes too cruel to continue and it loses its appeal. Plus, she has her own reputation to consider--the longer it goes on, the less control she has over the situation and the fallout from when it inevitably ends.

In her experience, the most important part of any scheming is to know when to call it quits. Her old partner in crime would agree if he weren't all the way in Almyra these days.]

But enough about me. How are things on your side of the border?

[ Ah, true. One can only string someone along for so long until things begin to unravel out of control. It’s better – safer – for her to terminate a relationship of this sort sooner rather than later, lest the young lord get any ideas and cause a scandal neither of them can afford. ]

Oh, nothing terribly exciting.

[ He says, in that way that means he still has something to share. He bides his time for another moment by taking another drink, contemplating the taste as it rolls over his tongue and down his throat. ]

There have been rumors about a strange fellow with an eyepatch running around and hunting Abyss mages. [ He holds up a finger. ] And before you ask, it isn’t me.

["Nothing terribly exciting," he says, like that's ever the case. As Captain with the Knights of Favonius, and a nosy bastard besides, he is generally among the first to know what's interesting over in Mondstadt. She listens, tilting her head slightly with interest as she helps herself to another sip of liquor. This stuff really is too nice for how she'd acquired it. Boy Toy's loss.]

Your Darknight Hero hasn't taken to wearing eyepatches, has he?

[It's a sincere question, for once, and one she asks carefully. Hilda's been able to figure out that there's some sort of History between the two, although she doesn't know the specifics. She's all but certain that Kaeya has every intention to keep it that way. While the lack of details is killing her curiosity, out of respect for him and this arrangement they share she hasn't looked any further into it.]

I'm sure you're looking into these rumors, regardless.

Edited (missed a word) 2021-09-21 20:26 (UTC)

[ Diluc would throw a terrible fit if he knew that a foreign noble knows about his habit of moonlighting as a vigilante, but Kaeya shared that little secret with Hilda in great confidence. The identity of Mondstadt’s Darknight Hero was the biggest offering he could bring to the table when they settled into their arrangement, and she remains the first and only person he’s shared that with.

The finer points of their relationship, however, he’s kept to himself. “We used to be close and now we’re not” is all she has, and likely will, ever get out of him. A cursory look into his and Diluc’s past would put the schism between them at the time of their father’s death, but if she knows even that much, she hasn’t mentioned it. ]

Not last I checked.

[ Said easily. It would be impossible to know from outward appearances that Diluc is something of a complicated subject for Kaeya. ]

He’s caught the eye of the local Adventurer’s Guild, apparently, and he’s turned down every single offer for jobs that have been lobbed his way. An intriguing fellow, to be sure. It seems he has a very singular goal in mind and doesn’t play well with others.

[The secret of Diluc Ragnvindr's vigilante persona is hardly safe with Hilda, but it's absolutely secure. She hasn't breathed a word of it to anyone--not to fellow Fódlan gossips, not to her confidants, and especially not to her brother as he's mused over the question to her. With their territory right against Mondstadt's border (and because he's a sucker for these kinds of stories, let's be honest), Holst has taken a vested interest in learning more about the Darknight Hero. As far as he's aware, Hilda's only input is that she's sick of hearing him talk about it.

She's gleaned from what little Kaeya's given her and what details are easily available that their father's death is the impetus of whatever happened between the two. It's a common enough story in her parts, noble families being what they are, but that doesn't mean it's her place to nose around further. They each have topics that are understood to be off limits--he doesn't ask about her role in Fódlan's recent civil war, and she doesn't ask about his history with Diluc. It balances out.

Besides, it's more fun to talk about other people's secrets.]

Sounds like he's got some kind of axe to grind with them. Obsessed even. I've seen that before.

[During the war she doesn't like to talk about, as a matter of fact. A flicker of something dark breezes over her expression, which she quickly banishes by finishing her glass in a rather un-ladylike swallow.]

Edited (verb tense correction) 2021-09-21 22:06 (UTC)

It does seem that way, doesn’t it?

[ If he notices the shadow that haunts her expression for the barest moment, he doesn’t remark on it. There are boundaries here. Certain things they’ve silently agreed not to talk about or pry too deeply into. It’s only fair that he treats her past with the same courtesy she treats his.

Besides, anyone with ears and at least one working eye knows a great deal about Fodlan’s recent civil war already. It’s a difficult sort of thing to miss when one’s neighbors are at each other’s throats. ]

Our mystery man has me quite curious. A shame I can never seem to track him down myself. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he’s avoiding me on purpose.

[ But surely not, right? ]

[Hilda is more than happy to rebound from her thoughts of Dimitri and focus her attention back to Kaeya, refilling her glass as she does so. She also tops Kaeya's drink off for good measure. Never let it be said that she's not an excellent hostess.]

That's awfully rude of him, if true. Who wouldn't want to subject themselves to your charms?

[Herself included, even if she sees through the act.]

I'll keep my ears open for any chatter on this side of the border. A topic like that isn't likely to respect national sovereignty. Or the man himself, for that matter. It's not like every inch between Fódlan and Mondstadt is guarded--I wouldn't be surprised if he were moving back and forth in search of these Abyss mages he's hunting.

[ He raises his glass to her with a nod of thanks after she tops him off, then promptly tips it back for a drink. ]

That's precisely what I'm saying. Perhaps he's afraid I might prove too charming to resist.

[ Who can say, really? But with the rumor mill in full swing over their mysterious stranger, Kaeya is a little annoyed that he hasn't been able to track him down himself. He would like to catch a glimpse of him at the very least, but he's proven to be quite elusive. ]

You would do that for little ol' me? I am truly in your debt, Lady Hilda.

[Hilda laughs breezily in reply, expecting no less from him.]

You'd be too much of a distraction from his hunting, probably.

[With that, she leans back into the back of the couch and allows herself to relax a little more, smiling over her glass at him as she takes another sip. The presentation of a problem, the offering of a solution, the effusive flattery as thanks... it's all a part of the insincere games they play. After all, it's the same series of moves she makes when she's manipulating people into doing what she wants. She'd be a fool not to recognize herself as he mirrors that part of her.

She wonders sometimes, in sober moments without him nearby, if the fact that she's wise to him and plays along anyway makes things better or worse. It's not a thought she likes to dwell on.]

You really are. Here I am, sharing my vodka and offering up my time and effort. What would you do without me?

[Her smile takes a turn for the flirtatious. It's not like she gets nothing out of the exchange.]

I'm sure I'll think of some way for you to make it up to me.

[ There's something about the way they act around each other that echoes the way they dance carefully around politics and expectations in their everyday lives, but perhaps between them, it's worse. Insincere in an obvious way, cold and mean in earnest. When an echo bounces back and forth too much, when the cave walls are too close, the chasm too deep and dark, what comes back can be a distorted mess - something far worse than what was cast out in the first place. Funny how something so tangled can strike closer to the truth.

For his own part, that oh-so-small crack in his usual mask is all he's willing to show, but even that much is something of a relief. The last person he tried to bare his soul to came at him with a blade and wreaths of flame. Fine alcohol and good sex are much, much more preferable. ]

Why, I would simply wither away without your generosity.

[ His eye tracks her movement as she settles back, catching that shift of her expression. In answer, something like fire ignites in that icy gaze. His tongue darts out of his mouth, making a pass over his lips as if to presumably catch some remaining vodka at the corners of his crooked smirk. ]

I have an idea or two, if you're amenable.

[The discordant tone of their worst selves pressing up against each other always sounds exhilarating to her in moments like this, on the precipice of making the same mistake they always do. Noble, veteran, informant, mark... none of who she is means anything once passions flare and clothes start coming off.

This doesn't mean anything.

The look in his eye doesn't escape her notice, and Hilda chews her bottom lip in response to it. She shifts her position a bit, ostensibly to get comfortable but really to arch her back just so to give him a better view of her body.]

Oh, you know me. I'm flexible.

I know very well.

[ It comes out of his mouth in almost a purr. He’d be loath to admit it, to himself but especially to her, that there are times when this is the part he enjoys the most about their meetings. There’s something to be said for peeling away physical layers, even if the metaphorical ones stay firmly in place.

He leans forward, sliding his glass onto the coffee table, and in the same motion he slips into her space, his knee resting between her legs on the couch cushion. Long fingers deftly, lightly travel the length of her arm to wrap around her own glass. Their fingertips brush for a fraction of a moment as he relieves her of her drink.

Rather than set it aside, he brings the glass to his lips for a slow, languid drink, before he finally closes the distance between them to slot their mouths together, the taste of alcohol and fruit juice fresh on his tongue. ]

[His voice practically courses through her, settling itself deep in the warmth of her core. If she had any shame left in her, she'd be embarrassed at how little it takes from him to get her excited. But shame has never been a part of this partnership, and she knows from experience that he is quite good at this. He has her where he wants her, but he's also exactly where she wants him to be.

Her body remains still as he helps himself to her personal space, her gaze following the trace of his fingers up her arm and to the drink in her hand. He helps himself to that, too. The power move isn't lost on Hilda, and she files it away to make him pay for it later.

For now, she parts her lips against his and presses her tongue into his mouth to get a taste of the drink he just stole. She reaches up with one hand, burying it into his hair and gripping onto it firmly. It's a warning. And a promise.]

[ In terms of sheer strength, Hilda easily has him outclassed. His Vision might give him an edge in most things, but not here, not now. That’s part of what makes this so thrilling, taking her iron strength and making it pliant with heat and touch and want. It’s a private little game he likes to play when they get like this, silently betting on who will come out on top in any given encounter.

Her fist tightens in his hair, and he knows the warning for what it is, prompting a heated murmur of approval against her open mouth. At some point, he was able to maneuver her glass safely onto a flat surface, freeing his hand, while the other keeps him braced against the couch. He draws his fingers along the exposed skin of her midriff, remapping familiar curves with teasing touches. ]

[Sometimes, Kaeya is able to temper and bend Hilda however he needs to. Other times, she loses her patience and takes control of the situation, slamming him down and using her strength to her advantage. Either way, the fight for control is part of what makes sex with him so damn satisfying. It's much more fulfilling than the coquettish performance that most men expect.

She hums softly in response to the familiar sensation of his fingers against her skin, her body arching slightly into his touch of its own volition. She rewards the effort with a sharp bite to his lower lip before she pulls back, a wicked grin spreading across her features as leans in to do the same to his ear.

Her hand doesn't loosen its grip on him.]

[ Oh, but pliant or not, he will always take a measure of satisfaction in the way he can get her to move, the way her body seems hungry for his touch as she shifts beneath his fingers. He would smirk, if not for the sudden, sharp sting of teeth against his lower lip that has him sucking in a breath as heat licks up the inside of his rib cage.

He enjoys this part as well, the roughness, the sharp edge to their trysts that no one in their right mind would dare show to a noble lady or high-ranking knight.

Hilda breaks away to show the same attention to his ear, teeth punching down enough to sting but not enough to break skin, and Kaeya breathes out a low, dark little chuckle. ]

Someone’s feisty. What’s the matter, has Boy Toy got you frustrated?

[For that Hilda gives Kaeya a rough tug on his hair, pulling his head back and exposing the line of his neck. She buries her face in it, although for now she refrains from biting again.]

Ass.

[But she doesn't deny it. The game she's playing with the lesser noble's son has left her without a good outlet for her needs, and the way he's so close to her only brings that fact into sharper relief. It's an opening she's certain Kaeya will take advantage of, but she'll be damned if she doesn't go down without a fight.]

Edited 2021-09-23 22:19 (UTC)

[ That sharp tug sends a sting of pain through his scalp, something that sits just on the right side of good, and he sucks in a breath through clenched teeth. With his throat so exposed, he quietly braces himself for the sharp sensation of another bite, but it doesn’t come. At least not yet. Hilda’s breath is warm against his skin, as much of a threat as the fingers in his hair. ]

That just won’t do.

[ His gaze flicks down to what he can see of the top of her head. He realizes they’re teetering on some precipice, where the next moments will decide who wrests control and who gives in. ]

Someone ought to take care of you, Princess.

[ Now there’s a nickname he only breaks out in the bedroom, usually in those moments where he has her flushed and moaning beneath him. He knows very well that he’s really testing his luck by letting it pass his lips now, but that’s part of the fun. ]

[Fuck.

Hilda has the physical advantage in this battle between them, but that doesn't matter. He has the psychological edge, and she realizes in the moments between his words all of her unforced errors. She invited him into her space. She let him take the drink and establish the terms of the exchange. She got too excited too quickly, betrayed by her own sexual frustration. She let him see her cards, and of course he zeroed in on the one that left her most vulnerable. All things considered, she never stood a chance.

"Princess" is the final nail in the coffin, a calculated risk that pays off for him. The word settles itself right between her legs, and it's only by the grace of her self-control that she doesn't make a noise from that alone.

The hand in his hair twitches ever so slightly before she regains her hold, repositioning his head as she pulls back just enough to press her face close to his and look him in the eye. She's lost this time, but that doesn't mean she has any intentions of being gentle.]

And that someone's going to be you?

[It's the closest thing to an actual concession that he's going to get.]

Edited (slight rewording ) 2021-09-24 07:03 (UTC)

[ That slight pause, the shifting of her fingers against his scalp, is more telling than anything, and Kaeya knows that he’s won. That little nickname had just as much of a chance as igniting her ire as it did her passion, but it seems the gamble paid off. He’ll let her play at still having the upper hand for now, but it’s only a matter of time before she unravels for him.

Another tug of his hair brings their gazes together, and oh, how Kaeya is reveling in his victory already. His lips curve into a knowing smirk, the fire of want and thrill of winning shining in one ice-colored eye. ]

Who else would it be?

[ The hand that he’s kept braced against the couch slides into her hair, drifting up to the place where she keeps it bound at the back of her head. ]

Certainly not some spoiled lordling who doesn’t know what you want. What you need.

[ She will likely need a new hair tie. Ice sparks from his fingertips, gathering on the elastic band to make it brittle and hard, and he snaps it free with a simple flick of his wrist to send her locks unfurling over her shoulders, down her back. ]

[Part of Hilda wants to be angry that she's been so outplayed, especially given the way he's smirking at her about it. She's generally not a gracious loser, her years of being a Goneril instilling in her the idea that such an outcome is unacceptable, but the more he keeps talking the less she cares. Weaved into his words are promises to leave her completely and utterly undone when this is over, and the excitement of it is quickly overtaking her need to be in control. And really, this is more true to form--being in charge is effort, and isn't it always better to have someone else do that for her?

That's what she tells herself, anyway.

Her eyes slip closed at the feel of his hand in her hair, and a soft sigh escapes her lips when the band snaps and her hair falls around her. She releases the fist in his hair, sliding her hand down his neck and collarbone to his chest, where she grips tightly to the fabric she finds there.]

Lucky me that it's you here instead of him.

[Let the unraveling begin.]

[ The fabric of his shirt is not a terribly heavy affair, light and airy beneath her fingers, and left unbuttoned just enough to give a peek of his chest. Her grip tugs it askew, revealing the long line of his collar bone. He chuckles, the sound dark and low and breathy as she concedes at last. ]

That’s my girl.

[ The tips of his fingers, still chilled from the use of his magic, drift along the line of her jaw, coaxing her to tilt her head up and bear her throat to him. When she does, and surely she will, he leans in to work his mouth along her neck. The press of sweet kisses sit in sharp contrast to the sting of teeth as he nips at her skin. As he leans in to explore her, the leg he has braced between hers presses against the heat of her - a happy consequence of their positions, but he is interested to see just how worked up she really is. ]

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