Lianda (Jon/Thom):

In his drunken stupor, Jonathan pushed his former squire against the wall. "Mmm..Alanna...I love you!!"

"GET OF ME JON."

Jon furrowed his drunken brow. "What's wrong Alanna? You used to call me your Sex God..!"

Purple eyes glared back at the Prince. Then the boy rolled his eyes. "Jon, you really ARE drunk.."

The Prince blinked. "Huh?.." Then his eyes widen as his "squire" dropped his pants. "YOU‘RE NOT ALANNA!”

Thom blinked and grinned. “No...but I’m just as sexy right??”

Jonathan blanched. “Aaah..uh...”

Thom leaned forward. “Alanna DID actually mention your Sex God-ness to me once...I sorta want to see for myself now.”

“YOU TALK ABOUT THOSE THINGS?!”

Thom raised his eyebrow. “We’re twins. What’d you expect?”

Riko (Buri/Gary):

She saddles her horse while he watches. Watches the horse, that is, or maybe the saddling. Not her.

If he were the insightful type, he might decide that this is due to 13 years of accumulated abuse, but he isn't the insightful type, so he's never really though about it. All he knows, is that when someone says "sorry" it doesn't carry much weight with him.

"There's protocol to follow, is all I'm saying."

Buri rolls her eyes and fiddles with the straps. They're already perfect, but if she doesn't keep busy, she's going to look over her shoulder and see him leaning on the fencing and, at that point, logical conversation would be a bit beyond her. She's not really sure when things got that bad.

"I know there's protocol. I have been serving with Thayet for most of my life."

He clears his throat. "Yes, well. This is Tortall, and things are a little different here. Jon and her highness will ride first, of course. And as acting-prime minister, I'm supposed to go second with Thayet's chief handmaiden."

"Handmaiden," Buri snorts. "Me, I expect."

"Yes. So, I wanted to know what you're likely to be wearing?"

Buri closes her eyes. These Tortallians, making marriage so complicated. "How 'bout nothing?"

Gary laughs. "Interesting. Shall I dress to match?"

Lianda (Roger/Myles):

Myles of Olau marched up to wear the Duke was sitting, eyes alight with inner fire. "Why have you come back. How have you done this..."

Blue eyes grinted, and a charming smile flashed. "Why, Myles, my dear fellow. Thom brought me back, fusing his Gift with mine...couldn't begin to tell you why, seeing as I almost killed his sister." The grinned widened. "As you why...I came back for you of course!"

Myles blinked. Damn, but Roger was sexy, he thought. Then he decided that that must’ve been the wine talking. “Aren’t...aren’t I a little old for you?”

Roger laughed. “Old?! Didn’t you know?! I am THUNDER the GREAT, the 1000 year old warrior come back from the dead!!”

“....”

“Just kidding.”

“Being dead really screwed you, huh.”.

“I’ll screw you!”

“.......”

Riko (Alanna/Jon):

There are nights, like this one, when she can't remember why she doesn't want this. When he's asleep with his arm curling under her breasts and his nose pressed against the hairline of her neck, she forgets what the problem is supposed to be. She can feel his breath against her skin, and its such a contrast with the cold palace air that she shivers with every exhalation.

When he's awake he offers her the world, but he doesn't understand that all she thinks she might want is this. His skin and his breath and a moment of peace when she's not his squire and he's not the prince. He's just Jon, and she's just Alanna.

Lianda (Alex/Gary):

Gary sat at the sides, contemplating the dark haired boy in the fencing court as he effortlessly won another match. Sighing, the watched the boy approached him, v-neck shirt open, showing off bare chest. The boy smiled slightly. "Pass me a towel, will you, Gary?"

Gary twisted his lip and handed the boy a towel. "Alex..."

Smouldering black eyes looked up. "Yes?"

"This can't go on..."

"What can't?" He asked.

"Us..I saw you the other day. You almost drowned Alan...we need to break up."

"Jealous?"

Gary felt his face go red. "How can I be? You tried to kill one of my best friends. It's over.."

"What...no more closet sex?" Alex smiled wryly.

"Shut up!"

"That's too bad..."

Riko (Buri/Thom):

"Does your skin always peel like that?"

Thom flinches, drawing his fingers back under his cloak and twisting to face the woman. "No. Only recently."

"Have you tried something for it?" She asks, joining him near the windowsill. He'd escaped there for fresh air, but now all he can smell is leather.

"Tried something?"

"Like a lotion," she explains, brushing dark hair behind her air. "I could make you something. An old recipe my mother taught me. It might…help."

It won't, but he smiles. "Sure."

Lianda (George/Jon, or possibly George/Alanna, or maybe Alanna/Jon):

“Alanna.”

“Mm...yes George?”

“There’s something you need to know about me.”

“What, George?”

“I have...I have erectile difficulties.”

Alanna blinked. “But...you were just fine when we had our little thing at Port Caynn!”

George shrugged. “It comes and goes...”

“It’s our wedding night!”

“...I said I was sorry!”

“I left Jon for this?!”

“Hey...didn’t Jon leave you?”

“Where did you get THAT idea?”

“Well...you know...the crying...the Josiane thing..the pity sex..”

“True...but we totally left each other. Either way...I had damn good sex with Jon.”

“Doubtful.”

Alanna frowned. “What do you mean, ‘doubtful’?”

“Jon’s not that good a lay...”

“How would YOU know?”

“...”

“Oh man....”

“Hey Alanna...you weren’t the ONLY one whore-ing around..”

Riko (Gary/George):

The boys were coming and going more and more frequently these days. They found slumming entertaining, George figured, or maybe liberating. Either way, it was a different experience for them, laughing without worrying about formalities or etiquette, meeting women and actually meeting them not simply wooing them.

There was, of course, a fair amount of wooing anyway. With the beer and the women who patronized the Dove, the noble boys were like lambs waiting to be picked apart by wolves.

Jon had managed to embarrass himself catastrophically on his first visit, and even Raoul had left with his clothes sopping and a couple of girls giggling behind him.

Gary was the only one who managed his first visit with some dignity, diving for the beer and mostly ignoring the women.

"Don't see anything you like?" George had asked, between keeping Jon from lighting himself on fire and saving Raoul from a big man with a knife.

"I wouldn't say that. But, you see one set of...uh..." Gary trailed off.

"Tits?" George ventured.

"Right. Tits. You seen them all."

"You're in for a long and lonely life then, friend."

Gary smiled and looked up for what George thought was a little too long and a little too hard. "No. I don't think so."

The boys were coming and going more and more frequently these days. And Gary came the most often. George made sure of that.

Lianda (Daine/Alanna):

Veralidaine Sarrasri ran up to the Lioness with bright and admiring eyes. “Oh wow...it’s Alanna the Lioness. I’ve always wanted to meet you!”

Alanna raised her eyebrow. “Who are you?”

“I’m Daine!”

“...” Suddenly, a random guy rushes into the scene and whispers into Alanna’s ear. “She’s another empowered female protagonist.”

Alanna was enlightened. “Aah! So,” she looked Daine up and down.

“What’s your trick huh?”

Daine blinked. “Trick?” she asked innocently. “Oh! I have Wild Magic!” Daine wiggled her fingers and tried to look Special.

“No, I mean...oh nevermind.”

Daine smiled brightly. “So! Lioness, ma’am. What should I do? Who should I fall in love with? Who am I destroying? Do I get to run around naked and destroy Undestroyables like you did?”

“Uh...”

“Do I get to have a talking cat and sleep with the Prince like you did?”

“Uh...”

“Do I get to become the Desert Whore like you did?”

“Uh...”

“Do I...”

“Okay!” Alanna yelled, exasperated. “Enough!” She looked to the heavens. “Yeesh! Mother Goddess! Where did you dig up this kid?”

Riko (Raoul/George):

Raoul knew he was gay when he was sixteen, and the others would sit around and talk about the newest girl in court. Even Alan, who was supposedly as much of a woman-hater as he was, would venture a comment or two about her hair or eyes. And Raoul wouldn't care. He never did.

It only ever bothered him when he was drunk. After a beer or two, he would moan and bitch to anyone who was listening. Most of them were drunk as well by then, so it never made a difference. Or so he had always thought. Apparently, he'd been wrong, however.

"Are you sure you're gay?" George asked, pressing his mouth against Raoul's throat.

"A little late to be asking that, isn't it?"

George frowned and pulled back so he could look Raoul in the eye. "I just want to make sure it wasn't drunken idiocy. Before we go any…" He trailed off.

Raoul raised an eyebrow. "Farther? I wouldn't have expected you to be shy about sex, George."

The thief opened his mouth to reply when someone banged on the door and a male voice shouted, "George, Jon's burning down the Dove again."

"Later?" George sighed.

"Not if Jon can help it."

Lianda (Alex/George):

George woke as he heard a scratch at his window. Now, he thought, who could that be, knocking at the window of the King of the Thieves. Knife ready, he crept out of bed and into the shadows, calmly awaiting the newcomer.

The window opened and a dark-haired boy climbed in. “Yoohoo,” he said wryly. “Anyone home?”

George, confused, stepped into the moonlight steaming from the window. “And who might you be?”

The dark-haired boy flashed a grin. “Alex of Tirragen. I believe you know my friends.”

George nodded slowly. “So...pardon me, my Lord Tirragen...but you’ve never visited before..”

Alex laughed. “Alex, please. I know I haven’t, but I couldn’t resist.” He replied conversationally. “Apparently, you’re the local sexpot.”

George blushed. “According to who?”

“Why...Gary and Raoul, of course. They come around here all the time, don’t they?”

“...”

“Jon wants you too, you know,” continued Alex. “He just can’t bring up the nerve to ask you. You know...feels bad and the fire and all.” Alex grinned. “So! If you’re up for it. Let’s have moonlight sex!”

“...”

Alex laughed gaily. “Then you can say who’s best: me, Gary, or Raoul.” Suddenly, however, Alex’s face turned dark. “But if you don’t say it’s me, I’LL KILL YOU.”

-and then Lianda went to bed-