ArchivedLogs:Many Skills

Many Skills
Dramatis Personae Lucien, Elias	2014-05-20 Brainfixing, with benefits. Warning: Implied sexual content.
Location <NYC> Elias' Temporary Apartment - Midtown East
Walls of mocha and marshmallow make up this small studio apartment, with exposed cream and brown brick hidden in the back. The majority of the space is taken up by a comfortable queen sized bed, resting in a small indentation in the wall. There's a flat screen television to the right of the bed, beside a window, with a desk and an open closet to the right. A cross between a small hallway and and an alcove, the kitchenette provides access to a dishwasher, fridge with freezer, microwave and single person dining table. The bathroom is clean and white, with modern European fixtures and fresh towels provided by building management. Elias doesn't really need much space in his New York apartment, choosing to rent a place that is more similar to a private hotel room rather than an active apartment. This only poses a problem when company comes over. He makes his way around the apartment a few minutes before the appointment and makes certain that everything is clean and put away, utilizing some of the below bed drawers to hide away the cloth and sketches he has been working on for the last few days. As the time draws near, he checks himself, as being presentable isn't always a foremost thought in his mind. Unsure of what to wear, he pauses in front of his closet for a while, finger through the selection before changing from jeans into slacks and t-shirt into a slate blue button down. He is still in the bathroom, staring down his reflection - or more accurately the half tamed mop of dark waves, ignoring the stubble that seems to have cropped up across his cheeks and jaw. When the doorbell rings near the front door, he crosses the room quietly and presses the access button without saying a word, letting the person his assistant arranged to meet with him in - hopefully. Lucien is very prompt, arriving rather precisely at the appointed time to press the appropriate doorbell and make his way up to the studio. He is dressed neatly but casually, bold blue twill trousers and a lightweight white short-sleeved button down, shot through with also-white faintly pearlescent pinstripes, dark Alexander McQueen ankle boots on his feet and his hair a /particular/ kind of tousled that suggests he did a good deal of /work/ to make it look like he just rolled out of bed. He is glancing down at the dark watch on his wrist just a moment before he lifts his hand to knock, three crisp raps on the apartment door. There are few places in the apartment to go, so Eli is upon the door within the minute that Lucien knocks, nervousness creeping into his spine and straightening it upward. He glances through the security hole before unlocking the door and pulling it open about a foot. His hand remains on the handle as he looks over his guest from foot to head, in that order, paying a good deal more attention to his outfit rather than his face. In fact, his dark blue eyes flash on the other man's face only once before he speaks. "You're Lucien Tessier?" His voice is tired and full of disuse, his expression somewhat distracted. Lucien is casual in contrast to Eli's nervousness, his smile easy and manner relaxed. He offers a hand out for shaking, head inclining in a small nod. "I am Lucien, yes. And you would be Mr. Covey? Enchanté." His voice is quiet, gentle baritone softly accented with a francophone tinge. His brilliant green eyes meet Elias's steadily. "Bonjour," Elias replies, his head bowing a little as he opens the door further to allow Lucien access. "I was made aware of your preference for tea and have selected a China rose for the day, if it does not seem too inappropriate, given the weather." Once Lucien is inside, Eli closes the door and locks it with casual habit, heading toward the kitchen to turn on the electric kettle before the guest has a chance to answer. He moves stiffly and mechanically, lips moving as if whispering a narration of what he should be doing. A drawer opens, two tea balls are withdraw along with a small tin of tea. "Would you like to sniff it first?" "Oh, delightful. That sounds excellent." Lucien's hand drops back to his side as he steps into the apartment. He joins his hands behind his back loosely as he trails after the other man towards the kitchen. "Some teas are distinctly wintry but rose seems perfectly appropriate for springtime." He leans one hand against the counter as Elias starts prepping the tea, fingertips splayed on its surface. His other moves to rest lightly at the small of the older man's back as he leans in towards the tin, drawing in a slow breath once it is opened. Elias raises an eyebrow when he feels Lucien's hand on his back, turning his head and shoulders toward the other man and actually studying him now. He stares for a good long while, holding the tea stiffly for Lucien's perusal, his brows drawing together in a questioning expression. He then sets down the tea and stares at his hands until the whistling kettle reminds him to fill the balls. He's not uncomfortable. Just confused. "I am not sure what you were told about my condition. I don't actually know much about you, so I don't know what I am ... supposed to be doing. Ah. I am forgetting pleasantries again." The distraction melts away as Eli turns toward Lucien fully, extending a hand between them in greeting. "Hello. I appreciate that you were able to fit me in to your schedule. I have heard wonderful things about what you do and am excited to have this opportunity to work with you." His expression is easy and relaxed, his smile genuine. It's only his eyes that show the concentration it takes him these days to act like a friendly person. "Not all that much," Lucien acknowledges with a small twitch of lips. "I prefer discussing the details of people's needs in person." He lifts his hand to meet the handshake with a firm grip; it comes with a subtle-soft whisper of soothing-happy feeling, trickling into Elias's mind. "There is nothing you are supposed to be doing just yet except relaxing. Tea is a wonderful place to start." "Well then," Eli smiles a little brighter as Lucien's influence starts to hit his system. "Do let me know when there is something in particular that I should do. I can be quite oblivious." His head is a mess, if Lucien is sneaking a peak. A good deal of his chemical pathways to stop at scarred walls. Needed functions begin again on the other side of these walls, but thoughts don't flow as freely as before. It would leave him pretty predictably one thing or another - relaxed or stressed, distant or intensely focused. Certain portions of the judgment center of his brain are a good deal more scarred than the rest of his mind, as if they chose to poke more holes in that part of his brain. He nods once more and turns back to the tea preparation, flipping back on the kettle as he fills the cups with hot water from the tap, tea balls resting on the counter near by. It isn't long until the water is boiling once more and Eli swaps the liquid out and sets the tea to brewing. He then removes a basic timer from his pocket and sets it at two and a half minutes. "There. Now I won't overbrew." He draws in a deep breath and stays in place. Lucien is peeking, mental senses slipping out to quietly assess Elias's state of mind. His hand doesn't drop away from Elias's back until after the handshake is through; he turns to rest his hand on the counter again, leaning his weight down into his forearm as he watches Elias brew the tea. His smile curls upwards just a little bit warmer, hand lifting again once the tea has started brewing to brush his fingertips against the back of Elias's knuckles. This time the touch comes with a slightly warmer flush, a faint buzz of pleasure. "Do? How you spend our time together is up to you. We can take things as slow as you like, but this is all about what you want most." "What I want most?" This strikes Elias as amusing, his gaze drifting from Lucien's face to his shoulder, along his arm and down to the hand that just touched him, his brows climbing. "Oh, well, you're the specialist. I guess I just assumed you had ... a set of things you did. Again, not exactly sure how you do it, so please forgive any misconceptions." He swallows and looks back up, the pleasure slowly chipping away at his avoidance of eye contact. He inhales sharply when the timer beeps, surprised. He looks down at the tea as red starts highlighting the shell of his earlobes. "Forgive me, I'm... rusty at social interaction. I rarely speak to people these days. Do we go sit, or would it be better for me to lay down?" Lucien's lips curl slightly upward at the question, eyes dipping down to drop for a moment to the counter. He reaches out, when the timer beeps, plucking the tea-balls up and resting them each across the rim of their respective cups to keep the tea from over-steeping. His hand rests, still, against Elias's wrist now with a continued faint flutter-thrill of warmth. He drops his other hand to Elias's hip, a very gentle pressure easing the older man back against the counter. "Not sure how we do it?" There's a very quiet purr of amusement in his voice. His eyes meet Eli's, his hand rising from the other man's wrist to skim fingertips back gently against Eli's jawline, curling against the back of his neck into his hair. "Has it really been that long? I'm sure I can refresh your memory. -- Lying down is most /common/ but it's just as fun standing, if you're into that." "We? You... I. What?" Elias' mind scrambles to keep up, the awareness that he is on the wrong page dawning on him and stirring sleepier synapses. He inhales deeply as his face reddens further. Soon enough there is the press of the counter against his backside and he glances back and down before meeting Lucien's gaze as his hand brushes against his face. "Years," he mutters quietly in response to the other man's question. He swallows hard,then speaks. "You're coming on to me." Give the boy a gold star! "Too long," Lucien answers Eli's quiet mutter. His fingertips press in slow knead against the back of Eli's neck, the flutter of pleasure dying down to just a steady calm trickle of happy-warmth. His mouth hooks upward at its corner at this last realization. "Is that bad?" "No. I. Just wasn't expecting. Thought this was." Brows furrow a little. "You are here to fix my..." Eli inhales deeply and brings his hands up to rest on Lucien's hips, fingers settling snugly against the layers of clothing around his waist, a fingertip or two trying to find their way between them. "I like this. I just... need to make sure that you are the appointment I was expecting, because... we'll be interrupted if you're not. The appointment is with an individual with a very specific skill set and his time is somewhat expensive. And it is an appointment, so - I don't want to waste his time. It wouldn't be respectful and there would probably be a rescheduling fee. You can see my dilemma, yes?" Eli gives Lucien a smile, one that fades into pleasant distraction as he studies Lucien's face. "I... really hope you are my appointment." "I am your appointment," Lucien confirms with a small inclination of his head. "And I don't feel my time is being wasted at all. I have quite a few skills." A faint shiver ripples through him as Elias's fingers slip beneath his clothes. "There's no reason fixing your head has to be /boring/, is there?" The trickle grows, a deeper flush of pleasure that twines as Lucien tips his head in to press his lips to Eli's. Eli's lips begin to move in reply, but they are stopped by the press of Lucien's. Hands grasp at the younger man's hips and drags him closer, deepening the kiss. His forehead presses against Lucien's next as he tilts his mouth away, dizzy with excitement. "What's the prognosis? Am I even fixable?" He rubs his nose gently against the side of Lucien's, quiet as he listens, hands exploring the small of his back under his shirt before venturing a little lower than before. "Oh, yes." Lucien's head dips further, lips pressing to the side of Elias's neck. His mental senses are stretching out, here; past the pulse of pleasure he is quietly feeling out those pathways, broken and scarred, gently prodding at the walls they end in. Fluttering a delicate touch along them to feel out their broken ends, find the best places to start quietly chipping away at the walls so that he can reconnect damaged pathways. His kisses trail back up along the side of Eli's neck. "Yes. I can definitely work with this." Two cups of tea sit on the kitchen counter, gone cold long ago. Clothing draped over chairs haphazardly, with only minimal care that they don't wrinkle where they lie. Blankets lie on the floor with less care, leaving only a sheet and a throw on the bed to keep the two sweaty, spent bodies on the mattress warm. At least Elias is exhausted, his chest still rising and falling with exertion from the afternoon's exertion. There were a couple short games for him - so to say - in which things happened much too fast to be satisfying. Unfortunately, working out somewhere between three and four years of sexual repression isn't always smooth sailing. Lucien's expertise, however, is a godsend for getting the ball rolling and all the kinks worked out in the end. Eli lays on his back, a thin pillow bunched up under his neck, his eyes closed. As his breathing slows and his senses stop screaming nonsensical pleasure at maximum volume, his fingers splay across the sheets, his mind starting to process information denied to him before. His breathing hitches and his brows knit, hands balling up the fabric around them. His eyes spring open, staring off into space for a few more breaths before looking over to Lucien. He's quiet still, a little choked up. Lucien might be exhausted, too. At least there's sweat beaded damp on his skin and a flush to his face, breathing just a little heavier than usual. He looks largely relaxed, though, a small content smile on his face and his fingers trailing slow against Elias's side. Only partly out of affection; quietly beneath the touch his mind is still watching the other man's in rather careful assessment. "Never did get that tea," he murmurs with soft amusement. "No," Eli draws in another breath and let's it out slowly. The ability to feel with that sense again is overwhelming, threatening to trigger a reaction on par with panic attack, should he not be supremely depleted and content. He wets his lips and lets go, his hands and body relaxing. "It kind of fell right off the priority list, didn't it." He stretches an arm up and under his head, stretching his neck. The sensation travels down his body and causes him to stretch against Lucien's hand. "I could make you a fresh cup - or order you dinner?" "There /were/ more pressing things." Lucien's palm presses gently down against Eli's skin, tracing in slow lazy stroke against the tauter muscle while Eli stretches. "I never say no to tea. It's a terrible addiction." Eli licks his lips and smiles at the press of Lucien's hand and waits just another moment before stirring, obviously reluctant to leave the comfort of the bed and company. He catches Lucien's hand and draws it up to his lips, kissing the palm before dragging himself off the side of the bed to sit, then stand. He stays still for a moment, testing out rubbery legs before turning and heading toward the kitchen. "It was rather pressing," he admits, a smile tugging at one corner of his mouth, his feet somewhat unintelligently picking their way across the floor. One hand runs through his hair, getting the now messy mop out of his face. He washes his hands first, conscientiously. "Good thing I've gotten used to cold tea over the years. I can put it to good use later." He searches through the cabinet until he finds a covered beverage container to pour the first batch into. Lucien's eyes drift over Elias as the other man gets up from the bed. He is slow to follow, a little lazy-indulgent in his stretching before he slips out of the bed, disappearing briefly into the bathroom. Some short while later the toilet flushes, the sink faucet runs. He emerges, absently rubbing his hands together as he lingers in the entryway to the kitchenette. "I am glad to hear the caffeine won't go to waste. Hot tea is a pleasant comfort while working, though. You," he admits with a faint hint of blush creeping into his cheeks, "may want to grab a book or laptop or some distraction. I am quite a bit less entertaining once I get focused on --" His hand lifts, forefinger tapping against his temple. By the time Lucien returns, Eli has emptied, rinsed, and refilled the tea balls, started heating the cups and set the water to boil. He glances over at Luci when he return, studying his form with a quiet smile of appreciation. "Hmm? Well, I'll make you as much tea as will comfort." He turns toward the refrigerator, the shelves mostly empty. "If you need food, I can only offer peanut butter and jelly. I... am - or was? I am not sure - the best at cooking. Not with my head..." He shakes it and closes the door. When the kettle whistles, he starts tea brewing, using the timer as is habit. "Thank you, no. I've already," Lucien says lightly, gaze flicking over Eli, "had /dessert/, I can hold off on food a while. -- I am not sure how much /you/ have been told, about what I do. I'm afraid it's rather -- un-flashy. You may not notice very much until I am through. But -- hopefully. By the time I /am/ through, those difficulties should be somewhat eased." "Ahh, dessert does spoil meals. I guess I'll have to chock that up as truth." Eli smiles as he starts to lean against the counter. "I feel like I want to eat, but - ah well, the process seems a bit much." He glances over at the tea and the small cloud of darker liquid ebbing off the fine metal mesh inside the cup. "I... don't know much. I think Dai tried to explain, but the details have faded. Maybe you'll explain some time. He said this would be a multi-part process." "Yes. Assessment is the first part." Lucien leans up against the counter as well, resting alongside Eli, his fingertips trailing against the small of the other man's back. "I'll need to take some time to just sit with you and get a feel for your mind, then start to work on fixing what I can. The repair -- I am hopeful I can make large headway in this initial session, but it will take quite a few sessions to do a thorough job." His palm rests gently against Eli's back, a slow warm flush of pleasure leaking from his touch. "Though I can hopefully keep you from /too/ much boredom throughout." "Haaa." Eli replies, his voice thick with the physical desire the pleasure stirs up. "I know you can." He turns more fully toward Lucien, sliding a hand against his neck and cupping the back of his head as he pulls him into a deep kiss. A ragged breath drawn in through the nose proceeds the lessening of lip pressure, his tongue lightly touching the other man's lips before he pulls away enough to speak. "But I'm also afraid that my performance will start to slack, if we do much more today - until I've had a bit more of a break, anyway. Reading a book or working on designs will be restoratively boring. Unless... well, is sex more entertaining for you and you won't mind fumbling hands and lethargic reactions for a pretty much sex-coma'd old man?" Lucien leans into the kiss, his hand skimming up along Elias's back until the other man breaks off. "Oh, I won't /mind/ -- but take a break, if you'd like one. I admit it would interest me, watching your creative process at work." He presses a light kiss to Elias's shoulder, glancing up only when the tea timer beeps. "Whatever would be most comfortable for you. I will be quite absorbed wherever I am." "Fuck," Eli mutters quietly when the timer goes off, inhaling deeply as his hand rubs a gentle circle against Lucien's hip and ass, his other hand slowly pulling away from his neck and down his chest. "Part of me is so thrilled to finally be able to act on any sort of desire, I..." he shakes his head and turns back to the tea, pulling the balls out so they can drain. "It actually makes me want to stop more. Can't trust my judgment until you've made some more progress inside and even then -" He drops one tea ball in the sink before turning back to Lucien. "You should drink your tea. I mean, it's entirely possible you find me making tea for you unbearably erotic, but it's a waste if you never get a taste." Lucien slips his fingers through the handle of the mug, lifting it to draw in a slow breath of the fragrant steam that rises. "There /are/ few pleasures in life that compare to a well-made cup of tea. A gorgeous man to make me one just makes it that much more delectable." He turns his hand out towards the bedroom again. "Shall we?"