Date Night

Unfortunately for Elemiel, it meant that she had to visit said place to come and get him.

She grumbled to herself as she walked up the stairs to the tenement house where he currently lived, each step precarious in her shiny black heels. A woman wearing a launderer's outfit passed her in the hallway and gave Elemiel's outfit an incredulous look, but the elf's return stare was so foul that the lass averted her eyes and scurried away without asking any questions.

By the time Elemiel knocked on Asper's door and the man himself pulled it open, she was ready to jam one of her pointed heels into his pretty, storm-grey eyes, DeNallare or not.

"I'm not entirely sure your fine, knightley bottom is worth all of this trouble," she said in the lilting elven language, favoring him with a sickly sweet smile.

Asper blinked at her, and said with surpassing eloquence, "Huh?"

Much to Elemiel's delight, he looked completely off-balance at the sight of her, as if someone had just handed him a live, wriggling murk-eel and told him to kiss it. The fact that he was off-kilter only seemed to add to his charm, and Elemiel spent a long heartbeat taking in the sight of him.

Asper wasn't what you might call classically handsome. His eyes were perhaps a bit too far apart on his face, and his nose and the small scar on one cheek suggested that he'd been in his fair share of scraps.

Despite this, there was something magnetic in his countenance that drew Elemiel in. His lips were full and sensual, at odds with the hard angle of his jaw but somehow in keeping with the roguish sparkle in his granite-grey eyes. His mouth looked as though it was capable of telling very interesting stories, and Elemiel had already experienced firsthand just how talented that tongue of his was.

Asper's soft brown hair was tousled and slightly damp with sweat, as if she'd interrupted him doing some kind of exercise, and his loose cotton shirt was unlaced at the throat, allowing her a peek at the wiry hair covering his chest. Elemiel ruthlessly suppressed the electric thrill the sight of this sent tingling down her spine.

Blessed Solana above, even sweaty the man smelled amazing.

"I said hello, Asper," she drawled, switching back to Divonian from elvish, "it's very nice to see you. What a lovely place you've chosen to live." Sarcasm dripped from her words like lust from a harlot's flower.

Asper recovered from his shock remarkably quickly, she had to give him that. His lips pressed into a tight line and he put his hands on his hips, obviously not buying a single word of her lie. He looked her up and down, and when his gaze lingered in all the places Elemiel had intended it to, the elf couldn't help a little flush of satisfaction. She did look completely stunning, after all.

Elemiel was dressed to kill, and she wasn't aiming for a quick, painless death. The dress she'd picked for tonight's affair was simple and elegant, spun from a stretchy black crepeworm material and cut to hug her shapely figure as if it had been painted upon her pale skin. The garment sported an off the shoulder neckline with a scandalous dip in the bust, as well as a long slit up the side which exposed a tantalizingly creamy expanse of thigh every time she took a step.

Her hair was piled in an elaborate confection of midnight black and lavender on her head, pinned in place by a long, silver spike. She'd needed somewhere to fit her stiletto after all, and there certainly wasn't room for it in her dress. Silver earrings dripped from the lobes of her pointed ears, and the sapphire jewel set into the choker about her neck completed the ensemble.

Asper blew out a breath, then seemed to shake himself free of her allure. "I have several questions," the knight said, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorway of his room. "But I think the most pressing one is, how in the Nine Pits do you know where I live?"

Elemiel's eyebrows contracted in the slightest ghost of a frown. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"

"Aren't you going to answer my question?"

"Oh that's simple," the elf said, sweeping past him to enter his room, invitation or not. "I had you followed."

"You what?" he sputtered.

"As soon as you left my party that night," Elemiel said, absently tracing a finger across the surface of the room's single, small windowsill. She frowned judgmentally at the grime on her fingertip. "You know, for a knight of your renown, I really thought you'd be more aware of your surroundings."

Asper's eyes narrowed, the grey growing stormy. The sight of that expression sent a delighted shiver through Elemiel's body, which she masked by stretching and peering skeptically around the room.

Asper sucked in a breath through his teeth and opened his mouth, but whatever he'd been contemplating saying, he managed to bite it back. He changed tactics.

"Fine. Ok. So why are you here, Elemiel?"

Elemiel could have sent a message explaining everything, of course. But where was the fun in that?

"You promised me a date, remember?" she replied. "It just so happens that I'm slightly accelerating the timeline. We're going out tonight, to the Museum of Natural and Unnatural History."

"In the Golden Point District? Tonight?" Asper looked nonplussed. "Well, alright. Let me put on my suit. I will say that a bit of advance notice would be appreciated, however, for next time."

"Next time? Let's not count our basilisk eggs before they've hatched, Sunstroker."

"Once again, the nickname is 'Sunstriker,' and it's a silly one in any case. Just call me Asper, please."

"Of course, your highness."

The knight rubbed his temples, and muttered something under his breath that was likely meant to be private but which Elemiel's keen, pointed ears picked up anyway.

"Infuriating vixen."

She preened a little. Gods damn right I am.

"It may interest you to know," she said as Asper ducked into the small washroom to sponge the sweat from his skin, "that a certain Duke will be in attendance at the museum tonight."

That got his attention. Asper leaned out of the washroom, cleaning cloth held in one hand. "Ditherington will be there?" he asked.

Asper had removed his shirt, and Elemiel was enjoying the view of his chiseled shoulders. She realized that the knight was looking at her expectantly, and Elemiel wracked her brain for the question she was sure he'd asked.

Oh, right. She collected herself and nodded. "Yes. Ditherington, and that wretched little worm Sharky Houndstooth, to boot. They're up to something, Asper," Elemiel said, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice, "and we're going to figure out what it is."

"Ah. So your ulterior motives for this 'date' are laid bare." Was it her imagination, or did he sound a little disappointed underneath his sarcasm?

"Oh cheer up. Think of it as an opportunity to break into another party, uninvited. You like doing that, don't you?"

Asper gave her an unamused look, which she ignored.

"What do you think they could be doing at the museum together?" Elemiel asked. "Houndstooth wouldn't rate an invitation, not without the intercession of someone like Duke Ditherington."

"They're working together, that's for certain," Asper agreed, "but to what end, I'm not sure."

"And you've got no idea what the artifact was that Ditherington stole from the tomb?"

Asper's face grew shadowed, and a haunted look entered his eyes. "It wasn't a... it was a bad place, Elemiel. Whatever he took from it won't bode well for anyone in this city."

Elemiel chewed on those ominous words while the knight finished washing, and began to dress. He struggled to tie his cravat, and Elemiel realized he probably had servants back at the Emerald Palace who would do that kind of thing for him. He certainly wasn't wearing ties and suits out in the field.

The elf woman walked over to Asper and gently pushed his hands away, then began to fold the cloth of his cravat. The action put them in very close proximity, and Elemiel felt the knight's eyes on her while she focused on tying his necktie.

Their faces were scant inches apart, and this close Elemiel could fill her nostrils with the smell of him; clean sweat, and the hint of some musky perfume or aftershave. Through the thin fabric of her fine dress Elemiel had little trouble feeling the lean hardness of his body, and she casually, almost carelessly leaned in to gently brush her chest against his.

With Asper staring at her like that, Elemiel forgot she was standing in a dingy bathroom in some rented Tin Town apartment. Despite the slightness of the touch, molten sparks seemed to pass between the two of them, the passion-fire finding ready tinder in Elemiel's flesh. She felt warm, and the sensation of her nipples against the fabric of her dress was suddenly overwhelming. Tinder she might be, but there was certainly nothing dry about the heat which kindled between her legs just then.

Elemiel's mouth opened, and something like a sigh escaped the lovely bow of her lips. She felt Asper respond, but his hands hovered over her hips as if he was afraid to touch her.

"All done," she said, and her voice was husky with the wanting of him.

Elemiel found herself disconcerted. She was quite sure that if he put his hands on her, she was going to immediately strip off her very expensive, very nice dress, regardless of the filthy state of the bathroom floor.

Get it together, Elemiel! She hadn't been this spun up about a guy since... Well, since Erik.

"Asper," she murmured, her lips dangerously near his. "I'm afraid you're going to have to take this off." She took his collar between her fingers and slid them down the fabric.

There was desire in his reply, but also a haughty smugness that set Elemiel afire even as it irked her. "Is that right, Elemiel?"

She came back to herself a little. "Yes. Isn't the objective of this whole incognito affair not to draw attention to yourself?"

The knight blinked, clearly not expecting the detour that the conversation had taken. "What? I mean, of course. But what does that have to do with my suit?"

Her lips twisted into a vexatious smile. "This is a museum gala we're talking about, Asper. The queen herself has been known to attend these on occasion."

"What's your point?" he said crossly, unsure of where she was going with this.

"My point is, dear Sir Asper, that you need to rise to the occasion, and not quite in your current manner." She resisted the urge to dip her eyes towards the obvious excitement stirring between his legs. "The suit you've got is fine for crashing an innocent elf's soiree, but you'll need something more if you want to blend in tonight."

Asper's brows rose skeptically at the words 'innocent elf'. "You couldn't have said something before I got all of this on?" He swept his arm down to indicate his clothing.

"You looked like you were trying so hard. I didn't want to interrupt."

The expression on his face was that of a saint upon the pyre. "Well it doesn't matter," he finally said. "This is the best I can do for now. I'm afraid I don't have access to my wardrobe in the Emerald Palace. I'm supposed to be dead, remember?"

Elemiel's smile only broadened. "Oh, that shouldn't be a problem. The party isn't for a few hours yet. There's plenty of time to go shopping."

He looked pointedly around the room. "I don't have access to the royal coffers either, a fact which I'm certain hasn't escaped your notice."

Elemiel's laughter was like a silver ribbon in the air. "How droll, Asper. You don't need the royal coffers when you've got access to me."

She batted her eyes, and added in elven, "You don't need access to the royal brothel with me around, either."

"What was that?" Asper asked, but Elemiel just gave him a look filled with false virtue. She simpered into a little mocking curtsey, and gestured to the door.

"After you, Sunstroker."

Now that's a nice suit

"Right here is perfect, thanks Talina."

Elemiel pulled her head back inside the carriage as Talina guided it off the main thoroughfare, weaving expertly through the heavy traffic of the Iron Ward. They drew up alongside the curb, but before Talina could dismount from the driver's seat Asper slipped out.

He opened Elemiel's door and held out an expectant hand, and when she accepted he helped her step from the carriage to the sidewalk.

Talina watched the knight with an appraising look, then caught Elemiel's eye. "At least he's not a cad," her friend said in elven. "I'll wait for you here," Talina added, switching back to Divonian for Asper's benefit.

The elf smiled. "Thanks. We shouldn't be too long."

Asper looked between the two women with interest, perhaps intrigued by the fact that Talina spoke elven. He made no comment, but instead turned to the shop the carriage was parked in front of.

"Mithril Maidens?" he asked, reading the sign. "Why are we at an armorer's?"

Elemiel snorted in amusement, imagining him decked out in one of the chainmail bikinis that the Mithril Maidens specialized in. "As much as I'd like to see you in one of their outfits, we're not going to the Maidens'. We're headed there."

She pointed at the building next door. A sign swung from above the lintel, upon which a lizard-like monster dressed in a coat and tophat had been painted. Below, the words 'The Preening Cockatrice' were written in bold lettering.

Elemiel swept into the clothier's as if she owned the place. The bright-eyed young shopkeeper behind the counter took one look at her pointed ears, and recognition blossomed on their face. Elemiel took the attention in stride- being an elf in the Divonian capital meant she was used to being noticed. The fact that her holdings supplied nearly half the textile shops in the city with material probably didn't hurt, either.

The shopkeeper set down the cloth scissors they'd been holding and hurried forward.

"I'm honored for your custom, Miss Elemiel," they said, folding into an elegant bow that would've done a courtier proud. "How may I be of service today?"

Elemiel immediately got to work. With the shopkeeper's help, she selected several different outfits in short order, holding each one up to Asper and eyeing it critically. Asper bore the attention with stoic silence, a martyred look of resignation on his face.

The bell on the front door rang, indicating the presence of several new customers. The young shopkeeper looked at Elemiel apologetically, a question in their eyes.

"Go on," Elemiel said kindly, waving her hand. "By the looks of what they're wearing, they need your help more than we do."

The shopkeeper bowed gratefully. "Please feel free to try on anything that strikes your fancy," they said, before rushing off to assist the newcomers. Elemiel and Asper were left alone near the fitting rooms.

"And does anything strike your fancy, Asper?" Elemiel asked.

Without waiting for him to reply she leaned forward, using the pretext of examining a finely cut coat of charcoal grey silk. She angled her body towards Asper, and the position managed to put the deep valley of her cleavage center stage. Although it was probably redundant, she gave her breasts a subtle little squeeze with her upper arms. The bounty of her flesh bulged tantalizingly.

"What a lovely rack, sir knight. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Eh?" he replied, sounding properly distracted.

"The clothes. I'm talking about the rack of clothes."

Asper made a strangled noise, and Elemiel hid her grin by reaching for another suit. Tormenting the knight was just as fun as looking at him.

"Here," she said, straightening, "what about this one?"

Asper blew out a breath. "No. I'm not a doll for you to dress, you exasperating creature," he said. "Besides, that material doesn't go with my coloring, and the fit looks to be too tight around the shoulders. I'll look better in something like... ah, there."

The knight selected a suit of brilliant navy blue with notched lapels. He eyed the cut critically, then nodded.

"Much better," he declared, and Elemiel was forced to admit he was right. The blue of the fabric brought out the sapphire flecks in his storm-grey eyes. She supposed he'd learned a thing or two about fashion, dressing for court in the palace.

A man as comfortable in fine clothing as a suit of armor. Asper DeNallare appeared to possess quite a reserve of surprises.

The knight stepped into a fitting room, and the elf browsed for a few minutes until Asper emerged. When he twitched the curtain aside, Elemiel's breath caught in her throat.

"How does this strike your fancy?" he said, adjusting the cuffs of the jacket around his wrist with a cocky grin.

"You look...," she started, then tried again. "Well. At least you clean up nicely."

She tried to maintain an air of haughty indifference, and was aware she was failing spectacularly. He grinned as if he could read her thoughts, and swept his fingers through his tousled hair.

He looked a damn sight more than good, and based on the twinkle in his eyes, Asper knew it. Elemiel was surprised to feel a flush spread on her upper chest, and somewhat less surprised by the sensation of warm, throbbing desire pulsing in the core of her womanhood.

Asper kept looking at her with that self-satisfied smile plastered on his face. Determined to regain the upper hand and struck by sudden inspiration, the elf threw a glance over her shoulder. The shopkeeper was still helping the other customers, none of whom were paying any attention to Elemiel or Asper.

Perfect.

She reached out and snagged a pair of silver cufflinks from a display on a nearby countertop, then grabbed Asper by the hand and pulled him into a fitting stall.

"Come on," she said, "try these on."

"I hardly think I need to be in a fitting room to do that," Asper protested, but he stopped talking when Elemiel yanked the curtain shut behind the two of them. He saw the wicked twinkle in her eyes, the amethyst purple of her irises streaked with deep lilac.

"What exactly are you- mmmph," Asper's question was silenced by Elemiel's kiss.

She pressed herself against him, her hands sliding under his jacket to clutch at his hips even while her mouth hungrily sought him out. Asper's lips were warm and soft. When Elemiel felt his strong tongue sweep into her mouth and entwine with hers, she couldn't help the happy moan she sighed against his lips. The stubble of his chin tickled her face, and she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, drinking in the smell of him.

Elemiel opened her eyes again when she felt his hand cradle the back of her head. She didn't resist when the taller man titled her back, angling her head so that he could press his fierce kiss deeper into her mouth. She closed her eyes again as their tongues swirled together, and she felt the urgent hunger radiating from him like the heat from a red-hot coal.

He tasted good, Solana be praised, so damnably good.

The voluptuous elf floated on warm, liquid bliss until she felt his hot, eager hands slide from her neck down to her breasts. She was sorely tempted to let him just tear the garment off of her, but Elemiel had spent a lot of time getting her look just right for tonight, and whatever they did in this fitting room, she and the knight would still need to go to a very fancy party soon with dangerous people.

"No," she said, and immediately Asper's hands ceased their quest for her flesh. He opened his eyes and looked down at her, a question on his face.

Heart hammering in her chest and breathing hard, Elemiel tried to come up with something clever to say, but instead she just blurted the first words that popped into her mind.

"I want to gag on your cock."

"Sweet gods above," Asper said.