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Anneliese's apartment in Frankford is on the small side - not surprising, considering she lives alone on a bartender's wages, but still nice enough. She keeps it fairly tidy, too - almost, but not quite minimalist. There's a few pieces of wall art, but nothing particularly unusual - landscapes, mostly, but also a magen david, each line one of the colours of the rainbow flag. A small seating area contains a pair of chairs and a two-person couch. As the Fairest enters, she pauses to take off her shoes, putting them on a small rack next to the door, before moving out of the way for Eugene to do the same.
Eugene had promised to wear something with an actual color for their date, and they might have intended it as a joke, but they followed through. What's probably more surprising is that they wore a skirt, which is at least new in Annie's experience of them, if not for their own experience of themself, though the knee length skirt isn't what bore the color. That was their shoes, which were a pair of pink and white flats, with soles of a pale blue. Their tank top is white, however, and the skirt they're wearing is black, so at least those things are more in keeping with their usual neutral palette.
They follow Annie's lead in slipping their shoes off inside, if they weren't planning to already, and put them on the rack as well before looking around the apartment and giving Annie a flicker of a smile. "This looks like a comfortable home you've made for yourself," they say as she move to reach for Annie's hand with whispy fingers.
"Thank you," Annie says, smiling at Eugene as she takes their hand easily. As promised, she'd dressed up relatively nicely for the date, wearing a pale green dress with darker green ivy details. Leading the other Spring over to the couch, she takes a seat at one end, patting the spot next to her invitingly while curling her legs up underneath her.
Eugene's almost insubstantial features shift enough to make visible their smile as they move, steps light, to the couch with Annie and take a seat. They settle down right beside the fairest, close enough to let them lean their shoulder against hers, but they also shift so they're turned partly toward the other Changeling, one leg tucked beneath themself. Their free hand rests over their stomach as they say, "I really should have eaten just a little less."
"But it was so delicious," Annie counters, nudging them gently with the shoulder they're leaning against. "I am glad you suggested it."
"Me too, though I have to be fair and admit someone else recommended it to me, and I just wanted to share the experience with you," Eugene answers back. They gently squeeze Annie's hand and say, "I really want to kiss you right now, but I don't know if I'm going to want to stop to have some conversations we might want to have first, if I start."
Annie nods, returning the gentle squeeze. "We should probably have that conversation, but maybe kissing after, if we are still in the mood for that?"
Eugene's soft laugh makes their smoke swirl. "That would be ideal. If you didn't want to move on to that later I'd obviously respect the decision, but I'd be sorely disappointed. To say the least." They tilt their head and ask, "does it bother you at all that it's not easy to look into my eyes, or anything like that?"
Annie shrugs slightly. "Not really? It can make it harder to tell what you are thinking, but if I really want to know I can always ask. None of us were unaltered by our time Over There." She raises her free hand, splaying the fingers to show off the webbing between the first knuckles as if in demonstration.
"That's true," Eugene says as they lift the hand they're holding so they can look more closely at Annie's fingers. "That's another thing that I'm longing to do. Explore more of you, and ask you questions. I also don't want to make you uncomfortable, though. I suppose that could be a good place to start discussing where our boundaries might be, couldn't it?"
"Logical enough," Annie nods again. "How much are you willing to talk about your time Over There?"
"I don't remember too terribly much about it, but I had to do things I'm ashamed of even if I wouldn't have survived if I'd refused," Eugene answers quietly. They always speak quietly, but this is hushed. "It's not my favorite topic, but I'll talk about it if you want to know. I'm less hesitant when it comes to who I am now, even the parts of it shaped by what happened over there. Like being smoke." Their head tilts as they lower Annie's hand. "What about you?"
"I am curious, but not so much as to want to make you uncomfortable just to satisfy that curiosity." Annie replies, matching Eugene's quiet tone. "I do not remember all that much about my time there, but I know it involved a lot of sitting on rocks, singing. Also swimming. So much swimming."
Eugene turns to look away. Not for long, but long enough to show their hesitation. "I was used as a tool... as a non-lethal weapon... for subduing those who were rebelling against my keeper's influence," they say. "You can smell my scent, right?"
"Poppies?" Annie looks somewhat confused. "I am sorry, Yu Jin, but I think this might be one of the things that skipping four centuries has left me out of the loop on."
Eugene's laugh this time is softer, wryer, and a little bit relieved. "Don't be sorry, Annie. I've never actually smelled opium smoke myself, but I've been told I smell a lot like it. Not exactly, but closely enough."
It takes a moment for Annie to work out the implications, but then she nods slowly. "I see." She shrugs slightly, squeezing their hand gently, rubbing slow circles on the back with her thumb. "Is that something that you are uncomfortable with?"
Eugene thinks before answering, so the silence stretches a little, but they also slowly caress the back of Annie's hand with a thumb as they're thinking. Still connected, just processing. It's not long before they say, "less than it did. I'm more than just what they made me, right? I'm not ready to love what I am now, but I'm starting to accept it. What about you? How do you feel about the changes in yourself?"
"...Mixed, I think." Annie says after a bit, clearly needing time to consider the question. "I was not changed as much as others-" she gestures at Eugene's smoky form "-but I do find having legs again something I keep having to adjust to."
"Does it bother if you attention is brought to your changes? Like if I wanted to ask you questions about how something feels?" Eugene's hazy features shift in a suggestion of a smile and they ask in an even softer, lower register of their gendercryptic voice. "Or if I wanted to explore those, and other, parts of you with my touch?"
"...I am not sure," Annie offers, her face pinking slightly at Eugene's second question. "I have not dated someone who was able to see those changes before." She smirks slightly at the Darkling. "Though I am not inclined to refuse you permission to touch those parts, if we get to that stage."
Eugene's breath catches softly and then comes out in a breathy, stuttering laugh as Annie's cheeks turn pink, but they manage to continue the conversation and not lean in to kiss one of those cheeks, at least for now. "You haven't?" they ask with no judgment. "Well," they shift their grip and move to take Annie's hand in both of theirs. "If you're not certain, maybe even if you are, we should both have safewords for anything that's making us uncomfortable. Especially like traumas like the ones we've experienced, things that we think we'll be fine with might cause reactions we don't expect. It will be important to check in with each other often too."
Annie's blush intensifies somewhat at Eugene's laugh, even as she smiles at the other Spring. "Safewords are a good idea, yes. Perhaps specific ones just for conversations and not other contexts, too." She pauses for a moment, her free hand coming up at to rub at her chin briefly. "Do you have any preferences for yours?"
"As a conversational one?" Eugene thinks about the question. "As much as I usually admire creativity, I prefer simplicity with safewords. I usually use foods for sex and colors for conversation." They consider this and say, "I'll go with fuchsia. I'm not likely to say that for other reasons." It's hard to tell where Eugene's focus is sometimes, without much in the way of facial features to go on, but their regard shifts back from inward to outward as they focus on Annie again. "Yours?"
"Periwinkle, I think. It is not likely to come up naturally, which is probably good." Annie says. "Maybe injera for the sex one?"
Eugene nods a few times as they stick those words away in their memory. "My sex safeword will be apple. It's nice and easy to say and to remember, and not something I talk about often." Their fingers start slowly massaging Annie's hand, where it's held in theirs. Mindful of the webbing, and for now avoiding it to focus on palms, the heel of the thumb, and so on. "Are there any boundaries you want to put around how far you're willing to take things tonight? I don't want to push you to go to fast, and if you feel like something should wait for any reason I'll be sure to respect that."
Annie ponders for a moment. "I do want to make out with you, but if we are thinking about taking things further than that we should probably discuss what our boundaries in the bedroom are first."
"We should," Eugene agrees. They nod, and their fingers keep up their deft work. "If you knew, for example, you didn't want clothes coming off tonight, though, I'd know that we only have so much territory to cover in that conversation tonight. I didn't have any limit like that in mind, personally. Are there things that you really want to avoid? Things that are turn-offs, or make you uncomfortable, or anything like that?"
"Anything involving blood," Annie says firmly. "I do not mind scratches accidentally breaking the skin, but knifeplay is out, for example."
"Absolutely," Eugene agrees quickly. "That does nothing for me anyway, so I can agree without even a hint of disappointment. I don't think this will come up with you, but parental terms in bed, like 'daddy'? Instant mood killer for me."
Annie grimaces. "There are people who actually do that? I thought it was just a silly meme." She ponders for a moment. "How do you feel about humiliation?"
"There are people who do it," Eugene says in a flat, resigned tone. "I have no idea what possibly inclines people to call me daddy, but it has happened once. I've been asked to do it, too. No thank you, that just makes me think things I'd rather never think while having sex." They laugh mildly then release the hand they had been massaging and reach for the other one to start. "Humiliation doesn't do it for me on either end, but if it's something you enjoy I'll do my best. It doesn't come naturally to me to give it out, though."
"It is not something I am especially into, but I thought I should ask anyway." Annie shrugs slightly. "Would you be interested in being spanked occasionally?" She lets them switch which of her hands they're massaging without complaint.
"Sure," Eugene says with a flicker of a smile. "I enjoy small amounts of pain in bed, especially unexpected, as long as it's not likely to leave marks or draw blood. Light biting, pinching, spanking, those can all be used to good effect, and can be serious turn ons if used well. I don't have any major turn offs other than what I mentioned. If you don't, that might be a good transition to turn ons, which is the more fun conversation anyway."
Annie nods, smiling at them. "Spanking my partner, obviously. Bondage, too, if you are okay with that. It is entirely performative trust for us, of course."
"Yes," Eugene answers with a grin wide enough to be clear on their ever shifting face. "I enjoy that, performative or no. It should be rather performative when done well anyway, since the person being restrained should know they're a word away from freedom, right?" Their hands start to move on from Annie's hand to her forearm, while watching her carefully for how she responds. "I love shibari, but don't have any talent for the artistry of it as a rigger. I prefer being on the receiving end. What are your preferences?"
"Of course," Annie nods, exhaling softly as Eugene starts massaging her forearm. "I have not had much practice with it, sadly. Something to experiment with, I think."
"That's a lot of the fun," Eugene reassures gently while their hands work on soothing Annie's muscles. "Experimenting, I mean. Other turn ons... I like laughter. Ridiculous things happen during sex. Weird noises. Bonked heads. Laughing about it and enjoy how silly it is means a lot of the pressure comes off. Plus, I just love to hear the sound of laughter."
"Good to know." Annie smiles softly at Eugene. "I cannot think of any other explicit turns on right now, but if I discover any I will let you know, of course." She leans in to kiss them.
Eugene's hands pause when Annie starts to lean in, and then the lean in to meet the kiss. Hesitantly at first, the pressure of breath redolent of incense and something sweetly floral almost more than the actual press of their lips.
Annie slowly deepens the kiss, doing her best to not let her inexperience show. After a moment she breaks off for breath, looking at Eugene nervously.
Eugene is a particularly difficult person to slip anything past, the kind of person who often picks up subtleties other people don't. They're also the sort of person not to point out things like this if they notice them. They pull away when Annie breaks the kiss off, make a soft sighing sound, and shift a little closer. "I've been wanting to do that so bad all night," they say a bit breathlessly.
"I mean, you mentioned it, but it is good to have the confirmation nonetheless." Annie positively beams at Eugene. "The anticipation makes it all the sweeter, I think."
Eugene makes a low sound. "Be careful with that smile, woman," they say in a silky tone. "You have no idea what it does to me. It's a good thing we're on the couch or my weak knees might be a problem."
"Why do you not tell me, then~" Annie murmurs, one hand coming up to stroke Eugene's cheek gently.
"It makes me want to do everything I can to see it as often as possible," Eugene says as they tilt their head to nuzzle their cheek against the hand. The touch of their smoky skin is warm and constantly shifting slowly under the touch, in much the same way that their hand always is in Annie's, but still more firm and substantial than it looks like it would be. "It makes me want to kiss you again. I think I'm going to do that." Which they lean in to do.
Annie meets them halfway, obviously having learnt quickly from the last one they shared.
As they kiss this time Eugene slides an arm around her and pulls themself closer, pressing their lips more firmly against hers.
Eugene pulling themself closer gets a soft surprised noise out of Annie, though she doesn't resist. When they eventually break for air her breath is somewhat ragged. "Um. Should we move this to the bedroom, before it goes any further?"
At the kiss's breaking and the question that follows it Eugene nods, catching up on lost breath for a second or two. "Wherever you want me, Annie," they say softly as they shift back in preparation for moving. "The bedroom sounds like a good option."
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