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Sandcastles and Fireworks	By : DarklingWillow & BronxWench Category: +M through R > Neverwinter Nights Views: 1524 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: We do not own Neverwinter Nights, nor the characters from it. We do not make any money from the writing of this story. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

Chapter List
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The museum was everything it had been promised to be, from the dazzling display of gems and minerals to the soaring halls filled with dinosaur skeletons, not to mention the life-sized blue whale suspended above the Hall of Ocean Diversity. There were meteorites, and orreries, and special exhibits that dazzled with their thorough attention to detail.

They stopped frequently for Kansas to sketch, and Yuji and Satoshi were delighted to learn they could photograph freely, although flash was not permitted in the theatres. The three Japanese were awed by the giant Titanosaur, and Satoshi muttered in Japanese that he was going to have to buy a lot of dinosaur omiyage for the little boy who waited back home. Kansas doodled in his sketchbook as they walked through the dinosaur display, and his sweet giggles drew in both the elves and Finn.

“What is that?” Sand asked, looking up at one fearsome skeleton, and Kansas giggled as he answered.

“That’s a T-Rex, the baddest, fiercest dinosaur there ever was. Only thing is, I always feel sorry for him when he needs to make his bed.”

“Why is that?” Vale asked, as Finn began to laugh, and Kansas grinned his widest as he lifted his forearms until his wrists were touching his shoulders, then he flailed his hands around as he answered.

“Because, he’s got such short arms, and such a big head.” Then he grabbed his sketchbook and showed the elves the cartoonish drawing of a T-Rex trying to make a bed.

Vale burst out laughing, not caring who heard him, and his joy was infectious as he pulled Sand over to see the drawing. The raven-haired elf blinked, and then began to laugh as well, and several passersby peered at the drawing and laughed with the merry elves.

Their next stop was the butterfly exhibit. There were hundreds and hundreds of live butterflies, exquisitely beautiful, flying freely about the enclosed space, and the docents asked only that no one touch the delicate creatures, even if they landed on an arm, or a head. Sand was enchanted to be a resting place for one cobalt-winged beauty, and Vale made Yuji take a picture, Sand’s face lit by a youthful smile. Satoshi was so overwhelmed by the butterfly exhibit that he sat down on his haunches, and tried to aim his camera, only to rest it against his cheek and stare in awe as the gorgeous creatures fluttered around him and landed on his hands and one perched on the edge of the lens of his camera for a moment.

The Museum store was spread over three levels, and Sand was lost on the second floor landing, filled with books and stationery. The third floor had beautiful statues, jewelry, ties, scarves, and all sorts of enchanting things, while the lower level held toys, games, more books for kids, and space food, which caught Sand’s eye as well.

Much like they had done at the Met, the three Japanese men consulted their smartphones, before deciding to head off in different directions in an effort to cover more ground. That strategy failed them though, since they repeatedly went searching for each other to consult on an item that they had found. Satoshi found himself blushing heavily as he scoured the bookshelves on the second floor landing, picking up book after book, only to put them down again with what he thought was a small silent sigh when he saw the price tags, mentally added to what he had already put in his shopping basket.

After adding only one book into his basket, he made his way to the lower level and began to explore the children’s toys and books, looking for anything, and everything dinosaur related.

Somewhere along the way, Sand had managed to acquire a personal shopper, who took the books, journals, stone ink trays, porcelain pen holders, and all the other things that caught his eye. Vale made him return the chemistry set, but put the telescope into his own pile of purchases, which included almost as many books as Sand had.

Neither elf felt comfortable commenting on how much of what the men bought was for children. They had been told, after all, that there were small cousins at home, and that made Sand go back to look for things for his own nephews back in Evereska. And then he decided he needed jewelry for his mother, which made the staffer assisting him nearly swoon at the amount of money the elf was spending.

It took no time at all to stow the purchases in the cargo area, with the purchases from the Met, and Finn got into the car, waiting for everyone to take their seats. They wound up where they had been on the way to the museum, although Kansas did not bounce in his seat quite as much. Finn made sure everyone had more tea or water for the ride, and they headed back to the hotel to rest a bit before dinner.

The three Japanese men thanked Finn warmly for his company for the day, and Satoshi pulled out of his bag a small gift bag, and bowed deeply as he handed it to the driver. Satoshi refused to take no for an answer, and bowed again when Finn accepted the small gift. Then the three men thanked the elves for the day and retreated to their room, Kansas yawning loudly all the way up in the elevator.

Willow was just stepping out of the bathroom, freshly showered and grinning when she saw her three men return, laden with shopping bags, and she squeed happily as Yuji showed her the things that he had bought. Satoshi admitted to having bought far too many things for their children, but also for his family and friends.

Willow distracted Yuji while the two imps took a shower, then she ordered Yuji into the shower, and finished getting dressed herself. Once the three men were all dressed they joined the rest of the guests at the restaurant for the dinner. This time there was no grand dinner, but the guests were seated in small groups, either just by themselves or in smaller friendship groups with their companions. Willow and her men were seated in a cozy booth, a couple of tables between them and Bronwen and her elves, so they only managed a polite nod and a wave, and Bronwen stopped by for a quick greeting between the main course and the dessert. The elves came with her, and thanked the three men for the museum trip. For the rest of the evening Bronwen and her elves were otherwise engaged, and Willow ended the evening at the bar with her men, enjoying a couple of quiet drinks with a few of the writers that she was acquainted with, while Yuji managed to corner the only other Japanese person at the retreat, a young man who had come as an assistant to one of the writers.

After a few drinks Kansas began to yawn, so the four of them excused themselves to their room, where the little imp took a shower again and then lounged on the couch in front of the TV, while Yuji and Willow entertained each other in the bedroom. Satoshi came out of his shower dressed in nothing but a bathrobe and plopped himself down on the couch next to Kansas, rubbing his neck and twisting his head this way and that.

“I really wish we had a proper bath,” he said and sank down sideways, until he was laying half on top of Kansas, and then he stole one of the pieces of chocolate from the box on Kansas’ thighs.

“Get off, leave my chocos alone, you bastard,” Kansas laughed, then ruffled Satoshi’s thick, wet hair. “That bathtub in there is big enough for both of us. We might even squeeze Yuji in there at the same time. What are you on about?”

“No, I mean like a proper Japanese bath. I tried that thing in there. It’s like some kind of a space age jacuzzi or something. I swear, it nearly gave me an enema when I tried to get more comfortable. And I kept floating up too,” Satoshi answered with a huff, and stole another piece of chocolate.

“My chocos, leave it,” Kansas cried out and slapped his hand, then leaned down to kiss the wet hair. “Why don’t you go downstairs then and see if you can use one of the onsens there?”

“They have onsen here?”

“Yes, they do. Downstairs, next to the pool house thing.”

“How do you know?”

“I asked. Last night, before I got too drunk. I asked the guy at the bar what kind of pool they had, and he told me all about it. They have a big swimming pool, and a little kind of like a paddle pool, and then there’s jacuzzis, and then they have these private onsens. I saw pictures in the brochure too. They’re all enclosed and cozy, and the bartender told me you can put up a sign that says that you want to be in private, so you can go butt-free too,” Kansas said with a giggle and Satoshi sat up to stretch his back.

“Butt-free is not a word,” he said, leaning in to kiss his little lover, then turned around to grab the phone off the side table. “You want to come with me?” he asked, but Kansas shook his head and claimed to be all showered out. Then the reception answered and Satoshi waffled for a second as he switched over to English.

“Yes, hello, this is Mo… Satoshi Mori in room seven oh eight. I just wanted to ask, is it still possible to use your onsen?”

The young woman who answered responded in a lovely Tokyo-accented Japanese, not native, but certainly very fluent. “Good evening, Mori-sama. The pool, Jacuzzi spas, and onsen are all available to our guests twenty-four hours a day. The spa area is stocked with robes, towels, and guest slippers, as well as toiletries and hair dryers, for your convenience. Is there anything we can have sent to the onsen for you? We can send some tea and wagashi, if you’d like.”

Satoshi actually waffled with shock at hearing the fluent Japanese, and for a moment his brain felt scrambled over where in the world he was. Then he giggled softly and shook his head, stood up and bowed ever so slightly as he went in search of his slippers. “Oh, no, no, that’s not necessary at all. But…” Satoshi hesitated as he wondered how to word the question since he’d happened to land on a female staff member. “Uhm, etto, is it allowed… I mean, the onsen are they… how should I say this? Etto, traditional? As in, like we do it back in Japan?”

From the couch Kansas shouted helpfully, “He means can he go in naked?!”

The young lady answered, completely unruffled. “We have one larger onsen which is considered public, and we have smaller onsen in private rooms. If you wish to bathe in the traditional manner, you can use the private onsen, and you can hang a courtesy card on the door so you are not disturbed. All the onsen have traditional showers available for use before bathing, with proper stools, washtubs, back-brushes, and toiletries, and the onsen are checked regularly throughout the day to ensure they remain pristine for our guests. Shall I reserve a private onsen for you for later, Mori-sama?”

“No, no, thank you, I’ll be coming down right away. Thank you,” Satoshi said, bowing without realizing it, and dropped the phone back in its cradle. Then he grabbed his suitcase and pulled out loose harem pants, and a t-shirt which was at least three sizes too large for him. Once he’d changed into those he pulled out his toiletries bag, and moved a couple of items into a smaller bag, kissed Kansas good night and jumped into a pair of geta which stood by the door, then raced to the elevators. He asked the elevator operator to take him to the onsen, smiling brightly when the elevator took him down to the basement, and the operator pointed him in the right direction with a smile.

There was an attendant at the entrance to the pool area, and she showed Satoshi with a smile to the smaller onsen area. Satoshi looked around with wide eyes, awed by the immense detail that had been put into the small changing room, with top of the line cabinetry, and wicker baskets for the guests to store their clothes and towels in, and the floor was laid with tatami mats save for the small area in front of the doors to the shower room. It all looked so authentic that for a moment, Satoshi honestly felt like he was back home in Tokyo.

Satoshi stripped and hiding his manhood behind his small modesty towel, he opened the door to the shower area and actually let out a sweet little squeak of joy when he saw the perfectly Japanese set up. There was even a politely worded sign on the wall in English, French, Japanese, Korean and Chinese, asking the guests to please dry themselves before stepping out on to the tatami mats of the changing room, and to please keep the noise to a polite level, all the regular rules from back home. Thankfully there was no mention of tattoos being forbidden.

And for the moment at least, Satoshi had the showers all to himself. So he ran lightly into the shower nearest to the door which led to the private onsens, and then scrubbed himself pristine clean, before he tied up his hair in a tight knot at the top of his head, put away the shower things as they had been and then pulled the door to the private onsens open, peeking out to make sure that there was no one there, before he entered the large room and tiptoed across the warm stone floor.

The onsen had been built in such a way that each one was hidden behind warm white stone walls which reached from floor to ceiling, and one entered through a comfortably narrow spiral entry, so even when someone passed by one they could not see into the onsen further than the top step of the steps that led into the warm water. Each curved entrance sported a door which reached high and low enough to make it impossible to see over or peek under, but did not enclose the onsen completely. On each door there was a small sign which could be turned around to indicate that the occupant wished to be left in private. The entire structure was lit with warm, soft light, as close to natural twilight as was possible, and all around there was silence save for the soft soothing sounds of water.

Satoshi tiptoed past the first door, hesitated at the second door, but then hurried on towards the third door and flipped the privacy sign as he closed the door behind himself. Then he draped his small modesty towel over his head, and tiptoed down the few circular steps into the hot water, letting out the sweetest moan of pleasure as he slid into the water and let himself cut through the water to the far side of the onsen. When his hands touched the far wall, he turned around and sank down on the comfortable seat, letting the water cover him all the way to his neck as he leaned the back of his head against the edge of the onsen and relaxed every muscle in his body.

Vale and Sand strolled into Bronwen’s suite, a luggage cart full of shopping bags following them. Bronwen only arched a brow, and then laughed when Sand presented her with a lovely little box while Vale handed her a rice-paper gift bag with a satin ribbon, gilt tissue peeking out. She wore the garnet necklace from Sand to dinner, the exquisite leather-bound journal from Vale on her desk, next to her favorite fountain pen.

The elves wandered off for a quiet nap, followed by a very energetic shower before they headed off for dinner. Bronwen and the elves circulated among all the guests between courses, and Vale and Sand only managed a quick chat with the three men accompanying Willow. The moon elf was distracted by a writer who specialized in archeological settings, and they compared notes enthusiastically, Sand not even noticing when Vale and Bronwen moved on.

They lingered over dessert and after dinner drinks, until Bronwen decided she was ready to go back to her room. The elves chose to go with her, Vale experimenting with his smartphone and the Internet while Sand dove into one of the horde of books he had purchased earlier, barely remembering to sip the fine whiskey Bronwen poured for him. She ran her fingers through his loose raven hair with deep affection, and then curled up with Vale on the larger couch, helping him learn how to navigate the Web.

After a while, Sand looked up from his book to find he was on his own. Bronwen was somewhere—he could not tell, exactly—and Vale had retreated to the large and comfortably soft bed in the room designated as theirs. He was not quite ready for sleep yet, or what passed for sleep among elves. Then he recalled the onsen rooms down in the spa, and he brightened.

Sand donned soft pants with loose legs, and a long tunic, both woven from a soft linen the color of slate. He slipped his feet into fleece slippers, and wandered off in search of a relaxing hot soak.

The attendant was happy to explain the onsen rules to Sand, and the elf showered, scrubbing himself scrupulously before binding his long raven hair up in a neat topknot. He tidied the shower area, and took a small towel, wrapping it around his hips as he walked over to the private onsen. On a whim, he went into the third room, and following the instructions of the attendant, he folded the towel neatly and placed it on his head. It felt a bit odd at first, but once he stepped into the welcome heat of the onsen, he forgot all about his strange headpiece in his delight.

There was a seat under the surface of the water, and Sand settled down beside the steps, tucked into the slight curve formed by the side of the steps. It took him out of line of sight of the door, and added to the illusion of being perfectly alone, as if he were indulging in one of the many springs on the side of Mount Hotenow, the volcano outside Neverwinter, which provided the city with its more clement weather and ample hot water for the asking. He closed his eyes and sighed before falling into a light meditation, thinking about the day, and the way Satoshi seemed so familiar in spite of their never having visited each other’s Planes before.

Lost as he was in his thoughts, Sand did not register the sound of someone entering the water, not until he felt the currents of the onsen as water was displaced by a body. He opened his eyes, and decided it was a very beautiful body. The man had a silver and green fish of a type he had learned were called koi, tattooed on his right arm and looking as though it was swimming up the arm. There was also a large burn scar on the man’s right side, from his shoulder all the way down to the small of his back, wrapping onto his side a bit, and a few small scars trailed down the back of the man’s right arm.

Sand took in the entirety of this man, and found his heart beating just a bit faster. He had hidden his own scars under a glamour, but he found himself regretting it. It would not do to remove the glamour, though, not without asking Bronwen first. There were rules governing this retreat he had not asked about, and he was intelligent enough not to cross Bronwen. If she wanted her elves pretty, he would appear as flawless as Vale for her pleasure. But now he had a desirable man in the onsen with him, and he was more than sure it was Satoshi after he caught a glimpse of pine green hair peeking out from under the pristine white towel on the man’s head.

Then the man turned and seated himself, and Sand knew for sure he was exactly that lucky. Satoshi’s eyes were closed, and Sand took the opportunity to drink in the gorgeous features of this man who felt like someone he had known all his life. He wondered what the etiquette was for letting Satoshi know he was there. If Satoshi were a fellow elf, he would simply reach out and offer a light mental communing, a greeting so common among elves as to be unremarkable. He pondered clearing his throat, or even sighing in pleasure as he felt his muscles ease.

Satoshi purred softly as he put one hand on the seat under himself to keep his balance, then reached up with his other hand to grab his small modesty towel and wipe his face quickly, then dropped it back on top of his head.

And then he felt it.

That uncanny feeling that he was being watched. That a pair of curious eyes were resting on him, studying him, exploring him. Satoshi tried to ignore the feeling, the little hairs on the back of his neck standing on end, and Satoshi growled at himself mentally that their little dragon was back home, in Tokyo, making his Auntie Hideko nuts with his incessant, inane questions, and not here in New York staring at Satoshi in the onsen.

But, just to be sure, Satoshi cracked open one eye to make sure that Ryuu had not somehow managed to stow away in their luggage, just to stare at his father in the bath. And then he saw him. The raven haired elf who had charmed him so the night before, and today had felt like someone that Satoshi had known all of his life.

Satoshi let out a howl of surprise as the back of his head slipped down off the ledge and his head dropped under the surface for a second as his feet found the bottom of the onsen. Sputtering and splashing like a group of five year olds Satoshi jumped to his feet, and all but shouted. “I’m sorry, I didn’t see you, the door was open, I thought this onsen was empty.” Then he noticed his modesty towel floating in the water beside him, and he grabbed it to slap it over his pierced nipples, feeling like the worst lecher for a moment. Then he sat down on the seat so hard that he created a small tsunami in the enclosed onsen, and pulled his knees up to his chest. “I am so sorry. I can leave, if you want me to,” Satoshi said in a mousy little voice, looking wide eyed at the raven haired elf.

Sand watched in captivated amazement as Satoshi tried to drown himself, yelled, and then tried to drown Sand. It was completely familiar, and he had a sudden urge to burst out laughing and ask who Satoshi had expected to see. But Satoshi was not the name that he heard in his thoughts. He had wanted to ask Keiji that question, and he was so startled by that he simply spoke his mind.

“Why would I want you to leave?” Sand retained just enough presence of mind not to hurry across the small space to see if Satoshi was all right. Something told him he would be better not pressing the issue like that. “I did not close the door, and I did not put up a privacy sign. It never occurred to me, to be honest. I am used to the hot springs back home, where anyone so inclined might come and join me. But if you do not mind the company, I would enjoy having you here.”

Even the heat of the water was not enough to keep Sand from responding to the presence of this intriguing man. He could feel himself thickening slightly, the weight of his cock against his thigh helping to kindle the heat in his belly as he watched Satoshi. “You have jewelry in your nipples. It is lovely, and suits you. And your koi is gorgeous.”

“You know koi?” Satoshi asked in a squeaky voice, looking down at his right arm, and then realized that he was still hiding his nipples with his modesty towel, leaving the towel in the water, a terrible faux-pas in his native Japan. Satoshi squeaked again as he pulled the towel out of the water, sending a spray of water into the air.

Satoshi sighed a little with embarrassment as he wrung most of the water out of the small towel and looked up at Sand, his cheeks pink. “I like piercings, but I couldn’t put many more in my lip. So, my nipples seemed like the logical next step,” he said with a small shy giggle, and put the now damp towel on the top of his head again. “You’re good at that,” he said and pointed with his whole hand towards Sand, then pointed with one finger to his own towel. “I’ve never been very good at it, not unless I tuck it around my hair somehow. I’m sorry, I just didn’t see you when I came in, and I thought I was alone. I don’t mind sharing with you, if you don’t mind it just being the two of us. I don’t do so well with a lot of people, and back home I usually need to find private onsen, because not a lot of public onsen allow people with tattoos.”

Sand laughed as he reached up to pat his head. “I forgot it was there. The attendant was very clear about the rules: scrub thoroughly, no sauntering naked from the showers, and no towels in the onsen. I was even told to put my hair up, so it would not sully the water. I am very good about rules, as you can see. But now I am curious.” He stopped, and laughed again. “Vale would tell you to run away while you can, because I am always curious. Should I give you a chance to escape?”

The elf shifted a little on the seat, and it was clear his alabaster skin was not even flushed from the heat of the water. “At home, many elves get tattoos, and others get pierced. I have seen nipple piercings before, but generally only on the clerics who serve Hanali Celanil. Her preferred form of worship is making love, and they are consummate lovers available to those who would worship the Lady. The clerics pierce their nipples and elsewhere, and decorate themselves with gold and jewels to enhance their beauty in her name.”
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Sandcastles and Fireworks