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It's not bothersome.

( nikolai takes a slow breath and then rolls off of jesper and onto his side, settling down and stretching but making no further moves to leave.

he tucks an arm underneath his head and gets a little more comfortable. )

I haven't told many people about it outside of those that already know. I don't want them to treat me differently right off. So, Sturmhond rides again and all that.

( Jesper immediately turns on his side to mirror Nikolai, staying close, reaching out to run his hand along the line of Nikolai's body. He never stops touching when he has permission to. Over his other arm, along his hip, down to his thigh and then back up again. A gentle but forward caress.)

Don't worry, having sex with Sturmhond the sky pirate is also very hot.

( It's not as forbidden as a royal having sex with a criminal, it makes them both criminals, but it's still them so it's hot. Those are all just fun titles anyway. Jesper's mostly pretending a world where he still is a gang member, not a merchant who plays by the rules. (So boring.))

I wanted to join your crew so much. Not so much I'd leave the Dregs, but to have one sky adventure would be great.

( The heist he did with Nikolai and Zoya was on the ground so less fun, although no less important. For Wylan, he only did it because they said it would help Inej, but Jesper just heard 'heist' and was fully in. As per usual.)

You're not actually telling people your name is Sturmhond are you?

No, I've told them my real name but no one knows me from anyone else. So, I can be a Lantsov and still be a pilot of a ship that only exists in my Horizon.

( right now, at least. )

Thorne is already a bit of a shady place so I'd rather them not know that I'm some kind of royal for any reason. I don't want to be looked at any closer than they already are.

Do you miss it, or do you prefer it?

( Jesper knows not everyone wants to be royalty. It's a born thing, and some make their best out of it, and some see it more as a cage. He would see it as the latter, his need for freedom to do whatever he wants too high. He knows by rumors that Zoya became queen, but not necessarily by marrying her, so whatever is going on there, he's not sure. It doesn't sound like she stole it.

Jesper loves the time that sex gives him to learn more about someone in between bouts. And he fully plans on climbing on top of Nikolai once they've caught their breath, but for now he's curious. He only has sex with people he finds genuinely interesting. Otherwise it's boring.)

The Thorne royalty's a bunch of nutcases, you made the right choice there.

Do I miss Ravka?

( a good question with an answer that changes quite often. he's quiet for a moment before he shrugs a shoulder. )

It's home. And they need a king. Without me, I don't know what will happen. I can't deny that I like not having the weight of all that on my shoulders for however long I'm here.

( he could be whoever he wanted to be here. )

But, Ravka will always be home and I have obligations and duties that I have to return to.

( Jesper is not a fan of Ravka, even if he is a fan of the man in his bed. He's spent his entire life hiding from both Ravka and Fjerda, avoiding the army and death by burning. While he would never have called himself patriotic, he loves Ketterdam, and he does consider the Zemeni his people in a way he still doesn't think of the Grisha. He can understand having reasons to go back, especially for a responsible type.

He hmmms at that and leans in to kiss Nikolai's shoulder, pressing them up to the curve of his neck. A Ravkan royal between his legs, something he never would have expected.)

I wish you were in the Free Cities. I think you'd like the, well, freedom. No royals to worry about offending there. We're still captured, but you can do a lot more.

( Jesper really has to stop getting so close to Thorne Summoned, it makes him more and more aggressively certain that he has to help them escape into his arms. He runs his fingers casually along Nikolai's spine.)

It does sound like my kind of place.

( he smiles against jesper's mouth, sighing wistfully. thorne isn't terrible but it can be...suffocating. and difficult. )

Do people ever change factions? Is that even possible?

The only time it happened was right after I arrived, there was a peace conference where they allowed people to change. Inej moved from Solvunn to the Free Cities to be with me.

( Jesper would have gone mad in Solvunn. It was so outside of his comfort zone. Going back to the farmboy life would have made him crawl out of his skin and try to force his way into the Free Cities. She had grown to like the quiet colony there, but he thinks that she's enjoyed the life she's made with him and the others.)

Outside of that, I think it near impossible to do. That was before any real aggression between the factions. I am hoping to find a way to get people in Thorne out, many of them feel trapped there.

Don't worry, I'm not looking to try and change.

( even if thorne was, yes, very confining. he doesn't even know where he'd go or how. if he had his ship, it would be easier but that's a no go. )

Thorne isn't the most inviting place in the world, you're right. It's suffocating at times.

I don't trust Thorne. I'm not saying the Free Cities are free from controversy, but Thorne's done some shit since the start.

( And Jesper is at his heart a protector. He was always the second in command for Kaz but also the one to look out for others, the gun at someone's back, the person aware of word on the street or trouble in the gang. Now he's emotionally compromised on another person in Thorne, but it's fine. He likes emotional complications. It's better than feeling nothing.

He leans forward to kiss Nikolai's neck, over to his shoulder, down his arm and then playfully stealing it so he can press his lips across the bicep and to each of his fingers.)

Just look out for yourself, yeah? I need my king to keep enjoying these shenanigans with.

Don't worry, I always look out for myself.

( here, he doesn't have to worry about an entire kingdom to look after first and foremost so his priority will be himself and his friends. )

You'll get another go round like this soon.

( he can promise that. )

( Jesper smirks and hooks a leg around Nikolai's hip, pushing so he can gracefully put Nikolai on his back and settle on top of him.)

How about sooner rather than later?

( He waggles his eyebrows and leans in to steal a kiss.)

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Maybe wrapping soon!

that's good with me!

and can wrap here!