Mahao’li flinches at how accurate Qana’to’s comment is, albeit not in the way the ruunte had intended. He shakes his head slowly before replying.

”No - this actually belongs to my companion, Rhela’a of the Nbolo. He is….unable to complete his orbit, and I was hoping I may complete it in his stead.”

"Ah. I see. I grieve to hear that," he replies quietly. "It is very kind of you to want to finish it for him." He nods to himself. "Normally, I'd insist on only a single bead per visit, obviously, but under the circumstances... I could simply give you a second one, I think. It seems to me that safekeeping his memory is a service of its own, even if that's more the domain of the full moon than the waxing one." He knits his eyebrows and watches Mahao'li's face.

Mahao'li smiles slightly and shakes his head. "I thank you for the offer - It is very kind of you. But I will have to turn it down."  He shifts his gaze skywards, eyes tracing a gull as it soars overhead. "It would feel wrong, to take it without having earned it first. He dedicated his life to the service of others; to claim that which is earned through service by pity in his name would dishonour him." He turns to the Ruunte  once more. "So, if you will make the exception, I will gladly do what is necessary to earn his bead."

"That's very sweet," he replies after with a soft smile. "I would be happy to accommodate your request." He leans back and gestures with a hand. "You can earn the other one the same way as you earned the first: help us procure candles, or supplies, or, of course, more bholj'a oah," he says with a nod. "That latter, though, you'll have to wait on, I suspect. Rhaefi'a's body will need time to produce more, as I daresay would yours, if you wanted to make your own. You are welcome to stay until then. Certainly we're glad to have anyone who can make our junior nekhucte purr like that." He smirks and nods in approval. "I trust you enjoyed yourself, as well? I was only outdoors for the last bit."

Mahao'li nods at the keeper, smiling at him. "Understandable - I can provide whatever service is most needed, and will gladly linger until you deem it complete. He smiles coyly at the other man, glancing down towards the water. He had softened a bit since Rhaefi'a had wandered away, but could tell he was still semi-hard beneath the waves. He shifts his his gaze back to the Ruunte, smirking at him. "I didn't realize what Id done was that special. I did certainly enjoy it - as you seemed to have as well. Like I said, he is an excellent ambassador."

The ruunte laughs playfully. "I always enjoy when my companions have a good time. In the abstract and also—" he gestures toward the water covering his waist, "in concrete ways as well." He lowers his voice. "I had duties to see to earlier today that I had to spend my seed for. That you got me hard just from playing with my nekhucte after that is a high appraisal of your talents."

Mahao'li blushes and turns away slightly. "You flatter me, Ruunte Qana'to. I am glad to hear though, that you found it that enjoyable. Although not knowing much about your duties, I also don't know how drained you should have been." He smiles and shrugs at the keeper, leaving him to decide how much he wished to share.

Qana'to shakes his head. "I had to officiate a warrior's return rite earlier today," he explained, "and then a fertility rite shortly after, when a visitor who had been with us for a few days had made a choice of sire." He pauses for a moment. "I say, 'had to,' though of course it's at least as much pleasure as duty. Nonetheless, two emissions back-to-back usually means I'm a little slower to react for the next few hours. I was recovering from the latter when Rhaefi'a found me and told me there was a new guest awaiting me. Needless to say, he jumped at the opportunity to entertain you while you waited for me to drag myself out of the bed."

He sighs gently, as though just recounting the duties of the day is somewhat pleasant to him.

Mahao'li nods and smiles as Qana'to recounts the day's activities, noting how at ease and enjoyable the act seemed to him. "Finding pleasure in your work is a reward in and of itself - and it sounds like most pleasant work indeed. I'm flattered that you roused yourself from your rest to come see me - in both meanings of the phrase." He winks at the keeper playfully, tilting his head ever so slightly towards the water.

"You did most of that rousing yourself," he replies. "And who wouldn't respond similarly?" When he sees Mahao'li angling his head towards his assets, the smile shifts from friendly to admiring. "You yourself don't seem to have too much trouble getting back in the zenhah circle after a bout, either," he notes, referencing traditional Keeper wrestling. "Or is it my turn to be flattered?"

“Who wouldn’t respond similarly?” He echoes, winking playfully at the Ruunte. “With how much pleasure Rhaefi’a was getting from the experience, it would be hard not to be infected by it. Doubly so when such a fine-tailed keeper wanders over to keep me company after the fact."

Qana'to stands up in order to shift closer to Mahao'li, an unnecessary amount of movement but for the fact that it raised his hips out of the water. "If we're going to play like this," he says, "I may as well be a bit closer while we converse. I fully intended to learn a bit more about you conversationally before I got to know you elsewise, but I think we can hunt both those deer at once." He sat with one leg crossing Mahao'li's calf and slid his hand around the man's back. "Now, before you distract me too much, I simply must hear about your story. What brought you here and the like. You flirt like you've lived on a bholbhenah's premises for years but you haven't even gotten your first bead."

Mahao’li blushes slightly, turning away from the other man. “Now you really flatter me - surely this is just normal keeper behaviour?” He leans into the touch, letting his tail brush against Qana’to’s forearm. “What would you like to know?”

"'Normal' describes the attempt, for sure, but not the skill of execution," he replies, leaning into his caress and thrilling slightly at the feeling of the tail against his arm. "I would like to hear where your wanderings have taken you, what you've learned and seen and" he taps Mahao'li's hip meaningfully, "experienced for yourself. I'd like to know what brought you to this shrine in particular, too, in case there's anything we can do to serve while you're here."

Mahao'li shivers slightly at the tap on his hips, instinctively shifting away from it, closer to Qana'to, as he had many times before when another's hand had dome the same motion. He leans against the Ruunte, humming contently for a moment, before the reality of the situation catches up to him. He blushes more as he detaches himself from Qana'to, shuffling back. "My apologies -  your movements reminded me of another's, and I lost myself in the memory for a moment."

He shakes his head to clear his thoughts, before giving the other keeper a slight smile. "I have not wandered far - unlike the famed Warrior of Light, I have kept to the Shroud." He winks playfully at Qana'to before continuing. "This is indeed the farthest West I have ever been - Bar Limsa-Lominsa proper, of course."

Qana’to winces. “I do hear that he is well traveled,” he says quietly, “though perhaps after all that he misses home, such as it is.” 
“Anyway,” he continues with apparent eagerness to change the topic, “you hardly need apologize for leaning on my shoulder when I have an arm around you. If you are moved to reminisce, feel free to share—but otherwise I can let you enjoy your bath in peace.”

Mahao'li sighs and nods, slowly leaning back against the other keeper. "I would not blame him for missing home - I know the feeling well...." He trails off, reminiscing for a minute, before continuing. "The list of what I've heard and seen, and where I've wandered is a long one, so I will start with your second question. I chose your bholbhenah, Ruunte Qana'to, because it I intend to leave Eorzea once I am finished here." He shoots a slight smile to the other man, glancing up at him. "It seemed appropriate, given that I will leave from Limsa Lominsa, to make your shrine the last in my orbit."

"Oh, yes? Well, Limsa Lominsa is a good place to make camp if you want to get just about anywhere other than the continent. Where are you thinking to go—or do you know?"

"I am headed to Sharlayan, at least at first. Beyond that, I don't know." He casts his gaze skywards, the azure sky above tinting into indigo as they rested in the baths. "While Rhaefi'a insisted on calling me a hunter, I am actually an alchemist by trade. On the advice of Brother E-Sumi-Yan of Gridania, I intend to present my research to the Studium." He looks back at Qana'to, grinning. "If you know where one might find appropriate clothes for wear in Sharlayan, that would be an excellent way your shrine could provide assitance. I'm told they're even more stuffy than Gridanians."

"How intriguing! We have to dabble in alchemical processes here as well, so I know something of it," Qana'to said, trying to constrain his reaction to the mention of a Padjal. They had warmed to him, personally, in recent years, but he still had reservations from back when he had first met them. "I'm sure you can find something suitable in Hawker's Alley, if you're short on clothes. If you've been hanging around the gradhan then I need not warn you how uncomfortable pants can be." He grins. "What is your research about?"

Mahao'li grins back at him, chuckling. "Indeed - I'm lucky that my skirt for the most part covers what the gradhan deem need's covering. I only need a kojndu for the rest. Although I doubt even that would be enough for the Sharlayan Studium. I think I passed Hawker's Alley on my way here from the ferry - but I wouldn't say know to a guide around the city." He playfully shakes his ears and continues. "My research is on the alchemical potential of various plants and fungi now growing rampant in the Lost City."

"I've been in the city for a while," he replies, "and we frequently have to drop by the fisherman's guild to get seaweed for the oils we use. I would be happy to walk there with you." He looks up to the sky. "We could go today, if you were anxious to get it done. There's plenty of time before nightfall."

Mahao'li shakes his head slightly in response, before smiling at the other man again. "I have no pressing need to do so right away, but a trip to town does sound like a nice way to spend the rest of the afternoon." He chuckles and looks down beneath the water line. "I think I'm calm enough now I'd be able to do so."

"Pity!" he says with a laugh, standing up and offering a hand to his guest. "Let's get you off to the Hawker's Alley, then. You can borrow a tunic if you like. I recall Rhaefi'a saying that your travel clothes demanded vigorous scrubbing, and we keep some spares for trips into town just like this, since nudity isn't as common there."

Mahao'li chuckles and takes the proffered hand, rising from the water, a chill running along his body as the cool sea breeze hits him. Despite his claim to calmness, his cock is still semi hard, his shivers sending hit bouncing between the two men as he stands. "I'd appreciate it - vigorous is the minimum of what those leathers need." He shivers again, and takes a half step closer to Qana'to, letting the taller keeper's body block the wind from his damp skin. "Morbol" he offer's in way of explanation at this companion's continued bemused expression. "I was not quite as fast as I needed to be and got a face full of tentacle." Another gust of wind send him shivering once more, and without thinking he's drops to his knees to get back in the warm water, ending eye level with Qana'to's groin.