In Depths We Tread

[Patrick]

In Depths We Tread

Vhalar 108 716

Location: Patrick's Apartment

There had been a strange feeling in the air as the humidity seemed to rapidly decline, Vhalar's weather suddenly on the verge of a chill as the winds catered the city with small breezes. Rharne would soon be met with cooler weather that would only turn frigid, as the Cold Cycle proved to never be merciful in its later lifespan. Regardless however Patrick had plenty of time left to prepare, no matter how cold the winter he'd be able to deal with the cold. Better than he did in Dust Town at any rate. The man stirred a little with a polite stretch made for his body, the length of his legs allowed for toes to reach the edge of his bed. By the Fates; another fine day to wake up too, as another had apparently fallen asleep next to him.

Alistair had made it habit to be staying at his place lately, a rather acceptable boon for Patrick at first, although recent events have led him to determine things... unsafe. Alistair could handle himself in a situation sure, but Patrick had his own personal business to investigate. Knowingly enough he already felt himself playing bait for something, and had practically been waiting since two days ago for somebody to make their move. Kar. Could it really be him though? What with the way Pat's inclinations summed up to, and the lack of possibilities in him knowing about what he did of the book...

There was a lot at stake for Patrick right now, the worst thing he could do was drag anybody else in. Rei had already done as he asked and now the book remained hidden, not even he knew where to find it now that she'd kept it from him. With good reason too, otherwise there would be no telling what to expect should Kar, or whoever, come along to try and take it from him. "Mornin' sunshine." He whispered with a rough finger brought up to lightly trail along the noble's cheekbone. "Ya sleep well?" He asked with a soft and warm smile as he watched Alistair's eyes flutter open.

Honestly he didn't want to just blatantly ask the man to avoid the place for the next few days, but he had to somehow make it sound like he'd be busy elsewhere to avoid chances. Maybe... as much as he didn't like to, he would have to compose a white lie to the man. Alistair had done similar in a sense... although the situation was entirely different from Pat's own now of course. Why ruin the moment when he could indulge in a serene moment, where he got to see the man he fell in love with awaken on his own time.

[Alistair]

The day before had been tiring. He'd slept well and long, body unwinding from the sheer exertion of energy from the night before. He'd consumed quite a lot of energy, to the point where he could feel the beginning of symptoms for light overstepping. Overstepping was, of course, when someone consumed too much of their mana before it could fully recuperate. Alistair almost never overstepped due to his careful and methodical way of learning magic, but in practicing the Rend he'd consumed quite a significant bit of energy over the past several trials. Now, he could feel a very slight dizziness, and the onset of a blur every so often as he looked to any given location. His head felt a bit light, which only deepened his sleep.

In the depth of his imagination, through the long rest, he imagined little more than the Rend. As of late, his dreams had been consumed by imagery related to magic. There was the symbol of Lichdom in his mind, a thing he'd seen before; it represented Ellasin. Then, a symbol of peace and exploration of the self and the world around you. It took the image of the necklace Damien had worn, given to him by the High Priest of Yaralon. This represented both Damien, of course, and Reyard. A man Alistair had always wanted to meet. The greatest Rupturer of them all.

And between both of these symbols which symbolized the clash of mages, both good and evil, was the Rend. A massive, black hole unrestrained by the world around it. Alistair's thoughts had been on it consistently, of late. He either spent his days thinking about Patrick, or this spell. This great foe that he'd finally come to conquer. Yesterday, he'd gotten unbelievably close to mastering it. The portal had reached a colossal size, and all that was needed was stabilization. He was but a few breaths away from becoming one of the greatest Rupturers that Idalos had ever known - an accomplishment that he would wear like a medal of honor. There was little more important to him in this world than magical accomplishment.

The only thing that was more important, he'd learned, was his connection to others. And not most people, no - but the small few that he'd given his heart to. Patrick being the most notable example of this, considering they'd spent the last dozen trials together constantly. He could hardly remember a significant gap away from the man's company. They were always laying together, spending time together, reading together or practicing together; the man's presence had become unbelievably important to Alistair. Needless to say, he was in love, and strongly in love at that. Before the dream ended, the imagery of the Rend, Reyard, Damien and Ellasin all faded. They were replaced by an image of Patrick, and Alistair there to defend him. He'd begun to realize that the purpose, now, of mastering magic... had grown. It wasn't just about perfecting the self, anymore.

It was about protecting the ones he loved.

As his body grew ready to awaken, he felt the form of the other man escaping Alistair's grip around his chest. Most nights, he'd awoken to find himself spooning the other man unintentionally, which was further evidence that he'd become a romantic sap. Every time the man escaped his firm grasp, Alistair always awoke, his body not wanting to let go of its prize. He could only imagine it was quite irritating for Patrick, having to battle against Alistair's firm grip every night. He was far stronger than the average person, after all, and likely didn't enjoy the concept of letting the poor man go.

As Patrick's fingers ran across his cheek, the mage's eyes did begin to open, and he moved his face forward to kiss the fingers that played with his face. With a dashing smile, he brought his arms around the man's back and pulled him in so that their chests were against each other, as well as the rest of their body; Alistair kept his grip around the man firm, this time around. As much as Patrick could struggle, he wouldn't be able to squirm away.

"I did sleep well," he responded, showering the man's cheeks and jawline with kisses. "But I'm not done yet. And I need my honorary human pillow," he said, lightly laughing. "How about you, my beloved?" he asked the man, referring to the wellness of his sleep, with a glimmer of joy in his eyes. He looked genuinely happy, a warmth radiating in the pit of his chest. It was a wonderful thing to awaken to someone you loved.

[Patrick]

Patrick couldn't help but laugh when he'd been pulled into the man, the act of being Alistair's 'honorary human pillow' enlightened and amused him to no end. In truth he felt the same strong compulsion of intimacy and attraction with the noble, and with it being the morning time... well lets just say typical Patrick didn't even need intentions for his body to make things obvious. "Phenomenal." He responded while their foreheads came to rest on one another. Every time Pat had the chance he always loved to look into Alistair's eyes, to see the deep rich hues that they held.

"Never slept so soundly in my life actually, it's gettin' t' be a habit enjoyin' your arms." He admitted while his fingers brushed along the scruff on Al's cheek, and eventually they explored the soft tissue of his lips with genuine admiration. Pat's breath unintentionally fell short and somehow, he needed to take in another gulp of air before he could finally sigh. The man had a knack for stealing away Pat's ability to breathe, that much was certain, as he'd come to ultimately care about Alistair.

"Sorry 'bout pokin' ya, kinda the lingering effects you leave me with." He joked with a soft chuckle as he finally craned his head up, and then placed a soft and moist kiss on Al's forehead before rejoining his own to the man's. He wondered just what exactly sort of story he should come up with, in all honesty Patrick hadn't any clue what to say at first. Because he'd fallen to hard into the moment to even care, but he had to get this off his chest if he wanted to get it done and out of the way. So what was his excuse? He was an entertainer; maybe that would be enough to go with, leaving the rest up to Alistair's imagination. "So, listen..." While Pat spoke softly he sounded reluctant, almost not wanting to go forward with the story.

"Over the next few trials I'm gonna be busy, Daveth is gonna have me working durin' the day and Rose um... well she's got a client up in the Glass Quarter for me. It's just business though! Nothin' more..." So far it sounded like a plausible excuse, although he didn't want Alistair to think poorly of him. Even though he had jobs to do he wasn't really going to enjoy them as much, now that he'd be spending time apart from Alistair to avoid involving him... whatever was about to come.

[Alistair]

He didn't really mind the prospect of Patrick 'working' for the next several days, regardless of what that meant. Whether it was business or pleasure - or likely both in the scope of his profession - Alistair had come to terms, quite early, with the fact that Patrick would be engaging frequently with other individuals. He'd only have to examine him for any . . . unwanted illnesses every so often, and treat them with haste if they did appear. The only obstacle that presented itself internally when faced with the idea of Patrick carousing off in the Hound, was the idea of more rough and vile patrons claiming a night of ownership of his partner.

It was difficult to think of a four hundred pound woman having her way with his beloved Hound, and similarly the thought of a greased oil monkey of a man; the thought nearly made him shudder. He'd have to ask Patrick of stories involving his less enjoyable patrons some time - it wasn't like every man or woman that paid for his services would be a good looking lady or gentleman with a scent far removed from "putrid".

That only made him think - how could one ever live as a prostitute? The job sounded . . . jarring. Virtually anyone, of any age, appearance, taste or hygiene could have their way with you.

Perhaps, due to how lost he was in his thoughts, he did not even come close to questioning the validity or integrity of Patrick's claims of being busy for several days straight. Alistair could only imagine the pleasures and horrors of the man's mysterious profession, and so he did not even imagine that Patrick might be trying to persuade him to not worry about coming home to his lover for the next few trials.

Instead, Alistair merely nodded. He understood duty, and there would be many days where Alistair - too - would not return home. He'd fall asleep in his office, or overseeing patients, or even spending whole nights in the woods with magical apprentices . . . it was a dutiful life for them both.

"That's fine," he replied. "I'm going to be busy, too, actually. Effren, one of the higher ranking members of the Coven, has called upon my services to procure a . . . unique medicinal serum for the Coven's uses. It's quite an interesting idea, and truthfully, it's something I've been wishing to work on for several arcs." He would not go into details, as the whole concept would only sound mortifying to someone without an interest in Necromancy and the concept of mortality, but he had given enough information to Patrick from his own perspective.

"So," he started again, "do you want me to stay with the Coven for the next several days? I don't know if you'd want me to be living in your home while you're away. I figure you probably won't mind, since it's not like I'm going to steal anything, but... I don't want to impose." He wasn't quite sure the manners and etiquette of staying in a commoner's home - usually the nobility would say 'help yourself', though with the underlying hint that their stay was a timed affair.

He knew Patrick was involved in the dubious night scene of Rharne, however. Perhaps Alistair wasn't suited, yet, to stay with him quite as constantly as he'd been.

[Patrick]

To hear Alistair give word that he was fine with the excuse of profession brought ease of mind to Patrick, as to him that legitimately made things a little easier to think on ahead of time. Then of course came the next question that posed problematic to Patrick, whether or not Alistair should be allowed to remain or if he shouldn't. Quite frankly Patrick couldn't care any more or less if he stayed, as the man became welcome company to be desired actually.

But no. Alistair did not need to linger here, especially when in truth Patrick would. That would just ruin the purpose of things, as a fabricated truth wouldn't be believable if one remained around to see otherwise. "Not like ye'd find anythin' worth stealin' anyways." He chuckled with a loose grin cast to the noble. "But I think it might be a good idea if ya cleared out fer a few nights, never know when a surprise might walk in through the door." The jest held more gravity than he let on, as a short laugh followed to add the humor. "Nevertheless I'll come find ya when things 're settled a bit."

As he said this he raised his head to place a soft warm kiss onto Alistair's forehead, with a brush of his fingers through the man's hair afterwards. That much of course would be true after all, when things finally settled and Patrick needn't worry about things; he'd wrap up loose ends and find Alistair afterwards. He wouldn't have it any other way after all, although he felt pretty sure the man had better things to do. The sound of this medicinal serum definitely made it seem so, the entertainer practically had to remind himself that Alistair was a doctor. Doctor, mage, noble, and what else? So far the man had quite a few better qualities about him, something that Patrick felt short in being able to measure up to. "I'll see ya soon, ya?" He checked with the same wry smile as before, hopeful that it'd erase doubts of their encounter to come.

It would be from that point on Patrick spent time alone, focused on the potential threat soon to come.

[Alistair]

"A surprise?" the mage asked, a sort of silly twinkle in his eyes. "Perhaps one of your other lovers? No other nobles, I hope; I'd be condemned to oblivion by the press if they caught wind of my dawdling with a Rharnian male escort. We'll have to ease the Kingdom into that one," he chuckled lightly. Shortly afterwards, Patrick provided him with a soft kiss on the forehead, and Alistair responded by locking his arms around the man's back and imposing on him a warm and affectionate kiss on the lips.

"Sounds good to me," the man whispered sweetly, pulling away from his lover. "I'll be waiting eagerly for your call, Patrick," he said. Shortly after pulling away, however, he turned to the corner of the room where he'd been completing his Rharne sundial - considering the artifact was essentially fully complete save for the markings determining the trajectories and distance from each point, Alistair would have no issue transporting it to the Coven's stronghold in Rharne, Fort Ravenclaw.

"We will see one another soon," he confirmed. "Although I know you'll be sailing soon to search for your... companion; whatever his name was," he shrugged. The nobleman stepped forward and leaned in to collect his sundial. With a simple gesture - the pointing of two fingertips at the wall - he opened a rupture large enough to fit only himself. With his expertise in crafting refined portals, and by suppressing the velocity at which his ether opened the rift in Idalosian matter, his portal was notably more quiet, as well as calm in appearance. He'd come far in his progression, especially lately, with his newfound companionship supplying him with a profound motivation.

Turning to look at the Hound a final time - at least for now - he winked and stepped backwards into the portal, portraying in that a singular thing - that he almost did not wish to look away.

The portal closed behind him, and there he was in the Coven stronghold - in his room, where books stacked high onto his desk.

With a smirk on his lips, he formed another rupture into Patrick's lodging - but not one that man could step through, only observe. With a bit of mischief formed in his usually stoic persona, he made one final gesture of affection, yelling boo through the Scrying portal formed within Patrick's room, and then closing it instantaneously before the man would ever be able to see from where the sound came.

He laughed to himself, quietly, before setting down his sundial and preparing his mind for the laborious task ahead.

[Niv]

Patrick

Knowledge:

Acrobatics: Morning stretches keep you limber
Deception: telling a little white lie to save someone from trouble
Deception: lying to a loved one can be hard…
Deception: It’s just business.
Deception: saying the truth but vague enough that it becomes deceitful.
Endurance: a frigid morning during the cold cycle.
Endurance: Alistairs crippling hugs.
Etiquette: apologizing for poking a man with your little man.
Alistair: Things have become unsafe for him
Alistair: You’re his man pillow
Alistair: Theres more to him that meets the eye.
Cold Cycle: is never merciful

Loot: 

N/A

Injuries: 

N/A

Fame:

+1 for saving Alistair from danger with a white lie.

Magic:

These points can NOT be used for Domain Magic

Devotion:

N/A

Story: 

5/5
you didn’t have a full 1500 words but you were close and your story was cute and awesome so I didn’t have the heart to take a point from you.

Collaboration:

5/5
hella cute and I ship the hell out of it.

Structure:

5/5
I didn’t see any mistakes.

Alistair

Knowledge:

Deception: Leaving out the details of your adventures with the coven.
Endurance: Dealing with minor overstepping
Etiquette: It’s not nice to impose
Etiquette: Commoners likely have different rules for house siting.
Intimidation: Scaring the dickens out of poor patrick with you magic.
Intelligence: Spying on Patrick with a rupture portal
Seduction: Spooning the sign that your a love sick sap.
Seduction: Not letting Patrick get away from your strong manly love.
Seduction: Kiss that mans jawline.
Strength: Using your strength to grapple a man in a sexy kind of way.
Overstepping: Mild degree- slight dizzyness and a feeling of lightness
Dream: Symbol of Lichdom that represented Ellasin
Dream: Symbol of peace and exploration of self
Dream: High priest of Yaralon gave necklace Damien wore/
Reyard: The greatest rupturer of all.
Magic: Can be used to protect the ones you love.
Magic: progressing far in Rupturing.

Patrick: I think I love this man hoe.
Patrick: I need to ask him about some of his less desirable customers.
Prostitute: That can’t be a fun job.

Loot: 

N/A

Injuries: 

N/A

Fame:

-2 for magic, +1 for general good deed (Snuggling with Patrick) +1 being polite.

Magic:

yah you can used this for magic.

Devotion:

N/A

Story: 

5/5
Short but sweet

Collaboration:

5/5
As I said for Patrick cute as hell love you too together <3

Structure:

5/5
I couldn’t see any mistakes.




Art credit to Yoshitaka Amano