Fantasy Primacy [Closed]

[Lucyfer]

Drazhan’s story was more or less what Kirsikka expected. Primals in the old days had used harsh methods to prepare the children for a thankless task. People never liked Primals, even if Primals helped them out. They seemed to think Primals should work for free, and not charge so much. A ridiculous notion, of course, but hardly unique.

People thought similar to mages, at times. Mages were still seen as better, though. Mages didn’t have disfigurements like unnatural eyes, though.

And even if they did? A potion could hide it.

“Better that than being hounded to return,” Kirsikka said as she reached out to brush strands of hair off of his face. “I never could make a clean break with anything.” She still hadn’t. She still couldn’t. Malina was already back in her life. Mikhail, too.

And Dravon….

Every cut was jagged and never healed right. She couldn’t even cleanly cut off magic; it had to take an eye’s sight with fire, and would likely take more. “Have you seen other Primals since leaving?” she wondered if they treated him the same, or if they were…kinder. More interested in seeing Drazhan and hearing how he was.

~***~

The thought of having love in his life should have been one that filled Varick with joy – and it did, but it was also an exhausting thought, because he knew what followed on the heels of it. Loss. Grief. Pain. He’d faced them all in varying degrees, and never enjoyed it. It didn’t stop him from caring, but it did keep him from losing his head in the clouds.

He hummed as Tamsin noted she had only had those two serious relationships. It was a shame one had been so bad, and he found himself wondering how recent that bad one was. It seemed she’d made quite the progress from it, but he wondered all the same.

“How long ago was the…bad one?” he knew it was a touchy subject, but hoped not too much, “you seem to have gotten a good grasp that it was bad, and become aware of how, and what it’s done to you. It makes me wonder how long it’s been since you were in it,” things like that usually took a while to figure out, without help.

No doubt she had some help, but even then – healing took time.

Emotions didn’t just open up to logic overnight.

 

[cleopat]

Drazhan hummed, closing his eyes for a moment. “Sometimes I think I would’ve preferred being hounded to return. That way I knew he still cared for me.” Instead of thinking for years he was unloved and unwanted, which was why his relationship with Sophia was so important to him.

She gave him the love he desired for many years.

He shook his head at her question. “No, I somehow managed to never encounter a Primal on my travels. A few times I seemed to have just barely missed them, judging by a town’s reaction to my arrival.” They were never happy to see him, always telling him to go, their problem had just been dealt with.

It was exhausting.

“What was your and Mikhail’s relationship like growing up? You two seemed rather close.” He turned his head to look at Kirsikka as one hand settled on her hand. Even with their nasty argument and split several years ago, they still seemed close despite that.

~~~

Tamsin frowned at the question. She didn’t want to talk too much about that relationship, but the truth serum still had a grip on her, so even if she outright refused to talk about it, she couldn’t quite do that.

But she was still willing to answer that question. “It’s been about four years since I escaped. I realized a few months into the relationship that things were bad, but…he was a baron. What he wanted, he got, and he didn’t want me to leave.” She sighed as she pushed back all the memories that were coming forth, not wishing to remember all of them right then.

Maybe one day she would be willing to tell him more of the story, or just in bits and pieces over time.

Wishing to change the subject, Tamsin directed a question back on Varick. “What were you like when you were younger? Do you even remember when you were young?” she teased with a poke at his chest.

 

[Lucyfer]

It was a shame Drazhan never met up with anyone else. Kirsikka couldn’t imagine their reaction being worse than Varick’s. Perhaps it would have done him good, to know if the others missed him, though it was no surprise he got poor greetings in the town. People never had liked Primals from the start, and after the initial destruction of Geot Draath, they definitely mistrusted them.

Even if it was obvious the monsters hadn’t gone away with the Primals.

She let Drazhan’s hand rest over hers as she answered, “Just friends, Drazhan,” just in case he was thinking of worrying about that, along with everything else. “When I started in the Ordo Sors, I didn’t grasp magic like the others. The way they used tools was foreign to me, and so what I had figured out on my own faded, and I struggled for years to use magic in the way they wanted me to.”

It didn’t work out well at all.

“The majority of my peers, naturally, took to disliking me, or using me to show they weren’t the worst at anything,” oh, the day it all clicked…that had been a glorious day, “Mikhail was one of the few who didn’t respond in that way. He even tried to help, though he didn’t figure it out, either,” she chuckled at the memory, “needless to say, when I figured things out, I didn’t exactly trust anyone else who wanted to be my friend.” Only those who had supported her from the outset, really.

~***~

Four years.

It made sense, with the amount of growth she’d shown, and her ability to communicate some of the damage it had left. Varick hummed as he took that information, and wouldn’t ask anything more about it. He knew that question had already been a lot, turning her mind back to such unpleasant things.

He wouldn’t force it from her under truth serum.

He didn’t need to know much, anyways. Only what she wanted to say.

He snorted at the query, and rolled his eyes up to the ceiling as he tried to think. He didn’t really remember much of a difference, though he knew there was one before Geot Draath had been destroyed. He’d never been called ‘jovial’, but he’d certainly been…happier.

“No one is going to tell you I was jovial at any point in my life,” he pointed out, “grim, serious, quiet. That’s who I’ve always been.” He supposed that was his core, “But, the few left alive who may remember me when I was younger, may say I was kinder when I was younger.” Plenty of that had gone away. “More…hm…willing to hope. I used to like monsters less. Strangely I like them more than most humans now.”

But his job was to hunt them.

That would remain true until he took his last breath.

 

[cleopat]

Drazhan chuckled lightly, not at all thinking of her and Mikhail in any sense beyond friendship. “If anything, maybe I should be worried about Malina,” he joked, although still flabbergasted by the fire mage’s truth revealed earlier.

He wondered if the woman’s crush twisted into something more vile when she saw Kirsikka with Dravon for so long.

But he listened to Kirsikka, listened as she explained the friendship between her and Mikhail. He gently squeezed her hand. “I’m glad you had him from the beginning. I can only imagine how hard it must’ve been to not only struggle with magic, but to be completely alone like that.”

When he was with the Primals, everyone truly treated each other like family. He had never been alone, until he was casted out like he was. Then loneliness was all he knew, except for an occasional fling here and there, until he met Sophia. After her death though, he embraced the loneliness once again until Kirsikka hired him to accompany her on a dangerous journey.

~~~

Tamsin wanted to argue that he wasn’t always so grim and serious, but how could she, when she only saw him smile as a result of a joke she made, or something she did?

She adjusted herself so her face lingered over his, her hair falling like a curtain around them. “I think you’re kind now. Maybe you’re not quite as willing to hope, you pessimist,” she teased, poking him on the tip of his nose, “but you’re certainly not as mean or grim as you want to believe.”

Of course she’d seen many sides of him by now, from their travels together, to their spending evenings together sharing thoughts and other activities. She was well aware of how serious he could be at times, but Tamsin also knew that the man was easily capable of laughing.

“And hopefully I’m one of the humans you like more than monsters, right?” Another gentle tease, as she already knew the answer. If you aren’t the monster he should be slaying.

 

[Lucyfer]

"She'd probably be the best hate fuck I could ever have," Kirsikka sighed, as if already regretting that couldn't be a thing. That was probably another reason she and Dravon lasted, loathed as she was to admit it. Not that Malina hadn't already translated a bit of that truth.

She did smile a bit at his sympathy, unnecessary though it was. "Not as hard as you probably think, but I've always needed little in that area." One or two people, that was all. "I still saw my father and wrote him letters. He was always encouraging."

Drazhan hadn't had that.

Hadn't had a mother, either.

"Does it bother you, thinking about…how or why you were given up to this fate?" A touch serious, but with how much he seemed to need attachment, she wondered if being rejected immediately at birth had gotten to him young.

~***~

Varick appreciated the way Tamsin stole his view. The scent carried in her hair was pleasant despite all the work she'd done that day, and his deep breath to sigh was all the more pleasant for that.

"I was kinder," but he wouldn't argue with her. He definitely wasn't trying to say he was without kindness. He still tried to work with people and help them. That wasn't done entirely out of duty.

He could be far more mean if he was just doing his job.

"I do like you better than monsters." He wasn't fucking a monster, although perhaps it could be argued…he didn't want to think about that. "But the jackalopes are hard to dislike." He didn't know if she knew what the were but it stirred a question. "Was that snake the only encounter with a monster you've had on the road?"

 

[cleopat]

Drazhan made a noise, as if both hating the idea and enjoying the idea of imagining the hate fuck between the two enemies.

Mostly hate, but there was some…intrigue.

But he didn’t focus on that thought. It was better not to. Instead, he focused on the question she asked him, one he never really gave much thought, not since he was much younger. He shrugged. “It’s one I thought about a lot when I was a child, and to some extent probably led me to leaving the Primals.”

It did cause him some pain, when he wondered too hard at why someone gave him up, but the other Primals did their best to tell their own stories to try and make him feel better.

“Nowadays it doesn’t bother me at all. I have a lot more in life to think and worry about,” he softly chuckled. Like Varick and his animosity towards Drazhan, despite the younger Primal desperate for some type of reconciliation, now that it was made clear Varick still held strong feelings for him.

~~~

Tamsin smiled at him as one hand gently traced over the tattoos that decorated one side of his face. “Jackalopes?” She had to wonder what Varick was like around those types of creatures, the ones that were small and cute, and no one really sought to kill. “I’ve only heard people describe them, but I’ve never seen one before.”

She would want to pet one, for sure.

She hummed in thought, trying to recall if she ever had an encounter quite like that snake. “That snake was the only close incident I remember. I do think I saw a selkie when I was younger, before I left Antalya.” But it wasn’t something she was ever sure about, though the sailors she gave a description to were all confident she saw a selkie.

“I wonder how many close encounters I’ve had without realizing.” It was something she could never truly know though, so it wasn’t something she obsessed over. And besides, now that she’s with a Primal, it wasn’t something she was worried about. “Wait, are selkies real?”

 

[Lucyfer]

Kirsikka definitely caught the noise Drazhan made and smirked a bit at it. Despite his own hatred, he was still a man, after all. No surprise there with how generally easy he was to turn on.

The only real surprise with him was that he seemed to want to be tied down by someone. Or maybe tied up. Hard to tell.

Kirsikka was somewhat glad that Drazhan had moved beyond worrying about why his parents gave him up. He was right, though. There were far more pressing things to worry about, though she was hardly thinking of his little longing for Varick’s approval.

Tamsin’s situation and Dravon’s situation pressed on her more. ‘I need to make a visit to Mont Pellinor.’ Before she took the potion, before she had to leave Mikhail’s domain to start traveling with the others for answers. That likely meant she’d have to sneak out that night.

At least by the morning the serum would be out of her system and she could dodge answers.

“I don’t want to worry about all of that right now,” she sighed, and that much was certainly true. That didn’t mean she wouldn’t. Only that she didn’t want to, and didn’t want Drazhan to dwell on it, either. “I suppose I shouldn’t be asking you how upset you’d be if I toyed with Malina,” and she wasn’t technically asking…but it was a better segue to less serious things, and he could answer if he wanted.

~***~

Varick did wonder if it had to do with Tamsin’s age, as to why she didn’t have more encounters. He also wondered, then, how the despoina knew to seek her out. He had plenty of questions, all, unlikely, to get any answers. “Mm, selkies are real,” he confirmed, “merpeople, nixie, nymphs, most of these are real. Mothman is not, however.” He wasn’t sure where stories of mothman came from.

And sadly, many were wanted dead, including jackalopes, all for various reasons. Farmers usually wanted jackalopes dead for eating away at their crops, just as any rabbit would. They were only a bit more harmful than a regular rabbit.

It was usually easy enough to capture it and move it somewhere else.

“Why would you doubt a selkie with everything else you’ve heard of and seen?” it was always a bit curious what people doubted. Was it because these were intelligent creatures? Or because they
could look human?

 

[cleopat]

Drazhan rose a brow a bit at Kirsikka’s suggestion, and with the truth serum still coursing through his body, he gave his exact thoughts on it. “Well, I suppose since you’re giving me a heads up, and I know you’re not serious about it, it would be a little funny.” He would rather they just not deal with Malina at all, but the history between the two mages was far deeper than between him and Malina.

“Though maybe not do it in front of Mikhail. Something tells me he may mind you messing with his sister.” Maybe it depended on how angry Malina got, but everything made her angry. She was a fire mage. She was hot headed. As hot headed as the redhead that sat next to him.

Drazhan moved his hand from where it currently rested to around her shoulders as he leaned in closer. Get more comfortable. “If you want to get all those worries off your mind, we could do something else.” He leaned his head on hers. “Doesn’t have to be anything…too heated, but it doesn’t have to involve words either.”

He knew Kirsikka still had her earlier reservations over intimacy, and he would respect them if she told him off, or pushed him away. But a Primal could still try until she told him no again, or until she surprised him with something else.

~~~

Tamsin was only excited to hear of all of the water-related creatures that were indeed real, and not merely stories she heard the sailors visiting her town tell. “I’ve heard so many stories of sailors seeing and encountering mermaids and sirens growing up, that I don’t even think I ever doubted their existence.” And then Varick revealed he had a siren friend, so why not the rest being real?

“I wasn’t really doubting selkies, but also I remember that day. I had been by the beach all day, and it had been hot, so by the evening, I wasn’t sure if what I was seeing was real or not. And I hadn’t seen one before so…I held on to my doubts over what was there.” But it was seemingly very possible that she saw the woman turn into a seal before going back out to sea.

“Hmm.” Tamsin rested her head on Varick’s shoulder, angling her head so she could still see his face. She didn’t want to change the subject, but she also knew the truth serum was still affecting them both, and she felt a little mischievous over what she could get Varick to tell her. Only good natured things. She knew not to try and dive too much into his past or his relationship with Drazhan.

“Do you think I have a nice ass?” She held a wide grin on her face as she asked. She was sure she knew the answer…but she was curious to hear what Varick would say under truth serum.

 

[Lucyfer]

Ah, truth serum. There were some benefits to it, when Kirsikka didn’t have to answer questions. Hearing Drazhan’s answer did make her chuckle. It would be funny for everyone except Malina – and probably Mikhail, though he might let her mess a little.

Malina deserved some of it, damnit! And it was better than freezing his sister to death. Besides, Malina liked being hot and bothered, given her penchant for fire.

Much as Drazhan enjoyed it.

As she could enjoy it. “Depends.” Kirsikka knew it wasn’t long until she had to take the potion. She knew she still wanted more intimacy with Drazhan, and as herself, it was just so damn hard to push the barriers sober.

She shifted a bit, taking his other, unoccupied hand in hers, and traced a finger around his wrist. “How do you feel about being tied up?” She didn’t look at him, but the smile on her lips suggested enough of her amusement at even asking – as much as the seriousness.

She never really got tired of playing. Or torturing.

~***~

Varick hummed, supposing he understood what it was Tamsin doubted. Memory, certainty. Under those circumstances, it made sense. And perhaps it still hadn’t been a selkie she’d seen. It didn’t much matter now – one day, she may meet one, and know for herself. They were shy creatures, generally, though.

It made sense, given their curse. Not the kind of curse he could break, either. It was just what they were.

He groaned as she asked about her ass. “Have I not already expressed my appreciation of it enough?” he rolled his eyes a bit, “Yes, I think you have a nice ass,” well, these were still better questions than what they could be.

The thought crossed his mind to turn it back on her, only for him to reconsider her. He knew she was attracted to him, and had pretty good ideas of what parts of him she liked. He didn’t want to seem needy, when he wasn’t. He also wasn’t sure he wanted to feel that awkwardness the compliments would invoke in him.

So, he let it be, “Do you want me to just start describing everything I like about you?” He probably walked himself into trouble there, but why not? It would make her feel good, and he didn’t really mean to hide it, or worry her with busty, brothel maids.

 

[cleopat]

Drazhan’s brows shot up, and his eyes widened at her question. He recalled her earlier comment towards Malina, about the shackles, but he hadn’t thought anything of it. Just some banter in the moment of not being able to think of anything else.

He looked down at their hands, watching as her fingers traced over his wrist. Damn the truth serum forcing the full truth from his mouth. “I’m usually the one doing the tying if it happens, but I suppose I have thought about also being the one tied up.” He certainly could see Kirsikka doing something like that.

There was a certain pleasure in imagining him dominating a woman like Kirsikka, but for her to be the one to top him…there was also a certain pleasure in that thought.

“Is that…is that something you’d want to do?” He swallowed as he asked, the hand draped over her shoulder drawing light circles. Oh she would just be so cruel if she was merely teasing him with those thoughts.

~~~

Tamsin could only laugh at his exasperation, knowing it was all good natured. And a woman always wanted to hear from her lover of how much her man loved her body. It may have been superficial, but it was nice to hear such words that she would reciprocate in a heartbeat.

She hummed at his question, one hand trailing over his chest absentmindedly. “I like that idea. I definitely wouldn’t complain about it.” And if he wanted the same from her, she wouldn’t object - with or without the truth serum.

She did wonder what all he would think of, and what all he would say, now that they were in private and she could think of even better questions to ask him without fear of embarrassing either of them. Maybe he would still get slightly annoyed by the questions, but she could think of ways to quickly placate him.

“And you better not hold back, or maybe I’ll just continue asking those questions.” So much of a tease as it was a serious threat. She was going to have fun with this, damnit!

 

[Lucyfer]

Drazhan’s answer didn’t much surprise her – perhaps, because Kirsikka knew her own type too well. She didn’t want someone who dropped to their knees easily, or just for anyone. She wanted those accustomed to power relinquishing it for her. To her. It was far sweeter that way. Of course, it had to go both ways.

Otherwise, it became boring.

She couldn’t help the twist of her lips as he asked if it was something she would like to do. “Yes,” she didn’t bother coating it in unnecessary floral language or obfuscating explanations. “But don’t worry, I like that you’re not experienced with it on the other side,” she shrugged his arm off from being around her, but not to gain distance.

Rather, she moved to straddle his lap, and wrap her arms around the back of his neck, “I want control this time,” he’d let her decide how far they went regardless, and she appreciated that much would likely be true regardless, but…well, this, she wanted to dictate, to feel out exactly how much touch she wanted. Or if she’d be the only one touching.

She leaned into him, “I want more intimacy, before I have to take that damn potion.” May as well let the truth flow. “Grant me control this time, and we’ll see how far it goes.” How nice she’d be. Or how cruel. She wouldn’t have been able to tell him how far – she didn’t know. Her mind was too fickle for that.

~***~

Tamsin’s answer wasn’t surprising at all, and he chuckled, and sat up – moving his arms so he could help her sit up as well, still near enough to basically be atop him. He’d keep one arm around her, as he let his fingers go to her hair first, “I like your hair. It’s soft, and it usually smells nice. It’s also such a warm, comforting hue.”

Some people thought brown was boring. Dull.

He found comfort in earthy tones like it. All of his best memories were usually surrounded by hues of brown.

“I like the contrast of the dark with the light, with your skin, and your eyes,” he let his hand go down to brush her cheek, “hair like trees, eyes like the ocean, it’s a blend that’s beautiful. I like the curve of your jaw,” he traced his finger down, “I like how small you are. I like the way it makes me feel larger than I usually feel.”

And he usually still felt quite large.

“It makes me feel powerful,” even if that was ridiculous, “I like your breasts,” what man didn’t? “they’re nice to hold, and the way they curve your form adds to your beauty. I like your waist for that, too – the way it marks that curve from chest to hips." He let his hand move over her side, down to rest on a hip, "The swell of your hips is pleasing, and I like how easy it is to leave marks there with my hands. I like how soft your legs are, and the muscles I can still feel there,” dancing no doubt helped that. “Your form is beautiful.”

 

[cleopat]

Drazhan was about to protest her movement, thinking she was about to move away from him, but much to his surprise, and pleasure, she didn’t - but rather straddled his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. Oh this was much nicer than their previous position.

He was flooded with nothing but her - the sight of her, the scent of her, the touch of her. Drazhan moved his hands to rest on the curve of her waist, wishing that her clothes were gone so he could feel the softness of her flesh.

His focus narrowed to the point where their bodies met, albeit still separated by annoying clothes, but he managed to make out what Kirsikka said. She wanted control for tonight, and how could he refuse when she asked so nicely? When it could be the one time they could become intimate before that potion changed her identity?

So he nodded, silent at first, before he cleared his throat, “Okay.” It would be new territory for him, to not be the one leading, but Drazhan was eager to experience what new pleasure it brought. “I’ll give you control tonight. I’ll do what you ask of me.”

Her scent overwhelmed his senses. He leaned forward the little distance left between them to press his lips against her in a chaste kiss. She had control, after all. “I’m yours.”

~~~

Tamsin made a noise of surprise when Varick moved them, but she was not at all unsatisfied with the new position. Before she could say anything, he began to list off the things he liked about her, her physical appearance, and she sat, and listened, as her heart swell with his words.

For once, Tamsin was stunned into silence, as she let his words linger in the air for a moment after he finished.

She moved to fully straddle his lap, and her hands rested on his shoulders. “I don’t think I’ve ever had someone be so poetic about my body before. Normally it’s just drunk men yelling ‘nice tits’ at me,” she scoffed. Her gaze softened as she looked into his unique eyes, before she leaned forward to press her lips against his in a soft kiss.

Pulling away, one hand moved to play with the hair resting on the nape of his neck. “I know you may be frustrated by your eyes some days, but I’ve liked them since the moment we met. They remind me of the color of the amber I used to find and collect near the shore back home.” Most just saw Primal when they looked at his eyes, but she was always reminded of home in the best ways.

She leaned forward again, her lips stopping just short over his, hovering for a second. “And I’ve always liked how big you felt, in every way.” There was a small smirk as she referenced more than just his stature and muscles. “I like feeling your muscles, and I like seeing what they can do when we’re out traveling in the wild.” Tamsin closed the miniscule gap, pressing her lips to his in a kiss that spilled her admiration and passion for him.

 

[Lucyfer]

Drazhan agreed readily. The struggle was obvious in the way he swallowed, and all the tension she felt in his body, but he tried.

That struggle would be the sweetest part, really, as she moved her hands to his, pushing down at his wrists to remove them, and draw back, and up, over his head, to pin them to the bed they were both near in one of her hands. He could break the grip, easily – though she conjured a rope of vine without a word as she leaned in enough to press against him and push him back.

“Follow all the rules, and I promise you’ll enjoy yourself,” depending on how much of a masochist he was, he might enjoy if he broke them – but she wasn’t intending harm so much as denial tonight.

This was still Mikhail’s home and she couldn’t have Drazhan screaming too loudly. Pitiful begging was good, though.

“The first is no touching, with anything,” of course, she followed that up by kissing him, not at all chaste, but deep, rolling her hips to bring herself up a little more. She was sure he’d get the hint that when she touched him, it was fine to reciprocate.

Until she changed that rule because he got a bit too, well, needy.

But until then…she’d enjoy devouring him, and let him know the sweet suffering he’d likely had some experience inflicting on others.

So long as he followed the rules, he’d end up quite sated.

~***~

Tamsin seemed to think his words poetic, which made him scoff. He wasn’t a poet. Maybe it was somewhat poetic to compare hair to something warm, or note the contrasts, but these were just visual facts to him. Completely objective, not at all poetic. Still, he didn’t protest what she thought of it.

Subjectivity was a part of the truth serum, so he knew, it wasn’t a lie to her.

Nor were her next words about him, and though they didn’t quite stir a flush, there was both a strange swell of both pride and embarrassment. He didn’t need her to reciprocate. He wasn’t asking for that.

And he hadn’t – she just did, with simple honesty.

Which made it all the more conflicting.

He accepted her lips, though, a slight grin pulling on his own both at the passion and the words. He squeezed her in a bit tighter, since she expressed liking his muscles.

Murmured, between breaths, “I like what they can do in privacy better,” and he’d use that to move her again, back to the bed so he could cover her with himself and feast, see if he could get her squealing before the night was over – see if truth serum squeals sounded any different than the normal ones.

Probably not, but…when would he have the chance to figure out how honest noises sounded?

 

[cleopat]

Drazhan never thought that torture would lead him straight to euphoria.

He obeyed Kirsikka’s cruel demands, even as his natural urge to let go, throw Kirsikka down on the bed and have his way with her clouded his mind. He naturally wanted to disobey her rules, but his curiosity to see what she would do, and his desire to finally be able to experience her fully won out.

And oh what a sweet defeat it was.

To finally see all of her, all of her soft curves, the mounds and valleys of her body, was worth relinquishing all control. Yes, it was torture that he couldn’t touch without permission, but he still recognized Kirsikka’s trepidation and respected her limits she imposed on him.

But what was tortuous above all was waking up alone in the bed, without the familiar warmth of her body nearby.

~~~

And squealed Tamsin did. Among other noises Varick always managed to draw from her. Truth serum or not, she never withheld noises from him. Not when he always made her feel like she was the only person that mattered.

And she always reciprocated when she could, desperate to help Varick experience a feminine softness and touch he rarely saw.

In their post-coitus haze, Tamsin laid tucked up against Varick’s body, as she listened to his steady heartbeat that always soothed her. “I wish we could just stay like this forever,” she murmured in exhaustion, the excitement of the day and the vigorous activities of the evening catching up to her body.

“No clothes, no worries,” she chuckled, tucking her head into the crook of his neck.

 

[Lucyfer]

It had been too long.

In so many ways, that made the experience all the more wonderful, but in others, all the worse. Drazhan proved willing enough to obey, but she saw his struggle and the pinpricks of defiance he didn't act upon. It only served to make her want him more – and draw it out more, as well, to see if he'd break before.

Because that, too, was a victory.

The best games were the ones she couldn't lose.

But eventually, Drazhan won his due, and Kirsikka quite enjoyed that shared victory, and those moments of rest alongside him, while they lasted.

Nothing good ever seemed to last for her.

Dravon surfaced in that annoying way, spiting her peace with the recollection of just how long it had been. 'Plenty more work yet.' Kirsikka found her way out of bed carefully, though thankfully Drazhan was out.

She crafted a portal after dressing lightly from the glass of her room in Mont Pellinor, and stepped out to find the mirror shattered and the room in shambles, unbeknownst to her from Varick's encounter there with Dravon.

She cursed under her breath, but let it be, to head towards the battlefield itself. The clues would be there, where Dravon fell, if there were any to be found.

~***~

Varick was pleased to discover the sounds weren't at all much different.

He was also pleased to discover that the truth serum had finally run its course, not that he was planning any lies. It wasn't pleasant all the same to be compelled to speak.

'So do I.' Though Varick knew they couldn't. The morning would come, he would have to confront that, but he did enjoy this. It was the one good thing about Mikhail's home – the room, the bed, the peace.

He understood why they used it.

They hadn't been disturbed once on these grounds.

"Mmmm. Someone would have to get up eventually for food." That tended to require clothes, though good food was worth that minor disturbance. Still, he let a laugh rumble through his chest, if not part his lips. "But no worries would be nice."

It wasn't their luck.

"When all of this is done, we'll have to take a proper vacation," he murmured. "The world certainly won't give us one for saving it." With any luck, the world would have no idea.

Even if they were traveling with a bard who might want to write such songs.

 

[cleopat]

Rience did not delay before beginning his search for Dravon’s answers, not with the promise of what his prizes could be in finding those answers. The rest of the day after their initial conversation in the bath house was uneventful, largely planning for how he could go about Dravon’s request, but at night, he portaled to the place where he violently perished, Mont Pellinor.

A desolate battlefield, where everyone save scavengers feared to venture to due to the stories and hauntings that lingered. Well, the hauntings were real, but Rience would love to see a mortal human find their way in the path of a headless horseman.

He found his way to where the ruins of the castle remain, some areas more intact than others. Nothing really remained, thanks to the scavengers. Rience thought he would be the only living being there that night, but his brows rose in mild surprise as he spotted a certain redheaded mage he was familiar with.

The woman that caused all this destruction.

“Well, I certainly didn’t expect anyone to be here tonight. I wouldn’t exactly call this weather a great night for a stroll.” The beginnings of winter lingered in the night air with a persistent cold chill. And all the spirits certainly ruined any chance for a peaceful stroll. “If I may ask, why is the criminal returning to the scene of the crime?”

~~~

Tamsin made a noise of protest when Varick mentioned someone would have to get up for food in their theoretical paradise. “Then that would be you, since you’re the logical one. I will keep the bed warm.” She didn’t think he would protest that idea.

“Do you have any ideas of a nice place for a vacation?” If they wanted one where no one could bother them, then it would certainly have to be isolated. “Maybe some island in the warmer climates.” Islands were normally less populated, and she was sure there was some offshore of Antalya that were completely desolate.

That sounded like paradise.

“When we take this vacation, we’ll just have to keep the food near the bed,” she said, slightly teasing, but also a little serious in her suggestion.

 

[Lucyfer]

Kirsikka also did not expect anyone to be there that night, and icicles immediately bloomed when she heard another voice. She didn’t exactly have any other friends who weren’t at Mikhail’s, after all. However, the icicles didn’t shoot at the target as she made out who he was, and scowled.

They didn’t vanish, either.

“Rience,” she greeted, more than a little cold. She knew why he was there without needing to ask. Dravon. Dravon had power over him in that bracelet he was forced to wear, which meant he was also looking for answers.

That was both good, and bad.

Dravon was offering favors for answers, after all.

“I think you know the answer to that. It’s the same reason someone with no affiliation is here, isn’t it?” She kept the icicles close as she approached, “we’re both looking for answers about Dravon’s state. You don’t know where to look, though,” she did, “and as soon as I cross outside the barrier of the fort, I’m fairly certain vengeful ghosts are going to annoy me.”

She didn’t know how to deal with ghosts. Reasons she should have brought Drazhan, or asked Drazhan, but this could be…convenient. “Why don’t we work together?”

~***~

Varick’s laugh rumbled low as Tamsin volunteered him to get out of the bed, “I would keep it warmer if I stayed,” he noted, which was factual, given both his size, and the heat his body put out. Not that he figured that line of arguing would work in this theoretical paradise. He’d come back and warm things up just as well.

As for ideas, he didn’t really have much. Some coast towns. Islands didn’t even enter into his thoughts. Crossing the ocean never appealed to him. He almost never took jobs off the mainland, even for sea creatures.

He let other Primals have those.

He liked the land.

“I know some nice coastal towns,” he mused, “never thought of an island. I try not to leave the continent much,” and he didn’t plan to change that. He might still go rarely – but he wasn’t going to make that a normal thing.

 

[cleopat]

Rience merely chuckled when the icicles formed, not at all phased by the silent threat. But it seemed to be less of a threat than more of a precaution, as Kirsikka admitted her problem, and stated his.

No, he didn’t know where to look, and it sounded like she did. And he was sure he could deal with some vengeful ghosts, while it sounded like she couldn’t. Maybe he could deal with working with Kirsikka in order to achieve this similar goal.

“Alright, let’s work together,” he said with a shrug of his shoulders. Maybe with Kirsikka helping him, they would be guaranteed to find an answer. Or find one faster, which meant getting the damn bracelet off faster, and hearing where Mikhail lived these days.

Of course, Rience recalled Kirsikka being good friends with Mikhail back in the day, but was that friendship still active? Would she know where he lived? Or maybe she would be suspicious as to why he wanted to know. He would leave that question silent for now.

He did ask, “I’m curious, why are you seeking answers for Dravon? Is it that remaining love for your old flame when he asked for your help?”

~~~

Tamsin hummed as Varick suggested he should be the one to stay in bed. It made sense, Tamsin was so much smaller that she didn’t nearly put off as much heat. “You’ll just think of creative ways to warm it right back up.” He was really good at that.

He gave off the perfect amount of heat as they laid there in the glow of their heated evening. He was perfect as the nights grew colder.

“Coastal towns would be nice,” she agreed, though curious as to why he didn’t like to leave the continent. “I haven’t actually really been to any islands, only because I haven’t had the opportunity.” Maybe one day, to experience their local food and whatever they had to offer.

“Why do you try not to leave the continent much? Are you afraid of boats?” she teased, lightly poking him in his chest. “Or is it water you’re afraid of? That a siren will steal you away?” All was said in jest, as she knew he must have his reasons for not leaving the continent.

 

[Lucyfer]

Rience was practical.

It was, perhaps, the single reason Dravon had spared him, years and years ago. Kirsikka heard plenty of rationalizing that decision over the years. Not enough to remove the icicles all together. She still knew what Rience was, and she’d be a fool to think he might not take advantage of a situation to get rid of her.

But she wouldn’t actively threaten him as he agreed to work with her, and she turned away from him to lead out beyond the fortification’s walls, aware that they wouldn’t likely get far before finding themselves hindered.

His question was a bit of a surprise. ‘What does it matter to you?’ She wanted to ignore it. She didn’t need to justify herself to Rience. “Love isn’t something that dies,” it was answer enough. She was still stupidly devoted in her way. Perhaps she was working on moving on, but that didn’t destroy the affection she still held for the man who had done so much for her.

“He’s offered you a boon, though, hasn’t he? Is he finally going to remove that bracelet?”

Outside the fort Kirsikka stepped, half expecting the response of vengeful ghosts to be immediate.

It wasn’t, but the chill certainly cut like a knife.

It was uncomfortable, even for her.

~***~

Yes, Varick knew he would.

Of course, it was all hypothetical. They would never, truly, stay in a bed so long. He doubted it, anyways, but it was fun to imagine a day where they did just lounge around. Even on vacation, he doubted he’d stay put that long.

Doubted Tamsin would, too.

It seemed she hadn’t ever really left the continent either to any of the islands, though her reasons were just opportunity based, which was fair. There weren’t many ships off the continent, either. Varick lifted his shoulders in a bit of a shrug, rolled onto his back and looked up at the ceiling.

He had opportunity.

“Someone has to stay here to monitor things. This is where we’re from,” Primals, “and I’m the leader. I have to remain behind.” Even if that wasn’t the case…, “but to be honest, there’s not much out there for me.” The other lands were less accepting of what he was, less understanding, without the history of Primals being present.

It wasn’t enjoyable. There wasn’t escape out there as some Primals thought.

 

[cleopat]

Rience wanted to scoff at her answer. Love doesn’t die? Sounded like something out of a child’s fairytale. He didn’t even believe that love existed. Passion was real. Obsession. Lust. But love? He had yet to experience it, which was a major motivation in his belief.

But he would let Kirsikka continue to believe that she helped out of love and not anything more.

When she asked him about the bracelet, he hummed. “Yes, he will, among giving me something else I want. Nothing of great importance, just sentimental.” He wouldn’t answer her if she pried him about what that sentimental thing was. She just may protest, and he wanted to stay on fairly good terms with her until they found the answer to the current great mystery.

They stepped outside, and Rience thought to place a shield around them to block out the ghosts. He murmured a spell for the both of them, and a shield surrounded each of them, transparent with the slightest tint of red. “That should keep any ghosts out until we reach our destination.”

The cold hardly phased him, but he wouldn’t get lazy in a cursed graveyard.

~~~

Tamsin frowned at Varick’s answer. It was so…sad. He deserved a better life, and she yearned for him to see that, but he had too many responsibilities as the leader of a group that were under constant threat. The constant prejudice.

“Well then, I guess I’ll just have to make sure it’s my job that you do get that vacation you so greatly deserve. Away from people. Maybe not away from monsters, as we can’t help that, but somewhere that’s more peaceful than the lands we travel through.” But where was that?

Small, coastal towns were a good start.

“And I’ll make sure you get actual rest on this vacation.” She gently poked his nose as she said that. “But for now, we should get some of that rest, even if it’s not as great as one would be on vacation.” She settled back next to him, one arm wrapped around his torso as her head rested on his chest. “And tomorrow, I’ll see about Malina or Mikhail training me for at least one session. As promised.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Kirsikka wasn’t surprised. Rience could be easily bought. If she ever wanted a favor, she just had to promise to remove the bracelet…but that wasn’t something she was willing to barter. Putting the curse back on the bracelet was a viable threat, and who would remove that? ‘Someone who doesn’t have to worry about threatening him.’

Dravon.

She paused as she heard Rience murmuring, and noted the shield that went up, with the red tinge. She didn’t like that, but she accepted it would work. There was something to be said about blood magic when it came to dealing with, well, humans – in any form, living or dead.

Strangely, the hoards of ghosts didn’t amass towards them as Kirsikka walked the path she knew, though had never walked, to where Dravon fell.

They didn’t quite get there before they were intercepted by heavy hooves, and the familiar armor of General Arias – sans his head. In her fury, Kirsikka had indeed beheaded him with ice, the same way he’d beheaded Dravon. Despite having no head, it clearly knew they were there, as it made a dash at them.

Kirsikka still ducked despite the shield, and the ghost’s sword bounced off the shield – but Kirsikka had no idea if it would continue to do that, or if it could break the shield.

“You missed, Arias. Maybe you ought to go find your head. I wonder where it is?” Long gone, if she knew her fury.

She didn’t know how to keep her damn mouth shut, but that was nothing new.

~***~

No, there’d be no escaping monsters, anymore than there would be escaping animals. And, likely, not people, either. Some weren’t terrible. Tamsin was one clear example of that. “Rest would be enough,” he said, “the rest would just be extras.”

Unnecessary, and too much to ask for.

But at least Tamsin was willing to look into training with Mikhail and Malina in the morning. He gave a relieved sigh at that, “Thank you,” he hoped they would do better than Kirsikka. He hoped she would learn more.

Varick didn’t want her training with Kirsikka to continue.

Varick wrapped his arms around her, “I’ll rest well enough knowing this,” he murmured, “good night, Tamsin.” In the morning, he’d see to her new training.

 

[cleopat]

Rience followed Kirsikka further into the expanse graveyard, near to the point where he assumed Dravon perished. Kirsikka would know better than anyone.

But they weren’t alone for long, and soon they were intercepted by a soldier riding a horse, sans head. Rience wasn’t overly concerned for the moment of its threat, but when Kirsikka taunted the ghost, he gave her a vicious glare.

“Quiet, woman,” Rience hissed at Kirsikka. “The shields will last us through several strong strikes, but they can break. I’ll be able to resummon the shields, but we’ll have a few seconds of complete vulnerability to this headless horseman.” They would have to avoid him while he murmured the spell for the shields again.

“Focus less on needless taunts and more on getting us to our location.” If working with Kirsikka maimed him in some way, he will be beyond pissed.

~~~

They woke early the next morning to a breakfast cooked by Mikhail that smelled heavenly. Tamsin made no hesitation to drag Varick out of the room soon after they dressed, and while eating, she asked Mikhail if he could try and teach her a bit more about magic.

He didn’t even question why she wanted to see if someone else would teach her. He held the same thoughts about Varick regarding her training in all honesty. “After watching that session yesterday, I don’t know if I would be the right teacher for you. Given her own difficulties when she first studied magic, Malina may be a better match for you.”

Drazhan and Malina soon joined them, though Drazhan was noticeably without Kirsikka, and Tamsin would compare his expression to one of a kicked puppy.

Had something happened to Kirsikka?

She didn’t think about that for too much longer, not when Malina agreed to give Tamsin a lesson after she had her share of food. The moment she finished, she instructed Tamsin to follow her outside, which the bard readily did so.

She still didn’t know what to make of the fire mage after the previous night and the confessions that came forth. But she was still Mikhail’s sister, and he obviously held great love and affection for her. Malina wouldn’t kill her.

Maybe.

 

[Lucyfer]

‘Excuse you?’ Ah yes, the reason why she and Rience didn’t get along. Their tempers did not compliment each other, and she was very tempted to make the taunting worse to fuck with Rience, but she understood that wasn’t wise for any of them. “You can’t get rid of it?” she had really hoped he could.

“Do you have any idea—ugh, never mind!” it was going to be difficult dealing with a ghost on a horse, and getting where they needed to be. Let alone examining the area! She ducked under the next swing, enough so that it didn’t even connect with the shield, and sprinted.

Not that she, or Rience, could outrun a horse.

She could just hope Rience would throw up more barriers, or she’d figure out how he was doing it in the first place and learn to mimic it without the tedious words. She’d never been allowed to study much blood magic, for no doubt good reasons – but right now it would have been useful!

“There!” Kirsikka finally called, pointing ahead at the only patch of grass that was, well, alive.

Even in her fury, she had spared the place where Dravon fell. The ice went around his body, and curiously, corpse flowers grew, but they were devoid of their bright red color. They were white, and their petals folded in strange shapes.

‘I hope you can throw up a larger shield so we can actually look at this.’

General Arias was hardly giving them space.

~***~

Varick was dragged out, but he did not eat. He was still wary of any food from the mages, even if Tamsin ate freely and seemed not to be put under another spell. It wouldn’t be until others began to awaken and eat that Varick tried a bit.

Malina, it seemed, would be the one to teach Tamsin.

Varick wouldn’t complain; it was better than Kirsikka who wasn’t there. ‘Potion making?’ Not by the way Drazhan looked like a kicked dog. Varick wouldn’t ask. He didn’t want to talk to Drazhan, plus, Tamsin was leaving the area, so he followed dutifully outside to make sure this went better than Kirsikka’s training.

It couldn’t go worse, could it?

He found a place to lean against the cottage to watch, eyes as sharp and attentive as ever, prepared to interject if needed when the training began.

 

[cleopat]

Rience scowled at what he thought was such an asinine question. If I could get rid of it, I would. He didn’t fancy hanging out with the horseman all night either. “I’m already regretting this partnership,” he mumbled, but still he followed her, dodging and ducking attacks on the shield as needed.

It may be able to handle the attacks, but since the barrier wasn’t infinite, he didn’t want it to be constantly weakening.

Well, he did have one idea in mind that wouldn’t permanently incapacitate him, but long enough for them to hopefully find their answers and get out.

When she called out, Rience looked over his shoulder to where she pointed. The area of his death was obvious, by how different it was to the surrounding field. A small patch of corpse flowers, white instead of red. Interesting.

He turned back to the spirit and uttered a spell under his breath. Immediately, the horseman froze in its position, as if it was just a mere statue. He turned back toward Kirsikka and made his way over to her, the barrier still up. “Let’s hurry. I don’t want to risk it unfreezing when we’re still looking at the ground.”

~~~

Once outside, Malina instructed Tamsin to stand several feet away from her, and she complied. “So Kirsikka taught you how to conjure your magic using fear and panic?” Oh, she heard all about the training session from Mikhail. Tamsin only nodded, and Malina scoffed.

Naturally she would disapprove of how Kirsikka handled things.

“While it can be useful in some situations, that method is far more successful at causing injury and death to inexperienced learners.” Like Tamsin. If one relied on panicking while being attacked in order to understand how to summon a spell, then they could fuck up big time.

“The way I mastered my magic was by focusing on my passion to create energy, in a way. My inner rage, my love, my desire. You’re a bard, you should be well familiar with those emotions.” Tamsin nodded and agreed. “It may be hard to immediately conjure up those feelings in the beginning, but with practice, you will learn all the ways you should feel in order to create your magic.”

Of course there was also the fact that Tamsin’s power came to her differently than most mages. Alterations in technique may be required, but Malina would experiment first to see how to change things around. She couldn’t allow Kirsikka to be the only one able to teach her.

In the beginning, Tamsin utilized what she picked up from Kirsikka, as well as what Malina explained to her, in order to practice a few basic spells, creating a barrier, and creating a bolt of that familiar purple-tinted magical energy.

“Alright, good. Now I’m going to attack you, and you’re going to continue throwing up those shields, while trying to attack me as well.” Without a second to rest, Malina threw out the first ball of fire, which Tamsin panicked at without thought and jumped out of its way instead of trying to create a barrier.

The second one, she was more prepared and created the barrier. This continued on for a few more minutes, without any attempt at trying to throw something back at Malina. After she sent the latest burst of fire, Tamsin waited until the fire made contact with her barrier, then she immediately attempted to send a burst of that magical energy towards the fire mage. She could feel it building in her body, but the first cast attempt failed, and in her failure, she wasn’t prepared for the next wave of fire hurled her way.

Tamsin tried to jump out of the way, but the fire licked her arm, immediately singing parts of her sleeve in the process.

 

[Lucyfer]

Delay was not in Kirsikka’s mind, though she nodded her approval of Rience’s method and hurried the rest of the way to the flowers. She knelt down in the dirt, which looked as if it had been well nourished despite everything around it. ‘Well, it had a body to feed it.’ No, it shouldn’t have devoured the body that quickly.

Nor should these flowers be here.

Or Dravon alive.

That was the mystery of it all, and she placed her hand on the ground, before pulling out one of her mirrors. She shattered it without a second thought, knowing she could repair it later, and let the shards move to surround the area, focusing intent on recalling events.

The past flickered in the light of the moon upon the mirrors, forming up a history of ghosts as it wound back under Kirsikka’s silent direction. Of course, it could only track what the moon had beheld, rather than daylight, but that was fine by Kirsikka. It happened at night. At least, some of it.

The flowers had bloomed red upon the blood. It was hard to tell how long after his death it was, his body was preserved by the chill of the air, even if he was not upon the dead fields. The corpses were still apparent around him. The flowers seemed to have created a web above his corpse, petals entangling in the flowers around them, until all of a sudden – they were white.

There was only a rustling of wind, an action the mirrors could not capture of a soul being caught, and then they were white, and they bent their heavy heads down to the body. The head was reattached with those fragile petals but life did not come into the corpse. It seemed to somehow empty it further, as if that were possible.

He became less tangible under the ministrations, and even less so when one of the flower’s heads dropped off the stem, and just…sank into Dravon’s chest. As if he had a hole there. ‘Is it controlling him? Did it simply give him life? What is that damn flower—’

No time to ponder longer. The sound of the horse’s fury awoke her to the renewed threat and she pulled one of the flowers up for further study, only to watch it die as soon as it was uprooted.

No matter – she pulled a second with plenty of soil around the roots and saw the same happen. “You son of a bit—” she channeled magic into the third, to keep it alive – and watched her hand pulled into the ground, felt her magic pulled out like in Pomachion. The mirror shards fell from where they hovered.

~***~

Varick remained in the background, observing. He preferred Malina’s methods. Tamsin seemed to grasp conjuring her magic without the need of fear or panic, and he wouldn’t at all grant Kirsikka any accolades for perhaps getting Tamsin used to how it felt to summon magic. Not when Malina seemed to succeed where Kirsikka couldn’t, not only getting Tamsin to summon magic, but shape it to her will.

That did relax him significantly.

He didn’t leave, though he grew bored watching the tedious training. He had nowhere to be, so he just had to watch Tamsin as the minutes were drawn out. It gradually moved into combat – somewhat. He watched as Tamsin deflected the blows with her shields – until she didn’t.

He pushed away from the cottage as the flames sparked around her arm, “Tamsin?” panic, worry – and an angry glance at Malina, even though she’d been doing so well. It only took one fuck-up to take Tamsin’s life, after all. He didn’t abide fuck-ups. "Are you okay?"