[cadmus-pryor]

ofthes:

“scars on the palm of their hand?” theseus questioned with a slight lift of his brows. “that’s hardly attractive.” he leaned over quite easily, now slumping over a bit to fold his arms over the table and rest his heavy head on top of them. he didn’t feel sick yet but theseus was trying desperately to keep his eyes from closing. “well, you’ve hardly drank,” he chuckled as he sat up a bit. “it’s quite un-bergian to leave a bottle nearly full, duke.”

“Who are we to judge the sexual interests of strangers,” he shrugged. There wasn’t a whole lot he could say in that department as he tended not to care much about what was going on with others. His eyes moved toward the alcohol and he nodded. “So it would seem, but I am hardly a typical Bergian. Someone needs to ensure you don’t fall asleep here.”

[cadmus-pryor]

ramsdenreeve‌:

“Precisely. Now, if there’s anyway I could escort you, I would be glad to do so — but I don’t think the forge is a place for a surgeon like yourself to be.”

“That would be most kind of you. I am less familiar with this country than I would like to be, particularly the market here. Would you be able to assist me, at least for a short time? I could pay you for the trouble.”

[cadmus-pryor]

ofthes‌:

“the healers say it won’t leave much of a scar when they’re done with it,” theseus said as he drew his hand away. “thankfully it didn’t need stitches.” as soon as he finished his bottle, he finally had enough alcohol in his system to feel inebriated. he swayed a bit in his seat, nearly falling against the gentleman on his left who was already hunched over the table snoozing. “i think that will be enough alcohol for me,” he sighed. “i may have overdone it.”

“How disappointing.” He teased, “There are so many men who enjoy scars on their partners.” Cadmus was only among those if he was the one who had inflicted the injures. Something about seeing the scars caused by others made him possessive. Chuckling, he took the boy’s hand and gently pulled him back toward their table. “It appears so. How about we find you somewhere a bit safer to sleep?”

[cadmus-pryor]

ramsdenreeve‌:

“Then I would surely hope these patients are in fine hands with their surgeon away,” Ramsden says, sneering just a bit. “Knights such as myself can only do so much to protect and save the people. In some respects, your ilk are the last line of defense from harm.”

“The best.” He made no secret that he considered himself a top notch surgeon. The fact that a good deal of his patients ended up in more pain than was strictly necessary was irrelevant. They lived. “If you are good, the people needn’t come to see me at all.”

[cadmus-pryor]

oxthsworn :

     It had been weeks… Nearly months since his vision had been claimed by the manticores. Being left in the dark… He knew that that it would have broken most men, and it had nearly broken him, but there had been too much support, too much encouragement to keep going, for him to even consider anything but exactly that. So he’d trained, in the darkness of the Labyrinth with Mercury, with the knights of the nations. With his fellow Witchers. He didn’t allow himself a moment for the darkness to claim him, and had no intentions of allowing it any reprieve. But he denied himself Valtolia whilst he was training. Couldn’t allow his kingdom to see him broken and beaten.

     And finally, he was home. Maybe not quite the man he had been, but… More than he had been after the incident, that was for sure. Enough that he allowed himself to show off a little. Or, rather, put some knights in their places. Just those he’d caught muttering as he passed. Questioning what use a Witcher with no eyes was. A few minutes later the knight was wheezing ont he floor, and Sulvan had a smile on that he hadn’t worn in too long.

       “Would anybody else like to try their luck?”

Cadmus would be returning to Bergia soon and he was grateful for that. Since the attack, he had been in Valtolia working with the country’s doctors to treat as many as possible. Going home meant cold weather, monsters, and a people who were wary of outsiders: perfect. He would also be returning to his office and his patients and, most importantly, his fun. Spending weeks upon weeks having to play the good doctor had taken its toll on him and he was itching to slide someone apart. However, he would not. This was a foreign country and he knew that doing something improper would cause serious trouble.

Instead, he had taken up the hobby of watching others be torn apart by swords. One particular encounter caught his eye as he moved through the city. It appeared to be a knight and another man, although he was a bit unsure as to the man’s occupation. Considering how well he fought even- did he not have eyes? Well, that was certainly the most interesting thing he had seen in a very long time.

Watching more closely, he placed a hand over his mouth to keep his laughter from become too obvious. “How many have you proven your skills against?” he asked, having no intention of fighting this man. It had been almost two decades since he had properly trained with any blade longer than a scalpel.

[cadmus-pryor]

magisterofworth‌:

He thought on the question for a moment, hands behind his back, before saying, “it must be fifteen years, now, I think. My eldest was five or six when I had the appointment.” He glanced to say more when a young boy came rushing down the hall. he was dressed in fairly fine clothes, but were soiled from what was clearly a romp in the garden.

Mael nearly didn’t notice the pair of men, stopping just short of running headlong into Cadmus. Briefly embarrassed, the boy made a bow, “papa, I found another one!” Hector raised a brow as his son proudly presented a moderate sized stick, perfectly straight and devoid of gnarls or knots.

“Yes, you did, Mael.“ He took the stick from his son and gave a playful courtly bow. “I shall see it fashioned into a wand fitting your power, High Mage Mael.“ The boy hugged his father before running off, only in time for Hector to realize he hadn’t introduced Cadmus. “Children… so so much energy. I often wonder if I ever had so much.“

“So long,” he replied, a bit surprised. The people who had held positions for a long time in Bergia tended to be more...grumpy was the polite word he decided to use. Seeing one who had served for many years and still have the ability to smile was somewhat refreshing. His attention was on the pattering of small feet the moment the young boy came running toward them.

How long had it been since the princes were that small? Cadmus decided not to think about it. He would only end up feeling old. Put simply, he wasn’t used to dealing with children anymore and this one was excited about something. Confusion settled on his face as the stick was presented to his companion. “Were you looking for straight sticks?” he asked.

As soon as the other man began speaking, Cadmus nodded to himself in understanding. Once the child was gone, he spoke again. “Most likely yes. Your child dreams of being a mage?” He decided not to mention how impossible that was. That power came at birth.

[cadmus-pryor]

vrsamage:

rogan gave a simple nod, falling into step alongside the other. Mentally, he was starting to create a map of the area, making sure to memorize the route to this bath house so that he wouldn’t have to toss coin at strangers to get there. “——high mage mul’rogan, advisor to the sollian court,” he replied curtly. “so no nonsense. i am not the type to hold a grudge, but I WILL KNOWif you’re trying to lead me somewhere… . .undesireable.”

Of course he ended up dealing with a mage. Cadmus had a mixed opinion of those who wielded magic. They were useful but also too unpredictable. He distinctly hated the fact that each kingdom had some. “Welcome to Bergia,” he drawled, half sarcastic. The country was normal to him, nothing to be excited about, but he also knew he needed to be polite to a foreign dignitary. Why couldn’t this man have just been some minor noble. “I’m sure you will,” he continued, turning down another street. “But I am not. Whether or not you believe me is up to you. What brings you to Bergia?”

[cadmus-pryor]

things had eased up since the manticore attack, the people had healed and the heat from other kingdoms was slowly dying down slowly but surely. with the worst out of the way, the queen could finally relax and enjoy the luxuries of being queen. he’d had the best oils brought to the royal palace to help prevent wrinkles from all the stress he’d gone through. it was a late evening and the queen was hosting a variety of valtolian nobles at a magnificent supper. 

music was playing, people were eating and drinking - people dancing and being courted, the queen could return to his focus of courting his children and finding suitable men for each of them. sitting on his throne, sipping the rich valtolian wine from a silver goblet - somebody approached and bowed before aurora. “how may i help you?” he cocked a brow, curious what somebody might want in the middle of the celebration.

Being in Valtolia wasn’t exactly a bad thing, although the duke would have much preferred being back home in Bergia. The throng of nobles enjoying the festivities was more of an annoyance than anything else. Their constant voices grated on his nerves, but he comforted himself with the fact that he had a job to do. In the wake of the attack, many doctors had come together in order to treat those who had been wounded. His task was to make sure his services were no longer necessary among the various kingdoms before he could go home.

The quickest way for him to do that would be to speak directly to the queen. Standing before the throne, he gave a bow. “I came only to ask if you physicians were available and if they would like any more assistance before I return to Bergia.”

[cadmus-pryor]

magisterofworth:

“I am the Master of Law,“ he said as they walked the corridors, as if that statement alone explained why he had time enough to host a foreign dignitary. In truth, he was kept quite busy. But most of the mundane affairs of his position were handled by a small army of bureaucrats. All of whom were terrified he would make them vanish in the middle of the night. Obviously the only one he’ ever had to do away with had been a traitor… but the rest of his minions need not know that.

“I have much to do, but not so much that I cannot enjoy the luxuries of my station and the joys of heading a beautiful family.“

Those in a king’s inner circle, Cadmus had discovered, were both awash in time and yet always busy. He wondered at times how they did it. Perhaps a bit like himself. Patients would never end, but without any time to travel or speak with those who didn’t outright need something from him, he would go mad. Maybe he would have the same experience if he had been more likely to speak than slice another person. There was no point in thinking of a life he did not have. “How long have you held that position?” 

He continued through the halls, taking in the decorations on the walls and stealing small glances into each room they passed, curious about how those in other countries lived compared to his own. “You are lucky to have children.” 

[cadmus-pryor]

ramsdenreeve‌:

“I’m loyal to my king. Even if I wanted to leave, I know I cannot. I need to be ready for battle at any moment — and that’s not to mention my duties protecting himself, his queen, his princes. They’re all my responsibility. Do you have responsibility as that, Cadmus?”

“I would expect nothing less from a knight,” he mused, watching the other man. A knight was meant to be loyal and to serve the kingdom in which he lived. “I have my own duties at home,” he answered, “patients and such rather than people to protect.”

[cadmus-pryor]

magisterofworth:

“I would more than gladly play you again some day, Cadmus.“ But for now he wanted wine. He raised a hand and snapped, causing a servant to rush to his side. He instructed the young man to fetch one of the better bottles in the cellar. The servant rushed away and Hector stood, hands behind his back and a pleasant smile on his face.

“Shall we retire to the garden?“ His home was large, and had many distractions for a bore noble. It was useful when ones wife was so dependent on you. He liked being able to provide Cosette the means to entertain people while Hector himself was out working the affairs of state. It also helped when you had five gods damned sons running around making a nuisance of themselves.

His eyes followed the servant who scurried over and then away at the order for wine. Yes, that sounded perfectly good. It had been a while since he had been able to drink something foreign. Alcohol wasn’t one of his usual pass-times, but for social situations, he was perfectly content to indulge. “Lead on,” he replied, standing and waiting for the other man. 

Having a large home that people made use of was nothing new. What he did find interesting was the willingness to allow strangers inside. Bergia was, to put it kindly, distrustful of those not born within her borders. “How often are you free to play such games?” His own time was taken up sporadically and yet predictably by those who needed some sort of treatment. 

[cadmus-pryor]

ofthes:

“i’m fine for another drink,” theseus insisted as he poured the last of the bottle into his and cadmus’ glasses. then, his gaze fell unto the cut across his palm that the healers hadn’t been able to stitch together completely. the mark was supposed to be gone in a few weeks but right now it made an unsightly blemish on the noble’s hand. “no, i wasn’t very careful with a dagger,” he lied, not wanting to divulge much information about his encounter with the argian necromancer. “it didn’t cut too deep.” he showed the other male his wound, opening ring-donned fingers.

“Good, I would have been disappointed if you were bowing out already.” Cadmus gladly took his refilled glass, bringing the wine to his lips. His eyes continued to move across the cut, interested in the story behind it. “Hm,” he mused, more or less sure the boy wasn’t being completely truthful. “You’ll have to be more careful in the future. It must have been a fine dagger to leave a mark like that.” Reaching over, he traced his finger along the wound, mapping it in his mind for later. 

[cadmus-pryor]

ramsdenreeve:

“As long as you’re aware of the dangers of curiosity, then I don’t suppose we’ll have a problem,” Ramsden said, returning his focus to the work at hand. “So, Bergia… what’s that place like these days? Can’t say I’ve been there in quite a spell. My matters in Valtolia keep me very busy.”

“More than aware,” he shrugged. Out of everything he had done as a child, being curious had gotten him into the most consistent trouble and generally fueled his more destructive actions. “Cold and full of monsters, human and otherwise. What sort of matters keep you here?” 

[cadmus-pryor]

vrsamage:

rogan nodded at that, releasing his grip on the other’s forearm as he brought his hands back into the warmth of his heavy cloak. he pulled the fur-lined fabric a bit tighter to his large frame as a particularly sharp breeze blew through. “point me in the direction of such a place and i can make it worth your while,” he offered. rogan had no problem throwing money at problems like this. being particularly frugal with his own funds meant that he typically had a bit of coin to throw around. and as he pulled the black leather pouch from within his cloak, he did just that and tossed it to the other man. it was heavy despite it’s small size and the clinking of gold coins could be heard inside. “lead me there yourself and i’ll double that when we arrive.”

Cadmus did not need money. If there were things he needed, he simply got them without much concern for coin. Thankfully, what he wanted was generally cheap or necessary, well, aside from his clothing. He certainly liked the finer things in that regard. Staring at the other them, he caught the pouch and set it into his pocket. A bit of money separate from his family would be nice. “Fair enough,” he replied, fighting to the urge to roll his eyes at the man. “Follow me. There is a good bath house close by. Who, might I ask, do I have the pleasure of escorting today?” 

[cadmus-pryor]

ofthes‌:

“you’re joking, aren’t you? your brother is the king of bergia himself,” theseus chuckled. “extremely naive, yes, but his innocence is something to be envied, as well.” he would never understand helenus overly idealistic views of love, marriage, and life but he could appreciate it to some extent. after a while, the boy grew sleepy, and he rubbed his eyes with closed fists like a child trying to stay awake. “have you drank enough to satisfy?” he asked the duke, a hand reaching for the nearly empty bottle of wine now. he hadn’t used his left hand yet but now the healing gash on his palm was visible now, still a bit tender from the magic.

“I could be, or perhaps I’m not.” It was only because of his family that the truth was hidden and rumors had taken their place. In a way, the rumors were preferable to the truth, at least, that had been the theory of his parents. Now, he was unsure if he had gotten better and not letting his family see what he was or had simply calmed as he had grown older. “He is rather cute...” Cadmus mused, thinking about how much he wanted to do to the boy, family relations be damned. Chuckled, he pushed the bottle closer to Theseus. “I could continue, although you look as though you might not be able to join me.” His eyes fell on the gash and he raised a brow. “From the attack?”

[cadmus-pryor]

ramsdenreeve‌:

“No, I suppose they’re not,” Ramsden responds curtly. “What is a surgeon like yourself doing in the forge? Have they run out of blades to cut into flesh with?” he continues, admittedly curious about Cadmus’ presence beside him. “If you’ve got knife that needs sharpening, I reckon I could handle it for you — unless there’s something else you need.”

“Exploring,” he answered simply. Cadmus had no real reason to be inside the forge aside from his own curiosity. “And I have an affinity for knives.” While he could say the interest was only professional- knives were useful after all- he wanted them to do more harm than healing.

[lawsofhedonism-deactivated20210]

“You cheated,“ he said as he knocked over the final piece of his side of the board. Hector wasn’t upset, of course. He was impressed. He prided himself on being able to spot problems and flaws, yet his opponent at dragon chess had managed to rearrange things without him realizing. Not until it was too late, of course. He grinned, leaning back, “I suppose that means I’m buying the drinks tonight, yes?“

Say what you will about Hector, he was a gracious loser. Able to appreciate a well executed strategy. He’s just have to be more watchful during their next game.

[cadmus-pryor]

Cadmus enjoyed games, but more than that, he enjoyed winning. Most of his young life had been spent doing things he wasn’t meant to and then working to make sure no one notices. “Is it cheating if the game ends before the opponent notices?” he chuckled softly, seeing nothing wrong with what he had done. If his playing partner did not see the rearrangement, then, to him, there was nothing wrong. “That was the deal,” he continued, staring at the finished board. “I will say you are skilled,” the surgeon mused, “It has been a long time since I was able to play against someone with more than half a mind for the game.” 

During their next game, and the duke certainly hoped there would be one, he would try a different tactic. The same thing should not work twice and he wanted to keep his own mind thinking of new strategies, even if they weren’t entirely based within the rules.