The Lord of Demons

Varamadras Itaul Lord of the Demons, Black Dragon Magician, and leader of the DracoMancers

[varamadrasitaul]

Boyfriends and Hairdoes || Marius & Varamadras

[varamadrasitaul]

‘I was going to say that there is no need for revenge, but I’m guessing me saying that will do little to get that idea out of your head. So I’ll be waiting nervously to see what you come up with,’ he replied, grinning slightly - as slightly as ever the Demon Lord was able. He nodded when Marius called the collection of suits for what it was: impressive. Seven-hundred years, he imagined Semiel joking that this was his legacy. Too many suits to count.

He took Marius’ longcoat and watched him study the suit, then his own shirt, not sure whether it would fit under the jacket probably. ‘Easy isn’t fun, I was going for creative,’ he teased back, and placed the long coat on his bed. ‘And yes, all of it. I can’t rate your handling of a suit if you only wear one part of it, right?’ He smirked then, seating himself on the chair next to the closet. ‘Go on, try it on.’ 

Varamadras was enjoying the moment, he decided to study something too. He studied Marius, his handsome face, those eyes that always seemed to be enjoying something, the thick eyebrows that often jumped into any direction to accommodate Marius’ dramatic reactions.  

[mariusthesus]

“Points for creativity, then – you got them,” he laughed, pleasantly surprised by the turn the conversation had taken. “As I said, lord, there’s no need to fear! It’ll be some real amazing piece of revenge-focused, uh, revenge, I’m sure. It’ll be something real creative as well, rest assured.” With that, he turned his attention to the suit once more.

For a long moment Marius found himself considering the finer points of privacy – then he shrugged and started stripping out of his pants. Thankfully Varamadras and he were not that far apart in height, so once he had them on neither pants nor jacket felt all that big on him. On that note. Damn the jacket. Now he did turn away from the Demon Lord as he muttered curses under his breath as he fiddled with the buttons, until they, no doubt fearful of his wrath, went where they should. 

He looked down at himself – not wanting to bother looking around for a mirror – and, after a moment, nodded. Yeah. Not his usual attire at all, but Marius figured he didn’t cut all that bad a figure in the suit after all – he hoped Varamadras would think likewise. Drawing himself up into a somewhat presentable posture, Marius spun around and stepped forward to stand in front of his lord. He grinned. “Well?”

[varamadrasitaul]

‘Thank you for those points,’ he mentioned. ‘Can I exchange them for something?’ he asked. He watched silently as Marius undressed further to fit the rest of the suit. He looked a bit uncomfortable, but the way the pants were almost a perfect fit. They didn’t seem too big or too small, maybe just a little bit too small. Which showed off his impressive sea legs. 

He laughed softly as the Captain turned away to fiddle relentlessly with the buttons of the shirt, throwing his arms around until finally he had managed to beat the suit. He turned around in a dramatical way to show off his suit and grin. He looked charming and dashing in the suit. 

‘Amazing,’ Varamadras said. He stood and circled Marius. ‘I think you should wear suits more often,’ he mentioned. ‘Though I have to admit I feel special since you’re doing it now in my company.’ He stopped in front of the captain and adjusted the collar. Marius certainly didn’t need a tie. ‘Yes, perfect.’ He smiled wanton.  

[varamadrasitaul]

Would you have married Dedelean if she hadn't died?

I had made her a promise that we would once we defeated the former Demon Lord. I guess it wasn’t meant to be. 

[varamadrasitaul]

Boyfriends and Hairdoes || Marius & Varamadras

[varamadrasitaul]

‘Very true, but when I see what Torque is able to do, and remember the stories from the Magicians of old, I can’t help but think of all the things they were able to do back then. Curiosity probably, or jealousy,’ he admitted. He felt the dialogue was getting tiresome, so he was happy when Marius said nothing more on the subject, and he too let is slide. He didn’t want to be locked in an argument with the Captain, that seemed like the sort of thing for war counsel, not… personal visits.

He smiled mischievous, ‘to be honest, I’m pretty sure I’ll laugh, but it will be well meant,’ he said. Varamadras stood, leaving his tea on the table - which he hadn’t touched since he started talking with Marius. He would probably end up finding it cold later on. He walked into his bedroom, and gestured for the Captain to follow. 

The Demonlord had a huge closet, filled with two and three piece suits which he had collected over the years. He loved the dark blue ones the most, some of them were hundreds of years old. His father had always stressed the importance of looking important. Varaditras Itaul had always been the best dressed government official. He picked one suit from the collection and handed it to Marius. He narrowed his eyes. ‘I think this one will look briliant on you.’ 

[mariusthesus]

With a surprised laugh at the Demonlord’s tone, Marius teased, “In that case, rest assured that my revenge shall also be well-meant, lord.” Nevertheless he happily followed along behind Varamadras, until soon enough they came to a halt in front of what turned out to be an astoundingly large closet. For a bit there Marius simply stood there, boggling both at the size of the thing in general but also at the variety of suits found in it. He wasn’t quite sure what exactly he’d expected, but it sure as all shores wasn’t such an extensive collection. “Impressive,” he couldn’t help but mutter under his breath at the sight. 

He watched with a smile as Varamadras went about looking through the hanging suits. “If you say so, lord,” Marius replied, eyeing the suit handed to him with some trepidation. It looked a lot like just about every other suit in existence to him, which meant that he was going to look ridiculous in it, but–right. With a defeated sigh, Marius shrugged out of his own longcoat and handed it to Varamadras in exchange for the suit. 

Marius gave it another once-over. His own shirt was somewhat wider-cut than the shirts that usually went under suits, sure, but it’d have to do. As for the rest… “Pants, too, or just the jacket?” With a slightly self-conscious laugh and a wink, he added, “There are easier ways to get me naked, you know.” 

[varamadrasitaul]

‘I was going to say that there is no need for revenge, but I’m guessing me saying that will do little to get that idea out of your head. So I’ll be waiting nervously to see what you come up with,’ he replied, grinning slightly - as slightly as ever the Demon Lord was able. He nodded when Marius called the collection of suits for what it was: impressive. Seven-hundred years, he imagined Semiel joking that this was his legacy. Too many suits to count.

He took Marius’ longcoat and watched him study the suit, then his own shirt, not sure whether it would fit under the jacket probably. ‘Easy isn’t fun, I was going for creative,’ he teased back, and placed the long coat on his bed. ‘And yes, all of it. I can’t rate your handling of a suit if you only wear one part of it, right?’ He smirked then, seating himself on the chair next to the closet. ‘Go on, try it on.’ 

Varamadras was enjoying the moment, he decided to study something too. He studied Marius, his handsome face, those eyes that always seemed to be enjoying something, the thick eyebrows that often jumped into any direction to accommodate Marius’ dramatic reactions.  

[varamadrasitaul]

Old Lovers Left Alive || Lass & Varamadras

[varamadrasitaul]

She was right, of course, he knew that. He shouldn’t try to change the past, it was no use. Even if her being her was a glimpse at it: his troubling past. She was all of that, maybe just a piece, but right now, her being her meant his past was looking at him. It felt very unreal, no matter how real the embrace was. 

He felt her looking at him, and opened his eyes to meet her gaze. She had always seemed so young, no matter her age. He was infuriated too by her worrying, which made him hate the gods even more, even though those kind of thoughts placed him a difficult position. He was known as one of the most religious leaders of the Fifth Gate, but how could he not be: he had seen the Gods with his own eyes. He had been to their layer of out of time. However, it did not mean he had to like what they did. ‘That doesn’t sound like a good resurrection,’ he concluded. She was the first Shini he had even met, but not the first he had heard of. ‘Must be frustrating. Whatever the mission is, no one knows whether the Gods have decided to prolong or end the war.’ He was hoping end, but afraid of what sides were chosen. 

[legend-of-lass]

Briefly Lass considered untangling herself from Dras’ arms, but it was simply too nice a feeling, to stand here with the one she had loved–still loved, as even the gods could not take that from her. At his skeptical tone she began chuckling, and once she started it was suddenly very difficult to stop smiling – it felt nice, too. Like she was properly alive again. “It really doesn’t, does it? And it only gets worse when you realize that the gods must have done it on purpose. I do wonder if the other Shini are facing the same problem, though.” But although it would make a lot of sense to go speak to Michael about it, Lass felt no compulsion or motivation whatsoever to actually go to him. Another trick of the gods? She thought so but again, didn’t found herself caring as much as she knew she should.

“And it is frustrating,” she decided, “but for what it’s worth, it doesn’t really feel as if I’m meant to be doing something about the war. To be completely honest, I’m actually getting the feeling that the gods are more toying around with you and the Goodlands than anything.” She hoped he wouldn’t take that too badly, but it was the truth. What exactly the gods were playing at was anyone’s guess, but the way Lass figured it, it was probably more a long-term thing they were simply setting the cornerstones for. 

[varamadrasitaul]

Her laughing as she stood so close to him sounded wonderful. It felt as if whatever thing was dividing them, stood a little less firm. He breathed in her scent, and a familiar smile crept on his face. ‘They probably are. And the Gods probably did. I’m pretty sure they enjoy watching us scramble and be in pain because of their actions. We’re a good drama show to them.’ 

Varamadras nodded, he had feared as much, but hearing it from Lass, made it real. The idea that the Gods were messing with them, actually setting up some kind of drama to enjoy and amuse themselves, it was sickening. However, the thought that the Gods were useless in the war, was a better one. ‘I had thought as much. The past few Shini they have send were of little use as well. They use them often for the prophecies, but I have no clue what they might be planning connected to the words of the Lorai.’ He notched his eyebrows. ‘I am however grateful that the Gods send you. Better a kind face, than a powerful enemy.’ Though he hoped Jewantes did little to inspire the heart and minds of the Knights. 

[varamadrasitaul]

Boyfriends and Hairdoes || Marius & Varamadras

[varamadrasitaul]

Varamadras grinned a bit when Marius reacted defensively. ‘I’ve never known the Magicians of old, to be honest,’ he said. ‘But I know much of what we knew about the limits or our Magic, and how we are limited we are now.’ He looked at his tea for a moment. ‘I didn’t call you second-rate though, that would include calling myself second-rate as well.’ He smiled softly. ‘And I guess we’re doing better, considering the circumstance. Certainly better than the Knights.’ 

He let his head hang for a bit. In the old days, Magicians hadn’t been such a powerful tool in wars, in the war before the war. Guild fought at random, but they had the choice whether they wanted to be included on either side. Now it was either the DracoMancers or the Knights of Jewantes. Those who weren’t picked for that would end up dying by fighting one way or another. The world had changed, but he didn’t think it was such a good thing either. Yet, explaining it to someone who had never known different, was not his intention. He liked Marius too much for that, he wanted to spare him the facts of what could’ve been. ‘It’s a natural thing, let’s agree on that.’

He smiled. ‘It stretches, but things become rather vague on that aspect,’ he admitted. ‘I do have an incredible amount of suits. Would you like to try one on? I’m very curious now to see how they would fit you.’ 

[mariusthesus]

“With all due respect, lord, knowledge alone is a poor point of comparison – anyone can say that in the old days the limits of magic were greater than they were now. There’s no one around to disprove it, after all!” Almost reflexively he picked up his cup and drank another sip of tea, frowning, more to shut himself up and stop arguing than anything else. “As long as we’re still doing better than the Knights I suppose it’s all good, either way.”

Arguing about something as transient and ephemeral as magic hadn’t been Marius’ goal, though, and when he saw Varamadras’ head dip he immediately felt guilty. Varamadras had been alive longer than just about anyone else, after all, and that sort of long life rarely came without its fair share of experience and regrets. It hadn’t been his intention to bring all that back up. Marius nodded vigorously therefore, and said, “Yes, let’s. Apologies, lord.”

Marius regarded his lord in silence for a moment, not quite sure whether he was joking – it was always difficult to tell with him. “I could give one a try if you want,” he decided, thinking that if it’d make Varamadras happy than why not, “but if you end up laughing, I’m going to come up with some real dastardly means of revenge.”

[varamadrasitaul]

‘Very true, but when I see what Torque is able to do, and remember the stories from the Magicians of old, I can’t help but think of all the things they were able to do back then. Curiosity probably, or jealousy,’ he admitted. He felt the dialogue was getting tiresome, so he was happy when Marius said nothing more on the subject, and he too let is slide. He didn’t want to be locked in an argument with the Captain, that seemed like the sort of thing for war counsel, not... personal visits.

He smiled mischievous, ‘to be honest, I’m pretty sure I’ll laugh, but it will be well meant,’ he said. Varamadras stood, leaving his tea on the table - which he hadn’t touched since he started talking with Marius. He would probably end up finding it cold later on. He walked into his bedroom, and gestured for the Captain to follow. 

The Demonlord had a huge closet, filled with two and three piece suits which he had collected over the years. He loved the dark blue ones the most, some of them were hundreds of years old. His father had always stressed the importance of looking important. Varaditras Itaul had always been the best dressed government official. He picked one suit from the collection and handed it to Marius. He narrowed his eyes. ‘I think this one will look briliant on you.’ 

[varamadrasitaul]

The Royal Mustache

mariusthesus replied to your post:

Mainly this: >:{D

What is this face you are making?

[varamadrasitaul]

Has the Royal Beard moved on to you, then?

I am not sure what you’re implying. 

[varamadrasitaul]

Boyfriends and Hairdoes || Marius & Varamadras

[varamadrasitaul]

Varamadras had been very certain from the moment word of the Shini reached his desk, that this had been set up by the Gods. Which Gods he was uncertain about, and whether it was to spite him or to - as was the job of the Shini - to deliver an important message. Whichever it was, their being here could not mean anything good. As fools who lived as long as he himself had knew: the Gods were supposed to be neutral. During the Angelic Wars they had been, and since then in any other war only few Gods had taken sides. His immortal enemies had been three of them: Groun, Fira, and Smara. But there was no way in Out of Time that they had anything to do with it: they were dead as far as Gods could be. 

He smirked at Marius’ reply, good to know people still saw him as a powerful Magician. ‘I fear, no matter how much I want to agree with you on that, the world has only been getting weaker.’ He wasn’t trying to generate a sense of horror that moment, but he did feel as if he had to tell a story, like he used to do to those he taught. He put his tea down and made himself comfortable on the couch. ‘You know how much of our Magical knowledge has been lost? Maybe not during this war, maybe even in the one before. And in all those years, there is one thing I know we’ll never have again: strong magicians. The magicians of old, they were powerful, powerful and unlimited like Torque. Even Jewantes, I know not if he ever became Phase One or not, but he was able to make the ground form him a castle.’ He smiled then. ‘At least Jewantes’ time knew some mighty Magicians.’ He paused. ‘Though coming back to your statement,’ and he laughed then, ‘the world has moved on.’ 

‘Yes, keep it that way, all rough and fancy, it does you good,’ he added, still grinning. ‘On that note, have I ever seen you in a suit?’ Yes, he was almost going to invite him to try one on. 

[mariusthesus]

His first reaction to Varamadras’ small excourse was a scowl, and he subsequently quickly bit down the remark that immediately came to mind – Marius was not of a mind to pick a fight right now. Instead, he inclined his head and gave a dismissive shrug, deliberately careless. “Bit harsh to call all of us second-rate, lord, don’t you think? The magicians of old might’ve been stronger, but the way I see it, we’re doing better than them – sure, yes, our magic ain’t as flashy, but we’re also not taking nearly as many casualties, are we?” 

Last battle aside, they hadn’t actually lost anyone in years – and even there the numbers had been a lot lower than they could’ve been. Magicians casually flinging around Phase One powers meant a lot of random casualties, a lot of graves to be dug. Marius preferred things like they were now, even if it meant that not a whole lot of people could pull off feats of legend at the drop of a hat. He shrugged again, this time meaning it. “So. Yes. The world’s moved on, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”

Had he worn a suit to his daughter’s wedding? The coat she’d made him he’d worn for the funeral, of course, he remembered that all too vividly – but the details of the wedding Marius honestly could not recall. “Depends on how far back your memory goes,” he eventually replied, “but, yeah. It’s been a while – suits ain’t really my thing, though they look real nice on you so it’s all good.”

[varamadrasitaul]

Varamadras grinned a bit when Marius reacted defensively. ‘I’ve never known the Magicians of old, to be honest,’ he said. ‘But I know much of what we knew about the limits or our Magic, and how we are limited we are now.’ He looked at his tea for a moment. ‘I didn’t call you second-rate though, that would include calling myself second-rate as well.’ He smiled softly. ‘And I guess we’re doing better, considering the circumstance. Certainly better than the Knights.’ 

He let his head hang for a bit. In the old days, Magicians hadn’t been such a powerful tool in wars, in the war before the war. Guild fought at random, but they had the choice whether they wanted to be included on either side. Now it was either the DracoMancers or the Knights of Jewantes. Those who weren’t picked for that would end up dying by fighting one way or another. The world had changed, but he didn’t think it was such a good thing either. Yet, explaining it to someone who had never known different, was not his intention. He liked Marius too much for that, he wanted to spare him the facts of what could’ve been. ‘It’s a natural thing, let’s agree on that.’

He smiled. ‘It stretches, but things become rather vague on that aspect,’ he admitted. ‘I do have an incredible amount of suits. Would you like to try one on? I’m very curious now to see how they would fit you.’ 

[varamadrasitaul]

Old Lovers Left Alive || Lass & Varamadras

[varamadrasitaul]

‘I could’ve stopped you from going,’ he said simply, though he knew she was right. Even if he had asked her to stay behind, she would’ve probably gone anyway. There was no running away from their responsibilities. 

Varamadras wanted to cry when she said it. Taking more down, it sounded so simply, but truly: had her sacrifice been for nothing. Hers, Bendas’, all the others. he dared not think they died in vain. Then she hugged him. Such a large part of his worrying, of his age, and troubles seemed to wash away. He felt suddenly much younger, connected again to a time where it felt like they had a chance. He hugged her back tightly. ‘I’ve never dared dreaming of holding you again. I thought I would never see you again, not even when I went to Out of Time. I fear whether this is just a trick, a curse from the gods to send you back to me.’ 

[legend-of-lass]

“You couldn’t have, and most of all you didn’t, so there’s no use arguing about it.” She hoped Dras wouldn’t press the point, because that was then and long done with and as Lass had already said, there wasn’t much about it she regretted. 

Lass snuggled up against him, happy that this, at least, the gods could not deny her. Dras’ words worried her, though, and she looked up at him with a hint of worry. “If it’s a curse, it goes both ways. But–” Here she hesitated for a moment, deliberating how to best put it. “Being a Shini is strange, Dras. You feel as if you know things, very important things, but they’re just enough out of reach most of the time to be infuriating. I was sent here with a mission, but it’s more that of a herald than anything else.” What exactly her mission was Lass still wasn’t entirely sure herself, but she was fairly certain that it would not involve any more death. Not really; not actively, and that’s what counted.

[varamadrasitaul]

She was right, of course, he knew that. He shouldn’t try to change the past, it was no use. Even if her being her was a glimpse at it: his troubling past. She was all of that, maybe just a piece, but right now, her being her meant his past was looking at him. It felt very unreal, no matter how real the embrace was. 

He felt her looking at him, and opened his eyes to meet her gaze. She had always seemed so young, no matter her age. He was infuriated too by her worrying, which made him hate the gods even more, even though those kind of thoughts placed him a difficult position. He was known as one of the most religious leaders of the Fifth Gate, but how could he not be: he had seen the Gods with his own eyes. He had been to their layer of out of time. However, it did not mean he had to like what they did. ‘That doesn’t sound like a good resurrection,’ he concluded. She was the first Shini he had even met, but not the first he had heard of. ‘Must be frustrating. Whatever the mission is, no one knows whether the Gods have decided to prolong or end the war.’ He was hoping end, but afraid of what sides were chosen. 

[danestfu-blog]

“How far do you think I could get west before anyone notices I’m missing? I think I could at least reach the mountains.”

[varamadrasitaul]

Depends on what routes you take and how many people you tell about this plan of yours, don’t you think?

[varamadrasitaul]

Boyfriends and Hairdoes || Marius & Varamadras

[varamadrasitaul]

Varamadras was for a moment calculating in his own head whether Marius had known Lass, if she had been alive at her time, her age of the Black Dragon Magicians. He guessed he had been. To him, all the years, all the faces, all the deaths and all the friends blended together. He only knew a clear distinction between before this new war and during the last. 

He very much agreed with Marius, his fear of Jewantes was just that: fear. He had no real reason to be afraid, for the man himself was a Shini like the three others, he could roam wherever he wished, and if he wanted to do anything to him, he probably would’ve already taken that chance. He smiled at that, however, the memory of beating Jewantes, leaving after the battle, and being send back the corpses of his brothers, didn’t make the victory much of a victory. ‘Yes, I once did already. I’m not easily beaten.’ It was very likely he wasn’t. He hadn’t been in many fights, the last one had been when Rast betrayed them, but he had won that one too. 

Starting a conversation about Marius’ hair had been a good choice, a very impulsive one, because a lighter mood settled in. ‘It grew then, it looks more fancy,’ he said. He copied Marius’ grin then. ‘Yes, I like it.’ 

[mariusthesus]

For a moment there, Marius had been sure – feared, more like – that Varamadras was genuinely worried about Jewantes. His lord had so many other things to worry about, primarily Orractous and the deaths of the recent battle, and to have another worry heaped on top of that? That, plus the real awful timing in general of the Shini appearing right on the heels of a devastating battle – Marius wasn’t prone to ascribing any sort of deliberate involvement in happenings to the gods unless it meant he could curse them for it, but this whole affair reeked of the sort of calculated, aloof meddling he figured the gods were all too fond of.

Which, to put it plainly, raised all sorts of alarm bells. But as things stood nothing bad had happened – yet – and so Marius was glad to hear that Varamadras wasn’t taking it all that badly. Bigger battles to fight, and all. “You really aren’t,” he agreed, “and besides: Jewantes’s been dead for, what, ages? Real long, in any case. The world’s moved on – everyone else has been getting stronger, and he’s just been, well, dead.”

Marius’ eyes widened in genuine surprise at the answer, not having expected it in the slightest. “You do? I may just keep it like this for a while longer, then,” he teased, happy that Varamadras was smiling again, even if it was over something as inconsequential as too-long hair. In light of that, Marius quickly gestured to his lord’s suit and added, “I am, after all, always in support of looking more fancy.”

[varamadrasitaul]

Varamadras had been very certain from the moment word of the Shini reached his desk, that this had been set up by the Gods. Which Gods he was uncertain about, and whether it was to spite him or to - as was the job of the Shini - to deliver an important message. Whichever it was, their being here could not mean anything good. As fools who lived as long as he himself had knew: the Gods were supposed to be neutral. During the Angelic Wars they had been, and since then in any other war only few Gods had taken sides. His immortal enemies had been three of them: Groun, Fira, and Smara. But there was no way in Out of Time that they had anything to do with it: they were dead as far as Gods could be. 

He smirked at Marius’ reply, good to know people still saw him as a powerful Magician. ‘I fear, no matter how much I want to agree with you on that, the world has only been getting weaker.’ He wasn’t trying to generate a sense of horror that moment, but he did feel as if he had to tell a story, like he used to do to those he taught. He put his tea down and made himself comfortable on the couch. ‘You know how much of our Magical knowledge has been lost? Maybe not during this war, maybe even in the one before. And in all those years, there is one thing I know we’ll never have again: strong magicians. The magicians of old, they were powerful, powerful and unlimited like Torque. Even Jewantes, I know not if he ever became Phase One or not, but he was able to make the ground form him a castle.’ He smiled then. ‘At least Jewantes’ time knew some mighty Magicians.’ He paused. ‘Though coming back to your statement,’ and he laughed then, ‘the world has moved on.’ 

‘Yes, keep it that way, all rough and fancy, it does you good,’ he added, still grinning. ‘On that note, have I ever seen you in a suit?’ Yes, he was almost going to invite him to try one on. 

[varamadrasitaul]

Boyfriends and Hairdoes || Marius & Varamadras

[varamadrasitaul]

Varamadras shook his head. ‘Not even a bit,’ he said back, trying to throw some joke back, but it sounded weak. He was pretty sure he didn’t feel like joking. 

He turned to Marius and studied him. he tried to smile, but he couldn’t find the strength to, all this talking about dead friends made him feel sad. As if he wasn’t sad already. An other feeling that completely seemed to shut off the Smoke, for now at least. ‘I’d like to see him too, but I too have no idea what to say. It wasn’t even that long ago that he died, but it feels like centuries. And I still fear somehow for the other one that came back, whether being a Shini keeps Jewantes from wanting to take revenge on the one who took his life.’ Of all the Shini, Jewantes had been dead the longest, but no matter the side they once stood on, the Shini could travel wherever they wished, and that scared him a bit. 

‘Say, did you do something to your hair?’ Varamadras asked, trying to set feelings of sadness and fear aside. ‘it looks different than usual.’ 

[mariusthesus]

It really did feel as if it had already been half an age since Michael had died, and Marius imagine it must feel even worse with Lass, who really had been dead for quite a while. And Jewantes–well, yeah, Jewantes. A lot of old resentment lingering there, but he’d given the matter some thought when he’d first heard just who the other Shini were, and here at least Marius was certain that he could reassure Varamadras.

Inclining his head, he asked, “Don’t you think, lord, that if Jewantes was in any way inclined to pursue revenge he’d have come for you already? Ain’t anything to hold him back now, is there, what with having died once already and all.” Brought up the interesting but at the moment fairly irrelevant question of whether Shini could be killed – would they just come back right there on the spot, like some sort of god-sent piece of moss, or would they stay down? Things best left to wonder over another time. “Plus you beat him once already, yeah? Nothing to fear!”

The next question was so left field that for a second Marius wasn’t quite sure whether he’d heard right– but, no, Varamadras really had just asked about his hair. Feeling real self-conscious of a sudden, Marius reached up to run a hand through it. “Aside from being too lazy to get it cut? No, not really.” A thought hit him then, and he grinned and asked, “Why – you like it?”

[varamadrasitaul]

Varamadras was for a moment calculating in his own head whether Marius had known Lass, if she had been alive at her time, her age of the Black Dragon Magicians. He guessed he had been. To him, all the years, all the faces, all the deaths and all the friends blended together. He only knew a clear distinction between before this new war and during the last. 

He very much agreed with Marius, his fear of Jewantes was just that: fear. He had no real reason to be afraid, for the man himself was a Shini like the three others, he could roam wherever he wished, and if he wanted to do anything to him, he probably would’ve already taken that chance. He smiled at that, however, the memory of beating Jewantes, leaving after the battle, and being send back the corpses of his brothers, didn’t make the victory much of a victory. ‘Yes, I once did already. I’m not easily beaten.’ It was very likely he wasn’t. He hadn’t been in many fights, the last one had been when Rast betrayed them, but he had won that one too. 

Starting a conversation about Marius’ hair had been a good choice, a very impulsive one, because a lighter mood settled in. ‘It grew then, it looks more fancy,’ he said. He copied Marius’ grin then. ‘Yes, I like it.’ 

[ream-toalk]

My Mind Is A Warrior | Varamadras & Ream

[varamadrasitaul]

He had no idea what Ream would try, but he couldn’t think about the possibility that she had an idea that they never tried. He had to know if it could work or not. ‘I have no idea, but who knows,’ he stated. He ignored her what if maybe because he didn’t want to think about it himself. 

Varamadras nodded and took the lead, out of his office, down the long corridor, an other corridor, and an other corridor, down five stories until they reached the guarded and busy hospital. He saw Lukas nowhere, maybe the man was out to Morto, or having tea with Se’ref. He wasn’t too sure. Orractous’ room was up ahead, no one was visiting him right now Not that it matter, whether the day he arrived there, Orractous was just laying there, still, sleeping endlessly. Imprisoned in his own mind. He placed his hand on the boy’s head and sighed. 

[ream-toalk]

Ream knew she was useful and she did a lot for her people, after all she didn’t become part of the Elite for nothing. But sometimes she wished she could do more, like those who had an active kind of magic. So she needed this, she needed to be able to help Varamadras and Orractous.

Silently she followed the man down the corridores, one after another. Her mind was busy, going over all the what ifs she didn’t dare to speak out loud all the possibilities and all her worries. The hospital was busy, Orractous’ room on the other hand was very quiet. He looked so peaceful laying there, but at the same time it was a very troubling image. She stood there, just a few steps away from the door, looking at the boy, the last time she saw him he was so full of life and now… Ream didn’t even dare to finish the thought.

[varamadrasitaul]

The atmosphere around the two of them changed right away, the room itself was a stunning image, there wasn’t a sense of death, but of life flying by without any spark. Orractous’ life was being wasted as he laid there, unable to move, to speak, maybe even to think. His life stood still, but he would age nonetheless. His health would slowly decrease. Varamadras had seen it before, coma’s that lasted for years, leaving nothing behind. 

‘He could just as easily be asleep,’ Varamadras mentioned, moving away so Ream could have the floor. ‘Can you sense his magic?’ 

[ream-toalk]

My Mind Is A Warrior | Varamadras & Ream

[varamadrasitaul]

Varamadras could heart he faint whisper, and he nodded in response. He could sense the feelings she had regarding that fact, and he felt similar. ‘It’s what Lukas thinks,’ he concluded. Whether it was true or not was something only Orractous knew. ‘It’s worth a try,’ he repeated, and it was. Whether it would give them anything or not, at least this little flare of hope would be something he could remember. And he hoped it work, he so desperately hoped it worked. 

‘Yes, I have no meetings for at least two hours. Unless you have something to do, somewhere to go? Then we could meet up later?’ He didn’t want to force her to do it right away, he had no clue what such a thing asked from her physically and mentally. He could help however, give her some strength, some belief in herself, but only if she wanted to. The pull of his Magic wasn’t dangerous, but your mind had to be ready for the influence. ‘So now?’ 

[ream-toalk]

The possibility of Orractous doing this to himself made it a bit more difficult. What if she actually managed to get into his head somehow, but he didn’t want her there? What if she did manage to cause any harm? What if Orractous defended himself and manged to hurt her in some way? Although getting hurt herself was the least of her worries. Her priority was Orractous’ safety and Varamadras’ comfort. 

“You mean… You think two hours will be enough to do this?” To be fair the redhead had no idea how long it would take - or if it would succeed - she has done nothing like this ever before. “What if-” She stopped. What if it doesn’t work? What if I fail? But those were just possibilities and she didn’t want to bother her leader with those. “Yes, now it is.” It was not a now or never situation, but Ream was eager to help and she couldn’t deny there was the curiosity too, that pushed her. She wanted to know where her borders laid, how far she could go, what she could do.

[varamadrasitaul]

He had no idea what Ream would try, but he couldn’t think about the possibility that she had an idea that they never tried. He had to know if it could work or not. ‘I have no idea, but who knows,’ he stated. He ignored her what if maybe because he didn’t want to think about it himself. 

Varamadras nodded and took the lead, out of his office, down the long corridor, an other corridor, and an other corridor, down five stories until they reached the guarded and busy hospital. He saw Lukas nowhere, maybe the man was out to Morto, or having tea with Se’ref. He wasn’t too sure. Orractous’ room was up ahead, no one was visiting him right now Not that it matter, whether the day he arrived there, Orractous was just laying there, still, sleeping endlessly. Imprisoned in his own mind. He placed his hand on the boy’s head and sighed. 

[varamadrasitaul]

Boyfriends and Hairdoes || Marius & Varamadras

[varamadrasitaul]

Tea it was. Varamadras walked over to the kitchen, and examined whether the hot water he had created earlier was still considered drinkable. He passed it as a yes, poured two mugs, and carefully placed some mint leafs in the warm water. Then he walked back into the room. He placed the mugs on the table and gestured for Marius to sit down. The man looked rather down, but he guessed they had nothing to look up about. As well as the fact that he seemed not to looked rather comfortable around the room. He wished he could make Marius feel more at home, but he didn’t know why. Except for the tea. 

He looked up confused at the question, taking up his tea as he made himself comfortable on the couch - a designer couch mind you - and shook his head. ‘I have not. I did think… I wanted to look for Lass, but… I haven’t gotten the time. I fear of what I might feel when I get to see her again.’ 

He felt pretty weird talking about a past love to Marius. But he wasn’t sure talking about Michael would lower the bar on weirdness. ‘Or Michael for that matter. It’s been so long since they died, and now for some cruel reason they’re back.’ He shrugged. ‘Have you?’ 

[mariusthesus]

The tea was good, and hot, and Marius settled back on the couch with his fingers wrapped tight around the mug. “No time for the not-so-dead, eh?” Maruis asked, but without much bite to it.

He remembered how shocked he’d been when he’d first heard the news that there were new Shini running around; then, when one of them had turned out to be Michael, Marius had been pretty damn sure that the gods were sadistic little asses. It must’ve felt a lot worse for Varamadras with not only Michael but Lass coming back, too, and Marius didn’t envy him in the slightest. That he hadn’t actually visited either of them yet was just a bit surprising, though – although, yeah, Marius could definitely understand where he was coming from. 

He took careful sip of tea. “I mean, I really shouldn’t be talking here,” he admitted with a shrug, “but I’d like to see Michael at some point. I need to figure out what to say to him beyond ‘sorry you died’, though.” Marius sipped at his tea again, then added with a knowing wink, “Until inspiration strikes I’m getting a lot of practice at coming up with increasingly creative excuses, so it’s not all lost time.”

[varamadrasitaul]

Varamadras shook his head. ‘Not even a bit,’ he said back, trying to throw some joke back, but it sounded weak. He was pretty sure he didn’t feel like joking. 

He turned to Marius and studied him. he tried to smile, but he couldn’t find the strength to, all this talking about dead friends made him feel sad. As if he wasn’t sad already. An other feeling that completely seemed to shut off the Smoke, for now at least. ‘I’d like to see him too, but I too have no idea what to say. It wasn’t even that long ago that he died, but it feels like centuries. And I still fear somehow for the other one that came back, whether being a Shini keeps Jewantes from wanting to take revenge on the one who took his life.’ Of all the Shini, Jewantes had been dead the longest, but no matter the side they once stood on, the Shini could travel wherever they wished, and that scared him a bit. 

‘Say, did you do something to your hair?’ Varamadras asked, trying to set feelings of sadness and fear aside. ‘it looks different than usual.’ 

[varamadrasitaul]

Old Lovers Left Alive || Lass & Varamadras

[varamadrasitaul]

He wanted to go over to her and embrace her, wash away all those years that had passed, try to forget… to forget everything. But whenever he found himself locked in stare with the paintings of dead Generals, he found the memory of them so vivid he had to look away. But he couldn’t look away from Lass, he was so stunned to see her. To see how she had not changed even a bit. 

‘I wanted to,’ he admitted. Surely he did, even if something within him kept him from going, from facing his past. He stood, and walked around his desk, eager to see him from closer up. His heart was aching, wishing for her not to be a Shini, but just to be alive. 

‘I missed you too,’ he said, but he couldn’t smile. He only felt sad looking at her. ‘I’m sorry.’ 

[legend-of-lass]

“Sorry for what, Dras? That I died? There was nothing you could have done,” she told him, nodding sadly at him as he moved closer. “I didn’t–I didn’t want to go, of course, but in hindsight I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”

Of course Lass would have preferred not to die at all, but she had gone down fighting for those she loved, and that in itself was worth a lot, she thought. “I only regret not taking more of them down with me, to save you some trouble.” 

Here, finally, she couldn’t hold out any longer. Lass closed the distance between them with a single step and  wrapped her arms around him, hugging tight, and just for a second, it felt as if she was properly alive again.

[varamadrasitaul]

‘I could’ve stopped you from going,’ he said simply, though he knew she was right. Even if he had asked her to stay behind, she would’ve probably gone anyway. There was no running away from their responsibilities. 

Varamadras wanted to cry when she said it. Taking more down, it sounded so simply, but truly: had her sacrifice been for nothing. Hers, Bendas’, all the others. he dared not think they died in vain. Then she hugged him. Such a large part of his worrying, of his age, and troubles seemed to wash away. He felt suddenly much younger, connected again to a time where it felt like they had a chance. He hugged her back tightly. ‘I’ve never dared dreaming of holding you again. I thought I would never see you again, not even when I went to Out of Time. I fear whether this is just a trick, a curse from the gods to send you back to me.’ 

[ream-toalk]

My Mind Is A Warrior | Varamadras & Ream

[varamadrasitaul]

Varamadras awaited the explanation, pretty surprised to know there might be something he could do, they could do. He found himself giddy, or maybe not giddy, but at least hopefully. ‘It sounds… I had a conversation with Lukas about it, and he thought it might have been a self-induced coma, something that drove Orractous to go into a coma. I know a lot about his Magic, but I’ve never heard of something like this… I think it’s worth a try.’

He paused for a moment, something about it made him nervous. Maybe because he feared knowing that had happened to Orractous might point to the fact that he might never wake up again. Or on the other hand, they might find out what could wake him up. ‘Do you have time right now?’ 

[ream-toalk]

The girl chewed nervously on her lip. It was her idea, but that didn’t make it better. Her decision or not, there was pressure on her, the kind she didn’t had to deal with ever before. “He did this to himself?” Her voice was barely more than a whisper. The thought scared her. What could have been so bad, that the boy did this to himself? “Even if we don’t find out anything… at least we can say we tried. And my magic… even if we fail, I can’t do any damage.” That was something she wasn’t so sure about, but admitting that know wouldn’t have been the best decision.

“N-now? You want to do it now?” She wasn’t even sure if he would say yes. Actually the idea just popped up on her mind and she came immediately to him. She didn’t think this through, she wasn’t prepared to do it. Ream wasn’t even sure if she could do it. The elf closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “If you want to do it now, then we’ll do it now.” 

[varamadrasitaul]

Varamadras could heart he faint whisper, and he nodded in response. He could sense the feelings she had regarding that fact, and he felt similar. ‘It’s what Lukas thinks,’ he concluded. Whether it was true or not was something only Orractous knew. ‘It’s worth a try,’ he repeated, and it was. Whether it would give them anything or not, at least this little flare of hope would be something he could remember. And he hoped it work, he so desperately hoped it worked. 

‘Yes, I have no meetings for at least two hours. Unless you have something to do, somewhere to go? Then we could meet up later?’ He didn’t want to force her to do it right away, he had no clue what such a thing asked from her physically and mentally. He could help however, give her some strength, some belief in herself, but only if she wanted to. The pull of his Magic wasn’t dangerous, but your mind had to be ready for the influence. ‘So now?’