Fall Warder

[wandering-around-now]

[wandering-around-now]

[connorlang]

Inan always had this way about him where the words he spoke had a hint of judgment. Or maybe that wasn't the right word to use to describe it. The right word was probably 'condescending'. Lucky for Connor, he never got offended by anything and he was also positive that Inan never actually meant it that way when it came to him. At least, he hoped. The lycan definitely had a thought in his head that he was rubbing off on the elf to some extent. Sense of humor-wise only though. Well, in other ways, too, but that had nothing to do with the way either of them spoke to others and more to do with having an extra spring in his step every day. Nevertheless, he leaned in close to the other, not much distance between them now. "Of course I have. You want a demonstration? I can give you a demonstration."

The only reason he ended up moving back slightly was because Halani decided to make her presence known again. Connor knew she loved him. So his hand rested on her head. "I'll save the demonstration for next time, I guess. Wouldn't want my dear daughter here thinking I'm not giving her attention." Lifting his gaze from the fox between them, he looked back at Inan. Cute little martian. He just wanted to eat the elf up. "Well, you started letting a dog stay inside so they probably thought it was okay," he joked as he leaned in again. As he pressed his lips to Inan's, he spoke again. "I can always build them their own little cottage. I'll set them up real nice so we have this place all to ourselves." He let their lips meet again in a kiss he decided to deepen this time.

[warderinan]

Both the enthusiasm and the proximity were appreciated, it was no secret that he liked to be close to the other, just as it was no secret that the lycan enjoyed physical touch almost as much as words of affirmation. "Maybe when the snow melts, you can show me what you can do; this cabin is too small to start tossing each other around." It did sound fun, though, and good practice, too - that was the practical approach, but Inan would have to consider whether he should let Connor win. He did like the other's ego inflated; the confidence that bordered on cockiness was a good look for him. One of Inan's favorites. "When you win at Lupercalia, I'll be watching and cheering you on."

Connor kissed him and it tasted vaguely of those horrible energy drinks that the lycan was always consuming, monster and caffeine rolled into afternoon nap breath. Not the most appealing combo but it didn't stop Inan from smiling against the other's lips. "I think they'd like that," and it'd be nice to get his home back, "I would too." Halani nuzzled between them as Inan moved to lay alongside the other, the warmth fo the fire still crackling behind them as he tilted his head to let it rest on the lycan's shoulder, arm folded over Connor's chest. "How did you get so good at-" he gestured to the cabin that had been fixed up over the last few months, "all of this?"

[warderinan]

@inquisitcr location: The Wall, Lupercal notes: brudders with hateful glares can feel so personal

Inan had told Robin of his connection to Somniar, that his dead brother had risen as the Court of Drow's inquisitor. Cloud had told Inan that Aegnor's memories had been the thing to bring him back but Inan lacked the power or the knowledge on how to pull something like that off. Even if he could, Somniar was hated as an elve whereas Aegnor had always been adored: the Queen's favourite son. It felt obvious what Inan needed to do, his brother's soul deserved to rest, and this man had tortured a chancellor and countless others. Somniar deserved to die, but violence between either courts could incite another conflict, a conflict that would be counterproductive to the warder's cause as a whole.

While Inan wanted to enjoy the festivities, he felt there was something he needed to do first. Something he ought to say, something he should prevent. He'd always loved dogs so he was inherently protective of Lupercal, so when he stepped through the gates he stood square in the approaching Inquisitor's path. Inan's gaze was severe, his brow set in a tight line as he kept his eyes fixed upon the brother he'd once known who'd become something that was still reminiscent of that past life. But he said nothing, he just glared at the elder instead.

[connorlang]

A fire. Yeah, that made sense. If it wasn't for Connor's natural elevated body heat, he was sure this place would've felt cold. Then again, he had fixed the pipes a lot by now. This cottage was barely standing before he got here and he almost wondered how Inan had ever lived like this. Not that he was the type of person that lived in the lap of luxury anyway. He was used to it so much that the rundown place felt like home. It was much better than jumping from place to place with no solid place to rest his head. If Inan hadn't taken him in, he wasn't sure where he would've been now. Maybe Dante or Anders would've been nice enough to offer him some place to stay. Actually, he wasn't even sure about that either. The two of them both looked like they would live in a dirt pile and be happy about it. He supposed that was something the three of them had in common. That had nothing to do with his place here though. A chuckle left his mouth at the other's words instead. "Good to know my snoring gives you hope for my well-being," he joked as his finger curled to nudge Inan's cheek.

He looked on as Inan tied the bracelet around his wrist. It felt light which meant that Connor would have to be sure to take care of it. Gifts from others were things he cherished. It was why he still wore the Fenrir carving around his neck and it was why he would wear this hand-woven bracelet for as long as it would let him. His gaze was still on the gift as Inan stood to sit next to him. "I think I'd think of you without even trying to." He rested back into the couch, partially turning to face the other as he did. The elf's fingers running through his hair caused him to close his eyes, a smile resting on his face. "Of course I can," he stated with a nod. "I trained a lot while traveling. I never wanted to get caught in a situation I couldn't fight my way out of."

[warderinan]

Moments like this were times that Inan would remember after Connor was gone, be it by circumstances, or the natural flow of time there was a good chance that Inan would still be here long after the lycan was gone. It was macabre to some, perhaps, but the elve was accustomed to loss by now and he knew what it felt like when a large part of himself disappeared. Whatever Connor was to him, he could feel that it was significant and that these small feelings of happiness were things he'd carry with him.

"And you've won a lot of these fights?" Because there was knowing how to fight and then there was actually winning those fights, so often those two were very different things. Warders had to know the difference between a fight they could win, and a fight that was worth throwing their life away for; all too often that was what it came down to. Halani crawled onto the warder's lap if only to weasel her way closer to Connor as she did, the fox was incorrigible, spoiled, and this was entirely Connor's fault. "I never used to let her inside before you, none of them, actually." Inan looked towards the dogs in a pile together in the corner, "You've turned these wild animals into glorified house cats." Halani purred as if to punctuate Inan's point.

[wardercloud]

"Aegnor is not much of a talker and neither am I really. Our conversations consist of him grunting and hm-ing often. I can take a guess it had something to do with his brothers and his memories coming back to him." Cloud and Aegnor were an odd pair, but they also got along much better than anticipated. The dark elf seemed to have gotten used to his warder's presence by now. With Cloud, it felt like they could deal with anyone's temperament. Someone could be loud like Laer or quiet like Mneme or even gullible and sweet like Ganymede. No matter what, they were going to somehow not be judgmental about it. The same would always be extended to Aegnor. The two of them were tethered to each other after all. "Not for you? Well, you let me know if that changes. You look...breedable."

[warderinan]

"I imagine he must have had a lot to fall back on." Cloud had given Inan a great deal to think about, his brother did not have the relationship with the Court that Aegnor had once had. Somniar wasn't idolized or considered a hero, in fact most people did not like him. Inan loved him, but somehow the warder imagined that wouldn't be enough. "We're warders." Inan reminded, "Our duty is to who we're sworn to protect, having a child would only interfere with that function." Love was ultimately sacrificial and selfish, Inan's life was better laid at the feet of Robin's - he couldn't afford to have this feeling divided. "Besides, as I understand it we're not in any shortage of vessels willing to be bred."

[markantonys]

GEWOON VRIENDEN (2018) | THE WHEEL OF TIME (2023)

[tamlenx]

Guilt was not often found within the Worldly, a blind spot which often offended many he'd come across but the End had changed things, in indiscernible and completely palpable ways; none were the same as they'd been before it. His magic had become a difficult song to control, this amass of power that had burned out those he'd cherished, those he'd respected; Tamlen had no ability back then to command it, he was a vessel for it as had been the other elves who'd become consumed by it's force. Overtime, slowly, Tamlen was picking apart the aether he could manipulate, the binding of the four basic elements that'd he'd exhaust until he felt not only comfortable but perfectly proficient in it's castings. The Aether was gathered under a silent draw, a calculated direction as it seemed to cut through the air towards the woodland projectiles, splicing the majority of them into two even halves. Two of them were almost missed, the aether splicing through the top bit of them as the projectiles fell to the ground, an exhale of disappointment left him, but Tamlen wouldn't let his confident bravado be completely desecrated by his newfound abilities. "I've better control since the war but it may be some time before I recommend using me as a conduit again." The Worldly was always good at faking it till he really made it, the raw celestial energy which flowed through him now was no different as he learned to navigate it.

[warderinan]

Magic had never been something that Inan relied upon; there was an addictive quality to Tamlen's power, though, that the warder had found undeniable. Once he had it, Inan hadn't been strong enough to let it go, or rather, once that aetherial power had him, it hadn't let him go until it had scorched him through. "I don't think your control has much to do with it," maybe Tamlen could learn to stem the flow of how much entered another, or maybe it was like trying to wrangle a star with your bare hands. "your power is old, the bond that linked us is new, maybe elves like me just weren't meant for it." It wasn't in Inan's nature to goad another's ego, but there was a camaraderie between two individuals who'd resolved to put the lives of a greater power ahead of their own. "Are you planning on attending Lupercalia?" Much to Inan's pleasure, the wolves had developed something of a relationship with the elves.

[stradowskijosha]

xxx

[connorlang]

Maybe, if he were anyone else, he would've found it very odd and very weird that Inan had been staring at him while he was sleeping. However, Connor was far too used to the elf being...different that he didn't even question anything anymore. He couldn't even really say that Inan was really different anyway. The elf was just not the kind of person he was used to hanging out with. Which probably said something given the fact that all he wanted to do now was spend time with the other. He still hadn't grasped why that was the case, but he felt like it had something to do with the fact that Inan had been very gentle with him. Sometimes he felt like the elf knew him more than he had originally would have liked. It was a dangerous thing, Connor thought. Maybe he shouldn't have been happy, but he wasn't going to let himself not be. He couldn't just ruin everything for himself again.

"Not the whole time? Well, why not?" The question came out a joke as he looked down at Inan's hands and the pieces of material within them. "You and I both know I didn't look peaceful. My mouth was probably wide open. Maybe some drool." He wiped at his mouth just in case. "Well, no drool, but it could've been there." As Halani moved away, he let his forearms rest on his legs as Inan kneeled beside him. The smile that had been on his face faded as he looked down at the braided material that was in the elf's hand. It had been made for him. Nobody had made him anything since...He tried not to think about it, but he was sure he had some haunted look in his eyes that he could never truly hide from Inan. Connor looked from the bracelet and to Inan's face and then back to the bracelet. He hadn't realized his fingers had been toying with the Fenrir necklace around his neck until he moved them to reach for the perfectly crafted bracelet.

"You made this for me? I..." His voice cracked slightly so he cleared his throat. "Um, thanks. I...thanks."

[warderinan]

More and more, these critters that should have been kept out in the wilderness had been making themselves awfully comfortable within the cabin. Halani, the wily trickster, had very clearly used Inan's weakness for Connor to weasel his way into some form of domesticity. Even the dogs had been getting bold, traipsing in after Connor from the cold and leaving their muddy paw prints on the floor. There were homes for people and then homes for the wild. Inan hadn't crossed the two much until Connor started to live under this roof. Some nights the small, four-walled home was more barn than cottage. It was warm, Inan didn't think he'd find a way to be grateful for that.

"I had to build the fire at some point." Because he had, in fact, been watching Connor for most of the time, but he'd taken his eyes off of him briefly to feed the wood stove a few times. A playful loop in the elve's need to speak only in truths. "If it didn't sound like you were fighting for your life, then I'd assume you were dead." Inan playfully added because there had to be quieter battlefields than the man in front of him.

"It's for luck, and to remind you of me while you're fighting at Lupercalia." Inan promised as he tied the bracelet around Connor's wrist with enough slack so it wouldn't feel tight. Light like the air, Connor might feel the brush of the threads fall across the back of his hand, but he'd probably only really notice it when he looked at it. "Because I'll be cheering for you." He stood so he could take a seat on the couch, a curious question at the forefront of his mind as he brushed his fingers lightly through the other's hair. "Can you even fight?" Inan remembered saving his life at The End; it was generally easy to differentiate between the lycans who could fight and those who just gave into their instincts.

[connorlang]

One thing about Connor Lang was that he was going to fall asleep anywhere. It could've been on public transportation, in a restaurant or on the floor. Where he slept didn't much matter to him considering how long he had been running. When he had to fend for himself since he was a teenager, he had learned to get used to not being comfortable. Ever since he'd gotten to Rome though, it felt like he didn't have to worry about that. The lycan wasn't sure where he would've been if he hadn't run into Inan, but he didn't think he needed to think on that any longer than a second. His entire life had been fixed on what if's. Doing that now when life was looking up for him for the first time in years would only drag him down.

In the midst of his very vivid dream that involved Inan and him in several different positions, his own snoring woke him up. Halani jumped up with him out of shock so he just rested his hand on their little head to calm them down. "Shit, sorry." Couch. He was on the couch. As he tried to rub sleep out of his eyes, he turned his head to see his favorite person there and he damn near jumped out of his skin because he simply hadn't been expecting it. "Fuck." A hand went to his chest. "Have you been sitting there the whole time?" His eyes widened slightly. "How loud was I? Scale of one to ten." Halani rested their head back on his lap as he went back to rubbing his eyes. Then he moved his hand to rest at the back of Inan's head. "From the bottom of my heart...my bad."

[warderinan]

Content and peace defined these quiet days. At the same time, the elves ascended, and prosperity followed. Inan's magic had increased marginally compared to the noble elves, but that had never immensely mattered to him. His way had always been with the blade or the arrows he was so fond of. Even if that were not true, he'd have chosen the simplicity of this quiet morning over anything else, any day. Connor had a past that he did not speak of and there were moments where Inan could see the pain that the lycan carried written across his brow when he didn't think Inan was watching. That was the thing, though; Inan was observant, so he noticed, but he said nothing because the home was a delicate thing for anyone who'd already lost it once.

"Not the whole time." Inan finished braiding the three pieces of material, blue, green, and brown, warm like the earth in autumn. Some of Connor mixed with something that Inan favored. "You looked peaceful, I didn't want to wake you." Peaceful was subjective; Connor looked like he was in a very deep sleep, so even though he'd sent Halani running when he jolted, he had seemed content before that. Inan knelt beside the other, "It gave me time to finish this bracelet I made for you." It wasn't an armband or a bangle, but he could tie it around Connor's wrist until it eventually broke or fell off.

[warderinan]

@connorlang location: mojo dojo casa d'their cottage notes: kiss kiss falling in love

Emotions were something that Inan could settle into with ease; after the failure that settled over his shoulders following Fen'Harel's betrayal, Inan had lost himself. In so many ways the warder was still trying to find his way back to the sense of purpose he'd had when he'd first resolved to this path. So much had changed between then and now that it might have been easy for the warder to lose himself, but he hadn't. More than ever, the stalwart fixture knew his place among the court; he knew that his duty was to lay down his life for Robin when required, and he knew that beyond that, his world was his own. A world that had become decidedly warmer lately, despite how cold this winter had been.

Connor was snoring loudly on the couch in front of the wood stove; Halani, curled against him, was giving the lycan a run for his money. It was too cold to want to be outside, the ways through the forest were too snowed in, and while the days were getting warmer bit by bit Inan quietly hoped that afternoons spent in this fashion would continue. Inan hadn't called himself happy in a long time; content would have been a more fitting word, but as his nimble fingers braided three different coloured strings together, he settled into the new feeling gladly. Happiness suited a person, maybe this was what he was owed.

[wardercloud]

"I wouldn't say that." They'd had a decent enough time. There were far too many people there and far too much blood. A party thrown by a vampire didn't seem like Cloud's kind of thing, but they were one of them now. To an extent. They hadn't wanted to be though so it felt like they'd been thrown head first into the deep end of the pool without any help. Then again, they did have help. Viola had been at their side thankfully so there hadn't really been any accidents they had to worry about now. "Right. I would've let Aegnor go alone, but I like to bother him so I'd never let him do that." The lorendrow very much liked to say how much he could defend himself or how Cloud didn't need to watch him that much, but they were friends and the sanguine elf had made him a lovely friendship bracelet so they were stuck together now. "Ah, I see. Maybe I'll put in a good word for you and you can take my place. I never participate anyway."

[warderinan]

Aegnor the departed, Aegnor the leader of the drow, Aegnor the traitor; Inan was among the many that were leery of their presence. He wasn't without questions, though. If someone like Ayi'ig's chosen heir could suddenly decide to defect, perhaps there was hope for others. "Did he ever tell you what it was?" Inan asked, his tone curious, "What made him leave the Court behind?" Somehow he doubted his brother would walk away so easily. "It's not for me." A bunch of elves grabbing at each other? It didn't sound particularly interesting. "Maybe it's a cultural difference." Something divisive between the Sun and the Dusk, though Robin seemed eager to partake after she'd managed to garner her invitation. Undoubtedly, she'd try to get Inan to attend, but fortunately for the warder, her life would not be at risk in the Sun lands above.

[tamlenx]

"You're correct about that, I don't think I've ever seen such unity when it comes to a vampire party," it was all under his imagination, of course, but when Tamlen thought of vampires and their debauch parties, he thought of far more blood, violence, and thralls. Even Raffaele had seemed reigned in and resigned to what the Worldly had expected, but that was mostly due to the fact the witch was in a severe case of mourning as of current. "I tried to," and he had, but the Scar had shown a new side to Tamlen that he hadn't quite been expecting; it seemed the affects of the war, it's atrocities and sacrifices, were still trickling out upon everyone who had witnessed it. They'd fooled around, made faulty promises with silent bearings and offerings, but Tamlen hadn't expected the brunt of such grief, it took the Worldly by surprise. "But like you said, it wasn't for me," Tamlen hated where this was all going, so dreary and dark, the celestial elf stood up a little straighter, shaking off the bad juju, "It's my turn to hit the targets, yes?"

[warderinan]

Ambient magic flowed off of the celestial; there remained a surrealness to the other's presence. Inan felt powerful, though the danger imposed when he'd indirectly channeled from Tamlen was no longer present. The party was a surprise; chancellors mingled with commoners, witches, druids, vampires, and humans alike. Inan caught sight of seraphim and demons: through it all, there had been relatively little bloodshed, even with the presence of the drow. Inan wasn't the type to dwell on emotional resonance. He spoke his mind plainly and kept everything else well-guarded. Inan felt the corner of his lips lift because training was his preferred method of dialogue anyway. "Of course." Inan rigged the apparatus to fire, then let loose a series of woodland projectiles cascading through the air.

[thegoodfellow]

"If that is how you feel, there is nothing else to say about it. However, if you ever need my aid in this matter, I will do so freely, as a repayment for the transparency." There is something rotten about having to word their relationship as transactional, but there is a desire to respect Inan's boundaries and they have time to build on the fragile trust he had chosen to extend to her after Fen'harel's betrayal. "I will, yes. I am curious to see what this Count is capable on this matter. You?"

[warderinan]

Inan offered the chancellor a nod in affirmation of her many responsibilities to the Court; the warder would not add his family grievances to the list. For the time being, there was some relative understanding of peace between the high and the dark elves; given how uncertain Inan was about his feelings about the situation, he had no idea how he would react. That alone was a danger; the warder wouldn't allow his personal dilemma to catalyze future conflict. "If you're there, I'll be there." Inan remarked, "I'll leave you to your preparations."

[tamlenx]

It was a little strange to sit here in opposition to Inan as they trained, Tamlen was a warrior and death was no debate to something he'd been a witness to, but his power had been an unyielding reservoir and Inan had been at the mercy to it. If the Six had not made their sacrifice, the chancellors would have been stuck in the limbo of the orchard, and Inan would have been another life sacrificed because of the Elder Gods need for complete dominion over the mortal realm. There was a weak smile at the mention of the vampire function, Hakanalia as some people had since coined it as, but the celestial elf's focus quickly shifted to the arrows which shot through the air for a direct hit at their target. "What was missing for you?" Tamlen was gleaned on the fact that vampires were a clear enemy, a monstrosity to despite and it wasn't until the End that he'd settled to accept them. "It felt a little tame to what I was imagining," Zeke had often told him plenty, with no details spared, in the little glimpses of time they shared within the timeline-that-wasn't.

[warderinan]

The part had shown debauchery in abundance, but when Inan thought about vampires, he immediately thought about violence. "I was surprised that there were so many people there, everyone, from all over the city. So many species, I've never seen anything like it." Inan had seen the mingling of species at Lupercal and in smaller demonstrations over the years he'd walked this world. Never so many, though, and indeed not so many varieties. He'd been afraid that within the castle's walls, he would run into his brother again; that fear had been paralyzing in a way, but Inan and Somniar had not crossed paths. The warder's resolve wasn't weak, and every action he'd ever taken was one that he stood by without a second thought; when he came to look upon Somniar's face again, though, he couldn't be sure what he would do. "It wasn't for me." His cock had stayed dry until he and Connor had got home that night; that was better. "Did you have fun, though?"

[connorlang]

connor lang | fey forest home

@warderinan invited connor to live with him in the fey forest (a horse kicked him in the face the first time he came over). connor had nowhere else to go so he stayed and has helped out as much as possible. he's good with his hands.