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| Details |
| Author: | Athena |
| Summary: | Mordecai takes Colson out on another date, which naturally means that they encounter a lake, Mordecai attempts to Disney Princess Charm a Floofy Creature, and Colson tries desperately not to hearth home at the earliest possible moment. There are many elements of soft fluffy romance in this RP. Read at your own discretion of preference for entertainment. 11,400-ish words. |
| Rating: | M for Mature 17+ |
Chain: Morson
Outside of Shattrath, on the South East side exit into Terrokar Forest.
Tenacious is clearly eager to live his best life. Some horse conversation may be happening with Pastry involving the sheer speed with which they are going to travel. Colson pats Tenacious gently. This does nothing to make the horse settle.
There is a man begging in the tunnel. He looks like he’s in not great shape.
“Please, spare a copper, sirs?”
Mordecai tugs at the reins and stops, looking at the man who spoke.
Colson halts at the sound.
"Ah, um. Just a moment." Mordecai tosses Colson Pastry's reins and slides off his horse easily.
Colson catches the reins, and watches.
The beggar squints at Mordecai. "Oh. Doctor. Almost didn't recognize you on that horse."
There's a readiness to Colson, as he watches the exchange closely. There is compassion in his expression that is unlikely to be easily visible to someone who doesn't know him well. He simply looks intense.
Mordecai smiles shyly at the man as he digs through his bag. "Good afternoon, Davis. How is your leg?"
"Better than it was, Doctor."
Mordecai carefully counts out twenty silver to pass over.
Colson keeps hold of Pastry. Tenacious stomps at the ground. There is zero grass here. This is not a proper stopping place. Colson makes a sound. Tenacious stops, extremely reluctantly.
"I'm glad to hear that. May the Light give you Fortitude in the days to come. Please don't run too quickly."
Colson watches Mordecai, his eyes soft, but he also keeps an eye on Davis' hands. He passes a Blessing of Light over Davis.
The Power Word resonates in the air, and Davis straightens a little as he collects the money from Mordecai. "Thank you, Doctor."
Mordecai smiles, shy, and returns to his horse. "Thank you for waiting," he mutters to Colson.
Colson relaxes, and smiles at Mordecai, handing over the reins. "Of course. Thank you for assisting him."
"I recognize a lot of these people, now…" Mordecai sighs.
"Yes." Colson inhales deeply. "It is difficult, to know there are only so many things we can do."
As they leave the city, Mordecai looks around. "Is the area we'll be riding through dangerous?"
"Ah, yes." Colson shrugs his right shoulder.
"Just tell me when I should start maintaining…" Mordecai gestures vaguely.
Colson smiles faintly. "I will."
Pastry wants to go fast. Pastry is clearly losing patience with this walking pace.
Tenacious also wants fast. Colson sighs, and uses a military gesture Mordecai would recognize.
Zoom!
Colson rides easily, and smoothly as they enter the Bone Wastes.
Mordecai's eyes go wide, and he stares at the bones Pastry tramples through, then up and around. "That's a lot of bones," Mordecai says quietly. "Just like that… road."
"Yes. And that is…not even the worst of it."
Colson does not elaborate. That’s terrible date talk, even for Colson. They exit the Bone Wastes and make their way into Nagrand, near a scene lake under a beautiful shifting light-stream Draenor sky.
Mordecai stops to look at the lake.
Colson halts when Mordecai does, and walks Tenacious over.
Mordecai is quickly distracted by the sky. At least Pastry really doesn't need him to direct her much.
Colson smiles faintly at the surroundings. Tenacious eyes the grass with increasing amounts of speculation.
Mordecai points. "Look." He's pointing at the waterfall, but then his arm shifts down to point at an ABSOLUTELY ENORMOUS crocolisk.
Woah, is Morson going to get a chance to fight an Elite Crocolisk?
Colson looks as directed. He glances at the crocolisk, and then up at the waterfall. "Lovely," he says, about the waterfall, probably.
The crocolisk slides into the water.
Nope, no thank you, says the crocolisk. We cannot argue with this life choice.
"Are there ghosts here…?"
Colson looks around. "Not here."
"Mizzy and Ben might like this place…"
Colson eyes the stags that don't seem to care about the humans coming near. "Yes. We could fish, maybe. I have not been fishing in a long time."
"I've never. Um."
"Oh?" Colson looks over, a small smile on his face. "Would you want to?"
"No," Mordecai says, definitively. "But I wouldn't mind keeping you and Ben and Mizzy company while you did."
Colson nods, the same smile on his face. "Alright."
Mordecai smiles back.
"Ogres…?" Mordecai gestures.
Colson slows, and narrows his eyes. "Yes." Colson glances at the rock elementals.
Mordecai looks at Colson. "You pick a direction?"
Colson makes a 'hm' sound.
Pastry samples the grass.
"Well. If we wanted to see what was above where we were last time, that is north," Colson offers.
"All right."
Colson starts for the north, and makes that same gesture for speed. Colson tenses only slightly as they gallop past the Horde camp.
Mordecai holds on tight. He's a little more used to this now, but not by much.
Colson slows as they approach. His eyes scan the surroundings, watching for evidence of danger or an unfriendly faction.
Mordecai leans forward in the saddle a little, catching his breath.
Colson relaxes at the sight of the friendly Draenei, paying little attention to the bridge over the water.
"I see draenei signposts. Still can't read them, but…"
"Yes." Colson’s voice has that clipped cadence already.
Mordecai nods politely to the guards.
Colson greets the Alliance Halaani Guards in Draenei. Colson looks around the encampment. "Hm."
"Is there somewhere we can leave the horses here for a bit?"
"Possibly. Let me see if there's somewhere they will be out of the way." There's a solid bit of grass, and away from the rest of the camp. Colson nods, and dismounts easily. Tenacious begins eating a Circle. Colson pats Tenacious once, and watches a ghost walk by.
Mordecai only stumbles a little getting out of the saddle. He doesn't trip.
"Ah." Colson looks like he's seeing a lot more people in the camp than there are to Mordecai.
Mordecai turns to Colson. "What…" He trails off, tilting his head. "What is it?"
"Quite a few ghosts, wandering through. These ones speak. Could you hear anything…?" Colson asks, turning to Mordecai.
"I… actually, I thought I heard someone say 'What is happening to me?' just as I was getting off of Pastry, but it was very faint. I thought maybe I imagined it." Mordecai shrugs. "I suppose it being a ghost makes more sense."
Colson nods and makes a sound of agreement. "Yes. An orc ghost," Colson confirms, as he holds out a plated hand to Mordecai. Colson seems unperturbed. "Shall we?"
Mordecai takes Colson's hand and nods.
"Hm," Colson says, nodding a head at the humans. "Oh." Colson approaches the table of food, and looks over at Mordecai, a faint smile on his face. "A slightly better place, perhaps, than near the poisoned elementals."
Mordecai nods. "Are you hungry?"
Colson shrugs his right shoulder. "Not particularly, at the moment."
Mordecai nods. "I'm not really, either. Maybe later."
Colson angles towards a building. Colson has spotted Books.
"A library…?"
Colson's face lights up at the sight. "Yes, so it would seem. Fascinating," Colson says, as he bends down to examine a Tome as large as his torso.
Mordecai looks around for a librarian. He cannot find a librarian.
Colson straightens, and looks around the room, his face bright. He catches sight of some shields (?). "Oh," he says, as he wanders to them. They are not shields. They are PILLOWS.
Mordecai is watching Colson more than he's looking around, now.
Colson makes a happy sort of sound as he bends down to them. "I should tell Cressidha about this."
Mordecai smiles and hums affirmatively.
Colson examines the design closely. "Ah, if I had thought to bring more…I would copy it for her, but she would likely want more information than I could give her from a sketch. She'd see the threading differently than I can," Colson explains. He straightens and turns to Mordecai with a gentle smile.
Mordecai says, "You're cute," and crosses his arms. He's got a fond smile on his face.
Colson's cheeks go a little red. "Oh. Ah." Colson clears his throat a little, ducking his head slightly. Colson glances around at the room, and his eyes catch on the rug.
Is That A Fish?
"Huh." Colson tilts his head to the side. "I…cannot entirely tell if that is unintentional or intentional damage. That burn mark looks like a fish. And that looks like…ah. Hm."
"It…"
Colson does not say what it sort of resembles.
Mordecai stops at the end of the rug. He doesn't walk on it with his shoes. "Oh, it does look like someone just cut a fish shape out of the rug," Mordecai agrees.
"Hm. I wonder if it's some sort of…avant garde Draenei design or a fish burn cutter tool experiment gone wrong until it went right, once."
"Or a child, cutting shapes for fun."
Colson nods, with a soft sort of smile. "Yes, perhaps."
"You would think they'd keep food separate from the books," Mordecai mutters.
Colson trails after Mordecai, still looking around the room. He makes an affirmative sort of sound. "Oh, Shadow Draenite," Colson says, as they get near the giant purple crystal. He evaluates it with a professional interest.
Mordecai glances at the crystal once - big, purple - and then goes back to watching Colson.
Colson is staring at the crystal as though trying to figure out the exact angle of the cuts. "Whoever did this was a master, that is certain. I cannot tell at all what sort of tool they used. The angles are so precise. I cannot even imagine how they did it," Colson admits, as he turns to Mordecai. "Something larger than a chisel, that is certain."
Mordecai shrugs. "Some sort of larger machinery?"
Colson makes a thoughtful sort of sound. "Possibly, although, many of the designs I work with utilize a grinder they've developed. I wonder if there's a larger version somewhere that they use for the ship crystals…" Colson trails off in thought.
"Maybe you could ask the jewelers in Shattrath?"
Colson makes a soft sort of sound, and nods at Mordecai. "Perhaps, yes. The next time I am in the city with some time."
They go into a building that looks like a city hall or lecture hall.
"Ah. This feels…oddly familiar," Colson says, a faint half-smile on his face.
Mordecai looks into the building and nods slowly, but he doesn't go in.
Colson walks in as if he's exactly where he's supposed to be, glancing around a little. Colson leaves the same way.
"Excuse me," Mordecai says quietly to one of the guards outside. "That large crystal, there, do you know how it was cut?"
The guard shakes his head. "Not my specialty."
Colson walks back to Mordecai's side, a faint smile on his face.
"I understand. Thank you. Um." Mordecai smiles shyly at Colson. "Well, he didn't know."
Colson smiles gently, and moves in a little closer, his voice soft. "Thank you for asking, all the same."
"Oh. You're welcome." Mordecai fidgets, twisting his hands together in front of him.
Colson's eyes follow another ghost, and this time there is a frown on his face. His head moves in place as he stares at the ghost. "Well. That is extraordinarily disconcerting."
"Do… you want to go somewhere else?"
"I do not wish to alarm you, but some of these orcs are wearing…well. It appears that my armor is not only traditionally druidic, I suppose. That male was wearing my exact set of armor."
"The ghost? Huh."
Colson nods and makes a 'hm' sort of sound, as he offers out his hand. "We could leave, yes," Colson says.
Mordecai takes it.
Tenacious has eaten almost a quarter of a perfect circle around him. He looks up when Colson approaches.
Mordecai looks at Pastry with an Expression. Uncomfortable? Resigned?
Colson moves to stand near Mordecai, a hand out to help. He looks over Mordecai's expression with a soft one of his own. "Are you ready?"
"Ready," Mordecai says, and climbs back into the saddle.
Colson nods, and mounts Tenacious with grace, and directs him out across the bridge.
Mordecai looks down. It's a very very long way down.
Colson seems unconcerned with the height, as they walk the horses across. Colson looks over at Mordecai as they get farther from the base. "Was there something you wanted to see in particular?"
"I suppose I just want to know what's out there. I don't really get to explore much."
Mordecai shrugs. "I mean, it's not safe for me to wander off on my own, and…"
Colson nods, and he looks oddly pleased, a faint smile on his face. "I will keep you safe. If you wished to take the lead, I would follow you, wherever you wished to go."
"All right. Um… this way is as good as any?" Mordecai looks off to the left. "There's the mountain."
Colson chuckles. "Mm."
"And there's… wow. That one's huge."
Mordecai is talking about an Enormous Clefthoof. Nish is not allowed to annotate Morson Logs for a reason.
"Ah, yes. And…" Colson looks around, behind them.
"It's at least three times the size of the little ones…" Mordecai watches the giant clefthoof wander with fascination.
Colson watches the giant clefthoof, and there's a brief something on his face, as he puts a hand to his chest for a moment.
"Indeed."
Mordecai doesn't notice, because he's watching the cute animals. "Those are the things that Sandy and Nilunelle wanted to pet?"
Colson nods. "They did pet one, yes. The smaller clefthoof ones. Cressidha wanted to know if it was soft."
"Maybe I could find out," Mordecai says, eyes practically shining in excitement.
Colson looks over, and his expression goes soft. "Then shall we find one for you?"
"Maybe a smaller one." Mordecai starts off down the road.
Colson follows.
Mordecai does not get too close to the encampment, because the last group of ethereals he approached in the wild did try to kill him. He stops and waves to the passing patrol.
Colson puts his hand on his sword.
"Oh! A herd!"
"Mm." Colson does not sound particularly enthusiastic about the herd.
"There's one!"
Mordecai gestures to the clefthoof, smiling. It looks very big. And very soft, to be fair.
Sure. It’s just a giant Aged Clefthoof, ready to fight God if God came down to bother this ancient wooly beast on its lawn.
"Perhaps one of the smaller ones, would be safer," Colson says, a slight frown of thought on his face.
"All right," Mordecai agrees, shrugging.
"Even the smaller one knocked Nilunelle to the ground unintentionally."
Mordecai squints at something in the distance and rides Pastry closer.
"The Legion," Mordecai mutters, and wheels Pastry back around before they can be spotted.
Colson nods.
"Dreaming glory!" Mordecai points.
Colson stops as Mordecai does, and smiles faintly at the plant. He dismounts easily, and approaches the plant.
Mordecai keeps an eye on a group of hungry birds circling a dead clefthoof.
Colson kneels down and examines the Dreaming Glory. "Hm. Delicate growth here." He moves some of the petals aside gently, and selects a single growth. "The rest should not be removed. It's not entirely thriving, though it's not in any danger."
Mordecai nods.
Colson remounts easily, looking around at the field.
"Maybe that one?" Mordecai points to another big clefthoof. "Is that one still too big?"
It’s still a huge Clefthoof Bull. Ready to fight, if not God, at least a paladin and a priest if they get into its grassy space.
Colson tenses and makes a slight sound. "I don't know. It is not as large as the others, but…"
"Hm." Mordecai rides Pastry away from it. They can find a smaller one, it's fine.
Colson eyes the Clefhoofs with an evaluating eye.
They ride around, and come to another lake and stream, very idyllic. Just, also, you know, right up against the Horde.
"Oh, elementals. These ones look healthier." Mordecai looks warily at the Horde encampment nearby.
"Yes," Colson agrees, glancing at them. His attention seems to be mostly on the Horde camp.
Which is good, because as they go by, the Horde Scouts zero in on the guy wearing Giant Golden Armor.
"Ride!" Colson shouts the order.
Pastry GOES.
"Where to?" Mordecai calls over his shoulder.
Pastry is STILL GOING.
Colson glances once more behind them, and eases up on the gallop. "Clear," Colson calls. "A Horde scouting party."
"Ah."
"They caught sight of me."
Mordecai reins Pastry in. Pastry does not want to stop, but she does.
The Knight Captain evaluates the field once more. "It should be safe. I do not believe they wished to give genuine chase."
"Good." Mordecai sighs.
Mordecai seems far more alert than he was before, now.
Colson evaluates the Clefthoofs they pass. Colson halts at the dead Clefthoofs. He makes a vague expression, and then rides on. The trade off of very safe to pet vs petting dead animal seems to have been weighed in favor of not petting dead thing.
"This one?" Mordecai points.
Colson examines it. It's clear he's still uncomfortable with the size, but he nods. "That is the size they pet before."
Mordecai slides off of Pastry. "Pastry, stay."
"Please be cautious of its tail," Colson says as he dismounts, and raises his hand in a very familiar preparation gesture.
Mordecai reaches out a hand as the clefthoof approaches. "Hello, there…" he says in a soft voice.
The clefthoof pauses in front of Mordecai and sniffs at him a couple of times.
Colson holds back, ready to cast a Blessing of Protection at the slightest hint of aggression.
Mordecai waits, patiently, for it to either show interest or move on. There's a long, possibly ominous pause, before the clefthoof turns and just starts walking away. Mordecai reaches out to touch the animal's furry side, and then ducks neatly underneath the tail as it moves on off.
Colson's lips tighten, as his right hand clenches, but he doesn't cast the Blessing.
Mordecai turns to Colson, beaming. "It was so soft."
Colson's eyes linger on the clefthoof for a second more, as though ensuring it is moving on, before looking at Mordecai, and the change of his expression is immediate, as Colson blinks several times as though stunned, and he smiles softly.
"Are you all right?" Mordecai asks, quiet, reaching out to touch Colson's cheek.
Colson walks forward to Mordecai, staring in a way that suggests Colson might have completely forgotten their surroundings. He presses Mordecai's hand to his face. "You are so beautiful," Colson says, his voice low.
Tenacious takes this moment to chomp grass.
Mordecai blushes. "Oh, I, um, thank you."
Colson has absolutely lost complete and total sense of where they are as he leans in for a kiss.
Mordecai's eyes flick quickly around before he focuses in on Colson to return the kiss. It's private enough. It's fine. The horses are busy.
Colson kisses Mordecai slowly. He reaches a hand up to Mordecai's hair, where he has forgotten he's wearing plate armor. The hair catches in the bends of the fingers before Colson seems to realize he can't feel anything, and tries to pull away. Some of the hair likely tries to come with him.
Mordecai makes a noise into the kiss and then he makes a different, more pained noise, reaching up to grab Colson's gauntlet and hold it in place.
Colson freezes, and breaks the kiss. He seems to realize that he's caught on Mordecai's hair. He curses under his breath. "Forgive me," he says, as he holds still. Colson reaches his other hand around to remove the gauntlet entirely.
Mordecai exhales in a noise that's very close to the start of a laugh and holds very still. "Can you get that? I can't see it properly." His tone is light, and he doesn't seem upset.
Colson frowns in concentration. "Hold on to it," Colson directs. His jaw is clicking faintly as he clenches it too tightly.
Mordecai reaches up to hold the gauntlet in place.
Colson moves around to the back, and with very gentle touches, releases the caught hair. Once it's free, he holds onto the gauntlet. "You may let go. I have it."
Mordecai smiles at him and lets go.
Colson exhales slowly, as he puts the gauntlet back on. Once it's adjusted he looks at Mordecai. "Forgive me, I was not paying attention," Colson says, his voice soft and subdued.
Mordecai reaches up to take Colson's face in both hands and leans his forehead against Colson's. "I'm fine, love. That happens to me too sometimes. It just… tangles."
Colson makes a sound, and closes his eyes, leaning into the touch. "I know. I simply…never want to hurt you, not even in such a small way."
"You can always heal me after," Mordecai suggests, smiling.
Colson pulls back, opening his eyes. There's a faint self-deprecating half-smile on his face. He looks over Mordecai's expression. "Does it still hurt?" He asks, a mix of tone in the question. Almost a smile, almost pain.
"No," Mordecai says, smiling. "Not at all. I just like the way your Light feels."
Colson reaches out the same offending hand to very lightly touch a single gauntleted finger to Mordecai's cheeks. Colson's eyes flash bright gold for half a second, before he sends a single Holy Shock into Mordecai for 1,599 heals.
Mordecai closes his eyes, his smile getting wider. "Oh."
Colson leans forward and brushes a kiss against the same cheek as he drops his hand. "We should move," Colson murmurs. "Before I attack that Wind Elemental that is, in every way, minding its own business, simply because it is making me nervous."
"The what?" Mordecai blinks at him. "Oh. Yes." He releases Colson and moves back towards Pastry.
Colson exhales slowly in a way that seems to be an attempt at settling himself, before he turns back to Tenacious, mounting easily. Tenacious has only just barely started on the grass.
Mordecai gets back up in the saddle with relative ease this time and sighs. "I didn't even think about healing myself," Mordecai mutters. "I'd just resigned myself to being sore. I forgot."
Colson looks over, his face sliding into neutral. "Sore?" Colson looks at Mordecai's hair. Colson has not connected the dots about horse. It has been way too long since Colson was sore from horse riding.
Mordecai scrubs a hand through his own hair quickly. "Thank you." His hair is an absolute disaster. "Just, you know. I rode from Menethil Harbor to Light's Hope. In under a day."
Pastry takes off. MOVEMENT TIME.
Colson exhales in a sigh, and he looks at Mordecai a little sheepishly. "Oh, yes, of course. I….no, I should have…of course. I do hope Cressidha is alright. We do some riding with the Company, but rarely on that scale," Colson says as they ride. The pace does not seem difficult for him.
"I forgot entirely." Mordecai chuckles. "Maybe you should heal her too."
Colson nods. "Yes." Colson stops when Mordecai does.
"Is that a squirrel?" Mordecai asks, pointing. He seems a little baffled by there being squirrels here.
Colson follows the point, and narrows his eyes a little. Colson is definitely not an expert in animals. "It does certainly appear to be a squirrel," he hedges. "A very ordinary squirrel."
Probably a cursed demon squirrel then. Best not to tempt fate.
"…huh."
Mordecai stares at the squirrel a bit longer and then turns to Colson. "Was there anything you wanted to do out here, or anywhere you wanted to see?"
Colson makes a faint 'hm' sound, as he looks at Mordecai. He shakes his head slightly. "I simply enjoy being here, with you." He glances at the rock elemental strongly considering not minding its own business. Tenacious pulls up more grass. "You?"
Mordecai shifts from foot to foot, fidgeting with his fingers. "I'm worried about that Legion camp we saw to the west of here. I'm not a scout, but…"
Colson blinks, and there's a shift in him, just enough of a straightening and tensing. "Ah." He looks to the Northwest. "I led several such. We can investigate it, if you would like. And against the Legion…" Colson exhales. "I can hold my own, if need be."
Mordecai bites his lip. "I mostly want to get a sense of their numbers, and how far they've spread, and what sort of demons they have there… I mean, the people out here might already know, but…"
Colson nods. "Yes, and even if they know the general scope, new information is always useful. The more recent, the better." Tenacious stops eating grass at the tone of Colson's voice, and makes a hrrff sort of horse sound as he moves in closer to Colson. This sounds Serious. Tenacious is Ready.
"Is that… I mean, is that all right? I know it's not what we came out here to do…"
Pastry is living in her own world. Grass go crunch. She is not a paladin horse.
Colson smiles faintly, more in his eyes than lips. His voice is a little softer, although the growing military cadence is still in his tone. "I came here to do as you wish to do, and this is what you want. I am ready." Colson moves to Tenacious.
Mordecai steps closer, taking out a candle. "Light, grant us Fortitude and endurance." The candle ignites with Light and melts away in his hands.
Colson closes his eyes briefly to it, and reaches out a hand to touch Mordecai's cheek in the same way he did to heal him, feather light, as Colson's aura shifts. Colson murmurs a prayer, almost audible, something about Light shielding Mordecai.
Mordecai closes his eyes and Light wells up from underneath his skin, settles, and fades. "All right," Mordecai says softly.
Tenacious stomps the ground. Aw yiss. Prayers are going out. There is gonna be a BATTLE. Colson nods once more to Mordecai, and swings up easily into the saddle.
Mordecai fetches Pastry. She's less enthusiastic until she realizes this means she gets to run again.
Colson's posture has altered entirely as they ride. This is no longer a man out for a pleasure ride. Colson halts as the camp comes into view.
"Pastry spooks easily, I don't want to bring her too close," Mordecai mutters. "I can be much quieter without her."
Colson nods, and dismounts. He pats Tenacious once. Tenacious looks …eager? maybe for the idea that maybe something will come for him and Pastry and he will fight it. Colson moves relatively quietly, for a man in full plate, as he starts towards the camp. He is, however, in bright, giant golden plate armor. Stealth is not going to happen.
Mordecai traces the Fear Ward symbol over his own heart.
Colson adjusts his gloves. "Gan'arg," he says, and he stretches out a hand crackling with a Holy Shock.
Colson pulls all three of them to him. He’s honestly pretty impressive, for a guy who isn’t specced fully for damage.
Mordecai mutters, "Shield." He continues to maintain it.
Goodbye Legion minions. Colson keeps walking on the edge of the camp, Mordecai right behind him.
"…cannons aren't targeting us at this distance?"
Colson examines the felcanons from afar, and shakes his head. "Not yet," he says, as he strides forward. His eyes are on the Felguard.
Colson pulls the Felguard to him with an Exorcism, and they fight. The Felguard is sturdy, but not as sturdy as the paladin with his priest.
Mordecai stops maintaining his own shield to conserve mana during the fight, as the Felguard remains completely focused on Colson.
Colson breathes a little heavily, but seems otherwise fine, as he drinks water, examining the cannon as he does. "It does not seem as though they have been able to secure a significant force here. They are still building," Colson says, the Knight-Captain out in full after the fight.
"Mm. Going to head around the edge."
"Mo'arg," Colson says, taking note of the numbers.
"What are they working on?" Mordecai asks, staring at the machines.
"Siege engines, it looks like." Colson looks through the camp, his eyes catching on the crystals. "Hm. I do not like that, whatever they are doing there, with those crystals."
Mordecai nods and continues to move around the edge of the camp.
Colson holds out a hand to halt when he spots the Planner.
"Are they doing something to the water? – " Mordecai freezes in place.
Colson nods once. "So it would seem." He watches the Planner and looks partially over one shoulder. "This is as much as we can do. They have strong enough reinforcements that it would be dangerous to engage."
Mordecai nods and motions towards the water.
Colson follows, keeping his eyes on the Planner.
After ducking around a corner, out of sight of the camp, Mordecai digs out an empty jar and takes a sample of the water.
Colson glances over the water and the weird fel like clouds coming up off it.
Mordecai puts the jar away.
Colson leads along the edges of the camp, his eyes moving constantly as he assesses the field.
Mordecai maintains their protective shields, quietly speaking the power word every thirty seconds.
"I do not see any of the Nathrezim, or the Shivarra."
"Maybe from the other side we can get a closer look at the crystals?"
Colson shakes his head. "I do not think that is wise. More cannons, and too many of the others. And I do not know what those crystals do. I am not an expert in the fel."
Mordecai keeps his eyes on the cannon, staying out of its range.
Colson gestures for Tenacious, his attention still back on the camp. Tenacious moves eagerly. Maybe there will be some Danger?
Mordecai has to go fetch Pastry.
They start off down the road, where a giant gronn is currently minding its own business.
"Ah, gronn," Colson says, as he directs Tenacious around it.
Morson does not disturb the gronn. They do, however, see more of The Legion on the road. Doing…something to something.
Colson frowns, holding up a hand to slow. "More. They're spreading."
Mordecai mutters, "Are they far enough from the rest that we can clear them?"
Colson adjusts his gloves, and holds out a hand to Mordecai. "Yes."
"We can probably lure the felguard without alerting the gan'arg…" Mordecai leans over in the saddle to take Colson's hand.
Colson murmurs familiar prayers, his aura shifting. The Light looks brighter around him.
Mordecai dismounts and leads Pastry a little bit more out of the way.
Colson inhales deeply, as he dismounts. Tenacious looks ready to bite something. He strides forward to the group. Colson does not look like he's going to lure anything.
Colson fights an elite Felguard and four mo’args. Successfully. Who needs mana? Not Colson. Er. Maybe Colson.
Colson breathes heavily through his nose and mouth, panting, as he catches his breath.
Mordecai watches the other felguard, who has his back to them, as he drinks some water.
The moment Colson catches his breath, he looks over at Mordecai. A brief assessing glance, and Colson moves forward once more.
Now that they're engaged in active combat that is draining his mana heavily, Mordecai's stopped shielding them both every thirty seconds. Now it's just Colson.
Colson throws a hammer of Light when he's thrown back.
The felguard is more like a fallguard amirite? Ha ha any way. The felguard falls.
Mordecai passes another renewal spell over Colson as he moves forward to look at the machinery.
Colson watches closely, scanning their surroundings.
"I don't think it's complete, whatever it is…"
Colson nods once. "Agreed."
"I don't like the look of those trees. Same color."
Colson follows Mordecai closely, and looks out across the way. "More of the same crystals," he says, pointing a hand out to them.
"Ah."
"I would like to see if they have any of the others there, beyond the Mo'arg."
"Nine o' clock, felguard,” Mordecai says.
"I see it."
Colson does, in fact see it, and he pulls it to him. Colson Holy Holies it to death, er, temporary repositioning of planar existence. Colson then makes his way back to where they left the horses.
Tenacious meets Colson halfway, stomping on the ground near the remains of the Felguard. Colson mounts, looking to Mordecai.
Mordecai has to go fetch Pastry again.
They ride and see another camp. Mordecai goes off to the side.
Again, Mordecai leaves Pastry back behind a tree, far away enough from the camp.
Colson pulls up a halt as they approach the other camp, squinting through the green fel cloud surrounding it. Colson dismounts, but Tenacious stays right where Colson is. Tenacious does not squint through the gloom. He does eye the lone bush left nearby though.
"Looks like a similar setup," Mordecai says softly as he approaches.
"Agreed." Colson looks at the moving parts. "This one seems further along. That could be a forge." Colson points to the bellows working near something that could, possibly, be a forge.
Mordecai nods.
Colson eyes the obelisk with an Expression. "Hm."
"Can't see too far in. Foggy."
"I have a sense of the numbers and the locations with their advantages," Colson says, his voice clipped. "We can give them what we have observed at the Draenei outpost."
"Hold - hold on. Colson, give me your hand?"
Colson holds out his hand, his eyes still scanning the area.
Mordecai takes his hand and closes his eyes.
Mordecai begins casting a particular Shadow Spell.
Colson gasps slightly, and his hand tightens slightly on Mordecai's, as Colson slowly scans the camp once more.
"Pit lord in this one," Mordecai whispers. "By the central fire." Mordecai jolts out of the mind vision, blinking rapidly.
Colson nods, and turns to Mordecai, searching his face. "Are you alright? How far did you go?"
"I… I'm seeing spots, hang on. We should get out of the open."
Colson makes an affirmative sound. Tenacious, helpfully (??) moves in front of Mordecai. Colson pats the horse distractedly. "This way," Colson says, as he gently pulls Mordecai back to where he left Pastry.
Tenacious moves with them, as a Horse Bush.
It's relatively flat ground, and Mordecai doesn't trip, but as soon as he gets around behind the tree he sits down, reaching into his pocket for a string of prayer beads. "She made it seem so easy during lessons," Mordecai mutters. "I need a minute or two before my vision clears."
Colson kneels down in front of Mordecai, his eyes soft, despite the rigid posture he holds himself. "You were using the mind vision?" Colson asks it softly. "I felt Shadow."
Mordecai holds the prayer beads up in one hand, close to his face. He seems to be just using them as something to focus his eyes on. "Mmhm."
Colson carefully removes his left gauntlet, and moves to brush his hand against Mordecai's cheek.
Mordecai leans into the touch. There's still a lingering sense of Shadow, although it's slowly fading as Mordecai's vision gradually clears.
Colson brushes his thumb gently across Mordecai's cheek. There's a faint sense of blessing in the motion. "How far did you chain it? How deep in is the Annihilan?"
"I only did one jump," Mordecai mutters. "From one of the gan'args to the pit lord itself. There was some… visual bleed-over from the first one's vision. It's not that deep in, it was by that central fire, along with one cannon."
Colson nods grimly, and glances back at the camp, before returning his attention to Mordecai. "Are you well enough to ride? We should not linger here if it is that close."
"I'm still seeing spots," Mordecai says, his tone apologetic. "The dizziness is gone, I'm just seeing… patches of the gan'arg's vision. I think I can ride." Mordecai pushes up slowly to his feet.
Colson makes a soft sound, moving his hand from Mordecai's face to his elbow, to help him stand. Colson's hand has gone from very warm to almost hot.
Mordecai accepts the help. He's still blinking rapidly as he puts the prayer beads back in his pocket and looks back up at Colson. There are little flickers of Shadow clouding Mordecai's irises.
Colson's expression has gone into a forced neutrality, as his gaze shifts from one of Mordecai's eyes to the other. Colson exhales slowly. He murmurs prayers, once more almost audible, something about the Light from within holding Mordecai safe. "Pastry will follow Tenacious," Colson says, as he reaches for Pastry's reins, his left hand moving to help guide Mordecai to the horse to mount her.
Mordecai takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and passes his hand over his face. There's a crackle of magic as Mordecai dispels his own spell, and when he opens his eyes again, they look normal. "I'm fine. I'm fine." Mordecai mounts up.
Colson nods. He swings up into the saddle.
Pastry does follow Tenacious.
Colson guides Tenacious around the ghosts in the road. Colson mutters about how he does not look like that in that armor.
Mordecai does not question any of this. He's quiet.
Colson winces as he rides through a huge band of ghosts.
Mordecai inhales sharply as he catches sight of a Horde patrol. The patrol is ahead of them on the road, though, and doesn't stop.
Colson dismounts as they approach the Draenei outpost, and moves to the first stationary guard there. "Archenon poros. I am Colson Aspenwood, of Cobalt Company. I have news regarding the status of the Legion's camps in the Northwest. Whom do I speak to?"
Mordecai carefully gets off his horse and leads Pastry out of the way. "Stay," he mutters, "Good girl."
The Halaani Guard looks down at Colson. Way down. That's a solid two and a half feet height difference. "You have number?"
Colson glances at the ghost that walks by, and then back up at the guard. "Yes."
Mordecai quietly comes up beside Colson.
The Halaani Guard gives Colson a sharp nod, and gestures to the building behind him. "Can put it on, how you say, table? Commander will come read."
Colson inclines his head politely. "Thank you," he says, as he strides forward for the building, as though he is exactly where he should be.
Mordecai follows him. For once, he matches Colson's posture: he looks like he knows where he's going and he's supposed to be there.
Colson glances around again, and walks to the table with the paperwork on it. Colson shifts, removing his other gauntlet, and pulls out a sheaf of paper and a pen from a netherweave bag. He sets his gauntlet down, and places the paper on the desk that is close to his upper chest height. Colson begins writing in clear, easy to read writing with no flourishes whatsoever. It seems to be a very concise, and very boring report. He's including fairly precise numbers. He is a little off on how many mo'args there were, but only by around 3-4.
Mordecai stands at ease as Colson writes the report, hands behind his back, but he's absolutely watching Colson write it. "Sir," Mordecai says, quiet. "There was a group of four more mo'args in the southern camp."
Colson is in the middle of writing a line describing the Pit Lord's relative location near the Obelisk when his pen slips, as Colson inhales sharply at the title, smearing a line of ink that culminates in a blob. Colson's cheeks have flushed slightly.
Mordecai blinks down at the report, then up at Colson.
Colson clears his throat, and blinks at the paper. He lifts the pen up, and clears his throat yet again. He does not look at Mordecai. "Yes, of course," he says, his voice gone deeper and softer. He takes several seconds to seem to remember how to write numbers. He finally adjusts the numbers of the mo'args. His cheeks are still a little red.
"Sorry, sir," Mordecai says in that same quiet tone. "I should have waited until you were finished."
Colson halts in the middle of another word, as he inhales again. He looks over at Mordecai, and there's a very, very familiar expression on his face, an intensity that takes Colson several breaths to cover behind a mask of neutrality.
Mordecai is looking directly at Colson, watching for a reaction. There's a very faint smile on his face that he's trying to suppress.
"Well," Colson says, his voice a little dry. "I see that has…hm." Colson exhales slowly, almost a sigh, as he returns his attention to the word he was writing. Which appears to be ‘Mordecai.’ "Ah." Colson carefully scritches it out. Colson finishes writing the rest quickly. It's obvious he's had a lot of experience doing exactly this, and he fills it out faster than Mordecai has ever seen him write. He is also, clearly, not entirely focused on the report anymore.
Mordecai looks down at the report.
Colson turns the paper to Mordecai more fully, his brows raised slightly in inquiry. It's an accurate, if boring, report. "Do you wish to leave the sample of water you took here?"
Mordecai takes the sample jar out of his bag and sets it down gently on the table. "Should I, sir?" he asks, fighting hard to keep the smile off his face.
Colson closes his eyes briefly, and then looks over at Mordecai. He very carefully places his hand down near the edge of the desk closest to Mordecai, and there's a hint of a smile in the intensity. "I think it would be best, yes." Colson is making very direct eye contact.
Mordecai nods and sets the jar down near the report.
Colson should definitely be writing something about the water sample. He's not doing that. He's just staring at Mordecai, as he holds his hand very, very carefully still on the table. He's not touching. It's public. Colson can handle it. He's fine.
Mordecai moves his hands behind his back again. He stands with perfect posture, eyes on the desk, waiting patiently. "… I didn't label the sample, sir. Should you mention it in the report?"
Colson curses under his breath. "Mordecai," Colson says, and there's a purr in the baritone. He swallows and forces – with what looks to be great effort – his attention to the report. Colson writes, 'Water sample,' with an arrow pointing to the jar. That's it. That's all Colson has left. He caps the pen and stows it back in the bag.
Mordecai bites his lip. He is trying (and so far, succeeding) not to laugh.
Colson looks back to Mordecai, and groans faintly at Mordecai's lip biting, and looks up at the ceiling. He exhales slowly, as he deliberately shoves his gauntlets back on. "The horses," Colson mutters to himself. "We cannot hearth home. We have the horses." Colson seems to be saying it almost entirely to himself as a reminder.
"No, sir, we'll have to ride - home." There's a fraction of a pause just a tiny bit too long between those words.
Colson's hands clench reflexively. Colson has always been a man of restraint and control. It's always come relatively easily to him, and it shows most of the time, but likely never so clearly as it does in this moment, as Colson struggles with it rather suddenly as he talks himself down from an edge. He closes his eyes, and swallows hard. The flush has intensified, as he exhales. He very abruptly turns on his heel and strides out of the building. He is making a full bee-line to the horses.
Mordecai grins as he walks behind Colson. He straightens his expression out quickly, just in case Colson decides to turn around.
Colson walks to Tenacious without stopping, and gets on the horse like a man who is reciting the Tomes in his head, and possibly now, slightly out loud.
Mordecai gestures to the road and ahead of them and asks mildly, "Do you want me in front, sir?"
"Valor, and all the virtues that go along with it, are like rare minerals," Colson mutters, his hands tight on the reins. "Mordecai." He turns to look at him with an intense expression. "Ride." It's a full order, the entire weight of Colson's command behind it. Colson's aura shifts, lending extra speed to the horses. Colson rides – in so many ways – hard through Nagrand's long grasses, ignoring roads in favor of the most direct possible route. Tenacious makes a happy horse sound. Wow they're going fast today!
Mordecai, who brought this on himself and really has no room to complain, holds on to the reins for dear life and focuses on staying on the horse, because Pastry's favorite thing in the world is getting to run fast. In another life, Pastry would have made a very good racehorse. Certainly better than life as a warhorse.
Tenacious, like a paladin, is a bit of a multiclass horse. Today he has happily respecced into a Racehorse Tree.
It is once again raining in Zangarmarsh.
Colson does not even glance at the ragveil. No plants exist.
Pastry nearly crashes into Tenacious as Tenacious stops first, and digs her hooves in just in time.
Colson dismounts as they get to the outpost. Tenacious looks mildly confused. Why did they stop? Oh. Home. Okay. He headbutts Colson's pauldron once, before wandering off to the grooms. He didn't get nearly enough grass today. Colson turns to help Mordecai get off Pastry.
Mordecai slumps forward in the saddle, trying to catch his breath. He looks over at Colson and grins. The rain has plastered his hair to his face.
Colson reaches up, his expression still rather intense, as he stares with open – to Mordecai's eyes at least – longing.
Mordecai accepts Colson's help getting down off the horse and nods in the direction of the elevator. "Shall we?" Pastry follows after Tenacious. She's learning.
"Yes," Colson says, practically ripping off his gauntlets to shove into the wrong bag. It's fine. It's all going to the same place. Colson moves to link his hand with Mordecai's.
Mordecai's face is flushed, and he combs some of his dripping hair back from his forehead before taking Colson's hand.
Colson's hand is very warm, and it is clear the paladin has completely forgotten about the existence of umbrellas.
Mordecai has forgotten about the existence of inn keys. This will be a problem for Future Mordecai in the very near future.
Colson greets the innkeeper…in…Darnassian? Colson knows where he is. It's fine.
Mordecai does not laugh. Somehow.
Colson is very carefully not running to the door. He's walking at a very normal pace. Very normal. His eyes are a little unfocused, as though Colson is already several steps ahead.
Mordecai is paying more attention to their surroundings. He stops in front of the door when Colson does. The future is now. Mordecai has to let go of Colson's hand to search for his key.
Colson makes a sound at Mordecai pulling away, only to look down and realize, oh, yes, a very reasonable purpose. Colson returns his attention to the door. He's breathing very evenly.
Mordecai holds the key confidently up to the door panel. Nothing happens. He flips the key around. The door opens.
Colson's eyes move in a smile, although he still looks very serious, as he strides forward. He turns on his heel the moment there's enough space for both of them, and puts an arm out to get the door in order to close it.
Mordecai steps inside, moving just enough to allow Colson to close the door as he sets down his bag and the very enchanted mace he hasn't needed to use at all.
Colson stares directly at Mordecai as he very deliberately, very slowly closes the door behind them. Colson steps in close, and places one hand on each side of Mordecai's head on the door, still staring with that same intensity.
Mordecai makes eye contact and freezes in place with his back up against the door.
"Welcome home," Colson says, his voice low, and with an edge to it, as Colson continues to intentionally hold himself back. It is obvious how much effort it is taking, and Colson is drawing it out, where Mordecai can see it.
Mordecai cracks a faint smile and asks in a quiet voice with just a flicker of anxiety to it, "That wasn't too much, was it?"
"Never. Never too much," Colson says, as he stares at Mordecai, his eyes dark, pupils wider than they should be, a faint flush to his cheeks. "Do you see it?" Colson asks, his voice dark and warm. "Do you see what you do to me? How much I want you?"
Mordecai exhales in relief, his head tipping back against the door for a moment, but then he straightens up at Colson's next words. "Yes, sir," he says, meeting Colson's eyes.
Colson is a man who can move pretty fast, for a guy in full plate, when he has need of it. Colson lets go of the restraint he had been holding to him, and moves forward to kiss Mordecai, desperation and desire now fully unleashed.
==Some Time Sure Does Pass==
Colson sits with the newest notebook propped up against his leg. He is looking at an artistic rendering of what appears to be a multiple tiered cake with mountain silversage growing out the top. Colson has sketched in the lines of it on the cover.
Mordecai goes from lying down to sitting up very abruptly upright in bed. His hair is a disaster. "The horses," he says, a touch of panic in his voice.
Colson's aura shifts at the sudden sound. He relaxes a second after, turning with a fond, sweet sort of smile on his face. "We remembered," Colson says, setting the notebook down, and reaching out a hand to Mordecai's hair.
Mordecai relaxes immediately. "…we remembered." He rubs at his eyes.
Colson's expression is soft, as he strokes his hand through the disaster of hair, very gently. "Mmhm." He sighs, a happy sort of sound, as he — without looking away from Mordecai — moves his notebook, artwork, and pencil to the nightstand.
Mordecai leans in for a lazy sort of just-woke-up kiss. "Good morning…" It is not remotely morning.
Colson kisses Mordecai gently, lingering a little in it, before he pulls away. He gives Mordecai near the actual time, although Colson is off by about twenty or so minutes later than it actually is. It's been awhile since he checked.
Mordecai smiles, resting a hand on Colson's shoulder. "How are you feeling?"
Colson makes a soft, contented sort of sound at the touch, and looks at Mordecai with a small smile curling his lips. "As though I could only march for another hour, and I do not even care," Colson says, a bright note in his mild voice.
Mordecai's expression goes soft. "Did you have a good day?"
Colson grins, suddenly. It fades slowly, as he stares at Mordecai. "Yes." He hesitates, and there's a cautious note in the tone. "Did you?"
Mordecai nods. "I did." He strokes his hand down Colson's arm, along the tattoo, and catches Colson's hand.
Colson shivers slightly, and laces his fingers through Mordecai's. "Good."
"I feel a little strange about asking you to come investigate those camps with me on what was supposed to be a day off. I'm glad that didn't…" Mordecai waves his free hand vaguely.
Colson tilts his head slightly, his brows raised in gentle inquiry. "Strange? Why?"
Mordecai shrugs. "Well, you were talking about how you liked Nagrand because you could just be… yourself there. And then… the Legion."
Colson smiles faintly, pulling Mordecai's hand closer to his heart. "Who I am is someone who will always fight The Legion. And I would happily follow you anywhere you wanted to go. That pleases me more than anything else."
Mordecai seems to relax a little. "And… distracting you from writing that report. You're sure that was all right?"
Colson, perhaps unexpectedly, throws his head back and laughs, a brief, bright happy sound. He looks back at Mordecai, grinning, a faint streak of red on his cheekbones. "Only if you were hoping for it to end the way it did," Colson gently teases.
Mordecai looks as smug as it is possible for Mordecai to look. "I mean. That was probably the best possible outcome, yes."
Colson moves his free hand up to Mordecai's disaster hair. "I will say though, I was not…expecting it to sound so different coming from you, to hear you call me 'sir' out there, after…" Colson trails off, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
Mordecai tilts his head. "Different from… how I used to say it? Or how you're used to hearing it?"
Colson makes an affirmative sound. "Both, perhaps," he says, his voice going softer. "I had thought I could write a report through anything. I have written one through a thunderstorm on the sea, and not even lost my momentum when we nearly capsized."
Mordecai looks delighted. "I mean, you… technically finished it?"
Colson's eyes move in a brighter smile. "I trust that you would have caught anything like me simply doodling your name with a heart over the i, and told me. I have no idea what I wrote after that first 'sir," Colson admits.
"You technically finished it." Mordecai looks very fond. "How do I tell the difference between when you're working on something you'd like to actually finish and when you're working on something I can interfere with?"
Colson blinks. He opens his mouth to say something, and then closes it. He can't really straighten much because he wasn't slouching to begin with, but he does draw up a little. "Let me consider that," he says, as he does exactly that.
Mordecai nods. He lets go of Colson's hand and folds his hands together in his lap, waiting patiently.
Colson taps his hand once on his leg. "If there is ever anything where a delay could cost someone their life or their well being, or cause great distress, I cannot be interrupted or distracted. If anything happened, I would blame myself, but I do not think you wish for that, nor do I believe you ever truly would do so. That is my line, I expect. Everything else?" Colson exhales slowly, and looks over at Mordecai, his face soft. "I can think of nothing else more important than you are to me, that I could not be interfered with, and put it off until…" Colson smiles, his voice going a little lower. "Later."
Mordecai nods, his expression going serious. "I understand. Thank you. That helps a lot, actually."
Colson makes an affirmative sort of sound. "I would have said once that for anything I truly needed to focus on, I would be able to. I have never found it difficult before, but, well." Colson shrugs his right shoulder. "I suppose it is also true I had never been in love before," he says softly.
Mordecai blushes immediately at that. "Yes, well. It's… still very new, having… this." Mordecai gestures between himself and Colson. "You pay attention to me and that's always a good thing. That's new enough that I'm still adjusting."
Colson leans in closer, tilting his head slightly. "Yes. I have been enjoying…adjusting to it," he says, blinking slowly at Mordecai. He traces the blush with his gaze.
"If my timing is ever genuinely bad, will you tell me, please?"
Colson makes direct eye contact. "I swear it, I will. I am not certain I can truly say 'no' to you, but I can tell you what it will cost, at the least."
Mordecai nods. "Thank you. You… you know you can say no to me, right?"
Colson looks at Mordecai, and reaches out a hand to his face. His voice is soft, his expression not-quite-pained. "I do not know that I can, truly. I have…explained, when I knew it was on that edge, but all it would take is for you to say you wanted me to do it, and I…" Colson shakes his head slightly. "I would do anything for you. Some part of me does not care what it would cost."
Mordecai swallows hard. "I… I care very much what it would cost, and I care very much about what you want, as well."
Colson nods slowly, brushing his knuckles against Mordecai's cheek. "I know. You let me go back to Stormwind. Because I knew I needed to. Even when it cost you to watch me walk back there."
Mordecai twists his hands in his lap. "You can say no to me, Colson. About anything, big or small. You made it safe for me to say no. How do I make it safe for you to say no?"
Colson makes a faint sound. "I feel safe, Mordecai. Always. It is not that," he says gently. "It is that I do not ever truly want to say no. Nothing, not a single thing, you have ever asked of me has ever made me truly want to say it in full. I want to give you everything you ever want," Colson says, sighing soundlessly. "Sometimes I am aware I should…not, because they will hurt me to offer it, but I am…a paladin for a reason. There are entire techniques that do exactly that. Use my pain to fuel my power."
Mordecai sighs and holds his arms out. "Come here?"
Colson doesn't hesitate, moving into Mordecai's arms, wrapping both of his arms around Mordecai's waist.
Mordecai pulls Colson in close, arms around his back. "As long as you know you can. If you do want to."
"I do," Colson says, his voice sincere, as he takes advantage of the position to place a kiss on Mordecai's shoulder.
"Good. All right." Mordecai's eyes catch on the nightstand. "What were you working on, earlier?"
Colson makes a humming sort of sound. "I have to start a new notebook. My other one is full. I was copying the cover."
"Can I see?"
Colson makes a sound of agreement. He doesn't move away. He's still paying a little too much attention to pressing soft kisses to Mordecai's shoulder.
Mordecai looks over Colson's shoulder, trying to see what he left on the nightstand.
Colson exhales slightly. He knows Mordecai's arms aren't that stretchy. He pulls away, and twists, leaning over to the nightstand to pick up the notebook, and the art. It's clearly their wedding cake, from what could be a professional artist. Colson has just gotten the lines started on the notebook.
Mordecai's expression brightens. "Oh, it's the cake!"
Colson smiles, and nods. "Yes. I hope…will it bother you if I tell people that it is a cake made from ravager eggs that you made? I like to…well. I like having something unusual as the cover. Like the sheep."
Mordecai shrugs. "I don't mind. That's cute."
Colson's cheeks turn a soft pink, faint enough that it might be a little hard to see in the light of the room. "I had to send for the art, from the wedding, but. I could not draw it without help," he explains, as he taps the art.
"I'm not much of an artist either." Mordecai smiles. He wraps one arm around Colson's shoulders and scoots closer to lean against him.
Colson makes a contented sort of sound as Mordecai settles in. Colson seems relaxed, as he sets the notebook on his lap. "Yes, but you can do other things. I…" He glances over at Mordecai's ring. "I have never been able to do that. Simply…invent something. I tried writing music, choreographing a dance, making a new design for jewelry…anything. I never can. It never turns out as I wish."
"Nothing I've written has ever come out just the way I've wanted it to, either." Mordecai shrugs.
Colson looks over and there's movement of Expression on his face, brows turning in and he looks away for a moment. "I know…you do not wish me to speak of it, ah, directly. But, I loved what you wrote. I had been, until you spoke of your…preference otherwise, considering what I might have wanted to take for another tattoo." Colson's voice has gone soft and uncertain, as though he's confessing something horrible.
Mordecai blinks at him. "Who's to say I might not have loved one of your jewelry designs, or a dance you choreographed? You - wait, you were serious about that? Another tattoo with…?"
Colson nods. "Yes. For the other arm. I thought, well. Between your letters and your song, I could start…gathering them. But, I would not want to…" Colson waves a hand elegantly in the air. "It was only a thought." He smiles faintly at Mordecai.
Mordecai makes an embarrassed noise and hides his face against Colson's shoulder. "Those're private."
Colson nods and makes a soothing sort of sound. "Yes, I understand that now. I simply…when I was thinking what other words I would want on me forever, all I could think was, yours."
"Do you… do you want me to write you something for that purpose?" Mordecai's voice is only a little muffled.
"Oh," Colson says, his voice soft, as he inhales. "I had not thought you would want…" His voice sounds like he's smiling. "Yes, I would like that very much."
"What would you… want it to be about?"
Colson shrugs his right shoulder with a smile that is approaching Colson levels of sappy. "The lines I had been drawn to in particular were all tied to…memories. Things I wanted to be able to See forever."
"Y-you were already picking out lines?" Mordecai makes another embarrassed sort of noise.
Colson studies Mordecai still hiding, and the smile slides off into Neutral. "I…yes. I will not say what they were, unless you ask. But, I had several I was…considering."
Mordecai makes another noise. "Don't say them," he agrees. "…You could. Write down a list though? Maybe there's something in there I… wouldn't mind."
Colson moves a hand up to Mordecai's hair, to gently press against the curls. "I will do so. There is nothing there I need have if it would bother you to see it. I have them already in my heart. That is all I need."
"If I… try and write you another tattoo," Mordecai says, haltingly, "Would you be willing to try again, on something you haven't been able to do the way you'd like? A jewelry design, maybe?"
Colson hesitates, and it takes him a second before he speaks. "I…I will, if you ask it of me. It hurts, to continue trying and continually failing, never good enough to do it properly. It is not that I do not do it well. I…cannot do it. I cannot even see the end result I want. It's as though I cannot envision what I am trying to make, only that I am trying to do something. It feels…empty. As though I am nothing more than what people see when they look at me."
Mordecai straightens up to study Colson's expression.
Colson has retreated fully behind a mask of Neutral, but there's the small hints around his eyes that show a slight pain, the skin pulled a little tight, his lips a little thinner than they should be, as though holding himself in check.
"This is… something you've struggled with for a long time, isn't it?" Mordecai asks, softly, reaching up to touch his face.
Colson leans into the touch. "Yes." He pauses, inhaling deeply. "Everyone always made it seem…easy. They would simply create something. Even if it was poorly done, it was still…something. I could not. I would stare at a blank page, unable to put anything to it. I would stand there, attempting to dance something I did not already know, and nothing."
"That must have been difficult." Mordecai's voice is just so soft and so kind. "You're not empty, love. I won't ask you to try again if it causes you pain."
Colson presses his hand over Mordecai's left, the one with the ring. "I wanted so much to make yours. I couldn't. Changing one part of the design was all I could do, to make it yours and not simply…reproduced as a copy, as I usually can do."
Mordecai smiles. "The moonstones are the color of your eyes. There's nothing wrong with using someone else's design as a starting point."
Colson blinks. "They're…what?" That seems to be genuine news to Colson.
"Do you have a mirror?" There's one in the washroom, but that is so very far away and also attached to the wall. That would require moving.
Colson makes a 'hm' sound. He looks to a bag over by his armor. "Yes, I have a small shaving mirror." It is so far away. No one's arms are that stretchy.
Mordecai kisses Colson's cheek and then crawls over his legs to escape the bed rather than just going through his own side, which is totally clear. Mordecai retrieves the mirror and returns, crawling back into bed the same way, from Colson's side.
Colson watches the entire time, his eyes soft. He holds out a hand for the mirror.
"The lighting isn't the best, but…" Mordecai passes the mirror to Colson and holds up his left hand, close to it, for ease of comparison.
Colson studies it. The lighting is genuinely not ideal, but Colson's good with colors at this point in his life. He can color match. And, unintentionally, he did exactly that. "Oh," he says, eyes darting back and forth, his voice holding a note of something soft with wonder.
Mordecai sets his head down on Colson's shoulder and looks into the mirror at an angle, still holding his hand up in place. "See?"
"I…was in the market to buy the stones for the design, and I…the purple did not seem correct. It did not…feel right. I saw this one, and I thought that it felt like yours." Colson looks at Mordecai with those same gem colored eyes. "I did not realize it was…me."
Mordecai makes a happy sort of humming noise, tilting his hand around to try and catch some light a little better.
Colson smiles faintly, some of the neutral finally breaking up enough to show the expression fully.
"It's my favorite ring," Mordecai says affectionately, sitting up straight. "And I'm starting to accumulate a collection by now."
Colson flushes faintly. "Ah, yes. I…well. Hm. I should…" He clears his throat. "Do you want me to stop? I know that at this point, if you tried to wear them all, you would be out of fingers, and possibly have conflicting enchantments."
Mordecai finally lowers his hand and smiles at Colson. "As long as you don't mind that I don't wear all of them every day, why would I want you to stop…?"
Colson flushes a little more, and the smile grows, as he moves to catch the hand to bring it to his mouth for a kiss. "I love seeing you wearing them, knowing I made them, even if they are not mine exactly, they are still something of me, as much as I can give that to you this way."
Mordecai nods. "Just like food. I mean. It tastes better when you help make it. Or, I mean. You know what I mean. …Food." Mordecai blinks at Colson. "We should have dinner."
Colson makes a sound. "Yes," he says with no clear interest in eating. At the mention of food, his stomach growls. "What would you like?" Probably Colson is talking about food, but who knows.
"Fruit," Mordecai says. That was oddly quick and decisive, for him. "But anything is fine, really."
Colson makes a 'hm' sort of sound. "Fruit," he says. "I wonder if Abidaar knows where we could acquire some. Surely someone has fruit," Colson says with all the certainty of a nobleman.
Mordecai looks down at his pajamas. "Well, at least one of us has to get dressed to find out."
Colson leans forward to kiss Mordecai on the cheek. "I said," he says in a low, happy sort of voice. "I will do anything for you. That includes getting dressed to find you fruit." There's that faux-serious note in his deadpan delivery.
Mordecai pats Colson's arm and in one very quick motion gets under the covers again. Cozy. "I love you," he says happily, settling back down. He's going to steal Colson's pillow the minute Colson gets up.
Colson chuckles, as he brushes another brief kiss to Mordecai's lips, and gets up to get on Real Clothes and go find Fruit, apparently.
Mordecai steals Colson's pillow the minute Colson gets up.
It's fine. Colson was just holding onto it until Mordecai wanted it.