(2023-03-29) That Is Not Shadow

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Author:	Athena
Summary:	Mordecai returns from investigations into Alysson's disappearance with more information on the tangled web of the Mondragon Case. Colson sets aside his work, but can't set aside his too tight pants. 1900-ish words.
Rating:	T for Teen

Chain: Morson

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Colson is working on a particularly delicate design, his magnifying glasses on their highest setting as he carefully shaves away a bare smidgen more away from the bloodstone. He's wearing a soft gray sweater and rather tight light gray pants that fit his current physique a little snugger than might be appropriate for polite company.

Mordecai taps gently on the door and mumbles, "It's me," as he lets himself inside. Today is a frostweave robe day - the dark purple one. The hood of his cloak is down, and his nose and cheeks are red from the cold. He smiles the moment he sees Colson.

Colson looks up, his eyes magnified into the point of mild horror, and smiles gently at Mordecai. The faint crinkles at the corners of his eyes are visible from across the room. "Hi."

Mordecai shuts and locks the door carefully behind him. "Ben was here," he says, "although I don't think he's staying much longer. He was going to report to Jo and then… warn Ralaea. And Lord Morningdew." He hangs his cloak up by the door and bends down to remove his boots properly for once rather than leaving the laces to be Future Mordecai's problem.

Colson nods, setting the bloodstone down gently, as he pushes the goggles up into his hair. "I am glad to hear it."

Mordecai sets his boots off to the side. "Yveris picked up a trail, and she came to fetch me. And - Ben was there, so he came along. Um, it wasn't the three of them, it was the two women in pursuit. Well. We found one of them. Miranda… Wylderson? Alysson's sister?"

"Ah yes. 'Randy,' as Alysson refers to her." Colson begins putting away his work, closing things up into the jewelry box.

"She didn't seem to like that nickname." Mordecai approaches, reaching out to touch Colson's shoulder. "She was dead. When we found her. Kobolds - snobolds killed her."

Colson blinks, pausing. "Were you able to successfully revive her?"

Mordecai nods. "I was." There's a small, proud smile on his face.

Colson sets his hand over Mordecai's. "Well done."

Mordecai's expression brightens further, and he leans down for a quick kiss. He just got home, after all.

"Welcome home." Colson hums slightly into the kiss, murmuring against Mordecai's lips, "You're cold. Would you like the heater on, darling?"

"Oh. Yes, please. I would." Mordecai smiles at him. "I didn't mean to interrupt," he says, gesturing towards the jewelry kit.

Colson moves to a graceful stand, leaning in for another lingering kiss to Mordecai's cheek. "I do not mind stopping for now. I would rather know what has happened. Was Miss Wylderson able to explain anything?" Colson asks as he starts for the heater on the other side of the room.

"Yes," Mordecai says, and immediately gets distracted by watching Colson cross the room.

It's certainly a view. Colson bends, collects the small amount of tinder, straightens, opens the heater and starts the coals. "Did she know where Alysson is? If he is alright?"

"What?" Mordecai blinks. Ah, yes. The conversation he was in the middle of. "Oh. Um…" Mordecai closes his eyes as he recounts: "Not exactly. They're on their way to Howling Fjord, but they've stopped at the Kalu'ak villages on the route. They passed through Moa'ki Harbor most recently. Kaela is posing as a member of the Ebon Blade. Um, Almeiria is still on their trail, but she sent Miranda back to contact Cobalt Company. Miranda says she ran out of invisibility potions on the way, and I suppose she… got swarmed. Before she made it to the safety of the keep."

Colson shuts the heater, and turns with a faint frown. "I am glad you were able to get to her in time. That sounds very distressing." Colson goes to wash his hands in the basin of water. "If they are traveling through the kalu'ak villages though, that will leave a trail we can potentially follow."

"Yes." Mordecai pulls his robe up and over his head as he crosses the room, folding it neatly over his arm as he crosses to the wardrobe. "Miranda said Kaela 'seemed interested in checking in with a Death Knight in the Howling Fjord area'. I think that's Lord Morningdew. You remember how he was looking for Ralaea on Kaela's behalf, at first, before he remembered…? It's possible Kaela doesn't know that he has. Remembered." He hangs the robe up neatly in the wardrobe and digs out the first sweater he can find, which is the royal blue one, to put on.

"Hm." Colson wipes his hands on a towel and crosses to the bed to sit on the end, watching Mordecai. "I do not believe that he would turn on Miss Westwind, but I cannot be sure."

"I truly don't think he would." Mordecai grabs his comb from the nightstand and takes Colson's previous spot by the basin, looking into the mirror as he tries to fix his hair a little.

"Why Alysson? Did Miss Wylderson know?"

"She doesn't know. Alysson is… rather gullible, though." Mordecai shrugs. "It's possible that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time to overhear, and he just got caught. Miranda doesn't think Alynnra would hurt him. But Kaela might. Miranda says they've convinced him he's on some secret heroic mission. Something about… Ralaea's arms?" Mordecai sounds unsure.

Colson's expression grows grim. "Ah. Yes. Alysson has what may be a natural inclination towards wishing to do good, and help others. Given direction and appropriate instruction, he does so very well. Left on his own, however, he does not appear to be able to discern friend from foe when they are not obvious. He would wish to be of assistance, and not realize he is being used to harm. It would not be the first time, unfortunately."

Mordecai sighs. "He's young." He takes a seat on the bed to Colson's left. "Ben's going to talk to Ralaea. And Lord Morningdew. Um, about Almeiria, Miranda's mother. She's… a Shadow priestess?"

"It would be, perhaps, more accurate to say she is a Priestess of the Void," Colson says and his voice is cold. "But, she holds the potential keys in assisting Miss Westwind. Estel has been attempting to reach Almeiria enough to guide her into that assistance."

Mordecai twists his hands in his lap, looking down. "There's something Miranda told us that Almeiria did to Alynnra that I hadn't realized was possible by way of Shadow magic."

Colson moves a hand over to Mordecai's. Colson's hand is very warm, a faint sense of the Light in his touch.

Mordecai scoots a little closer sideways towards Colson so that their shoulders touch as well. "The way Miranda explained it, Alynnra has a side of her who refers to herself as the Watcher, who keeps Alynnra safe. Protects the 'cheery side of her'. Alysson refers to the Watcher as 'axe ma'. Miranda says that Almeiria's original intention was that the Watcher would only watch and erase any painful memories, and she didn't expect the Watcher to develop a personality of her own. But that seems to have occurred. Miranda says Almeiria made the Watcher. Through some sort of mental manipulation, Shadow magic. I didn't know that was possible - Estel never mentioned…"

Colson's lips thin. "That is not Shadow. That is not any part of the Light to do so to another. That is the Void, used under the guise of calling it by another name. It is no more 'Shadow' than calling necromancy 'Shadow' resurrections." There's that edge of cold, righteous anger in his voice, and Colson inhales and exhales slowly.

Mordecai turns his hand palm-up to take Colson's, lacing their fingers together. "It seemed to be something you should know about Alynnra, regardless, should you ever encounter her."

"Thank you for telling me." Colson's voice is calm and mild once more, but the sense of the Light in his hand hasn't quite faded. "We may have met, many years ago, though we were not introduced. She was training to be a paladin of Compassion in Lordaeron, when I was there. I do not recall her. I am not certain if she will recognize me or not, or if she even can any longer. I understood that her memory was not as it was, and I expect Almeiria's tampering is a possible cause, or exacerbation of another."

Mordecai brings their linked hands up to press his cheek against the back of Colson's hand. He sighs quietly.

Colson leans in closer, reaching out his other hand to brush back Mordecai's hair from his forehead. "Tired, love?"

Mordecai shakes his head a little, nuzzling against Colson's hand. "No. Just stressed, I suppose."

"Ah. Of course." It's the Paladin Voice again, as Colson strokes his fingers through the curls.

Mordecai exhales slowly, closing his eyes. He seems very content to just sit like this.

Colson doesn't appear to be in any hurry to alter it, working his fingers slowly into the curls, carefully, keeping his other hand against Mordecai's cheek. "We will not give up," Colson says gently. "Alysson is Cobalt, and every effort will be made to recover him."

Mordecai nods slowly, careful not to interrupt the hair-petting. "Mmm."

The sense of the Light in Colson dims slowly but surely as he moves along the sides and down to the curls at the base of Mordecai's neck, carefully not touching the skin.

"How was your day?" Mordecai asks after a minute or so. "What were you working on?"

"A bloodstone gem for a requisition," Colson answers. "The day was fine, but I did miss you."

Mordecai looks at him with a soft smile. "I missed you too, Colson."

There's an immediate answering faint smile in Colson's eyes.

"If you want to finish up the requisition, I can try to be less distracting," Mordecai offers.

"Mm," Colson considers as he curls a bit of hair at Mordecai’s nape around a finger. "I think I would rather prefer if you were more so."

Mordecai releases Colson's hand, blinking at him. "While you have work to do…?"

"A small break will not alter anything significantly. It is intended for this Friday's out going ship to Stormwind, and I have nearly finished them."

"Oh." Mordecai rests a hand on Colson's thigh, looking down. "Are these pants new or old? I don't remember seeing them before, but my memory for clothing isn't exactly the best, either."

"Hm? Oh, older. I believe these were one of the pairs Cressidha made for me that first winter after I returned to Stormwind." Colson has definitely worn them a few times, but not recently, and not since working on Retribution. Sitting down, the tight fit is even more obvious, as his quadriceps threaten to break free of their pants prison. "I may need to have her let the seams out slightly."

"The winter after…" Mordecai trails off. Maybe he's trying to figure out how long ago that was. Maybe he's just distracted.

"After I left the army, in Year 25," Colson clarifies.

"Mmm." Mordecai abruptly looks up at Colson's face again, blinking. "Sorry, what?"

"After I left the army, in Year 25," Colson repeats in the same tone.

"Oh. Yes." Mordecai clears his throat, blushing faintly. "Right."

Colson moves his hand to touch Mordecai's cheek. "They were quite comfortable before, and I believe with some slight alterations they will fit properly again. The material is very soft."

Mordecai blinks slowly at him. "The material is very soft," he agrees, running his fingertips along the fabric in a direction that would definitely not be Society-appropriate.

Colson brought this one on himself. "Ah. That is very distracting," Colson comments, smiling as he leans in for a kiss.

"You did ask," Mordecai points out, completely unrepentant, before kissing his husband.

It's true. He did.