[Volundr] An Idyllic Sort of Life...

[Vivian]

Vivian raised an eyebrow. Some necromancer had put this boy back together. Interesting. He had loved Necromancy for a while now, and the Entente were known to make extensive use of it. The boy didn't just need the attitude. If attitude was all that made an Entente Vivian would have a mansion instead of renting a home in a village. No, there was a lot more a man needed. A lack of a soul and a sense of cruelty for one. "If you want to become Entente, take it from me...stop blushing every time a dog gets tortured. My former master was Entente, and he was far crueler than just crushing a puppy in his esophagus and throwing it back up. Believe me." Vivian sighed. "His house lies fallow, and if I see him again... I'll kill him."

Vivian nodded to the rug on the floor. "I can sleep anywhere. You take the bed. We'll go to my old master's house in the morning. I want you to know what becoming an Entente means... because I don't think you know what you're asking. Of course, if you like....we can have a little fun." he smirked, leaning against the baseboard of the bed. He wouldn't mind a little toss in the sheets. It had been too long, and those shadows could get mighty creative. "And I promise you...sex with a Malformist is unlike anything you've ever dreamed of."

[Volundr]

"I don't believe one has to be cruel to be powerful. It's easy, that's definitely true. But you can be powerful and kind to those who deserve it." Listening to how Vivian spoke to him, he looked around and noticed the state of the place where he lived. For being the most powerful Malformist and mage ever, he essentially lived in the same squalor as a serf, which seemed to sadden the Nightfallen. Not looking at Vivian for a moment, he calmly removed his things, setting them in a neat pile on the floor since there wasn't a shelf to set things down on.

"You're lonely, aren't you? You're very quick to sexual advances, especially with a stranger who was prepared to kill you before escorting you to your home in shackles... I'm sorry that you've had to go through this." His voice carried a somber note to it as he removed his shirt, revealed a fairly scarred body from countless years of combat and repetitive deaths. However, while he had scars that could say a necromancer brought him back, the scars didn't have the telltale marks of needle spots where the scars were sewn up. In fact, it looks as if his skin fused itself back together. "You can sleep on the bed, this is your home. I can either sleep on the floor or sleep in the bed with you, but I don't think anything sexual will happen between us."

Kicking off his boots, Volundr soon turned to look at Vivian with his golden eyes, the moonlight giving them that 24-karat gold look. He almost didn't look human, with how his eyes reflected the moonlight.

[Vivian]

“You don’t have to be cruel to be powerful. You have to be cruel to be Entente.” Vivian said knowingly, sighing and gesturing to the bed. “Bed it is then, I don’t want to be tripping on you in the middle of the night.”

He did look a bit miffed as he pulled off his clothing and tossed it on the kitchen table, drawing himself up and lifting his chin. Lonely. It wasn’t inaccurate. Alistair’s betrayal had cut him deeply. It had only confirmed what he had been told all his life…that he was everyone’s fun option, but never anyone’s final choice. He didn’t ask for this stranger’s pity, nor did he want it. “Believe me, the offer was rescinded the moment you spoiled the mood.” He growled darkly, taking his side of the bed facing Laurent’s crib. He tossed the covers over his shoulder, and turned away from Volundr.

He missed being embraced. He had really thought that Alistair was starting to love him. Or at the very least…had started to care. Vivian tightened his jaw and reached out to touch Laurent through the bars of his crib. “Rest, little Gilded.” He muttered to his son.

[Volundr]

Slowly settling his muscular shirtless form on the other side of the bed, Volundr set himself back to back with Vivian, not wanting to cause any kind of drama. However, before he drifted off, he let out a soft yawn and a small comment. "Wasn't trying to upset you, just was making an observation." Soon sleep came over him as he slipped into a sea of unconsciousness, wanting the night to go through its cycle and come back to morning. Sometime about an hour or so after he fully fell asleep, Volundr had turned his body to face Vivian, his breath hot against the top of his head. It was hard to think that such a large man could fit himself into a bed like Vivian's.

Only a few more moments passed before his arm slowly went around Vivian's waist, gently tugging him in. It was clear from his movements that Volundr was unconscious, not having the divisive movements of someone who was awake or pretending to be asleep. Back in the camp where Volundr called home, he was often found clutching something in his arms before he woke up. At first, it was funny and even cute. But then he was found holding a sword by the hilt and that funniness stopped. But here he was, gently holding against his chest a complete stranger to him that was quite annoyed with him seemingly. And snore did Volundr do, his snore the type to be soft but definitely noticeable.

[Vivian]

Vivian laid awake for some time.

He had been an honest man for months now. He had worked honestly, and tirelessly, ploughing fields and the like. He hadn't been on his back or on his knees for coin, and he wasn't sure where he stood in the world. He had power, more power than any mage in Amoren, humming through his veins. He could steal the face of a king, a conqueror, an Entente. He could find the man who had forced this gift upon him and force him to pay for it. Yet, what good was this power in a village outside the city? What good was it to plough fields or discover a wife's infidelity or slither through the streets as the Consumer, if he had no true home to return to?

Vivian sighed, watching Laurent sleep. His little treasure had been saved from the clutches of the Mage's Guild to live like any other dirty village brat. He'd wanted so much more for him.

Arms around his waist. Vivian stiffened, a glare darkening his thoughtful expression. "I'm not asleep. Just in case you thought I was that dense." he hissed over his shoulder. The doppelganger wasn't asleep, but the other man clearly was by the indolent snoring. Vivian felt himself slowly, and firmly pulled against Volundr's chest, the taller man's head tucked on top of his. Vivian tightened his jaw. What could he do? If he rolled over and punched him in the nose he'd wake Laurent. "If I feel an erection I'm going to choke you with it." he growled, and relaxed. Vivian closed his eyes, and slept.

Morning came, and he woke in the warm arms of a stranger. For the half second it took to jolt his mind awake, Vivian's mind was tugged in two different directions. The vain hope that Alistair had returned, and the cold realization that he hadn't. He opened his eyes. Laurent was looking at him curiously, sitting up in his crib and sucking on his blanket. "Don't look at me like that." Vivian muttered, and grabbed Volundr's arm.

"Get off!" he snapped irritably.

[Volundr]

The sounds of wood scrapping on metal as well as soft footsteps were what brought Vivian to consciousness. And while there was a warmth and weight to Volundr's "arm", that warmth and weight quickly disappeared as a soft flow of black liquid moved through the air, going back into a small orb floating around Volundr's form. Glancing over at Vivian, his eyes were much more dull and more of a deep brown, bags under his eyes. In general, he just looked horrible, but was seemingly making some breakfast in the form of eggs being fried in a pan. Off to the side was a small pot that seemed to be full of boiled carrots, unseasoned entirely. No doubt to make sure that Laurent was able to eat the slightly sweet soft veggies with no issue.

"Ah, you're finally awake. I was wondering when you'd be up. You seemed to be okay with my body weight and warmth against you so I made an analogue for you to sleep comfortably. I've been up for... 3 hours?" His time blindness definitely showed that he wasn't okay as he set up a plate for Vivian, sprinkling some salt and pepper on said eggs before bringing it all to the Malformist. "There's no need to snap at me, especially in front of your kid. I'm not going to try anything, and I'm sure you can tell that I'm not lying." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out some hardtack that he had on him from ages ago, sucking on the piece of what was barely bread to give it moisture, working on it for a moment before pulling off a piece and eating it begrudgingly. It was clear that Volundr had overstepped on his magical abilities, and to keep Vivian comfortable? It didn't make sense.

[Vivian]

Vivian sat bolt upright as the arm that he had tried to throw off dissolved in his fingers. He blinked, wincing. He had drank a lot more than he had originally planned for, and his stomach was roiling from the last of the dog. Ergh. He had just wanted a night to black out and forget everything, and normally he’d have done so, but responsibility was giggling at him from a crib.

He eyed Volundr. The man was cooking him breakfast, and making mash for Laurent. Why? What exactly had he agreed to last night? He slid out of bed, picking up Laurent sleepily. “Bold of you to order me around in my own goddamn house.” He grumbled sleepily as he went to change Laurent, ignoring the eggs Volundr had brought him. Laurent always ate first. Once the baby was contently dribbling spoonfuls of the carrot mash, Vivian shoved the eggs into his mouth without much ceremony. For a master mage, he certainly still ate like a street whore.

“You overstepped. Eat something. We’re going to Amoren today and I am not going to coddle you. No one took care of me.” Vivian muttered. “Thanks for breakfast, anyway.”

[Volundr]

The breakfast itself, while fairly basic, was definitely revitalizing as he took a much larger portion of fried eggs and ate them quickly, pushing through his nausea as he wasn't quite at the level of overstepping where vomiting would ensue. All of his body soreness and pain was almost entirely dulled, his movements as if he hadn't ever overstepped. Glancing at Vivian while he ate, Volundr was the one to finish first despite his larger volume of breakfast, polishing the plate fully before setting it off to the side.

"I didn't really order you around, just gave you some eggs and your kid some soft boiled carrots, and mentioned how you enjoyed my comfort. If that's ordering around, then I must be a mage-commander then." While it was dry, Volundr did at least have some level of humor, his normally stoic face softening the slightest bit as he watched Vivian eat. "Besides, eating after being hungover helps. At least, from my experience." Adjusting his clothing and weaponry calmly, he made sure his twin swords were within proper reach before glancing over at Vivian once more.

"Anyways, I need to go grab my armor and the rest of my things from the inn, so I'll be back in a moment." Taking off, he calmly jogged over to the inn, grabbed his items from the room he was staying in before putting on his armor and heading back, all in the span of about 20 minutes or so. "Alright, I'm ready, you lead the way whenever you're ready to go."

[Vivian]

Vivian finished bolting his breakfast, and cleaned up Laurent’s face. The baby was content trying to crawl around on all fours, murmuring baby noises at him and grabbing whatever he could get his fingers on. Vivian debated bringing him into Amoren; it was a dangerous city. If the Entente that had turned him knew he had a child, and worse, knew that he had borne it…things could get ugly. He sighed and plucked the baby off the rug, bouncing him in his arms as he gathered the breakfast plates and tossed them into the dirty bin.

He let Laurent tumble around on the bed while he dressed, and then began the somewhat arduous task of convincing the little thing to wear clothing. After he managed to wrestle some clothes on him, he carried him next door. He had a somewhat steady friendship with one of the women who washed clothing for a living. She adored Laurent, and as long as Vivian showed up with a few coins or a bowl of soup as payment, she was happy to watch him.

When Volundr returned Vivian was dressed. Well, in a manner of speaking. He still had the same tight pants, no shoes, and ratty coat with no shirt to speak of. His clothing had certainly seen better days, but might have been ostentatious at one point in their threadbare lives. “Neighbor’s watching the kid. Amoren’s no place for children.” Vivian muttered.

Vivian walked outside, and stretched. “This’ll go a lot faster with four legs.” He yawned, and rolled his shoulders. After a night of sleep and some good food, he was ready to hold a form again. The Consumer was becoming more and more familiar to him, and the transformation becoming easier. He stripped down, bundled his clothing, and settled on his hands and knees. With the loud cracking of bone, and some dissolving entirely, he was yet again the furless, horselike horror that Volundr had encountered previously.

Vivian turned to look at him, and used his soft mouth to pick up his clothes and thrust them at Volundr. Then, he slowly got down on his forelimbs, making it easier for the man to clamber onto his slimy back.

[Volundr]

The creature that Vivian had turned into was not a very welcoming sight, Volundr showing some slight sign of apprehension before it faded, centering himself and focusing on the task at hand. He would finally get to see what being an Entente was like, even if he wasn't going to experience it personally. Preparing all of his things, a small compass, about the size of a baseball, flowed out from under his cloak. This object was a jet black spheroid and the main conduit for Nightfall. Pouring forth from it, Umbraplasm coated the ideal riding spot of Volundr and slowly formed into a saddle, wrapping around Vivian's underside and securing itself before Volundr hopped on, using the stirrups only as a stepping spot as well as a foot rest, his legs squeezing slightly against Vivian's frame.

"Okay, ready." Grabbing the horn of the saddle to steady himself, he prepared for the sudden acceleration. Seeing as how Vivian said it would be a lot faster, he figured he needed to hold on tight, not quite white knuckling the umbraplasm saddle but still holding it quite tightly. With the sun rising as it normally did, he seemed quite content with heading to Amoren, a place he had only visited briefly once before on his way to the Radenor front. But with such an exciting prospect, Volundr was eager to start the trip and see just exactly how bad the Entente were, and if Volundr could truly keep his integrity as a partway-immortal being.