hypomeneo | Open Post

Ye ol' general open post. Memes, PSLs, game divergence, Fate AUs... all of it finds a home here. NSFW. PM me or hit me at

Kerimeos for more plotting.

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[It feels delightfully perverse, almost obscene, to sully Waver's perfect skin with so much red. Iskandar would have more restraint if all the marks didn't disappear so quickly. They do, so he doesn't have to limit himself. Doing it satisfies some primal urge, a barely conscious strain of aggressive possessiveness he wouldn't let reign free otherwise. There is something in him that wants the whole world to know, to proclaim for all to see, to brand this gorgeous man as completely, unequivocally his. Some feral fire that is not satisfied by kisses or caresses alone. Iskandar needs to bite his husband to quench it, he has to sink his teeth in the soft flesh of his neck and shoulders. There is no force in it, as no force is needed. This not a matter of pain and power but rather of dissolution of barriers. Maybe that's why he most often does it during sex when they are already united, their bodies carried by the most primaeval of forces. He wants them to become one.]

Only because you receive me so well, my love.

[Iskandar thrusts deeper, picking up up the tempo and Waver's heavy panting ascends to cries of pleasure, sweeter than any music to his ears. He is not quiet either, his own breath laboured, a steady stream of moans spilling from his lips as he kisses licks and bites Waver's neck. His hips seemingly moving on their own.]

Wa..aah..ver...

[Then he comes, crashing down from the height of pleasure like a river from a waterfall, the name of his love on his lips. Nothing ever feels as heavenly as their union.]

[It's not like Waver doesn't have this same brand of possessiveness that can express itself through toothy nips and scratches caused by an outpouring of ravenous passion. He does, though he's less in touch with what is primal within him than Iskandar. There's a satisfaction he cannot name in the marks he in turn leaves on Iskandar - though they fade just as quickly - and satisfaction in the marks Iskandar leaves on him. His King is his and he is his King's. They don't really bother him - they're gone after the heat of the moment, never outstaying their welcome and slipping from mind. Being borne out of carnal delight helps keeps the associations with other markings of possession and painful history far, far away. Bites and scratches are pleasurable things, regardless. The sting just makes the ecstasy running through his veins sharper.

He's beyond words, panting and heaving amid shattered sounds of heat spilling from his lips. Waver can't answer beyond a shaking smile that falls apart as his head tips back as he comes with a shout. All is fire and bliss.

Then, he slowly comes back to himself, buzzing and heavy with contentment surging through him. He blinks slowly. Good thing they're in the shower. Because after the mess they've made of each other, they surely need it.]

How's those knots now?

[It comes out as a languid purr. The tension feels like it's melted right out for the moment.]

[It was bound to end like it. It seems that they simply can't be naked in an enclosed space and resist the temptation. But then, why should they? Iskandar soaks that delightful purr. He can feel it vibrate right down to his bones. All the steam and the heat in the shower easing him slowly into reality. It feels heavenly.]

Better. [Iskandar stifles a yawn.] Much, much better.

[That's the second thing they neglected recently. Sleep. Now that his hunger has been appeased, at least for a while, Iskandar starts to feel exactly how long their day was. He already knows that jetlag tomorrow would be brutal. It always hits him way worse than it does Waver. Maybe it's because his husband is more used to air travel or better prepared. Whatever the reason Iskandar fully suspects that Waver would be on his feet and sipping coffee long before his king even risks crawling out of bed. It always happens and he's always surprised by how miserable he feels the day after a long flight.]

I think it's time we can rinse your hair mask too.

[It's the latter. It's brutal on him too, but Waver has the benefit of experience in easing the effects. He may be tempted to tease Iskandar in pulling a him in staying buried under the covers given his usual wake up time generally is around the dawn to have a run - (and thus it is now Waver's wake up time, because, of course, he needs to go exercise even though he may not want to) - but given his own nature, he's far more likely to cuddle and fall back asleep to chip at his own sleep debt.

Or bring back coffee to bed and enjoy it while Iskandar dozes. He can leave a second cup on the nightstand to tempt him.]

Already?

[Time flies when you're having fun and sex. Waver hums. He's totally lost track of that, so...]

So it is. The saying is right. I'll turn on the tap.

[A small, suppressed yawn. Another slow blink as Waver luxuriates in the steam and the afterglow. Once the water hits, they'll snap a little out of this blissful state.]

Give me a moment.

Edited Date: 2020-07-30 09:51 am (UTC)

A moment, yes.

[Iskandar chuckles. They're both hopeless, aren't they? A moment more so he can steal another kiss from his gorgeous husband before they get snapped out of this cloud of bliss by blast of cold - or rather colder - water. Not that there's anything or anyone rushing them. A shower is not the best place to cuddle for longer time periods. Iskandar, in general, prefers something more spacious and comfortable, like a bed. But right now it's warm, he has his lovely husband in his arms and he's sleepy enough not to think too much ahead.

Moving seems like too much of an effort.]

[Completely hopeless, this is a well established fact. Waver nuzzles after that stolen kiss, rising on his toes to steal another. He lingers in it, a soft hum of contentment escaping him. They'll have to dry off - and brush out and completely dry his hair, or it will be a terrifying mess of tangles in the morning - before retiring to the utterly inviting promise of warm, thick blankets and a comfortable mattress to sprawl out on.

Bed's siren song is growing louder. It's a shame to break such sleepy bliss, but they'll never make it there like this. A few moments longer and Waver reluctantly groans and turns the tap. Thankfully the water isn't too cold.

But still.]

Ugggghhhhh....

[That is a rude wake-up call no matter how much they'll try to postpone it. It still makes Iskandar chuckle. He can't stop even as he rinses the hair mask of Waver's hair. Not a lot of it as most got absorbed surprisingly well.]

Shhh... it will be over in a minute.

[They still have to clean themselves too as the hair care was not the only thing going on in this shower. Iskandar tries to make it quick as now both of them long for the comforts of bed. As long as Waver's hair is not dripping wet, he can do all the brushing in the bedroom where he could wrap his husband in warm blankets and take as much time brushing his hair as he likes. That could be quite a lot of time as it is one of the pleasures of life he loves to indulge in. And one he was deprived of for far too long. He won't be surprised if Waver falls asleep halfway through.]

Mmmhm...

[A small assenting (though still groggy) sound that tapers as Waver reaches for a cloth to help speed the cleaning. Sensitive... But they did make a mess of themselves. Thankfully with the water's help, things don't take too long.

Getting Waver's hair to somewhat damp from dripping... that? That takes longer, even with his hair wrapped in a towel turban as they help dry each other off. Waver's skin raises in goosebumps despite the warmth of the bathroom air and there's a light shiver. He's tempted to use a little magecraft to draw the water out of his hair faster; instead he just casts his eyes around for his hairbrush. He put it... oh, there, right on the counter by the sink with his shaving supplies.]

Did I leave my bracelet on the nightstand?

[It comes out muzzy, trailing into a yawn, but yes he did when he was getting ready earlier, even if he's having trouble recalling now. Waver rarely takes off his gift from Orihime that keeps the nightmares at bay (and never his rings), but it didn't quite go with the suit for dinner.]

[Iskandar was already looking for the hairbrush but he turns around before picking it up as Waver asks his question.]

I think so. At least, that's where I saw it last.

[That quick enough to notice the shiver. Good thing, there are two thick bathrobes neatly folded on the shelf near the shower. Iskandar takes one and drops it on Waver's back like a mantle, sleeves dangling freely at the sides. He wraps his husband in his arms, offering his own body heat to chase away the cold.]

Be careful, my love. I don't want to test the theory if gods can get sick on our vacation.

[It's an old joke just between the two of them hailing way back to that one time when Iskandar stood in the freezing river a little too long. To a dark time when Waver did not remember him. There was no limit to insanely stupid things he would do to seduce his love again. Fortunately, it all worked out in the end but it was a dark and difficult time for them both. Iskandar is happy that all that remained of it is a couple of silly jokes. As well as their shared hatred for the gods/shinki system but that's an entirely different matter.

Iskandar nuzzles his face in the dip between the base of Waver's neck and his shoulder.]

Hmm, you smell nice.

Don't let me fall asleep without putting it on?

[It's been a very good day and Waver would like it to be a very good night too. Last thing he wants is to spoil their sleep and his mood the next day with his nightmares.

There's a humored snort as Iskandar turns to the shelf with its stack of bathrobes. Oh, you've gone and reminded him of that...]

You don't? [Innocent as he shamelessly cuddles up, as he's wrapped in the robe and Iskandar's arms.] What are the odds I'll find you in the river melt again? I saw you looking at those saunas.

[The smoke lodges are set up right at the river. He saw staff cutting a hole in the ice for bathers earlier.

(and there... murder most foul is stirring...)

Honestly, Iskandar's river dip is the only thing he cares to remember of that night with those cursed dolls floating down the water in their little boats. He's not looking forward to the next Hinamatsuri simply because of the association. That and the fact there will not be escaping going on that day to the festival, as politics are politics, and a certain amount of mingling with the old gods can't be avoided. Or well... it could be avoided, but it isn't exactly wise. Despite their hatred of the entire system they're caught in.

But Iskandar's nuzzling chases away any thoughts of those dark times. Waver noses along Iskandar's temple as his husband buries his face in the crook of his neck, sighing in contentment.]

So do you. You always do.

[Okay. Okay. Most of the time. Maybe not after intensive training. Or mucking with the sheep. Or after combat. But most of the time. Warmth and spice and leather and something very masculine. Very comforting. A small yawn. Speaking of avoiding getting sick...]

I think our bed is calling.

Edited Date: 2020-08-14 12:32 am (UTC)

Worry not, my love, I won't.

[They would both lose a night if he didn't. Iskandar could never sleep with Waver trashing about at his side. Even now that they don't share the nightmares Iskandar retained the memory of them. He knows those horrors. He doubts they'll ever fade. So no matter how sleepy he is, he always checks. Orihime's gift is a blessing he'll forever be grateful for.]

Bah, you got me there! [Iskandar chuckles. There's a threat of merciless tickles as his fingers dangerously creep up his husband's ribs. But it stays a threat only. They're both way too sleepy for it.] I admit I'm curious about how that would feel. The sauna on its own is not interesting but paired with the cold water outside? I think I can see the appeal. [Iskandar simply doesn't trust anything that relies on just soaking in hot water. He's sleepy enough already. But heating up first and then jumping straight into cold water? That could be nice. Invigorating. It makes a lot more sense to him.]

Shameless flattery.

[Iskandar mutters, his lips pressed to Waver's neck. It feels good to snuggle in the warmth but Waver is right. They will be as warm in bed and a lot more comfortable. It takes no small amount of effort to raise his head, straighten his back and release Waver from his embrace.

At least it wakes him up a little. He grabs the hairbrush from the sink, raising it high as if it was a sword or at least a banner.]

Then we shall heed its call! Onwards!

[Yes, he's fully aware it sounds silly but he'll never miss the occasion to make his love laugh.]

Hmph. Shameless and honest. You do.

[Waver twitches at the feel of those fingers, as Iskandar's lips flutter against his neck. Don't you dare tickle him. Don't you dareeeeeeeeeeee-- good.]

I am never going to understand what's so alluring about potential hypothermia, refreshing or not. [He's amused and just teasing at this point. Iskandar would be the type to turn a quick dip into a swim. Waver will skip flirting with being an ice cube, thank you very much. His husband releases him and turns to the sink.] ... but it's nice? If you're sore and strained your muscles and joints, things feel better afterward.

[A sharp cackle of laughter then bursts out of him as Iskandar then thrusts up the hairbrush, and Waver doubles over slightly, finger coming up to wipe at the corner of his eye. You, silly drama-- ha, Christ, this is bad-- king.]

Yes! Onwards! To warmth!

[This is so absurdly childish of them, but Waver can't stop laughing as he follows Iskandar's procession to the bed, and even as they're sitting wrapped up in the covers, bracelet still on the nightstand and untouched. He's a ridiculous man who married someone his match in idiocy and he's never been happier about that fact than now.]

Edited Date: 2020-08-19 06:54 am (UTC)

[It’s amazing to hear him laugh so carefree again. It's unlikely there exists a limit to silliness Iskandar is capable of just too chase away the ever-present worry that’s his husband's default mood. But all that sinks into background as soon as he gets them both comfortably wrapped in the warm blankets. There he can finally do away with the towel and get to the pleasant part: brushing Waver’s hair. He doesn’t even need his love to stay awake for this.
Iskandar is a lot calmer now that bracelet has been located but he doesn't feel the need to put it on Waver's wrist just yet. His hair could get caught into it if he wasn't careful. So until Waver is asleep, this can wait.
It should count as no small a sacrifice that Iskandar resisted packing the whole arsenal of hairbrushes that he collected over time for Waver's hair, letting Waver decide which one he prefers to take. He caught himself idly musing over which one to choose before remembering they left them all back at home. None of it dampens his pleasure from the process but it does amuse him he could be such a hedonist in small matters. If only he has time to spare...and time was scarce lately.]

We should go on vacation more often.

[Iskandar chuckles.]

Oh, really? Maybe you should try for yourself then? I don’t think you can get hypothermia from a short dip even if the water is freezing.

[Iskandar is not exactly convinced his theory makes much sense. He's just teasing. That it does make sense to him now proves absolutely nothing. He is not very much awake so a lot of things make sense that otherwise wouldn't. Actually, he didn't even think about swimming in the lake before. That's definitely something to check tomorrow. He's not cruel though. He won't try drag Waver with him. It doesn't mean he can't tease him about it.]

[There is a noise. Awful. That's just being awful. Waver pulls a face as he leans back against his husband.]

I'm sure you'd be surprised. [TRUST HIM. With his luck, he'll manage it!] Weren't you just saying I should be careful? [Looking to the heavens. There may be a bit of rolling eyes.] Be warned, I make a terrible patient. This has been wonderful so far. Let's avoid such a fate.

[Waver handles being sick as he does waking up. He grumps, he whimpers, he makes a whole production if not allowed to snore away in bed and crawl out occasionally for tea and toast.]

But you're right. We need to do this more often.

[... squinting back suddenly.]

Aa... I hear those wheels turning. Ideas already?

[He shifts slightly, comfortable and content, as he feels the brush bristles slide through his messy hair, beginning the ritual that turns it into a waterfall of fine silk. It's his favorite - wood with boar hair, simple and effective. He likes how his hair shines after using it. Iskandar, though, lingers over the choice of a brush just like a painter would linger over the choice of theirs. Sometimes he uses a particular brush because it suits the task of dealing with how unruly Waver's hair has decided to be on any given day. Sometimes he just chooses it because it suits his mood and calls to him.

There are odder things to collect. Though Waver feels some would disagree.]

[Ugh is a state of mind. They both know that. So Iskandar just laughs at the horrible, horrible noise he gets in response to his suggestion. He can't say he did not expect it. While his hands are occupied with brushing he still can lean down to kiss Waver squarely on the of his, still slightly damp head. ]

As you had so astutely pointed out, that is exactly what I said. So I shall heed my own advice then. No throwing you into frozen lakes or any criminal activity of a similar sort.

[He grins. Him saying something outrageously ridiculous and Waver making faces at him for doing so is a part of the time-honoured tradition. It feels wonderful just to be able to be silly around each other. To have time and energy for it.]

I was thinking...

[So he often does, doesn't he? Iskandar breathes out.]

I get that we are needed in Japan mostly. That's were out Temples are and people who call upon us to aid them.

[He pauses. Or anywhere else where there is enough of a Japanese population to set up shrines. It still surprises him that those are the people that would pray to him. Not his fellow Hellenes. Or maybe they do... but he simply doesn't know that.]

I mean, I like Tokyo. It's a fascinating city. It's unlikely it could ever stop being fascinating to me. But here, here is good too. This whole experience of just going somewhere else. Seeing other places, meeting people different than those that live there.

[He already feels good here. It's difficult to judge if it's because he has some sudden love for the place or is it simply the change of scenery that he longed for. Even if he was too busy to realise exactly what he was lacking. His insatiable wanderlust does not go away simply because he settled now as a god in one particular pantheon. It's too much part of him.]

[If it weren't so freezing cold, Waver would be wary of some mischief along those lines anyway. Maybe not a chucking in a lake, but a spraying with a hose or something else spur of the moment and completely whimsically silly and harmless.

So Iskandar gets a satisfied grumping sound that is teasing more than anything else and some raised brows. Good. Good. No turning into an ice cube for him.

His mood turns more thoughtful as the conversation goes on and exhaustion weighs heavier on him. A pleasant tiredness; heavy and warm as his husband continues to brush out his hair and he hums.]

You've never done well stuck in one place too long. [Waver rests his hand upon Iskandar's thigh. It probably says something of himself that he's also chosen to wander in his life, though he can tolerate staying in one place. Mages tend to be shut ins. But Iskandar... it's in his blood. Keeping him in one place too long would be like chaining up the wind. Not a thing that should be done and one ultimately impossible.] Regardless of responsibilities, that is a truth. Just keeping about Japan wouldn't be good for you. You need to roam and explore as well.

[Waver finds their followers strange as well - and not just the geiko in his case. He knows Zhuge Liang is worshiped in China. He has temples in places like Chengdu. Temples that supposedly should be in Waver's care. And yet... he hears the prayers of the Japanese? It bothers him. He's said as much to Iskandar.]

It's one of the reasons why I choose here for our vacation. Besides wanting to show you the Northern Lights.

[Iskandar smiles.]

That is indeed true, the longest I stayed in one place was two years in Egypt.

[But he loved the land and its people. That is more that he can say about Japan. He could have easily stayed there longer if not for the war. Or maybe it's that he thinks so now? It is as possible that had he stayed, he'd have grown weary even of shimmering sands and green palms of Kemet. ]

You know me so well, beloved.

[He has been blessed with people who loved him and cared enough to truly get to know him many times in his life. More than his fair share, one might even say. It is no different now with Waver. He still considers it a miracle. Their time together, the fact that they met at all and then met again. It was destiny that drawn them together each time. Oh, there were bad times, all the difficulties they had to overcome. The horror of Waver not remembering him, not being able to for his own safety. The joy when he finally did and finally could. Nothing is ever perfect and none can expect they'll go through life without hardships but he suddenly feels he's been awfully ungrateful. This is a good life. ]

Maybe I am too harsh on this country. [He admits pausing to think about all the places in Japan they did visit and finds the list surprisingly short.] I haven't seen so much of it yet. We've been where? Tokyo, Kyoto... the surrounding areas...

[Still, he likes it here. Maybe not the snow but the land is beautiful and people are kind. That's enough.]

I'm glad you brought us here though.

[A small smile. Know him well, yes. And yet he learns more everyday...]

Just that. We haven't been outside it. Hard to believe...

[It's a very short list. Waver scrunches his nose when he thinks about it. Even he (though not by his own will) roamed farther in the United Kingdom during his years as Lord.

There's time to expand it though. Japan took so much from him, and now in this life he's been given the most important thing back in that same land, abet in the Heavens. Despite the horror both of them went through to get to this place of happiness. Despite the rotten systems they're still chained to... they've been now blessed and Waver can't stop being grateful for every moment.]

We'll fix that.

[His eyelids sink downwards as his breathing starts to even out.]

You know. This is one of the nicest places on the continent I've been. Not that... [Yawn. His travels took him through India, the Middle East, and up to Greece, but..] I've been much of anywhere in Europe, but... this is nice. I like it too. Even though it's beyond bloody cold.

[Iskandar chuckles. He's no stranger to winters but it doesn't mean he likes them. Greece is warm, Egypt can be blazingly hot, so can India and Bactria and Babylon. Most places his conquest has taken him to were a lot warmer. While he does enjoy the change their visit here is for him, in the long run, his preference lies with the warm.]

Yes, the cold is a bit of hindrance. I don't think I could live in a place that freezes your blood solid.

[Iskandar yawns openly. He blinks and shakes his head trying to chase away sleep at least for a while. Time to put the brush down before he falls asleep right here where he sits. He's way too comfortable to stay awake for long now.]

Good thing then we don't have to go outside before breakfast tomorrow.

... there better be some coffee to make in this cabin to warm us up...

[Waver's head falls. He slowly raises it, slow blinking, before it falls again and his weight settles even more firmly against Iskandar as he falls into sleep sitting up. He slurs:]

Not like it's far... to... but...

[And it tapers off to a snore as he goes limp in Iskandar's arms. The bracelet sits on the nightstand forgotten, leaving its owner open to the mercies of dreams.

Or nightmares.]

[ Iskandar didn't plan to fall asleep.]

I think I saw a small coffee-machine somewhere he...re. The kind you usually...

[see in the airports is what he wanted to say but doesn't get the chance to finish. He's still sitting, back to the headboard, one arm wrapped around Waver's waist, hairbrush in hand when his eyes close and he drifts off to sleep. The sound of hairbrush hitting the floor is not enough to wake either of them. After all the excitement of the day has faded away the jetlag finally caught up with both of them.

Here, so far in the North, where darkness reigns supreme for half of the year. Where the land is soaked in the strange glow of the Northern Light. Here the dreams are strange and some of them are not for the mortals. Some are dreams that only two gods that come from distant land far away from this frozen landscape can have.

Dreams of snow and ice and blood. The scent of iron in the crisp, icy air and the sounds... Sounds of bones rattling in the wind, sounds of ice breaking, sounds of footsteps in the snow. There's one sound Iskandar hasn't heard in a long time. As stone grates against stone, he recognizes it. He would recognize it anywhere. An ancient sound, a sound that doesn't fit with the modern world they inhabit now. A sound of grinding of the grain...

The night is dark but the sky is aflame with eerie colours. They reflect in the snow so white it almost seems blue. There's a woman sitting in the snow turning the handle on the smaller stone that neatly fits in a bigger one. Her hair is dark and braided but her face is hidden in the shadow. She's dressed in reindeer skins and furs. On her side a pair of fur mittens dark with blood. She mills and sings.

Iskandar can't shake the impression it is not grain that she is grinding.]

Kiputyttö, Tuonen neiti,
joka istut kipukivellä
joen kolmen juoksevassa,
veen kolmen jaka'imessa
jauhaen kipukiveä, Kipuvuorta väännätellen!
Käy kivut kereämähän kitahan kiven sinisen,
tahi vieretä vetehen,
syytäise meren syvähän,
tuulen tuntumattomahan,
päivän paistamattomahan!

[ooc: source: Kallevala translation and reference]

[Waver dreams of the meeting of three frozen rivers at a hill... or is it a mountain? There is a large, black pot bubbling over a fire untended, but its owner is nowhere in sight. There should be an owner.

There's a rattling sound in the air as singing rises with the wind. Waver's vision whites out as snow blows around him, and ice crunches as something walks past him. It's just a shape in the white out - vaguely human.

"Kiputyttö, Tuonen neiti,
joka istut kipukivellä
joen kolmen juoksevassa,
veen kolmen jaka'imessa
jauhaen kipukiveä, Kipuvuorta väännätellen!"

His lungs burn from the cold. Something metallic fills his nose. The scent is like copper or iron, sharp and lingering. He recognizes it. Blood. Fresh spilled blood.

"Käy kivut kereämähän kitahan kiven sinisen,
tahi vieretä vetehen,
syytäise meren syvähän,
tuulen tuntumattomahan,
päivän paistamattomahan!"

And suddenly the wind dies and the flurry of snowflakes cease. The air clears, until all that's left is the fog of his breath misting from his lips. The lights in the sky dance overhead, terrible and stark in their beauty. The snow glowing underneath them is pristine.

Yet the rattle of bones continues to whisper in the wind and the stench of blood thickens until the stench coats the back of Waver's throat. There's a new sound too. A rasp, a grind, a little like the scrape of a stone pestle against a mortar. But slightly different. Waver's modern ears can't place it until he sees the sitting woman grinding something between stone as she sings, ignoring the man watching her.

Does he want to know what's being milled? No, instinct tells him, this is not a place he wants to be and the answer is not one he'll like. The bloodstained mittens alone set him on edge.

... he's heard her name before... yes...

... it's falling from her shadowed lips, if indeed she is singing about herself...

Kiputyttö.

The pain goddess.

Outside the realm of dreams, Waver shivers in Iskandar's arms. Unaware for now this vision is a dream at all..]

Edited Date: 2020-09-18 01:45 pm (UTC)

[Iskandar has never lost his belief in omens. He never saw reason to. His current position clearly supporting that course of action. Usually, he had people qualified to discern the meaning out of such omens at his disposal. Yet he knows no oracle. Not here, not even back in Japan. He's also not used to prophetic dreams. So the current one puts him in a rather uncomfortable position...or it will, the moment he realizes this is a dream.

He doesn't know that yet.

For now, he's wondering how exactly did he get here. The frozen expanse looks oddly familiar and yet he cannot place it anywhere. Something about it feels known. As if he has been here already. He just can't recognize this place. What he is fully certain of is that he does not know this woman nor does he understand the language she's using. A second time a feeling of familiarity strikes him. He has heard it somewhere before... but where? and when? He cannot say.]

Forgive me the interruption but...

[The woman stops milling and looks up. All her face save for the thin line of black lips is covered in shadow. She raises her arm pointing to the side. Not even looking in that direction but Iskandar knows with the surety one can only have in dreams she wants him to look. So he does. And it freezes him on the spot.

A wide, red trail, blood frozen into fresh snow, leads away from where he is standing. A long one, thirty steps at least. It's so vivid, it's surreal. As if someone squeezed raspberry juice onto the snow. And yet it is not the blood that horrifies him most. It's the figure at the end of the trail. Barely a silhouette, unstable, dissolving on the edges, wrapped in a chaotic, ever-shifting dark fog. It's image dancing, one moment clearly visible, the other losing details, its shape becoming uncertain, ambiguous. As if the reality itself was trying to erase it.
It stands over a perfectly round hole in the ice, its bloodied hands shaking. Red against black of the shadows. Red against white of the snow.

Now he recognizes the place. It dawns on him with mounting horror he knows why it seemed so familiar. And that they left all of their shinki at home...]

[He's seen this place before.

It's an odd thought, ghosting in and out of his consciousness. The wind cuts into his clothes (he's wearing clothes? Wasn't he in bed naked?) as his lips part to ask a question. He's been here. Or at least walked by here. The lights in the sky and the atmosphere paint it unreal, but he swears...

What's moving?

There's something moving.

Like before.

In the white.

Waver swallows, throat suddenly dry, as his eye moves to its corner. How did he not notice the crimson trail sweeping past him in an unsteady line before? His toe digs in the snow to reveal ice underneath. A thick layer above a river. Darkness swirls in the waters below.

A river. He and his husband walked beside the frozen river and watched - the splashes and smears lead right to it - watched the workers of the resort cut a perfectly round hole in the ice for the users of the smoke saunas along the river to bathe afterwards.

At the end of the trail, at the hole, it waits with bloody hands. Bloody hands... bloody mittens... the only thing that is distinct about it. The rest...]

Were you trying to bury it, my lady?

[The question rasps out of him. Kiputyttö. The goddess who not only creates pain, but buries it in the places no light can ever reach. Darkness.. pain... suffering... sin...

Where is Iskandar?

Where is he?

... they're alone. All their shinki are in the Heavens of a land half a world away. Just so they could have some time to themselves.

That decision, Waver realizes with a sinking heart... was a... grave... mistake...]

This is ayakashi isn't it?

[The woman, a goddess, Iskandar has no doubts about it now, smiles...or rather the thin line that her lips form stretches. It catches him off guard how young she sounds when she finally speaks.]

If this is what you call them. A malevolent spirit. Then yes. But you don't belong here warrior god. We'll meet again soon. Now shoo, wake up!

[Not until that point did he realize he was dreaming. It hadn't occurred to him even once that whole this situation is rather strange. And yet, there's no longer a chance to ask further questions as the woman clasps her hands and in an instant, everything goes black.

Iskandar realizes that it's not simply black. It's just dark, dark like in a room with curtains drawn in the very early morning, and he sits on the bed in the bedroom of their rented cabin. He must have fallen asleep like that. He looks down and smiles seeing Waver still asleep but the smile fades the moment he notices Waver's bracelet on the nightstand and not on his wrist.
He groans. Stupid. How could he have been so stupid?! He should have made him put it on the moment they left the shower, not wait like a complete idiot. Ugh! He'd better do it now.

Waver, deep in his own dream, is not aware of his husband's anguish. Nor that his visit to the realm of a local goddess might be cut short any minute now. His attention, quite understandably, on the said goddess as she does answer his question. In a way. She doesn't look up but her voice sounds surprisingly young.]

Yeah. Kind of. Or what I intended to do before two foreign gods waltzed into my territory uninvited, unannounced and unarmed. Practically walking spirit bait. Seriously, I don't get it. You're a mage, what the hell were you thinking?

[No ancient goddess speaks like that. Cranky, modern teenagers on the other hand quite often do.]

Sit. We might not have much time. Do you even know where you are? And no, I'm not asking about the name of the country so spare me that.

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