Violets on Horizons IV

In which one suffers from threshold sickness

Filled with people both proud and poor, the Imperium is a land of ambition, glory and a belief in the power of the mortal spirit.

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Hector
Posts: 355
Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2022 4:19 pm
Location: Gel'Grandel, Gelerian Imperium
Character Sheet: viewtopic.php?t=3187
Plot Notes: viewtopic.php?t=3339
Character Secrets: viewtopic.php?t=3335

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TIMESTAMP: 14 Frost, 122
NOTES: -
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"Yeah! It's…weird…though, being unable to recall where I learnt…any of this," through his reply, Hector moved to collect the first of several things he intended to give to Vergil.

The list included a tincture, a couple plants he'd have to just eat raw, a compress and some tea. The effects would be gradual, though Vergil did feel some immediate relief. They hadn't really needed Hector's skills as an apothecary outside of when Hector himself had gone through an initiation a few months prior and now since arriving in the Imperium, but in both cases, such knowledge proved incredibly useful for them to have. Sure, Vergil would, in all likelihood, survive this bout of threshold sickness, but this made it infinitely easier.

From simple observation, Hector could tell that Vergil held less tension in his body, but beyond that he wasn't quite sure how much what he'd done had worked.

"Did…did that do anything?" He would hate to hear 'no' in this case; he'd done his best.

Looking over at Hector, Vergil could tell that the boy was anxious, anxiety born of care. "Much, you've done well, and enough…you don't need to play nursemaid for me, Hector; I can manage myself, you know…?" His words were draped in a loving tone, reassuring him that he'd done well, that his efforts were appreciated.

"Yes, but…it's– it's not about that; I just…I don't doubt you; I care regardless, and…want to help." Hector wanted to convey that his intentions weren't borne of any doubt regarding his companion's capabilities; the very idea that Vergil might have thought that at all flustered him.

"...and…and I'd like to stick around, if…if you'd let me. To make sure you're okay–...unless, um, unless you don't want the company…" It was plainly obvious that on top of wanting to make sure Vergil was OK, Hector simply wanted to remain within the man's presence himself and was caring for the other partially out of an excuse to do so.

It really was an odd array of emotions. Hector still lacked the frame of reference to understand why he felt as deeply for the other man as he did, but wanting so badly to trust his feelings, and finding deep comfort and enjoyment in leaning into what affections he held for Vergil, he continued to foster them– but not without thought or hesitation; it was just that he would willfully banish these doubts any time they came up, intrusive as he found them to be. And in ways Hector was wholly unaware of, there was something freeing about the lack of context.

"Of course you can stay," Vergil almost laughed; the notion that he'd push Hector away now was silly to him.

Vergil found great comfort in Hector's presence alone, but especially so in the other's touch. And then when one considered how skittish the boy had been since losing his memories, Vergil would never rebuff an opportunity wherein Hector showed desire for closeness to him.

"...I just wouldn't want to keep you should there be a better way to occupy your time." Yet still, he said this compulsively; he did not wish to be a burden.

"There isn't! At least…not today." He admitted with a soft, sweet smile on demure features; Hector had done that on purpose. He'd kept this day free once he had been told when Vergil's initiation was very specifically because he wanted to be available to his partner should he be needed for anything.

Now knowing that his presence not only wasn't minded, but that it was very much wanted, Hector's trepidation faded; he was happy to stay. And now with this, he crawled into the bed beside Vergil, curling up next to him and burying his face into the nape of the larger man's neck.

"Just…tell me if you need anything, will you…?" Hector asked, voice quite a bit softer than usual; in some ways, he sounded sleepy.

Eventually, what he'd given Vergil would start to wear off, and on the first day of an initiation, such things almost always had to be reapplied, lest the initiate fall back into their suffering quickly. While Vergil was prepared to deal with such a thing, using his own Pheromancy as the sole method of bypassing pain, Hector did not intend to let him. There was no reason to wallow in pointless anguish, he thought.

"If you insist, I'll let you know," his reply was given with the understanding that Hector would be quite vexed should he opt to suffer in silence.

The two of them laid together like this for a bit, but then Vergil moved to pull Hector on top of him, repositioning the slender elf such that the boy's head now rested on his upper chest. Hector obliged with no protest; he actually liked this better. Here, he could hear the beat of the other's heart, enjoy the security found in the weight of his embrace, bask in his warmth– it was all so incredibly soothing. One of Vergil's arms lay draped across his back, hand resting on the boy's hip; the other hand cupped the back of his head, fingers passively running through lavender hair.

Laying together like this, it would not be long before the pair of them fell asleep. And with neither of them having any particular plans for the rest of the day, there was no need for alarms– they stayed like this well into the afternoon. Eventually, though, Vergil did wake up; his dreams gradually became more arcane and warped, forcing his mind to regain consciousness.

Such consciousness, however, was not at all welcome. Almost all of the symptoms of his threshold sickness had returned. Hector was still sound asleep on top of him; despite the return of the full weight of the malaise which plagued him, Vergil didn't want to wake him, sweet as he looked like that. But then…he also knew that letting himself suffer for the sake of allowing the other to sleep would, ultimately, bother the boy greatly when he did awaken– he'd find out, for certain. Vergil's symptoms weren't exactly the easiest to hide; the combination of pain, disorientation and loss of motor skills was thoroughly debilitating.

And so, though with incredible reluctance and far more effort than such movement would normally require, he moved an arm to shake Hector out of whatever sleep-borne reveries the boy was lost in. The little elf was always a bit disoriented when he awoke; he always took a moment to gather his senses, to fully transition from dream to reality. Realizing now where he was, who he was with and the day's circumstances, Hector quickly snapped out of his tired state, realizing he required his own alertness. He pushed himself up a bit, still laying on the larger man's chest, looking down at him, blinking slightly out of sync with both eyelids; he'd not demanifested that little piece of pigeon Mimicry yet; frankly, he rarely did.

"Oh-! I'm sorry…just a moment," Hector said as he got up, collecting himself.

"Hold on," he spoke again, this time collecting the various remedies from the uncharacteristically neat and organized containers he'd set up at the bedside table.

Normally, Hector was known for being a bit of a mess, but not this time. He had everything prepared well before Vergil had even gotten home, and though the tea was cold by now, such a thing did not eliminate its potency. There was not much delay from when he got up to administering each thing, still having to help Vergil in some ways, much to the man's apparent chagrin.

"You really could…just give it to me; I-...I don't need that much help," and though Vergil said this, that really wasn't true.

With the way that the older vampyr's hands were shaking, even something so simple as holding a cup would've been markedly difficult.

Hector squinted at him. "It's okay to show weakness in times like this…I'm the last person who'd ever judge you." In many ways, he found Vergil's pride to be irritating, scenarios like this reinforcing that.

Even with many of his memories suppressed, Hector was well aware of many of the other's capabilities, and his current opinion would not lower because he showed weakness after having a new rune carved into his aether.

And again, once everything had been granted, Hector would refuse to leave; he figured that if he were to leave the room, it would be then that Vergil would opt not to fetch him should he awaken once more in pain.
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Aidolon Speech
'Thoughts'
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"Common Tongue/Speech"
"Mythrasi Tongue/Speech"
Last edited by Hector on Tue May 02, 2023 7:46 pm, edited 1 time in total. word count: 1622
"And as you lay down your grace to me,
the skies begin to bleach red,
and the stars begin to fall,
I feel myself changing,
as my world starts dividing–"
User avatar
Hector
Posts: 355
Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2022 4:19 pm
Location: Gel'Grandel, Gelerian Imperium
Character Sheet: viewtopic.php?t=3187
Plot Notes: viewtopic.php?t=3339
Character Secrets: viewtopic.php?t=3335

Special

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Hector

Lore: 6
Points: 8, can be used for animism
Injuries/Ailments: n/a
Loot: None

Notes: x
word count: 47
"And as you lay down your grace to me,
the skies begin to bleach red,
and the stars begin to fall,
I feel myself changing,
as my world starts dividing–"
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