don't leave me alone at this time

[deadelfwalking]

Who: Bariyan & Koltira
What: husbands having husband time
Where: just outside the red sanctum; then the retreat
When: A WHILE AGO; about one day after the initial arrival
Warnings: gross sobbing; gross dead guy


Koltira hadn't spent much time in the Bronze Sanctum. He would never claim to understand the intricacies of this situation: different realities, timeways endangered, cosmic threads twisted into knots. He can see it for what it is, though. Unavoidable. Inescapable. This place wasn't the Azeroth he knew, but it was Azeroth all the same, and that was the only information he required.

A cursory examination of the Sanctum told him nothing else of use or importance. He saw sand for miles, an endless horizon, and several dragons blinking in and out of existence. A few foreigners, people clearly not of his world, wandered about, collecting themselves, trying to regain equilibrium. Resting.

Koltira did not rest, and he did not need safety. So he went on his way.

At first, he was aimless; simply exploring. But he wondered about Bariyan. Their powers had faltered back there, against those demons. It was startling, but Bariyan cherished his connection to the Light. Koltira had no love for the vile energies that gave him strength, useful as they were. If they returned, so be it. If not, he still had a sword.

Almost unthinkingly, Koltira drew near to the Red Sanctum. He dared not go through the portal; even aside from flight differences, he was a death knight, an aberration. The Queen of Life would not appreciate his presence. So he lingered just outside. Waiting.

Comments

[stonefaith]

Koltira would be left waiting a while, as Bariyan didn't exit the sanctum until the morning after -- rested, fed, and still the most Light-deprived he'd ever been. Conversations within the sanctum had calmed him somewhat, but he remained ill at ease with the loss. And now that he had time to recuperate, he'd started worrying about a plethora of other things, besides.

So the sight of Koltira waiting outside of the Sanctum portal was a welcome one. Bariyan spotted him soon after coming out of the portal, and smiled.

"I have to point out," he said, looking around, "this isn't Hearthglen."

[deadelfwalking]

Koltira folds his arms over his chest, sour despite Bariyan's apparent good humor. "That's hardly my fault."

[stonefaith]

"Excuses! Blaming others!" Bariyan cracks his knuckles. "That's bad behavior, death knight."

He looks around briefly, and, upon determining that they are alone, all but charges at Koltira. He only means to put his face against the other man's chest, but his enthusiasm turns the action into something closer to a headbutt.

[deadelfwalking]

Koltira, tense warrior that he is, almost grabs Bariyan and throws him on the ground. His instincts interpret the bum rush as aggressive, but he's able to hold back--instead, he takes Bariyan by the shoulders and tries to hold him in place.

"Excitable," he says. "As always."

[stonefaith]

Bariyan dinks his head against Koltira's breastplate, gently.

"I didn't expect to see you here. Can you blame me?" Bariyan puts his arms around Koltira's waist and tries to step in closer. "Here. Give me a proper hug."

[deadelfwalking]

Koltira pulls him in tight, presses his cheek against the dark wave of Bariyan's hair. "I didn't expect either of us to be here. I expected that we would be home."

He half-expected that they would have a home, together. Somewhere.

[stonefaith]

Koltira's got a good, solid (if somewhat cold) body; his embrace is comforting. Bariyan sighs.

"I was looking forwards to returning home," he says. "And taking a holiday from world-saving, and wars, and things."

He allows himself to remain still for a couple moments longer, then steps away to take Koltira's arm.

"We should talk elsewhere," he says, with a faint smile. "I do wish you'd been redsworn."

[deadelfwalking]

"The Life-Binder is not known for her love of the undead," Koltira replies. He squints into the forest around them. "I'm not sure what elsewhere we have available to us."

[stonefaith]

Bariyan pinches the bridge of his nose with his free hand, and tugs on Koltira's arm. "I don't know either. I haven't had a chance to look around -- all I've seen of this Azeroth so far are demons and dragons. Let's explore and try to find a place bereft of both, eh?"