July 6 -- Friends
Dear Diary,
The first time I met Marius de’Fairwryn was last March. I think. My, how weeks and days and months blur together when life rushes so quickly past. I know that Oliver and I began our relationship on February 22 (which is Marius’ birthday) and I know that we were married on May 1, but beyond that, the dates of last year are entirely fuzzy, even looking back through these pages.
Anyway. Meeting Marius.
I don’t remember the details. I do know that I had been fighting with our old unit, the Echo of Lordaeron, in the outer reaches of Icecrown Citadel. I do know that I’d taken a portal back to Stormwind and wanted to stay awake until Oliver came home so that I could see him safely back. Marius, through the careful application of both force and his “concerned face” (different from his stern face, in that it is more squiggly), eventually convinced me that bed was a better idea, and that was the first time we spoke.
I’m not sure what had us continually speak after that point. Light knows that, in those days, we seemed to have nothing in common, at least nothing that I knew about. He became as protective of me as anyone when he learned about Mystadon (to this day, he’s one of only perhaps a handful of people who know what really happened in Southshore), but I don’t think we really grew into friends until Patrick Morgan entered the picture and Oliver’s life was at stake.
Suddenly, he was our greatest supporter. I remember very clearly the day he asked us to meet with him and then brought us before the entire Sigil. This was the first time I met my twin, my Arubrey, and the first time I really had contact with many of them-Liotuse, Heliorn, Rosalinde, Dyna, Fiorna, Strahm. Marius charged them with our protection. We were to be protected with their very lives.
This was not the last protection he offered us.
Throughout that ordeal, the Sigil remained our strongest allies. They kept the peace (or attempted to) when Patrick began the riots. They spirited us to and from various ports of call when Patrick wouldn’t stop chasing. They offered us the impregnable shelter of the Quel’talan when we had nowhere else to go.
But amidst it all, I swore to myself that I would never-NEVER-ask anything of Marius. I was close enough then to watch as people came and asked him to do this for them or that for them, to mend this wound or unbreak this heart. I never wanted him to think that I saw him as simply a means to an end (as I’d quipped to Oliver once, relating to the old literary term, I didn’t want to paint him in my mind as a deus ex Marius). All I would ever ask of him, I swore, was friendship.
Of course, he’s saved me many times since. He became my teacher, helping my mind reach levels I never would’ve dreamed otherwise. Without my asking it, he’s plucked me from death’s clutches more times than I can count. Light, he’s mended me so many times that I don’t think the mental bond between us will ever break, though it has weakened considerably in these weeks that we’ve not been on speaking terms.
I saved his life once, I believe. I remember that night. I wish I didn’t. It was the night I tortured Oliver (I’m not going to put on airs and say that it wasn’t me; my Guardian is as much a part of me as my hands). Marius basically kicked the ever-living shit out of me, put a rune on my head that kept me from doing any more harm, and then promised that we’d go away, the two of us, and train. I cherished that thought, but right as I started to let myself float away with it, a sword came through his heart and cleaved it in two.
I don’t remember what happened. I don’t know enough about anatomy to say exactly what I did, but I think (think, I’d have to ask him about this sometime) that once the sword was removed, I simply commanded his heart to work again. And then I did not leave his side until his brother forced me to leave. I couldn’t bear to leave his side. What if leaving his side meant that his heart came undone again? What would that mean?
That was when I saved his life.
The months that followed were… tumultuous. Dizzy came into my life. Light bless, she’s been the entire focal point of my life since that point. My cousin, my twin, my friends, they all waited patiently while I went through those trials and came out the other side, scarred and worse for the wear. Marius saw me through it, though, and I hate-I hate-that I wasn’t truly able to show him how much I appreciated his presence during those nightmares. Whenever I would want to, he would have Sigil business or Dizzy would disappear or something else would happen and we’d be back at it again.
Busy lives.
Busy people.
He saved me from the Apophan. I don’t know that I would’ve been able to withstand without Ximos’ imprint in my mind.
And then things went… wrong. It was poor timing, I think. Poor timing and a simple mess. The Delahan Division decided to start with their brand of… Light, what would you even call what they did? “Being really really fucking obnoxious” works, I think. So Marius was constantly harassed by them and I don’t know how this resulted in our relationship being damaged. Miscommunications, I think. Mistakes. I was in constant agony from my leg, and I couldn’t think straight. I was depressed. And somehow, in that bleakness, I hurt my friend.
Perhaps I should add him to the list. Oliver, Dad, Marius. Llew and Arubrey, probably, too.
I think it’s crisis that pushes us back together, though. When Oliver and I finally decided to help at the quarantine, Marius almost immediately pulled me aside, took me away from everyone, and said (first) that he was sorry for everything. Following that, he said that he wanted to find Salarous, wall him, and pound him until his frustration was out (this is a direct quote).
In retrospect, that’s pretty depressing.
But this is what it’s taught me about my friendship with Marius: it’s not something that depends on either of us rendering services or salvation to the other. It’s something that I think he lacks a lot in his life. It’s a friendship that’s based only on us being friends. Sure, he’s ten thousand years old and I’m twenty-five. Sure, he’s basically number one on Stormwind’s list of People (capital P so you know it’s serious) and I’ve faded into glorious obscurity. But we’re friends. Friends who tell each other “I really wish I could fuck my husband because I am so frustrated” and friends who get drunk and try to move staircases and mountains and friends who occasionally (…okay, frequently) save each others’ lives.
All of which to say: Oliver and I joined the White Sigil. It’s more than a year in coming. Light help us.
-S.
The first time I met Marius de’Fairwryn was last March. I think. My, how weeks and days and months blur together when life rushes so quickly past. I know that Oliver and I began our relationship on February 22 (which is Marius’ birthday) and I know that we were married on May 1, but beyond that, the dates of last year are entirely fuzzy, even looking back through these pages.
Anyway. Meeting Marius.
I don’t remember the details. I do know that I had been fighting with our old unit, the Echo of Lordaeron, in the outer reaches of Icecrown Citadel. I do know that I’d taken a portal back to Stormwind and wanted to stay awake until Oliver came home so that I could see him safely back. Marius, through the careful application of both force and his “concerned face” (different from his stern face, in that it is more squiggly), eventually convinced me that bed was a better idea, and that was the first time we spoke.
I’m not sure what had us continually speak after that point. Light knows that, in those days, we seemed to have nothing in common, at least nothing that I knew about. He became as protective of me as anyone when he learned about Mystadon (to this day, he’s one of only perhaps a handful of people who know what really happened in Southshore), but I don’t think we really grew into friends until Patrick Morgan entered the picture and Oliver’s life was at stake.
Suddenly, he was our greatest supporter. I remember very clearly the day he asked us to meet with him and then brought us before the entire Sigil. This was the first time I met my twin, my Arubrey, and the first time I really had contact with many of them-Liotuse, Heliorn, Rosalinde, Dyna, Fiorna, Strahm. Marius charged them with our protection. We were to be protected with their very lives.
This was not the last protection he offered us.
Throughout that ordeal, the Sigil remained our strongest allies. They kept the peace (or attempted to) when Patrick began the riots. They spirited us to and from various ports of call when Patrick wouldn’t stop chasing. They offered us the impregnable shelter of the Quel’talan when we had nowhere else to go.
But amidst it all, I swore to myself that I would never-NEVER-ask anything of Marius. I was close enough then to watch as people came and asked him to do this for them or that for them, to mend this wound or unbreak this heart. I never wanted him to think that I saw him as simply a means to an end (as I’d quipped to Oliver once, relating to the old literary term, I didn’t want to paint him in my mind as a deus ex Marius). All I would ever ask of him, I swore, was friendship.
Of course, he’s saved me many times since. He became my teacher, helping my mind reach levels I never would’ve dreamed otherwise. Without my asking it, he’s plucked me from death’s clutches more times than I can count. Light, he’s mended me so many times that I don’t think the mental bond between us will ever break, though it has weakened considerably in these weeks that we’ve not been on speaking terms.
I saved his life once, I believe. I remember that night. I wish I didn’t. It was the night I tortured Oliver (I’m not going to put on airs and say that it wasn’t me; my Guardian is as much a part of me as my hands). Marius basically kicked the ever-living shit out of me, put a rune on my head that kept me from doing any more harm, and then promised that we’d go away, the two of us, and train. I cherished that thought, but right as I started to let myself float away with it, a sword came through his heart and cleaved it in two.
I don’t remember what happened. I don’t know enough about anatomy to say exactly what I did, but I think (think, I’d have to ask him about this sometime) that once the sword was removed, I simply commanded his heart to work again. And then I did not leave his side until his brother forced me to leave. I couldn’t bear to leave his side. What if leaving his side meant that his heart came undone again? What would that mean?
That was when I saved his life.
The months that followed were… tumultuous. Dizzy came into my life. Light bless, she’s been the entire focal point of my life since that point. My cousin, my twin, my friends, they all waited patiently while I went through those trials and came out the other side, scarred and worse for the wear. Marius saw me through it, though, and I hate-I hate-that I wasn’t truly able to show him how much I appreciated his presence during those nightmares. Whenever I would want to, he would have Sigil business or Dizzy would disappear or something else would happen and we’d be back at it again.
Busy lives.
Busy people.
He saved me from the Apophan. I don’t know that I would’ve been able to withstand without Ximos’ imprint in my mind.
And then things went… wrong. It was poor timing, I think. Poor timing and a simple mess. The Delahan Division decided to start with their brand of… Light, what would you even call what they did? “Being really really fucking obnoxious” works, I think. So Marius was constantly harassed by them and I don’t know how this resulted in our relationship being damaged. Miscommunications, I think. Mistakes. I was in constant agony from my leg, and I couldn’t think straight. I was depressed. And somehow, in that bleakness, I hurt my friend.
Perhaps I should add him to the list. Oliver, Dad, Marius. Llew and Arubrey, probably, too.
I think it’s crisis that pushes us back together, though. When Oliver and I finally decided to help at the quarantine, Marius almost immediately pulled me aside, took me away from everyone, and said (first) that he was sorry for everything. Following that, he said that he wanted to find Salarous, wall him, and pound him until his frustration was out (this is a direct quote).
In retrospect, that’s pretty depressing.
But this is what it’s taught me about my friendship with Marius: it’s not something that depends on either of us rendering services or salvation to the other. It’s something that I think he lacks a lot in his life. It’s a friendship that’s based only on us being friends. Sure, he’s ten thousand years old and I’m twenty-five. Sure, he’s basically number one on Stormwind’s list of People (capital P so you know it’s serious) and I’ve faded into glorious obscurity. But we’re friends. Friends who tell each other “I really wish I could fuck my husband because I am so frustrated” and friends who get drunk and try to move staircases and mountains and friends who occasionally (…okay, frequently) save each others’ lives.
All of which to say: Oliver and I joined the White Sigil. It’s more than a year in coming. Light help us.
-S.