Prose Log 012: In Which the Muns are Out of Practice...
Who:Tyr McDohl (tyr_mcdohl) and Luc (wind_incarnate)
Where: roof, then the lake
When: afternoon
What: talky
Warnings: uh...
Days were becoming comfortably warm and pleasant as of late. Warm enough that a certain Tenkai was entertaining, as he was coming out of his meditative trance, the thought of bringing someone to sit with him by the lake and possibly fish. That was a bit of a selfish thought though and would require the input of that someone he had in mind.
The Soul Eater's bearer stretched as he considered the desired course of action. Of course, asking Luc if he wanted to come along to fish could possibly yield a negative response, but there was no harm in asking, was there? After all, the mage had given him permission to stay with him before. All the Toran native needed now was a bit of determination and to decide whether to bring his fishing equipment along, although...
Perhaps, he thought as he set off to find his Tenkan, he would leave it behind just this once.
Luc had also taken advantage of the warming weather and spent some time outside of the infirmary now that no one really needed to be there as much. Taking the opportunity to hide away from the general public - especially now that Sheena had proven that he was willing to pop into his room unannounced - while still work on some of his own personal errands, he had perched himself up on the roof with a needle and thread in hand, as well as one of his clothes that needed some mending.
The location was a bit odd, but it was usually the last place anyone would come looking for him… for whatever the hell reason that might be.
Whatever location Luc might be at, Tyr had a knack--and a rune to help him--for finding the brunette. It wasn't too difficult either to remember what places around the castle Leknaat's former apprentice tended to migrate toward and so, as he made his way up the stairs, it was no surprise to find the brunette on the roof.
...at least this time, the Tenkan wasn't feverish and requiring an escort back to the infirmary though it was still displeasing, not to mention awkward sometimes, to know that only one of them retained memory of what happened the last time they'd both met here. Forcing the frown that started creasing his brow away, the former leader made his way toward the younger rune bearer and caught sight of what activity his loved one was performing.
"What are you sewing, Luc?" he asked with a surprised look.
The wind mage had no reason to turn his head to check who his finder was, considering his rune had already warned him and the record so far put McDohl in the lead for managing to find him so easily. He pulled the thread and needle back before piercing it back into the dark green cloth to make another stitch.
“Shirt.” He replied curtly.
"Ohh..."
Well, now that the mage was mentioning it, it was shaped like a shirt. In fact, said shirt was looking suspiciously familiar to Tyr. Yes, the Tenkan had worn it since it was his, but the Toran hero recognized it as part of the gifts he'd gotten Luc during the winter season.
And here he thought he'd bought good, long-lasting, quality ones too.
"I could've gone to get you a new shirt instead," the older man replied as he observed Luc's handy work.
“It’s fine. It just has a small tear so there’s no need to buy another now.” Luc muttered as he continued to seal the damage. “…. Did you want something?”
Considering that his oldest set of clothes definitely displayed frayed shirt sleeves and that he hadn't really done much effort to mend it or buy a replacement shirt, Tyr really didn't have any standings to counter that and simply nodded to Luc's statement before considering the mage's question.
"I just wanted to know if you would agree to relaxing by the lake for a while, no fishing involved," he answered, spreading empty hands before him.
Luc held the needle between his closed lips before turning the shirt and checking the ends of it while listening to McDdohl’s reasoning. Finding another small area slowing fraying from age, he took the needle and began the process of mending it all over again.
“Why the lake?” he finally asked as the needle was finally away from his mouth.
'Why?' Tyr blinked at the question that he hadn't expected before taking a moment to ponder on it.
His wish about spending time near the lake had been an impulse, so there weren't any deep reason why he'd chosen that location. Truthfully, they could relax anywhere else that was quiet and isolated from others, but... he was much more attached to being near a lake than being far from it.
"...No specific reason," he answered with a shrug. "It's the first spot that came to mind."
“Because you had planned to fish.” Luc added to the Tenkai’s sentence casually, still keeping his visual attention to his work.
While he had thought of that at first, that wasn't what he had in mind now. Such an amendment from Luc was making the older man sulk slightly, but... the mage might have something against the lake due to recent events, come to think of it.
"Is there anywhere else you'd prefer?" Tyr asked thoughtfully.
“Not really.” The brunette muttered as he studied his work so far before continuing with the needle again.
It’s not like he could go anywhere else anyway.
Such reluctance was making Tyr doubt the worth of his impulse, especially in light of the mage's mood these past few days. Still, he wanted to have at least a moment alone with Luc.
"Then," he reiterated, "will you come with me?"
Unless Luc preferred the roof...
Luc’s movement paused, the items in his hands placed on to his lap, before turning his head towards his former Tenkai.
“…. Fine.” He finally replied after taking another moment of watching the older man then gathering his things and rolling it up together. “But if that idiot, Sheena, shows up… I’m leaving.”
"That works for me."
He didn't know if Sheena would show up at the lakeside, but getting Luc to agree to this at all made him smile brightly even as he followed the mage's initiative and stood up.
Getting down from the roof top was eventless enough as the wind mage did not initiate any conversation at all. Right now, his attention was still stuck on avoiding as many people as he could, refusing to make eye contact until they were down at the dungeons.
He figured that taking that route would be the fastest and the least troublesome as not many people seemed to like the dreary hallways below the mansion. Once the heavy metal door that leads to the area near the café and the dockside was in view, Luc finally addressed his companion.
“So… what’s this really about? If you wanted just to relax, you could have asked anyone else.”
Silence settled between them as Tyr saw no use protesting the route the Tenkan had chosen to take, nor did he want to say anything of importance while within the mansion. Mostly, he observed the halls they went by for any signs of obstruction to his, rather simple, plan until Luc spoke up.
It was true he could have asked anyone else to join him in resting by the lake, but as his true wish was quite simply unattainable when loving feelings were one-sided, the Tenkai needed to settle for the next best thing.
"I could have..." he started, glancing at Luc with the corner of his eyes, "but I wanted to spend some time with you."
“Ah…” the wind mage should have known.
He let out a quiet sigh as he still felt unsure with the status of their ‘relationship’. It also didn’t help that Sheena’s actions, Shoon’s previous outburst a few months ago, and other things in the castle literally made him doubt his sanity. He already had Sarah to worry about… He was unsure if he was capable of trying to learn to worry about anything or anyone aside what he already had in his plate.
“Did anything happen…?”
The status of their relationship as it stood right now was clear enough for the Toran hero... He was the one who was pining for Luc while the mage endured Tyr's attention and tried to figure out whether he would or wouldn't return the sentiments. It wasn't what Tyr wanted, but it was already better than being rejected straight out and that would have to suffice for the time being.
As for the mage's inquiry, the Tenkai didn't think there had been anything lately that would trigger this sort of request from him. Uncertainties he might have, but those didn't force his hand into choosing a course of action.
"No," he shook his head before pausing and correcting himself. "At least, nothing happened to me lately."
“Ah…” Luc mouthed again as he tucked the rolled shirt where the thread and needle was safely put away under his arm. “So...”
Man… who would have thought starting up a conversation with McDohl of all people would get so complicated.
As they reached the metallic door, the older bearer took another glance at his companion and the awkward conversation starter. After all, Luc didn't generally start the conversations between them and Tyr had long admitted to himself that many of the younger man's comments and replies to him were of the short and non-repliable type.
"Besides water boiling and Sheena antics, has anything happened to you lately?"
Which reminded him that he still didn't understand what that had been all about.
“Not really…” came the curt reply as Luc waited for him to open the door.
"Oh...?" That answer had Tyr raising a brow in askance of the curtness, but he opened the door for his Tenkan, waiting for the other to go through it before doing the same and guiding the way to an isolated area of the lakeside. At least he wouldn't have to worry about Sheena being there to chase Luc off since no one else went there.
"Can I ask what you were actually aiming for when you were boiling water the other day? Or should I drop the matter entirely?"
“….”
Luc’s shoulders sunk slightly now that this specific topic was addressed to. He really didn’t want to speak of his actions… but it wasn’t like it was unreasonable.
“… One of the inhabitants of the castle once mentioned that the water made whoever drank it act strange.” He glanced at McDohl. “I was making sure I wouldn’t end up doing the same.”
"Really?" The older man blinked at such alarming news, though he hadn't actually noticed anyone acting strange... Still Tyr frowned as he tried to recall if the castle inhabitants had been like that as of late and coming up with a blank.
"...Shouldn't they mention that to everyone else?" he asked with concern.
Well, the inhabitants weren’t what Luc would call very responsible after all. Half of the people of authority had left and gone vacationing, old enemies including himself were given free-reign in the area, and even those who had repeated their offenses have been easily forgiven. If the water was poisoned, the last thing they’d likely do was warn anyone else.
“To each his own, I suppose…” he muttered.
That was far from reassuring. Why wouldn't whoever Luc spoke about warn everyone else of such water contamination when people's sanity were apparently on the line? Unless... everyone else in the castle already was beyond redemption.
Now the Tenkai was truly worried.
"...have I been acting strange?"
Luc went silent as he gave him a quick look over before looking back ahead of them. Considering the older man did declare his feelings to him, feelings intended for one more so than just a friend… there was, of course, a certain ‘strangeness’ to the Tenkai’s actions. At least in Luc’s judgment.
“…. I don’t think you can help it…” he replied quietly.
"I see..."
Tyr didn't consider those feelings strange. At least, not after living with them for over a decade. As far as he was concerned, it was behaviour such as the ones exhibited by Yuber and Luca--who were walking around the castle as if no one were hostile to them--or even by Sheena with the reported visit into Luc's room--now that he thought about it--that were strange.
Admittedly, he'd been more subdued and thoughtful as of late, but it was better than his previous aggressiveness, wasn't it?
It’s not quite something Luc would consider due to his current discomforts in the castle with some of the inhabitants. But more important ly…. now that they were outside, what else was McDohl expecting to do?
“…Just don’t start doing what Sheena seems fond of doing… and I’ll be able to tolerate it.” Hopefully.
'...' It was a good thing he'd at least started to wait for Luc's permission before going into the mage's quarters, all things considered.
The Toran playboy's actions were rather confusing actually, but after the few talks they had concerning Luc, Tyr could understand it as the other Toran native trying to approach the mage in a friendly manner. ...Except it didn't quite explain just Sheena thought that invading another's room without at least knocking the door was acceptable.
"I'm doing okay so far, right?" he checked as he came to a stop by a sturdy tree that overlooked the lake.
“I guess…” Luc frowned at him slightly, his steps coming to a halt as well. “You should just be careful in accepting anything that comes from the residents…”
Just that one warning? That should be easy enough to comply to, Tyr thought while he settled himself down at his favourite resting spot by the tree roots. There wasn't that much space, surely not enough to call this a clearing, but it was comfortable enough for two people--or one person with his fishing equipment well spread out.
"Don't think I received anything out of the ordinary from people lately," the older man thought aloud. "I get my potch from the trading shop and food from the cafe, but that's about it."
...Why did Luc bring that up though?
It really wasn’t due to anything in particular but a general warning concerning the water. McDohl brought it up… he should figure it out. Luc let out a sharp breath as he leaned his side against the tree’s trunk and glanced down at his former army leader smugly.
“I see. Though last I observed, you haven’t taken advantage of your condition with your rune.”
Soul Eater, from what he knew, was still sealed… meaning McDohl could get near others to his heart’s desire. Who knew when the seal would weaken on his rune and run amuck over his personal life all over again. The point of the seal was to stop the beast rune… the silencing of the other runes within the seal’s reach was just a side affect. It wouldn’t make sense if one spell could silence the power of multiple runes so simply. A spell conjured up by one human and some weird… floating… thing, worst of all.
The older man should take advantage of the situation… Spend it with his family. Speaking of which….
“…Have you kept in contact with your caretaker…?” Luc inquired. “Shouldn’t you at least visit him at times?”
The water shouldn't be that much of a problem when he normally drank things other than plain water. Now... if there was a drink he had to be wary of, especially after that one outburst of his, it'd be anything alcoholic. One drunken bawling around that one Islander was more than enough to satisfy the Toran Tenkai's life quota of mortifying events.
As for his rune, he didn't exactly consider his situation a blessing in disguise.
"It might be sealed right now, but I don't want to chance being around people when it'll be unsealed. Most of the inhabitants don't catch my attention in the first place anyway," Tyr replied as he looked up at the brunette. "As for Gremio, I send him the occasional letter. He knows where I am and how I'm doing."
“Ah… I thought presence is more meaningful than letters.” The wind mage thought out loud while he crossed his arms before him.
Tyr... had nothing to counter that. Truthfully, presence of a dear friend was more meaningful than just letters or hearsay, but if he had to choose between Luc and Gremio, the choice was pretty clear to the Tenkai.
"Yeah..." he had no choice but to agree as he made himself comfortable against the tree's bark. "That's why I'm still here."
“……………………………………….”
Luc let out another breath, dropping down to the ground to take a seat at the roots of the tree while turning his attention elsewhere. The last person he would have wanted to look at was McDohl after such a weird line like that.
“I see.” He mumbled grumpily, ignoring the slight colour that seems to be crawling up his cheeks. “You should still go to him… He’s your family, isn’t he? It wouldn’t be right for you to stay here all the time and not consider visiting your own family in Toran.”
Though the Tenkai took notice of the mage's colouring, he discreetly refrained from commenting for now and addressed the other matter that had come up during this conversation.
"I should, but..." he breathed out softly as he gazed upon the blue surface of the lake. "I'm afraid you'll disappear while I'm gone."
It was a silly fear, Tyr knew. After all, he left the castle grounds often enough in order to poach and go about the neighbouring towns and villages without being too worried about his companion's state of being, but proximity had a lot to do with how far he allowed himself to go.
"Going to Vinay doesn't take very long and is still in the same area of the continent as Budehuc, but Gregminster is at the opposite end of it."
Well… there was that problem, wasn’t there? But with already the amount of time that passed, it was becoming more obvious that the wind mage was likely to be stuck were he was for much longer.
“…If I could disappear, I’d have been gone long ago…” Luc said quietly before glancing at the Tenkai. “So you should visit Gremio. I’m not going anywhere.”
He really wanted to believe that, but a part of him was still irrationally afraid that the brunette mage would suddenly vanish from existence the way he had during the years Tyr had sought him out around the Grasslands. Oh people had spoken plenty of the Tenkan, in derogatory terms and with no small pleasure at his downfall, but actual physical traces of Luc had been impossible to find... until he'd heard about someone matching Luc's description at Budehuc Castle.
That aside, the Tenkai just wanted some sort of assurance that the object of his affection wasn't simply trying to get rid of him... Though, Tyr had to tell himself, if Luc had wanted to do that, he wouldn't have come along with him in the first place.
"...If I did decide to visit Gremio and sent letters, would you read them?"
“Unless the letter was addressed to someone else, otherwise… I would.” The wind mage replied.
Tyr nodded as he considered that answer. Of course, he wasn't about to write a letter to someone other than Luc and expect Luc to read them, but this at least meant the mage wasn't going to ignore his missives.
"So, any souvenirs you'd like?" the Tenkai asked hypothetically. "I don't think I'd take many detours on my way to and from Gregminster, but if there's anything you want..."
“Clothes.” Luc said promptly.
His clothes were from Toran to begin with and he was actually quite fond of the garments from that country compared to the ones one could buy in Harmonia or Zexen.
“…. Rune crystals too. And scrolls.”
Clothes weren't something he'd expected to hear Luc wish for in souvenirs, but that would be an easy request to fulfill.
"The usual green and browns, right?"
As for the other things...
"Any specific crystals and scrolls I should look out for?"
Luc paused for a moment, wondering if he was that predictable with his choice of clothing… but..
“Yeah… those should be fine.”
So long as McDohl doesn’t get creative with colour combinations or styles…
“I just need empty rune crystals and… anything for attack and defence with the scrolls… I can’t really predict my own rune use right now and if something like before happened…” he trailed off.
He really had no wish to resort to using his own rune… Not until it stabilized itself. Or… forgive him… Whichever the real reason behind its uncooperative state was.
Tyr already knew what the mage thought of his personal colour scheme and still wasn't sure how he could reconcile his preference and this opinion of Luc's--his bandanna wasn't on his head anymore, hadn't covered his hair in a while--but that was exactly why he needed to confirm he had the right colours in mind for his Tenkan. He hadn't gotten it wrong in his previous excursions to the tailors and he didn't want to make a mistake on that. So it wasn't Luc being predictable--even if he probably was--so much as Tyr wanting to keep ot the mage's preferences.
The runes and scrolls on the other hand were going to take a bit more effort. Of course, he could always borrow or purchase a horse to help him carry things back if he purchased a lot--of the scrolls, undoubtedly. Hopefully, the ones he would find or have made would be of use to the mage in the light of uncooperative runes.
If only Miss Raura was here...
"So empty rune crystals and both attack and defence scrolls," he reiterated. "Is that all?"
Luc nodded. “Just one or two will do for the crystals… I just need it for something.”
That statement seemed foreboding, but then Soul Eater's bearer didn't know for sure what the purpose behind that request was. So long as it didn't bring harm to Luc's person, he wouldn't interfere.
"Alright," he acquiesced, taking mental notes of those requests. Though he'd put an emphasis on the possibility of a departure for Gregminster, this was turning that possibility into a certitude. "Any messages I should bring to Lady Leknaat?"
“No..!” Luc snapped a little sharply.
He calmed down a little, his shoulders sinking again like a child dreading a nagging from an adult.
“Not her.” He continued. “Besides, knowing her, she already fully knows where I am and what I’ve been doing. So no messages…”
Such vehemence. Tyr couldn't help blink at the sharp outburst from the mage and thinking how strange it was that the brunette was so against contact with his mentor... but Luc had left the safety of the Magician's Isle and initiated the latest star gathering.
"Okay," the former leader nodded his understanding of his companion's wishes. If he thought Luc would listen when it came to initiating conversation with the blind seer, he would tell the Tenkan that Leknaat would probably not scold him if she was as gentle as she looked, but he would probably have to try that some other time.
"So clothes, rune crystals, scrolls and no messages," he listed off memory before glancing sideways at Luc. "Do I get anything in return?"
The wind mage’s brows furrowed in concern. He should have seen that coming.
“….. I don’t have much potch, but I can pay you back eventually.”
Potch wasn't what he had in mind, actually...
"That's not what I was thinking about..." Tyr said as he shook his head, his tone a bit hesitant as he went on. "If you're amiable to it, I was thinking of a date."
The rolled shirt tucked under Luc's arm fell loose on to the ground and rolled away a few feet as if on cue just as the wind mage looked at McDohl incredulously. That on the other hand was not something he saw coming unfortunately.
"A… A date…" he mumbled, though more to himself.
But… accepting that would make him no different to the strange actions the others were doing. What if this turned to something just as close to Sheena's recent actions…? W-Well… Really… was McDohl even capable of that…?
Hell… wasn't that thinking too far ahead like the Tenkai had questionable intentions.
For a moment, Luc remained silent, seething in his own concerns as his mind was confusing him further. While a date was still strange for him to do… aside going on a date with another man that is. It was still easier than working extra hours and finding other ways to earn money to pay the older man back. And generally… wasn't a date no different from just hanging out…?
Plus, it wasn't like he despised McDohl.
"……………………………………." Dammit all… why was this so damned complicated? "F… Fine… I'll pay you back with a d… with that thing." He grumbled.
While waiting for Luc's answer, Tyr quietly observed the brunette's reaction, taking note of where the mage's bundle had rolled to and taking a moment to pick it up for the other.
Potch really wasn't a huge concern for the Tenkai since, even if he didn't have as much as he would while in the capital of the Republic of Toran--his hometown, he had enough to live by adequately and didn't mind extra hunting to meet his occasional need for splurging. So really, potch would be a poor return for the errand he would set off to conduct and would be one that would leave his face devoid of a smile. A business transaction simply wasn't what he wished for when it came to Luc.
After all the previous purchases he'd done in order to clothe the mage--and each of his refusal to get even a single potch for it--it should be quite obvious, really.
The silence that followed was tense though. He knew this request was possibly overstepping the boundaries Luc had concerning their relationship, but if this got him a date with Luc, then it would be worth the trip.
Fortunately, the older man could breathe easy when the mage answered at last. Sure, Luc tripped on the keyword, but the answer was still a positive one and brought the brighest and warmest smile anyone had seen on Tyr McDohl's face.
“….”
Man… this guy had no idea how much the wind mage was tempted to smack that expression off his face. Deciding not to do so, Luc merely looked away and said nothing else. Hopefully that stupid face will go away eventually, as well as the slight burning sensation on his face.
Where: roof, then the lake
When: afternoon
What: talky
Warnings: uh...
Days were becoming comfortably warm and pleasant as of late. Warm enough that a certain Tenkai was entertaining, as he was coming out of his meditative trance, the thought of bringing someone to sit with him by the lake and possibly fish. That was a bit of a selfish thought though and would require the input of that someone he had in mind.
The Soul Eater's bearer stretched as he considered the desired course of action. Of course, asking Luc if he wanted to come along to fish could possibly yield a negative response, but there was no harm in asking, was there? After all, the mage had given him permission to stay with him before. All the Toran native needed now was a bit of determination and to decide whether to bring his fishing equipment along, although...
Perhaps, he thought as he set off to find his Tenkan, he would leave it behind just this once.
Luc had also taken advantage of the warming weather and spent some time outside of the infirmary now that no one really needed to be there as much. Taking the opportunity to hide away from the general public - especially now that Sheena had proven that he was willing to pop into his room unannounced - while still work on some of his own personal errands, he had perched himself up on the roof with a needle and thread in hand, as well as one of his clothes that needed some mending.
The location was a bit odd, but it was usually the last place anyone would come looking for him… for whatever the hell reason that might be.
Whatever location Luc might be at, Tyr had a knack--and a rune to help him--for finding the brunette. It wasn't too difficult either to remember what places around the castle Leknaat's former apprentice tended to migrate toward and so, as he made his way up the stairs, it was no surprise to find the brunette on the roof.
...at least this time, the Tenkan wasn't feverish and requiring an escort back to the infirmary though it was still displeasing, not to mention awkward sometimes, to know that only one of them retained memory of what happened the last time they'd both met here. Forcing the frown that started creasing his brow away, the former leader made his way toward the younger rune bearer and caught sight of what activity his loved one was performing.
"What are you sewing, Luc?" he asked with a surprised look.
The wind mage had no reason to turn his head to check who his finder was, considering his rune had already warned him and the record so far put McDohl in the lead for managing to find him so easily. He pulled the thread and needle back before piercing it back into the dark green cloth to make another stitch.
“Shirt.” He replied curtly.
"Ohh..."
Well, now that the mage was mentioning it, it was shaped like a shirt. In fact, said shirt was looking suspiciously familiar to Tyr. Yes, the Tenkan had worn it since it was his, but the Toran hero recognized it as part of the gifts he'd gotten Luc during the winter season.
And here he thought he'd bought good, long-lasting, quality ones too.
"I could've gone to get you a new shirt instead," the older man replied as he observed Luc's handy work.
“It’s fine. It just has a small tear so there’s no need to buy another now.” Luc muttered as he continued to seal the damage. “…. Did you want something?”
Considering that his oldest set of clothes definitely displayed frayed shirt sleeves and that he hadn't really done much effort to mend it or buy a replacement shirt, Tyr really didn't have any standings to counter that and simply nodded to Luc's statement before considering the mage's question.
"I just wanted to know if you would agree to relaxing by the lake for a while, no fishing involved," he answered, spreading empty hands before him.
Luc held the needle between his closed lips before turning the shirt and checking the ends of it while listening to McDdohl’s reasoning. Finding another small area slowing fraying from age, he took the needle and began the process of mending it all over again.
“Why the lake?” he finally asked as the needle was finally away from his mouth.
'Why?' Tyr blinked at the question that he hadn't expected before taking a moment to ponder on it.
His wish about spending time near the lake had been an impulse, so there weren't any deep reason why he'd chosen that location. Truthfully, they could relax anywhere else that was quiet and isolated from others, but... he was much more attached to being near a lake than being far from it.
"...No specific reason," he answered with a shrug. "It's the first spot that came to mind."
“Because you had planned to fish.” Luc added to the Tenkai’s sentence casually, still keeping his visual attention to his work.
While he had thought of that at first, that wasn't what he had in mind now. Such an amendment from Luc was making the older man sulk slightly, but... the mage might have something against the lake due to recent events, come to think of it.
"Is there anywhere else you'd prefer?" Tyr asked thoughtfully.
“Not really.” The brunette muttered as he studied his work so far before continuing with the needle again.
It’s not like he could go anywhere else anyway.
Such reluctance was making Tyr doubt the worth of his impulse, especially in light of the mage's mood these past few days. Still, he wanted to have at least a moment alone with Luc.
"Then," he reiterated, "will you come with me?"
Unless Luc preferred the roof...
Luc’s movement paused, the items in his hands placed on to his lap, before turning his head towards his former Tenkai.
“…. Fine.” He finally replied after taking another moment of watching the older man then gathering his things and rolling it up together. “But if that idiot, Sheena, shows up… I’m leaving.”
"That works for me."
He didn't know if Sheena would show up at the lakeside, but getting Luc to agree to this at all made him smile brightly even as he followed the mage's initiative and stood up.
Getting down from the roof top was eventless enough as the wind mage did not initiate any conversation at all. Right now, his attention was still stuck on avoiding as many people as he could, refusing to make eye contact until they were down at the dungeons.
He figured that taking that route would be the fastest and the least troublesome as not many people seemed to like the dreary hallways below the mansion. Once the heavy metal door that leads to the area near the café and the dockside was in view, Luc finally addressed his companion.
“So… what’s this really about? If you wanted just to relax, you could have asked anyone else.”
Silence settled between them as Tyr saw no use protesting the route the Tenkan had chosen to take, nor did he want to say anything of importance while within the mansion. Mostly, he observed the halls they went by for any signs of obstruction to his, rather simple, plan until Luc spoke up.
It was true he could have asked anyone else to join him in resting by the lake, but as his true wish was quite simply unattainable when loving feelings were one-sided, the Tenkai needed to settle for the next best thing.
"I could have..." he started, glancing at Luc with the corner of his eyes, "but I wanted to spend some time with you."
“Ah…” the wind mage should have known.
He let out a quiet sigh as he still felt unsure with the status of their ‘relationship’. It also didn’t help that Sheena’s actions, Shoon’s previous outburst a few months ago, and other things in the castle literally made him doubt his sanity. He already had Sarah to worry about… He was unsure if he was capable of trying to learn to worry about anything or anyone aside what he already had in his plate.
“Did anything happen…?”
The status of their relationship as it stood right now was clear enough for the Toran hero... He was the one who was pining for Luc while the mage endured Tyr's attention and tried to figure out whether he would or wouldn't return the sentiments. It wasn't what Tyr wanted, but it was already better than being rejected straight out and that would have to suffice for the time being.
As for the mage's inquiry, the Tenkai didn't think there had been anything lately that would trigger this sort of request from him. Uncertainties he might have, but those didn't force his hand into choosing a course of action.
"No," he shook his head before pausing and correcting himself. "At least, nothing happened to me lately."
“Ah…” Luc mouthed again as he tucked the rolled shirt where the thread and needle was safely put away under his arm. “So...”
Man… who would have thought starting up a conversation with McDohl of all people would get so complicated.
As they reached the metallic door, the older bearer took another glance at his companion and the awkward conversation starter. After all, Luc didn't generally start the conversations between them and Tyr had long admitted to himself that many of the younger man's comments and replies to him were of the short and non-repliable type.
"Besides water boiling and Sheena antics, has anything happened to you lately?"
Which reminded him that he still didn't understand what that had been all about.
“Not really…” came the curt reply as Luc waited for him to open the door.
"Oh...?" That answer had Tyr raising a brow in askance of the curtness, but he opened the door for his Tenkan, waiting for the other to go through it before doing the same and guiding the way to an isolated area of the lakeside. At least he wouldn't have to worry about Sheena being there to chase Luc off since no one else went there.
"Can I ask what you were actually aiming for when you were boiling water the other day? Or should I drop the matter entirely?"
“….”
Luc’s shoulders sunk slightly now that this specific topic was addressed to. He really didn’t want to speak of his actions… but it wasn’t like it was unreasonable.
“… One of the inhabitants of the castle once mentioned that the water made whoever drank it act strange.” He glanced at McDohl. “I was making sure I wouldn’t end up doing the same.”
"Really?" The older man blinked at such alarming news, though he hadn't actually noticed anyone acting strange... Still Tyr frowned as he tried to recall if the castle inhabitants had been like that as of late and coming up with a blank.
"...Shouldn't they mention that to everyone else?" he asked with concern.
Well, the inhabitants weren’t what Luc would call very responsible after all. Half of the people of authority had left and gone vacationing, old enemies including himself were given free-reign in the area, and even those who had repeated their offenses have been easily forgiven. If the water was poisoned, the last thing they’d likely do was warn anyone else.
“To each his own, I suppose…” he muttered.
That was far from reassuring. Why wouldn't whoever Luc spoke about warn everyone else of such water contamination when people's sanity were apparently on the line? Unless... everyone else in the castle already was beyond redemption.
Now the Tenkai was truly worried.
"...have I been acting strange?"
Luc went silent as he gave him a quick look over before looking back ahead of them. Considering the older man did declare his feelings to him, feelings intended for one more so than just a friend… there was, of course, a certain ‘strangeness’ to the Tenkai’s actions. At least in Luc’s judgment.
“…. I don’t think you can help it…” he replied quietly.
"I see..."
Tyr didn't consider those feelings strange. At least, not after living with them for over a decade. As far as he was concerned, it was behaviour such as the ones exhibited by Yuber and Luca--who were walking around the castle as if no one were hostile to them--or even by Sheena with the reported visit into Luc's room--now that he thought about it--that were strange.
Admittedly, he'd been more subdued and thoughtful as of late, but it was better than his previous aggressiveness, wasn't it?
It’s not quite something Luc would consider due to his current discomforts in the castle with some of the inhabitants. But more important ly…. now that they were outside, what else was McDohl expecting to do?
“…Just don’t start doing what Sheena seems fond of doing… and I’ll be able to tolerate it.” Hopefully.
'...' It was a good thing he'd at least started to wait for Luc's permission before going into the mage's quarters, all things considered.
The Toran playboy's actions were rather confusing actually, but after the few talks they had concerning Luc, Tyr could understand it as the other Toran native trying to approach the mage in a friendly manner. ...Except it didn't quite explain just Sheena thought that invading another's room without at least knocking the door was acceptable.
"I'm doing okay so far, right?" he checked as he came to a stop by a sturdy tree that overlooked the lake.
“I guess…” Luc frowned at him slightly, his steps coming to a halt as well. “You should just be careful in accepting anything that comes from the residents…”
Just that one warning? That should be easy enough to comply to, Tyr thought while he settled himself down at his favourite resting spot by the tree roots. There wasn't that much space, surely not enough to call this a clearing, but it was comfortable enough for two people--or one person with his fishing equipment well spread out.
"Don't think I received anything out of the ordinary from people lately," the older man thought aloud. "I get my potch from the trading shop and food from the cafe, but that's about it."
...Why did Luc bring that up though?
It really wasn’t due to anything in particular but a general warning concerning the water. McDohl brought it up… he should figure it out. Luc let out a sharp breath as he leaned his side against the tree’s trunk and glanced down at his former army leader smugly.
“I see. Though last I observed, you haven’t taken advantage of your condition with your rune.”
Soul Eater, from what he knew, was still sealed… meaning McDohl could get near others to his heart’s desire. Who knew when the seal would weaken on his rune and run amuck over his personal life all over again. The point of the seal was to stop the beast rune… the silencing of the other runes within the seal’s reach was just a side affect. It wouldn’t make sense if one spell could silence the power of multiple runes so simply. A spell conjured up by one human and some weird… floating… thing, worst of all.
The older man should take advantage of the situation… Spend it with his family. Speaking of which….
“…Have you kept in contact with your caretaker…?” Luc inquired. “Shouldn’t you at least visit him at times?”
The water shouldn't be that much of a problem when he normally drank things other than plain water. Now... if there was a drink he had to be wary of, especially after that one outburst of his, it'd be anything alcoholic. One drunken bawling around that one Islander was more than enough to satisfy the Toran Tenkai's life quota of mortifying events.
As for his rune, he didn't exactly consider his situation a blessing in disguise.
"It might be sealed right now, but I don't want to chance being around people when it'll be unsealed. Most of the inhabitants don't catch my attention in the first place anyway," Tyr replied as he looked up at the brunette. "As for Gremio, I send him the occasional letter. He knows where I am and how I'm doing."
“Ah… I thought presence is more meaningful than letters.” The wind mage thought out loud while he crossed his arms before him.
Tyr... had nothing to counter that. Truthfully, presence of a dear friend was more meaningful than just letters or hearsay, but if he had to choose between Luc and Gremio, the choice was pretty clear to the Tenkai.
"Yeah..." he had no choice but to agree as he made himself comfortable against the tree's bark. "That's why I'm still here."
“……………………………………….”
Luc let out another breath, dropping down to the ground to take a seat at the roots of the tree while turning his attention elsewhere. The last person he would have wanted to look at was McDohl after such a weird line like that.
“I see.” He mumbled grumpily, ignoring the slight colour that seems to be crawling up his cheeks. “You should still go to him… He’s your family, isn’t he? It wouldn’t be right for you to stay here all the time and not consider visiting your own family in Toran.”
Though the Tenkai took notice of the mage's colouring, he discreetly refrained from commenting for now and addressed the other matter that had come up during this conversation.
"I should, but..." he breathed out softly as he gazed upon the blue surface of the lake. "I'm afraid you'll disappear while I'm gone."
It was a silly fear, Tyr knew. After all, he left the castle grounds often enough in order to poach and go about the neighbouring towns and villages without being too worried about his companion's state of being, but proximity had a lot to do with how far he allowed himself to go.
"Going to Vinay doesn't take very long and is still in the same area of the continent as Budehuc, but Gregminster is at the opposite end of it."
Well… there was that problem, wasn’t there? But with already the amount of time that passed, it was becoming more obvious that the wind mage was likely to be stuck were he was for much longer.
“…If I could disappear, I’d have been gone long ago…” Luc said quietly before glancing at the Tenkai. “So you should visit Gremio. I’m not going anywhere.”
He really wanted to believe that, but a part of him was still irrationally afraid that the brunette mage would suddenly vanish from existence the way he had during the years Tyr had sought him out around the Grasslands. Oh people had spoken plenty of the Tenkan, in derogatory terms and with no small pleasure at his downfall, but actual physical traces of Luc had been impossible to find... until he'd heard about someone matching Luc's description at Budehuc Castle.
That aside, the Tenkai just wanted some sort of assurance that the object of his affection wasn't simply trying to get rid of him... Though, Tyr had to tell himself, if Luc had wanted to do that, he wouldn't have come along with him in the first place.
"...If I did decide to visit Gremio and sent letters, would you read them?"
“Unless the letter was addressed to someone else, otherwise… I would.” The wind mage replied.
Tyr nodded as he considered that answer. Of course, he wasn't about to write a letter to someone other than Luc and expect Luc to read them, but this at least meant the mage wasn't going to ignore his missives.
"So, any souvenirs you'd like?" the Tenkai asked hypothetically. "I don't think I'd take many detours on my way to and from Gregminster, but if there's anything you want..."
“Clothes.” Luc said promptly.
His clothes were from Toran to begin with and he was actually quite fond of the garments from that country compared to the ones one could buy in Harmonia or Zexen.
“…. Rune crystals too. And scrolls.”
Clothes weren't something he'd expected to hear Luc wish for in souvenirs, but that would be an easy request to fulfill.
"The usual green and browns, right?"
As for the other things...
"Any specific crystals and scrolls I should look out for?"
Luc paused for a moment, wondering if he was that predictable with his choice of clothing… but..
“Yeah… those should be fine.”
So long as McDohl doesn’t get creative with colour combinations or styles…
“I just need empty rune crystals and… anything for attack and defence with the scrolls… I can’t really predict my own rune use right now and if something like before happened…” he trailed off.
He really had no wish to resort to using his own rune… Not until it stabilized itself. Or… forgive him… Whichever the real reason behind its uncooperative state was.
Tyr already knew what the mage thought of his personal colour scheme and still wasn't sure how he could reconcile his preference and this opinion of Luc's--his bandanna wasn't on his head anymore, hadn't covered his hair in a while--but that was exactly why he needed to confirm he had the right colours in mind for his Tenkan. He hadn't gotten it wrong in his previous excursions to the tailors and he didn't want to make a mistake on that. So it wasn't Luc being predictable--even if he probably was--so much as Tyr wanting to keep ot the mage's preferences.
The runes and scrolls on the other hand were going to take a bit more effort. Of course, he could always borrow or purchase a horse to help him carry things back if he purchased a lot--of the scrolls, undoubtedly. Hopefully, the ones he would find or have made would be of use to the mage in the light of uncooperative runes.
If only Miss Raura was here...
"So empty rune crystals and both attack and defence scrolls," he reiterated. "Is that all?"
Luc nodded. “Just one or two will do for the crystals… I just need it for something.”
That statement seemed foreboding, but then Soul Eater's bearer didn't know for sure what the purpose behind that request was. So long as it didn't bring harm to Luc's person, he wouldn't interfere.
"Alright," he acquiesced, taking mental notes of those requests. Though he'd put an emphasis on the possibility of a departure for Gregminster, this was turning that possibility into a certitude. "Any messages I should bring to Lady Leknaat?"
“No..!” Luc snapped a little sharply.
He calmed down a little, his shoulders sinking again like a child dreading a nagging from an adult.
“Not her.” He continued. “Besides, knowing her, she already fully knows where I am and what I’ve been doing. So no messages…”
Such vehemence. Tyr couldn't help blink at the sharp outburst from the mage and thinking how strange it was that the brunette was so against contact with his mentor... but Luc had left the safety of the Magician's Isle and initiated the latest star gathering.
"Okay," the former leader nodded his understanding of his companion's wishes. If he thought Luc would listen when it came to initiating conversation with the blind seer, he would tell the Tenkan that Leknaat would probably not scold him if she was as gentle as she looked, but he would probably have to try that some other time.
"So clothes, rune crystals, scrolls and no messages," he listed off memory before glancing sideways at Luc. "Do I get anything in return?"
The wind mage’s brows furrowed in concern. He should have seen that coming.
“….. I don’t have much potch, but I can pay you back eventually.”
Potch wasn't what he had in mind, actually...
"That's not what I was thinking about..." Tyr said as he shook his head, his tone a bit hesitant as he went on. "If you're amiable to it, I was thinking of a date."
The rolled shirt tucked under Luc's arm fell loose on to the ground and rolled away a few feet as if on cue just as the wind mage looked at McDohl incredulously. That on the other hand was not something he saw coming unfortunately.
"A… A date…" he mumbled, though more to himself.
But… accepting that would make him no different to the strange actions the others were doing. What if this turned to something just as close to Sheena's recent actions…? W-Well… Really… was McDohl even capable of that…?
Hell… wasn't that thinking too far ahead like the Tenkai had questionable intentions.
For a moment, Luc remained silent, seething in his own concerns as his mind was confusing him further. While a date was still strange for him to do… aside going on a date with another man that is. It was still easier than working extra hours and finding other ways to earn money to pay the older man back. And generally… wasn't a date no different from just hanging out…?
Plus, it wasn't like he despised McDohl.
"……………………………………." Dammit all… why was this so damned complicated? "F… Fine… I'll pay you back with a d… with that thing." He grumbled.
While waiting for Luc's answer, Tyr quietly observed the brunette's reaction, taking note of where the mage's bundle had rolled to and taking a moment to pick it up for the other.
Potch really wasn't a huge concern for the Tenkai since, even if he didn't have as much as he would while in the capital of the Republic of Toran--his hometown, he had enough to live by adequately and didn't mind extra hunting to meet his occasional need for splurging. So really, potch would be a poor return for the errand he would set off to conduct and would be one that would leave his face devoid of a smile. A business transaction simply wasn't what he wished for when it came to Luc.
After all the previous purchases he'd done in order to clothe the mage--and each of his refusal to get even a single potch for it--it should be quite obvious, really.
The silence that followed was tense though. He knew this request was possibly overstepping the boundaries Luc had concerning their relationship, but if this got him a date with Luc, then it would be worth the trip.
Fortunately, the older man could breathe easy when the mage answered at last. Sure, Luc tripped on the keyword, but the answer was still a positive one and brought the brighest and warmest smile anyone had seen on Tyr McDohl's face.
“….”
Man… this guy had no idea how much the wind mage was tempted to smack that expression off his face. Deciding not to do so, Luc merely looked away and said nothing else. Hopefully that stupid face will go away eventually, as well as the slight burning sensation on his face.