A Debt and a Gift

[raventonbeauty]

The realm of Cocytus was a cold, dark, barren little island in the midst of a river, which made it quite to the taste of the god-thing that owned it and not at all to the taste of anyone else. Cocytus made certain to meet her guest upon the shore, welcoming the senior deity who was not quite her liege.

"Ereuvir," she said, in a voice reminiscent of things that bubbled in the dark depths of caves. Her rags fluttered as she performed a slow bow. The gray, tattered hood that covered her head served also to conceal her face and the elegant, swollen, contorting blisters that her guests found so strangely unpleasant. Cocytus simply could not understand the universe's lack of appreciate for her beauty and wonders. "Welcome. I have such a thing to give you."

A gift that was not quite a gift. Cocytus owed a debt after all, which was not the sort of thing that Cocytus liked, and recently she had come into possession of something else that she did not like. Cocytus liked suicides, and she liked them to be as self-loathing or as depressive as possible. The particular despair that came from those who had turned violence upon themselves was a vintage sweeter than any Cocytus had ever found, and the rest of the gods were happy to let her collect her little tragedies. Except that one of those tragedies, lately, was proving to be such a thorn.

Well enough, then, that Cocytus was expecting a visitor, and one with very different taste. Debt and thorn could be bundled up together and handed over to Ereuvir, and Cocytus could go back to basking in the soothing misery of her precious island.

Comments

[notcharming]

Hm. That's an unexpected reaction.

"You've just said he's the most important person on Earth to you, yet you would not ask me for anything regarding him beyond just information? I find that curious. Why would you choose not to?" He can think of several reasons, but no good ones, which only increases his curiosity.

[raventonbeauty]

"If he lives and chose to betray or abandon me, then let him live or rot, I doni't care," Ashley says, stretching lazily in Ereuvir's arms as he considers the options. "If he's in your sister's realm, which is implausible, then I'm no longer interested in him. If he's in your realm, then, well." Ashley tilts his head to consider it, because if he's in Ereuvir's realm then Ashley could ask for what he wants without much difficulty. But Ashley's desires have never been simple, straightforward things.

"Then I'd be interested to see what you would do with him." Ashley decides. "Interesting things are so much better than good things, after all."

[notcharming]

"Perhaps you are right, but the two aren't mutually exclusive, either. There is something you want, here," it's not hard to guess that, though he's not sure what it is, yet. "You'd risk getting what you want on nothing more than my whim?"

Of course, all of it is really at Ereuvir's whim, but he's proven remarkably easy to entertain on that front, in some ways moreso than a human lover might be, as there's little ego to get in the way.

"It is an interesting game and I do enjoy those, but you do understand that it need not be one. I will not say for certain I can or will give you what it is that you desire, but I can vow I would not refuse simply out of spite or a lack of regard for you." He has no idea how much Ashley might or might not be aware of how those words bind, here, but for him to say as much is to make it true. Still, he's not really expecting Ashley to change his mind, he just wants him to understand he need not make everything into a game just because he is particularly fond of a chessmaster.

[raventonbeauty]

Ashley considers that, intrigued by it but not entirely sure what to do with it. He doesn't know what he wants, and doesn't think he will know until he knows Arkady's fate. The question of whether Arkady abandoned him is crucial to Ashley's feelings, after all. "I just want to know his fate," Ashley repeats. "If I want something else once I know, I'll figure that out once I get there."

Winding his arms around Ereuvir's neck, Ashley cuddles close. "And I want you. That I know no matter what."

[notcharming]

"Fair enough," he says to the first and then, warmer, to the second, "A far easier task for me, certainly, and likely more pleasant," it's teasing, but it's also likely gratifying, to know that Ereuvir does consider it so.

He does shift a bit more though, in preparation to leave the floor, though he doesn't quite fully move yet,

"Do you want to walk, or shall I carry you back to bed?" it's another soft bit of teasing, either answer perfectly fine. He doesn't intend to not leave the bedroom for long on most days, but there's already been travel and many new things since Ashley has slept and, while he may find over time that he needs less (or no) sleep, as someone fresh to the underworld, it's still a psychological necessity, even if perhaps it is no longer a physical one.

[raventonbeauty]

"Carry me," Ashley requests, nuzzling at him with a pleased smile. He likes being offered such things, and generally being pampered and cherished, so he cannot resist the chance to be carried.

His request has been made, and Ashley feels no particular urgency toward it. Whatever Arkady's fate, Ashley can find it out tomorrow, or the next day. He's waited this long, after all.

[notcharming]

"My pleasure," it's low and pleased and he does gather Ashley up a moment later, with a token effort to get the robe back around or at least over him, though he leaves the heavier cloak on the floor. He leaves the plug, but then, his servants have had to clean up far worse on occasion and it's the work of a thought to at least clean the room back into some kind of propriety.

Ashley is, of course, carted off back to Ereuvir's bed, rather than his own, but then, while his rooms are his own, it's unlikely he'll stay much in them unless he really wishes too, at this point.