Closed Alas you belong to me [Besnik]

[Valo]

Winter 50th Kelp Bar Very late evening, nearing midnight Valo was admirably drunk to say the least, despite the promise he had made to him self earlier on in the season, to refrain from abominable amounts of Kelp Beer. The deceitful alcohol that pickled his liver and stole his wit from him, leaving the trembling fool to his corner where he periodically shifted from joyous laughter and drunken singing, to silent floods of tears coming from his emerald eyes. And hid behind his curtains of red, he drank beer after peer, revelling in the intoxication, though he had far passed the threshold of bliss. The bliss had become hell now. His own personal hell from which he could no longer rip free... no! He wished not to rip free from this. For despite the atrocious state he was in, the mind no longer retained the capability of coherent though, or any thought at all for that matter. And for once he was not drowning in his own nightmares, but drowned in alcohol instead. Smash it up and burn it. It's all a game. Just a game of an unfortunate soul who's affinity for alcoholism was greater than he was. A man who, despite his gentlemanly appearance and propriety in his manner, had very little principle. A man who had been overcome by circumstance. Was it the residual haunting of the night during which he had lay his trembling eyes upon the mutilated corpse of Kipp the Wave Guard? Was is the evil within the man, Wrenmae who had so cruelly manifested to him like some him of divine anti-hero? Was it the pestilence that raged though the cities of Zeltiva, bringing down man after man, spearing no women, not even the children? Was it the perpetual fear in which he lived, that by some almighty smite of fate, he would be the next one to loose his life to this city? The answer was unknown and at the hands of this answer Valo's heart, which was too fragile to exist in the realm of Mizahar, suffered so and thus he had taken to alcohol. He was in an atrocious state to say the least. Ears that barely heard past the ringing in his head, eyes that saw little though the fog of intoxication, hands that shook wildly. A wiling submission tot his mistress of his. A willing submission to drunkenness. Unable to walk, after bringing yet another mug to his lips, fighting desperately not to spill any of the precious droplets of this dark magic, he knew not how to get home and hide from the prying eyes of patrons who no doubt judged him for his foolishness, for he knew not where his home lingered. His feature set into deeper hollows in his cheeks and shadows beneath his eyes, though that could have all been an illusion of the dim lighting in the bar. Overall a ghastly appearance of the fundamentally beautiful being which he was, as Valo burst into yet another fit of tears.

[Besnik]

Besnik ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ It was the evening of the 50th of winter, the night before having been the last day Besnik had paid for a room at World’s End Grotto. The original plan had been to leave after his rent ran out, having explored a lot of Zeltiva by then, and move on to new discoveries. Truthfully he was restless and would usually leave without thinking, but he hadn’t counted on the desire to stay in the city taking him over. He’d met many people, developed plenty of friendships. Most importantly, however, he’d found the bond mate relationship each Kelvic searched for. He couldn’t imagine anymore leaving the city without intention to return, never seeing Valo again. He wandered the dark, empty streets with a small frown on his face, beginning to see that the Darva expedition he’d been considering inquiring about was probably the best option. It would give him a break from Zeltiva, the chance to investigate somewhere completely new and the ability to return to the city once the trip was over. A pack slung over the Kelvic’s back contained all his worldly belongings, heavier than when he’d arrived at the start of the season, and he walked without reason. The moon was bright in the sky, casting a strange glow over the streets, and the occasional wind swept through and sent a chill across his body. He began to think that he should go back to the inn and rent out a room for longer, but it seemed far too late to turn up now. Shadows stretched across the stone streets, dancing a sinister beat in front of his eyes. The mixing flood of emotion that struck him through the bond connecting him to Valo wasn’t helping him plan what to do next. He’d worried a little when he first felt the well of sadness, but it soon left and was replaced by a light hearted feeling he couldn’t place. It had been going on for a while and was begin to get confusing. As another wave of intense helplessness was felt coming from the other man, Besnik gave in and set out to find his bond mate, hoping whatever was wrong wasn’t too serious. A little before midnight after trailing through the maze of streets, the canine in human form finally managed to catch the scent of the red haired artist. He followed it in a light jog until he reached the door the trail stopped by. He stepped back, startled, at the look of the run down building. He’d been in plenty of places like it, stained walls and beaten by the elements. The Kelvic had learned to fit in with the kinds of people found within such a place, but he had no idea why Valo should be within the walls of the building before him. He respected the man whose manners always came off as sophisticated, whose passion for art rivalled anyone he’d met before, and couldn’t see why he’d come here rather than the interesting places he could have chosen within the city. Zeltiva had plenty of places to go if you didn’t want to be in the comfort of your own home, so why Valo had chosen the building titled ‘The Kelp Bar’ to hide away he couldn’t figure out. He could only think that it must be something to do with the turmoil of emotions constantly switching, of which he could only feel a limited amount over their bond. Besnik stepped up to the door, the smell of salt, sweat and alcohol strong to his sensitive nose, and pushed his way inside. A number of people turned their eyes his way, the unnerving stares creeping over him to find out his motives. He was a stranger in their midst and they knew not why he was there. Ignoring them, used to that sort of environment in other cities he’d visited, he was for the most part able to forget they were even there. His gaze swept over the bar, taking in the mismatched furniture and the weary woman obviously worn down by many late nights serving alcoholics who worked out on the ships during the day. It seemed that in the light Zeltiva was an educated city, but at night when the sailors returned and the scholars were in bed scenes like the one before him were common. Looking over the scene, Besnik quickly located the artist in a dimly lit corner, sat on one of the stools pulled up to a table. His look was one of disappointment as he took in the trembling man, eyes hidden by long hair but surely clouded over by intoxication. Understanding came quickly as he looked at the empty mugs used to hold beer that littered the table, the man’s pale hand resting on a half full one. Well, resting was an overstatement as the hand shook so badly it was barely able to keep hold of the mug as it was brought to the man’s lips. The source of the flood of emotions was nothing more than alcohol, a lot of it granted, but nothing to have Besnik in such a worried state he had been in. A little irritated and greatly disappointed that his bond mate had joined the other drunks, the only people remaining out drinking so late, the Kelvic weaved between the laughing, crying and chatting people to make his way to Valo. “Hey,” he put his hand on the man’s shoulder as he partially crouched so that he could be heard above the rowdy crowd. His voice was still gentle, but if one knew it well enough they would be able to detect the more annoyed feelings he was trying to suppress in the slightly biting way his tone slipped from his lips. “What are you doing?” He reached back as he spoke to drag a stool toward him, enabling him to sit as he finished speaking so that he was now in front of Valo. The stares that had been on him receded, sharp hearing picking up as a couple of people turned away, no longer interested now that he appeared to know a citizen of the city. He waited for the artist’s answer, watching his shaking figure with a keen eye and wondering what had provoked the intense consumption of alcohol. It may be irritating that he’d been worried when the man was in no apparent danger, but now that he was here he’d try to help his companion. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ||Besnik|| ||3 years|| ||Kelvic|| ||Bondmate - Valo||

[Valo]

As the voice spoke to him, Valo's sluggish mind had not made the connection between the words and the fact that his good friend Besnik was in fact the addresser. From beneath the red curtains, deep set eyes which now bore the purple hints of tiered bruising beneath them, stared at the Kelvic absently, taking in the appearance but not realising that a man was in fact before him. Grasping the mug firmly in both shaking hands so that the item threatened to shatter, he sipped the foul salty concoction with utmost delight. Cheeks dampened substantially. Eyes growing wider and wider and wider. It was only perhaps when the sound of the chair, a scraping moan of sadness across the floor, brought the drunk back into the world of the living, that this perpetual starring of bemusement subsided and a recognition twinkled in his eyes. By that time however, the few words of his companion had nothing but escaped him. Downing the very last sips of the beer, he cried with child like pleasure. "Besnik... Bes...sy... Bessy!" words slurred with no trace of that usual grace that usually lingered in his speech. No trace of eloquence or coherence. Just slur. "Bessy, Bessy, How good... How good it is to see you. Isn't the weather truly wonderful today?" Straightening abruptly, Valo looked past his red haired friend and waved at the bar maid in a much dishevelled fashion. "Another beer for my Bessy... or two... or a whole barrel. They keep beer in barrels right?" a questioning look back to the Kelvic. "It is barrels in which they keep beer, isn't it?" As the words spilled out in a river of nonsense, he slumped back in his chair, almost falling back. And with shaking hands once again he grabbed a mug, for despite it's empty state he somehow managed to convince him self there was alcohol still in it. And bringing the mug to his lips he began sipping at air, only to complain about the taste of said air. And with much displeasure on his face, he leaned forward, wrapping both arms around Besnik, slumping into the man as if he was a voluptuous woman. Indeed Valo's wit was past the point of recovery. "I love you Bessy. Let's get married. I think that's a wonderful idea"

[Besnik]

Besnik ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Besnik frowned at the man’s unseeing stare, his gentle eyes darkening as the other continued to drink from a mug in his shaking grip. The Kelvic rarely got angry, but finally seeing the artist he’d been worrying over for a number of weeks only to realise he’d drunk himself into a thoughtless mess almost had him at that point. He cared for the other man, but was still put off from his sudden disappearance a number of days ago. He’d actively sought the artist out, only to have his companion leave before he’d been able to see what exactly was troubling him and whether he’d be able to help. Only weak people drank away their troubles over standing up to face them, or at least spilling their worries to those closest to them. Needless to say, he wasn’t best pleased to find Valo in this state, and considered leaving the other here to pass out. Perhaps it would teach him a lesson. However, just as he contemplated leaving the artist to his own devices, he finished the drink and cried something out. It took the Kelvic a few seconds to interpret the slurring words as an attempt at saying his name. The following sentences were too difficult for the canine to bothering interpreting. In this state, Valo couldn’t really be saying anything of importance anyway. Then the man suddenly straightened up, waving a barmaid over. “No,” the Kelvic told her in a firm, comprehensible voice, “We don’t need anymore beer over here, thanks.” He turned back with a glare to the artist, silently trying to warn him from calling her back over. He didn’t bother to answer the artist’s questions, trying to think about what to do with him. It was obvious Valo couldn’t get home by himself, so that only left him to help. There was nowhere for the Kelvic to go, it being much to late to find somewhere to rent a room, so he may as well keep himself busy by helping out his companion. As he was mulling over things in his own head, ignoring the incoherent mumblings of the red haired man before him, he didn’t notice the artist’s movements. He jolted in shock as a pair of arms wrapped around his torso, looking down at the man slumped against him. He rolled his eyes, half amused and half annoyed, before Valo once again started spewing nonsense. “Marry me?” Besnik raised an eyebrow, “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” With a sigh he shoved the artist back into a vaguely upright position and stood, grabbing one of Valo’s arms in both hands. “Come on, I think it’s time we get you home.” ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ||Besnik|| ||3 years|| ||Kelvic|| ||Bondmate - Valo||

[Valo]

Valo Felt himself being pushed into a vaguely upright, or at least something that closely resembled it for his body felt a little limp and uncoordinated. His emotion too swung from one side of the spectrum to another and at this moment he felt merry. mischievous, almost as if he once again was the twelve year old mongrel from Wind Reach who sought out trouble as if it was his best friend. A tap of a slender finger against his nose as Besnik's words washed from him immediately. "I have a secret to tell you." he spoke with a grin upon his face, looking at the man from beneath his brow with a drunken sparkle in his eyes. "It's a good secret. I bet you want to know it."

“Come on, I think it’s time we get you home.” spoke Besnik with clear irritation in his voice. Unimpressed, he grabbed Valo by the arm and pulled him from the Bar, into the chill of Zeltiva's streets. No argument on the behalf of Valo. The artist had to constantly hold onto his companion in fear of falling and his companion would have most likely had to hold onto him to keep the fool from stumbling away.

"I love you Bessy. My cottage is so very lonely, you know." spoke Valo in an endless river of words. The inner most thoughts of a man who could no longer keep his thought inverted. "You know what you should do?" he cried as if an idea had just struck him flat in the face. "You should come live with me. We would be inseparable. We could throw- "With one arm he made a motion as if he was indeed chucking something into the darkness. A stagnation of speech, slurred subtly as it was, a great effort in his voice. The kind of umph made as if he was throwing something rather heavy. " - throw all the art out! And Throw you in. What do you think? I don't want to be lonely you know."

Suddenly the artist stopped dead in his tracks. Refusing to move even is Besnik was to pull him with all his might. He would only pull back. And with a completely blank facial expression he turned to the Kelvic. Eyes haunted as if he was a ghost. not looking at his companion at all but rather beyond him. "I have a secret to tell you." he spoke with a trembling lip. Very slow came his words. "A terrible dark secret. It's a secret. I need to tell you a secret." It was midnight now and the two were only moments away from the road by which Valo's house was situated. Just a couple of steps and they would be home. But the drunken mind of the fool had a different idea. Slowly, his emeralds eyes focused upon Besnik, his lips ajar as if he was just moment of letting out something truly terrible. A loud swallow.

Suddenly he burst into laughter. Only moments of laughter but in those short few moments he had somehow found himself very close to his Kelvic indeed and his arms wound around the man's waist and his lips lay upon those soft ones of Besnik. Valo reeked of alcohol. Eyes closed as if he had been kissing some fair maiden he was in love with. A bright blush upon his skin. A kiss, little more than a peck before he pulled away, distancing himself from Besnik and laughing as if there indeed was no tomorrow. The artist would no doubt regret this in the morning but for now, be was simply thoughtless. A brief repetition of the words "I love you." over and over again.

Alabaster fingers on the buttons of his shirt, slipping, struggling against the pesky fabric until both the coat and the shirt came undone. Quickly he slipped out of it and began to remove the rest of his clothing. Valo didn't really know why he did this, but it seemed appropriate at the time. Of course that would be the case providing that casually undressing in the middle of the street at such a late hour would ever be deemed appropriate. But his clothes choked him and suppressed his joy, they battled him relentlessly and he grew to hate them and discard them upon the cold cobble. Naked in the city he now stood, just a little while away from his home. The blissful grin on his face and the words "I have a mighty fine secret." upon his lips.