Riona (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rionaleonhart) wrote2024-11-14 04:19 pm
rionaleonhart) wrote2024-11-14 04:19 pm
Entry tags:
Fanfiction: Power Exchange (Metaphor: ReFantazio, everyone/everyone)
"Riona, why did you come up with a fic concept straight out of a porn film if you can only write fade-to-black sex?"
It's a curse. I can't explain myself. I hope you enjoy this nonetheless.
I'm only up to September in-game, so I apologise if I've left out any party members who join later on! I also apologise to Heismay, who got left out of the banging because I forgot about him until I'd planned out the Hulkenberg/Junah scene.
Title: Power Exchange
Fandom: Metaphor: ReFantazio
Rating: 15
Relationships: everyone/everyone, pretty much!
Wordcount: 2,900
Summary: “You were the one who awakened that ability in Strohl,” More says. “Traditionally, the power to use Archetypes is passed from person to person through physical intimacy.”
Content notes: Consensual voyeurism.
It starts as a furtive night with Strohl. They haven’t known each other for long. But they’ve defended each other, they’ve fought side by side, and... well. When everyone keeps Will at such a distance for the crime of his tribe, it means a lot to have someone willing to touch him.
The next day, when they’re cornered by a monster, Strohl rips his own heart out of his chest and calls on an Archetype, and both he and Will suddenly have a great many questions.
Will seeks More out at the first opportunity.
“Strohl has the same ability I do,” Will says. “Is that just a coincidence?”
More shakes his head. “You were the one who awakened that ability in him. Traditionally, the power to use Archetypes is passed from person to person through physical intimacy.”
“Uh,” Will says, “what?”
-
“I spoke to More again,” Will says.
“That man from your dreams?” Strohl asks. “I wondered whether I might be able to see him, now that I seem to share your power. Did he have anything to say about that?”
Will hesitates. “Well...”
It’s hard to put into words; his eloquence is something he should probably work on. But Will manages to communicate what More told him. That Strohl gained this ability because they slept together. That Strohl is now the ability’s carrier, and, if he sleeps with anyone new, he’ll pass it on to them. Will can still call on the Archetypes, but Strohl is now the only person who can give that power to someone else.
Strohl seems to take a long moment to process it all.
“Well,” he says at last, “it sounds like I’d better be careful about who I bed.” He pauses, briefly. “Although... I suppose there’s nothing to worry about with you, is there? If you wouldn’t mind another night together some time.”
Will finds himself smiling. “There’s nothing to worry about with me.”
-
Even with their Archetype abilities, even with Hulkenberg as their new ally, the cathedral is a challenge. The dead are relentless. Will calls the power of light to his fingertips, again and again, but it never seems to be enough.
They retire at last to the Hushed Honeybee, bleeding and exhausted, bracing themselves to return for more punishment once they’ve rested. When they’ve all had a chance to wash and patch themselves up, Hulkenberg joins Will and Strohl in their room to discuss strategies.
“I offered you my spear, but I fear I’m not as great a help as I hoped,” Hulkenberg says.
“You’re making a difference,” Strohl promises her. “We’re grateful for your support.”
“It would be easier if I shared in these powers of yours,” Hulkenberg says. “How did you come by them? You’re not using igniters, and it’s clear enough you aren’t brothers, so I doubt they came to you by birthright.”
Strohl clears his throat. “Er. Best not to ask, really.”
“The power is passed along through physical contact,” Will explains. “Intimate contact. Strohl was the last person to awaken, so he can give the power to someone new, but only through sex.”
Strohl gives him an incredulous look. “Yes, I was trying to talk around that. Not really one for delicacy, are you?”
Hulkenberg is staring at Will. “I feel I must have misheard you.”
“Sounds like a bawdy joke, I know,” Strohl admits. “It’s perfectly true, I’m afraid, or so we’ve been assured by the best source we have. We couldn’t ask that of you.”
“I see,” Hulkenberg says, after a long pause. She glances between Strohl and Will, apparently decides against asking further questions. “Well, I’m grateful to you for allowing me into your confidence. We’ll need to find another strategy, then.”
-
The strategy meeting turns up little they hadn’t already thought of, and they eventually give up on the effort. All they can really do is try to get some rest, prepare themselves to tackle Zorba’s minions in the morning.
Will is just beginning to drift, his eyes closed, when there’s a knock at the door of their room. He climbs reluctantly out of bed, opens the door to find Hulkenberg there in her nightdress.
“May I speak to Strohl?” she asks.
“Hulkenberg?” Strohl asks, from somewhere behind Will. He sounds sleepy, confused.
Hulkenberg slips inside the room, closing the door behind her. Will lights the lanterns, trying to clear his head.
“Hulkenberg?” Strohl asks again, as he sits up in bed, rubbing a hand over his eyes. “What are you doing here?”
“What’s going on?” Gallica asks, through a yawn.
“Did something happen?” Will asks.
“I’ve been thinking,” Hulkenberg says. “Our cause is too important to leave up to chance. We must do all we can to secure our victory.” She’s looking at Strohl as she speaks. “I ask you to grant me your power.”
“To...” Strohl’s eyes go, abruptly, very wide. “Are – are you sure?”
That’s certainly woken Will up as well. How does he feel about the prospect of Strohl taking Hulkenberg to bed?
Does the answer matter? However he might feel about it, she’s right, isn’t she? They need all the power they can get.
“I’m certain,” Hulkenberg says. “I appreciate your concern. But I am willing if you are.”
Strohl casts a slightly frantic look over at Will. “Will? Do you... do you have concerns about this?”
“Only if you do,” Will says. “It sounds like the practical decision. But I know it’s not that simple.”
“No, I suppose not.” Strohl presses his head into his hands and falls silent, for what feels like a very long time.
Will, Hulkenberg and Gallica exchange glances.
“All right,” Strohl says, at last, raising his head. He’s blushing, startlingly deeply; it makes him look vulnerable, younger somehow. “A-all right. I’ll do whatever I can to support you. But... Hulkenberg, you know this means you’ll be the only one who can pass the power on, if this needs to happen again? You might find yourself in my current position, and... well, it’s a strange one to be in, I can tell you that.”
“I’ve considered it,” Hulkenberg says. “I’ll face it when the time comes.”
Strohl gives a small nod. Looks over at Will. “Did More happen to say whether both parties need to... reach completion?”
“He didn’t go into the details,” Will says.
Strohl draws in a deep breath. “Right. Best to be on the safe side, I suppose.”
“I could ask him,” Will offers.
Strohl shakes his head. “No. I’ll need to do this now, or I’ll lose my nerve. If – if Hulkenberg is still willing.”
“I chose to lend you my support, and I will do whatever needs to be done to that end,” Hulkenberg says. “I must think of this as no more than a gruelling training session.”
“I wouldn’t say gruelling,” Strohl protests.
“Should I leave you alone?” Will asks, already making his way for the door.
Strohl clears his throat, in an odd way that makes Will’s hand falter on the doorknob.
“Actually,” Strohl says, after a moment, “would you... bear witness, Will? I think I’d feel more comfortable if you were here.”
“What, seriously?” Gallica asks.
The question throws Will. He opens his mouth and finds no answer behind it.
“And what of my comfort?” Hulkenberg asks. “Do you think I would be more at ease abed with one near-stranger if I had a second watching?”
Strohl flushes, if possible, even deeper. “I’m sorry. It’s your choice, of course. I thought it might help the situation feel... less intimate, I suppose, if we weren’t alone.”
Hulkenberg seems to hesitate.
“You may have a point,” she says at last. “If we’re to think of this as just part of our strategies, it would make sense to have the captain present.”
“If it would help,” Will says, after a moment.
“I’m not having any part of this,” Gallica says. “If you’re staying, let me out the door first.”
-
The next to join their cause is Heismay, a eugif, and Will finds himself wondering whether a roussainte can lay with a eugif at all; he’s never heard of it happening before. It seems it’s a question that won’t be answered today.
“I’ll gladly travel with you, if I can be of help,” Heismay says. “But I will not sleep with you for power. I’d prefer to trust my own skill with the blade.”
Hulkenberg nods. “We’ll be glad to have you.”
When they first welcome Junah aboard the gauntlet runner, she has no such qualms. She claps her hands together and crows with laughter when she hears how the power is passed along. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s get to an inn.”
“Would it be possible for Hulkenberg to pass the power to Junah?” Strohl asks. “They’re both women. Perhaps we’d need to find a man who can... act as a go-between, so to speak. Neuras, perhaps?”
“Neuras?” Hulkenberg echoes.
“You’ve got a lot to learn, haven’t you?” Junah asks, amused. “Hulkenberg and I can do the deed just fine, I assure you.”
Strohl flushes. “I only mean to say there’s been... penetration involved, on both of the occasions so far. We don’t yet know if anything else would work.”
“Well,” Junah says, with an airy shrug, “we can try it, and, if it doesn’t work, at least we’ll have fun. You should watch; maybe you’ll pick up something useful.”
“Strange you should suggest that,” Hulkenberg says. “Strohl asked Will to watch when he, ah, passed the power to me.”
“It wasn’t for sordid reasons,” Strohl hastens to say. “I thought it might feel too intimate if we were in private.”
Junah grins wickedly. “Sounds like a fun tradition. Let’s have both of you there, then.”
Strohl throws Will a helpless glance. “Is this really happening?”
Will shrugs. “If Hulkenberg’s okay with it, I don’t mind.”
-
They don’t have enough power to make it through the Dragon Temple, the ruins beneath it. It’s a realisation that unfurls slowly, unsettlingly. They’re all so exhausted they can barely draw on their Archetypes, and Heismay is doing his best to support them, but it’s not enough. If they’re to make it to Montario in time, they can’t delay any longer.
“Looks like I’m sleeping with someone, then,” Junah says, placing her hands on her hips. “Not thrilled to be doing it somewhere without a washroom, but I’ll make do.”
Eupha looks mystified, understandably. “What do you mean? How would that help?”
Will gives her a quick explanation. He doesn’t speak specifically of what’s really playing on his mind: Heismay’s refused the power already, and, if he holds to that, Eupha is the only candidate here. But he sees Eupha’s expression shift, partway through his overview, and he thinks she’s realised how personally relevant this could be to her.
“I... I see,” Eupha says, at last. “Yes. I see.”
“Sounds to me like you’ve noticed the question we’re not asking,” Junah says. “Do you have an answer?”
“I’ll volunteer, if it will spare the young lady,” Heismay says.
“No,” Eupha says. “I want to do it. I want to help.” She nods, firmly. “It’s... a ritual, is it not? I’m prepared.”
“A ritual of sorts, I suppose,” Strohl says, “and at least you’d survive this one. But are you sure? Bear in mind that, if our numbers grow, you might need to do this again.”
“I was willing to sacrifice my life,” Eupha says. “This is nothing.”
“A little more than nothing, I’d like to think,” Junah says, “but perhaps that’s just self-flattery. Where would you be most comfortable? Maybe a magla hollow?”
Eupha closes her eyes for a moment, although her third eye remains open and staring. “I’d like it to take place on the altar, if that would be all right.”
“Really?” Strohl asks. “I mean, I’m not trying to tell you what you can or can’t do, but... would your gods be happy with that?”
“We’re performing a ritual to receive power,” Eupha says. “The altar is the place for it. The gods will understand.”
“It would require some backtracking,” Hulkenberg says, “but we should be able to make it back to the altar safely. And we would then have Eupha’s power to support us in striking further inward.”
Eupha nods. “I am grateful.”
“It’s a bit of a tradition for those who’ve been through this before to watch,” Junah says. “Would you be comfortable with that, love?”
“A tradition?” Eupha asks. “You mean it’s... part of the ritual?”
“We don’t have to be there,” Will says. “You’ll get the power either way.”
“No,” Eupha says. “All parts of a ritual are important. If it’s what you’ve done before, you should watch this time as well.”
-
With Strohl and with Junah, Hulkenberg was near-silent, evidently making an effort to suppress any audible reaction in front of her audience. Eupha has no such selfconsciousness, it seems, gasping and crying out and digging her fingers into the edge of the altar as Junah kneels before her. Will was expecting more nervousness from her, but she embraces their strange ‘ritual’ openly.
In a strange way, it does feel almost like a spiritual experience to hear it. Closer to it than anything Will has seen of Sanctism, at least.
-
“I want to be by your side, in the fight against Louis,” Basilio says. “I know I don’t have the kind of power you’ve got. But I’ll do what I can.”
Will looks at Eupha across their inn lodgings. It’s automatic, a reflex; he doesn’t mean it to be a signal. But she catches his glance.
“Would you like me to grant him the power?” she asks.
“We won’t ask you to do that,” Strohl says. “It might be that we have enough power already. If we run into an obstacle we can’t overcome, we can reassess.”
“What’re you saying?” Basilio asks. “If you can give me the power, makes more sense to do it now, eh? What if that obstacle kills us before we can get any reassessing done?”
Strohl shakes his head. “It’s not that simple, I’m afraid.”
“Why not?” Basilio asks. “How d’you give people this power, anyway?”
“Your questions both have the same answer,” Hulkenberg says. “The process of power transference is a little... delicate, let’s say. The last person to receive the power must, ah, must sleep with the person they would like to grant it to.”
“Eh?” Basilio asks, sounding alarmed. “So... that’d be Eupha? Eupha and me’d have to... you sure?”
“Well,” Junah says, “if that’s not the case, there’s been a great deal of unnecessary sex, and a lot of coincidences.”
Basilio scratches one of his ears, his tail twitching restlessly back and forth. “So that means – Lady Junah, you’re saying you...?”
“Hulkenberg and Eupha, if you’re curious,” Junah says. “I’d happily take you on if I still had the means to pass the power along, but it’s no longer my time in the spotlight. Eupha, I think the decision’s up to you.”
“It’s up to me as well,” Basilio protests. “You can’t just – wait, did you say you’d—” He shakes his head. “You can’t just drop this on a man and expect him to jump into bed in an instant.”
“True,” Junah says. “How are you both feeling about the prospect?”
Basilio and Eupha look at each other. Glance away just as quickly. The silence stretches out, uncomfortably long.
“Confused, more than anything,” Basilio says at last. “But I want to take Louis down. So, if you’re offering...” He hesitates. “You don’t have to. But, if you’re offering, I’ll take it.”
Eupha nods. She’s still not quite looking at him.
“For what it’s worth, I’d be gentle,” Basilio offers, scratching the back of his neck.
“I don’t doubt it,” Eupha says. “It’s... it’s harder, here. Without the altar. But I know it would not be practical to return to the temple now, in the midst of everything.”
“You don’t have to do it alone, pet,” Junah says. “I’ll join you two in the bed, if you’ll have me there. Might ease the pressure a little, eh?”
Basilio’s eyes widen. “Sounds like more pressure to me. Not – not that I’d say no.”
Eupha nods again, slowly. “That would help, I think. I appreciate it.”
“You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” Strohl says, quietly.
Eupha turns to Basilio at last. Crosses to him in a couple of steps, rests her hand on his cheek. He goes very still, the relentless twitching of his tail the only motion that Will can see.
“I’ll do it,” she says.
Basilio lets out a breath. It sounds a little unsteady. “Thanks. I’ll try to be worth it.”
“And you’ll all be there watching, won’t you?” Eupha asks. “I’ll have your support?”
“You’re saying there’s more?” Basilio asks, incredulous.
-
It breaks down the barriers between you, when you’ve seen all your companions have sex with each other. Perhaps that should be obvious. But Will still finds it striking, the casual intimacy between them. The way Junah kisses all of them good morning, the way Eupha crawls into bed with him when she has nightmares. Hulkenberg idly petting Basilio’s ears when he falls asleep leaning against her; Will’s not sure she’s even realised she’s doing it.
He and Strohl still spend nights together, they still have private moments. But they’re part of something larger, now.
It’s not an intimacy he knew much of, before. He’s grateful for it.
There’s still a long way to go before they’ve saved the country. But he thinks this journey might have saved him, somehow, in a way he can’t fully articulate.
It's a curse. I can't explain myself. I hope you enjoy this nonetheless.
I'm only up to September in-game, so I apologise if I've left out any party members who join later on! I also apologise to Heismay, who got left out of the banging because I forgot about him until I'd planned out the Hulkenberg/Junah scene.
Title: Power Exchange
Fandom: Metaphor: ReFantazio
Rating: 15
Relationships: everyone/everyone, pretty much!
Wordcount: 2,900
Summary: “You were the one who awakened that ability in Strohl,” More says. “Traditionally, the power to use Archetypes is passed from person to person through physical intimacy.”
Content notes: Consensual voyeurism.
It starts as a furtive night with Strohl. They haven’t known each other for long. But they’ve defended each other, they’ve fought side by side, and... well. When everyone keeps Will at such a distance for the crime of his tribe, it means a lot to have someone willing to touch him.
The next day, when they’re cornered by a monster, Strohl rips his own heart out of his chest and calls on an Archetype, and both he and Will suddenly have a great many questions.
Will seeks More out at the first opportunity.
“Strohl has the same ability I do,” Will says. “Is that just a coincidence?”
More shakes his head. “You were the one who awakened that ability in him. Traditionally, the power to use Archetypes is passed from person to person through physical intimacy.”
“Uh,” Will says, “what?”
“I spoke to More again,” Will says.
“That man from your dreams?” Strohl asks. “I wondered whether I might be able to see him, now that I seem to share your power. Did he have anything to say about that?”
Will hesitates. “Well...”
It’s hard to put into words; his eloquence is something he should probably work on. But Will manages to communicate what More told him. That Strohl gained this ability because they slept together. That Strohl is now the ability’s carrier, and, if he sleeps with anyone new, he’ll pass it on to them. Will can still call on the Archetypes, but Strohl is now the only person who can give that power to someone else.
Strohl seems to take a long moment to process it all.
“Well,” he says at last, “it sounds like I’d better be careful about who I bed.” He pauses, briefly. “Although... I suppose there’s nothing to worry about with you, is there? If you wouldn’t mind another night together some time.”
Will finds himself smiling. “There’s nothing to worry about with me.”
Even with their Archetype abilities, even with Hulkenberg as their new ally, the cathedral is a challenge. The dead are relentless. Will calls the power of light to his fingertips, again and again, but it never seems to be enough.
They retire at last to the Hushed Honeybee, bleeding and exhausted, bracing themselves to return for more punishment once they’ve rested. When they’ve all had a chance to wash and patch themselves up, Hulkenberg joins Will and Strohl in their room to discuss strategies.
“I offered you my spear, but I fear I’m not as great a help as I hoped,” Hulkenberg says.
“You’re making a difference,” Strohl promises her. “We’re grateful for your support.”
“It would be easier if I shared in these powers of yours,” Hulkenberg says. “How did you come by them? You’re not using igniters, and it’s clear enough you aren’t brothers, so I doubt they came to you by birthright.”
Strohl clears his throat. “Er. Best not to ask, really.”
“The power is passed along through physical contact,” Will explains. “Intimate contact. Strohl was the last person to awaken, so he can give the power to someone new, but only through sex.”
Strohl gives him an incredulous look. “Yes, I was trying to talk around that. Not really one for delicacy, are you?”
Hulkenberg is staring at Will. “I feel I must have misheard you.”
“Sounds like a bawdy joke, I know,” Strohl admits. “It’s perfectly true, I’m afraid, or so we’ve been assured by the best source we have. We couldn’t ask that of you.”
“I see,” Hulkenberg says, after a long pause. She glances between Strohl and Will, apparently decides against asking further questions. “Well, I’m grateful to you for allowing me into your confidence. We’ll need to find another strategy, then.”
The strategy meeting turns up little they hadn’t already thought of, and they eventually give up on the effort. All they can really do is try to get some rest, prepare themselves to tackle Zorba’s minions in the morning.
Will is just beginning to drift, his eyes closed, when there’s a knock at the door of their room. He climbs reluctantly out of bed, opens the door to find Hulkenberg there in her nightdress.
“May I speak to Strohl?” she asks.
“Hulkenberg?” Strohl asks, from somewhere behind Will. He sounds sleepy, confused.
Hulkenberg slips inside the room, closing the door behind her. Will lights the lanterns, trying to clear his head.
“Hulkenberg?” Strohl asks again, as he sits up in bed, rubbing a hand over his eyes. “What are you doing here?”
“What’s going on?” Gallica asks, through a yawn.
“Did something happen?” Will asks.
“I’ve been thinking,” Hulkenberg says. “Our cause is too important to leave up to chance. We must do all we can to secure our victory.” She’s looking at Strohl as she speaks. “I ask you to grant me your power.”
“To...” Strohl’s eyes go, abruptly, very wide. “Are – are you sure?”
That’s certainly woken Will up as well. How does he feel about the prospect of Strohl taking Hulkenberg to bed?
Does the answer matter? However he might feel about it, she’s right, isn’t she? They need all the power they can get.
“I’m certain,” Hulkenberg says. “I appreciate your concern. But I am willing if you are.”
Strohl casts a slightly frantic look over at Will. “Will? Do you... do you have concerns about this?”
“Only if you do,” Will says. “It sounds like the practical decision. But I know it’s not that simple.”
“No, I suppose not.” Strohl presses his head into his hands and falls silent, for what feels like a very long time.
Will, Hulkenberg and Gallica exchange glances.
“All right,” Strohl says, at last, raising his head. He’s blushing, startlingly deeply; it makes him look vulnerable, younger somehow. “A-all right. I’ll do whatever I can to support you. But... Hulkenberg, you know this means you’ll be the only one who can pass the power on, if this needs to happen again? You might find yourself in my current position, and... well, it’s a strange one to be in, I can tell you that.”
“I’ve considered it,” Hulkenberg says. “I’ll face it when the time comes.”
Strohl gives a small nod. Looks over at Will. “Did More happen to say whether both parties need to... reach completion?”
“He didn’t go into the details,” Will says.
Strohl draws in a deep breath. “Right. Best to be on the safe side, I suppose.”
“I could ask him,” Will offers.
Strohl shakes his head. “No. I’ll need to do this now, or I’ll lose my nerve. If – if Hulkenberg is still willing.”
“I chose to lend you my support, and I will do whatever needs to be done to that end,” Hulkenberg says. “I must think of this as no more than a gruelling training session.”
“I wouldn’t say gruelling,” Strohl protests.
“Should I leave you alone?” Will asks, already making his way for the door.
Strohl clears his throat, in an odd way that makes Will’s hand falter on the doorknob.
“Actually,” Strohl says, after a moment, “would you... bear witness, Will? I think I’d feel more comfortable if you were here.”
“What, seriously?” Gallica asks.
The question throws Will. He opens his mouth and finds no answer behind it.
“And what of my comfort?” Hulkenberg asks. “Do you think I would be more at ease abed with one near-stranger if I had a second watching?”
Strohl flushes, if possible, even deeper. “I’m sorry. It’s your choice, of course. I thought it might help the situation feel... less intimate, I suppose, if we weren’t alone.”
Hulkenberg seems to hesitate.
“You may have a point,” she says at last. “If we’re to think of this as just part of our strategies, it would make sense to have the captain present.”
“If it would help,” Will says, after a moment.
“I’m not having any part of this,” Gallica says. “If you’re staying, let me out the door first.”
The next to join their cause is Heismay, a eugif, and Will finds himself wondering whether a roussainte can lay with a eugif at all; he’s never heard of it happening before. It seems it’s a question that won’t be answered today.
“I’ll gladly travel with you, if I can be of help,” Heismay says. “But I will not sleep with you for power. I’d prefer to trust my own skill with the blade.”
Hulkenberg nods. “We’ll be glad to have you.”
When they first welcome Junah aboard the gauntlet runner, she has no such qualms. She claps her hands together and crows with laughter when she hears how the power is passed along. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s get to an inn.”
“Would it be possible for Hulkenberg to pass the power to Junah?” Strohl asks. “They’re both women. Perhaps we’d need to find a man who can... act as a go-between, so to speak. Neuras, perhaps?”
“Neuras?” Hulkenberg echoes.
“You’ve got a lot to learn, haven’t you?” Junah asks, amused. “Hulkenberg and I can do the deed just fine, I assure you.”
Strohl flushes. “I only mean to say there’s been... penetration involved, on both of the occasions so far. We don’t yet know if anything else would work.”
“Well,” Junah says, with an airy shrug, “we can try it, and, if it doesn’t work, at least we’ll have fun. You should watch; maybe you’ll pick up something useful.”
“Strange you should suggest that,” Hulkenberg says. “Strohl asked Will to watch when he, ah, passed the power to me.”
“It wasn’t for sordid reasons,” Strohl hastens to say. “I thought it might feel too intimate if we were in private.”
Junah grins wickedly. “Sounds like a fun tradition. Let’s have both of you there, then.”
Strohl throws Will a helpless glance. “Is this really happening?”
Will shrugs. “If Hulkenberg’s okay with it, I don’t mind.”
They don’t have enough power to make it through the Dragon Temple, the ruins beneath it. It’s a realisation that unfurls slowly, unsettlingly. They’re all so exhausted they can barely draw on their Archetypes, and Heismay is doing his best to support them, but it’s not enough. If they’re to make it to Montario in time, they can’t delay any longer.
“Looks like I’m sleeping with someone, then,” Junah says, placing her hands on her hips. “Not thrilled to be doing it somewhere without a washroom, but I’ll make do.”
Eupha looks mystified, understandably. “What do you mean? How would that help?”
Will gives her a quick explanation. He doesn’t speak specifically of what’s really playing on his mind: Heismay’s refused the power already, and, if he holds to that, Eupha is the only candidate here. But he sees Eupha’s expression shift, partway through his overview, and he thinks she’s realised how personally relevant this could be to her.
“I... I see,” Eupha says, at last. “Yes. I see.”
“Sounds to me like you’ve noticed the question we’re not asking,” Junah says. “Do you have an answer?”
“I’ll volunteer, if it will spare the young lady,” Heismay says.
“No,” Eupha says. “I want to do it. I want to help.” She nods, firmly. “It’s... a ritual, is it not? I’m prepared.”
“A ritual of sorts, I suppose,” Strohl says, “and at least you’d survive this one. But are you sure? Bear in mind that, if our numbers grow, you might need to do this again.”
“I was willing to sacrifice my life,” Eupha says. “This is nothing.”
“A little more than nothing, I’d like to think,” Junah says, “but perhaps that’s just self-flattery. Where would you be most comfortable? Maybe a magla hollow?”
Eupha closes her eyes for a moment, although her third eye remains open and staring. “I’d like it to take place on the altar, if that would be all right.”
“Really?” Strohl asks. “I mean, I’m not trying to tell you what you can or can’t do, but... would your gods be happy with that?”
“We’re performing a ritual to receive power,” Eupha says. “The altar is the place for it. The gods will understand.”
“It would require some backtracking,” Hulkenberg says, “but we should be able to make it back to the altar safely. And we would then have Eupha’s power to support us in striking further inward.”
Eupha nods. “I am grateful.”
“It’s a bit of a tradition for those who’ve been through this before to watch,” Junah says. “Would you be comfortable with that, love?”
“A tradition?” Eupha asks. “You mean it’s... part of the ritual?”
“We don’t have to be there,” Will says. “You’ll get the power either way.”
“No,” Eupha says. “All parts of a ritual are important. If it’s what you’ve done before, you should watch this time as well.”
With Strohl and with Junah, Hulkenberg was near-silent, evidently making an effort to suppress any audible reaction in front of her audience. Eupha has no such selfconsciousness, it seems, gasping and crying out and digging her fingers into the edge of the altar as Junah kneels before her. Will was expecting more nervousness from her, but she embraces their strange ‘ritual’ openly.
In a strange way, it does feel almost like a spiritual experience to hear it. Closer to it than anything Will has seen of Sanctism, at least.
“I want to be by your side, in the fight against Louis,” Basilio says. “I know I don’t have the kind of power you’ve got. But I’ll do what I can.”
Will looks at Eupha across their inn lodgings. It’s automatic, a reflex; he doesn’t mean it to be a signal. But she catches his glance.
“Would you like me to grant him the power?” she asks.
“We won’t ask you to do that,” Strohl says. “It might be that we have enough power already. If we run into an obstacle we can’t overcome, we can reassess.”
“What’re you saying?” Basilio asks. “If you can give me the power, makes more sense to do it now, eh? What if that obstacle kills us before we can get any reassessing done?”
Strohl shakes his head. “It’s not that simple, I’m afraid.”
“Why not?” Basilio asks. “How d’you give people this power, anyway?”
“Your questions both have the same answer,” Hulkenberg says. “The process of power transference is a little... delicate, let’s say. The last person to receive the power must, ah, must sleep with the person they would like to grant it to.”
“Eh?” Basilio asks, sounding alarmed. “So... that’d be Eupha? Eupha and me’d have to... you sure?”
“Well,” Junah says, “if that’s not the case, there’s been a great deal of unnecessary sex, and a lot of coincidences.”
Basilio scratches one of his ears, his tail twitching restlessly back and forth. “So that means – Lady Junah, you’re saying you...?”
“Hulkenberg and Eupha, if you’re curious,” Junah says. “I’d happily take you on if I still had the means to pass the power along, but it’s no longer my time in the spotlight. Eupha, I think the decision’s up to you.”
“It’s up to me as well,” Basilio protests. “You can’t just – wait, did you say you’d—” He shakes his head. “You can’t just drop this on a man and expect him to jump into bed in an instant.”
“True,” Junah says. “How are you both feeling about the prospect?”
Basilio and Eupha look at each other. Glance away just as quickly. The silence stretches out, uncomfortably long.
“Confused, more than anything,” Basilio says at last. “But I want to take Louis down. So, if you’re offering...” He hesitates. “You don’t have to. But, if you’re offering, I’ll take it.”
Eupha nods. She’s still not quite looking at him.
“For what it’s worth, I’d be gentle,” Basilio offers, scratching the back of his neck.
“I don’t doubt it,” Eupha says. “It’s... it’s harder, here. Without the altar. But I know it would not be practical to return to the temple now, in the midst of everything.”
“You don’t have to do it alone, pet,” Junah says. “I’ll join you two in the bed, if you’ll have me there. Might ease the pressure a little, eh?”
Basilio’s eyes widen. “Sounds like more pressure to me. Not – not that I’d say no.”
Eupha nods again, slowly. “That would help, I think. I appreciate it.”
“You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” Strohl says, quietly.
Eupha turns to Basilio at last. Crosses to him in a couple of steps, rests her hand on his cheek. He goes very still, the relentless twitching of his tail the only motion that Will can see.
“I’ll do it,” she says.
Basilio lets out a breath. It sounds a little unsteady. “Thanks. I’ll try to be worth it.”
“And you’ll all be there watching, won’t you?” Eupha asks. “I’ll have your support?”
“You’re saying there’s more?” Basilio asks, incredulous.
It breaks down the barriers between you, when you’ve seen all your companions have sex with each other. Perhaps that should be obvious. But Will still finds it striking, the casual intimacy between them. The way Junah kisses all of them good morning, the way Eupha crawls into bed with him when she has nightmares. Hulkenberg idly petting Basilio’s ears when he falls asleep leaning against her; Will’s not sure she’s even realised she’s doing it.
He and Strohl still spend nights together, they still have private moments. But they’re part of something larger, now.
It’s not an intimacy he knew much of, before. He’s grateful for it.
There’s still a long way to go before they’ve saved the country. But he thinks this journey might have saved him, somehow, in a way he can’t fully articulate.
no subject
no subject
no subject
I loved this, it's delightful. ♥ I'm especially pleased Junah got to pass the power onto Eupha—those two are perpetually flirting and terribly adorable.
no subject
no subject