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Post by Soprano on Mar 19, 2011 16:55:39 GMT -6
Figuring out one’s sin was pretty easy for someone who wasn’t in denial and was at least somewhat self-aware. For people who insisted they were really truly good people and didn’t sin at all, that was harder. Dago wasn’t one of those people; few mages were, thankfully.
“Take off the bracer and I’ll walk you through it,” he said.
Dago figured he’d be able to get Hans under control in a week; maybe two if he was stubborn and flighty. He didn’t want to be too hasty, but he wanted to make sure this mistake was quickly fixed. The chance of making a mistake was greater the hastier he was, and that wasn’t a chance he was willing to take.
“Before you take it off, think about warm things; cooking, beaches, volcanoes, whatever it takes,” he instructed, “When it’s off, concentrate on how you have control of your powers. You have to be stubborn or it doesn’t work.”
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lillium
Fatima's Sexophone
He Who Fights Monsters
just another dead composer
Posts: 1,682
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Post by lillium on Mar 19, 2011 17:05:37 GMT -6
Hans nodded, and began to think about hot things. The sun. Volcanoes. The center of the Earth. He concentrated on the heat, those hot things, as much as he could, trying to hold on to them. He remembered hot, humid summer days in Oslo when he'd been stupid and worn a jacket and was outside. He listed off hot things in his head: Boiling water, fire, hot candle wax, sex. .
And as he concentrated, he took the leather bracer off.
After that, he concentrated on how much control he had over his powers. I have control over you, he repeated over and over in his mind, a mantra to keep him and Dago from freezing. The ice appeared, but it didn't spread as it normally would have, and after a few seconds it began to slowly recede. It was obviously fighting back, though, just as Hans was fighting it.
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Post by Soprano on Mar 19, 2011 17:15:46 GMT -6
The room might have gone slightly colder, but Dago didn’t notice. Temperature was something that was a bit lost on him now. It was considerably less colder than Hans’ apartment had been, he did notice the frost and ice forming, but happily saw that it was receding. He waited a few moments before he said anything; he was kind of afraid that if he interrupted Hans, he might freeze them both over.
Thankfully it seemed most mages had a knack to understand things beyond the norm, making it much simpler to train them.
“Okay, put it back on,” he said quietly, trying not to jerk Hans out of concentration.
A few more days of that, then he’d tell him to sleep with it off and check to see if his room was frozen the next day. He had the confidence that Hans’d be able to keep from killing himself during the night; Dago knew how to treat hypothermia even if he didn’t stop freezing entirely.
Dago sighed and scratched his head, “I don’t really want you to pass out or anything, so let’s take a break.”
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lillium
Fatima's Sexophone
He Who Fights Monsters
just another dead composer
Posts: 1,682
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Post by lillium on Mar 19, 2011 19:35:34 GMT -6
Hans continued concentrating, thinking of how he was so much more powerful than this ice and how he controlled it and dominated it completely as he put the leather bracer back on. After he did that, the ice disappeared, and he exhaled the breath he hadn't been aware he had been holding. He felt tired, and was grateful when Dago said they should take a break. Besides, he had some questions. Non-related to magic questions.
He noticed Dago wasn't wearing the ring on his finger. Interesting. "Are you getting a divorce?" Hans asked, raising his eyebrows. "Sorry if that's too personal, I was just wondering." Dago had been wearing that ring on his finger about a year ago, and now it was gone, and the boss guy had mentioned something about two years, which meant maybe that was how long it took for the divorce to be finalized?
Considering how happy Marian had been when he'd found out Hans was an aggressive mage, Hans figured that Marian was an aggressive mage as well. Dago had said he was a passive mage. .
Well, that worked in with his theory nicely.
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Post by Soprano on Mar 19, 2011 19:49:06 GMT -6
Dago really didn’t want Hans passing out; he thought of himself marginally more responsible in that area than say… Dimitri Archer. Dago hadn’t been extensively trained by him, but he knew more than enough mages that had been. He’d patched them back up and sent them back out.
“What?” Dago said a bit surprised at the random-ass question.
He suddenly remembered that he’d put his willpower ring on his left hand the day he’d found Hans. Thankfully, he didn’t actually have to lie about that, but it was a necessary deterrent. He pondered for about a split second if he’d lie about this, too. Better not to, he’d already backed himself in a corner.
“No, I’ve never been married,” he said rubbing his face in an attempt to suppress a laugh, “Don’t intend to, ever.”
He realized that he was thirty and would look that way forever, and Hans was much younger than that. He remembered being 20 and thinking 30 was forever away. With all that evidence, plus the age gap, no wonder Hans thought he was married.
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lillium
Fatima's Sexophone
He Who Fights Monsters
just another dead composer
Posts: 1,682
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Post by lillium on Mar 19, 2011 19:58:34 GMT -6
That wasn't exactly why Hans thought Dago was married, but Dago didn't know that. "Oh, well, you're not wearing your ring today," Hans said. "And then the boss guy said you had to wait two years to have sex or something." He paused and shrugged. He didn't know Marian's name, after all, he just knew that he was important. "But hey, if you don't, we are taking a break. ." he added, smirking.
So he'd been irritated with Dago, but oh well. At least Dago was helping him now, which was more than Hans could say about anyone else. Learning how to control his ice was really important, and even though he wasn't over Dago lying to him and all of that stuff, it was obvious that Dago felt really bad about it and they had to repair their relationship anyway, now didn't they?
And to be honest, sex was just awesome.
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Post by Soprano on Mar 19, 2011 20:09:26 GMT -6
Dago dug in his pocket and pulled out his ring, “You mean this? It’s a willpower ring.”
He took Hans’ hand and put the ring on the finger it fit best, “It was a gift, but I did wear it that day so you’d think that. The ring would probably help your magic, but you need to learn how to use it without help.”
He blinked a couple of times when he said ‘the boss guy’ not really registering who he meant, “Oh, you mean Marian. Well, he was right.”
He let go of Hans hand when Hans more than subtly offered to sleep with him, “Shit, I feel like an ass for abandoning and lying to you and now you want to knock boots?”
Dago laughed pretty hard. He already liked Hans’ style.
He calmed down pretty quickly and shook his head, “I’ll be good and tell you the truth. Remember I said they thought I was dead? That was the price for not being dead. Three years, one has already passed. So, I'd love to, but I'll have to take a raincheck."
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lillium
Fatima's Sexophone
He Who Fights Monsters
just another dead composer
Posts: 1,682
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Post by lillium on Mar 19, 2011 20:20:07 GMT -6
Hans blinked and looked down at the ring. "Oh, uh, okay," he said. "Thanks." He looked a bit confused. "Uh, are you sure you don't need this. ." he asked. After all, Dago had been wearing that ring for a reason, right? Unless he just liked how it looked, but Hans doubted that- Dago wasn't wearing any other 'bling.'
"Yeah, Marian," Hans repeated. So that was his name. Huh. He raised his eyebrows when Dago pointed out that Dago had lied to and abandoned him. "Well, when you put it like that. ." he trailed off, shrugging.
He knit his eyebrows together when Dago explained to him what he had to do to be alive again. "Three years?" he asked, staring in wonder. That sounded horrible. That was just cruel and unusual punishment. "That's kinda weird, though, why do you have to do that?" he asked. It was pretty strange, after all.
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Post by Soprano on Mar 19, 2011 20:40:31 GMT -6
Dago shrugged, “If it helps me fix the things I’ve fucked up, no, I don’t need it. You can wear it until you can keep your bed from freezing.”
He knew he’d need it in about a month; he didn’t like to prolong feedings, but occasionally it was necessary. He sighed when he realized that he’d presented Hans with all the reasons why he shouldn’t sleep with him; that was about as uncharacteristic as he got.
“I’m sorry; I’ve fucked up really bad today,” he said scratching his head, “You just caught me off guard. I really, really want to make things right.”
It seemed getting Hans to forgive him was a bit easier than getting Marian to forgive him. That was one less thing to worry about, at least.
“Yeah, but it’s not so bad. I can sleep with one person, but anyone else and I’m back to Hell,” he said with a shrug, “Eeehhh, well, the lady who helped me out wanted an equal sacrifice from me, so that was the deal.”
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lillium
Fatima's Sexophone
He Who Fights Monsters
just another dead composer
Posts: 1,682
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Post by lillium on Mar 19, 2011 20:57:07 GMT -6
"Uh, it's okay," Hans said, blinking again. Alright, so Dago really wasn't like how Hans had expected when he had found out Dago had lied. He could have been faking this, though, Hans supposed. Oh well, he could give Dago the benefit of the doubt- At least for now, anyway.
He raised his eyebrows when Dago mentioned the deal he'd made. It sounded pretty sketchy, really. Some chick in Hell had given him the offer of life back, but he had to be monogamous for three years? That sounded super sketchy right there, but at least he hadn't sold his soul or anything.
Or maybe he had, and he hadn't mentioned it. Hell, Hans could see why- He wouldn't mention it, either.
"Is the only person you can screw Marian, then?" Hans asked. Marian was pretty good-looking. He even had glasses! Also, he knew about Dago's three years, but Hans wasn't sure if that was a secret.
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