Private Tales Beyond the Veil

A private roleplay only for those invited by the first writer
“Tell me everything.” Shuck told him.

Trahaearn gave a small nod, not looking at either of them as he reached for the bell on the stand. One ring, and a servant appeared quickly after. “Whiskey. Oldest you have. A lot of it.” He said quietly as the memories piled together in his mind. His smile faded, becoming a deep frown for the time it took the cat to return. Several bottles were brought in, and a trio of glasses with it.

His expression stayed the same as he grabbed a glass and filled it, the bottle gingerly set back on the cart it was brought in on. Tipping the glass, he drained the entirety of it in one go. Only pausing at the end to let the intense burn in his throat fade. He poured another, this time sitting back down on the edge of the bed toward them.

The whiskey swirled in the glass, and for a brief second, he chuckled.

“Our deal began when you found me halfway across the world. I was 12, a bastard child. A full year of making offerings to the Fae to hear me, to grant my wish, to give me something more than the life of some shit shoveling bastard child, that would have died with nothing more than a name only he knew.” Trahaearn spoke quietly, another tip of the glass before he wiped his lips on the sleeve of his robe.

He looked to Mal before speaking again, his eyes a mixture of emotions, as the now blended with the memory of then.

“You answered me. I had nothing more than myself to offer to you. But it was that fancy blood that caught your attention, and your boredom. Other fae just kept passing me by, but you saw potential. So we struck a deal. You gave me access to three-quarters of your power, made my noble blood sing, promised me a family, and helped me stand atop the house I had only a small claim to.”

Taking another large drink, the warmth began to spread quickly through his body as the world became a bit fuzzy and his emotions muted. Fae whiskey was always a quick way to get drunk, the magic that kept him suspended also allowed him to enjoy the drink that made mortal men blackout after a few glasses.

“You helped me take my family name. Watched me as I married, had children.” He chuckled after mentioning the children. “You offered to take me to a hag to find out what I was having first. I didn't take you up on it, saying the first was a boy. It surprised you when I was right. I can honestly say that was the only time I surprised you, guessing what every child would be before they were born. All six times, I was right.”

The glass in his hand shook a bit as he drew a rattling breath.

“My oldest son was fifteen, my daughter, the youngest, was three. I remember because it was her birthday that you called in my side of the deal. I would be lying if I said I still don't resent you a bit for that. Taking me away without a word to anyone. Not to my wife, my children. Just whisked away without anyone knowing what had happened.”

His hands tightened around the glass, his stare going beyond the contents, but his tone stayed neutral. His grip loosened and he reined in the regret he felt. Easier with the liquid that passed his lips once more. Another drink from the glass had him standing and filling it up once more.

Looking to Mal, a sad smile crossed his face before sitting back down.

“I despised you for the longest time, even after you gave me everything that I had asked for in our deal. But I had sealed my own fate by not telling you when I would honor my side. Hard for a twelve year old boy to know how to make a proper deal with a Fae.” He explained quietly.

“For almost eight centuries, I held onto my grudge and tried to backstab you. I plotted with other fae, schemed, spread rumors. Everything to strike back at you for taking it all away so suddenly. I had watched my family pass away into history, without knowing what happened to me. Heard their cries in my sleep.” He spoke, a bitter tone lacing through his words.

“And each time a plot came to light, my name was clearly attached to it.” He chewed on his lip for a moment as he looked at Mal once more. “And all you did, was ask that I not do it again. You were not angry. You did not rescind our deal. Little more than asking me politely, albeit disappointed, to not do it again.”

A heavy sigh punctuated the pause, his eyes falling back to his glass.

“At the time, it only made me more upset. But, other than myself, you had no one. There was none beside us in court. And though I was a human, giving me as much of your power as you did elevated me above being a servant. I was in essence, equal to a number of Fae in court. None could call me a pet, could demand of me, or belittle me. You saw fit to remove that possibility. And corrected any that went against your will.”

The struggled for a moment to find words, taking another drink to fill the silence.

“After I was finished throwing what equated to a tantrum, I worked on undermining the plots I had set into motion. If only to honor my side of our deal. But as I worked with you, I began to understand why you had given me enough power to make me half fae. I had standing in the court, and you as my patron were the only one with the right to order me about.”

His head swayed back and forth, as if weighing his next words.

“I became your sword, your shield, did as you asked of me. Sometimes working without your knowing to nip a problem in the bud. I've done terrible things, killed fae, made examples of others. You lent me your strength, took wounds and exhaustion for me as I did what you asked of me.”

He swished the glass again, collecting his thoughts a moment, his mouth opening only to close a second later. Second guessing himself before speaking once more.

“It took another few centuries to see you in a different light. You would leave suddenly, and I would chase after you like a pup. At first I thought you were just bored, but it surprised me to see you helping children. As you had a propensity for chasing mortals almost to death. Except for children.” A slight smile appearing at the last bit, his expression softening for only a moment as sadness drowned the smile, turning it into a deep frown.

“Other Fae caught wind of your kindness, and used it against us. I had seen you angry, upset, and very near to madness. Or so I had believed, but never had I seen you so splendidly decisive in your rage.” his eyebrows rose, his expression turning to surprise as he spoke. Taking a drink much like the very first one, and nearly draining his glass before speaking again.

“You burned out your emotions after that. Most of the Fae are afraid of you after the display that happened almost a millennia ago. I myself, had questioned my resolve, but by that point, I had served you for nigh on three millennia. I was not your only lover, nor was I the first or last. Fae do not tend to be so, singular, in their affection.”

“You had three pets, as most Fae would call them. You never liked the word, and I respected your disdain for it. Granted, I would tease them with it, and you would chide me for it. Sometimes emphasizing with a switch. Damned thing stung too. It has been a long time since the last favored mortal, as the last one brought us-” He cut himself off quickly with a drink, failing to stop before the word us escaped his lips. Quickly standing and refilling the glass, only to drain it and repeat the process twice more.

He stood quietly for a time, after nearly choking on the liquid in his rush, staring into nothing. Face void of any expression as the whiskey took hold of his emotions, helping him to ease the storm that brewed in his heart.

“Brought enough pain, that you removed your own heart. I don't know how you did it, as I thought I had been close enough to help you through it. But I was not enough, as Fae experience emotions almost double of what we mere mortals do.” His eyes narrowed as he stared once more at the glass in his hands. Turning, he walked back to the bed and sat down carefully, the room beginning to spin around him. The whiskey had been sufficient to quench the tide of emotions that all of the words brought with them. When Mal fully returned, she might be angry at him for talking as much as he had, but he had carefully edged around certain events. Or dropping names.

He sat quietly, waiting for any further questions.
 
He asked how much she wanted, and the shuck didn hesitate to reply, "I want all of it."

And she got it. Or, at least, suggestions of all of it. She listened with a growing frown, the angle of her brows deepening the crease between her eyes. He had a lot to say, as could be imagined for a life shared over four millennia. It was staggering, the amount of time she had forgotten. Thousands of years.

She managed not to squirm, hearing about her old self. It was strange, like hearing stories about a different person while also feeling a deep, piercing shame. How could she have behaved so viciously? It was further complicated by his insistence that she was still a kind spirit in spite of it all.

And when he was finished, she had more questions than when he began.

"What did I do?" She asked after a heavy silence. "What happened to my... pet?" Her eyes sought his, needing this answer first out of some need to understand how far she had gone. If she had enemies, were the retribuyions paid to the court enough to pacify their need for revenge?

Yet, she didn't want to hear it. For the first time since coming to that room, she looked uncertain.

// Joseph Meier // Trahaearn //
 
She asked the single question he had hoped he would never hear. What happened to my pet? If she hadn't remembered by the subtle hints he had dropped, then she had truly forgotten everything. Had forgotten Selmi.

His hands trembled at the realization of just how far gone her memory was. It took a very long time for him to be steady enough to look at her, and even then, a hardy drink from his glass before he met her eyes. The silence was palpable, his eyes looking to the ceiling for a moment as he tried to school his panicked expression. Clearing his throat, he did his best to maintain a steady voice.

"Your pet was returned to the mortal world and could not come back. You took revenge, killed the offending Fae's husband in a rather gory mess after taking them to the mortal world. The court ruled the ordeal finished and fair. Two humans lives lost between you." Trahaearn offered as he finished off the glass and fetched another one. That business had been splendidly horrifying, having left Trahaearn both disgusted and more attracted to Mal in the same moment that it had transpired.

He very much doubted she felt the same now, but she wanted answers, and he wasn't about to shy away from telling her how terrible she had been if she so asked.
 
He looked at her with an expression like alarm, and she squeezed Joseph's hand. A knot formed in her stomach, begging her to rescind her question, but his steadying hand solidified her resolve. It was best that she knew, even if she didn't understand the look of sadness he gave her.

His answer rankled her. Their husband. Their human husband. She didn't need to hear any more, was done hearing about this aspect of herself and suddenly she changed the direction before it could be dragged on.

"Our deal. What was it, and how does it work?" She was having trouble keeping a straight face and refused to look at Joseph, instead meeting Trahaearn's eyes. "What did you mean by 'three-quarters' of my power and taking 'wounds and exhaustion' for you?"

Hopefully hearing the details of their contract would be easier than her murderous escapades.

// Joseph Meier // Trahaearn //
 
Joseph's frown grew deeper and deeper the more he listened. Trahaearn seemed to have genuinely wanted to serve a fae, rather than be doomed to being the starving creature many street brats became. From how he told it, his service had been genuine even if he had helped Mal with a lot of evil. He ran his thumb over the back of Shuck's hand. "Whatever she was, that is in the past." he said firmly. "Your Mal is dead. Even if she recovers her name, the Mal you knew is deep in a grave. Shuck's learned kindness, and Id trust her to be a fair courtier."

He lifted her hand and kissed it. "She no longer has any desire to keep pets or slaves." he said, glancing at Trahaearn. "What is her name? If you know it, return it to her. If not, then you must have some idea of who stole it. Her heart....that we will figure out. If she kept records at all of how she tore her heart out, we can find some way to restore it."
 
"Our deal is, you activated the dormant powers in my blood, ensured that I became the sole heir to my family name, that I had a wife, and many children. To help me do this, you shared with me three quarters of your power. You could consciously decide how much I had access to, and how much I could take." He began and quickly continued after he finished what was in the glass.

"We actively share that three quarters of your power. Neither of us gained power, if you took from it, I could not use it what you took. And the same if I took from it. The court thought you had somehow gifted me with the powers of a Black Shuck, completely independent from your own power. That you had created another Black Shuck that was beholden to you. A terrifyingly powerful tool in your pocket. They did not know that we shared the power, or that you could redirect injury and exhaustion to a point. If you so chose to, while I was out serving you and I took a wound, it would rapidly heal and you would receive a similar injury even if you were entire continents away. They thought I was truly immortal with how you played it." Trahaearn explained as best he could.

"On the other hand, my life is tied to yours. You die, I die, instantly." He snapped his fingers to emphasize his point. "If I die, you will lose at least a quarter of your health. And if you are as bad off as it sounds, possibly more." His eyes widened a little as he prepared himself for the final detail.

"The binding part of our contract, is that I serve you as you need. The gifts can be rescinded at will, no strings attached, save that I die and that you are done with me. I get tossed aside like a dirty kerchief."

Then Joseph spoke about these things being in the past, and all he could manage was the slow turn of his head, a look of disbelief, and a disgusted scoff. "As for her name, I knew it as part of our agreement. A privilege of being a warlock, and not a pet. If I knew it now, I would have already told her, as my power is greatly diminished without access to her name, making it very hard to protect myself, never mind her. Whoever took it from her, also took it from me. As such, I have a list of every possible fae that could be holding grudges still."

The comment about her not being interested in keeping pets or slaves from Joseph elicited a harsh laugh. "We will see when Malice comes back." was all the more comment he had before moving on.

"As for the how she removed her heart, it was none of my business, as she would have informed me of how it was done. As it is, she had her reasons for removing it, and survived without it. The heart isn't as important as her name, since the heart will only sustain her for a short time longer. Find her name, she doesn't die. Find her heart, we've only prolonged the inevitable." Trahaearn finished.
 
Trahaearn's explanation was thorough, and rather concerning. So much of her was tied to him. Red colored her face, saturation spreading across her cheeks. He wasn't lying. How could he be? She had seen her magic flowing through him. It was hard to describe how... intimate it was. She worked hard to get her embarrassment tamed.

She gave both of them a warning look when they began to pick at each other, and gave Joseph's hand a slight squeeze. This was not exactly the time to be establishing a pecking order. One was endebted to her and shared a very intimate part of her very being. The other she yearned to love. She knew who she would choose in the end, but denying the other was getting far more complicated.

"So we need to focus on finding my name," she surmised, cutting in before Joseph had a chance to speak and escalate their tempers. "But you said yourself that you betrayed Malice -- betrayed me in those early days. How do I know you're not about something again?"

Besides knowing he would die if she perished, she added silently. She held his gaze, a swirl of red rising in her irises. She wasn't sure she trusted him yet. Their connection seemed too close for comfort, and he had made his resentment clear. Would he accept a death wish if it meant eliminating her?

// Joseph Meier // Trahaearn //
 
Joseph took the squeeze to his hand for the warning it was. Now was not the time to be fighting. He glared at Trahaearn. He had betrayed her once. What was stopping him from doing it again? He'd have to keep a close eye on him and find out as much information as he could. The one thing that put him at an advantage was that Trahaearn would never know if he was truly alone. Joseph could be a sparrow in a tree, a flea on his horse. He waited for Trahaearn to answer, frowning at him. He really didn't like this man. Moreover he was starting to become jealous of their intimate connection.

He tamped down the jealousy and lifted his chin. "If we're going to find her name we're wasting our time here. We need to get to the court." he growled. "We can ask Kitty for supplies. Our horses are rested up. Unless you've got a mount of your own, you're shit out of luck Trahaearn."
 
Trahaearn returned her gaze, his expression beginning to show just how tired he was becoming of all this.

"I have spent four thousand years beside you, better or for worse. You are literally my only reason for existing. I am tired, alone, and I want my friend back." He explained plainly. Then Joseph tried to take a bite at him. Again, the man received the annoyed look.

"First, I can transform into a dog, I don't need a horse. Second, you go to court and throw that attitude around, we are all dead. They. Will. Not. Help. Us. How Kitty treats you, is nice. The court, is not so nice. The court is the opposite of nice. We avoid court, as long as possible. Once Mal gets her name back, no problem, we can fucking dance into the place with no worries. Until then, no court." Trahaearn did not beat around the bush, flabbergasted at the state of ignorant bliss these two lived in.
 
His reply struck a chord. She stared at him, surprised. She had been in that graveyard -- knew all too well what it was like to spend centuries alone, and she saw in his eyes all the honesty she needed. Hers reflected it back; she knew that feeling, if not exactly. How long had she yearned for someone, anyone?

She felt oddly exposed in this room, trapped between two males who had deep tethers to her soul. But their tempers clashed, the two seeming unable to have a peaceful word, and Trahaearn responded with a warning. She looked sheepishly at Joseph, then to the warlock.

"Actually... The only thing we know is that the ones who took my name are at Court... We have to go there to find it."

She had been prepared for a perilous journey, but it seemed like the odds were stacking against her.

"Don't I have any allies at Court? Have I really forged a reputation so vile that there is no one we can trust to help us?"

She sounded desperate, but she didn't care. They needed help. Would this one man be enough??

// Joseph Meier // Trahaearn //
 
"Even vile people have allies. Lots of allies." Joseph said coldly. "We go to court. You're going to be ever the demanding and evil bitch everyone says you were. You might not be Mal, but no one knows that. No one will know that. They're going to cower just like those sphynxes did when we arrived. If you can pull this off, you'll be alive. We can sever ties with this idiot. We can start our life together...in court, out of court, I don't care. Just as long as I'm with you." he took both of her hands in his. He was determined. He wasn't going to watch another spouse fade away and fall prey to death. He couldn't survive losing another family, especially since he strongly suspected she might be with his child. He didn't dare mention it, as if speaking the possibility would make it real, but they had to do this. If men at court had stolen her name, to court they would go.

He looked at Trahaearn. "Be the fleabitten dog for all I care, but teach her the way she used to be. She has to at least play at it if we've any hope of getting in there and getting her name. You won't see me. They won't see me. Most people underestimate me to their peril." he told the man. "We could be dancing around the edges of court for decades trying to sneak in. We don't have that sort of time." Especially if all of those late night lovemaking sessions had culminated in something.
 
Trahaearn did not respond to anything else that was said. Didn't even look at Mal when the, idiot, continued to speak. His eye twitched a little even, as his mind stuck on the phrase, sever ties. His head cocked a tad in disbelief, the whiskey still affecting him a bit as his usual emotions were still well under rein. "I'm sorry, are you implying." He paused for a time. "When you say sever ties." Again he paused and continued to stare at Joseph. "Are you implying she kill me?"

His head shook a bit as he truly believed he had found the largest fool in the whole of the world. "Did you understand nothing about what I talked about earlier? Is it hard to grasp the concept that when she severs ties with me, that the magic that has sustained me for this long just, vanishes. Poof. Gone. No longer exists. I die, in that very moment." His disgust for this man was growing quickly, acting as though the world was his to pick from. That everything was going to just, go the way he wanted it to and everything was going to be just fine. No actual plan, and no clue of what was in store for them.

Irritation was beginning to burn through the alcohol as he snapped back to the court comment. "This is a stupid idea, but fine, we have to go to court. But Mal and I have to keep up appearances. Whoever took her name is there in court, and they know what to look for. The appearance that we have had for four thousand years, and everything included in that. Lady Malice took a pet to court, only once, and paid a dear price for it. You are not immune just because you are with her. If you go with us to court, she can't show weakness and your presence alone is a weakness. Never mind that stolen magick you have, like a painted target."

The stolen magick alone might have been enough to damn the man and all with him if he made it into court. A human, with fae magick that was quite clearly not granted by a benefactor. The higher powers would be ever so pleased to find him, and make a thorough example of him. This wasn't going to work, as she was, she seemed like she could barely be bothered to hurt even the little wailing man, never mind trying to keep appearances in front of those that knew how she acted on a daily basis. One little flub, and this was all for naught.
 
She wasn't good at standing in the middle of this conversation. Whatever control she had held at the start had slipped from her fingers, and Joseph and Trahaearn were holding it between them like two dogs, tugging back and forth to determine which one was more stubborn, as if that declared
the winner.

Trahaearn picked out Joseph's words, and she tried to diffuse the mounting tension. "I'm not cutting ties with anybody; I'm not killing you."

She was then immediately pulled into Joseph's confident convictions, wanting to believe them. But her doubts were amplified by Trahaearn's explanation of what such a ruse meant. Her resolve began to buckle.

"Joseph, I can't." She met his eyes, not even trying to shield her weakness fro the other man. "I won't be able to do it. I can hardly bear the sight of you in that collar. How am I supposed to pretend to be Malice at court? Deception isn't my strong suit and I literally can't lie."

They were going to see right through her. Those nameless, faceless enemies would tear him away from her, she was sure of it. It rankled her, and she felt the cold lance of dread deep in her bones.

// Joseph Meier // Trahaearn //
 
Joseph stared Trahaearn right in the eyes. “Is that a problem?” He asked, casually, as if Trahaearn had objected to him putting his socks away. He didn’t know if he could kill Trahaearn even if he had the opportunity; he was determined not to appear weak in front of him. Even if that meant appearing callous. He’d scrap with him any time, and he enjoyed being able to get the other man’s dander up....but he’d never killed anyone.

He snorted when they both shot down his idea. He softened a little when Shuck looked at him and kissed her cheek reassuringly. “Oh ye of little faith.” He told them both, standing up. This he had to concentrate for. His inclination was to shift to his own female form, which wasn’t a copy of anyone else. Fighting that inclination to shift into the woman at his side was a difficult one; he had to close his eyes to shut them out.

At first, he shifted to himself as a female. Making a major change like a gender switch was complex, and it was easier to modify something he already had. He shot up and grew taller, filled out a little more. He’d seen Shuck enough to know exactly what she looked like; he’d kissed every freckle and every scar. Her hair and legs, his personal favorites, were immaculate. The rest he had to glance between himself and Shuck. Making an eye bigger or smaller, shifting a cheekbone.

“Then why not me?” He asked in a perfect imitation of Shucks voice. “She may not be able to lie...but I can. They won’t even smell the human on me. I bet you can’t, not in this moment.” He lifted his chin arrogantly. He was so well accustomed to her scent he was sure he was replicating it perfectly. “You’ll have to teach me how to act, but that can be done on the road. The more I use this form the better it will be. By the time we reach court they won’t be able to tell the difference. If anyone mentions the brace I make up a lie and violently refuse anyone who questions me.”
 
Trahaearn just shook his head, far too annoyed with the man to even bother to respond. Once they got Mal's name back, the mortal man would be dealt with. Until then, he would have to bear the insufferable fool a while longer. Then Joseph commented and stood. Trahaearn watched, a mix of interest and disgust, as the man began to shift. After successfully shifting, he began to comment and act smug. Proud of his ability to change himself in such a way.

It was both intriguing, and alarming. His eyes roamed over the bits that weren't covered, standing and moving closer, silently examining every spot as he walked around Joseph. Examined the eyes closely, pulled the hands this way and that, looking to the real Mal before surprising them both. He wrapped an arm around the copy, leaning them back and into a kiss before standing them both back up. His tongue licked his lips, and a small smile forming.

"Mal did like whiskey." Was all he said as he returned to the bed and pointed his finger at Joseph. "Not bad, though a few minor details to change, since you are going off of what she looks like now. The darker skin on your hands and feet need to go back further. Halfway up the forearm, and up to the knees. Both fading into the silver skin softly toward the elbow and thighs."

He stared at the real Mal, his brow furrowed as he wondered why that had changed, or what had caused that change. "Strange that the skin lightened around those areas. You always had that, even before I met you."
 
She didn't know what Joseph was about as he kissed her cheek and remarked playfully. Her frown deepened as he stood, and she watched with a growing sense of worry as she watched him shift. His features lengthened and his skin lost its color, and in a few moments, a similar version of herself looked down at where she stood. Startled, the shuck stood and blinked at him, her mouth slightly agape. He looked her over and made a few fine changes, and it was as if she were looking at a mirror image of herself.

"Well that's... concerning." Her look of surprise slowly turned into one of concern as he spoke.

"Joseph, this is hardly safe," she protested softly, but it was clear she was losing her vote in this party. It was one thing to put her in harm's way, but Joseph?

What further protests she might have had were interrupted by Trahaearn's thorough inspection -- lifting her arms, adjusting Joseph's clothes to better see his figure, holding her face to look into her eyes. Then, rather suddenly, he dipped him back into a kiss.

It wouldn't be her parading in front of the Court with Trahaearn, but Joseph, she realized as she watched the two. Her body blazed with jealousy and she ground her teeth as the warlock straightened with a sly remark and returned to his seat. He made comments for adjustments, but she wasn't looking at either of them. Trying to get her breathing in order, she shook her head and tried to think of something to say.

"A lot is different, apparently," she managed to reply weakly with a wave of her hand, not even bothering to look at the hands that were the same silver as the rest of her. She had been jealous of Joseph once, watching him parade around with the men at Heinrich's camp. Though she'd struggled to understand that feeling then, she knew it plainly now. It was fair, she reminded herself; Trahaearn had already kissed her, too. So it was stupid to be jealous, but she felt it anyway.

She wasn't happy -- didn't like where any of this was going. But it seemed as though she had little choice in the matter. She wanted to be out of the room, out of The Cat, and as far away from the Unseelie Court as she could possibly get. Once more she thought of what she had offered to Joseph that morning, to spend her remaining time as herself and not worry about her name. That option was growing more appealing the more involved this scheme became.

// Joseph Meier // Trahaearn //
 
Joseph let Trahaearn walk around him. He tugged his hair over his shoulder so Trahaearn could see his back and shoulders properly. He needed this to be perfect. Women like Mal dressed in powerful clothing that showed off shoulders, backs, arms and legs. He needed to have every detail in place. He was utterly shocked when Trahaearn tipped him back for a kiss. He instinctively put his arms around Trahaearn's neck...and kneed him in the crotch with his braced right leg. The steel contraption went all the way up, just under his knee, and Trahaearn felt the full brunt of it. "Don't ever fucking touch me." he said sweetly, patting Trahaearn's cheek. He stood up, flicked his hair over one shoulder, and folded his arms across his chest.

He was still listening, however. He adjusted the coloring, stretching out his arms so that Trahaearn could look at him properly...once he'd recovered from having a metal bar rammed into his nethers. Joseph's leg began to ache and twitch in response, but he clamped down on the pain. That had been well worth it.

He took Shuck's hand and kissed her palms with his....her...lips. "I can't lose you." he said softly. "I have to try. I have to do everything to recover your name. I wouldn't forgive myself if I didn't. Please...let me do this? If anyone tries to hurt you....they'll be attacking me. I don't want you hurt." he touched her cheek and kissed her.
 
The knee, while painful, did not stop him from walking or sitting down. Though he did take a while longer to sit comfortably on the edge of the bed. The knee from yesterday still fairly fresh in his mind. At his comment, Trahaearn smirked and his voice carried a little higher pitch. "Get used to it. Otherwise, it will not be a convincing show."

Josephs little sweet talk session made Trahaearn think of a few details, and he waited for the talk to stop. "You will need to work on transforming into a Black Shuck also. To the point where you take it, or her form without thinking about it."

He shook his head. This was a stupid idea, and he doubted very much that it was going to work. The two of them wanted to go to court, as supposedly the name was there. He eyed them both, and his hopes of getting Mal back dimmed. If they made it to court, that being a problem all its own, they had to play up the part of Mal and Trahaearn. While Joseph was an asshole to be certain, he was going to have to live and breath Lady Malice, and by no means did one just assume the identity of someone that had been alive for so long.

His doubts about all of this swarmed in his throat, waiting, wanted to be said. He tamped them down, knowing full well that arguing with them was pointless, since any sense of reason would have to be learned the hard way by either of them. Fuck it, he thought to himself. Worst that can happen is that we all die.
 
Seeing Joseph give Trahaearn the same reaction as herself the night prior, she smiled to herself a little in spite of her emotions. Joseph took her hands, in hands that were distinctly different from his own. Silver eyes met silver and full lips brushed against her own. Though she didn't refuse the kiss, she turned her face away, breaking it. It was too strange, too much unlike Joseph for her to like it. She knew it was him, but it wasn't. Her eyes dropped away, and she caved to his gentle pleading, even if it wasn't his voice that begged it of her.

"Okay." She didn't sound happy, and still wasn't looking forward to this. But she was going to have to encourage Joseph to be ruthless, to play the part of Malice to the fullest. He'd promised his heart to her -- she could live with this because, in the end, he would still love her. It would mean nothing, right?

Deciding that the rest of what she had to say to him could wait until they had some time alone, she sighed. "So we're doing this?" She looked between Joseph and Trahaearn, reaching for what was left of her steel. "We'll have to work together to get my name back. You two are going to have to put your differences aside until we can sort this all out. We have to make a plan, and we can't let disharmony undermine us from within."

She let her eyes linger on Trahaearn, but it was Joseph she truly settled on. She knew him well enough by now to know his ire ran deep. But she also knew he would do what he had to. She laced her fingers with... her own, ignoring her discomfort at the unfamiliar feeling for the sake of establishing some sort of connection with him to reinforce what she was saying.

// Joseph Meier // Trahaearn //
 
Joseph didn't take offense at the kiss breaking. It had to have felt odd, her own lips pressing against one another. She wasn't, as far as he knew, attracted to women. The reaction made sense. It was a tremendous undertaking he was proposing and one that relied heavily upon his acting skills. He'd played the woman to get what he wanted before, but this was a long game. This was telling a story of a woman whos assassins believed her dead for four hundred years, only to reappear now in court with an old injury. They would be stymied, and furious, and would lash out. He would have to learn how to appear to use her magic, even if he didn't use it in truth. If it worked it would be the single greatest deception he'd ever pulled off. Hell, that anyone had pulled off in the Unseelie Court. But he would do it, and he'd do it for her.

That meant laying aside his hatred for Trahaearn, at least for the time being. He'd have to act like being kissed by him was normal. Ergh. He really didn't want to keep up that for long, but he'd grinned and bore worse things than him. He squeezed Shuck's hand in his own and nodded to her. He could do it. He would do it. There was no trying. If this failed they would all be killed. "Then it's settled." he said heavily. "I'm going to need to study you. Both of you. I'll have to get the transition between this form and shuck perfect if we're going to do this. I need to know the history and habits of the court. The layout of the building. Mal's preferences. When she slept, when she rose, her likes and dislikes. Her relations with people at court. How to keep up those relations." It sounded like a daunting list. He looked at Trah. "That is where you come in."
 
Trahaearn waved a hand, dismissing the man's long list. "All of which can be done while on the road I assure you. Its going to take a few weeks to get there and I'm sure you can memorize all that you are going to be told by then. "

Trahaearn looked them both over, again shaking his head. "This is still a stupid idea. But it is better than nothing at all I suppose."
 
She listened to the growing list of things Joseph was going to have to learn about Malice, and she looked at them worriedly. It was a lot. Was it possible to learn so much about a person in just a few weeks? Joseph was going to have the best teacher he could, as it turned out.

"It's better than nothing," she echoed with another long sigh. She turned back to Jo-- to the image of herself and frowned sharply.

"Can I have my Joseph back now? If we're leaving tomorrow, I need to sleep. I'm exhausted from all of this." Honestly, she had been exhausted before coming to speak to Trahaearn. Her stomach began protesting as well, reminding her that she had eaten less at this brothel than she had on the road. Food and some of that cuddling she hadn't gotten earlier and sleep; it sounded like this night would be the last reprieve she would be getting until her name was returned to her.

// Joseph Meier // Trahaearn //
 
Joseph let go of the image. It was a strange transition back, but it was always harder recovering himself than diving into another form. He shifted temporarily to his female form, the form she'd seen with the churlchaun, and took her hand in his again. "You didn't eat, either." he told her. His voice was so much lighter as a member of the female sex. Once he got used to being in a familiar form again, it wasn't much of a transition to become truly himself. It seemed the form he'd used for decades as an escapist route to free booze and sex was a good go-between for himself and the mirror image of Shuck. He put his hand around her waist and steered her out of the room. She was right. She needed food, and sleep, and cuddles.

When they returned to the room Joseph ordered a favorite of his. It was a needlessly decadent food, but he'd grown up a poor man and had liked it. It was chicken, rolled in egg and cornmeal and fried in butter. He was surprised Kitty knew what it was, but the servants brought in a large platter of it along with some iced tea. "This is human food." one of the sphynxes informed Shuck in a disgusted tone. "Is my lady sure she wants such drivel? Kitty has told me you like the hearts of serpents. Or perhaps a nice dish of fish eggs? It's a favourite at court."

Joseph waved the cats off. The sphynxes rolled their eyes but trotted neatly out of the room. Joseph brought the food to the bed and offered her a glass of the tea. "Cold tea and chicken. Always helped me sleep. It's uh...well, it's not the dish nobles eat. But it was a favourite of mine growing up."he told her gently. He curled up next to her, nibbling at a bit of it. The fat-heavy food would help her sleep....at least he hoped. He wanted nothing more than to cuddle her.

He held her, and kissed her. He let her eat and cuddled her up in blankets...but there was no rest for him. He kissed her shoulder and shifted to a spider, skittering out of the room silent as the dead.

He came back to Trahaearn, sitting on the bed and folding his arms. "Lesson one." he began.
 
When they left, Trah stood carefully and began to pick at the food once more. He didn't like any of this, but if it meant getting Mal back. So be it. A heavy sigh escaped him as he rang the bell, the cat once more appearing. "A leather bag that a dog can carry, another change of clothes." he stated plainly, the requested items appearing mere minutes later. He stuffed the spare clothing into the small bag, removing his shirt and stuffing it in as well. It barely held all of that, but with some artful folding, he could also squeeze in the pants he had on. He was mulling on this when Joseph came into his room.

No amusement, no snide attitude when the man stated his intent. "We will start with where the court is. It is underground, and has numerous structures around it varying in size, material, style, and so on. The outer edges are rough shacks, closer to the center, buildings that would astound mortal engineers, thanks to magic." he would explain.

"I can give you the layout for what I have been in, but there exist no documents detailing the layouts. The outer edges are subject to change since power fluctuates frequently outside the center of the court." he continued as he put the bag on the floor by his bed. The long single strap clapped against the floor as he turned back to Joseph.

"Once you enter, there is no natural light beyond the front door. The place is cold, dank, and very dark."

"Do you know anything about the court by chance? Anything about Queen Mab maybe?" he asked earnestly. If they wanted to have even a chance at pulling this off, the basic needed to be drilled into the man.
 
"I'll need something to navigate by." Joseph told him. "You were around the grounds of the court for 4000 years by your own admission. Here..." he stood and picked over Trahaearn's dishes. "Crackers represent buildings. Mugs, bigger buildings. Build me a layout I can see and memorize. If I can memorize a map, I can at least know where I'm going. The longer I'm at court the more convincing it will be as I get to know the layout. Our most dangerous days will be the first weeks." He gestured to the dishes so Trahaearn could start building as he talked. "If the court is cold and dark, how do people navigate?"

He raised an eyebrow when he was asked about the court. "I don't know anything about the Court. I barely knew anything about fae before Shuck. The most I know of fae is the magic that surrounds the undead, and that was mostly for survival purposes than anything else." he said honestly. "I know the name Queen Mab, but that was because it's been thrown about by a friend. He might have been at court once...might not. It's impossible to tell when he doesn't speak in straight lines."

Joseph raked his fingers through his hair. "Let's start with the map. I can't convince anyone if I don't walk in there like I own the place. Talk, explain things so I can attach significance to place."

It was going to be a long, grueling study session. He had to order coffee twice...or Trahaearn did, because the sphynxes still wouldn't do so much as look at him. By the time he was nursing his third cup of coffee, sunlight was starting to bleed into the windows. He had to return to Shuck. He ran his hand over his face and set the coffee aside. "We'll resume this on the road." he told the other man, and headed back to bed. He needed his Shuck. He barely hit his head to the pillow and encircled his arms around her when a raining tinkle of bells sounded throughout the brothel. The wakeup call for the servants. He groaned and buried his face in Shuck's hair.
 
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