Closed Staegazer 'Arcticum' Vulpecula PV

Valentin arrived at Arcticum Vulpecula after Nikolai because he had been stashing some supplies away in a hidden cache for a future event – the Skylar Breezeborne pop-up tent materials needed for a super secret birthday event for Greta (and consequently for her suitors). Pressing through the doorway with a sigh of relief at having finished all the moving of crates (with the help of a pair of friendly Italians), Valentin was carrying only an ultralight rucksack and his new Oakshaft 79 broom. Scanning the interior as he always did when entering an area, Valentin took in the tent’s lovely surroundings. A glint of gold caught his eye from the sleeping area, as well as the gold lettering on a book the color of the night sky. With pitch black being his favorite color, the combination with gold proved quite attractive to Valya indeed. Yet, for as much as these beacons tugged at the heart of the still ever-adventurous niffler, there was an even greater treasure waiting ahead that deserved his attention first.
“Ах дорогой, милый Колька мой…” “Ah my dear, sweet Kol’ka…” Valentin spread his arms open wide to greet the other, his keen amethyst eyes scanning reflexively. With a squint as he moved in with the offer of a hug, Valentin would take a closer look. [continuing in Russian] “Is this a scuff on your hand? Let me see. Did you fall? What happened?” The captain would try to have an even finer inspection to check Nikolai for more signs of injury. If he’d been imagining it then he would drop the topic, but he would still retain the feeling that there was a physical pain to the other that lingered somewhere.

If indeed Nikolai’s hands were injured in even the most subtle of ways, Valentin would not let them go. Attempting an affectionate (platonic) kiss on the back of said hand, the captain intended to make the pain go away with such a gesture. If there was a significant injury anywhere after all he would also offer to provide further healing.

“How are you feeling, Kol’ka? I see you brought a treat. Very naughty.” As Val nodded towards the mostly obscured bottle of vodka, its gold fish label continued to wink at the seeker’s eye. The tone in the captain’s voice was clearly approving and amused rather than concerned or chastising. One could clearly hear the smile coming through his words. “How ever did you obtain such a fine bottle? Surely Sergei would have skinned you alive if he saw you with it.” It was a brutal joke, but Nikolai would be used to hearing such exaggerated jabs about their butler and de facto guardian. Even with such a prized guest as Nikolai, Sergei was sure to be overbearing, nitpicky, and even domineering. “What interesting plans might you have for that Beluga Noble? Did you meet someone? Is that for a date??” Valentin’s eyes got big as a savage delight brightened his smile. It would be so lovely if Nikolai had met someone, at Durmstrang or even elsewhere. Setting his few items down by the fire at the center of the room, Valentin looked around at the sleeping bags lining the room. With a squint of nostalgia, he remembered Romeo’s plaid-patterned sleeping bag. Maybe Romeo would not even need one of the ones here, as he was in the habit of bringing his own everywhere like the vagabond he was.

Interacting with: @Matthew Campbell as Nikolai Vol'ka;
Mentioning: @Evelynn Decipio as Greta Fransson

Interacting with @Valentin Schnell @Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood

There was much sadness in the young Russian that he was desperate to hide. Not because of any notion that emotion was the opposition to strength but simply because he did not wish to feel such sadness. Of course he had in theory lost much in the last months but other than his brothers he really had no notion of the loss. In those very months people like Valentin and Hans had proven just how little he truly knew of unconditional love, of friendship, of acceptance. Valentin had not only offered Nikolai his home but a place in his heart and Hans had put aside years of indifference the boy had shown him and instantly permitted a fresh start. Yet still there was much conflict in the young ones soul, for he felt deep within he had lost something he never truly possessed. One hole was filling but an entirely new one took its place. Then there was the difficulty of his anxiety that at least under the stars and isolation of his chosen tent had quelled slightly but nothing was permanent, a lesson he was becoming all too familiar with.

As Valentin pushed aside the cover of the tent he shot up from the ground with an instant smile of comfort. There was no falsehood to the emotion, despite the inner conflict, for Valentin truly was nothing but a source of pure joy to Nikolai. Running to meet him in the open embrace that he had become accustomed to he pressed his head deep into the cavity of his белый рыцарь white knights' chest warming the seniors cold skin with not only the heat of his own but with the love he held for him. As they pulled back he couldn't help but laugh as Valentin began to fuss over him though once again the sting of pain wretched against his heart strings. This was how a family behaved wasn't it he thought to himself mind adrift searching for a time where he could equate even the tiniest shred of love that Val provided to his parents but in surprise to no one, least of all Nikolai, he found nothing. Yet his face remained a picture of happiness as it locked into the eyes of his Братан brother. As the seekers gentle lips graced the back of his hands he couldn't help the small tear that rolled down his cheek, "I tripped over my own feet, rather unlike me I must say but with so much happening this summer I think I've been a bit out of it. Truly I am fine, how could I not be when I have Ангел мойmy angel looking out for me."

Although hidden behind the bright smile and warm eyes of adoration there was a deep guilt that eroded away at his heart threatening to wither him entirely. For the first time, and resolutely he told himself for the last, he had lied to Valentin. It was wrong, and he knew it, but he couldn't afford the risk of adding any greater stress to his friend. Moments like this Nikolai wished he had more allies in his school he could speak with, someone close to Valentin that he could express his worries too. Since moving in with the cold drake he had received nothing but blessings but he had also gotten a unique insight into the secrets of a boy he had come to know as forthright and upfront. Of course due to his lack of friends he had no real knowledge that Valentin had been concealing the truth but he was almost entirely sure that had his pack known how sick the boy was he would not have gone a minute without someone by his side. After all it had been the very thing Nikolai had done while they were together and he had only known Valentin half a year. Whatever was happening with his knight, he was being careful not to broadcast it. Nikolai's thoughts on the decision were irrelevant, he had a lifetime of someone trying to control his decisions and life and he was not about to become a hypocrite. So for now all he could do was make sure the knight didn't have any more battles to fight than necessary.

Smiling mischievously he followed the keen eyed seekers eyeline towards his stashed present and with a small chuckle of childlike glee he returned his gaze to Valentin's aurora eyes and reflected back in them saw his own that sparkled with a brightness Valentin had likely never seen before. It was clear Val was simply goading him with his words and was as excited as Nikolai himself with the discovery so unable to hold back the beaming smile on his face he spoke his tongue barely able to keep up with his mind, "It was a gift from Cas... Casimir my eldest brother. I was a little worried what you would think so I didn't mention it but who was I kidding trying to hide gold from a seeker. Luckily I managed to convince Sergei not to open the bag that concealed it telling him it was possessions from home that I didn't wish to be touched or to even look at myself yet, which got him off my back." Suddenly the glint faltered slightly as he continued but there was still a prideful innocence that shone through those electric blues that was sure to warm Valentin's heart seeing the boy replaying fond memories of his siblings behind the waves of icy blue. "Apparently it's a tradition between brothers to buy the next a bottle for events such as this. I doubt you would've met my brother Radamir, he like all my brothers left before his sixth year to take his place in the family but I think you would've liked him. Rad was always the charmer of us all."

Memories were such a bitter blend of happiness and hurt and such was painted across the young one's face as he thought of the letter and knew that it was likely he wouldn't see his brothers again for a long time. Yet when the darkness began closing in on his mind the light burned through for the letter was the very proof of their love. Nikolai may not be able to hold them but he was permanently fixed in their hearts as they were his and now his family had grown even wider. As the boy's eyes readjusted he truly saw the depth of emotion that swirled in Valentin's eyes, and staring into them the glint in his own was reignited burning brighter than ever as he found himself blessed with yet another brother. However, this realisation clearly came with unwarranted side effects as Valentin expressed some ridiculous notion that the bottle was intended for some kind of imaginative love life he had dreamed up for the boy. Smirking with a devilish flare he was done playing mr. nice guy and turning away from Valentin he giggled and muttered careful not to look him in the face, "Whomever I choose to share the drink with will surely know my true feelings for them. I intend to drink it with someone I value very much, in fact someone I may even love."

Nikolai wasn't sure if Valentin would take the bait but either way he was far too amused by the entire ruse to keep it going and as he burst into a fit of laughter he keeled over into his bed. Turning his now red blushed face back he had a proud, comforted smile that told a story of unconditional love. "I wish to share it with you Val, and the others when I feel ready to meet them! I thought we could throw a party for it, perhaps after your quidditch game. I have no doubt it shall be a celebration on multiple accounts as there isn't a player alive as brilliant as you! Though I do confess I may be biased. " With that he shot Val a friendly wink and looked around the room around him still utterly enchanted by the flowing stream of constellations. Nikolai would then stretch out his hand with a puppy dog pleading face and if it pleased Valentin he would pull him by the hand leading him down to join him on his sleeping bag. Adjusting himself to lay his head on the older boys stomach he would look up at his with a look no less than awe and hand still locked in each others he spoke nothing more than a whisper despite the two being entirely alone. "Of all the stars in the night sky, none could compare to how brightly you burn. But Val, sometimes the brightest stars burn the quickest. The world needs you to burn forever, I need you to burn forever. So if there's ever anything wrong don't burn out because you wanted to protect everyone else. One star can't keep back the darkness but a whole sky of them can light up the entire universe. Rely on us as much as you let us rely on you."

The sentiment was strong enough to be forceful but in his eyes globules of tears glistened reflecting off his iris' showing that he merely meant to display the range of emotion he felt for the boy's troubles. Giving Valentin all the time he needed to collect his thoughts or simply hear his words he let his head drift back to the stars and simply watched them in silence for a while. Eventually nudging his head towards the book nook that lay at the back of the tent he said "I have yet to fully explore but there seems to be a reading area back there, perhaps we should check it out there may be books on romance I can study up on!" A large eye roll followed the comment presumably much to the matchmakers disapproval but hopefully defusing any tension created by the boys words.

Trigger Warning: ED

Godmods of Val are universally permitted and encouraged for Nikolai's author

As Nikolai pressed his head into Valya’s chest within his embrace by the doorway, a humming, almost musical note reverberated through the seeker’s “mmm.” A cramp tightened in the back of Val’s throat as emotion rose the instant he had Kol’ka back in his arms. These kinds of moments were irreplacable, however simple, however brief. With the warmth of the other’s body seeping into the chill the captain always seemed to steal from the air, a sigh of relief escaped in a puff through Nikolai’s light hair. It was like coming home, holding the boy under what resembled the aurora-painted sky full of stars. The moment lingered, for there could have been no more perfect a backdrop for Valentin’s vision of ‘home’ as his eyes moistened. Long arms held Nikolai tighter even as Val spoke words trying to convince himself to let go despite ostensibly addressing the other.

«А ну, маленький дракончик…» “Come now, little dragonling [drakonchik]…” Certainly Val’s words suggested he would release him, but the seeker’s body refused. It was as if he’d finally found what he was looking for after so many years and was afraid that letting go risked it being relegated to memory far too soon. Eventually, however, the wiry athletic grasp slackened and a backstep pulled Val away. Still, the seeker’s eyes hung on as they remained fixed on Nikolai. Truthfully, it was only in spotting the signs of injury that Val’s mind snapped back into cognizant thoughts and objectives.

Checking the boy for more than just scratches and even bending his elbow to make sure there were no tears of ligament that would strain when moving, Valentin’s inspection may have been fast but it was thorough. Watching the other’s face for any sign of pain, all he could see however was happiness. It was clear there had to be some physical sensation to remind the littler Durm of at least the scuff on his hand, but even one as exceptionally attuned as pain-eater Valya could only read peace and well-being exuding from the other. Assuming Nikolai was taking the pain as he himself would, Val would still kiss the back of the boy’s hand, wishing for its care to travel to any hurts he could not see.

"Truly I am fine, how could I not be when I have Ангел мой my angel looking out for me."

“Very well, my dear Kol’ka. I believe you.”

The pale seeker’s heart was simply too full of emotion to see beyond the other’s loving exterior. The lie would not only pass without notice, but backfire. Deciding that sickness was a state of mind, Valentin willed himself to forget all about his own illness, too. There was no need to trouble Nikolai over such things, and so Val concluded he could just will himself into being perfectly fine. After all, it would be a waste to not spend each moment revelling in the bliss that had finally entered Valya’s life in the form of Kol’ka.

During their exchange over the Beluga Noble, the knowledge that Nikolai was sharing important private details about his brothers spread an arching smile across Valentin’s face as vibrant as a rainbow. The trust the young blonde was placing in Val filled his heart to the brim with gratitude, and he committed each detail about his family to memory. To the degree that they were precious to Kol’ka, these brothers were now this precious to Valentin. The blend of contentment and pain that tinted Vol’ka’s face shifted as kaleidoscopically as the shifting aura across the tent walls around them.

"Whomever I choose to share the drink with will surely know my true feelings for them. I intend to drink it with someone I value very much, in fact someone I may even love."

Val’s narrow Turkic eyes widened and his brows lifted as he considered whom Nikolai meant. With a double blink, he didn’t dare presume to be the one intended for such a sacred ritual. His little dragon’s heart burned with such intense passion that surely this would be the moment he revealed either a new love interest or a rare visit by one of his brothers. Yet, a nagging in the captain’s bones just wouldn’t quit. He wished he could have such a place in Nikolai’s heart, whether a colddrake like him was a monster or not. If only he could be worthy of such a pure love as his.

Straining through forced acceptance that it wouldn’t be him, Val tried to be happy for whoever it was. In his heart, he knew. Val knew, but he couldn’t let himself believe it. He’d been devastated too many times, burning alive every time circumstance tore at the relentless weed of hope gripping his heart deep with its veiny roots. Stribog’s blow had taught Valentin that he was no immortal, not yet, and who knew where lay the limit of the seeker’s strength to keep holding on? “Anyone should feel honored to be chosen for such a privilege. Who is it?” The look in Val’s eyes was like a pleading child’s despite the attempt to dismiss his own wishes.

Bursting into a fit of laughter, Nikolai keeled over into his bed. Yet, his flushed face returned proud and comforting. If this was pain, then it was an exquisite one that Hell-Chaser Val wouldn’t trade for the world. To him, Nikolai’s laughter was as beautiful as the ringing bells of a horse carriage on a perfect winter’s day. The boy could do no wrong. Everything about him, Val loved unconditionally.

"I wish to share it with you Val, and the others when I feel ready to meet them! I thought we could throw a party for it, perhaps after your quidditch game. I have no doubt it shall be a celebration on multiple accounts as there isn't a player alive as brilliant as you! Though I do confess I may be biased. " Nikolai winked and began to look around the room, just in time for Val’s mouth to open with amazement. It was perfectly understandable except that it wasn’t. It wasn’t supposed to be understandable. Val wouldn’t allow himself to believe his own wishes could be fulfilled anymore. Why should Kol’ka be any exception? Why should he?

Valentin held his breath. As if taking a breath would mean he could no longer escape the reality of what was just said, he just stood there watching the other being so beautifully dazzled by their surroundings. If he just didn’t breathe then it wouldn’t be true and then it wouldn’t destroy him again when it turned out to be a joke, or a mistake, or an exaggeration. He must have imagined it, read into it. Nikolai was being polite like any pureblood was supposed to be. He just wanted to party with the team. Val was just another person in his life and nothing more could ever be.

Then, Nikolai turned and reached out his hand with the sweetest eyes Val had ever seen. A wry smile busted out across the seeker’s face as his eyes squeezed shut and he laughed, exhaling, breathing in, and laughing again even harder. Shit. Val’s purple eyes reopened, and there Nikolai was, standing there with his hand out. Shit. Shit. Shit. The truth is so much bigger than me.

Even in the low light, a glimmer across the skin of Val’s scarred right palm shone as he, too, reached forward and took the boy by the hand. Easily Nikolai pulled Valya down and positioned him any way he wished, eventually laying his head down across his stomach. Despite a strange burble of his gut, Valentin’s abs still made for a solid surface both soft and yielding enough to make for a fine pillow. Luminous, piercing blue eyes looked up at Valya as Nikolai’s hand remained interlocked with the seeker’s delicate long fingers.

"Of all the stars in the night sky, none could compare to how brightly you burn. But Val, sometimes the brightest stars burn the quickest. The world needs you to burn forever, I need you to burn forever. So if there's ever anything wrong don't burn out because you wanted to protect everyone else. One star can't keep back the darkness but a whole sky of them can light up the entire universe. Rely on us as much as you let us rely on you."

Valentin’s breathing rolled in and out as smoothly as a tide, his diaphragm subtly lifting in rhythm, and he blinked slowly in silence like a pure white cat. He understood perfectly well that Nikolai was the only one to speak to him like this. Even what care he’d received from Yefim could not match the sacrosanct tenor of these words, as that long-lost ring brother had been using Valentin as a willing tool – and they both knowingly accepted it the entire time. Now those days were long gone, ever since Val arose from passively rolling in the ashes of devastation to climbing instead ever higher, laying claim to his roles as captain, white king, and champion as others freely surrendered responsibilities to his loving command. Since becoming the Frost Captain, efforts to ensure Valentin’s well-being apparently came to seem unnecessary. Of course he would be fine. He was the White Immortal that everyone could rely on, and Val would be damned before letting his people’s faith in him slip. It was easier to self-isolate at the worst of times now that his parents were gone, and Romeo had enough to worry about of his own. Of course Val always kept the letter from the Italian congratulating him on becoming champion, which told him that ‘no man is an island’ and that he and the rest of the team would be there for him. This was surely the sentiment of the whole team, but that was not this… not what Nikolai was doing. This was personal – not about the captain, not about the champion, but only about Val. Unconditionally.

One day Nikolai would discover a silver ring on a chain in one of Valentin’s shrines at the Estate. This gift of Ginyami’s was meant to encourage Val to take care of himself, too. Yet, such affection had been all too fleeting. Once the Mahoutokoro student seemed to have given up on him, Valentin began enduring harder times. He felt especially alone upon the discovery of Hugo’s dead body in the wildlands outside his estate. The speed with which Ginyami had discarded him was proof enough that Val had only ever been a plaything to the Japanese boy. The amethyst stone in his promise ring cracked as Valentin himself did, alone, passing the months by eating no more than he had to in order to survive. The drake grew thinner in the winter and this was as much in the background as the trees dropping their leaves to stand naked in the cold.

Who had even been around to hear that his father’s murdered corpse had resurfaced? Even before that, who had bothered to inquire further after the news reports came out about his father and the associated jail break? When was the last time someone asked him how he was coping with the loss of his mother, even? The press itself seemed far more interested in such minutia than even Valentin’s closest associates. It wasn’t their fault of course, since Valentin never had the gall to bring such topics up without being asked. Why should he expose his personal dirt when he was needed to run the teams, and such talk would only distract from his peoples’ goals?

While it was true that he’d inadvertently dragged his friends into saving him from near murder in Germany, people didn’t really talk to him about it after that. The Frost Captain was indestructible, of course, and his heart was immortal. Of course he would be fine. Valentin insisted on asking Romeo about the Italian’s father instead of bringing up his own, and that was easier. After each time the beater broke his heart, it only became easier and easier to shut up about his own wishes and pain. Wasn’t Romeo keeping a scorecard anyway (much as Val hated the notion)? Surely they were “even” after helping Romeo hunt down Gitano. If actions taken by Valentin were to be a trade, then he was especially unwilling to accumulate a debt.

The cracking “mask” Val wore at the spring ball was an overemotional display which he soon came to regret. It was stupid to think anyone would come after him to ask about it. Only when he was trying to run away through the Forbidden Forest did someone ask him what was wrong, but it was Piérre, who never invested himself in what was going on with the distant Durm. Interventions regarding Romeo were for the jester’s own entertainment or, at best, out of concern for his own twin. To ask him what was happening in the forest was a mere act of care that Piérre would have given any lost student, just as Romeo would offer his heroics to anyone in need. Val didn’t want common courtesy. He wanted someone to care specifically about him, but that just wasn’t happening. This was why he wasn’t allowed to want things for himself anymore. This is why he couldn’t allow himself to believe in the granting of his own wish, not after the final time Valya breathed word of it in January. That was over now. Romeo hadn’t done anything about it even when Valentin laid it out with crystal clarity. Now it was time to accept that reality would not accommodate Val’s original conceptualization of his heart’s desire, and he would need to be flexible if the fundamental spirit of it were to ever come true.

Certainly it was lonely at the top of Durmstrang’s tower, but at least Valya had the sky and could disappear into the arms of Stribog if he so needed to cry… at least, until he lost his broom. Without the old lightning-scarred Arrow to console him, Val knew he really was on his own now. Thus, the more Sergei convinced Valya that he was losing his mind, the more he resolved to keep to wandering the backcountry whenever possible. The thing was… even trying to escape into the wilderness and “get lost,” the day came when Valentin stumbled upon a stone-skipper by a frozen lake. He could not just leave such a boy alone. Val would have hated to be left alone out there.

Whatever it was that made no one else confront Valentin about his increasingly clear disintegration, in the end… it was only Nikolai here now. In truth, no one had ever breathed such unconditional love into his ears, not even his own parents.

"One star can't keep back the darkness but a whole sky of them can light up the entire universe. Rely on us as much as you let us rely on you."

“……………..”

The blonde’s head turned as his eyes drifted back to the stars, giving Val the time to gather his thoughts, and so the seeker continued to hold his tongue. Yet, as Nikolai’s gaze took in the glittering of the celestial canopy, he could feel a tremor rising below. A shaking of Valya’s gut preceded the escape of muffled sounds from the back of his throat, and the vibration only intensified like an earthquake tearing apart the ground beneath Kol’ka’s head. Then, like a clap of thunder and the onslaught of a torrential downpour, Valentin began to weep. His long arms pulled at Nikolai and clutched the boy to himself recklessly as a powerful sobbing overthrew him. Crushing his small nose and violet eyes into the other as tears overflowed smashed levies, Valentin relinquished self-control.

« …Колька мой, ох, Колька…» “…Kol’ka of mine, oh, Kol’ka…” Between gasps of air and a severe rattling through the lanky champion’s body, only small gasps of words could be heard for a long time. Yet, there was a magic to Vol’ka beyond magic – a special one that worked on Valya when no others would. With time Nikolai’s actions would calm the storm overtaking Valentin’s spirit, quieting him down to the point at which he could utter complete sentences once more.

“I feel it now, that you’re just like me.” As Valya looked into Nikolai’s eyes, their true blue pierced down to his very depths, and Valentin’s soul lay bare before any question that gaze might ask. “You say one star cannot hold back the darkness, Kol’ka, but I am no longer the shining sun I was as a child. Like a collapsed pinpoint pulling in everything around it with ruthless greed, I fear what devastation my power will bring once brought into focus.” Shaking his head in broad arcs, Valentin knew he must have sounded mad. Surely he was, as Sergei had been insisting for the last year. Inside the black pupils rimmed with ice-spiked amethyst irises, Valentin’s eyes held hunger: a supermassive, insatiable, ravenous gravity. He was afraid, too. He didn’t want to hurt Nikolai with his words even as they spun free from self-censorship. Val wasn’t supposed to explain his murky ills, wasn’t supposed to admit that he had his own wish despite spending each waking moment on the fulfillment of others’. If he ever spoke his own wish he feared it would be granted as part of someone’s contract, like Romeo’s list of accumulated debts. Such a desecration of true love would be unforgivable. No, Valentin would rather keep his pain selfishly within so that his need could not be used against him or anyone else.

“You’ve asked me to burn forever, but can you not see that my light is merely the savage beam expelled by a voracious black hole? I am a monster, Kol’ka, just like my mother and our ancestors before us.” Never had Valya spat such raw truths before, never until Nikolai’s power drew it out from the colddrake’s shuddering thin body. If the words all swarmed like a madness of bent, broken fairy tale horrors, then perhaps Sergei’s warnings were right that Valentin had lost control of his mind. Yet, if there was any hope that someone could understand the dying champion’s cries now, it was only Nikolai who could do it.

Valentin would pause then, locked up like a frozen clock, as his tear-streaked gaze seared back into the other’s icy blue. He was helpless, exposed and rendered utterly fragile in Nikolai’s hands.

Whatever it was that Kol’ka did in this moment, it caused something to click into place in the wild eyes of the raving seeker.

With lightning speed, Valentin drew his wand in one hand and a knife in the other. It wasn’t as if Valentin hadn’t been wearing the ancient Turkish dagger everywhere without fail since January of the previous year. That he would draw it for the first time now after so long of it seeming almost decorative was simply an indication of how extreme the moment had become.

“Kol’ka… Please. I want you to do something for me.” Tears began to slip from Val's eyes once more as the last of his reserves bubbled up with the magic beginning to surge through his scarred palm into his latest star-crossed wand. Pointing like a stab at the tent sky above them, Valentin’s slithering slur of Stella Cascadia executed without error. It almost sounded like a sliver of Parseltongue, but above the two, an eruption of shooting stars shot across the sky en masse. The magical meteor shower continued on and on as he held up his wand with the summoning, and staring with eyes harder than diamond into Nikolai’s, Valentin entreated:

“Dear Nikolai, please. I want you to make a wish. Wish for it with all of your heart and soul, then tell me what it is.”

Above, a particularly magnificent streamer like a purple-and-silver comet traced a blazing path above them, clearly brimming with the most arcane power in the entire array.

Only if Nikolai then did as he was asked would Valentin drop the wand onto the ground with a clatter. Just so, if the boy had done as asked, Valentin would then place the knife in Nikolai’s hand.

“Kol’ka, I need you to cut me now, and allow me to cut you. Here.” Reaching out his left palm, Valentin offered its clean, unscarred surface to Nikolai. Valya’s eyes flickered as his gaze danced about across the other’s face, and with his lips pursed with hope and longing, the seeker stood as still as a statue as he extended his offer to the Vol’ka. He had faith that Nikolai knew what to do next and Val would flow with whatever the other decided to do with him.

It would be a while before Valentin was ready to go over to the corner where lay its very enticing black and gold tome. However, without fail, Val would eventually accompany Nikolai to slake their curiosity and clear the air of what had just happened.

Interacting with @Valentin Schnell @Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood

Silence spoke truth louder than any words could. Nikolai's heart bordered along the delicate knife's edge of stopping in those waiting moments. With nothing but the reverberation of Valentins diaphragm to give any indication of a response he let the time pass. Words were often more powerful than any weapon and in that defeaning silence it was clear that Valentin had heard them and required time to process them. Alone in their shared tent they had all the time in the world.

Tremors of vibrations suddenly scaled into full eruptions as the boy practically covulsed beneath him. Turning just swiftly enough to catch his eyes as he pulled the young durm up into his arms the boy had not seen such devastating pain reflected in the polaris of his irises ever before. What was usually a most captivating galaxy of purple now drowned in unyielding pain, pain the young drake was desperate to help. Now was not the time for words so Nikolai simply clutched at every fiber of Val's being he could and held him through the violent shakes of pain. Sounds of his hurt let permanent scars in his mind that wouldn't heal until he understood the truth behind their agony and relieved it. There was not a shred of doubt that this moment would become a fixture that haunted Nikolai for a long time after.

A bitter sense of failure ate away at him as Valentin gathered his breath the boys name beginning to form on his lips. A failure that he had taken so long to give Val these words. All summer he had sensed the darkness that loomed over him and yet he had waited, waited while that stain buried his brother deeper and deeper. How long had he been holding onto it, all that raw emotion had been tearing him apart from inside threatening to completely destroy him. As much as it pained him to consider, howerver long was not the primary concern. Far more important was what he could do in this moment, the past be damned as long as his seeker had a future free from it there was hope still.

Thus he waited still clung to the taller boy, curled up in his arms giving every inch of comfort he had at his disposal he listened to the boy's woe. Where his fingers met skin he would create small circles across the albino in pressure points to eleviate any building tension. His white knight was a being driven by physical touch so until the moment he felt ready Kol'ka would remain attatched to him doing everything within his power to soothe the other. Never once did he try to wipe away Valentin's tears, he knew all too well that suppression did nothing but multiply that pain so he let them wet the areas of his hair and clothes without complaint knowing it was a necessary step.

With the beginning of his words the young Russian found himself filled with great sways of worries. From their first meeting Val had embued in him the trust to reveal that he was lonely and sought love above all else but this depth had really been the truth all along. It was no wonder his slender frame had been so bruised by the constant assault from those he had tried to give his heart to because their opinions, every opion he had ever had forced upon him still lingered like poison in his veins. The brightest star Nikolai had ever seen truly believed his light had dimmed and worse still he blamed himself for such a fate. Worry would shortly give way to anger as Valentin referred to himself as a monster.

If eyes were the windows to the soul then in the closeness of their proximity the empathetic boy would have had miroscopic insight into the very second Kol'kas' heart broke. Only for a second before he steeled himself bolstered by years of his own history, if Nikolai could be permitted rebirth then Val deserved the very same. The light flashing cracks of streaking lightning in his eyes they grew stormy raging with the power of a thousand thunderstorms, whoever had dared let Valentin believe for a second he was a monster would suffer tenfold. Even those responsible for collaborating that image of him deserved no remorse. It took a certain kind of cruelty to break someone's soul so resoundly but really they had only made the wound it was Valentin himself, through no fault of his own, that had let it corrode away at him. The hero was so afraid to let someone in that no one had been able to get close enough to combat the disturbed thought. Not until now.

Taking the silver warrior in his hands they rested upon the sides of his face funneling warmth into the cold drake's skin. Eyes held allowing no room for misconstrued emotion he spoke with a clarity and certainty of a wisdom far beyond his own. A wisdom he hoped was granted by Veles himself on the order of Stribog who he knew saw the true heart of the seeker and thus had blessed him with the gift of the very winds themselves.

"I need you to hear me, quiet all the voices that haunt your conciousness and hear only me. I understand you more than anyone I have ever met. In your eyes I find the very heavens reflected back at me. You're safe here with me, in my arms no harm may come to you while I draw breath. You provided me a home Val and I don't mean the estate as majestic as it is. My home is with you, you are the place I long to be whenever we are apart. In you I opened my heart and I know you feel the same." Taking a second to breathe the strain of emotion pulling at every portion of his face but in solidarity he refused to prevent the sensation and let tears streak down his face. "Valentin Schnell you are no monster. A monster is not a thing that is born or fated in a blood line. Actions are the only telling of a person's nature and Ангел angel I have never met someone who strives so hard to help those he loves and even those he has barley met. Half a year ago a most elegant snowdrop said that I should call upon his power if ever I was in need. That boy had no idea that the greatest power he had was right in here." Nikolai's right hand slipped from Valentin's face and found its place above his heart.

"These are the actions that define a person, not empty statements from those that sought to define you nor prophecies from fates who care only for mortal affairs when they can cause strife, you are the only one who can decide who you are. Not even I have that power, but if you could see yourself through my eyes you would see that no one, not even Stribog himself was capable of such light. You are no black hole you are a белая звезда (belaya zvezda)white star the kind of star that burns hotter than the sun itself. It may not have the radiance of yellow rays but still it shines throughout the universe for all to see as intensely and gloriously as any sun. Just because you feel you shine with less colour than you once did does not mean your heat has been diminished." Running his hand through the seekers delicate hair he attempted to physically soothe the aching mind of his brother while he continued the valiant speech that required no difficulty as every word was a universal truth to the young boy. If Valentin was capable he would see the admiration sparkling behind the emotion and analysing his very essence.

With his final remark Nikolai's tone shifted to a degree of seriousness that seemed impossible for one of his age and yet it spoke louder than anything he had possibly ever said before, "You are no monster Valentin, I lived with a monster for years and you are his opposition in every way. Valentin monsters don't worry about being so, they revel in it. The hunger you yearn for is not ill natured, it is consuming and driven from a passionate heart but until the day you hurt for pleasure... You are no monster." As the words lingered in the air he took Val's head once more and pulling it down to meet his own they stood forehead to forehead nothing but the intimacy of unconditional love between them. Balancing on the tips of his toes he placed a kiss on Valentin's forehead just as he had done to him so many times. An act of unblurred love.

When they pulled away those polaris eyes were soaked in tears but a wildness filled the space unleashing waves of colour to ripple through the pools. Suddenly both a wand and knife were pulled but Nikolai didn't flinch for a second, this time it was not his fearlessness that calmed him but the complete faith and trust of their bond that inspired no fear. The ornately decorated knife inspired curiosity in his mind while in the magnificent expanse of stellar perfection that covered them there was now a shower of meteors created effortlessly by the skilled senior wizard. It blazed across the ceiling in monumentous glory and when their eyes met once more the aurora's had hardened to the precious glimmer of diamonds.

"Dear Nikolai, please. I want you to make a wish. Wish for it with all of your heart and soul, then tell me what it is."

Not 7 months ago Valentin had asked him a question as similarly powerful and told him to answer unrestricted by worry. That moment had changed his life forever and now a similar opportunity presented itself and he knew there was only one wish worth making. Softly he spoke memories of the day by the lake playing through his mind, "All my life, I wished for someone to save me from my life. That wish was granted by you. All my life, I wished that I could live free as myself untethered by the judgement of my family. That wish was granted by you. All my life, I wished that someone would love me for me unconditionally. That wish was granted by you. So all I have to wish for now is that the boy who changed my entire life, my saviour, my white knight, my brother. I wish him all the happiness he so graciously blessed upon me. I wish for our bond of family to last a lifetime."

Taking the knife and drawing it across Valentin's palm there was a concerning familiarity to the movement that told Valentin the Russian heir had performed the act before. The truth was only further portrayed when Val did the same in turn, Nikolai seemed well adjusted to the pain refusing even a wince as the scarlet dripped from his hand. Unbothered by any concern that filled his heroes' eyes the boy was unmoved in his locking stare that spoke of his desperate need for his brother to know he was steadfast in nothing but support for him. Gripping their hands together he raised the others to his mouth and with as much pure honesty as he could conjure he spoke, "кровь моей крови. Вместе мы как один. Там, где наша кровь соединится, пусть наше бремя уменьшится вдвое. В этом древнем обряде я вызываю богов прошлого." Blood of my blood. Together we are as one. Where our blood unites may our burdens be halved. I evoke the gods of old in this ancient rite. Gentle lips pressed into the back of the seekers hand as he signed the oath in not just blood but in a magic far more powerful, in love.

There they stood holding each other with all the bonds of their oaths, whatever Valentin had imbued within the rite was sure to bring a tear to his eyes. As the ritual completed Kol'ka would use his free arm to pull his белая звезда white star into a hug that would be held for as long as they both needed and then infinitely longer. A new degree of family was found that day as Nikolai knew he was bound to Valentin forever and if the fates wanted to make a monster of him they better be prepared for one hell of a fight.

Every physical comfort Nikolai gave to the seeker shorted directly through to Valya’s core. Like an electrical bypass, this was the surest, fastest, most honest way to communicate with him, and Nikolai understood. His touch itself provided the healing no sorcery could, and as Kol’ka tethered himself to Valya, the weeping turned to keening because this was undeniably the end of an era and the beginning of another. It was only because of Nikolai’s anchor that Valentin was able to dig so deep and pull out long strands of pitch-black agony, transfiguring them into tears and shrieks and rumbling vibrations. To attempt so alone was unspeakably perilous, and so Valentin had simply accumulated deep wells of torment for years on end. At last the flow reversed, and Valentin felt the rush of life flowing into him to take the place of strife. By the time his tears ran dry, the captain realized that he’d forgotten any other way than to be heavily weighed down, for now he felt so light as to be barely held to the earth. Yet still, still, there was Nikolai. There was Kol’ka.

Nikolai’s warm hands funneled their warmth into the sides of Val’s icy face, and two gemstone eyes stared back at him like twin amethysts set into in a temple idol. Everything of the colddrake’s lay open to the hero now, utterly at Volk’a’s mercy.

"I need you to hear me, quiet all the voices that haunt your conciousness and hear only me. I understand you more than anyone I have ever met. In your eyes I find the very heavens reflected back at me. You're safe here with me, in my arms no harm may come to you while I draw breath."

Kol'ka's words were as hypnotic and compelling as the colddrake of lore, but why was such a dragon so alluring? Certainly the words promised what the pearl-skinned Turk wanted, but they only had power because of their irresistible truth. There was no escape because Valentin wanted this, believed in this, wanted to give everything he was to this. To Kol’ka.

"You provided me a home Val and I don't mean the estate as majestic as it is. My home is with you, you are the place I long to be whenever we are apart. In you I opened my heart and I know you feel the same."

Val’s pink lips fell open, cleft in twain as he felt the manacles of his past slip from his thin wrists and clank onto the ground. The words were liberation. The words were honest. Valya was free at last. There was no need to dress up his situation anymore or avert his eyes. The fearless витяз (vytyaz, 1, 2) Vytyaz: Russian folk hero / knight gazed right back into his dangerous eyes with nothing but pure, unconditional acceptance, and in fact, love.

"Valentin Schnell you are no monster. A monster is not a thing that is born or fated in a blood line. Actions are the only telling of a person's nature and Ангел angel I have never met someone who strives so hard to help… Half a year ago a most elegant snowdrop said that I should call upon his power if ever I was in need. That boy had no idea that the greatest power he had was right in here." Tears streaking down his face, Nikolai laid his hand directly over Valya’s heart. The spindly claws of the seeker’s fingers came down on top of them in an echo, pressing into the back of the warm hand as if to push it through his skin and ribcage so that it would grasp his beating core without any barriers between them.

"These are the actions that define a person, not empty statements from those that sought to define you nor prophecies from fates… you are the only one who can decide who you are. Not even I have that power, but if you could see yourself through my eyes you would see that no one, not even Stribog himself was capable of such light. You are no black hole you are a белая звезда (belaya zvezda)white star the kind of star that burns hotter than the sun itself… Just because you feel you shine with less colour than you once did does not mean your heat has been diminished."

Grappling with their difficult realization, Valentin’s eyes pleaded back with Nikolai to understand more just as he was trying to understand better, too. Kol’ka’s hand ran through Val’s hair as bright as starlight, sending the boy’s amethyst eyes shuttering with a flutter as they succumbed to acceptance. Trusting Nikolai, Valentin allowed the words to sink in and wrestle with what he’d been told he was from his earliest days. Each stroke of the hero’s hand sent peace further and further into Val’s mind, smoothing the creases around his eyelids. Barely breathing, Valentin’s lungs pressed only the minimum against the weight of their boney cage. He was like a baby in the younger boy’s hands now because such matters, such connection, would always be timeless.

"You are no monster Valentin… monsters don't worry about being so, they revel in it. The hunger you yearn for is not ill natured, it is consuming and driven from a passionate heart but until the day you hurt for pleasure... You are no monster."

Nikolai pulled Val’s brow to his own, holding them together there for a long moment before lifting higher and balancing on the tips of his toes. Then, as Kol’ka pressed a kiss to Valya’s moonstone-skinned forehead, revelation overtook the seeker. At last he found what he was looking for. In this moment, true love’s kiss broke a curse that had clung to the alabaster boy since he was first spat on as demonspawn in his childhood. Valentin’s fall reached its lowest point and bounced off of Nikolai’s immaculate will. The colddrake had the capacity to become the monstrosity old tales warned of, and so too could it become a great force for good. Now held in pure-hearted Nikolai’s hands, the flow of a black hole rebounded to become, instead, a white hole.

The blue-eyed boy pulled away and looked upon what he had done. Moments before, Valentin’s face had been contorting in a raging storm of tears, wails like the howling wind, and sobs rolling like thunder. Now in its wake the seeker’s face sought no more, for peace was restored in his inner kingdom. Bright like the sun-kissed earth greening up after a heavy rain, Valentin glowed like never before. Color radiated from his heliotrope eyes with unprecedented intensity, and Nikolai would feel down to his deepest nucleus that Valentin reciprocated his love completely and without limits.

“When I was little, the children in my village feared me. In remote Tatarstan a few people still knew about my family line, and so parents warned them not to play with me. Of course children can be quite brave, so they dared each other to confront me. They told me that I was a monster, and even many grown-ups warned me that calamity would befall anyone who got too close. With deep worry and fear in their eyes, they said that for the sake of others and especially anyone I loved, I should just stay away to live out my days alone.” Extending his long white arm to grasp Nikolai’s shoulder, Valentin’s gaze held onto the ice-ringed irises before them.

“The more I learned about my mother and our ancestors, the more truth I found in the folktales associated with our past. I do carry some of their magic, diluted by the passing of time and the merging of bloodlines, but although it is a fragment of what it once was, I am still learning how to use it. As I climbed higher and higher through the ranks at Durmstrang, I did so always with familial lessons guiding me. Such power was not for my own pleasure, but for the sake of my people. A leader is only one part of a greater whole, and to maintain unity with others and their needs would ensure prosperity and happiness for all. With my devotion spread across so many wishes, we accomplished many small deeds together and those who used me became strong. When my teams grew, and grew together, our unified goals allowed us to achieve even greater things by combining our respective abilities and passion. Now we are truly a force to be reckoned with instead of a collection of disorganized, directionless individuals knocking about like air molecules in a glass. With the winds of Stribog at our backs, we will conquer our game this summer… but I know that in the end, it is simply a game for which we have been training so hard. The greatness of their spirits and bodies that they have honed, as well as the inspiration in the hearts of our fans, creates great potential. Yet, this potential is like a standing army. We have gathered our power, but what is its use in times of peace? Why does Durmstrang teach us the martial ways, and what will we do with this training? We will emerge into the world as young dragons with bellies full of fire, and I can only hope that this will be used for great, beautiful, virtuous tasks instead of decaying like a forgotten bounty, or used for wanton and petty destruction.”

Releasing Nikolai, Valentin showed him the palm of the seeker’s right hand. Root-like tendrils of a lightning-shaped scar poured out from his palm up the inside of his arm, and around the base of his middle finger glinted a golden ring.

“I have been used for self-serving acts of violence before. I have also been used in righteous defense. I have also been left alone to gather dust like a forgotten toy. Yet, none of those who called upon me before persisted. No one claimed me for their own forevermore. My years passed, serving all the people of Durmstrang without any unified quest other than to help them learn and grow strong, and so my greatest capabilities lie dormant… relatively harmless because the wishes I have been striving to grant have either been noble, small, or given up on by the fickle. It is easy to wave away the true potential of a human heart’s yearning, after all, since its ends can be subtle and take great time to fully manifest. Yet, this is the most powerful magic of all… if only people could see what you have seen.”

Valya’s right hand turned and moved forward to press into the flesh above Nikolai’s heart. Feeling its pulsations reverberating through the boy’s chest, Valentin began to smile, and then beam.

“…But you have seen it. You have seen me. They say that at the depths of a black hole, in some exotic state of matter, there is still a star. Instead of a monster, you see me, and your heart calls to me more truly than any other. You were right in seeing that for all the strength and limelight and faith that came with becoming a captain, a white immortal king, a champion for Durmstrang, inside of that swirling mayhem there is still a boy. Just so, I see you, and the call of your soul has now inverted my path.”

Quick as lightning, Valentin’s hand shot from Nikolai’s heart to drawing a wand as his other hand pulled an ancient dagger from its sheath. For not even a split second would the colddrake’s hero shy away, for his faith was complete and infinite. In moments the sky above filled with an incredible meteor shower blazing with the passion of Valentin’s overflowing heart. A silvery-amethyst comet streaked above as a focal point in the cascade of falling stars as Valentin initiated their ritual.

“Dear Nikolai, please. I want you to make a wish. Wish for it with all of your heart and soul, then tell me what it is.”

Watching breathlessly, Valentin’s perception of existence felt as if it were humming. Each detail about the Vol’ka and this moment would burn into his mind forever, from the fall of the boy’s hair to the slightest whisper of breath crossing Valya’s skin. Never would the colddrake forget the words chosen at this sacred moment.

"All my life, I wished for someone to save me from my life. That wish was granted by you. All my life, I wished that I could live free as myself untethered by the judgement of my family. That wish was granted by you. All my life, I wished that someone would love me for me unconditionally. That wish was granted by you. So all I have to wish for now is that the boy who changed my entire life, my saviour, my white knight, my brother. I wish him all the happiness he so graciously blessed upon me. I wish for our bond of family to last a lifetime."

Valentin stood motionless, absorbing each word as his amethyst gaze remained fused with Nikolai’s true blue. Then, with a nod, the tall white seeker accepted Kol’ka’s wish.

“Very well. When we first met, Nikolai, you told me that I deserve to be loved in the way that I love. You foresaw that one day someone would come along deserving of it, and that moment is now. You have wished for my happiness and for our bond to endure for a lifetime, and so it is and so it shall remain. I will explain how to achieve what you have asked for. To grant me such enduring joy and well-being, unify with me until the very end. Let there be no secrets between us ever, speaking the truth and exchanging everything we are and all we have openly and without limitation. Let the pains and passions and longing of our hearts be the same. Your trials would be mine, and mine would be yours. The raw power of my heart is now yours to direct, and no one else may supersede this, for I now swear myself to you. When we first met, you learned my heart’s desire – dedicating my life to cherishing one boy above all. If your request is to grant mine, then what we desire is the same, for I would ask us to be as one with no distinction in our wishfire for as long as we may live.”

Valya’s left palm extended, its unmarred skin as virgin as white snow, and it held with unearthly stability as Kol’ka drew the heritage dagger across it in a perfect arc. Bright red blood began to seep and spurt from its cut with a rhythmic pulse driven by Valya’s heartbeat. The pain sent shivers down the seeker’s spine, and in the ecstatic knowledge that this was to mark the beginning of granting their mutual heart’s desire, a smile spread in shuddering bliss across Valentin’s face. The drake’s wound bled amply, for Nikolai understood never to hold back and performed the act with exquisite physical control. Crimson streams ran down the sides of the seeker’s hand and began to gather in a puddle as Valentin then reclaimed the knife with his other. Taking Kol’ka’s right hand, which would forevermore mirror Valentin’s left, the seeker then drew the curved edge across Nikolai’s palm with expert precision to create an exact inversion of his own. Why Valentin’s skill at this matched Nikolai’s was still a question to be asked.

In equal measure, Kol’ka’s hand began pouring out pure scarlet. Both boys locked eyes with an unblinking stare as each raised their hands and clasped their wounds together. Their fingers interwove like threads in a tapestry of fate, and sharp pain would ripple down each arm as their palms met, pressing the two identical-but-reversed wounds together as if a single bleeding hand were meeting its reflection in a mirror. Holding this moment as Nikolai’s sights reached into the farthest depths of Val’s pupils, and vice versa, he would know that Valentin was now his for the rest of his life.

"кровь моей крови. Вместе мы как один. Там, где наша кровь соединится, пусть наше бремя уменьшится вдвое. В этом древнем обряде я вызываю богов прошлого." Blood of my blood. Together we are as one. Where our blood unites may our burdens be halved. I evoke the gods of old in this ancient rite.

Pulling their fused hands back to his mouth, Nikolai curled Valentin’s wrist to reach the back of his hand where he pressed a kiss to its blood-soaked but still creamy skin. Emotion welled up within the seeker in response, gathering once more in a very different waterfall of tears than before. Vol’ka’s kiss on Valya’s forehead first purged the great darkness that the pain-eater ingested over the course of his life, and now the same lips summoned a warm spring rain of tears to replace the cold storm of their winter.

In turn, the drake then pulled their held hands back to his own mouth as Valentin pressed his own kiss of immaculate love into the back of Nikolai’s hand. Amethyst eyes shimmered with the sublime and selfless adoration usually found preserved in fables, and Valya raised his silvery voice once more.

“In the name of the great serpent of Akbugha, Aq Yılan, my blood is now yours as yours is now mine. From this moment on, for the rest of our lives, I shall honor this union. Together we are as one. Our battles and our bliss shall know no barriers and no limits therebetween, for our wish is the same.”

Valentin’s right hand sheathed the dagger, blood and all, and wedged it into place under the strap of Nikolai’s belt. The ancient blade was now Kol’ka’s just as much as was Valya. The seeker's right arm then reached out and pulled Nikolai into his embrace just as his counterpart moved to do the same with his left. There they stood, holding each other with all the bonds of their oaths, as Valya knew this to be the happiest moment of his life. The heartbeats of each fell into a matching tempo as their blood intermixed through their clasped hands, and Valentin leaned down to kiss the boy’s forehead in equal completion of their ritual.

Interacting with @Valentin Schnell @Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood

With every word the connection between the two of them multiplied infinitely, a galaxy of stars born entirely for them. In every revelation of his past suffering Nikolai's own heart pained twinned in the union between them, every wound, every scar was now shared. Yet no longer would any of that be permitted to dig under Valentin's skin for the young Russian would now be his shield, his armour and when required his sword or more aptly, his knife.

As the blade found purchase between the vintage leather of his belt and his hip bone the weight of it lay heavy despite the lightness of the blade itself. There was no doubt or debate to be had that what the two had entered into was an oath greater than any regular magic. Promises could be broken and manipulated but this was something more, something that transcended mortal affairs and linked them to the very cosmos that flourished between their eyes. Intrinsically two boys who a year ago knew nothing of each others existence now clasped hands in the most devoted union of all, permanently marked as brothers, as soul bound. Such a commitment was not something to be taken lightly and yet light was all that Nikolai could feel.

Somehow despite the many challenges of the year that he had faced, this one singular moment was capable of wiping it all away. The union was more than just a bond to connect them but a dedication to each others future and Kolka knew that whenever the darkness crept upon his angel he would be there to flare the white star back to his shining glory for the silvered prince deserved nothing more than to burn with all the brightness of a thousand suns. Never again would he let the darkness gnaw away at the beautiful soul before him, if it took a lifetime to undo the damage of the past it was his honour and duty. For what greater duty is there than love and despite the bloodied nature of the ritual, at its core that was the founding principle, love.

Absorbed into the embrace of the seekers fine arms that despite being muscular and slim held him with precious comfort until the world stilled around them and all that mattered was one another. They were linked in both soul and blood forever more and the gentle melody of their heartbeats created a rhythm of harmony to reflect such a moment while warmth and glowing happiness filled the air like fireflies dazzling in the darkness of the night. Soon Valentin's hands found their rightful place on the side of Kolka's head and bending down he completed their act of devotion with a kiss as soft as the first snow of winter on his forehead just as he had earlier. Touch was everything to Val and Nik indulged in every glorious second of the positivity that filtered through as he pressed against his forehead.

With Valentin's words reverberating about his skull Nikolai eventually stepped back though not without fighting against resistance from both sides. Leading his twin flame over to the campfire he sat opposite him laying his hands in front of him for Val to hold as they spoke. "Anything you ever ask of me I will ensure is fulfilled with my entire power. So I must tell you that I lied. Not for malice but earlier when I said that I was fine, I lied. To tell you the truth Val I fell running away from your friends." Noticing the flash of concern in the seekers eyes he quickly clarified words tripping over his mouth, "I mean, I was scared to meet them and they seemed to be having such a good time I didn't want to ruin it. What if they don't like me Val? I've spent years pushing everyone away what if it's too late?"

Still unable to feel anything but the sweet euphoric lightness of their connection Nikolai showed no signs of sadness but there was certainly worry and a self doubt that would remind the seeker of their first meeting. Back then he was but a shell of the boy he had since become, only a spark of the fire that burned within him now and yet that worry still lived buried within. So many years of self doubt wouldn't allow their exile without a fight. Yet as Val listened and Nik watched the kind composure of his face he felt such emotions waver in uncertainty that they could compete with the powerhouse of hell-raiser schnell.

"It's all in my head, and I know that but sometimes the noise is just so loud and I can't help but hear their voices beating down on me. I want to meet them all, really I do Val I just think I have to do it in my own time." Nikolai tried to retreat his hands from the cold drakes grasp but he held steadfast unwilling to let him cower into his shell, holding him to transfer the unwavering faith he felt for the boy. Emboldened by his imbued power the Russian pushed through the layers of harsh noise until he found a spot of quiet within his head protected by a cold white wind. Then giggling he thought back to his present and jested, "Perhaps all I need is to meet them on the Beluga, my brothers had to tape my mouth shut to get me to stop talking the last time!" There was still a bittersweet taste to thoughts of his siblings but at least now when he thought of the word brother not only the 4 Volkov's appeared but Valentin did too. A star shining bright enough to swallow all darkness of which there was plenty.

Whoever could look at such a precious specimen of human decency and compassion and could see a monster were deranged. History is full of stories of those who were persecuted out of fear because they were different and although that was awful the worst consistency in those periods was the moment when those people began to wonder if they were right. Wonder if maybe they were flawed or broken but no matter how many times that story repeats the ending never changes. The oppressors always lost and this would be no different, not as long as Nikolai lived.

Valentin followed Nikolai to the campfire, and as they moved as fluidly in tandem as the captain’s beloved quidditch team soaring and turning in formation like a flock of birds, it began to sink in that tonight he and Nikolai had finally reached a higher unity than Val had shared previously with any team mate or any suitor. This was new, undiscovered territory beyond the maps laid by his previous experience. The only waypoints he might have for navigating the future now were the histories and legends of others who came before, and yet, none of their predecessors were them. This frontier was his and Nikolai’s alone.

Sitting across from the other Durm, Val took Nikolai’s extended hands into his own, clasping them tightly without provoking the bright red blood clots beginning to seal their promise inside their bodies. Treating the wounds like a shared masterpiece painting allowed to dry, Valentin wanted them to heal into this perfect shape forever without a single smudge of impatience. Such a work of art should endure through the ages, even if it was all so exciting right now.

"Anything you ever ask of me I will ensure is fulfilled with my entire power," began Nikolai. "So I must tell you that I lied. Not for malice but earlier when I said that I was fine, I lied. To tell you the truth Val I fell running away from your friends."

Valentin blinked twice, his lips slightly opening as he took in the information. For all the lightning speed that came naturally to him, he would take this moment slowly, knowing Nikolai’s act to be a precious expression of trust as he confided in his twin flame. Concern flickered together with the campfire’s orange light across his keen eyes, but Val’s broad, encircling hands neither twitched nor pulled away as he held onto Nikolai’s.

"I mean, I was scared to meet them and they seemed to be having such a good time I didn't want to ruin it. What if they don't like me Val? I've spent years pushing everyone away what if it's too late?"

Understanding crept across Valentin’s eyes like the colors of dawn, and the pace of his breathing and heartbeat visibly accelerated with the pulsations of his chest. Then, rubbing his right thumb over the back of Nikolai’s hand as gently as caressing a baby snidget, Valentin returned him a teary smile. Shades of self doubt and worry inked the creases of the littler dragon’s face in growing tension, causing a ball of emotion to knot at the back of Valentin’s throat. This was the first proof of their oath coming to light.

Wordless and unmoving other than a slight tilt of the seeker’s head that dislodged a tear from one eye, Valentin’s smile only whispered pride and gratitude. It was the face of a young man knowing he was being given a great gift. This was Nikolai’s demonstration that he had meant every word of his vow.

"It's all in my head, and I know that but sometimes the noise is just so loud and I can't help but hear their voices beating down on me. I want to meet them all, really I do Val I just think I have to do it in my own time."

Nikolai’s hands squirmed within Valya’s grasp, but now that he had drawn so near, there was no escaping the colddrake. The seeker’s hands would not let go. These were his fine-tuned instruments, trained to capture the elusive golden snitch without fail. For all the muscular strength Valentin lacked, he instead had exquisite control over physical positioning. There would be no pain or pressure applied to their wounds, as their masterpiece was still healing into its final shape. Thus, it was by moving with Nikolai’s motion that Valentin would prevent his hands’ escape. The perfect fluidity of this gentle pursuit was the captain’s demonstration of his oath. Although he had power – taller, stronger, older – he would not use it to bend Nikolai to his will. The only way forward was finding the path together in unity. Where Nikolai’s hands went, Valentin’s would go, as delicately inescapable as one’s own shadow.

Amethyst eyes blazed as they locked onto Nikolai’s blue, following the boy’s gaze through fine serpentine adjustments of Val’s neck, no matter where they might turn. Yet, Valentin neither attempted to sit higher nor press down into him. It was like he was making a point of being equally arranged, even as it became increasingly clear that there was no way he would let Nikolai go.

Within Valentin’s ethereal eyes Nikolai would find perfect faith, a tranquil sanctuary where he could always find his way home. Through the revelation of Nikolai’s lie, Valya only felt confirmation of their oath’s sanctity. Holding both his gaze and his hands, Valentin channeled pure love into the other boy, even as he spoke no words. Nikolai understood that physical communication was fundamental to Valentin as a creature, and such silence only accentuated the power of the albino’s non-verbal answer.

"Perhaps all I need is to meet them on the Beluga, my brothers had to tape my mouth shut to get me to stop talking the last time!"

With the sound of Nikolai’s quiet giggling, Valentin felt that his message had arrived in the depths of the other’s heart and was working. After the whirl of doubts, the littler dragon was ascending again with a burst of positivity, just as Valentin wanted.

“My dear Kol’ka,” rose Valya’s voice after his long silence. “I won't assume you will succeed as effortlessly with my friends as you do with me. In fact, even for me who has succeeded in bonding with them, it required a process. Long ago, after my first championship, Durmstrang’s quidditch team was reduced to cinders. Only one other player stayed with me from the beginning to where we are today. Like building up the quidditch and Hexiwizard teams, it has taken time and patience to develop these friendships. I know that inside of you burns the determination of a dragon’s heart, and through it flows your compassion, intellect, and the many beautiful traits that are quite unique to you. It’s not too late, my dearest Kol’ka. For all the static in your head, and for all the times you’ve pushed others away, this is a beginning for you – not the end. I love you unconditionally, but for those who won’t feel that way for you, you have many fine qualities that will earn you friendship. Also, because my friends like me, my happiness is contagious. When you are around, I am more joyous and alive than ever before. Surely with you there, such goodness will only spread. Riding the Beluga together will be a blast, for certain, and I know that people will also grow to treasure you even when they’re dry. You don’t have to rush, but I do want you there with me surrounded by these wonderful people. My wealth is your wealth, and my greatest treasures are in fact people. If it is difficult next time, just run up to me and I will make sure you are treated well. Besides, I’m their captain, and they know how brutal I can be.” With a rolling laugh, Valentin’s Turkic eyes squeezed shut with amusement. The joke was just as much for Kol’ka as it was to soothe himself over his insecurities about abusing the power entrusted to him. Shaking his head to return to the topic at hand, Valya returned his loving gaze to the other.

“Come to me any time the clamor in your head is too much to bear. I want to be there for you, too, not just here in the physical.” Letting go of Nikolai’s left hand, Valentin draped his palm across the side of the boy’s face and stroked back a stray curtain of pale hair across his temple. “Just so, please take my mind and heart as your own domain, too. Let all these skies, lands, and waters unify in one kingdom between us. Everything of mine is yours, so please use them.”

Dropping his hand lightly onto Nikolai’s shoulder, Valentin gazed back for one more lingering moment.

“Thank you for trusting me. Like you, I’m haven’t been okay either – I won’t lie to you. Yet, right now, I have never felt so perfectly well. Please understand that tonight you have made me happier than I’ve ever been before in my life. I know I’ve been living a charmed existence full of great fortune, but it is you who has been granting my greatest wishes. This is nothing but bliss for me, like the realization of some wild dream.” Valentin looked up to the aurora-painted tent sky, gesturing with an arc of his neck. “For all the colors you see up there, I feel like a billion more are streaming in such cascades inside of me.” Glancing back down into ice-crystal eyes, Valentin smirked. “Let’s see these for real one day, together, soaring up high right beneath them. How about it?”

After squeezing Nikolai’s shoulder, Valentin's hand sank down to take the boy by the arm. Helping him up and pulling him towards the back of the room, it felt like the right time to start a new adventure together. Moving towards the curious black book at the rear of the room, the gold of its letters beckoned the seeker near.

“Let’s see if this thing really is a book about romance after all.” Chuckling, Valentin tried to read the tome’s cover. If nothing seemed to be warning them against opening it, Val then took Nikolai’s hand into his own and opened the book up to its first page, together.

MODERATION POST

𝕌pon opening the book, it would become immediately apparent that this was not a book that one might actually endeavour to read. Much like a children's pop-up book, when opened a small, miniature Quidditch match would spring up from the hollowed-out pages. It was not your standard Quidditch match, however. No quaffles or bludgers were anywhere to be seen as the players zoomed in endless loops around their miniature pitch. Rather, all eight of them seemed to be acting as seekers, chasing the same elusive, slightly glowing snitch as it darted to-and-fro, eternally escaping their grasp. Above the players heads, the ghostly impressions of the same shimmering constellations that graced the Stargazer tent's ceilings flickered softly in perfect repose, and below in the grass, if you had good eyesight or were just willing to stick your whole head into the mock-game, tiny versions of the same blue and red sleeping bags in the tent could be seen awaiting the players' valiant return.

In the centre of the pitch appeared to be a small, half-spherical indent, perhaps the size of a golf ball or smaller. Once the pint-sized Quidditch game had completed its first rotation of its endless pattern and looped back around to begin again, an audible click could be heard from somewhere in the tent. Continuing to watch the Quidditch match would yield no further results; the tiny players never catch the snitch, and the game always inevitably loops back around again.

Reducio

OOC: The tent's mini-game is now unlocked and playable. The game does NOT have to be played immediately, and is available to start at any time until August 11th IC, and September 31st OOC. Once the game has begun, you'll be at the whims of moderation posts, and will be able to do very little roleplay in this thread outside of the game until the its completion. You may, however, still open additional threads for later dates in your tent at your leisure, or choose to create a separate thread to play the game in. Moderation posts may take up to one week, so, as such, it's recommended that you finish up any interactions and events you'd like to take place in this thread before continuing with the game, should you choose to play it in this specific thread.

For hints on next steps and general inquires, please owl @Rebecca Lark. Please note that as one of the first groups to engage with this mechanic, you will be acting as beta testers, and the mechanics may differ from that of future groups. Please do not post spoilers for the game anywhere on-site or in Discord, so that others who are playing can do so at their own pace. If this rule is violated, the offending players may be barred from the game at my discretion.
@Matthew Campbell, @Aida Mòrsgor-Ama Ellwood, @Piérre Marchonné, @Tristan Theramin