Valentin Schnell drifted out into the chill of the morning and began meandering across a frozen escarpment and in through the trees like a lost soul buffeted about in the void of souls. Once, he had direction, once, he knew what all his struggles were for. Now the snowy-haired boy wasn’t sure what was true anymore after his grasp of reality had been repeatedly called into question. Usually the seeker would be found flying on his lightning-scarred Silver Arrow before dawn, honing new skills for the team or at least centering himself through meditative flights through Durmstrang’s natural wonders. Strangely, in fact, no one had seen the broom for quite some time. Valentin’s hands dangled empty at his sides, clenching and unclenching whenever a wind of doubt beset his bewildered mind.

Light eyes the color of weeping wisteria stared into a fog creeping along the horizon, and the pearl-skinned boy advanced towards the lake’s icy edge. His red Durmstrang cloak hung from his shoulders dutifully, lined with white wolf fur ample enough to effectively keep his mind off the everpresent risk of freezing to death in the castle’s backcountry. All it took was one unlucky move over a patch of black ice to find a lethal cascade, such as falling through the surface of the lake.

A sound to the champion’s right alerted Valentin to a movement through the spruce-rimmed pass, and so he turned to quietly observe as a flash of light blonde hair came into view.

As Valentin approached, a firey glint in his eyes came into focus. It was not just the burning glow of sunrise cresting the horizon as it illuminated the intensely light boy. There was a hunger to this gaze that one was likelier to find in a ravenous forest wolf than a typical student, even at Durmstrang.

“Please,” said the seeker with an almost stately calm. “Just Valentin to you.” With a bow so languid that it was clear that this was no societally-dictated performance, but rather his own pure and intense attention, there would be no point at which the captain seemed disingenuous. “I don’t believe I’ve made your acquantaince,” Valentin continued, unable to recall him as a potential recruit for quidditch or as an up-and-coming broom racer. As captain, Valentin made it a point of developing an encyclopedic knowledge of such folk, but his keen eye was rarely still. A powerful duelist with unique character could make a worthy addition to the Hexiwizard team, after all. Looking the blonde over, a tug in Valentin’s heart still lowered his head as he wondered if the newcomer would make an even better friend.

“There is something you could do for me, if you please. Treat me to the pleasure of your name, and tell me about something you fiercely love but don’t think anyone else would understand. Perhaps the request is a bit forward, but I have little interest in stock formalities.”

Running a slender-fingered hand through a skein of white downy hair, Valentin smiled. The morning was beginning to improve, he decided, acknowledging the other’s observant remark at his lack of a broom. Noting the dewy quality of the other’s skin, the seeker continued, “Or if you prefer, tell me what lures you to the wilderness here to run.”

Valentin clicked his tongue with a slight shake of his head to indicate that, no, he hadn’t heard of the Volkov line before. Throughout his life he’d been lectured to about memorizing the most rich and powerful pureblood families and their politics, but from his hyperactive childhood to his more mature days, he could never be bothered. It was not that Valentin didn’t care about people, as this was the farthest from the truth. Rather, when someone gave him reasons to respect, or even love them, based on their own merits – this was when Valentin was sure to provide ardent support, even at great cost to himself. Born into the limelight and thriving in the wake of his musician parents’ stardom, Valentin grew into his own fame as the White Seeker of Durmstrang by becoming a node through which strength and well-being could flow to his people. With Valentin’s further rise to power and notoriety, now residing at the top level of the hierarchical dormitories of Durmstrang, he took it as his sacred duty as champion to use that leverage to raise the entire academy with him to new heights. As quidditch captain as well, aiming to leave a positive legacy to endure long after his own demise, Valentin was on a mission. On that mission he had little use for backdoor elbow-licking when his approach was more personalized, direct, intimate. Watching Nikolai pick up a stone and gaze over the frozen lake with longing, Valentin got the sense that stone skipping was not the only thing the boy wanted but couldn’t simply have.

"What do I love that no one else would understand?" began Nikolai’s reply, going on to explain his feelings about cemeteries and non-magi. Listening without interruption, Valentin folded one arm across his own chest to support the other as he rested his smooth exotic face on his right hand. A subtle and easily missed shine of silver-on-white marked a lightning-shaped scar running from his palm down into the recesses of his red military-style Durmstrang coat. Closing his eyes, the captain focused on the sound of the boy’s voice as he considered Nikolai’s words.

To honor the importance of those who came before, even strangers… So he can cherish people without having to use them, but simply for their importance as individuals. How beautiful. Valentin’s lips curled with appreciation. Such sentiments were rare to come by. Then there was the issue of… Non-magi: an unusually respectful term, and framed with not only strategic pragmatism but also —perhaps— disgust for injustice. Curious, as I get the impression he comes from quite the elitist background. It seems he prefers to carve his own path. Remaining silent, Valentin gathered a deep breath and waited, not wanting to interrupt the free flow of the boy’s thoughts out into the open.

"To answer your second question, love is the very reason I'm out here in the first place. I'm running from it and yet constantly it seeks me out, tackling me when I least expect it and forcing me to witness it's existence."

Valentin’s eyes opened with a flash of silver-blasted amethyst. Fixing his focus onto the stone in Nikolai’s hand only to find it rocketing off across the lake ice, Valentin’s heart thumped against the cage of its ribs with each impact off the frozen surface. Nikolai followed with what could only be pure, unguarded truth saturated with pain.

"I'm attracted to guys, and in my family that's just not an option. Here I can be anything but at home I have to be who they want and I don't know how to do that. How do you deny everything you are?"

The seeker’s long arms fell to his sides, right hand clenching into a fist. A gloss passed over Valentin’s eyes and his lips fell open while Nikolai’s admission hung in the air. Drinking in the boy’s pain, it was now Valya’s own pain, too. It was not even that the blonde reminded him of Charles casting away his broom over the rim of the quidditch pitch. Was Valentin not fundamentally the same as Nikolai, valuing individuals for who they were, in all their uniqueness?

"I'm sorry Mr Schnell, it's none of your concern I shouldn't have brought it up. I should leave."

The Volkov stood up and brushed the snow off himself as if to leave, but Valentin stepped forward with a stunningly fast hand reaching for his shoulder.

“Don’t go.”

If the boy did not resist, Valentin’s left hand would wrap around his shoulder with firm but gentle conviction.

“Please, it’s just Valentin.” Now much closer, the unusual colors of the seeker’s empyreal eyes came into view.

Reducio

“Nikolai.”

Valentin stood directly before him, staring into the other’s eyes, unmoving other than for the pulses of his breath. It was the kind of gaze that could pinpoint the ephemeral flicker of a snitch’s golden wing across the expanse of a storm. It was the kind of gaze that searched the farthest reaches inside a person to find where lay their true treasure. It was this frozen burning of blue and lavender and mithril iris that locked onto Nikolai without any barriers between them now.

“You did well to tell me. The courage and honesty you showed, trusting despite never meeting me before, moves me. Thank you, Nikolai. You have given me a great gift, one which I shall not squander.” An unusually warm breeze crept in, scattering an unruly cluster of white hairs into the seeker’s eyes, and he smiled. Unhand him, Valik, he thought to himself before letting go of the other’s shoulder (if it were in his grasp) and taking a step back.

“Those trapped in their graves are lucky to have the pleasure of your company, but I propose that I’ll make for more stimulating conversation. Stay, also, because I have something to give to you in return for the sincerity you’ve shown me.”

The captain’s eyes flicked back to the frigid lake surface where they located once more where the thrown rock had come to rest.

“I am of the same nature, having no interest in girls. Love is, in fact, my cardinal struggle. I strive and sacrifice and fail, then build myself back up again to repeat the cycle over and over. Without finding some great secret to immortality, I witness my years passing away as I continue to come away from the wreckage alone. No matter how high I fly, the intolerance of the world continues to weigh down those I wish could soar with me. They are trapped beneath the surface, suffocating, and I ram against the wall of ice only to break myself on the jagged edge of my efforts to reach them. Drowning in it, people ingest this intolerance in their desperation to keep breathing. Yet, however sick the brackish water makes them, they accept it as part of themselves. Even so, it cannot obliterate the truth of who they are, and so it continues to sicken those who carry it within unpurged.” Valentin turned his gaze back to Nikolai, eyes mirroring the other’s with profound sadness yet blazing with fervor.

“I won’t pretend that it will be easy, but I want you to become stronger. I want you to find what you need in order to survive and thrive as your true self throughout life. You kindly showed yourself to me, and you know already that not everyone will be as accepting, so you ask me how to deny everything you are… but you deserve to be who you are. You respect those who lie in their graves, and one day we will surely join their ranks. During our brief time on Earth, let us honor not only those who came before, but our own true selves as well. By developing the skills and the will to protect and sustain ourselves, we not only find liberation, but also the power to provide the same to others. You may have come here alone, but you don’t have to leave the same. Take my help, or the help of others who will accept and cherish the real you. The only way to make the world safe for people like us is resolving to show ourselves. Only such courageous honesty will allow others to learn for themselves that we are simply people—individuals like everyone else—and that there is no need to fear us. I hope that you can make peace with your family, but I encourage you to call upon me and other allies when you are in need.”

Sliding his long fingers into a pocket within the masses of white wolf fur lining his cloak, Valentin extracted a black metal object no bigger than his palm. The multi-pointed thing was inert but flared with backswept wings unlike anything seen in the wizarding world.

“This is a model airplane from the muggle world. I don’t know if you’re aware, but they make these objects that can make them fly at more than 3,000 kilometers per hour. You probably know that no broom nor thestral could hope to match even a fraction of that speed. Certainly we have our own ways to move around with magic, but I study the art of broom making. Surely there are many things I could learn from the non-magi, but really, it’s mind-blowing to consider what the whole world could accomplish if only our peoples could find unity.” If Nikolai allowed, Valentin would fold the model SR-71 into the boy’s hands, lingering as he searched the other’s gaze for resonance.

“As fast as such marvels are, I don’t think anyone can outrun the truth. Maybe you don’t need to run away anymore, but can instead run with the rest of your pack.”

Basic Stats:
STA 8 - EVA 20 - STR 3 - WIS 16 [18] - ARC 1 - ACC 16

Abilities:
Keen Eye / Charmer / Evasive Maneuvers / Fearless / Comprehend Languages: Parseltongue

@Matthew Campbell

Bowing his head at the kind words Nikolai bestowed on the champion, Valentin’s pearl face glowed with the soft light of humility. He was happy to have found the other. What could have been just another plodding morning without his broom had blossomed through the winter chill into one that warmed his very soul.

“Yes, Nikolai. Let this dawn mark the beginning of your new life of freedom. If your family abandons you, know that you are welcome at my place, where you would be well-fed. Just as much as you will find opponents trying to enforce what they want you to be, you will also find allies who love and accept you for living true to yourself. Call on me, and I will lend you my variety of power. Now that you have seen the truth, you never have to be alone again, so long as you’ll summon the courage to reach out.”

Opening his arms, Valentin invited the boy into a hug. If the other accepted, Val would squeeze him tightly and the white wolf fur of his Durmstrang cloak would feel unusually warm. Whatever heating spell enchanted the garment, it was apparently tuned to be hotter than others would normally tolerate. If Nikolai further allowed, the seeker would raise one long, slender finger to skim the tears from under one of the boy’s blue eyes. The curiously gloveless hand was bitingly cold, even for the current weather conditions, and yet that icy touch may have been one of the most delicate Nikolai had ever felt. Valentin’s hand was a finely tuned instrument of quidditch, after all, with extremely precise motor control. Still, apparently the rumors were true that the Frost Captain's skin ran unusually cold, not unlike a snake's.

“I am so happy to hear these things from you.” If Nikolai had accepted his actions, Valentin would squeeze him affectionately again before backing away. He’d noted the other’s slight build, unable to shut off his captain’s mind that assessed others for their potential role in his teams. “You are really brave, Nikolai.” Folding his damp right hand over his heart where it clasped into a fist, Valentin’s left hand closed his cloak tighter to begin warming the right one once more.

"This is the making of non-magi power, despite a lack of magic they find so much power in the use of their imaginations. Science like this is why our integration is the only future."

“You are right, about the power of muggle imagination. They wield it like a magic all their own, creating wonders I scarcely understand. The power of our unity could be absolutely incredible.” Watching the other turn the model airplane about in his hands, Valya smiled. Someone else could appreciate it as a marvel, too, and the hunger gnawing at the seeker’s gut eased slightly: Nikolai was showing Valentin that he was not alone as well. Meeting the other’s searching gaze, Valentin’s eyes did not blink even once as Nikolai spoke.

"I appreciate your words but I can't help feel as if you too were out here for a reason. I cannot say I have your wisdom nor any experience in advising but I can be an ear if that is of use?"

With a small nod, Valentin took a deep breath.

“Thank you.” The boy’s intense purple eyes stared back for a long moment before finally blinking, and in almost as much time as the blink, Valentin spun towards the lake. Suddenly standing at the rock-solid water’s edge, the seeker faced away from Nikolai but beckoned with his left hand.

“I will explain…” Scanning the bank, Valentin’s keen eye gleamed, and after three long strides he stooped to pick up a perfectly formed skipping stone. It might be the finest such stone Nikolai had ever seen. The older boy was so tall that his long legs carried him far and fast with few steps, and just as swiftly he approached Nikolai once more. Extending his right hand, Valentin offered him the exquisite black stone. If the seeker had wiped some of the boy’s tears away, residual salt from his hand now encrusted the stone in a wet streak.

“Like the muggles, in applying imagination, we can change the world…” If Nikolai took the stone, Valentin would then extract his wand and aim it at the icy lake with the appropriate gesture. “Aqua Fervens.”

[d20 : 15] + 18. In the end, the result was: 33. With 33 WIS, the spell succeeds.

Valentin’s water-heating spell struck the lake through a crack in the frozen surface, and sounds of shifting and snapping ice crystals spread as the thaw emanated in every direction. The dark stone Nikolai threw earlier slipped from a melting block of ice and sank with a satisfying plop! Within a minute the lake’s edge returned to the watery, mirror-like sheen it usually showed in late spring. Silence overtook the scene once more except for a few nightingales that began to chirp in the trees behind them. Glassy ice-free conditions extended farther than either of them could throw, but distant expanses remained frozen over in vast swathes.

“Let me see you soar.”

Valentin took a seat on the log Nikolai was using before. He would sit and watch the other boy until eventually lifting his voice again.

“To answer your question… I came here for the same reason as you: running from love. I hunger for it, and despite all my wealth of dear friends and comrades, the yearning will not subside. Despite all my power and fame, and for all the adoration of fans far and wide, my greed, my need, consumes me in silence. So mad with ache have I become that I now distance myself from others lest I hurt someone, making desperate promises I cannot keep.” Laying down across one end of the fallen tree and dangling his legs over its edge, Valentin closed his eyes. “All I want is one boy to cherish above all, to spend my life with, but for all my efforts I fear that I am struggling against an impossible task. It feels like everyone loves me, but no one will make me forever their own.”

Somewhere, half a continent away, lay another lake. Was its shore stalked by the seductive water spirits of yore, ready to feast upon those whose burning hearts made them vulnerable to caprice and manipulation? What was it about Valya that attracted deceivers like Ginyami, and why couldn’t even a villainous heart hold tight to the blazing comet that was Valentin Schnell? Was he not offering enough power in the attainment of their dreams? Or, for as selfless as he strove to be, was it actually him who was too ravenous? Then again, could it be that the very stardom and elite status behind Valentin’s reputation proved too daunting? Was the logical block of religion simply too dogmatic to let people love each other, perpetuating speculations about hell in a presumed but unknown afterlife -- too frightening to those who still felt fear?

Valentin knew he was not alone, especially with Nikolai right beside him, and yet his fundamental wish for sublime partnership endured like undying nuclear sunfire. Perhaps it is for the best, he thought, and the warnings of my ancestors are right in saying that I am cursed. The monster in me would surely lay waste to all if allowed to use the full extent of its power. Keep me caged instead within the boundaries of sporting games where the true scope of my possibilities remain unrealized. When a flowstar is not wished upon in earnest, it is but a clump of burning ice and cannot bring calamity from the skies… Surely my family lineage’s secrecy is a tradition in the interest of all, and people are safest when they do not know what they are capable of. Imagine if people forgot this power forever… Why did they even allow my ancestors to survive, then? Was it to selfishly limit our use, to keep us from empowering their opposition? Why, then, will no one claim me today – because I am a reviled male? Because they sense the danger in my gaze? Or, is it that simply no one has use for me?

Valentin had lain there for quite some time before deciding that he should say something more to Nikolai. With a sigh, the seeker opened his amethyst eyes to stare into the apex of the sky. Let me go back up there, then, and let me fly at maximum speed forever if no one wants such old magic. The tedium of walking the Earth without someone using me to the fullest is too much to bear.

“I truly hope that you find happiness in a perfect match, Nikolai.”

Basic Stats:
STA 8 - EVA 20 - STR 3 - WIS 16 [18] - ARC 1 - ACC 16

Abilities:
Keen Eye / Charmer / Evasive Maneuvers / Fearless / Comprehend Languages: Parseltongue

@Matthew Campbell

"This is what it's like to have a true family isn't it?" asked Nikolai, warmed within the shroud of Valentin’s cloak. Squeezing the boy softly, Valentin’s voice slid as smoothly as liquid silver.

“Yes, if this is the family you choose. Real family loves you for you. Because real family actually loves the true Nikolai, they will stand by you during the tough times and want the best for you even when it’s not what they would have chosen for themselves. A true family gives, making personal sacrifices for one another. Anyone who just wants you to conform and merely tolerates those moments they’re not using you… such relatives are simply others with a little more genetic similarity. All people are related, sharing common ancestry if you simply go far back enough. All life on Earth is connected this way, isn’t it? I prefer ‘family’ to mean those who give each other selfless love, instead of a group interested in genetic dominance. Listen…” If the blonde permitted, Valentin would put his left hand through the other’s hair with two affectionate strokes.

“People can share kinship in more ways than tiny margins of chromosomal similarity. Kinship of the heart is more powerful, more important, because ideas and feelings are what really change the world. The genetic difference between muggles and wizards is not as important as what we could achieve together, honoring and combining our unique strengths for a greater good.” Valentin looked down to admire the model airplane he’d given Nikolai, then raised his lavender eyes to meet Nikolai’s gaze.

“I believe in true love: caring for someone else more than one cares about oneself. Genetic bias is just another way of caring more about oneself than others. When a bigot imposes on you whom you should be, this is another way they really just care about themselves because they are trying to make you have their ‘mind.’ People like you and I don’t hurt anyone by loving the gender we love. Anyone who tries to stop such a beautiful variation from existing is simply trying to ensure dominance for themselves, to clone their minds and not just genetics. That’s not real love. Can’t family be about real, selfless love? I mean, why would different people fall in love if what they’re supposed to do is only love the person in the mirror? Why do couples have children at all, even? If humans were only born to clone themselves as much as possible, we would not want to merge with someone else. Children are born to become their unique, new selves, inheriting some things from others but still alive as distinct people. Many parents still try to use children for selfish ends, but some can learn to love their children no matter whom they become. Doesn’t the world want parents who give unconditional love? If so, why should true love be limited by genetic selfishness?” If Nikolai allowed, Valentin would lay his left arm over the boy’s shoulder with a small grin and eyes full of candor.

“We only met this morning, but I can already accept you for being you, even if your parents won’t. This is because I don’t insist on you conforming to my expectations for selfish reasons. I can simply love and admire the wonderful things I discover about Nikolai. I’m not afraid. I can love the beautiful diversity of the world without it threatening my ego, and I can give to you simply for the sake of lifting you up. It just happens that you were kind enough to be open with me, bravely showing the shining facets of your personality. Because you showed me these important parts of yourself, I could see very quickly that you’re a thoughtful, genuine person with a beautiful heart. Such qualities mean a lot to me. I hope that you’ll keep showing me new things about yourself. I don’t have to love them all in order to cherish you, to want to see you transcend your limits and attain a happier, better life.”

Proceeding to thaw a portion of the lake and watch the well-practiced form of Nikolai’s stone skipping, Valentin decided the activity must have been important to the other in order for him to have gotten so good at it. Grinning at his regret for not having collected more stones, it would have made for a pleasant time to spend the morning just watching Nikolai practice. Yet, Valentin still had preparations to carry out for his team’s quidditch practice and decided instead to lay down on the nearby log to better consider Nikolai’s question and subsequent response.

"You know my mother used to say that love would come when you least expected it. She was betrothed to my father long before they even met and one night when she was particularly drunk she told me she loved another long before him. Perhaps you need to stop looking and let love find you."

Valentin stared at the sky, considering Nikolai’s words as if each one were a gem-like star in a constellation crowning the heavens. Recalling the drunken behaviors of his own father, Valentin wondered once again what had driven Hugo to drink. With how he’d regarded Zinoviya, it could not have been for the same reason as Nikolai’s mother. Tightness at the corners of Val’s eyes conveyed his sadness on behalf of Nikolai’s father, and then frustration at why Nikolai’s mother had accepted such an arrangement. Her marriage did not sound like one born out of true love, but out of calculations of personal gain. Just as he was beginning to wince, however, Valentin sensed Nikolai at his side and looked over as the blonde took his slender white hand into his own. Without resisting, Valentin’s eyes widened with surprise as hot red blush spilled across his cheeks. With such a pale complexion, the effect was as intense as geranium petals cast across a bed of snow. Speechlessly, Valentin continued to listen.

"I've met you mere minutes and yet I can tell you are someone worthy of a love that breaks all bounds. Yet… You speak of the love and adoration that you have experienced but you will never find the love that you seek in that. It is not to say that those people, those relationships are not important but it is not the love that you seek."

Nodding dumbly, Valentin could not deny a word Nikolai said despite his instinct to deny wanting more. The other boy had not only listened carefully, but could also intuit truths that Val hadn’t explicitly stated. A curl of his lip expressed Val’s annoyance at himself for not being satisfied with his privileged life, but it was simply the truth. A love that breaks all bounds… He had to admit it. Valentin hated limits, most of all when they shackled love itself. Just contemplating the notion of boundless love sent waves of hot resonance deep through his chest, and the seeker began to blink slowly under the spell of those words that described his truest heart’s desire.

"Любить - это ничего. Быть любимым - это что-то. А любить и быть любимым - это всё. To love is nothing. To be loved is something. But to love and be loved is everything. You deserve to be loved in the way that you love, and if that isn't reciprocated I can guarantee that whoever it is would not be worthy in a thousand lifetimes. You saw me despite knowing me for less than a morning, that kind of gift cannot be mistaken. Valentin Schnell you love with your entire heart and one day someone worthy will come along deserving of it...."

Valentin’s eyes returned the lock Nikolai’s gaze held on his. Although his lips parted slightly as if to protest, he could find no words to counter the other’s. Valya had always been bad at considering what he himself deserved, as it was much easier to think of what others wanted than to ponder healthy limits that would ensure his self preservation... let alone happiness. He knew Nikolai was right, and he knew the words were exactly what he needed to hear – just like when Yefim was still around and telling him to take better care of himself.

"…But of the little consolation it can be. I along with your many adoring fans" lilted Nikolai’s voice with subtle jest, "will be by your side as a part of your pact until you do!"

Valentin’s lips shifted shyly across one another as the meaning of Nikolai’s words began to sink in. Tears began welling, unbidden, in the seeker’s violet eyes as he found he suddenly wanted to cry. He wasn’t used to such poignant, accurately aimed words hitting him right in the heart. The boy was a miracle at knowing exactly what Valentin had long been needing to hear. Although opening his mouth again and wanting to respond, no reply came, for the silver-tongued captain’s words had abandoned him. The warmth exuding from the other’s hand further served to quiet the usual torrent of thoughts streaming through Valentin’s mind. Rather, focusing on the rare feeling radiating across the surface of his right hand, Valentin took in all the details of the moment as they began to commit themselves to memory.

What had gone wrong last summer, back when Valentin was surrounded by loved ones in that dreaded spin-the-bottle game and couldn’t bring himself to kiss anyone? What went so astray when Romeo finally had returned a kiss to the seeker? It was… The problem was that Romeo was immediately filled full of shame. He was ashamed of me, as if I had been some devilish temptation he never should have even considered. Why didn’t I pursue him after that?… It was… because I knew I deserved better. I don’t really believe it, don’t believe I deserve anything, but my friends believe I deserve respect. The people who love me would tell me I deserve reciprocated true love instead of desperately becoming someone’s dirty little secret. Nikolai is right, and I knew it then, even if it’s still so hard to admit it now. I deserve the boundless, selfless love that I am so intent on giving to others. I deserve better than to be the source of someone’s embarrassment, just for liking boys. I want someone who is proud to love me. If anyone is to receive the limitless colddrake’s gift from me, that person must truly love me in return.

With a contented sigh, Valentin's hand squeezed Nikolai's in thanks. He hadn't spoken to the other with any notion of having his own problems addressed, but here they were, mutually taking care of each other as naturally as the strong crowns of the spruce trees bore the weight of gathering snow. The seeker's eyes glistened, endlessly repeating his unspoken gratitude for as long as Nikolai's piercing blue eyes held them in focus.

“Please, Nikolai. Call upon me if you are ever in need. Use my strength, and... stay in my life. Let me learn ever more about you. I am not afraid. Come to me always just as you are, and I will receive the true you with my open heart in return.”

Looking down at their hands, Valentin's eyes traced the silver glimmer of his scar branching out into his palm from deeper inside the cuff of his sleeve. It was truly a beautiful morning to be alive.

«Этот год подходит к концу, но это был один из лучших его дней, а солнце только что взошло. Спасибо, Колька. Подарок, который ты мне преподнес, бесценен.» This year is ending, but this has been one of its best days – and the sun has only just dawned. Thank you, Kol'ka.* The gift you have given me is beyond measure.”

Basic Stats:
STA 8 - EVA 20 - STR 3 - WIS 16 [18] - ARC 1 - ACC 16

Abilities:
Keen Eye / Charmer / Evasive Maneuvers / Fearless / Comprehend Languages: Parseltongue
* Kol'ka / Колька: Valya's chosen Russian diminutive for Nikolai

@Matthew Campbell