Effects that didn't Subside

by **Matthew** on February 19th, 2014, 5:17 pm

14th Day of Summer, 507 AV.

He had at first toyed with the idea of going to the clinic, but that was a bit too public. His particular ailment was one that required some discretion. Even if he wasn't the sort to be shy or ashamed, he knew that his most recent studies would be best left to the dark. But where else was there to go to get private medical care? Every single place he could think of would require him to be seen by a multitude of eyes. That wasn't ideal. In the end, he had been forced to just try and go to the clinic after hours. It had been his hope that he would find the healer still there even as night came. He had been unlucky, though it wasn't entirely unexpected. Of course the healer would have already gone home.

Then a soft laugh caught his attention, and sharp blue eyes turned to find whoever it was who had stumbled upon him. He had avoided what little people could be found at these hours, but in the end had been caught. Storm-sky gray eyes met his incredibly light blue ones and another giggle fell from lush lips.

Matthew didn't see what was so funny.

~

Lillis stepped into the shop, moving slowly through the door so she wouldn't jingle the brass bells too loudly. A slight cough echoed from her lips as she breathed in some of the dust mites glistening in the light of Leth, wrinkling her nose. "Caelum? Are you home? We have a guest! He needs your... medical guidance." There was a note of amusement to her voice, hidden so well that it was barely noticeable. She covered any further amusement with a straight face, gesturing for Matthew to follow her and pointed him towards a seat. The young student obediently followed, moving gracefully through the shelves of leather-bound books and old oak tables. His eyes glanced around quickly, absorbing all the wonders around him, books being a definite point of interest for the young man. No matter what the topic, he loved to learn. Now was not the time though. He moved past the temptations, sitting where he had been shown, waiting for Caelum to arrive. He had never actually met the man, just been told about him. His mother, University Head of Medicine, had spoken quite well of the healer.

Matthew was dressed as well as he always was, not a bit of hair out of place and skin so flawless that it looked as if he was made of china. Natural genetics and a bit of makeup here and there went a long way. A simple white shirt hugged to his lithe body, showing off slim muscles. Black britches completed the rather plain look, a subtle ploy to make sure people looked past the clothes and focused on his feminine beauty. It was a Seduction tactic that he was studying. He wasn't so sure if it was working or not.

However, the real show was the very obvious bulge in his pants. It was a hill with a noticably rounded crest, one that any buffoon would know right off the bat. For having such a thing so openly displayed, Matthew didn't appear very put off. He sat there like a proper thing, hands clasped over one knee and a professional look in his blue eyes. Upon Caelum's appearance though, if Caelum did appear (or someone else that Matthew assumed was Caelum), the young student would be quick to explain. "Hello. I am Matthew. I took a herbal concoction that was recommended for sexual stamina." He glanced down at himself and back up, his face a stone statue. "It has been eight hours."
Lillis erupted in a muffled choked fit of giggles.

by **Caelum** on February 21st, 2014, 6:55 pm

Time had crawled far enough past dusk to merit the closing of the book store. Dim light glowed off of polished wood and the scent of dust and paper, leather and ink was pervasive in the heart of the shop. After calling for her husband, Lillis moved to the front of the shop to shutter the windows and secure the door. Humor continued to highlight her smile.

"Guidance?" Caelum said upon appearing in the doorframe. Behind him was a small storage room and a well lit stairway leading up to their private residence. "About.. Ah, hullo."

Matthew found himself the focus of velvet dark eyes, shot through with bursting gold. The healer appeared to be human, but one from far flung Cyphrus where grasses sprawled beneath an endless rush of wind. Black ink marked him heavily, stark against burnished skin, swirling down his throat, spiraling sun bars out from around his left eye, and channeling down his arms in a variety of sigil shapes and story knots. They were windmarks, a common characteristic of the Drykas horse lords who had no written language. Rather their histories and tales were told in windmarks and the knotwork of intricate braids, echoing the oral traditions of the rootless clans.

It was highly unusual to discover a highly marked Drykas so far from Cyphrus, let alone with a konti wife, dividing his time between healing and retail.

Beyond that, however, he appeared average. He was attractive, but not uncommonly so. Dark brown hair was long and thick, but twisted back in a series of braids that looped against the nape of his neck. He wore a plain linen shirt and low slung, canvas breeches whose hems dusted the toes of well worn riding boots that might have been out of place on anyone else. Muscles revealed by the shoved up sleeves of his shirt were wiry rather than heavy and he had green streaks on his fingers, not unlike grass stains.

He made his study of Matthew, listening to the young man's explanation in silence. "Do you know what was in the herbal concoction?" He asked immediately after Matthew was finished. He stepped forward to offer his hand, the gesture almost absent. "Caelum. Lillis is my wife. Lil, would you mind --"

"Already on it," Lillis laughed. She flashed them a smirk and then disappeared through the doorway and up the stairs.

by **Matthew** on March 12th, 2014, 6:42 pm

Matthew's eyes absorbed the healer, moving in a quick blur to study him. Everything was soaked in, from the oddly colored eyes to the ink-stained skin. He had only recently become educated about the Drykas, but the significants of the marks were lost on him. He wasn't that educated yet. His world was limited to both Zeltiva and Mura, sadly enough. Hopefully that would one day change.

His hand firmly met Caelum's, shaking it smoothly and professionally, his back briefly straightening in quite the proper posture as his blue eyes found their way back to Caelum's. He could appreciate the attractiveness of the man, recent topics of study making him more interested than he would normally be. What made this man attractive, he wondered? Perhaps it was the markings. Women seemed to enjoy markings on their men, though Matthew wasn't exactly sure why. He was certainly defined enough, and Matthew was aware that many a person enjoyed a strong man, either to simply look at or indulge in.

Lillis was gone in a flash, though her smirk was spotted by Matthew. He furrowed his brow in a bit of confusion for a moment, and then glanced back to Caelum, remembering his question and quickly answering. "I do not know. In hindsight, I should have asked so I could do a bit of research. The idea of such a potion was very interesting to me though, and it was for such a good price. Apparently the merchant was having a hard time selling them, though I can't imagine why. Quite a feat of herbalism and philtering, if I do say so myself." The admiration in his voice was obvious. He enjoyed little inventions and creations like that, especially if they were something completely new to him. Even though it had affected him in a way that it probably wasn't supposed to, it wasn't unusual for things to have side effects. Some would even call his current condition an extra bonus, not a side effect. He couldn't walk around like this forever though.

"My mother spoke well of you. Theresa Parker, from the University? I've learned that when she pays someone a compliment, she very genuinely means it. Are you quite the skilled healer, or is there something else?" Matthew's tone was unfiltered innocent curiosity, nothing more and nothing less. He was a very simple sort of person. Transparent and honest, almost to a fault. If he wondered about something, he openly phrased it.

"Also, as a healer with a wife, do you have any experience with such potions? Quite a feat, though it would be nice to find one without the unfortunate side effect." He tilted his head, blue eyes passively watching Caelum. Not only was Matthew curious, he was also quite blunt.

by **Caelum** on March 12th, 2014, 10:43 pm

Dark eyes leveled on Matthew when they shook hands, holding there for a few beats, taking in the shock of brilliant blue eyes. Caelum dropped his eyes, however, as Matthew spoke and was unable to keep a wince off of his face. The younger man's erection was far more obvious now that he was standing.

"There was probably some gingseng root in it, the red frond leaf variety," he muttered, brow riddled with evidence of his curiosity. "Maybe even a bit of powdered salamander egg and bon'mur leaves? It could --" The crawl of his thoughts came to splashing halt, head jerking up with a blink.

"Did you say eight hours? Eight hours? Fuck, mate. Come with me --" A hand slashed up in sharp beckon and the physician rolled about on the worn heel of his riding boot to duck through the archway and start up the stairs. As he went, that accent of his that made his Common almost too heady and exotic to quite fit into his mouth deepened. It was with an air of consequence.

"There's a narrow window. An erection lasting too long, say much longer than half a day --" Or twelve hours, in other words, leaving them with a four hour countdown. "Can cause permanent damage, Matthew. I assume you've ejaculated?"

The last question was delivered with an matter of fact air. Caelum had been both witness and victim to too much in his short years since falling to not take health conditions seriously. Though there was no gnosis mark from Rak'keli visible on him, Theresa Parker had been shrewd to recommend him to her son. This was a man who knew his business, and part of that business was not wasting precious time.

"I feel obliged to recommend not drinking questionable and unnecessary tonics. Not all philterers are skilled or honest. If they're healers as well, that is if Rak'keli has blessed them, you can trust them to at least have their intentions in order. Otherwise --" He snorted.

Otherwise was, perhaps, obvious.

The apartment above was the private residence of the physician and his wife. It was filled with canvas paintings, half of them on the floor and propped against walls rather than actually hung upon them. They were vivid and impassioned works of art depicting a wide array of subjects, a few of which was Caelum himself. That might not have been immediately obvious, however, as there were two of a tall and noble looking creature, strikingly handsome and with the lethal curl of spectacular horns on his head.

"Sorry for the mess," Lillis called from a room away. "You're set up, Cae!"

"Thanks!" Caelum shot Matthew that distracted smile and navigated his way through the paintings and around a few pieces of average, but comfortable furniture for a little room tucked into the corner. It was an exam room, and sometimes a still room. The scent of alcohol and green things filled the air and there was a cot along the far wall that faced a long row of over-the-counter shelves holding an array of kits and jars.

Matthew might have noticed that every window he passed had its framing painted a shining gold.

by **Matthew** on March 12th, 2014, 11:05 pm

Caelum spoke a lot of foreign terms, but Matthew filed them away nonetheless. They could be of use later, as he had hoped to one day educate himself in herbalism and philtering. Gingseng, red frond leaf variety. Powdered salamander egg; where was he supposed to file that? Matthew hurried arranged the foreign terms in his mental library, storing some underneath a herbalism label, storing others underneath a more broad 'ingredients' label. Philtering ingredients. He adjusted the title of the book and then blinked. He would have to come back and edit that when he had more time. Caelum's voice was sharp though, and it quickly snapped Matthew out of his thoughtful stupor.

"Yes. Eight hours." He followed Caelum quickly, tilting his head again, one of the many reoccuring bad habits that he had. The student moved gracefully, all flowing motions with a certain allure to them, his simple movements seemingly showing off certain aspects of his body. A ripple of his muscle there, an arch of his back here. All little things that Caelum might not even really notice at all. His grace was only broken by his surprise, the distance emotion causing him to pause for a moment as he registered what the healer was saying. Permanent damage? That wouldn't do. How would he conduct his research then? Glancing down at his erection, he nipped at his lower lip. "Yes, I have. Multiple times. I am capable of enduring without the medicine, but I wanted to see how much longer I could last with the medicine added in." He didn't pause, and the answer was returned with just the same air that it was delivered.

A short nod was given to acknowledge Caelum's wise advice about what to drink and what not to drink. In hindsight, it was a very obvious piece of advice. However, it must not have been that obvious if Matthew had so obviously missed it. Or perhaps he was just stupid. Matthew decided to go with that. He had been stupid.

Paintings. A creature with horns. Familiar. Lots of other subjects though. Caelum is an artist? No. Doubtful. Some of the paintings are of himself. Unless he is the sort to make such accurate self portraits... it would be the woman.

Cae, she had called him. He wasn't good with nicknames.

It was almost a maze. The gold-rimmed windows didn't go un-noticed, though they did receive a brief and quizzical stare. Searching his memory banks didn't come up with anything though. Perhaps it was a matter of personal style? Then again, the place was a bit of a mess. Or perhaps it was an organized mess. There was a very big difference. An organized mess, that was probably the right choice. Matthew stood in the middle of the room he had been brought to, now at Caelum's mercy. Any directions given would have the student quickly undressing, sitting down, or doing whatever it was that he was asked. "Why a bookstore and a healer? I am curious as to why the two crafts are practiced together. Is there a particular theme to the books?" Books were so very rare. He would be a very happy customer of Caelum's shop, if he could afford it.

by **Caelum** on March 13th, 2014, 12:47 am

A glass jar the color of celery was removed from a shelf by the physician. He gave it a light shake and the liquid within blossomed and plumed. The sediment at the bottom swirled through the rest and introduced a subtle shift in consistency. It thickened, and the physician swiveled about with an absent gesture for his patient to disrobe at least from the waist down.

"Theresa stitched me up after one of my, ah, misadventures," he admitted, belatedly recalling his patient's earlier question. Matthew looked a bit like his mother, he thought, studying the young man anew. The edges of him were dim with shadows despite the lantern light Lillis had lit when preparing the room. It glimmered off the gold paint at the windowsill -- a golden lining. When a drykas, he almost had the look of an eclipse. "She thought well of me, eh? That's.. lovely." The curve of his mouth felt flattered, but bemused. He was not a man accustomed to soft feelings, though it had the distinct ambiance of happy and comfortable home he had made with his artist wife here.

They were a pair of ghosts really, lonely together. He kept the pieces of her from scattering like ashes, and she was the last lodestone summoning him home. It was love, and it was happiness too. Imperfect, but tangible. Flawed, but true. it was the closest either had come since tumbling from their respective heights.

It would remain the closest for Caelum for years and years and years yet to come.

He aimed an absent kick to a stool, scooting it closer to Matthew before Caelum stepped around it and dropped down. One knee bent while the opposing extended, the jar still in hand and a worn leather kit unrolled onto the adjacent table with a harsh yet familiar snap of his wrist.

"DId you sustain any injury to your groin area, Matthew? If you've broken an arterial wall or even sustained a strain, that could be the cause of your priapism." He paused, possibly just to add the note of sardonicism that slid against his syllables. "Along with your ill advised use of poorly prepared drugs. If you're going to experiment, research your subject more thoroughly. It's rarely magic in potions, and more often malice and greed than genuine remedies."

He did not seem inclined to drop the subject, it seemed. It had annoyed him, that an otherwise intelligent student would allow his lust and curiosity to get so firmly in the way of his good sense. Of course, Theresa Parker had a few tales to tell on Caelum. They did not prove him to possess an abundance of sense either, rather painting an abstract picture of a slightly mad and driven creature.

"Why a bookstore and a healer?" The question appeared to catch him off-guard, eyes slanting sideways and up from where he had pulled a handful of glass vials and a small, wooden kit from his leather case. His smile was startled and small and therefore private and rare. "Because a healer is what I am, Matthew, and a bookstore is the best way to collect necessary information. Isn't it?"

An unnamed mystery introduced itself when he lowered his eyes and passed a cloth over his hands, the scent of dispersing alcohol rising between them. Books were an excellent way to collect information, and to launder and distribute it as well. Books in the city of shipwrights and scholars were rare enough to be precious yet common enough to keep his reputation humble and distant, harmless and disengaged.

"They're keys to all the doors in all the world," he murmured, perhaps a bit more to himself now, and went still while drawing a stopper full of fluid from the original jar. Without further ceremony, he crooked a finger at his patient to bend down so that he might squirt the contents right into his mouth.

by **Matthew** on March 13th, 2014, 11:00 pm

Misadventure, hm? Healers and storekeepers usually weren't the adventurous sort, were they? He wasn't sure. He wasn't exactly the most adventurous sort himself. Well, not in the sort of way that most people were. Studying the green liquid that was going to likely be used on him in some way, Matthew silently obeyed the gesture to strip down. His shirt was smoothly removed, revealing skin the color of a light honey, unblemished and practically perfect in appearance. No blemishes, scars, nothing.

Lovely? Was it? Caelum's lips said one thing, his expression said another. That was one of the problem with social nuances. There was so much to learn. Facial expressions, tone of voice, the actual words, so on and so forth. It was a lot of little things combined into one single thing and it made Matthew's head ache. He didn't pursue the moment of curiosity that bubbled up inside of him. Instead, he went back to being a good little patient, blue eyes glancing to the offered stool. He sat, limbs moving in the same effortless grace that all of his motions consisted of. Spreading his legs a bit to make sure his condition was easy to access, he quickly rattled off answers to the healer's questions.

"No, not that I am aware of. It aches a little, but an arousal usually does after some time." If the sardonicism was noted, the student didn't make any show of it. His reply was painfully unaware of any sarcasm. "I understand. I will research it better next time. I should have asked around to see if the merchant was a reputable one or not." Well, Matthew was certainly easy to scold, if anything. He didn't notice that Caelum was slightly annoyed, though the healer was hiding it well. It really wasn't that hard to hide such a thing from Matthew, though. He was more interested in a different topic, which Caelum soon touched upon. Why a bookstore and a healer, yes.

The answer was recieved with a slow nod. Necessary information? Or information in general? Perhaps a lover of learning, like Matthew was? There was certainly one way to find out. Leaning down with his mouth open, a position he had recently become familiar with, he quickly phrased a question.

"Specific knowledge, or any knowledge? I am studying prostitution. Would you have any books on the subject, or be interested in theoretically purchasing me for a night? I could use the experience, and the feedback." He paused, blinking, then shot Caelum an apologetic look. "I am sorry, you appear to be in a relationship with the young woman. With that in mind, it would probably be more proper if you both purchased me for a night. However, if that is inappropriate, I am also interested in Intelligence, Chicken Farming, and Culinary Arts."

Matthew's face was made of stone, his tone never changing. He had unknowingly given Caelum a very crucial piece of the puzzle. Studying prostitution? And his method of studying was experience? The purpose of the ill-advised potion was now very clear.

by **Caelum** on March 20th, 2014, 4:04 pm

Caelum found himself staring at Matthew with a dumbstruck expression. He was clearly taken off guard, but after a few ticks a quiet and rather self-deprecating humor settled in.

“Why are you studying prostitution?” The question was not squandered, delivered directly and not lacking eye contact.

He was incredibly curious as to Matthew’s answer as a young man from a good family typically had a great deal more prospects. The majority of prostitutes in Caelum’s understanding were victims of circumstance and would, had more favorable opportunities presented themselves during the course of often pitiable lives, have never chosen the skin trade. There were the more rare success stories of brothel owners and concubines who catered to the darker side of the world’s typically neglected sense of noblesse oblige, but such creatures were few and far between. Among them, one might still be hard pressed to locate one who had in full knowing and uncontested will chosen that path from the start.

Everyone had to eat, however. Didn’t they?

For the first time, Caelum looked at Matthew as something other than a patient. He had noticed the young man’s good looks, but the notice had been shallow and dismissed in favor of far more important things such as how to spare Matthew any permanent damage to his privates. Piercing blue eyes, long, well formed limbs, and the abundance of unblemished skin currently on display crawled to Caelum’s attention and, after a moment, he lowered his eyes.

It was not out of embarrassment, but out of politeness. Caelum found nothing embarrassing in thinking someone attractive, but he did believe it was unprofessional and potentially even unmoral to consider a patient in such a light. As a physician, bodies were for fixing, for making well, a less selfish purpose than one’s personal pleasure.

“It wouldn’t be proper for me to purchase you, Matthew,” he told the man apologetically. It was hard not to think of him as the younger man despite that Matthew had clearly been on Mizahar longer than Caelum had in this life. Yet physical age held little bearing on the ethaefal. “Not as your physician. I’m sorry.”

The smile he offered Matthew was wry, and he swung up an eyebrow. “I know a little about chickens,” he continued slowly. “But I know somewhat more about intelligence.” Gold flashed in dark eyes like a beckon or a warning. He leaned back and observed Matthew’s penis, waiting to see if the medicine he had just given was going to initiate any change. It would work quick, if so. Otherwise, this was going to be a much longer night than either of them had likely planned.

“Cooking, I know nothing about,” he muttered, distracted now. His eyes lifted back to Matthew. “You don’t feel short of breath, do you? I don’t think I have any books on prostitution, but maybe chicken farming. I can see. What do you want to know about intelligence for? Planning a coup?”

by **Matthew** on March 20th, 2014, 8:24 pm

Matthew paused a moment, tilting his head again, blue eyes staring right back. Both men seemed to place a good amount of value in eye contact and direct questions, making this easier than most social spars Matthew had engaged in. Every social encounter felt almost like a battle to the student. He was just so very bad with them that he had a hard time fully understanding what was occuring, and ended up overthinking every little step. It hadn't helped that a recent class in politics had made him think about all these things that much more. He thought a lot. And that was perhaps why he had eventually come to a conclusion. This conclusion.

"Because I am brilliant." The words were spoken firmly, without an ounce of pride, but also without a single ounce of doubt.

"You might be brilliant as well. Sometimes things can be boring, can't they? If I apply myself, normal topics can be learned in just weeks of study. Logical topics, I can easy absorb. Social topics, I struggle with those. Women, men, I don't understand them. Sex? I don't see the point. Desire? Instinct, which I tend to avoid. What better way to educate myself on these topics than to become a whore?" If that was his form of logic, it was very... simple logic. It was a certain sort of logic that didn't hold any regard for his own morality, though. Perhaps morality wasn't the word. Purity, perhaps? "I simply like a challenge, perhaps." He offered a polite smile, hoping that the concept made sense. He wasn't so sure if he had explained it that well. He actually hadn't really had to explain it to anyone yet. Was Caelum a first?

Now the doctor was glancing down. Not proper, he said? Another one of those social complexities. "Why wouldn't it be proper? I can understand it being wrong to force a patient to have sex, but when coin is concerned, I am not a patient. I am an object for sale. That is what a prostitute is, correct?" There was certainly no sarcasm or even a real argument, mostly more of that unfiltered curiosity.

A warmth spread through his stomach, then something of a spark. His arousal slightly wilted and then sprung back up, then wilted a bit more and then hopped back up. It looked like it was rapidly deflating and inflating, really. He peered at the sight curiously, then went back to the topics at hand. "Intelligence, no, not planning a coup. It seems like a very complex subject, and I like logical complexity. I think I would also have to have a social understanding in order to learn Intelligence effectively, so it sort of goes hand in hand." He paused, then his gaze grew briefly confused. "Wait, did you mean a chicken coop? Does Intelligence have some concepts that deal with poultry farming? I have some coop drafts at home, but nothing is set in stone yet." Matthew might have had a bright future as a comedian if he didn't seem to be completely lacking in the humor department.

His penis arched a bit, bringing his attention back to it. "What is it doing? And, perhaps a better question, is this supposed to be what it is doing? A little short of breath, nothing major."

by **Caelum** on April 8th, 2014, 2:21 pm

“By disdaining instinct, Matthew, you willingly neuter one of the most powerful weapons in the arsenal of man.” Caelum frowned at his patient in clear disapproval. “That is fallacy, especially if you intend to pursue the arts of intelligence work. Logic will fail you. Reason will tie you into knots. But instinct –“ He tilted his head. “Instinct will lead you out of the dark for no other reason but that your nose knows the smell of sunlight. Do you understand?”

The physician rolled up to his feet , eyeballing Matthew as he did so. The faint shortness of breath, the spasms of his penis, and the sheer intensity of his regard that seemed largely more concerned with furthering his education than he was with the delicate state of his health.

“Is that what prostitution is?” Caelum arched an eyebrow. “Making yourself into an object for sale? I disagree. I’ve known a lot of prostitutes.” He said this with a degree of sardonicism, and left it up to Matthew to ascertain whether his doctor had met them via his profession or in actual purchasing. “Prostitution is the sale of sex, of desire, of the illusion of intimacy for the soul hungry among us. It is only the least fortunate of prostitutes for whom it is a sale of self.”

He seemed very certain in this, almost as if he spoke from experience; but whatever experiences the ethaefal had were very clearly not up for discussion. They were also incredibly biased.

An ashwood case was removed from a shelf along the far wall and this Caelum carried with him back to the table Matthew sat upon. He set it down beside the leather case he’d unrolled earlier and laughed in the back of his throat, all of the heavy sobriety fleeing before the sun warmed sound.

“Chicken coup,” he muttered, and he grinned expectedly. “That’s brilliant. So perhaps you are.” Humor gleamed up with his smile and he unlatched the case and flipped up the lid in revelation of an assortment of shining tools. They were so clean they glittered. “No, your penis isn’t supposed to be doing that. I’m afraid you’re going to require a bit more than a tonic, Matthew.”

He sobered a little, meeting his eyes again. “I’m sorry. This will hurt. If you prefer, I can put you under for it. I believe an artery is clotted which is blocking the path of outbound blood. It needs to be cleared, and shortly, before any nerve damage and dysfunction sets in.”

Flashback Effects that didn't Subside