WHAT. Bren is in Vallo and not sure what to do about it. He gets trapped in the large library with the husband he doesn’t know. WHERE. Library at Xhorhaus WHEN. During What If! WARNINGS.It’s surprisingly tame, but memory loss and confusion. ART CREDIT.Here! STATUS. Complete!
Essek had been given very simple instructions for the evening: go to the library.
It was an easy enough task to complete, given that Essek spent most of his evenings in the library. It had been a bit of a refuge the last few days, somewhere to surround himself with Caleb. The library was very much a combination of the two of them; a melding of their own personal libraries and the books they had purchased together or for the other in the time they'd been in Vallo, their spell components in their proper places, research dotted about and ready to be picked up again at a moment's notice, art projects by the children and trinkets given as gifts. It was the result of over three years of cohabitation and sharing spaces. It was a comfort.
And though he was trying to be a bigger person than the one he had perhaps originally been when he had woken up next to Bren instead of Caleb, it was still nice to be in a space that made him think of his husband.
Essek knew that this situation would likely be temporary. It almost always was. Both he and Caleb had been different versions of themselves, dropping in from varying places within their respective timelines in both Exandria and Vallo. Every time, they would eventually revert back to their usual selves and life would return to normal. This time felt a bit different, though. Caleb was Bren, but he wasn't the Bren that would become Caleb. Essek knew that this was temporary, but the doubts weren't fully silent.
Upon entering the room, Essek was greeted by what appeared to be a chilled bottle of one of their finer wines, two glasses, and a platter of cheeses, meats, and bread sitting atop the table. It took Essek off guard for a moment, but not so much that he didn't step forward to uncork and then pour himself a glass of wine. He wasn't fully sure why Gilmore had bid him here, but he wasn't about to say no to wine.
Bren had never received a fancy invitation before. He’d been invited to parties, but that was always shouting across the cobblestone roads of Blumenthal an invitation, or word of mouth. It had never come with fancy calligraphy, purple ink, and a wax seal. Wax seals were for the rich Empire fucks that controlled their lives.
But this seemed innocent. Everyone had been kind to him since his arrival, and he’d been given freedom to explore the library and let him read as many books as he’d liked. He enjoyed the company of the bird children, who seemed sad and unsure about his appearance but open to reading to him and taking him around to show him things. He’d-- had fun so far, in this strange world, with strange people.
So there was no reason for him to think any ill will towards the strange invitation, and he followed it blindly. After, when the door was closed and locked behind him, and Bren’s hand was on the handle and nothing would open, he realized that had been a little naive of him.
“Ah-” Bren turned back to the other occupant of the room, who already had a glass of wine in his hand. “Hallo. It seems the door is locked now.”
The puzzle pieces locked together the moment that Essek watched Bren walk through the door of the library. "It seems that Gilmore believes himself clever," he said, his tone dry but seemingly accepting. In all honesty, he was borderline surprised that it had taken the sorcerer as long as it had to dive into meddling. He knew Gilmore well enough to know it was well-intentioned; had he not, he would have already been casting Knock on the door or simply teleporting straight out and leaving Bren behind.
Not that he could actually do that to Bren, either. None of this was his fault, after all. As much as Essek wanted his Caleb back, he could appreciate that this was just another version of the man that he loved.
Picking up the bottle of wine once more, Essek began to pour into the second glass that he now understood was meant for Bren. "I do not know how you feel about wine," he said after a moment, pushing the glass toward the other man on the table, "but this is a particularly good one, if you do partake." He picked his own glass up, before taking a seat on the couch, legs crossing daintily as he made himself comfortable. Might as well settle in.
Bren’s eyebrows didn’t feel as if they were going to come down anytime soon. He should have protested to this whole thing, to be drinking wine with a very attractive man - his enemy - when he was married. It brought up a whole host of complications in his brain.
He was, at this point, at latest relatively certain Johannes had no intention of staying in their marriage. Not witht he war ramping up, and not with Bren wanting nothing to do with it. But he wouldn’t be the person that fell from it first, not when he’d tried so hard to make things work.
“Wine is appealing right now,” His zemnian accent was heavy and guarded, even as he moved forward to take the glass. One sip in and his eyebrows shot right back up. “Oh-- I like wine but this is- very good. I’ve never had good wine before.”
Quite without his permission, Essek smiled, small but nevertheless warm, at the reaction. He knew just how very different their origins had been, different countries of birth aside. Essek had never been in a position where he had to think about--for example--the cost of a bottle of wine when he purchased for his taste. He knew of Caleb's more humble beginnings, which seemed to be Bren's continued life.
"This is a favorite of mine from home," Essek explained, forcing himself to pull his gaze away from Bren and looking down into the dark liquid of his glass. His hand moved slowly, the wine swirling. "Vallo sees fit to restock our wine cellar now and again with some quality vintages. This is a particularly good plum from Rosohna. I keep hoping that it will see fit to give me some yunfaalyu, but so far it has not. It is this plum liquor that is served very cold with--"
Essek cut himself off, eyes flicking back up to Bren and smiling once more, this time a bit wry. "Apologies. I know my waxing poetically about Xhorhasian alcohol I no longer have access to cannot be riveting conversation."
Bren stood there, a little uncomfortable and a lot out of place. He didn’t know what to do with this stranger and his stories, he had no idea what yunfaalyu even was, as Bren had never visited the Xhorhasian Empire, on account of how that would be treasonous.
Was it similarly treasonous to be in this very room with him? To have heard that they were married? For that our Essek had thrown in? Oh yes. If the political powers that were in his country were to find out about this, no doubt Bren would be exiled or put to death.
But they were not here. Bren was here, without the people that would cast him out. And he had wine better than he had ever tasted before. He downed it in one giant gulp and put his glass out for another. “Once I made tub wine that left everyone in the village with a hangover for two days after. Johannes- Ah- I have been banned from the wine making since that.”
It was hard to say if Essek's raised eyebrow was from the shooting of the wine or the story. Either way, combined with the upturned corner of his mouth, it was clearly amused and not judgemental. He sat up a bit from his lounge, taking the bottle and topping Bren off once more, even closer to the rim of the wine glass. Before setting the bottle down, he did the same for himself. Might as well settle in and be prepared with adequate amounts of wine.
"I would not even know where to begin to make wine," Essek admitted after taking another long sip himself. "So I commend you that."
It was another reminder of their particular differences, though Essek didn't know if the were stark outside of his own head. If anything, he assumed that Bren was likely grappling more with the clear differences in his own memories and that of the evidence of Caleb's life in Vallo, an echo of what might have been in Exandria. "Do you have any questions?" he asked, listing his head to the side. "Anything you are curious about that I can try to clarify or answer for you? I know this--" He gestured with his wine glass, indicating the space around them and so much more, "must be a lot."
Bren took the opportunity to go around the room now, with Essek offering. When he’d first stepped in here on the day he woke up, this room had been like nothing he’d seen before. The library in Blumenthal was mediocre at best, and very plain. Nothing was catered to magic users, Bren had to order those books from other cities and towns.
“The kids answered a lot of my questions when I first woke up. They were very chatty,” He wasn’t mad about that, clearly, as he smiled a little. He liked the children. “And made a great deal of observations. They’re very smart.” It was meant to commend Essek, if he would take it as such. “But I’ve just never seen--” Bren very carefully set his glass down on a table and lifted a nearby book. Theories Behind the Ice Fields and the Underreaches of Eiselcross. “Anything like these. These books are just- We have the first tomes of beginners magic, and some detailing things like the basics of transmutation spells. But nothing beyond that.”
As Bren looked around, Essek did the same. Their collection wasn't exactly the curated selection of the Marble Tomes, but few things could be when a civilization had existed and been gathering books for millenia--many found by the same person between centuries, thanks to the cycle of rebirth. But it was nevertheless impressive and Essek could recognize that. There were still books from Caleb's contributions that Essek had yet to find a chance to read, his pile to be read forever growing and even including some of the fiction that could be found at Chastity's Nook, something the Shadowhand might have never entertained.
"It is yours to peruse as you like," Essek said, indicating toward the bookshelves again with his glass of wine. "Between the two of us, we have managed to put together a rather wide array of topics." Looking at the book in particular that Bren was looking at, he added, "That one is interesting, though we were able to disprove some of the theories from our own forays into Eiselcross and Aeor."
It felt odd to refer to Caleb as though he wasn't there, but he really wasn't. Letting his gaze fall back onto Bren, who looked so much like his husband but was also notably different, he added, "You are self taught, yes? In magic?"
Essek might have said it was his to peruse but it still didn’t feel that way. It felt delicate and like he might damage something if he pulled too hard or overreached. Bren was soft and unsure in most things, magic especially. He would want to read this one first, though, even if some of it had been disapproved. Bren started a small stack of books on the edge of a table, to add to.
“Oh- Ja, ja. From books, and from a few random teachings from people who traveled through town with magical knowledge. I am always looking to learn.” Anything for himself, anything he could pass along. His spellbook, a small thing tucked into his inner coat pocket, was woefully empty for the most part, but he’d been determined to add something to it every year, at least, and managed that. “I do not know anything too extensive or robust, but I seem to do alright with fire spells. I have managed to transmute a few metals for my husband, as well, to work with. That has been a nice collaboration.”
"That is impressive," Essek said, an eyebrow lifting in an expression that showed that his saying so wasn't just words. Essek was an accomplished wizard, but he had also had the best tutors in his youth that Rosohna could provide, then had access to the Marble Tomes and any scroll or component he might have wanted. It was impressive to him to hear of anyone who had the fortitude and intelligence that allowed for such learning, when not provided the same early aid.
At the same time, though, could Essek be surprised? He knew everything Caleb had accomplished, after all.
This was Bren, though, and he did not know where all of the best books were hidden. Getting to his feet, Essek stepped over toward where he knew the Transmutation tomes were kept. One hand still holding his wine, he pulled out one particular book and offered it to Bren. "Transmutation is not my speciality, but there are a number of ways it is similar to and complements mine." Knowing that Bren shouldn't have any knowledge of Dunamancy given how (frustratingly) insular his home was, he added, "I deal largely in the manipulation of gravity, time, and probability."
Bren blushed. Most people around him, save for his parents, thought that his lower-level practice of magic was nothing to write home about. They’d asked him why he hadn’t gone to the nearby Academy, and he’d shied away from the responsibility and hadn’t wanted to leave his parents.
Even Johannes had told him on a few occasions that he should focus his time and efforts elsewhere, when it didn’t feel useful to the forge. So Bren did most of his studying in private, quiet of the night when Johannes worked late. To have something that had been quietly his passion for years be validated felt very good, and he felt himself acknowledge exactly why he could have fallen for this drow. It suddenly felt like a very easy thing to do, indeed.
He shouldn’t have, but Bren found himself stepping closer to Essek, one of the books clutched in his hands. “Would you- ah- would you show me some? I understand if that is magic you are not to share, but I have never read anything of detail and would be happy to hear anything you have to share.”
Unbidden, Essek let out a soft laugh. "I apologize," he said quickly, looking a bit guilty despite having no real reason to. "I am not laughing at you or the request, it is just--my husband. I taught him magic that I was not meant to share very early on in our acquaintance, too." The similarities, it seemed, were still there, he thought; even with Bren's different life and experiences, there was still that thirst for knowledge and magic that Essek had found so intriguing in Caleb.
"So yes," Essek continued, his fingers moving in the necessary somatic gestures to open his small demiplane that housed several items, including his spellbook. He kept joking that he was going to actually make use of the book holster that he had purchased for his Halloween costume, but he hadn't yet committed to the change. It seemed almost fortuitous, as it meant that he was able to show off that particular trick to Bren in that moment. "Yes, I would be happy to show you whatever you would like."
Essek cracked his spellbook open, idly flipping through the pages for a moment before looking up to Bren with a smile, one more genuine than it had been in days. "I only ask that you show me something, too. Something you are particularly proud of."
Bren’s eyes got wide and he fixated on the demiplane pocket. He wanted to ask about that now but it felt inappropriate and he was still flushed a ruddy ginger color on his cheeks. His desire to learn about magic was currently outweighing any self-preservation he had and that was likely risky but Bren began barreling ahead.
He took a few steps forward and reached around to dig into his pockets. He produced a little shard of amber that he’d kept there for something. It was a spell he had been working on only recently, but he had been more proud of it than any other he had managed. “Ja, deal. I have been--” Bren hesitated, not sure how silly it sounded, but this had to be a universal Wizard problem, didn’t it? Naming one’s spells.
Bren squared his shoulders, “I have been calling it Bren’s Bulwark of Amber.”