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Ptem covered his mouth to stifle a yawn and his eyelids grew heavy. She tried to stay awake; perhaps she could take another look at Mordin’s spellbook so he could review what he wanted to ask Adhlea tomorrow, but she couldn’t keep her eyes open. Ptem hadn’t noticed how tired he was. He stopped trying to fight it and le... |
The weight on the mattress shifted and Ptem blinked her eyes open to find Vim sitting on the end of the bed. |
"Hi," Ptem said, his voice faint. "I love you." He reached for Vim and pulled him into a hug. |
"I love you too," Vim said. "Are you alright, love?" |
"Mhm. Just tired," Ptem said. She was lucky not to have had any nightmares—at least, none that haunted him when she woke. He sat up carefully and rearranged the pillows so he could lean against the headboard. "How are you?" she asked Vim. |
"Tired as well," Vim said. He handed Ptem a bouquet of purple and white flowers. "The garden had a ton of lavender and baby’s breath today and they let anyone who wanted it take some home." |
Ptem took the bouquet and lifted it to his face to smell. She hummed as he took in the rich perfumes. "Thank you, love," Ptem said. These are lovely. Wait—that reminds me—I have something for you too! Would you close your eyes so it can be a surprise?" |
Vim closed his eyes like Ptem asked. "Okay," he said. |
Ptem asked Flame to go into her bag and retrieve Vim’s vase. It was slightly too large for any of the fabric scraps in the workshop to cover it. Ptem pressed the vase into Vim’s hands. "You can open your eyes now." |
Vim looked down at the vase in his hand. It was made of brass, gleaming in the soft light of the room. It was tall and narrow with a thin lip and a bulb-like shape. Ptem had engraved an intricate pattern of feathers into its surface. Gold filigree bands adorned its neck and base. It matched the clock she’d made him. |
He stared at it, almost afraid to handle something so fancy. He gently traced a finger over the engravings, careful not to let his claws scrape against it. This is probably worth more than my parents’ apartment, he thought. He didn’t know what to say. It was beautiful—far too pretty for someone like him. But then so w... |
"It will make the flowers last a little longer and it will keep their water clean," Ptem said. "Also, if someone drops it or knocks it over, it’ll land upright without spilling." |
Vim relaxed. If it was for the flowers he brought home to Ptem, then it was really for her, not him. He placed the day’s bouquet inside the vase and filled it with water from his waterskin and set it on the nightstand beside the ornate clock. He pressed a kiss to Ptem’s forehead. "It’s beautiful, love. Thank you. Would... |
Ptem looked up and smiled at Vim. "I’d love a bath with you." |
Vim lifted Ptem into his arms and carried him into the bathroom to enjoy a quiet night with her. |
Over breakfast the next morning, Ptem asked Adhlea if she would mind taking a look at Mordin’s spellbook. Ptem offered to pay her for it, but she waved him away and said she would love to help. Once Ptem’s unseen servant had cleared the table for them, he pulled Mordin’s heavy book out of her bag and set it on the tabl... |
"What do you need help with, Ptem?" Adhlea asked. |
"There are a few notes in Sylvan that I’d love to get your interpretation of. I can cast a spell that lets me read languages that I don’t know, but it’s no substitute for experience with the culture. I’m curious about this part here," Ptem explained, opening the book to a page he’d bookmarked. "If the colours bother yo... |
Ptem hadn’t been able to start studying this section, partly because he’d begun with the sections of the book she could understand most easily, and partly because the ink was constantly cycling through a rainbow of colours, each one bleeding into the next. Ptem had looked at it long enough to recognize the language as ... |
"The way the ink behaves made me think this is related to the Feywild," Ptem told Adhlea. "I’m guessing that Mordin learned a few things from the unique way that time moves there, but I’m not sure." |
Adhlea pulled Mordin’s book towards her and frowned. "His handwriting is terrible," she remarked. "The colours are pretty, though. They don’t bother me." |
"That was half the struggle," Ptem joked. She sat quietly while Adhlea got out her own notebook and began to write in it. |
Ptem stared out the window as Adhlea worked, not wanting to distract her. He tried to keep his expectations low so she wouldn’t be disappointed if it turned out that Mordin’s ramblings weren’t useful. Trying to understand chronurgy magic was like grasping at sand as it fell between two halves of an hourglass. Finding a... |
A few minutes later, Adhlea looked up. "I think I have something," she said. "These are descriptions of magic items that are native to the Feywild. A lot of them are plants. My best guess is that they’re spell components, though I didn’t see any spells attached to them." |
Ptem hummed. "Thank you so much," he said. "I might not have thought of that. I don’t know any chronurgy magic spells that use material components." |
"Flower of the Ages. Variety of colours, flecked w/gold. Does not age. Grows in bushes. Assist with point in time accuracy + conj./teleportation? Consumed?" |
"Have you heard of such an item before?" Ptem asked. |
"Now that I’m reading about it, it’s vaguely familiar, but I don’t remember where I know it from," Adhlea said. She looked up from her parchment and her eyes landed on the royal blue flower that Ptem always wore in his hair. Gold specks spotted its large petals. "Where did you get the flower you’re wearing?" |
"Vim gave it to me before we got together," Ptem said. "He said it came from—wait..." Ptem carefully extricated the flower from behind his right ear and cradled it in her palm. "He got it in the Feywild," Ptem said, her voice a whisper. |
Her breath caught in his throat. He hadn’t considered that the flower could have magical properties. Vim hadn’t told him that it had any special traits beyond it not dying despite being cut from its plant months ago. For all Ptem knew, that was normal for the Feywild. |
"I can find out if it can be used for magic," Ptem said slowly. He dug through her pack and found the pouch containing her pearl. He also retrieved the stone from his staff. "This will take a minute." |
Ptem closed her hand around the two gems and picked up the flower in her other hand. She spoke the Elvish word for reveal, and waited. His heart pounded and her hands shook with anticipation. He shut his eyes. |
Her palm grew warm as the organic chronurgy magic shifted inside the flower like a caterpillar in a cocoon—latent, but present. A vision formed in her mind of the flower blooming in a lush grove in the Feywild. Time wove itself into its roots and nourished the plant, turning it into a catalyst for temporal navigation. ... |
Ptem opened her eyes. Adhlea, the kitchen, and everything in it blurred as hot tears spilled down his cheeks. Ptem set the spell components on the table and covered her face with his hands. She took slow, ragged breaths until he stopped crying and regained control of himself. He took the napkin she’d used at breakfast ... |
"Sorry," Ptem said to Adhlea. "I...it’s magic. It can help with time travel; specifically, with arriving at the right point in time. If I use it in a spell, the spell consumes it. Sorry, I just wasn’t prepared to find anything as significant as this and it’s a lot to take in. Thank you so, so much." She looked directly... |
"It’s okay. I’m just glad I could help," Adhlea said. "Is there anything else I can do?" |
"Do you think there are places in Exandria where I could find more of them?" The thought of losing the flower Vim gave her—even for something as important as going back home—was heartbreaking. There had to be others he could use, and she’d need more than one to create the spell. Besides, Ptem had no way of getting into... |
Ptem didn’t expect Adhlea to have an answer immediately; she was even newer to this timeline than he was, but she’d been spending all her time reading the books she’d borrowed from the library. Adhlea was especially interested in those that documented the history of major Exandrian cities. She might have come across so... |
"Hmm, let me check," Adhlea said. "I’ll be right back." She headed upstairs to her room and came back with her books. She sat down and quickly flipped to the back of each one. "It’s not in the indexes," she said, looking up at Ptem. "But I think if anywhere has them reliably, it’s probably Syngorn. I don’t know how rar... |
Ptem recognized Syngorn as the high elf city-state where Vim had spent a week in exile before the whole place teleported to the Feywild. She probably wouldn’t like it. But it made sense that of all places, the flowers were most likely to be found there. |
"Mordin noted that they grow in bushes. It’s worth looking into. I’ll see if the university has a compendium of Feywild plants or something similar. Again, thank you so much. It would have taken me hours to figure that out," Ptem said. |
"No problem. Anytime, Ptem," Adhlea said. She finished her tea and excused herself, likely to read some more. |
Ptem headed to the university. There was time to find a book on plants before she went to work. |
For the rest of the day, the flower of the ages stayed rooted in Ptem’s mind. She couldn’t stop thinking about what he’d learned that morning. Now that he knew it was possible, a renewed sense of determination coursed through him and set his brain alight with ideas. All she wanted to do was go back home and start draft... |
Ptem tried to stay focused but evidently hid it badly, as Qebissk and her workshop friends noticed and asked if he was okay. Ptem apologized and said he was just distracted and that she didn’t mean to be rude. |
When the time came for Ptem to leave to meet Djemari, he was frazzled. At least she’d found information on the flower of the ages in the library that morning. It grew exclusively in the Feywild and people on the Material Plane bought them for ornamental purposes. They grew in abundance in some areas of the Feywild, and... |
Adhlea was right; Syngorn was the largest market for the plant, which made sense given the city’s ties to the Feywild and what Ptem assumed were the aesthetic preferences of the elves living there. My hometown would love these, Ptem thought. The rich colours and gold flecks were exactly the fashion in Primaráthæl. |
He’d finished Vim’s harness, and Ramas and Lirovan had both enthusiastically accepted the invitation to Vim’s service. Even though she wasn’t as productive as he could have been, Ptem had accomplished the things he’d wanted to. |
Djemari was already waiting for her when she arrived at Lovechild Boutique. "You’re early," Ptem said. |
"I could say you’re late," Djemari joked. "Ready?" |
"As much as I’ll ever be," Ptem said. "Thanks for doing this. |
"No problem," Djemari reached for the door handle and then paused, turning back to Ptem. "Wait, before we go in, could you cast that spell that lets me talk to people? They’ll probably be speaking Common." |
Ptem offered his hand for Djemari to take and closed his fingers around the stone from her staff. He murmured an incantation, the Elvish phrase for speak, and be heard. Djemari thanked Ptem and held the door for him, then followed her inside. |
The bright torchlight glanced off the silk outfits on display, illuminating the intimate space. A tall, plump humanoid form stood on a platform in the centre of the room clothed in a lacy red two-piece set with a long red robe draped over its shoulders. As Ptem looked at it, the form shifted into a shorter, thinner bod... |
A green tiefling hummed as she rearranged items on their racks. A large set of brown horns curved up from the front of their head then back in a wave shape. Curly silver hair cascaded over their shoulders almost to their thick waist. Silver eyeglasses framed her dark brown eyes and they wore a knee-length, floral-patte... |
She smiled, turning to greet Ptem and Djemari. "Hello! Welcome to Lovechild Boutique," they called in Common. |
"Hey!" Djemari said cheerfully. Ptem waved shyly. |
"I’m Euphoria," the tiefling said. "Let me know if there’s anything I can help you with." |
"Actually, there is," Djemari said. "As you can see, I’m here with my twin and he’s looking for her first set of sexy lingerie." They gestured at Ptem with a grin. Ptem’s face grew warm and he touched the tips of his index fingers together. |
"Well, you’re in the right place," Euphoria said, walking over to them. "Did anything jump out at you, or would you rather I gave a rundown of what we have?" |
"Um, I like th-the white body cage that you have on display," Ptem stammered. |
"Oh, that piece is one of my favourites," Euphoria said. "You’d look beautiful in it!" |
"Um, is it possible for me to try it on? I know a spell that will clean it afterwards if that’s an issue," Ptem asked. |
"Don’t worry about it, that’s part of my job," Euphoria said. "Absolutely, you can try it on. Let me go and fetch one in your size." She disappeared into a curtained room at the back of the shop. |
Djemari gave Ptem an encouraging look. "See? You’re gonna be fine," they said. |
Euphoria came back with the body cage in its packaging. She handed it to Ptem and explained that the individual changing rooms were set up in booths. Each one was inside an enclosed area so Ptem could leave the room without the whole shop seeing her. |
"Let me know if you need any help," they said. "When you’re done, please bring it back to me without casting any spells on it. I appreciate your offer to do it, but it’s store policy that I be the one to clean the merchandise." |
Ptem agreed to do so. Euphoria showed him and Djemari to a booth and pulled the curtain shut. Ptem went into the changing room itself and locked the door behind her while Djemeri waited in the curtained area outside. |
He got out of his wheelchair and turned so he was facing away from the full-length mirror and began to undress. He folded his clothes neatly and placed them in a pile on the seat of her chair. Ptem took up the body cage and ran his fingers over the ivory lace, feeling the ripples of the fabric. She slipped it on, reach... |
The body cage shimmered against Ptem’s purple skin. Its ornate design entwined around her waist and hugged the contours of his body, leaving her stomach exposed and a window for her navel. The lace dipped down to where his cock was nestled and surrounded it comfortably. The garment joined at the top of Ptem’s sternum, ... |
Ptem smoothed his palms up her thighs and over her waist. He touched the lace at his chest and traced the line of her collarbones, stroking his thumb over the collar at her throat. She’d always thought of himself as plain-looking at best and repulsive at worst. He’d refused to have mirrors in her bedroom and his bathro... |
"You’re beautiful, my love," Ptem said to himself quietly, like Shilvik had advised. Something in her stomach fluttered and Ptem clasped her hands together in front of him. His face grew warm with embarrassment. He’d agreed to try giving himself compliments but she felt ridiculous doing it. |
A knock on the changing room door pulled Ptem out of his thoughts. "Hey, are you okay?" Djemari called from the other side. |
"Yes, I’m fine," Ptem said. "Um, should I come out?" |
"Yeah! I wanna see!" |
Ptem slid the small bolt back to unlock the door and stepped forward. |
Djemari whistled, then grimaced as they remembered that they and Ptem were supposed to be acting like siblings and Euphoria probably heard the flirtatious sound they just made. "Shit, I meant to say that you look good," they said. |
Ptem turned around so they could see the back of the outfit. "I like it," she said. "I think I’m going to get this one." |
"Good choice," Djemari said. "Seriously, it suits you." |
"Thanks," Ptem said. She went back into the room and changed back into his regular clothes, folding the body cage. |
"How was it?" Euphoria asked when Ptem and Djemari emerged. Nothing in their behaviour suggested that they’d heard Djemari’s whistle. They took the garment from Ptem and cast Prestidigitation on it. |
"I really like it," Ptem said. "I think I’ll buy it." |
"Wonderful!" Euphoria said with a smile. "Is there anything else you’d like to try today?" |
"Um, well, I—" Ptem had been so consumed by thoughts of that particular piece that she hadn’t thought of anything else to look for. He started to stammer. |
"What do you recommend, Euphoria?" Djemari asked. |
Euphoria told Ptem that she stocked several different styles of body cage and pointed out the options. There were versions of the one she’d chosen in different colours. Some of the garments came with elaborate capes and skirts; some were more akin to harnesses; some included metalwork elements; and some incorporated em... |
Ptem considered the lingerie with metal decorations. It was her style, but probably wouldn’t be the most comfortable to wear. The capes were too flashy for his liking, but the two-piece sets intrigued her. Ptem tried on a few of those as well and settled on one set each in bronze, emerald green, and crimson. |
Euphoria beamed at Ptem as she packed his purchase, then asked if they could find anything for Djemari. |
"Nah, not my thing personally," Djemari replied. "But I have a totally unrelated question: do you have any restaurant recommendations in this area that have vegetarian options? We haven’t had dinner yet." |
"Oh, there’s a fantastic ramen place just down the street from here," they said. "It’s called the Golden Bowl. You can’t miss it." |
"Cheers," Djemari said. "Thanks for everything." |
"Yes, thank you so much," Ptem echoed. |
"Anytime! If you ever need anything, you know where I’ll be," Euphoria said, waving as Ptem and Djemari left. |
Ptem sipped his broth and closed her eyes, savouring the spicy, creamy taste. He’d found a vegetarian dish with mushrooms, tofu, seaweed, bamboo shoots, corn, and green onions and it was one of the best meals he’d had in Emon thus far. |
"Good?" Djemari asked. They chewed on a cut of barbeque pork, having finished their ramen. |
Ptem nodded. "Mhm. How about you?" |
"Very good," they said, picking up another piece of meat with their chopsticks and popping it into their mouth. |
"Thank you again for taking me shopping," Ptem said. "I’d never have gone in there by myself." |
"Anytime," Djemari said. |
"How have you been?" Ptem asked. Apart from the mornings they joined him while she practised his magic, she’d hardly seen Djemari. He knew they liked their job at the Black Bastille and she’d asked them how they got around not knowing Common. Djemari had grinned and said that fighting is a universal language. |
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