[Venora][Mature] The Rift

[Alistair]

22nd of Cylus, Arc 717

"Endurance... Chapter Six..." he rubbed his eyes, turning to page 148 of the book before him. The title was The Grand Idalosian League, written by Richard Penbrooke of the Duchy of Gawyne, licensed and published here in Venora, and sold primarily to Andaris. The book was about the physical body and its limitations, as well as utilizing those to become a proper "pillar of society", but in a way differentiating from good behavior, charity and kindness. Instead, the book focused on utilizing strength, endurance, combative skills and resistance to labor optimally, and make the absolute best of each action, bit and trial for the good of one's self and community. It was a... very masculine approach to proper civility, he recognized, though there were some out there who could only claim decent behavior when it came to their personal achievements. Was a man who was crass and quick to anger not a good person, despite the fact that he labored tirelessly for his community?

Alistair did not think he was a bad person at all, truthfully, and the book seemed to concur. Thus it became about more than just training one's body, but also the morality of labor and self-perfection. All-in-all, this book was one for the legends, even if only because Alistair morally, philosophically and logically agreed with it. He'd have to write a review about it some time, when things weren't so nutty and fast-paced.

"Endurance, as an ability, lays in reference to your ability to withstand exertion or remain active over long periods of time. Additionally, it also refers to your ability to withstand limiting factors such as fatigue, stress, pain and other debilitations. Endurance training helps improve... endurance... in several exercises, including ones of the heart, respiratory system, muscular growth, and a variety of other exercises; it directly supplements strength training in that they both mutually build into one another." He nodded as he read. This all seemed very logical, based on his own experiences, particularly. Now, the question was -- why was he reading this all aloud? In essence, it came down to one thing: he was trying to annoy Fridgar into waking up, considering the man had been sleeping in far too long, at least by Alistair's cruel and inhuman standards. Six hours a day was all one needed, that was what he told himself... and others, apparently, if they dared to sleep in on an important day.

Six hours a day, every day -- five if one could train themselves to withstand light fatigue. That was a part of why he was training in endurance, actually.

His volume picked up, reading the next entry on the page. "Endurance is a necessary skill for those who wish to withstand long hours of labor and homestead upkeep. In poor working conditions, such as in the fields or other common practices, endurance is a necessary skill due to the many hours of backbreaking labor. Many citizens, especially those in the lower class, naturally experience growth in their endurance due to the intensity of their labor. However, this chapter focuses on special techniques which..." He sighed. Clearly the man would need something more audible in order for him to awaken. Considering they were in Alistair's little tower, shared by he, Andraska and formerly Zvezdana, he was sure no one in the palace main would hear this.

The man took a breath, cracked his knuckles, and snapped his fingers. Upon doing so, a rift was formed in the matter around them, a ripping and crackling noise permeating the room in a loud bang. Normally, Rupturing wasn't so loud, especially considering Alistair had gone above and beyond its vices -- but in this particular case, loud was the goal.

"Wake up."

[Varthakh]

At last, he'd done it. With a single touch, he'd copied the signature for the totem of an enormous dragon. He was after all, a legendary Becomer. casting his portal open, because he can do that now, Fridgar stepped through and arrived at his destination - some densely-populated city somewhere. A grin crossed his features as the sun beat hard on his back. He'd almost forgotten it was the season of Swan. Drawing on all the ether he could, he readied for his unleash. His body shook under the strain, cracking the ground around him with the tension of the power that he commanded! The Lothar roared and initiated the transformation in one mighty unleash.

His red slitted eyes opened, the city beneath him. Screams rung out across the whole town and women, children and men alike fled the mighty creature. "GIDEON! COME OUT AND FACE ME!!!" He called the name of the king, who stepped out from his balcony in a suit of armour that pulsed with energy from beyond this world. "Fridgar, you think i will surrender my vast collection of wine to you just because you have assumed the form of the legendary dragon Apepi? FOOL! Think again! You will never match my endurance!!" The old man bellowed with laughter before leaping from his balcony and landing in a crater, unharmed. Why was he on about endurance for? Austin and Gwen appeared atop his head, cheering his praise. "SO BE IT, I WILL LAY YOUR KINGDOM TO RUIN!!!" The Dragon roared.

Suddenly, a loud bang sounded, shaking the whole world. Realisation struck - the sun, he'd forgotten to warn everyone that it was going to explode. Horrified, the turned his dragon head to the sky to behold the giant red ball of fire, just before it erupted in the same supernova he'd seen during the transition, wiping out all life on- ...

"Wake up."

Fridgar awoke, shooting up in the bed and looking around, confused in a haze. A deep breath of air filled his lungs, stirring his consciousness. "Alistair...?" His lips parted suddenly, his jaw stretching in a long yawn. "What break is it...?" Too damn early was the right answer. The Lothar dropped backwards, pulling the sheet back over himself and tried to go back to sleep.

With added 'persuasion' of Alistair, he would eventually crawl out of bed and get dressed, grumbling incoherently. Once he'd finished he'd yawn once more and sit on the bed. "Why are we up so early...? he'd ask, full of pity and half dozing off once more. His eyes shot open once more with the sudden realisation - Learning trial. Alistair was going to teach him to rupture! Suddenly full of energy, he turned around to face his lover. "I didn't forget! I'm ready, let’s go!"

[Alistair]

Alistair...? the man questioned, after very suddenly rising from the bed and rapidly observing around the room. The mage closed the portal, raising his arm and flicking his fingers. "Yep, that's me," he brought his fingers back to himself, pointing at his chest triumphantly with a silly grin on his face. The man moved onto the bed, just as the man slumped back onto the mattress, pulling the sheet back over himself. The Venora leaned in to pester him, kissing him all over the place, and messing around with his unkempt hair.

"It's the... sixth break or so," he said, nodding. "But we went to sleep at -- what, the twenty third break? That's more than enough hours when you have a busy day ahead of you -- and we have... more than just a busy day ahead. I'll explain it to you in a moment." He affirmed his own points, of course, but paying further attention he realized that Fridgar likely wasn't even listening. In fact, he was halfway back to sleep already, heavy breaths entering and exiting his nostrils.

The man shook his head. If words and sonic booms couldn't wake Fridgar up, then he knew what would. Alistair's hands began to explore the man's body, paying extra attention to each curve, and every spot of sensitive skin. Then, just as the man began to grow... excited, Alistair's touch receded, save for a slap on the rear in jest with a grin upon his face. "No more of that for a week if you don't awaken." He was bluffing, really, but it seemed to be working. The man rose from bed and began to dress himself, Alistair's eyes lingering as his thoughts went elsewhere.

He'd only just returned from Syroa's... trial, and Fridgar from wherever he'd gone the past few days -- still, it already felt natural, and comfortable, again. This was his normality.

With the man's sudden rush of enthusiasm, Alistair snapped out of his thoughts, and gleamed at Fridgar's excitement; he'd learned it was contagious. "Okay, okay! We'll go -- but we don't need to leave the room this time. Hell if I'm freezing to half death again," he said, shaking his head. "First, though, I need to explain something to you, alright? This is really quite important - so please remember this." The man took a breath. He decided he'd be concise about this, and say it really simply. Not because he felt Fridgar was dumb, but because it was confusing, even for other Rupturers.

"Tomorrow, and until the twenty eighth of Cylus, I will be... displaying. That's what I call it. Displaying my spark -- four days out of every sixty four, I transform. Do you remember how I began to crackle into some strange glowing aberration the first time we met? Like that, except you didn't get to see the rest of it last time. You will see it tomorrow, and I warn you, I'm not quite the same. I'm notably more fighty, and exploratory. Also, I'm some ethereal abomination, so I'm not so sure how the carnal side of things will work, frankly. We might want to avoid the attempt." He noted that with a light blush on his cheeks, and laughed lightly, moving on.

"So -- yes," he said. "I'd love to tell you more, but I don't know all that much. I only revealed last season, and as a result, I began to change internally - but the changes are constant, like the seasons, and they cycle. My power waxes, wanes, shimmers fully and even darkens. At my lowest point I am still powerful, but it's almost as if I never revealed. The other phases, I grow, and grow, until I'm some apparition. In that phase, my power feels almost limitless, but I'm different. Certainly not human." Perhaps this all wasn't very important to Fridgar, but hey -- it would certainly effect their relationship. One sixteenth of their lives, Alistair would be a glowing monster. Four days of every sixty four.

And it was tomorrow. That was going to be something -- he'd avoided people in that form thus far, but he wasn't going to just abandon Fridgar every time he was displaying. He didn't have the option to go rogue like that anymore.

Still, this topic wasn't all important, and they had other things to get to. He decided to begin the Rupturing instruction, asking Fridgar a familiar question, one he'd asked Ali while teaching him about Becoming: "So -- how much do you know about Rupturing? If nothing, it's okay. I figure you've not been exposed to it, much." His eyes focused on his lover intently. If Fridgar struggled too hard with a response, he'd just move on. His goal wasn't to embarrass the man.

[Varthakh]

A tease. That word best described the noble in this moment. How did he expect Fridgar to concentrate at all after a wake-up call like that? A playful scowl in his direction confirmed, he would have his revenge. Seeing Alistair's lingering gaze, his reddened cheeks only grew in intensity. He took his time with the dressing, putting on a show for his lover by flaunting his body in a teasing display.

He'd caught glimpse of the far-away look that Alistair snapped out of when he got excited, what was he thinking about? Wherever he'd had to go perhaps? Whatever the case, it became apparent that they didn't have to go anywhere, not this time at least. They'd stay inside, which was nice. Freezing to half death again didn't sound like the best way to be spending his time with Alistair, anyway. Fridgar settled down, readying to pay attention. What Alistair had to say was important, he even said so this time, so it must have been extra important. Of all the people to listen to, he was by far the easiest... when he was speaking common and not genius.

"Displaying?" Fridgar asked, what did he mean 'displaying his spark'? His head tilted to the left a little with confusion, thankfully, Alistair went on to explain. The thing he was turning into in the woods! But in full? 'More fighty' caught his attention, would he get the chance to fight Alistair? ...The thought excited him. With his eyes full of desire and fixed on the other man, he bit his lower lip "Alright, alright. I'm all down for fighting, but we should make it more interesting..." The Lothar proposed in a lucrative tone. Following Alistair explaining that he might not be able to do the dirty, his face dropped "Hmm. Alright... Well, how about the last two trials of Cylus then? When I win, I get an Alislave for the rest of the season." he grinned. Despite knowing that a fraction of the power he commanded in that form could beat him with ease, it was worth a try, right? He had gotten stronger since their last meeting, considerably so, maybe he stood a chance? Should he ask something along the lines of 'What's in it for me?' Fridgar would sigh and explain "Well, you're not gonna win, but what would you want?" wearing a cocky smile.

Moving on, Alistair continued his explanation and he continued to listen. Okay, so Fridgar might have made a mistake if his power was limitless during this 'revelation' of some sort. Regardless though, he didn't flinch. If nothing else, he could take a beating. "So uhh... does every mage display? Can't say I've ever heard of that." Fridgar paused, did he display? Was his sudden growth of mass and hair him displaying? "Am I also gonna turn into something as badass as that?" Fridgar asked, his eyes alight suddenly. The concept of transformation was far from alien to him, if he didn't like it, he could just change back to a Lothar, right? Alistair seemed to be okay with it, so what was the problem really? "You worry too much." Fridgar smiled with a nod of his head.

Ali trusted him with this information, he would have to do his best not to betray that trust. There, he resolved to do as Alistair requested, if he'd need peace in this form, so be it. He would try to leave the room for a break, ultimately fail and return. If he needed food, Fridgar would go out and find some, though be sure it was wriggling when he returned. Did ethereal beings need food?

"Uhh..." Fridgar started, on the topic of knowledge he didn't know much. "Well, I have a friend who's a rupturer, though he's nowhere near as good as you. he told me a thing or two but I... got distracted." He explained, in truth he'd just started daydreaming and found his lesson to be boring. "But he told me some stuff about a sundial or something? I know you can open portals and blink and stuff. Blinking looks like a lot of fun... Oh and that thing you did with my shirt that one time, removing the mass...?" Fridgar shrugged, he didn't know all too much on the subject, but liked to pretend he did. With hopeful eyes, he looked back to Alistair.

[Alistair]

He quickly realized that whatever teasing he could do for Fridgar, the other man could easily reciprocate -- staring at the display with a glimmer in his eyes, he found his mouth open, and his blood circulating. His body grew almost woozy from the sight - and also, ashamed, as he'd been trying to instruct the man on magic here, rather than staring at some... striptease.

With Fridgar's words, he was again snapped out of his trance, with a shake of the head. "Displaying, like you did just now," he said, with a toothy grin, as if teasing him. Okay, focus. Focus.

"Hey, I never said I'd want to fight you," the man pointed out, though he admired Fridgar's enthusiasm. To be honest, a fight between the two sounded fun, especially considering Alistair would be almost invulnerable when Revealed. He wouldn't get killed in one punch by Fridgar. Only problem was, his fighting style was particularly lethal. He liked to form rifts right where people were going, destabilize them, take off arms and legs in an instant. How was he going to beat Fridgar without his typical style of Rupturing? Even if he could heal with Chrysalis, there was no way in hell Alistair would be willing to take off limbs. He'd need to somehow win by mobility alone, perhaps coupled with abrogation.

It was a handicap, but if anything, that made it fair. Though, upon the man stating his desires, Alistair wasn't sure he wanted it to be fair. Alislave? "Please," he shook his head. "Don't even bother dreaming, big guy. Your chances of winning aren't even at the zero mark." He taunted him, of course, just to make the game more fun. Though that left him with the thought -- what did he want from Fridgar? He couldn't say "sex slave", as that was already what he was going to become, apparently. That forced him to be a lot more creative. And then... it hit him. The perfect idea.

"If I win, you'll shave. And let me buy you some nice clothes -- I'll get them custom fitted for you and everything. But seriously, I want to see how you look without all... that on you." He moved closer to the man, raising his hand to stroke Fridgar's beard, and kissing him on the lips. "I think you'd be really handsome. Moreso than you already are." He didn't have an outlandish request, at least not to him. He wasn't going to make Fridgar roleplay as a butler for a week or anything of the like. Although, that was a good idea. Maybe next bet they made?

Upon being asked about the revelation, or displaying as he called it, Alistair shook his head. "Every mage who truly masters a magic, at a historical level, reveals. I only call my revelation displaying because it's cyclical -- most revelations are constant. There are very few mages who are revealed, though. I've only met three others in my life, and these are three of the strongest mages in Idalos. Perhaps I'll tell you about them, some other time," he said. As for what Fridgar would turn into...? He shrugged. "I dunno. You could end up badass, or you could turn into a beaver," he laughed. A part of him felt like the man would take that seriously, but even so, he didn't correct himself. Perhaps that was a show of his malefic sense of humor.

He was right, though. Alistair did worry too much -- it was in his nature.

Hearing that Fridgar had met another Rupturer was interesting. They were sort of rare, and tended to be fairly freelance, rarely sticking to factions or making a big bustle about their talents. It was the magic of academics and explorers, mostly. Alistair had only recently began to transform Rupturing into a combat and wartime focused magic, though the change was slow and sweeping, rather than rapid. Still, that was the way Fridgar would be taught Rupturing, by his combat-savvy instructor. Which was, Alistair imagined, exactly the sort of style of Rupturing he wanted to learn.

"Okay, not terrible," he said, nodding. He didn't give any information, but he at least knew some of what they could do, so that was a start. "So... yeah, sundials, that's a thing. I'll tell you about that later, though -- it's more advanced, and it's the most scientific portion of the magic. I don't want to fry your brain." He quickly moved on, going to the corner of his room and pointing out a diagram that he'd pinned to his wall. It was an image of a grassy plain, with two sides to it: one with vivid colors, and one with a more unsure, darkened view. Eyes opened, eyes closed. Yet, even with closed eyes, one could still see the field. In truth, the eyes weren't closed at all, but rather, they were watching for pockets of ether that surrounded them. It was a form of active meditation, a trance.

Alistair would explain.

"The first step to learning how to Rupture is being able to feel, understand and utilize pockets of ether. See this diagram?" he asked, rhetorically. "On one side, you're looking with the basic function of your eyes. You see vivid colors - green grass, yellow flowers, black ants running through the blades of green. Then, on the other side, everything is all sketched out rather than painted, with sort of imaginary blotches of things that you might not see normally whilst looking. This is your mind's view of your surroundings - it's far less vivid." He ran his fingers through the sketched out blades of grass, and then, to the white light that surrounded the field, permeating the air. This picture may have been marketed as mere artistic expression, but surely, he knew this had been painted by a Rupturer.

"Still, you can imagine your surroundings, whether or not you can see them. With how attuned you are to the world around you, Fridgar, that part should be easy. You have a great imagination," he pointed out, speaking empirically. "You must use that imagination of yours to fully understand how to utilize Rupturing. When your eyes close, and you can only visualize, a new sort of sense emerges for a blooming Rupturer: the ability to feel mana, or ether, in the world around them. Every little inch of space is filled with not only air, but mana. This mana permeates what we know as the fabric of reality, solidifying Idalos and the universe as a concept. Indeed, even the existence of our world's fabric is made possible only by energy, and with Rupturing one can learn to manipulate this energy that gives our world consistency. Close your eyes, and imagine it: that air, that empty space, and then the energy that lays within it. Then, when you can see and feel it, direct your mind to it. Try to spread it apart -- to rupture it."

He gave the man an example. The man's palms were brought together, and then slowly spread apart. Before Fridgar's eyes, the fabric of Idalos was rended, slowly opened, with an unclear destination on the other side. "It's like an entire stretch of space has been removed from the equation. When you step into that rift you created, where space was made undone, you come out the other side -- the other spot where you tore space open. Point A, point B. Everything in-between is utterly ignored, because you made a shortcut through reality. Rupturing is often called the magic of Gods because of this; we can control the fabric of our reality."

[Varthakh]

SHAVE?! The Lothar's eyes widened, shock claiming his features. "Shave? Uhh..." No, he couldn't shave, no force on Idalos could convince him to. His sudden bout of resistance soon melted away with his lover’s touch and the warmth of his lips. He spoke up, his voice hushed and soft around the edges "Well... I guess shaving isn't so bad..." the Lothar confessed. "Are you sure about buying me clothes as you victory prize? I mean, you don't have to... I do earn a wage." he cleared his throat "Besides, it's not like you're gonna win, anyway!" He grinned on the outside while mourning his beard on the in. Fridgar took hold of Alistair by the firm bicep suddenly, pulled him in close and lifted him from the floor, holding him by his well-shaped behind and muscular back. It was easier to kiss the smaller man this way, and he did so, pressing their chests together softly.

So, he hadn't revealed yet. It made sense, considering Eric was far beyond him for skill level, still. He had a long way to go, with plenty more corruptions apparently, too. "A Beaver...?" He hoped not, he'd almost always change into a different form if that had been the case, though Alistair appeared to be joking. Fridgar laughed nervously. Only 3 others? By the Immortals, was Alistair a mage of legendary standards? Had he made history? The Lothar could almost swoon at the thought. Still holding him, Fridgar would tenderly kiss along the side of his neck. The tickling sensation of his beard probably counteracted the desired effect, but the Lothar remained unaware for the time being.

Finally, he would let Alistair down with some convincing. They had a lesson to get to, after all. Fridgar nodded, he'd not understood a word of what Sintih had said in regards to the Sundials, he'd try his best to understand with Alistair's help. He walked over to the corner of the room, where he kept some sort of drawing? Unsure, Fridgar looked about the room before approaching. One side looked colourful and vivid with greens and yellows, blue skies while the other was... dark like Cylus? Perhaps a little brighter. Fridgar nodded, despite the rhetorical nature of the question. He stood with his arms crossed looking intently at the diagram. "Your minds view? So like your memory? Or is there a way to look at something with your mind and not your eyes?" The Lothar asked, seeming to stay on track so far.

A light blush filled his cheeks with Alistair's compliment. A great imagination? Him? The Lothar's smile only grew. Alistair spoke of some strange things; the world was made of energy? Rupturers had the ability to manipulate this energy? He'd been aware of Ether and had the ability to manipulate it within himself, which was essentially the nature of becoming, provided you had the creatures signature in the form of a totem. Thus, the concept wasn't too alien to him. "I'll try... could you show me an example first maybe?" he asked, the time for his practice nearing. He looked to the legendary mage who complied. What he found interesting was that Alistair had done something similar to his shirt, but instead of removing distance he removed the mass?

"That's so cool." Fridgar spoke, star struck. His eyes fell to his hands when he unfolded his arms, would he be able to pull that off first time? "Alright, I'm ready. The magic of the gods better be ready for me!" He clenched his hands into fists suddenly, meeting eyes with Alistair, aglow with determination. He closed his eyes, taking a step back. In through the nose and out through the mouth, he managed his breathing. He had some experience in mediation, he'd have to meditate on the signature of an Animal as well as his own ether when he'd first started Becoming. With his focus came the silence of his mind, empty thoughts. Imagining the landscape around him with an empty mind was difficult, tricky even. He'd managed it after a bit of complete silence, sketching the greyed uncertain landscape in his head.

His posture had slowly shifted during this bit. He'd started standing up straight with a resting expression, but had slowly slouched and lowered his body slightly at the knees. The recessing of rational thought left mostly instinct. Energy began to transition into his view, wisps of yellow glowing energy that stood out bright on the darkened landscape around him. Larger pockets of the stuff soon lined his 'vision'. It was almost physical, much like the Ether within him it could be manipulated. His head twitched into a tilt while examining one particular pocket of Ether, as if to follow, his nose took a short-sharp sniff, but it was without scent.

Then came the next part, projecting his mind into it? He could very well try. His brow quivered under the sheer concentration he was attempting to pull off. That ether pocket was his, he'd decided. His territory and his to project into, it would obey him. On accord of their own, his paws reached up to touch the pocket, sinking his claws into its centre. "Come on, just like becoming..." Came a thought as he began to lose his grip on the meditation. No, he was close. He pulled with his claws, his arms shook with strain as he pulled, but he would not falter. With all his mental might, he pulled, teeth baring at one point as participation began to gleam on his forehead. Unless Alistair were to snap him out of it or he failed, he would continue the press.

[Alistair]

He'd... actually consider shaving? The mage's eyes beamed, pumping his fist flippantly in victory, his face donning a silly grin. Less than a week with Fridgar, and he'd already found himself a lot sillier than when they'd met. Perhaps it was because he was... happier than when they'd met. "It's a date then," he said, winking. "Don't worry about the clothes. I have a lot of money, and not much to do with it. Consider it a gift," he nodded. Fridgar proclaimed, afterward, that he would not find victory. Shortly after the larger man made his declaration, he picked up Alistair by the back and rear, pressing him into his chest and keeping him suspended, similarly to their... previous carnal engagement. The thought brought a blush to his cheeks, as he melted into the firm embrace of his lover. His face lit with kisses, the man responded in turn, and then whispered to his burly mate.

So strong, he noted to himself. Alistair was quite muscular, and fairly heavy, yet Fridgar lifted and threw him around as if he were nothing more than a paperweight. He loved that about him - with Fridgar, he needed do little more than lean into him and forget about the reality outside of his grasp. He found his kisses intensifying, and soon, he'd forgotten the entirety of the reason they'd woken up this cold morning. Of course, Fridgar's train of thought ran similarly, and the two ended up kissing one another in tandem before finally, the man let him down.

So like your memory? the man asked. Alistair nodded quickly, ensuring the man that he was onto the right idea. "Yes, your imagination, formed by your memory. Take in the room, everything in it, and then close your eyes. What do you see? Nothing, right? But if you try to imagine the room, even with your eyes closed, you likely can. You can imagine where everything is, the shape, so on and so forth. Without sight, one relies solely on other senses. One of these senses, awakened in a Rupturer, is the ability to understand and feel the ether around them. This is how we attune to it, and command it." Upon being asked to give an example, he did so, which seemed to fiercely pique the Lothar's interests. That's so cool, he stated, causing for the older man to scratch the back of his head, shyly grinning. "No big deal," he whispered, happy to have impressed his companion.

Fridgar stating his readiness, Alistair stepped back and nodded his head, giving him room to focus and relax. He said nothing, staring silently at his partner with a reassuring smile covering his lips, so as to not invoke nervousness in the Lotharro. The man closed his eyes and began to focus. Meditate. The Venora closed his eyes, too, reducing his unnecessary thoughts, controlling his breathing. The human male soon saw the same landscape as the Lothar, and also, the same ether. He could almost feel the other mage's mind reaching out to touch the energy displayed to both of them, and soon after, he could see the magic being performed. The pocket of bright ether was torn asunder, shifted by the power and will of the other mage. Fridgar learned... immensely quickly. He was highly talented, that was clear.

The mage said nothing, and did nothing. He allowed for his mate to perform this all on his own. As his hands stretched out to hold the energy, and his paws held firm, the nobleman felt himself recognizing the fullness of the shift. It was subtle at first, and then less so. Fridgar's will pulled the energy apart, and within several moments, the burly mage had crafted a functioning half of the rift. The sound of rippling, cracking and tearing filled the air around them, and a tear formed visibly into space. A portal, formed by Chasing, utilizing the physical presence of ether. It was a basic task to perform, but Fridgar had done it outstandingly.

"Now, for the other side," the mage requested, staring quietly at the magical construct of his apprentice. "Do the same thing as now, and connect the two sides together. When you do that, the fabric of space between the two points will be nullified, or ignored, on either side." Fridgar only had one more hurdle to wade through, and he'd be a fully-fledged Rupturer as a result.

"By the way, Fridgar," the man broke in, a proud smile upon his lips, "You're doing astoundingly well. Soon enough you'll be ready for long distance erotica," he said, chuckling like a fiend.

[Varthakh]

The ether tore open at last, creating what he was meant to? It hadn't been easy, but at last, some results. Alistair's voice came to him in his meditation; He had to do it all again. Very well, he would try. He'd never been one for abiding to his limits anyway. His head turned to another pocket of ether, a bright one just like the last. He almost felt more lumber toward it, as though he'd stretched out on the previous, but also more fatigued. Recalling when he'd first learned becoming, it had taken him weeks of meditation before he was ready to attempt a basic transformation. Perhaps rupturing was just easier in that sense?

Once again, he reached his mind into the ether which manifested in his hands performing the actions, the physical helped him concentrate. Already feeling stronger, he pulled at the ether, forcing it apart with his mind, again, not so different to becoming in the sense of manipulating ether. His body shook with strain once more, but the construct came naturally. Now he had to join them together somehow? He took a step back, putting both ends in his view. How was he meant to do this? His arms shot out in front of him, one pointed to the first portal and the other to the second, he took a deep breath.

Alistair then spoke once more, sounding praise to the Lothar and carnal jokes. He'd almost broke his concentration in hearing it, but remained steady. He exhaled his breath very slowly, calming his mind and keeping the image before him from blurring. With both hands, he projected his mind's energy into the things he'd made, once that was done; he pulled. His arms wouldn't move at first, staying still in their positions. Harder he commanded of himself, his facial features twitching under the immense force he was exerting with his mind. A headache started to form, one that he would ignore. He pressed on, pulling either end of the construct with what he perceived as unfathomable strength of mind.

The Lothar, baring his teeth, budged his arms just a bit. The constructs had formed bumps, ones that he felt needed to be put together. A low growl came with his exertions as the headache worsened. He would not stop however, instead he pressed harder, stretching himself beyond the limits he'd previously thought weighed him down. The bumps of each end stretching with continued effort, his clawed digits quaked under the strain as did his arms. A high humming noise popped in his ear with the worsening of the headache. Blood ran down his front lip from his left nostril while the left side of his head burned red hot, his adjacent eye burned the most uncomfortably - The Lothar was trying very hard.

A final press came with a roar from the half man; closing his hands together at last and joining the two ends of the portal. Breathing heavily, Fridgar took a knee and held his head while it felt as though his brain was trying to claw its way through his skull. "Did it work?" He asked without raising his head or opening his eyes, just holding his head. Had he overstepped by diving so boldly with the new addition to his spark? It felt like it, for sure. Fridgar visibly cringed as the humming noise in his ears receded. The headache persisted and the bloodied nose mingled with his moustache. After a bit or two of recovering, Fridgar would shakily stand and open his eyes.

Alistair would immediately notice a difference in the Lotharro. As opposed to his right eye, his left eye was pitch-black in its entirety, like the darkness of space, but dotted with white specs, like distant stars. His right remained the same, black with a big brown iris. His eyes fluttered open and closed, seeming to adjust to his affliction without his realisation. Now a fully-fledged Rupturer, the Lothar bared his new witchbrand. Being the dummy he is, he simply wiped his bloodied nose into his leather jacket.

"That was fucking awesome, 'not gonna lie." Fridgar smiled at Alistair, apparently quite impressed with himself. "Hey, do me a favour and stand by that one with your back turned?" Fridgar asked with a sly grin. "Just trust me, it's gonna be good." He assured, taking his position at the other portal. How's this for 'long distance erotica'? came a thought before plunging his arm into the portal from a low point, aiming to grab Alistair's behind from the angle. Strangely, he couldn't reach Alistair? Feeling around inside the portal revealed him not to be there? He looked to the other end of the room to the other portal to see that his hand hadn't come through the other side. "What the fuck?" Fridgar asked with a baffled look on his face.

Removing his arm from the portal would reveal a bloody stump where his arm used to be, sleeve gone and all. "Oh." he spoke with wide eyes before looking to Alistair awkwardly "Oh shit, don't touch that portal. I think I broke it." Fridgar instructed with a solemn nod. While his mate probably panicked, he remained calm and took deep breaths. "I really liked this jacket..." Fridgar spoke while quickening his ether. Suddenly, his arm would stop bleeding and grow outwards by the bone first, forming musculature, blood and skin around the fresh skeleton. A fresh, sleeveless arm would appear within four trills. Fridgar had cast chrysalis with an unleash. With a sly smile, he'd look to his lover and speak "Pretty cool right?"

[Alistair]

As the Lotharro practiced the magic eagerly, Alistair watched, ensuring that his apprentice did not hurt himself in the action. The man had performed quite well, utilizing the instinctual practices of Rupturing to overcome his weakness for the scientific portion, which was fairly unimportant at this stage regardless. He pulled apart space with his hands, quite physically interacting with the fabric of Idalosian reality, rather than simply willing for it to be separate. His methodology was unique, but effective, and it fit him. Alistair found himself impressed over the tenacity of his student, though he realized that upon performing these actions, a mutation had landed itself within Fridgar's spark.

His nose began to bleed, and his eye emptied, a brown iris with a black outline becoming instead a whole, empty black, with the light of shimmering stars within it. His eye became similar in appearance to that of the night sky, complimenting Alistair's nebulous irises in painting out apparel of space. The mage moved forward, rag in hand, to clear the blood from his lover's face, dripping from his nose. He patted down his face quickly, and laid a kiss upon his lips, tasting a slight amount of iron in the exchange. "You fiend," he whispered, a smile upon his lips. Fridgar had gone and mutated right before him, and had to worry him with a bloody nose and all. Worst of all, the Lothar didn't even seem to notice, or care. He reminded Alistair of why he loved him, just with his rambunctious and thoughtless behavior.

And, he was proud. That was fucking awesome, the bear said, inciting a nod of agreement in his mate. "You've done quite well," the mage replied. Fridgar then suggested the mage stand by a particular portal with his back turned. Alistair raised a brow and decided to comply, though upon thinking about it, he realized what the Lothar was probably trying to do. With his back turned to the Lothar, he turned himself around, holding out his hand and speaking clearly to try and prevent the bear from sticking his hand into either side. "Fridgar, wait-"

He met the full vision of his lover, only to find that the Lotharro had shredded the whole of his hand. He pulled it back, revealing a bloodied stump. Alistair was shocked. Fridgar just lost his hand - he was an amputee. And he would bleed out of Alistair didn't do anything. The man shuffled around vigorously to try and treat the wound, as light tears began to stream from his eyes. I should've realized, and warned him better. He gathered bandages, medicines, coagulants, and something for the Lothar to bite on. His body shook, unhinged by what he'd just seen. He'd seen so much worse, but never on someone he cared so deeply for.

Upon turning back to look at the Lothar, though, the man's hand was back in place. Alistair took a step back, his eyes wandering madly, completely startled. What?

The mage forced the portals to close, utilizing abrogation. Alistair forced kinetic folds of matter to surround the portals, disallowing entry and suffocating them. As these portals closed, and the air no longer reverberated around them, the Venora allowed himself the attempt at focusing. He didn't understand exactly what had just occurred. Fridgar... regenerated, like an undead. How was that possible?

Pretty cool, right?

"Wait, what?" He paused, taking a breath. The mage put everything back where he'd found them, his mind attempting to organize his space as a result of his confusion. Looking back at Fridgar, Alistair leaned into a table and sighed. "Is that how you kept yourself alive when you were poisoned?" he asked. It made sense now. It must have been some sort of magic, though he didn't know what kind, exactly. Was it Becoming? Perhaps a realization of one's actual self, made into reality? A regeneration of originality?

He hadn't seen any other magics by Fridgar, so that had to be it. Regardless, he was just happy that his lover wouldn't become an amputee so quickly. He cherished the man's embrace, and it wouldn't feel the same with one less hand, he knew. Alistair took a breath.

"Okay, that's enough for today. You're going to overstep if we continue."

The mage was quite clearly stressed out by the whole thing, though he quickly compartmentalized it all, and accepted that Fridgar was not in fact in lethal danger. It was difficult to juggle between exceptional worry and normality so quickly, but in dealing with magic, one had to be prepared for the unexpected.

"Fridgar, let's wrap it up with some clarifications. That portal you just created was a Chasing portal, where in close quarters, you instantly transfer one thing to another space, typically by visualizing pockets of ether and leaping to them. The next sort of portal you'll be creating is a compression portal, a more complex portal based around the idea of compressing space and distance to a non-factor, effectively turning miles to inches. Between both of them, though, lies the blink - a type of chasing or compression that revolves around visualizing a place, feeling ether, one or both - and then transferring only yourself, tagging onto the energy and zipping into the space determined. It's an instant jump, considered to be the pinnacle of Rupturing, despite being the first and most simple technique."

He nodded his head, performing a blink for him then and there, appearing behind the Lothar and trailing his fingers down his... stub. It felt normal, and usual. It didn't feel off at all.

"The fourth thing I wish to tell you about is the "don't fucking touch amateur portals" technique, where you avoid sticking your hand into unstable vortexes of matter so that you don't terrify your mate. You silly," he shook his head, burying his face into the Lothar's back, taking deep breaths to calm himself from the previous scare.

[Varthakh]

The voice in his head scalded him for letting Alistair panic for as long as he had, for shame! In truth, he'd wanted to see how his mate would react to seeing the otherwise permanent injuries, he didn't disappoint. Alistair had his head on straight, immediately sought to fix the problem even through his tears. The Lothar looked away in guilt as he cast Chrysalis,
only to return his mismatched eyes to Alistair and meet his startled expression.

"Yeah, I kept myself alive waaaay past the point it would have killed anyone else." He declared, fleshing his forearm and clenching his fist as to demonstrate that his fresh limb still worked the same. Moving his sleeve revealed that a ring-like scar circled the place the amputation had occurred. "Good thing I didn't try and pounce you through the portal or something, right? haha..." The Lothar chuckled nervously. Would he have been wiped from reality if he had just jumped through the portal like a moron? The thought gave him chills. A thought struck, where did his hand go? Was his hand lost in space ready for someone else undergoing the initiation to discover at any given moment? Creepy.

Fridgar nodded his throbbing head "Yeah, no kidding. Chrysalis, the ability I just used, isn't cheap." he groaned, rubbing his eyes with his sleeveless arm. He cleared his throat and listened to Alistair as he spoke, or tried to at least. Alistair was using words he didn't understand; 'clarifications, non-factor, pinnacle' for some examples. He understood most of what he said though, in his own childish primitive way. The first ability of rupturing allows you to open portals by stretching the glowy yellow stuff. Fridgar nodded, looking around the room for the disappeared Alistair only to find a presence behind him, caressing his fresh arm.

His whole body had frozen for a trill, deciding whether to turn around and smack the mystery man behind him or whether to believe it was Alistair. He recognised Alistair's touch within trills, thank Ilaren, and simply relaxed what had been his tensed arm muscles. He chuckled lightly at Alistair instructions, "If you say so." he smiled, the expression was audible in his voice. His eyes widened as a wicked thought came to mind. "Say, I know a pretty good way to... 'blow off some steam' if you're stressed about the arm thing still..." The Lothar offered, assuming a sultry tone.

Losing his arm hadn't been enough to dull Fridgar's libido, apparently. Biting his lower lip, Fridgar turned around and wrapped his arms around the smaller man before running his fingers through his mate’s hair and kissing him softly on the lips. Meanwhile, his hand traced down Alistair's form from behind, taking in his whole body with his sense of touch.