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albusofecclesia · 5 years

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Drabble - The Things We Do For a Bit of Coin

((Notes:

An attempt at a hurt/comfort piece with a touch of fluff, while trying to keep it relatively ambiguous. I solemnly do not swear this.

Crossover Mission with Diablo III’s Reaper of Souls expansion content.

Also part of a post-game AU where everything is the same except Shanoa was able to release Dominus' hold on Albus.

95% of Shanoa's dialogue and actions were written by @shanoaofecclesia in past thread we attempted. Permission was given to touch-up and re-purpose her content for this drabble. What a stellar BFF I'm blessed with.<3))

Dark smoke from the lower district wafted into the heavens, choking out the night sky and any solace the stars may have brought to the Westmarch survivors; watching as flaming cascades of shooting hellfire crashed into what little remained of the burning streets. A cacophony of anguished cries and death rattles screeched into the night as every last human alive was silenced by the angel of death's fury.

From inside the chapel on the overlooking terrace, foreign aid contractors worked hurriedly to mend those brought in during the initial wave of darkness, and expected another onslaught of wounded. It was soon to be found that there would not be as many as they expected, for the city was all but reduced to rubble in the last attack. Anything left alive had been turned into a thrall to roam the streets with fallen angels and demonic brethren alike.

The main band of local heroes referred to as the Nephilim, were looked to by the panicking survivors and suddenly overwhelmed with hysterical pleas and cries, questions asking after what hope was left and what could be done against such a powerful adversary.

After serious council with countrymen and comrades alike, the Nephilim departed again to continue their quest to find and stop the wayward angel of death. But not before they outfitted some of the stronger volunteers with powerful items they had found on their journeys, bequeathing such protections to the brave few who would defend the last survivors in their absence.

Haggard and battle worn from a near-sleepless seven days of combat with demons and crazed angels, a rather relieved-looking Albus passed through the front gate of Ecclesia’s grounds. He sported light pieces of previously-owned ornate plate armor that had been given to him by his demon hunter comrades, the copper and steel glinting faintly as it was moderately tarnished due to excessive use and wear. The tarnish was mostly from his own excursion in Westmarch - and the remnants of demon blood, slimy ichor, and fates only knew what other manner of fowl juices, were plastered all over his armor and clothing.

Something had changed within him; newly raw and powerful, as if his guard had dropped completely away and the usual scholar persona was no more - the hunter side of him having taken over: primal, animalistic, unrestrained.

Rubbing at his chin that bore a few days worth of stubble on his exhausted face, he let out a sigh of relief at his return home. Crossing the grounds towards the dormitories, he threw open the front doors with more force than intended, a loud bang sounding as he entered the common room foyer.

Shanoa had been busy writing in a leather covered tome - a hobby she has developed during her combat partner’s absence, keeping records of everything she remembered so far and learned, a biography of sort. After her dealings with Dominus and Castle Dracula, Albus - in all his gratitude for her saving him - would not take no for an answer and had insisted that she had earned time off after saving the world. He would take on missions for a while to ensure they had enough money between them to continue to live comfortably. It was an insufferable pride thing for him, but she did welcome the respite that came with not having to fight every single hour of her waking life.

Thoughts lost in her tome, she’d raised her head and tilted it back as she heard the front doors slam open, summoning a crimson rapier into her grasp on instinct. While she could feel the other aura wasn’t that of an intruder, she did still jump in her seat when Albus warped from the doorway to appear across from her, and was even more surprised to see how different he looked.

“I’m home,” Albus announced unnecessarily after watching her jump a bit in her seat. The grey hood that covered his head did little to tame his even-more-so mussed hair, especially not after he pulled it down. The light was still in his eyes, for he hadn’t quite been broken by the horrors of the mission, but the icy blue had somehow darkened, aging him slightly. His voice was low, a touch on gruff side; matching his otherwise worn-out self. “… And after what I’ve witnessed, I cannot even begin to tell you how good it is to be here."

Shanoa closed her book quickly before getting up. “…Welcome home. I’m glad you’re back and safe.” She stated quietly, dispelling her rapier and setting the book on the coffee table. There was something off about him that gave her reason to pause. “I see you have a new outfit and armors? I thought you preferred your leathers.”

Nodding dubiously at her armor comment, Albus looked down at the light plate that he wore on his arms, legs and chest. "Quite, but look at this little glamour," he replied, then focused for a moment before fiery energy-tendriled 'wings' materialized behind him, giving off no heat from their soft orange light as they further accentuated the wing-shaped adornments on his shoulder armor. "My benefactors insisted that I would need sturdier armor…" A sigh as he focused on his armored hands as he flexed them a few times under his tired gaze. “Were they ever right. I might not be here otherwise. …The things we do for a bit of coin.”

Concern overtook Shanoa at that comment and she started to round the coffee table towards him. Albus held up a hand to silence any sound or movement she went to make in response, his gaze became serious with intent.

”-Nevermind that, I have something for you,“ Dropping his travel sack, it made a horrible impact sound as if a couple of huge rocks had hit the wooden flooring. Wincing as he knelt and undid the bag’s drawstring, he rooted around the contents of the bag with taloned hands, a dull ‘clink’ sounding as he grasped at something solid.

Shanoa blinked while looking down at her partner’s travel bag - it looked heavy at first glance, but the sound made it seem heavier. “What on earth do you have in there, rocks?” She teased, folding her arms and tapping her heel lightly on the floor.

Silent, Albus paused for the briefest of moments, glancing at her with light mischief in his eyes before looking off into distance as he focused on feeling between the objects in the dark bag.

“Come on, Albus, answer–"

After finding what he sought, he had turned and practically slammed down a huge chunk of rock on the table and stood, crossing his arms.

"-Oh. You did bring a rock with you.”

"Apparently that whole thing is a type of rare, unrefined ore.” Tired as all hell, he managed a triumphant smile and tone, glancing at the stone a moment, then back to her and giving a bit of a shrug. “Think your blacksmith would give us a decent finders fee for it?”

Shanoa chuckled faintly and flicked her hair off her shoulder. “I think Eugen could help you with that, just bring the ore with you when we’ll visit Wygol again.” She replied and closed her eyes.

“Then, might I formally request you escort me to Wygol soon? I have other things to trade with the villagers."

One of their two cats, Mister Thomas, mewed quietly as he skittered over, moving to brush against Albus’s legs in greeting. The simple act prompted a genuine smile, and the researcher gently reached down to pet the cat with the palm of one hand. However, one of the scents that permeated his armor must have been too much for the feline’s sensitive nose, for Thomas made a low warning mewl shortly after and turned his back on him. Watching the cat strut off, Albus shook his head and chuckled quietly.

“Perhaps it would be better to bathe first before we go to Wygol - it seems like Thomas is not pleased with your clothes’ scent at all.” Shanoa joked with a faint smile. "So, what tales do you have for me to listen to about your great quest?”

Albus sighed a bit, making a ‘hmph’ noise. “While I don’t blame you wanting to hear tales of my ‘adventures’, it was far from a joyous romp through the countryside. And it certainly put a lot of things into perspective. …My contacts had previously defeated a powerful demon lord some time ago, but the item that they had sealed their foe into had been stolen… and soon there were rumors of ‘rogue’ angels killing and ‘cleansing’ people in the larger cities in my contact‘s homeland. Very unsettling. In those lands, it is theorized that the people there carry both demon and angel blood in their veins. Really, it is an intriguing concept to consider…”

He tried not to become melancholy as he spoke, but it was obvious that as his thoughts wandered back to his mission he couldn’t help the darkness that flooded over his expression.

“As it were, I was requested to provide support in defending one of the strongholds where remaining survivors had fled to. …The carnage was terrible, I hope to never have to see something so vehemently disturbing ever again. …Legions of the dead littered the streets, there were angels and demons everywhere, battling each other as they fought a three way fight - all sides taking heavy casualties. No place was reported to be safe, and so for tireless nights I lent my aid to stand vigil over and work to secure the city’s trembling and fearful survivors.”

A long pause followed as he let out another sigh, closing his eyes and wincing slightly as he rubbed at one of his temples.

“And then there was the rain of fire on the second night… instantly destroying everything in the lower quarter." Another pause, and he forced himself to look her in the eyes as he spoke of some reassurance. “Thankfully, some very powerful warriors laboured just as tirelessly to transcend even death to set things right again. - I wasn’t needed to help with rebuilding, so here I am, and I think I’ll be staying home for quite some time… until we need money again, but I think we‘ll be set for a while.“ Again he glanced away briefly, then back at her. ”… I think that will suffice for story time for now. Have things been okay here in my absence? Any news worth sharing?“

Shanoa nodded occasionally while listening to his story, thinking that perhaps him not telling her about the mission until afterwards probably was the best idea - just listening to the story made her heart beat faster than usual. “Nothing to report here. I’m glad to see you here safe and without any physical scars, unless you hide them from me.”

“Well, I seriously doubt you're about to help me out of this armor and examine me for scars…” He trailed off, shaking his head as he stopped himself from making his ill attempt at humor sound any more crass than he had intended. It had sounded more innocent in his head. "Really, I'm fine in the bodily sense."

Shanoa stared at Albus as he joked, her eyes narrowing in concern. She did not understand at all what made him joke of what she said, but she was serious about what she said about the scars, just the thought he might be literally hiding something under his sleeve like a scar or a wound made her flinch. Without warning, she reached over and took a firm hold of his chin with one hand, tilting his head from one side to the other as she examined his neck and jawline for any new injuries. Though compliant with her examination, Albus observed her curiously, another weary smile worming its way across his mouth. She wouldn't find anything new to fuss over in his current state of dress.

Satisfied with her examination, Shanoa folded her arms lightly as she relaxed her stance a half-step away from him. “Rest as much as you need. I still receive the odd mission from the villagers, so we won’t be short on money for quite a while. …Wygol can wait for now, you should rest for a while. Even after my journey to the castle, I didn’t rush to the village straight after. But you already know that,”

With a nod, Albus rubbed at his temples again, becoming quite serious as he did so. “Perhaps… perhaps I should rest… there’s something I need to discuss with you, and I’d rather be 'all there’ when I do so. I mean… I’m covered in demon blood, slimy ichor, and goodness knows what other manner of fowl juices. Perhaps you're right, I need a bath and something to eat… before I go completely insane… "

“That’s exactly what I had in mind.”

Though Albus knew he wasn’t in the most pleasant of states to be around, he reached out to rest his hands on her shoulders, aware that the armor somewhat cold to the touch and though the ‘talons’ were blunted they were still capable of doing damage if he wasn’t careful. Taking in the sight of her, alive and well, savoring the relief that her presence brought him.

"…There were a few moments where I feared that I wouldn’t return - and all I could think of was that I might never see home, or, you again."

With such a sentiment uttered, Shanoa took it upon herself to reach over and wrap her arms around her partner to comfort and reassure him. "You're here now, and you're safe. Go and take a bath, wear something comfortable. I’ll prepare dinner tonight.”

“How comfortable? Because let me tell you this armor is pretty heavy.” Expecting a frown, he laughed quietly to himself and turned away to collect his travel pack, quipping 'a light snack will do' as he patted Shanoa on the shoulder while passing by on his way out of the room.

Rinsing his armor off and scrubbing himself clean took the better part of an hour, although at one point he had dozed off for a few minutes while soaking in the tub. After drying off and dressing lightly, Albus heard a faint knock at his door before it opened and he could hear Shanoa’s familiar footsteps, as well as the scampering of several sets of little feline feet.

"Great, you've brought the cavalry," He chuckled while still inside his half-bathroom, mentally envisioning where and how all of her cats would be exploring and positioning themselves in his usually-off-limits quarters. "Just another moment,"

Shanoa sighed quietly to herself, setting a tray with a simple setting of shareable foods; cheese, bread, sliced cured meats, and the odd bit of fruit she had garnished the platter with. Seating herself on the chaise by the window, she stared down at the food somewhat forlornly. Honestly, she was not the greatest chef - her memory loss caused her to forget many basic things and cooking skills were among these basics; she did not want to put more work and pressure on her partner, he had to rest after such an exhausting mission. And while a near hour had passed she had still found herself staring at the ingredients she had intended to use, with nothing coming to mind on how to best prepare them. With a frown, she had slammed a fist gently on the counter, cursing the damned Dominus glyphs under her breath. She knew he would appreciate anything she put together, but she had wanted to put effort into the meal. He'd sounded so tired… She wanted to help.

"Ah, perfect!" Albus beamed at the simple platter, rounding the other side of the chaise while toweling his hair off. Running a hand through to tame his locks into a somewhat acceptable mess he sat next to Shanoa and nodded his thanks. "You’re remarkable, as always."

She just continued to stare at the food, with something akin to visible contempt in her gaze.

"Something the matter?" He asked, slinging one arm lazily over the back of the chaise. Though exhausted and ready to drop, there were things that were more important than falling into a semi-coma-catnap at that moment. Something was bothering her.

“…N-no.” Shanoa muttered quietly and ran a hand through her hair slowly. “…I’m sorry…”

Ah, there she went again with being nearly as impossibly difficult as she claimed he tended to be. Turning in his seat, Albus reached out for her hands and held them tightly in his. Locking eyes with her, he offered a supportive smile and just looked at her silently for a few moments before speaking.

“There is nothing to be sorry for.” He whispered, letting out a soft sigh. His shoulders drooped a bit and he lowered his head, gave it a slow shake, and then looked back up at her. “Thank you for trying. I really appreciate the effort."

To further prove his sincerity, he reached over to the platter and helped himself to the food, soon putting an open-faced sandwich to his mouth with one hand, and offering Shanoa a piece of fruit with the other.

"We can make something tomorrow, together. How does that sound? Could be messy. Or argument-inducing. Or both.” A quiet laugh sounded from him as he continued to keep his eyes fixed on hers, not wanting to look away from his partner, as if doing so would be his last and final time.

Shanoa smiled faintly, accepting the few grapes that had been offered. Before she could say anything in response, several little furry interlopers made their way into their personal spaces, some begging for scraps, others merely curling up wherever they could manage. Albus shook his head at her in mock disappointment at her for letting all of her cats into his room so freely.

"Alright, if that's how it's going to be," He growled lowly in a joking manner, doing his best to scoop up as many of the cats, as well as Shanoa, into his arms before leaning back into his side of the chaise. Any felines he missed simply climbed back up and over once everyone else had settled into a very fuzzy cuddle puddle. Covered in cats and their cat lady, it didn't take long for him to fall asleep in such a safe and cozy atmosphere, and he did not feel the slightest bit guilty for selfishly clutching her so tightly.

Nestled comfortably against Albus’ chest, Shanoa thought to herself that it had been nearly a lifetime since he had last sought such close physical comfort from her. Yet considering everything he had been through, she could not begrudge his need to be near another human being. In their youth, he had always been quite hands-on with those he was close with.

She herself had been hesitant to be alone the first few nights after her defeat of Dracula, opting to sit up in the commons with warm tea and seated near the fire, never having to ask Albus to stay up with her for he had always offered before she could find the words. Admittedly, he had been asleep for most of it. Having either fallen asleep in his own chair while reading or seated near her on the couch, but it had been nice all the same to have someone close nearby during those long, dark nights.

Albus awoke a short time later, startled by vivid recollections of some of the sights he had unfortunately borne witness to during his mission abroad. Shuddering as he recalled the horrors, he buried his face into his hands, having unsettled some of the cats and waking his dozing partner.

“Even the sanctity of sleep has been taken from me…” He muttered, giving a heavy sigh. “If I truly do go mad... again, do me a favour and bludgeon me into unconsciousness.” A dark smirk formed on his face as he craned his neck to look at her in the dimming evening light, recalling something else just as terrible that they both had memory of. “You know, like the last time you were forced to do so.”

Concern awash on her sleepy features, Shanoa shook her head faintly at him. "No, you'll pull through this. Like the last time you had to."

Their big white cat, Frost, then decided to walk through their line of sight and proceed to try to groom Albus' hair. Despite the persian's resting miserable-face, it was the sweetest he had ever been to the scholar. Two of the other cats were tucked under arms and wherever they could fit around their humans, and the fourth had since sauntered off to who knew where - until the clattering of something falling in the study area.

"Perce, knock it off." Albus grumbled, looking over the top of the chaise to see the bengal cat wandering amongst the papers and artifacts on his desk.

"I think that was the point." Shanoa chuckled, pushing herself up enough to look at see what Percival had gotten himself into. "Mission accomplished."

"Yes, well… you didn't have to let them in here." He continued to mutter, frowning as he was nudged back down by a bossy Frost - who was not at all finished with taming the mussy mass of hair.

"They wanted to see you too. They were concerned."

Confidence was not instilled in him, but he opted to say nothing of it. Albus could endure the feline invasion force a little longer. Especially the grumpy old cat that still persisted in grooming the top of his head.

Shanoa seemed to weigh her next words carefully, shifting over to lay on her side between the back of the chaise and Albus's left side, nestling against him a bit less precariously as before.

"It's… worrying to see you like this." She admitted reaching across him to pet the grey fluff of Mister Thomas that had nested in the crook of Albus' right arm. "You've never faultered quite like this before, but I am certain you will pull through. You were there for me even after recovering from Dominus' hold on you, so if you need anything, please just ask."

Albus grew uncharacteristically humble and quiet as she spoke, his usual radiated pride and self-assurance quelled once more.

“You know," He began softly, looking at her pointedly for a moment before letting his gaze wander out into the falling darkness outside. "When we were children, nothing gave me more purpose than looking out for the timid young girl you once were. I wanted to be strong and dependable, for you brought about this desire to become a sort of knight in shining armor… that seemed to persist well into adulthood in some ways, didn‘t it?” A chuckle escaped from under his breath after his slight revelation on his stubbornness in looking out for her, and then remembered that he had been wearing not-so-shining armor hours earlier. “I have never stopped wanting the best for you, even now that you have since grown into a brave and strong warrior capable of taking care of herself. You are your own hero now, and I am so very proud of you for all you have accomplished." The arm he had around her squeezed once in emphasis, and the returning look in his eyes was that of complete adoration for both she herself and the things she was capable of. "You completed the mission we had been groomed for our whole lives; defeating the Dark Lord and saving humanity. And on a more personal note…you brought be back from the edge of oblivion. …If anything, you’ve been my protector. And for that, I… I owe you everything.”

"You owe me nothing, Albus." Shanoa replied softly, a little shy at the slew of compliments peppered into his ramblings. She hugged him tightly with her one free arm and smiled to herself. "We're here for each other, just like we always have been. I couldn't ask for more."

#drabbles #((rehashing an old thread))#ecclesian-crossovers #long post #((the dark bits are mostly in the prologue before the cut - it's rehashed a bit when Albus talks about it))#((thank you again bro-of-ecclesia - you're the best <3))#shanoaofecclesia

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