OOM - upstairs with Sinric

[i_am_your_host]

During Emcee's recovery in his room, he became a recluse. He couldn't find the motivation to go downstairs (too tired, too lazy, too sad, too unsure of himself), so he would ask George to see if any of his friends were around. To talk, and perhaps to let the talking lead to other things. Jay, Sinric...even Eric.

At least, he thought, he might be ready to take up his other old habits.

(He wasn't certain if he could feel Eric's presence. It might have just been wishful thinking. Or not.)

As it happens, Sinric is in the bar when George goes on this particular errand. He floats up to the long-haired blond and chirps out the sounds Emm See! at him, and moves backward toward the stairs as a gesture to follow.

Comments

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric turns to pull Emcee into a kiss, slow and warm. One that tells Emcee he's always welcome here - in Sinric's rooms, his bed, in his heart.

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee doesn't quite expect the kiss, much less one so heartfelt. So he's surprised by it, but it's very much a pleasant one. He returns it gratefully, cherishing the sentiment that needs no words to be expressed.

He cups Sinric's cheeks in his hands and gently breaks the kiss, lingering for a moment as they share a breath. Eyelids fluttering closed, he smiles and touches their foreheads together.

Then with a sigh, he leans back, sweeping his thumbs over his fine cheekbones.

"Let's order something to eat, shall we, darling?"

[thewidewideworld]

"Food!" Sinric giggles gleefully and reaches for a silk robe, offering one to Emcee. "I could eat a banquet all on my own."

He bounces to the door in search of a rat. The rat looks slightly put upon, dragging a bag of laundry but takes their orders anyway.

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee laughs brightly as he slips the offered robe on and follows Sinric out.

He gives the rat his order: a simple but hearty German breakfast of eggs, sausages, fresh bread with an assortment of jams and cheese, with coffee and orange juice.

With that done, they will both have a few moments to while away, so Emcee goes to check on George.

The little drone is awake and still listening to music. Emcee goes over to him and takes off the headphones. Though instead of protesting, George zooms upward toward the ceiling, emitting a series of musical beeps and chirps that sound as if he's singing a song he'd learned. Or maybe it's a combination of songs. The melody echoes like an electronic chorus as he flies 'round and 'round in circles.

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric orders a rather more exotic Persian spiced rice dish, apple tea and fruit salad.

He laughs softly as he comes back in to find a rather overstimulated George flying circles. "Is he alright?"

[i_am_your_host]

"I think he's very, very happy," Emcee chuckles, watching George go and delighting in the electronic singing. "He'll be fine, he just needs to work off some energy. He must have enough music in his memory to last him and his whole family for quite a while."

He then takes Sinric's hand.

"Will you show me your library? I didn't get to see much of it yesterday for all the obvious reasons." He grins.

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric chuckles and whistles to the happy little drone, laughing as the tune becomes part of the happy cacophony of George's music.

He leads Emcee over to the library. The thick carpets and low roof act to muffle sound, making this a quiet, private space. There are books in almost every language Sinric speaks. Bound volumes, scrolls, parchment leaves. Books of history, mythology, customs. Books of stories and poetry.

The map painted large on one walk shows a fine gilded line, mapping Sinric's travels. He traces the line with a small smile. "It seems such a little distance viewed like this. When this," he measures the silk road, "the span of three hands, took a year to travel."

[i_am_your_host]

The cozy space seems to embrace them in a warm, comforting silence. Emcee takes a closer look at the books and scrolls, not understanding a word of the ancient languages but finding their titles and texts beautiful.

He then joins Sinric at the map. He stands back to appreciate it as a whole, then leans in closer to see where the cities, rivers, and roads are marked. It is truly a thing straight out of history as the modern world took shape.

"That is indeed an incredible journey," he breathes out.

"My own journey begins here." He finds the area that would become the country of Germany, a body of water separating it from the fjords and peninsulas that make up Ragnar's homeland to the north.

"With hope, it will continue on..."

He traces his finger toward the English isles, and past them into the wide blue Atlantic Ocean. But the Americas have not yet been mapped.

[thewidewideworld]

"To worlds unknown and unknowable in my time. Perhaps when you arrive, you can take me there for a visit? Together we can span the world."

[i_am_your_host]

He breathes out a soft chuckle and nods, his longing gaze still on the map. America is so far away it might not even exist.

"Yes. Yes, of course. When I reach there."

When, not if.

Emcee has no idea what New York City will be like, but he will have to brace himself for it.

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric nods and takes Emcee's hand, guiding it to a place in Ragnar's frozen north. "This is Ribe. In years to come and years ago, Ragnar will meet a wanderer who will fill is mind with ideas. He will take those ideas home to Kattigat." He slides Emcee's fingers over the map. "Those ideas will lead him to build a boat. He and those he trusts will sail here." He guides Emcee's fingers to Lindisfarne. "There he will kidnap a young monk he will later come to love."

He smiles sadly, moving his own hand back to Ribe. "But here ends the path I know. A wanderer in a tavern. For all I could see, I could not see my own thread past this knot. It may be that I die, or that I am not meant to know. But here, on a beach made of stones, I will have changed their lives."

He looks into Emcee's eyes. "Wherever our threads lead us, we are always part of the whole. Always connected." He entwines Emcee's fingers in his own.

[i_am_your_host]

Ragnar. Athelstan. Sinric.

Emcee looks at him, his eyes wide. It makes no sense yet is perfectly clear. Ragnar has already met Sinric's older self. The wanderer.

He turns back to the map, marveling at the way the three are connected in time. And as if echoing his thoughts, Sinric says so and laces their fingers together. Emcee looks at him again. So he and Sinric are somehow connected, too.

"Part of the whole," he murmurs. "I hadn't thought of it that way."

He's about to ask him if he could see his thread, if he could look to where it leads, when there's a knock on the door.

"Our food is here," he says a little breathlessly.

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric keeps hold of Emcee's hand a moment longer, not yet letting Emcee pull away. "Yes." He answers, as if Emcee had asked aloud. "I will look, if you want me to. For your friends, and for you. If you need to know, I will look."

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee's breath catches, and he swallows.

"Thank you," he says, lifting their joined hands to kiss Sinric's fingers.

"I may need some fortification first, if I am to learn what you see. Let us eat a bit, and then maybe I will be ready."

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric smiles and presses a kiss to Emcee's cheek, breaking the spell of seriousness. "As do I. Our morning had been hungry work already."

He bounces over to the door, greeting the poor rats under their heavy tray of food and thanks them sincerely.

He places the tray on table by the portico so they can sit and enjoy the view of the snow spotted gardens while they eat.

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee gladly joins him at the table, uncovering this plate and that, passing over utensils and cloth napkins to Sinric as he settles down. Everything looks and smells wonderful. He tears a warm, slightly sweet bread roll in half and slathers it with orange marmalade; the scrambled eggs are cooked perfectly; the sharp, nutty cheeses go well with the smoked sausages. It's an easy meal to tuck into.

"Would you like to taste anything of mine?" he offers, popping a piece of cheese into his mouth.

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric grins and steals a bite of Emcee's roll. "Lovely! Would you like to try some of mine?" The spicy rice dish has a runny fried egg resting on top of it.

The fruit salad is just as exotic. He cuts open a purplish fruit, slightly wrinkled. "The bar introduced him to this. I think you'll like it." He scoops out the pips and offers them to Emcee. "Slurp it down like an oyster."

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee reaches over with a fork to sample a bit of rice soaked in egg yolk. "Oh, that is delicious," he says as the spice kicks in. "It's not very often that I get to eat rice at all."

He watches him cut the odd fruit open and holds his hand out.

"What is this called?" He tips the contents of the palm of his hand into his mouth.

[thewidewideworld]

"Passion fruit." Sinric smile, holding up two more of the slightly wrinkled fruit by the stem. "Which seems appropriate to me. The seeds of passion." They do look rather like two hairless purple balls.

[i_am_your_host]

The tart-sweetness surprises him. "Oh, the fabled passion fruit! I have only ever heard about it, but neither seen nor tasted it before."

And then he sees what Sinric is referring to.

"All we need is a banana to complete the picture," he says, not-so straight-faced.

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric sniggers and slices another one open to share with Emcee. "A banana indeed."

He savours the passion fruit before moving in to a kiwi fruit. "I asked the bar one day for treats for lands I might never see. More fool me. Now I come to crave fruits I will never see in my own time."

[i_am_your_host]

"I think the most exotic fruit I have ever tasted at home is the pineapple. It comes all the way from a tropical island called Hawaii."

Or California. Herr Schultz would occasionally point that out. But even so.

He eyes the next fruit that looks like a brown hairy ball.

"What is that one?"

[thewidewideworld]

"In Tang it's called Mihou tao but the bar also called this type kiwifruit." He peels off the furry brown skin with a sharp knife to reveal the bright green flesh beneath.

He offers Emcee a slice.

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee carefully takes the slippery, succulent slice between his fingers and drops it onto his tongue.

"Oh my," he murmurs as he chews slowly, savoring the juices. "That really is lovely. It's amazing what kind of fruity delights one can find all over the world. And how lucky we are that we can spoil ourselves here without having to travel to the four corners."

[thewidewideworld]

"In food and in company." Sinric smiles, licking juice from his fingers unselfconsciously.