“I'm in no particular rush, love. If you'd like we can stop for food before we go to the church. And what's this - you've been dreaming about me?” Nevin grinned and walked over to her, looming into her personal space. “What are these dreams then, love?”
“E-eteri has ...many lots uh…” Her eyes glanced downward then back up at him. “No- ah you mean THIS dream? Not you, maybe. Just man who fights, big and tall….red and gold.” She smiled up at him, standing on her tip toes to just manage a kiss to the underside of his chin. “Excited to seeing church.”
“It's ‘excited to see the church’ - remember definite articles, love.” Nevin wasn't replying to her dream, surprisingly enough. He had intended to tease her about dreaming of another man when he was right there for her - until she described it. That - he pushed down the tremor that ran through him. That did sound like him. But the ‘gold’ - that was apparently buried in his magic, the divine aspect of his soul from what Stare had told him.
What in the name of Crimson was Eteri dreaming about? Him, fighting? Maybe she was remembering when he had charged through the flames, and come out still in fire? He had been red and ‘gold’ then. He shoved the thought away, trying to figure this out would just drive him mad. For now at least. He took a deep breath, and suddenly scooped her up, pressing her against him and cupping a hand under her bottom, holding her up so he could kiss her properly, roughly.
Then he set her down, and cleared his throat. “Well. We can stop for a small snack on the way, there are some food stalls between here and there. Come along, pe-Eteri.” He smiled and walked towards the front of the shop, leaving her standing there, flustered.
She quickly followed, mumbling about how maybe the man in her dreams wasn’t such a butthead. She then snorted and took Nevin’s arm, wrapping her own two smaller once around it as they walked. “Is ok. Will wait. Want see church.”
Nevin just smiled and shook his head, and guided the pair of them towards the cathedral of the Crimson church.
------
“Ah, lord messiah! Welcome back, sir. We’re honored to have you visit again so soon!” It was the preacher from earlier in the day, the one who had explained about the paintings. As the walked through the hall, Eteri tugged on Nevin’s arm, pulling him towards the ‘depressing paintings’.
“Nevin… Eteri see before. Is where red man fights in dreams.” Nevin froze. He hadn't been sure before about her dreams, but if she was seeing these washed out landscapes - she really was seeing him. He pulled her against him for a moment, and whispered into her ear.
“Looks like I really do fill your dreams dear. This place is - well. Where my other side originated. And where I have to go.” Her ears shot straight up and it looked like she was about to shout with excitement - but he quickly clamped his hand over her mouth. “Ah - not yet. I'm not strong enough yet to do what I need to there. Patience, love. -did you just lick me?” She had licked his hand. She grinned at him over his hand - and Nevin retaliated by slipping threads into her mouth, coiling them around her tongue so she couldn't do that again.
The two of them walked after the priest, who hadn't seemed to notice the little byplay between them. Nevin knew that if he took his hand down Eteri would immediately start explaining things, and he wanted to at the very least wait until there was a larger crowd. Get it done with all at once, like a ripping a bandage off. They were almost to the chamber when Eteri got her next brilliant idea - and began gently sucking on his threads, rubbing her tongue against them as much as she could.
Nevin’s knees nearly gave out. He felt his love smirk against his hand - she knew exactly how much he loved her doing things with her mouth. She purred softly, the vibrations rolling across his threads - and he had to accept defeat and pull his hand away. Nevin was saved from her explaining to the priest by the fact that they ere at the doors, and the priest had pushed them open.
“Brothers, sisters, my fellow Children of Crimson! We are blessed with the messiah’s presence once more! And he has brought another with him. My lord, who is it that accompanies you?” Nevin opened his mouth - and Eteri shoved in front of him, grinning widely. Oh dear.
“Eteri is Eteri. Eteri is Master’s disciple, aide! And love too.” She grinned impertinently at him. “And and!” She sounds around and rushed to the priest, who was taken aback by the sheer energy the girl was exhibiting. “Is Nevin’s shrine Maiden! Eteri does the prayers to him. You should too!” Nevin buried his face in his hands as Eteri danced back over to him, and wrapped her arms around him.
The redhead sighed and wrapped an arm around her as murmurs picks up in the crowd - until finally the stunned priest managed to recover from his shock. “My - my lord? What does she mean?” Nevin turned his dark red eyes in the man’s direction.
“Which part are you asking about?” This had moved faster than he had intended - which he probably should have known would happen if he brought the happily purring catgirl that was now wrapped around him along.
“I - uh, all of it?” Nevin took a deep, slow breath, and gently disengaged from Eteri, who pouted at him. The redhead pointed at her, waving his finger in her face and pulling it away before she could kiss it - or worse.
Then he trudged up to the front of the hall, feeling like he was walking through a sea of molasses. He really didn't intend to talk about things in one go, but it seemed that decision had been rather thoroughly wrested from his hands. Eteri followed after him, skipping along in his wake. The alchemist sat down on the edge of the small stone platform that served as the speaker’s stand and looked out across the crowd of people.
“Please, sit. I can't remain standing for all this, and I'd rather not crane my neck to see all of your faces.” Eteri sat next to him, snuggling on under his arm. Nevin gave her a squeeze, drawing strength from her presence. He watched as the congregation looked at each other, then slowly began sitting down where they stood. The church had no benches, so they were all sitting on the floor, but no one seemed to mind, not even the priests. Nevin took a deep breath, and closed his eyes.
“Eteri is my love and lover. And the first to - well. She is not the first to see my divinity, but she is the first to accept me as - her God.” There was a shocked gasp in the crowd. Nevin raised his hand, waiting for them to fall silent. “I know, I know. Some of you barely know me, and others know me as the Messiah, because I was meant to be the living avatar for the Crimson Flow. And now here I am, claiming to be the God. Well, let me correct that. I'm not, not yet.” There was not a calm face in the crowd.
“I am - I am becoming it. At first, all I had was my blood magic - directly manipulating the Crimson. Then, came these.” His threads slid from beneath his skin, and rose, wriggling, into the air. They formed intricate shapes in the air, at his will, and then returned. He swallowed and pressed on.
“It was then, that an adherent of another God saw my soul, and saw a growing thread of ‘white’ which she claimed to be divine essence. I stopped a demon from ripping open a portal, and on the process absorbed the power it had collected - which only furthered my growth. Now, I can see - I can see the flow between us. The connections between people. You, and you.” He pointed to two people who were relatively close to him, but were standing nowhere near. Nevin's eyes were now glowing a bright crimson red.
“You two love each other, but both fear the other despises you.” The two that he had indicated looked at each other in shock, then gave slow nods. Nevin pointed at another, a priest this time. “You fear me, and are in awe and now shock that I am reading your emotions. You don't fully trust my words, but you are willing to believe.” The glow in Nevin’s eyes faded. He sighed.
“Some of you have seen the Crimson Plane. You've seen both the good, and the decay. That is the paintings that unsettle you - with faded colors, and no life. The land is indeed dying, because right now, the throne is empty.” He rubbed his face tiredly.
“Now. Eteri wanted to come here, because she learned something today. Those of you who were here before, do you remember how I suddenly collapsed?” There were some looks of confusion, but others nodded. “That was because my dear here decided to pray to me. It was the first time that someone prayed directly to me. I heard her, despite the fact that she was at home - and I felt her emotions. It was, I promise you, quite shocking, hence my collapse.” He tilted his head back.
“When she learned that I was strong enough to hear her prayer, she decided that the way for me to get stronger was -”
“For use to pray to you too…” The priests whispered almost in unison, staring at him. In truth Nevin found their intense gazes a bit unsettling, because he normally was not the focus of such attention. Eteri nodded brightly.
“It makes sense. Gods tend to gain power from followers, from prayer. Have you then, my lord, been trapped, weak, because we didn't realize!?” Nevin shook his head rapidly, trying to forestall the flashes of self loathing he saw on some faces.
“No, no! I was - I was not ready. I'm still not, not really. But events are moving faster, and I have to be ready, whether I want to or not.” His lover was seeing visions of him battling something in the Crimson Plane. The land was dying without a deity. He - he could not abide for much longer. His fear was destroying things.
An absence at his side made the alchemist blink and turn his head - to see that Eteri had moved away from him, standing up and moving over to the priest that had spoke. She reached into her bag and - when did she get THAT? Nevin’s eyes went wide. When on earth had his girlfriend purloined one of those? Nevin started to stand up - but Eteri said something to the priest, who ducked his head down, clasping the small red pearl in his hands.
My lord. I pray you forgive me for not realizing your true status before. I am but a simple man, unworthy of being in- Nevin’s head was ringing with the man’s voice. But the man's lips did not move. Nevin snapped his fingers sharply, drawing the man’s attention away from his - his prayer.
“Do not think that. Any of that. I did not want people to realize my state. I did not want to realize it myself. And as we all know, we are all children of the Crimson Flow. You are just as worthy to stand near me as any other.” The man’s jaw dropped open wide at Nevin’s words.
“You - you truly heard me…” Pure shock filled the priest’s words. Nevin gave a slow nod.
