Manus’ snores are whisper quiet.
Jarl isn’t sure if this is just because most of his face is buried into the faintly floral scented pillow sheets—blocking any sound from escaping—or if he just doesn’t snore normally, but he knows he was thankful for it. Sure: between the long day, large meal, and late hour, sleep might have hit him quickly, regardless; but, having been the technical parental guardian to a literal preteen child, Jarl’s trained himself to sleep lightly and almost any sound can wake him—especially if it’s one he’s not used to hearing.
Manus loudly snoring would have definitely counted.
Luckily, he doesn’t.
~
Grateful or not, though, something DID wake him up.
Confused, and just a bit concerned, the out-of-town priest slowly sits up in bed. He watches Manus carefully, doing his best not to wake him. There’s a slight twitch to his exposed eyebrow, the beginnings of a frown, but—otherwise—nothing to indicate that the mage is about to wake and/or complain.
If anything, the mild disturbance on his elegant features means he’s dreaming.
(Perhaps talking/conversing with someone about Kane?)
Brushing the thoughts off, Jarl drags his gaze away and around, scanning the room for someone or something that could have woken him. He’s really expecting Áesta, if he can be honest: that sleepless/restless daemon…
But the tiny devil is no where to be found. (Don’t panic—don’t panic—)
Instead, there is a strange sound in the air. Something like static, white noise, or electricity.
Also: movement.
Jarl’s brows furrow in confusion, sky blue eyes narrowing and alert. He’s never heard anything like this before and can’t help but feel weary—even afraid—as the tiny hairs on his body rise in response and apprehension.
There’s something—or someone—in the room with them; and Jarl’s certain it’s not human.
Will he be able to face it alone?
…
Jarl swallows.
He’ll have to. Manus is fast asleep and he knows from previous experiences that waking him isn’t wise: normally, the mage doesn’t wake well (despite being an obvious morning person) and casts hexes if woke.
May as well let whatever’s threatening him do that instead.
Bracing himself, the blue-eyed priest carefully gets out of bed and wonders the room, tracking the noise. While faint, he can vaguely feel a vibration of some kind carrying across the floor through his feet.
He farther narrows his eyes: it’s coming from the closet—it all is.
(Seriously? First daemons and now a monster in the closet???)
Jarl fights the urge to roll his eyes, uncertain if he’s actually in danger or not, now. The idea seems so childish (So FOOLISH) that it almost pains him to be afraid.
(I always told Jasey there was no such thing!)
Yet, faced with the possibility now…
Jarl gathers his bravery—and, perhaps, also his patience and
pride—before approaching the vibrating door. He reaches out, hand
trembling, and grasps the handle. With a deep breath, he rips it open like a
bandage and stares down the interior with more bravado than he actually feels.
Manus’ bag vrrs back at him.
“What…?”
~
Trying to be as quiet as he can, Jarl settles himself down in one of the three chairs piled around the desk before the large Super Room’s windows and rifles through the magician’s strange backpack.
Strange because it seems to hold more items than it should be able to take. Also: vibrating.
It a takes a second, but eventually Jarl’s rummaging hand lands on the culprit.
The priest blinks. “… Is this… what it’s like?” he murmurs, befuddled, as he pulls the Lay Tablet out. “Receiving a connection? Instead of sending one?”
The piece of wood only continues to vibrate.
Jarl begins to sweat, “What do I do…?”
~
It takes him several long moments, but—eventually—he remembers seeing Manus use the tablet sans… well, everything—BUT the blue stone: the lapis lazuli (again: Jarl THINKS that’s what it is).
“That must be it.” Determined, Jarl looks into the bag again, this time aware of what he’s looking for.
The bright blue gemstone almost glows when he finally sees it.
Ignoring this impossibility, the brunette pulls the stone out and sets it into the curve of the tablet’s center. He’ll ask Manus if it really IS a lapis later; right now, he just wants that annoying vibrating to STOP.
Hagen is the first thing he sees.
Then, he sees SOPHIE.
(What‽‽‽)
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