Descent [MC:SM]

6: to carry the world on your chest

*shakes maracas* ive returned you fucking gremlins 

forgive me for dialogue-heavy content. 

also!! I took inspiration from Rush and am going to start putting music in my chapters cause 1) i wanna share cool shit 2) i fucking can 

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Ivor was a mystery to Lukas, in all aspects.

He did not know where he was from, his past apart from the Old Order, didn't know simple things about him that friends should know: his favorite color, what he liked to do, his favorite book. He trusted him wholeheartedly as Jesse did, because Ivor was a good man, but the mystery surrounding him made Lukas curious. 

He'd been steadily opening up as he gained a stronger relationship with the rest of the current Order (Although Ivor and Petra frequently clashed), but seemed content to only have that deeper connection with Jesse. Lukas had often heard them talk through the night, seen Jesse go to him for advice and comfort.

However, it was still jarring to see Ivor fuss over Jesse like a mother hen. 

They were in the basement under the Order Hall rather than Ivor's own house-- Jesse couldn't make it that far, he'd taken six steps and then collapsed, much to Ivor's distress. Ivor kept most of his potion supplies there anyways; he had taken to spending equal time in both establishments.

So there Lukas was, forced to sit back on a nearby chest while Ivor poked and prodded at Jesse, wincing every time Jesse winced.

"Ivor-- ow-- that hurts--" Jesse was too much in a haze to do a whole lot more than mumble protests with closed eyes. His legs dangled off the edge of the counter that lined the back of the room, holding himself up with his arms.

The older man sniffed. "That's what you get for being reckless, boy. Shirt off, there was blood all over the flimsy stuff you were wearing as armor. Now Lukas, you need to tell me what happened while I take care of this mess."   

Jesse's sickly complexion paled, and as his gaze flicked to Lukas his ears began to flush.

"I won't look," Lukas promised, turning away. Jesse was insecure, and that was fine. He told the story from start to finish while Ivor tended to the various cuts and scrapes with a cloth dipped in a jar half full of a mix of healing potion and probably a few other things Lukas couldn't name. The smaller wounds would take just a few hours to disappear, days to a week for the larger ones although from what he'd seen Lukas knew a few were going to scar. Healing potions couldn't fix that-- Ivor explained the mechanics to him a while ago: healing only reacted to raw tissue, blood, and small bones, not scar tissue or old wounds. Regeneration just helped the healing process go even quicker.

When he finished Ivor stared him down, the shadows dark on his angular face. Lukas was taller than him, but that didn't make Ivor any less imposing when his eyes darkened and he scowled. For a solid minute Lukas thought Ivor was going to cuss him out, then he sighed and glanced worriedly at the puncture marks on Jesse's upper arm.

A tiny vial of blood sat on the counter. He'd taken a sample, which told Lukas the venom was unknown, dangerous enough to be harmful, or both. 

"You kids, always scaring the Nether out of me. I'll be right back, need to figure out the basis of the antivenom. Lukas, keep an eye on him, note any changes in behavior, breathing, slurred words, you know the drill." He vanished behind the various bookshelves standing in rows along the basement with a small whirl of his green outer robe. 

Jesse was hunched over, arms crossed and turned away from him.

"Are you worried?" Lukas asked softly.