: Saintsmourn - Nicholas & Patrick :

[dangernerd]

Nicholas Kirkland (Nicky to those who he considered friends) was at this moment finishing up the last of his reading for his college classes. In the little dorm-room that himself and Patrick shared, it was a muddle of books and random objects that they'd collected. Not only that but also bits and bobs of their friendship tied into neat little nostalgic notes.

The last rays of the sun was streaming in through the window and he was poised, feet crossed on desk and balancing barely on the back two legs-- precarious yes, and honestly he knew that he should not really be doing this. Coordination be damned, he'd never worried about it before despite the bumps and bruises he regularly got because he was perennially distracted.

It was almost time for Patrick to come home from his late evening classes and then they'd start their foraging for dinner.

After that, well the evening was still young and there was trouble to be had. All of which he looked forward to, after all Patrick had for as long as he remembered, been his favorite partner in crime.. they had grown up together and they had a special bond.

As close as brothers, except not quite-- and honestly? Nicholas was glad for that.

Comments

[giveeverything]

If only.

Patrick resisted the urge to smack that wiggling ass -- a true display of willpower really because it was wiggling and it was right there -- and followed behind Nicky down the hallway. He stepped carefully around the detritus of the clearly frequent parties that were staged in this house.

"We need to work on your optimism. The bar is so fucking low..." But he did have a point, Patrick supposed. It would mean a pause in any tumble, and also a good landmark if they had to make a run from any particularly unhappy entity.

"Anything on the EVP?"

[dangernerd]

"Here in Saintsmourn, you learn to take what you can get." there was a suitable snort from him. He could see some activity absolutely coming from upstairs, the beeping was growing louder by the minute. To the stairs and then he put his foot up on the first step very gently, this was to feel for any potential traps or unsteady steps; this was not the first house of lax-repair they had been into and it would not be the last.

Images came to mind of their first haunted house where he had stepped right through a floorboard and twisted his ankle, not a good time though optimism in effect-- at least it had not been broken?

It all seemed steady and so he started to scale the steps one by one, better to be safe rather than crying about the whole thing. Ever so often there was a creak, but that was the extent of it.

[giveeverything]

There was something different about this house. Patrick couldn't put his finger on it, but something felt off. Not like the usual residual echoes or poltergeist. Not even like an actual intelligent ghostly presence. He shook his head, trying to clear it, to fix in on what he was feeling, but it didn't quite click in.

He wasn't going to suggest they back down, of course. That wasn't really how either of them rolled, now was it? But his defenses were up, a certain wariness, readiness.

Trick followed in Nicky's footsteps exactly, well aware that his roommate was careful about where he placed his feet.

[dangernerd]

Would it be against the bro-thing if Nicky reached for Trick's hand?

He considered it with every squeak of the floorboard but then he opted against it each time his weight was put on it and nothing occurred that could potentially harm them. No, there was no way that Nicky would've backed down and this was exactly why the both of them were exceedingly dumb.

Braincells that were suitably masked by a healthy dose of hubris and testosterone, and with both managing to piggyback off of each other.

The beeps on the EVP was starting to get less far apart, the green lighter brighter like it was picking up something. "Oh yes.." they hit the landing and then past a window and another flight of stairs to the hallway above. "Looks like we have something." he did not pick up anything those, no vibes or anything.

Only an unseasonable warmth.

Wait.. was it not supposed to get colder?

He paused a few steps before the second floor. "I can't see my breath?"

[giveeverything]

Trick would've taken the hand holding. In fact, it would've felt reassuring. Something here. Something here something strange something wrong. It was wrong. It was dangerous. Trick could feel it in that empty place in himself where it echoed.

His chest felt tight, throat dry. Not great. Not good. He slipped a hand into his pocket. Amulet. He always packed an amulet for these.

Nothing. Shit. He'd been too excited at the prospect of their Friday night out.

"It's not a ghost..." Trick murmured quietly. "Whatever is in here is not a spirit. It's something else."

[dangernerd]

It is often times said, that the moment that you notice something is off is the exact moment that it is too late.

Nicholas turns to look down at Patrick, the two of them on the very threshold of the second floor and both of them coming to the exact same conclusion but in different ways-- with Trick it was the gut reaction that served him so well, but for Nicky it was the deductive reasoning.

"Fuck..."

Glass shattered all around them, but it felt more theatrical than a poltergiest-- it did not touch them though but it would keep them in place from moving up or down the staircase.

[giveeverything]

Patrick looked up to Nicky just in time to meet his best friend's eyes as the other man cursed and hell broke loose around them. Out of pure reflex, Trick stepped up onto the same Step as Nicky and pulled the other against him so he could try to shield the other from the sudden explosion of shattering glass.

But after a moment it didn't seem there as a reason for it, the way the glass had managed to surround them but avoid actually striking them.

"All right, cute trick. If you want to play games, then let's play. We aren't going to scare so easily!"

Yes that was a good idea, taunt the destructive entity.

[dangernerd]

Perhaps Nicky's own heart was pounding heart enough that he could understand the reason for the sharp pull against Trick's body, it was all that adrenaline as he came into solid contact. Both their breathing coming in time with each other-- there was a single drip of blood though, one of the shattered pieces of glass, rogue that it was managed to make a criss-cross just on Nicky's cheek.

Did they notice this though? No, mainly because their hearts were pumping so hard and fast.

There was a surge of power as it reverberated through the hallway and hit them with an impact. It made Nicky all the more aware of how close he was to Trick, like a rising tide.

At this point though Nicky was sure they were working with something demonic. He glanced over at Trick-- "So you know that I am not the one to ask this usually but.. ah, did you bring your rosary?"

[giveeverything]

Oh. Yes. Rosary was a good idea. He may have left his amulet at home, but the rosary was one he almost always wore around his neck -- just in case he ever ran into Liam and had the chance to use it. He still had it in his head that his brother must be possessed, and eventually he'd find the right ritual to properly exorcise him and get his brother back. It was a misplaced hope maybe, but a hope never the less. He fitfully fished inside his collar to pull it out and off.

"Yup. Got it. Now... let's see what we can do about this. Probably not a great idea to leave whatever this is just... hanging out here where frat guys hold keg parties."

It could cause problems, and not fun problems. Trick was unaware of the fact that the entity here had already decided it wouldn't be staying, that it was fully intent on leaving -- just, you know, leaving by making itself at home attached to Nicky.

[dangernerd]

And honestly?

They were the perfect people to take care of this, weren't they? Two nerds with rosaries, since the ghost hunting equipment they brought was probably not going to do the two of them a lick of good whatsoever. Nicky did share a grin with Trick even as he fished his own rosary out of his pocket, something that he only kept in his pocket at the insistence of his best friend-- he was not the type to think of demons as a big deal but well.. Patrick was.

He wiped his cheek with the back of his hand and then started to head up the stairs, reaching behind him to take hold of Patrick's hand. "Come on loser, we're going up."

[giveeverything]

"Whatever, nerd." Patrick would do his best not to dwell on Nicky holding his hand. (Gay Panic was a lifestyle choice at this point for him, always gay, and whenever his best friend was around -- which was always -- always panicking because of it.) They had more pressing things to worry about than his big stupid crush, even if the target of said big stupid crush had smiled that stupidly handsome smile at him and was rushing into supernatural danger like the madman that he was.

Why was that hot? He couldn't say exactly. But fuck him it was.

His free hand held the rosary, and he tried to clear his senses, to get a feel for where this thing was hiding. "Left... it's down that way. I can feel it."

[dangernerd]

Very good, exactly what Nicky needed.. his best friend leading him right into danger. But the Kirkland blood ran strong and he'd always rush into danger-- it was hereditary by this point, in veins that were more like fire than blood by this point. But then Nicholas had never balked or been fearful of actual dangerous-- perhaps in social situations he was a little bit anxious, but when it came to facing the unknown, he was stalwart, like a lion.

To the left, though he was careful to look back at Patrick.

Then a door directly to the right slammed open, narrowly missing him. So clearly his dexterity was not suffering too bad, for he stepped to the left, his hand still clutching the rosary. And oh thank goodness he still held it in his hand. "Well did you just fucking see that? Trying to take out my shoulder like that?"

But he was silently yay'ing under his breath because it missed him.

[giveeverything]

They were a dangerous combination. Neither one of them was possessed of a great deal of self preservation instinct, but hell, they'd made it this far in more or less one piece. Trick startled as that door slammed open, quite ready to pick Nicky up off the floor, but no, in a display of uncharacteristic coordination, the other man had dodged it.

"It's not a very polite demon, clearly."

Trick teased at him, patting his shoulder gently. "We're just getting started. I'm sure it's got more up its sleeve. Be careful, Nicky..." A low murmur. Trick may not have any self-preservation instincts, but his Nicky-protection-instincts were always operating at maximum.

[dangernerd]

Make it this far, they had to go all the way right? It was only fair and suitable that the do so, neither of them were cowards and they never backed down when it came to the chicken game which would work for the Incubus' favor. "Very rude, treating guests like this." Nicholas gave himself a very wide berth as he kept the course he was charting which would place him in consistent miss mode with any doors that decided to slam open.

Glancing back over his shoulder, those blue eyes met Trick's own gaze-- a sparkle to it, he felt alive in this moment, and he was near incandescent. Under pressure was where Nicholas excelled, all of the Kirklands did-- like bright glittering rubies that had a little diamond within them.

"I have this, Trick.. promise." when he probably did not have it.

The rosary, it warmed in his hand as if drawing attention to itself. Almost immediately Nicky understood that perhaps he should put it on-- he knew that it would take one singular trip for it to fall into a trap. How very helpful to the rosary to remind him of that so.. he slipped it on-- likely it would also cause Trick to breath a sigh of relief. "Okay, there." he said as he patted the cross that nestled against his chest.

More doors slammed in high drama, cupboards banged and there was a clatter toward one of the backrooms.

"Do you have some holy water ready, Trick?"

[giveeverything]

Yup, there it was, the spark in those absurdly beautiful blue eyes. Trick could not resist it at all. He'd follow Nicky straight into hell and back if the other man looked at him like that. "Yeah, I know. You're a professional."

He did nod his approval as Nicky put the rosary on. Much better. Much less chance of him dropping it at exactly the wrong time. Startling, he turned to look to where that clatter had come from. Oh. Something was having a tantrum. Not a good look.

"I should, hang on." He reached back to fish into his backpack, pulling out a pair of plastic squirt guns, pressing one into Nicky's hand. "Here."

Patrick Leary was a serious paranormal hunter, okay? Ready to take on all the demonic legions of hell.

[dangernerd]

Nicholas Kirkland did not bat a eyelash at that, in fact he took the squirt-gun gratefully. It wasn't a supersoaker (they had that one back at the dorm room, but it really was a pain to fill from the cistern without attracting notice) but it would do in a pinch, and it didn't seem like multiple demons, he was sure there would've been a flanking mechanism in place as Demons were not dumb and were highly tactician when it came down to it.

He hoisted it with the mouth of the gun pointing upward and then he placed his back against the wall, dragging the other man in close, his other hand going back to cross over Trick's torso as if he could stop anything from getting to him which was sweetly protective.

"You ready to bust in there? Remember to keep a good cover if at all possible." awww, like they were in a crime novel or something. Aren't they precious?

[giveeverything]

Patrick was currently in a full on gay panic because his idiot crush had, with holy-water-filled-squirt-gun in hand, had pulled him close and gone all James Bond pose on him. His heart was suddenly racing at an alarming rate and it had nothing to do with demons or haunted houses. Nope. It was about this fucking nerd hat he was so goddamn infuriatingly in love with being sexy in the most ridiculous circumstance that he could possibly have imagined.

Fuck his entire life.

It took a moment to register that words had been spoken, because most of the blood in his brain had very abruptly flown south for the winter. "Right... yeah, no, yeah. Ready. On three?"

[dangernerd]

This was indeed Trick's life in this moment, and Nicholas was actually doing this 'unironically' so there was also that. Finally he strafed to the side; he was feeling pretty good and he was actually showing off for the other guy. Yes, see how brave Nicky was.. absolutely brave.

Nothing could go right? Not with this high of adrenaline.

He attempted to kick the door open and oh yes, it was totally a door that swung the other way; so he ended up bouncing his leg against it and then backward until he hit the railing of the balcony that looked out onto the hall.

There was a sickening crack that was not bone, but wood and it seemed to originate right where Nicky had made rather forceful contact with it. It happened in a split second, but in that time as he fell backward, the door splintered and projectiled right toward Nicky. One particularly large splinter catching the rosary around Nicky's neck. And then it started to however upward and upward in something utterly demonic, a high pitch screech sounded as very soon Nicky was hanging by his Rosary.

His hand had come up and he was attempting to prevent himself from choking, his legs kicking as he forced his fingers underneath the biting metal.

[giveeverything]

Trick knew first hand how brave Nicky was. It was one of the things that truly frightened him in life, knowing that his best friend (and love of his life) would charge straight into danger without even a moment's hesitation. Unless he was stopped by a door.

He winced as he watched Nicky bounced back, about to go make sure that the other man was all right, and then all hell broke loose. Trick yelped in surprise as the door burst into pieces, lifting an arm to shield his face and lowering it in time to see Nicky suspended by the rosary around his neck.

"Nicky!" He yelled, running to try to help, wrapping his arms around Nicky's legs and lifting up to try to buy him some breathing room. He shifted to one arm, trying to get his shoulder under his friend while aiming his squirtgun up towards the shard of wood currently holding him up.

"Put him down!"

[dangernerd]

~Such a pretty boy...~ came a voice, almost androgynous-- neither male nor female. It was a purr and it came out in a way that was nearly obscene as it wrapped around the two of them. A deep throaty chuckle nearly directionless, the rosary squeezed tighter though thankfully the way that Trick held him seem to offset a bit.

The vicious wooden shard continued to hold this battle with trick, The necklace seeming to dig in, causing near instataneous bruising, it doubled down, then there was a crack as the rosary broke and in the force of meeting nothing to pull it down, it catapulted toward the hallway mirror and shattered right into it.

Likewise gravity found Nicky and pulled him toward the floor. And the danger nerd could not even break his fall because his hands went immediately to his neck to clutch, perhaps because he was able to breath far better now, the chain and choked him and left beads like marks against his throat. Now it was up to Trick on how the next few moments played out.

[giveeverything]

Oh yeah no, Trick did not like that. He swung the squirt gun around towards where the voice had come from, except it felt like it came from everywhere and nowhere at once. His mind was racing trying to figure out how to help Nicky when the rosary suddenly snapped, the sound of the beads scattering and striking off walls and floor and the definitive shatter was the greater portion of it hit that mirror and sent shattered glass flying.

Another startled sound as he suddenly had all of Nicky's weight in his hold. He tried to catch him, he really did, but the only thing he could manage was to get himself under the other man so that at least when they landed together in a tangled heap, Nicky's fall would be cushioned by Patrick.

He hit the floor hard enough that between that and the added weight on top of him, all his breath was knocked right out of his lungs.

[dangernerd]

They both fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs with Nicky's own body nearly collapsing atop in what felt like a heap. There was a hissing in the air around them that grew deeper and darker, and then that strange dark energy swirled and then suctioned. What Trick would not see with that windedness was a eddying whirlwind where it cycloned and grew smaller and smaller.

With each strangled breath that Nicky took in gasping intervals, he also took in a little of that energy within him where it sparked hidden sequences and rewrote neural pathways and DNA.

A hiss, a purr. The shattering of glass in the distance then, even further in the distance a door being shut as if the spirit had grown tired, residual energy vibrating further with every breath of Nicky. Then blissful peaceful quiet. Nicholas rolled off Trick with a groan, realizing that he was on his best friend and then he was on his back with another series of aching noises.

[giveeverything]

By the time Patrick's brain caught up with what had happened, he had indeed missed the way that strange dark miasma had made itself a home inside his best friend. All he knew was that his ass hurt and his head hurt and Nicky was -- oh god, Nicky. When the other man rolled off him, Patrick pushed himself up to his knees in an almost frantic scramble.

"Nicky! Are you okay?" Already his hands were moving to start checking the other man over, patting gently over his shoulders, lower, then back up to let his fingers trace over the marks left by the rosary before it had shattered in such spectacular fashion. There was deep concern darkening his normally light blue eyes, expression uncharacteristically stern. His eyes darted up and around, a frown pulling at his lips. He couldn't feel it anymore. Whatever that was that had attacked them had slipped into background noise. Had it worn itself out with that little display?

He didn't know. What he did know was that he was going to get Nicky out of here and make sure he was safe, and then come back some other time and burn this place to the ground. Or purify the hell out of it with every trick up his sleeve and some new ones he'd learn specifically for the occasion.

[dangernerd]

Nicky let out a deep groan and then shifted on the hard wooden floor, predominately in response to the other guy's voice which pulled him out of whatever slog that he had temporarily entered into. His eyes open, to reveal those blue eyes, slightly dazed yes-- as if he'd gotten the lights knocked out of him.

And there was of course the fearsome red marks at his neck which would leave one hell of a bruise when the time came. His head shifted and then he reached up to feel his own neck to rub it lightly. "I'm.. oh gods I don't know." everything had happened all at once and in rapid bullet-fire succession. "I don't think anything's broken.." he tilted his head back and looked up into those light blue eyes.

"You? Are you okay, Trick?"

[giveeverything]

Patrick wound up setting both hands ever-so-gently against either of Nicky's cheeks at the sound of that groan, looking at him with a piercing sharpness in his gaze, like he could see straight into Nicky's brain if he tried hard enough, could figure out where any pain was coming from and fix it. That wasn't how any of this worked, of course, so he had to content himself with being relieved when Nicky finally spoke, letting out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "You got knocked around pretty bad. You're not supposed to scare me like that, you asshole."

He grumped at him, shaking his head. "I'm fine. Worst that happened to me was that some lanky nerd got dropped on top of me. ...and made me worry about him. A lot."

Another glance around. "It's gone, whatever it was. Retreated or gone dormant or something. We should get you out of here while we can, and come back with enough holy water and incense to cleanse the ninth circle of hell."