New Players In The Pattern

[Nox]

Nox was pulling on his lounging shorts when he felt the power being drawn upon across the hall. Cruz was upstairs, he'd watched him go up the stairs. There should be no one down here. Nox seized the source and felt the fire pull through his skin. He felt the Ijiraq pulling through him again but he moved nonetheless. A fireball in hand Nox stepped into Sage's room with a flurry, arm cocked ready to defend his friend.

Sage was sitting on the bed staring at another man and they were staring dumbfounded into each others eyes. "What the fuck?" Nox looked at Sage. "Sage... are you alright?" He looked perfectly fine sitting in his boxers and t-shirt with another man who was even less dressed.

Nova bound over to him and nearly knocked him down jumping on his leg. Nox shook his head and let the fireball go. The power burned inside but he held it a little while longer. It seared his insides and he fought the power. It was his, and no one would take it from him. No one! Nova licked at his hand and Nox used it to scratch behind the growing pups ears. Nox didn't wait for an answer. He turned and shut the door behind him. Well at least he didn't have to worry about telling Sage no tonight. There was a tinge of jealousy in his thoughts but Sage wasn't his. And he wasn't Sage's.

Nox sighed as he walked into the dojo and laid down in the middle of the floor in corpse pose. It was how he felt - dead. But the power churned inside him burning his insides. And Nox tried not to care, tried not to remember the feeling on nearly dying, but it was near impossible with the power coursing through his body. Nox used the power to light the room with the aura effect he'd seen Methos' kid do at the concert. It reminded him of Aurora and he laid staring at the pretty lights stretching out the stress and burning of this horrid night.

[Aiden Finnegan]

A strange man walked in, fairy fire floating over his palm; the man swore an oath and asked after Sage before retreating from the room without waiting for a response. He was attractive, but his mood was not. Aiden waited until he thought the other man was out of earshot, then looking back to Sage, he eyebrow cocked at him.

                “That’s Nox?” Aiden asked with wide eyes and a bewildered expression. The man looked no older than 20, at least 10 years Aiden’s junior; although he couldn’t be sure until he asked. Sage didn’t seem to be much older either… Even Aiden didn’t look much older than 22, at most, and he hadn’t even had any work done. So why was he even judging? With the way Sage carried on, and the hope Aiden had started placing in the mysterious man known as Nox… Well, Aiden just thought Nox would’ve been older; not that it made a difference in the end.

                Banishing the thought, Aiden furrowed a brow at the closed door, “Did we do something,” Aiden stopped mid-sentence and then a brilliant expression dawned on his face, “Hey, wait a second! Wait just a minute! Did I just do the thing I think I just did!?”

                Aiden was simply beaming at Sage, almost bubbling over with childlike glee. The fairy fire sparked overhead and fanned out into a blazing halo, giving Aiden and his near-to-nakedness an almost Boticelli-like quality. His arms reached out again to grasp the fire-guitar, but it wouldn’t come. His happiness fleeing as he tried again and again to conjure the thing, but it just wouldn’t come.

                The halo overhead winked out and Aiden’s brow furrowed once more.

                “But how did I do it?” he asked, sounding truly disappointed.

[Sage]

Sage sighed as Nox came in with fire, and then left almost as abruptly. Sage nodded. "That's Nox." he agreed. "We didn't do anything, but he can tell when you channel. He's probably on edge right now with that thing floating above you so poetically." Sage grinned at Aiden.

Sage crawled out of bed and found Aiden a t-shirt to wear and tossed at him. "Put a shirt on, and let's go meet your teacher." Sage expected Nox to be doing yoga in the dojo. That was his go to calm. "I don't know how you did it, but Nox can show you and help you." Sage giggled, "But he might throw a fireball at you." he warned Cruz had told stories of the kid Nox had taught last.

Aiden looked good nearly naked, but he'd like to have him naked and in control of that friggin fire. He was being selfish. Nox probably needed to chill out, but Sage didn't care. Sage grabbed Aiden's hand and tugged, "Come on."

They walked in on Nox moving from downward dog into cobra pose. It was like watching a dancer. But then again, Nox could dance too. His mother had taught him. He was graceful and Sage tugged Aiden along behind him and watched Nox. He wouldn't interrupt. Nox would see them eventually. And Sage didn't mind waiting.

[Nox]

Nox noticed when Sage tugged his friend out of the room. Nox didn't really want to meet him so he kept doing what he was. Yes, he was a little jealous. Probably more so than he needed to be, but right now he was feeling a mess. Nox added a few more colors to the lights around the room while he went through the motions. He missed the music he usually had with it and his ear buds were in his room. He hadn't grabbed them, and it was late, too late to have music playing in the basement.

Ignoring them didn't work so Nox went into child pose and let out a deep breath. "You need something?" Nox spoke calmly into the ground. Nox sat up on his heels and looked across the mat to Sage and his friend. That was when he noticed who it was who was standing with Sage. There was no doubt who he was. He was a little older than the days of Aurora's suitcase plastered with his face. She'd loved Blarney Stoned and had insisted Nox listen on many occasions. Nox sighed. "Aiden Finnegan, what Aurora wouldn't give to have met you."

[Aiden Finnegan]

Aiden snugged into Sage’s t-shirt, which was extra comfortable because it smelled like the man, and was lead out of the bedroom by the hand. Lasher was following obediently at their heels, tongue hanging out of the right side of his mouth and prancing like the prince that he was. The man known as Nox was back in the Dojo, doing some yoga pose or another; Aiden had practiced with his trainer every so often, but he never paid attention to the names (that was Rowan’s specialty.)

                Three small orbs of fairy fire sprang into life above Aiden’s head with a distinct ‘popping’ noise. He smiled at Nox’s recognition. It wasn’t that Aiden needed that acknowledgment, but it still pleased him from time to time. Part of him had been worried over making a good impression with Nox, despite the flippant way he had been acting earlier. This was the one person that he had a connection to that could possibly help him with his little… problem. Despite the fact that he was not wearing any pants to speak of, Aiden felt empowered over the recognition. The three balls of fire spun swiftly overhead at his pleasure.

                “Better call up my twin sister then, wherever she is lurking… Rowan always insisted she had a connection to the Otherworld. Me? I’ve always been partial to reincarnation. You must be Nox,” Aiden said with a broad smile on his face. That had not been his smoothest introduction, indeed, he started kicking himself immediately over the lightness with which he spoke of the dead; but there it was. Aiden was 100% Irish (well, a little French too) and raised in New Orleans, the spiritual epicenter of the United States. Taking all of that and Rowan’s past Voodoo ravings into account, well it shouldn’t have been a surprise that he spoke lightly on the subject.

                Aiden honored the dead with all his soul, but he knew there had to be something more out there. Death was just another aspect of life, a transition into the new. He wasn’t the religious type, no, more spiritual than anything. Reincarnation had been the only thing that had made sense to him. With all the déjà vu, the dreams, and all the other odd things that had happened in his life… It was safe to say that this was not the first time he had walked this reality.

                Aiden pointed up to the blazing orbs, “Word on the street is that you can help me with this Fairy Fire… Oh, and there are invisible hands that manifest too… I don’t know how to control any of it. The only thing I know is that both of those things respond to my emotions,” Aiden scratched at the back of his head and blushed a little, “It’s made life complicated. If you don’t want to help, no worries, man. Sage suggested I ask you and I haven’t met anyone else that can do these things… I hear there are people killing ‘us,’ and uh, I rather like being alive and all… So… Nice to meet you, by the way!” Aiden plastered that same goofy grin over his face as he looked at Nox.

[Nox]

The famous rock star wielded the power of the gods without knowing he was like a beacon of power just waiting for the Atharim to come kill him. He'd survived but he didn't understand, control was required. And he saught his help. "So you're the reason we need a new couch." Nox smirked. It wasn't the first time the couch had caught fire. Dorian was long past caring.

Nox laid back on the ground his knees pointing towards the ceiling and his arms to the side like an air plane. He was tired. The Ijiraq and taken a lot out of him. And yet he still held the power and it burned him inside out. The lights danced a little more before he let the power go and the room became suddenly darker. The only light was from the hall where Sage and Aiden had come from. Nox tried not to think about their state of undress and sighed. "Oh come on little brother, Sage has a thing for twins. "

Nox rolled his eyes at his sisters words and he almost echoed them to the hacker, but he didn't. Instead he spoke to Aiden. "There's a light, that sits just out of sight. It's dark but it shimmers in the light. It's powerful. It calls to you. But you cannot surrender to its call. You have to take it and command it. It's like fighting inside a torrent and you have to gain control or it'll rip you away into nothingness." Nox lifted his head and looked at Aiden, the last person he'd taught he'd slept with. Sage had decent taste at least. Nox asked, "Do you feel it just out of sight. You're holding it right now. It's in your grip you just have to grab it of your self, knowingly and you'll never have to worry about these things happening again. Then you just have to learn how to touch them. Fire, Water, Earth, Air and Spirit for lack of a better term. Five distinct flavors."

"I could throw a fire ball at you. But I'm afraid it'd hit Sage, and honestly after tonight..." Nox didn't continue with his sentence, he didn't really know what he was trying to say. Maybe fishing for a what happened, are you alright. But it didn't matter. Aurora knew and she was there to taunt him. "Damn straight, little brother."

[Aiden Finnegan]

Aiden blushed something fierce at the mention of the couch. He scratched at a spot behind his head and looked around the room, avoiding Nox’s eyes, “Eh… heh… Yeah… I told Sage I’d replace it, but he refused. The offer still stands! Total accident… The… fire has never acted that way before… Well, not if you don’t count that VR session from earlier…”

                Nox went on and Aiden was quiet for a few moments, reflecting on what had happened in Sage’s bedroom. He really had no clue what caused the fire to change shape, coming to his hands in the form of an ethereal guitar. It was just thoughts and emotions he was feeling, at least that’s what had gotten him into the mood. He tried to recapture that feeling, but it was long since passed.

                With a sign, Aiden bowed his head and addressed Nox, “I don’t remember there being any light… ever. It’s been this way since it first started happening… after the coma… Anytime I’m experiencing crazy emotions like elation, sadness, lust… All of it seemed very human. I was sure I was hallucinating for months, but then I burned myself one day and…” Aiden lifted up his shirt, completely disregarding his partial nudity, and pointed to a pink bit of flesh about the size of an American quarter, just to the left of his abs, “The burn never went away. That’s when I started believing all of this… I feel like I would have noticed if there was a light behind me… You sure I can channel? This isn’t some ghost haunting me and playing tricks? I’ve heard all the old Irish stories about fairy fire luring the unwary to their deaths in the forest… Am I crazy for thinking this is the work of fairies and not myself? Life was so much more simple when I only had to worry about what lies TMZ was spouting off about me…”

                Aiden wanted to scream. He dropped the shirt back down and started pacing off to the side. This was all getting to be too much. He had come to this country as a means of escape from his problems, but it seemed that fate only piled on more. Why would God bring him here to meet this handsome man, only to prevent them from being truly intimate? Why give him this blessed life only to bring it crashing down after ten years? He had no answers and that only made him angry. Aiden hated being ignorant, and out of control, and in a strange country… Two more orbs of fire popped into existence above his head and began a deadly tango in response to his fury.

                The anger swelled as Aiden imagined Nox hurling a fireball at him. The gaul of this man!? Sure, Aiden had asked for help, but being injured was of no help to anyone. Oh, how easy Nox’s life must be to have such control over these things. Aiden lost himself in thought for a moment, imagining what it would be like to control the elements at a whim. Nox probably did everything with magic; Aiden would if he knew how to. A light? What light!?

                Calm down, Aiden,he thought to himself…

                Focusing on his breathing, Aiden pictured he was somewhere else; no, pictured he was someone else. Why not Nox? The man had it all under control, laying there on the ground, breathing and yoga-ing… Aiden sat down cross-legged on the ground, pretending to be the man that was across from him. He looked so calm, or at least the man was trying to look calm… Aiden breathed in and out, trying to imagine what it would be like to live as Nox. Oh, he knew almost nothing of the man, but that didn’t matter. From what he could see, Nox was calm and collected…

                Control it…

                Fake it till you make it, as Mum always used to say! Aiden thought to himself.

                He sat there for a few minutes, slipping into his old acting exercises… If he couldn’t control it, perhaps acting like his new ‘teacher’ would help? Mind over matter. Perhaps it was just a state of mind. From what Aiden remembered, Ancient Yogis were reputed to have crazy powers because they lived that principle. There were stories of monks surviving on nothing but air for months on end and levitating while meditating. Aiden didn’t believe those things, but Nox might. Nox might even be able to do those things…

                Aiden was acting like Nox now. Aiden was Nox at that moment, at least the idea of the man… Well, the idea that of the man that Aiden had formed in his mind’s eye… He brought a hand up and made a flicking motion in the air.

                A brief flicker of light seemed to manifest behind his right shoulder.

                One of the fireballs overhead streaked forward, passing dangerously close to Nox, and finally collided with the wall behind him; smoke erupted from the protective sheeting, accompanied by a sizzling sound.

                Aiden immediately jumped up from the ground, eyes goggling.

                “Wha-!? Did you just see-!? Nox! I didn’t mean-! Well, I did- but I didn’t! There was light! I felt it!” Aiden shouted, excitement bubbled up inside of him and all thoughts of pretending to be his teacher fled from his mind.

                “What!? How!? I don’t know what I just did, but I felt it, Nox! I felt the light! But it’s not there anymore! Wha-!?”

                Aiden was utterly bamboozled.

[Nox]

Nox shook his head at the offer of a new couch. "It's not the first time nor it will be the last we'll find one at a thrift shop worth torching." Nox grinned. But Aiden continued on thinking he was crazy.

Nox shrugged. "I was brought up to believe men like us were gods. And that men like us deserved to die. I was taught that I should kill people like me. Or my sister." That was probably the moment that Nox realized he could never do it. To kill Aurora, his only family, his life had revolved around her. Even when things were good Aurora had been his light. His guide in all things and now without her he was floundering. Nox looked up at the man who was fuming from the looks of the newest fireball. Nox added. "It's not wrong to think it's the work of faires or gods, or the incomprehensible but trust me you are doing it."

Nox's eye was drawn to the lifted shirt and he tried not to notice other things. The muscles in his abs, the v shape leading towards more carnal things. And his boxer briefs that hid very little from the imagination. It took all his effort for Nox to raise his eyes to meet the rockstars. Sage at least had good taste in men.

Aiden sat down and started meditating. While not helpful in the long run if his power was linked to his emotions, calming down might be the key. Nox sat with his hands around his knees pulled close to his chest and rested his chin on his knees and he watched the other man. There was at least something happening as the fireball flung at him, but just as he had it he lost it just the same. Nox smirked at his sort of apology. Nox wouldn't have missed. "It is of no concern. You must grab the light and control it or die. Even that won't help in the long run. Your power is tied to your emotions. I'd really hate to know what burnt up the couch, but if I make you angry, what happens when he excites you." Nox indicated Sage with a nod of his head.

Nox rocked forward and stood up in one lithe movement. Nox walked slowly towards Sage who had remained silent through the whole thing. His eyes had never let the pair of them. Nox smirked as he walked around Sage. The taller man followed his movements with his head, but Sage didn't move anything more than his head. Nox stretched up on his toes, his hands behind his back and without touching Sage at all, whispered in his ear...

[Sage]

it didn't surprise Sage when Nox recognized Aiden. His sister was a big fan, and if he remembered correctly so was Nox. But he was still coming into his I like boys phase and he while he was acting cool and calm Sage knew better. Nox was checking Aiden out too and a stab of jealousy ran through his body, but then again he might like to watch the two of them. Nox was.... and Aiden... and Sage had to change his train of thought or he was going to be sporting a hardon in his boxers.

Aiden and Nox had a moment and there were fireballs and Sage was afraid they would end up in a fight. Not exactly what he had wanted from the encounter, but Nox just grinned at the fireball as it screamed past his head and splattered against the wall. It wasn't the first time Nox had a stray fireball at him. Cruz was a bad aim too... It made Sage chuckle at the thought.

Nox unfurled from his position on the floor which always left Sage's mouth dry the man was graceful. Fucking dancer, he thought to himself. Aurora was not even that graceful though she had never learned to dance like Nox. Nox walked around him and Sage was a little worried, what was he going to do. Nox was behind him, reaching up to whisper without touching him. A display of his strength, fucking show off, but he whispered in his ear.

Sage turned back sharply and his elbow jabbed Nox in the chest and the other man took a step back. What he'd said made Sage stare at him. He....

Nox grinned at him. "Please."

"You do it."

He shook his head. "One he's your friend, and two I can't instruct him if I'm doing the distracting."

"But..." Nox was an evil fucking bastard but if there was any chance of him and Aiden finishing what they started, Aiden had to control it. Sage slumped and turned to face Aiden. "This better work."

Nox chuckled behind him as Sage walked towards Sage and said. "It'll at least be a fun trial." Sage wanted to turn and look back at Nox but his eyes were focused on Aiden. The man was beautiful and he was in his shirt and.... Sage dropped to his knees in front of Aiden and looked up. "May i?" He wasn't seeking permission he was sure Aiden was alright with it, but this was in front of another man. And Nox was standing watching, he could feel his chocolate eyes burning a whole in his back.

Nox spoke quietly from the other side of the room. "Learn to control it when you have no control. Keep your eyes on me and try to hit me with the fire."

[Aiden Finnegan]

Sweat perspired on Aiden’s forehead over the implications of Nox and Sage’s suggestion. His pulse quickened alarmingly and the bulge in his boxer-briefs swelled, leaving little to the imagination. This was an odd way to teach magic… The implied scenario was nothing new to Aiden, he and his ex-boyfriend grew up together, thus they discovered their sexuality together. Oh, the pair of them were rascals back in High School; they weren’t dating then, just ‘friends with benefits’ as it were. They had often played a game like this around their straight male friends, a lot of young gay men tried to get into the pants of said straight friends. Kyle and Aiden were really good at it too.

                The pair would often do things like this when they were drinking with those same friends, football players more often than not. It worked almost everytime… One of them would suggest popping a porn in after a few beers, the other would get touchy, and then every guy in the room found himself getting equally touchy. It was fun at that age, but looking back on it wracked Aiden with guilt. They didn’t know better at that age.

                Those games stopped abruptly when the pair started dating Senior year; they also ostracized themselves from many of those same friends because of how weird things got with each of them… He’d have done it all completely differently if given the chance. Oh, those were hot memories, but the guilt kept them locked firmly in the back of Aiden’s mind.

                The only difference between a straight man and a gay man is about seven beers… Heh… Aiden thought to himself, old-guilt and new lust battling with each other in his mind. The fire overhead spun around dizzily at the conflicting emotions.

                Aiden looked down at Sage with a confused expression, “Only if you’re okay with this…” and without waiting for a response, he eased his organ out from the increasingly tightening underwear.

                Just pretend it’s one of those games, Aiden… Nox is pretty cute too; it’s not like you would mind getting into his pants, so why worry about him witnessing this? Hell, you might even be doing the guy a favor if he’s as confused about his sexuality as Sage claims he is, Aiden thought to himself as he took a deep breath and looked up into Nox’s eyes.

                The fire’s axis evened out as the guilt faded from Aiden’s mind; it was now simply spinning rapidly overhead. Trying to replicate what had just happened moments before, Aiden tried slipping into a meditative state… Lord, was it hard. Sage served as an effective distraction. A moment of peace and concentration would bloom in Aiden’s mind, but then Sage would do something that chased away all thoughts of control; he had to fight everything inside of himself to control his excitement.

                Aiden even tried pretending to be Nox again, he even tried to feel the thrill of performing on stage, but those thoughts were fleeting. The Light popped up behind his shoulder once, but Sage did his thing and the phantom glow left as soon as it appeared. Aiden howled loudly after that happened.

                Through gritted teeth, Aiden spoke to Nox, “I… Can’t… The Light… Was just… AH! There! But it l-left. God dammit, Sage! Nox… I… am enjoying a… all of this… attention… But… I don’t see… How to… Make. This. Work.”

                The fire spin violently overhead, gaining speed as Aiden grew more frustrated and more excited.