The Mark (closed with SRuiz)

[SRuiz]

(Sorry for the short response)

Corbin had almost ignored the sound of someone approaching until he finally heard the voice. Maybe he was right, as he pictured it mentally. Alex was looking at him in a place he assumed was out of sight from everyone. That must have meant the wizard, sorcerer or whatever he was had to be keeping an eye out on him.

"Nothing's wrong...I'm fine" he began to wipe the tears away rather quickly. His face a bit a gloomy in expression however. "You found another way? Last time that happened, I was left screaming in agony..."

He was defensive, of course. He had every right to be like that given that when Alex attempted to undo the spell, the curse caused his belly to pop out painfully so much that it felt like Corbin had gotten a hernia of some sort. Maybe it did not hurt to hear him out however.

"What is it?"

[tjopj44]

Corbin's words hurt Alex as a punch on his stomach, mostly because it was true. He was about to remember Corbin that he, Alex, at least had tried to help him, but noticed the bitter in the other male's words, and realized the other guy was probably having a bad day already.

"Well... I guess you are right, but I'm just trying to help you" He said, softly putting his hand on Corbin's shoulder in a protective way. He was hoping to calm the other male down. "But, this time, I know everything will be better this time."

He waved his hand and two bottles appeared. The first one was filled with red round pills. The second one, with blue round pills. "this pills are going to help you" he explained "the red ones are made to make you stronger and healthier. The blue ones are made to calm you and the babies down, to make you sleep And to protect your body from the babies. You just have to throw one pill in a glass of water."

[SRuiz]

His hand had rested on Corbin's shoulder. The athlete did not jerk it away, not like he could if he was to try. Instead, his shoulders were tensing a bit. Before him was two bottles of pills, one red and one blue. That had to be the strangest of situations: Some random person with mysterious powers offering him two choices of pills that were conveniently colored red and blue. Was he trapped in some kind of Matrix right now? That really had to be it given how things were taking a turn for the worst.

He was reluctant to take the pills, truthfully. He rose from his position and to his surprise, his belly had grown more. It was slightly poking out from under his thin hoodie, revealing what looked to be him at full term, a strange mark, thornlike, growing around it like it was his veins. Corbin tugged down on the hoodie and looked over at the pills.

"Yea, pills and water...got it." He really didn't, a part of him slinking into a state of depression, but maybe desperation was also playing a part? Maybe he doubted he could even reverse this "curse."

[tjopj44]

Alex could feel Corbin's emotions, and, when he placed his hand on the male's shoulder, he realized how the guy was feeling. He also realized.Corbin wasn't comfortable with his touch, and, even worse, seemed to be afraid of Alex. That was kind of a punch on Alex's stomach, but he knew he deserve it.

"Here, just take them" he said, taking his hand out of Corbin's shoulder and giving him the two bottles. He was about to leave, so Corbin would have some time alone when he heard the noise, which make him turn around to see what had happened, and he saw Corbin's belly had grown

Alex instantly ran to Corbin, to check if he was okay "oh, goddess, are you okay? Do you need help?" He asked, now really worried about Corbin. He waved his hands and a glass of water appeared.

He quickly dropped one red pill in the water and soon the glass was full of a red potion, which he offered to Corbin

[SRuiz]

Corbin shrugged.

"It was getting like this when I walked in here." He had almost fallen over from a mixture of dizziness and the new weight itself being strange to his body, but Alex had quickly helped ease him to a decent form of standing. The male looked at the glass and after a few seconds of deciding what to do, he took it like he had a thirst that needed quenching. t

"If those" he pointed at the blue pills "Are supposed to protect me from the baby and these are supposed to make me strong, does the same thing still happens after 3 years?"

His phone had began to buzz and the male reached into the pocket of the hood now resting atop his belly. When he pulled it out, the alarm had went off signifying him about practice.

"Gee, more problems." He turned it off and then looked at the pills. Hopefully what he just drank did not backfire in some strange way again.

[tjopj44]

Alex watched as Corbin quickly drank the potion in the glass, surprised by how quickly Corbin did it. "hey, do it easy, big guy" he said, and gave some taps on Corbin's shoulder.

When Corbin asked about the effects of the pills, however, Alex bit his lips and twirled his hair nervously before answering "well, actually... Sorry, but, no. The curse says what it says. But I'm offering you 3 years of health and calm, instead of 3 years of pain and weakness"

Alex almost jumped scared when he heard Corbin's phone ringing. He looked at it and asked, concerned about Corbin (who now was his responsibility) "What kind of problems? Is everything okay?". And, even though he would never admit it to himself, he was starting to really care about the male

[SRuiz]

Three years of health, yet the leeches inside of him -yes, he was going to call them that- would still have the capability of ripping his body to shreds as they got out of his body? This was becoming an issue the more and more he thought of it and for someone like Corbin, he hated thinking on a thought for too long. Once the water and pills settled, the male found the growing belly calming down. As much as it could be. He unbuttoned his pants shamefully, letting the firm orb gain a form of comfort. Alex would perhaps get a better chance of seeing the marks beginning to form their way across the male's body now from the exposed flesh.

"Every kind of problem. I can't stay in school like this. I couldn't even play at the game this Sunday. Just...forget it..." he sighed before looking up at the sky a bit. It was there if he looked hard enough, the moon. Nothing was wrong with it, not if you counted the fact that the figure before him was bound to snap out on someone for the night. Was he going to torture Corbin even more? "The moon is going to be up...tonight..."

He wasn't thrilled about that. In fact, his heart raced a bit. What if he did something worse to somebody else? Someone who didn't deserve it? Corbin felt he didn't deserve something this cruel, but that was beyond the point. An aggressive wizard, sorcerer or whatever he was would go around and begin laying out curses towards other people. That was how he put to Corbin when he cursed him the night before. Corbin couldn't allow him to do that. Not to anyone else.

"Take it out on me, alright..." He may regret it, but he couldn't let Alex just go around freely harming others. "Whatever you're going to do tonight, take it out on me. If you've got to use some kind of spell or something, do it. Just don't hurt someone else..."

[tjopj44]

Alex looked away, hurt by Corbin's words and watched the sky. He knew the moon soon would raise up in the sky "you say it like if I had a choice..." The sorcerer said " I told you, I am not myself during the full moons, I can't choose who I am going to hurt. And even if I could, I don't want to hurt you"

he remained in silence for a few moments and then said "but you are right, I have to do something about it... But i would need your help" at this point, Alex placed his hand over Corbin's and said, looking at his eyes "please, I don't want to hurt anyone again. Would you help me to protect the people?" He asked, knowing that he would have to trust Corbin

"I'll explain you my plan" he said "in my house, I'll make chains appear on my bed. You have to lock me so I won't escape. After that, I'll cast a sleeping curse on myself, just in case. The problem is that, after that, I'll need someone to wake me up, or I'll sleep forever" he saw Corbin's face and said "it doesn't need to be with a kiss. Just say my name 3 times and I will wake up"

Alex knew that, by trusting Corbin, his life would be on the male's hands. He didn't know if Corbin would try to wake him up or just let him sleeping forever, but he knew that, for all he had done, he would deserve anything Corbin decided to do to him

[SRuiz]

Corbin didn't like the male just doing that; doing whatever he wanted. Again, a contradictory thought for a pompous male like him, but still he wasn't some magical being. He couldn't roam about the lay spells out on other people. Whatever the case, he had to do something. He would do something. He was the cause of this. Couldn't it just be that simple?

"What?" Of course he was a bit taken back. The male suggested locking him up in a room for the night? "You actually want me to do that?"

Yes, it sounded ridiculous. Alex may have even gotten the hint by the look of being hiddenly appalled on Corbin's face. Of course he would want more than anything to keep the male asleep forever. Look what he did, is doing to him right now! 

"This is uh...really hard...to take in." It wasn't harder than the fact that he was pregnant, losing his appearance to tattoos and maybe more to come along the way. Still he had to ask himself a question: Where was he going to go? He wouldn't be accepted like this, not someone his friends were used to seeing. "I'll do it."

He wouldn't lie. He had a hard time not wanting to just leave the male in such a vulnerable state. Still, if Alex had somewhere to stay, somewhere he could hide from humanity, the least he could do was help him.

"Uhh...does this place have any more rooms?"

[tjopj44]

"i know this is hard for you" Alex said "but I need your help, or more people might get hurt"

When Corbin finally decided to help him, Alex smiled cheerful, and said "thank you... Really, thank you for doing this. Yes, I have an extra room, but you don't need to sleep there of you don't want to. I'll understand if you prefer to sleep in your house" the young man knew how it was hard to Corbin to stay near him. "but, yeah, if you want to sleep there, I have an extra room"

He looked at the sky once more. He knew the time was coming, he could feel it down on his bones, the madness starting to take control very slowly as the moon started to raise in the sky. Luckily for him, it would still take Andy hour for the spell to really start. "we should probably go" he said, trying to sound calm

He was about to teleport himself and Corbin to his place,
but thought that the other male probably wouldn't like it. So he just got up instead and extended a hand to Corbin "do you want some help to get up?" He asked, concerned about Corbin's lack of balance due to the quick enlargement of the babies inside him

[SRuiz]

(It's been a bit busy as of late, so I apologize for the delay. Sorry for the short response. I figured you would want to explain where they were going.)

Corbin shook his head dismissively.

"That's not going to work, going back...." He looked at himself. "I can't go back looking like this and I can't look these people in their face when I let them down by not showing up to this Championship. The least I can do is just vanish. Vanish off the map..."

Least he would be doing the world a favor in that he would attempt to keep a night waiting to unravel onto them at bay. He looked at the sorcerer. "Shall we get going?"

[tjopj44]

"don't say that." Alex said " If they are really your friends, they will accept you and love you for who you are. They won't care if you missed some stupid game, they will care about if you are okay" he helped Corbin to get up "but if you want,,you would be more than welcome in my house, and you can stay as long as you need. Or I could try to find you an apartment, it's up to you" he knew Corbin was still upset at him, so he didn't want to force anything. "But, for now, let's just go to my house..."

Alex walked with Corbin, helping him with everything he thought the pregnant male would have difficulties with. Soon, they arrived in a beautiful house, with bright blue walls, flowers in the windows, a garden with magical herbs and fruitful trees, such as apple trees and blackberries trees. One could also see little statues of the goddess and fairies.

When they arrived in front of the door, Alex stopped and turned around to face Corbin. "Hey, Corbin, would you mind staying out here for one minute? I have to tell the fairies and Brownies that you are with me. They usually don't feel comfortable around new people."

PS: Brownies are little magic beings that like to help in the house chores

[SRuiz]

"Yea, you really don't know them" at the rate he was changing, nobody at this point was probably even going to recognize him enough to care. Not even his parents. He rolled his eyes, though attempted not to let Alex see it. He didn't want the male to take that as him having an attitude or try to curse him again. Being nice or whatever around him was going to be a pain. Why particularly did he ask this before when he could just leave the male forever trapped with his fairies and brownies. Wait, fairies? Brownies?

"Uhhh...what?" It took him a moment to realize the statues and various assortments riddled outside the house. It appeared completely far away from the forest as if they were in another place entirely. This was getting weird for him really fast. "Yea, go do that..."

It was sarcastic and not intended to be mean, but it already slipped and Alex was on his way inside the house. He walked around the yard a bit, examining some of the statues and various ornaments. Even looking upon the house some more, there were vines and plants growing around. They weren't like the time ravaged decay either, rather the structure was designed to look that way. Alex seemed to enjoy a lot of things involving nature. Maybe that's why he resembled some Nymphus in his actual appearance? He continued to walk around the place waiting on him to return.

(Okay lol)

[tjopj44]

(Sorry by the late, I was really busy this weeks)

Alex entered in the house, and was greeted by his fairy friends, who were quite shocked when he told them what he had done, specially Julian, his best friend. However, they all were very comprehensive with him and with the situation, and told him they were happy to meet Corbin.

Then Alex took a deep breath and went out of the house, where he found Corbin looking at the statues "they are beautiful, aren't they?" He said, smiling. "I have some trees in the backyard too, and you are welcome to eat their fruits."

He came closer to Corbin and said "the fairies are happy to meet you, so we can come in if you want to" the sun was almost setting on the horizon and he sighed. He knew he had to run.
He helped the other male enter thehouse, and smiled when the fairies flew to greet Corbin. They were small and have beautiful wings and would glow in lots of different colors.

Julian greeted Corbin "Hello, Corbin. My name is Julian. I'm glad to meet you. If you need any help, I'll do my best". He had red hair, green eyes, freckles on his nose and cheek and glowed in a bright blue light. He was very happy to meet Corbin too.

"Well... Welcome to my home" Alex said, looking nervous at Corbin. Some humans were hard to accept that fairies existed, but he hoped Corbin was different. "you can get anything you want from the fridge. I would make you some cookies, but it's kinda late and the sun is almost setting" He said, a bit worried.

[SRuiz]

This was a strange turn of events, one he was certain would only get weirder and weirder with each step. When Alex returned, Corbin gave some of his words some thoughts. He really wasn't invested in traveling in and out the house a lot. Not when he was already struggling to just walk in a normal matter. Despite what Alex insisted, there was no way he was going to let anyone he knew simply watch him transform into something unrecognizable, there being nothing they could do to solve the situation.

"Sure" he said plainly about heading inside the house. He glanced at the steps. It wouldn't be an issue before, but that was different now. His belly was protruding and his hips and waist had no choice but to comply with the recent mass added. That meant raising a foot to climb was not exactly easy. He gripped a pillar for support but soon found Alex helping him up the stairs, to which he simply thanked the magical figure.

He practically paled when the door was open and before him were numerous beings that weren't human. 

"Uh...h-hey" he was choking on his words. "Sure..."

Maybe he was getting more than he bargained for by electing to just run away for the time being? This strange new world was becoming a bit too much for him, but reality sunk in when Alex mentioned that the sun was beginning to set soon. He remembered why he came. Someone needed to keep an eye on Alex and make sure someone innocent wasn't hurt.

"Okay. What do you need me to do?"

(Sorry for the delay. Had to briefly leave for a bit.)

[tjopj44]

(it's okay, no problem)

"Follow me" Alex said, walking into the house. He walked through the hall of rooms, helping Corbin when he needed, and said, while passing in front of the 4 doors on the right wall "The first door is where one-day-visitors sleeps, and the second one is the kids room... I mean, the room where my kids would sleep if i had any" He blushed, thinking on how silly he might be sounding now, and how pathetic, having a room for kids he would never, ever have, because he would never find someone... He shook his head and bit his lips, determined not to care about those silly things.

"Well, the third room is for long-time visitors, it's bigger and has its own bathroom, and it's where you are going to stay... Well, of course, if that's okay by you. And the last room is mine, it's where is my altar for the goddess". In front of Alex's room, there was another door, on the opposite wall. Alex opened this door and entered it, saying "This is my personal library. It's where all my books are. And it's also where is the entrance to my secret room" He walked to one of the various bookcases that were in the room and pulled one of the books in there, called 'The Wizard's Garden'.

The moment he pulled the book, the whole bookcase moved, revealing a secret passage "I know this is cliche, but i always loved secret passages, and this one never gets old" He said, and entered it. The place inside it was a magical secret garden, and, though even Alex found it hard to explain how, the place was not inside the house nor outside it. It was like another dimension, like a place between two worlds. You couldn't see any walls there, just a beautiful forest that seemed to be endless, and the bookcase, standing in the ground, the only way out of the garden. There was even a blue sky, and sun, during the days, and a dark sky with moon and stars during the night. The place had also many magical herbs, flowers and trees, that could be used in many potions.

The bookcase where they entered the forest was in a huge clearing in the form of a pentacle (a circumscribed pentagram), on the uppward point of the star. On center of the pentacle, you could see a large cauldron and a table with manny ingredients. With a gesture of his hand, the cauldron and the table were sent to one of the other points of the pentagram. He walked to the center of the figure and touched the ground, while chanting a song for a few seconds. When he finished, he stood up, and in front of him there was a bed with chains on it. 

He looked at Corbin and said "Now i'll put a sleping curse on myself and the chains will lock me. When the sun rises, i won't be... evil anymore. Then you can wake me up. Just need to call my name three times, and i'll wake up and make the chains disappear. I could ask for one of my fairies friends to do it, but it wouldn't work, because they aren't exactly here. They kinda live in a paralel world, so they wouldn't be able to wake me up". He looked at the guy and said "And, if, somehow, the sleeping curse don't work and i break the chains and try to do any harm, i want you to kill me, okay?" He asked "You'll find a silver dagger in my room. With it, you'll be able to paralise me for a few minutes, and kil me. I'll put a spell on your room, so that you'll be able to hear what's going on in here. Do you understand? Can you do it?" he asked.