the dark in light

basic info

full name — łukaz łaska

age — seventy-five years old (appears mid-forties)

kingdom — eddis

gender — male (he/him/his)

religion —follower of fityx

occupation — senior warden of eddis

physical info

face claim — john krasinski

hair — brown / eyes — hazel

height — six foot three

clothing style — simple, modest robes in earth-toned colors

sexual preference — versatile top; can be dominant or submissive but leans more toward the former

personality & personal life

label — the eye

positive traits — reliable, erudite

negative traits — secretive, gloomy

there were things about his homeland and life before aladonia graham wasn’t too particularly keen on sharing. even though he trusted lukaz, it was better the mage didn’t know. “i wish i could tell you more. but like i said, most of my years prior to migrating to this country is a blur.” he took a long sip of his tea, listening to lukaz’s own time in eddis and the responsibilities as a senior warden. “i’m sure the country appreciates all your hard work. and your pretty face as well.”

perhaps that was where they differed. graham hadn’t a single clue about the arcane, but he was a man of faith. the young blond prayed to a foreign goddess. in secret of course, as he feared worshiping a deity outside the main pantheon in aladonia would cause people to label him as a heretic. even with lukaz, he wasn’t ready to share such personal information just yet. but despite all his religious ideologies, he was unable to piece together exactly what lukaz tried to explain to him regarding reincarnation. souls moved on after death. at least, graham believed such.  

nevertheless, graham allowed the mage to continue speaking. he simply sat there, trying to take everything in. so all this time… lukaz has been mistaking him for somebody else?

graham opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. he needed a moment to think of a proper response. instead, all he managed to utter were a few questions. “do you really expect me to believe i’m not who i am?” he asked, scoffing. as quickly as his hand was placed on lukaz’s leg, the gentleman in waiting quickly withdrew. “in conclusion, you only took a liking to me solely because of this baseless theory?”

—

Lukaz expected the revelation to stun Graham a bit. He’d have been foolish to not mentally prepare for such a reaction. But he wouldn’t have mentioned his theory if he did not sincerely believe it. Lukaz had a reputation in Eddis; people saw him as a trustworthy, if perhaps slightly eccentric, warden who would not violate anybody’s trust. He probably would not have even aired this out to Graham if he’d also been a native Eddisian. 

He sighs, struggling to explain himself. “I do not believe you are lying about your identity, no,” the warden clarifies. “Reincarnation is not as simple as a soul being born into a new body... oftentimes, as the theory goes, the soul is linked to a similarly-minded one when it’s born. The successor’s life is their own, but— entwined with the predecessor. Perhaps it’s my inherent mastery of the arcane, or whatever else allows me to recognize Lenor in yourself, but...”

Another mild stammering.

“I truly believe Lenor is within you, Graham. All of his best attributes, you share with him, saying nothing of your own likeness resembling his so much... you’ve got to believe me. Theres— I know of a ritual that will allow you to perceive my intense emotion for Lenor. One that will possibly unlock Lenor’s memories that are latent within you—”

The most he spoke, the more he realized how crazy he sounded.

most who knew graham was aware of his status as a foreigner. although not originally from aladonia, he certainly considered it his home. “i hail from a place across the sea. i wish i could tell you more, but unfortunately i don’t remember much,” he admitted with a slight frown. that chapter of his life has long been forgotten, and graham didn’t feel a particular need to flip back through so many pages. additionally, he wasn’t confident in his abilities to recall any significant memories before immigrating here. 

“eddis is a beautiful kingdom. i can see why you wouldn’t want to leave,” graham remarked with a smile. from first impressions alone, he was amazed by the breathtaking landscapes and enormous capital. the gorgeous jewelry and gemstones added to the appeal as well. graham always had a penchant for shinny things. another chuckle escaped graham’s lips in response to the mage’s next words. “i can’t say i’ve ever met anyone who’s used destiny to flirt with me. consider me flattered,” the young blond replied and took a second sip of his tea.

a smirk tugged on the corners of graham’s mouth. “oh? seems to me like you enjoy being called ser, or rather — sir.” he retorted and shrugged his shoulders. “the term suits you. far more than any of the other noblemen i’ve met,” the gentleman in waiting added, shortly after raising a brow at lukaz’s following question. “i’m afraid the logic and science behind magic eludes me. i’m not blessed with an affinity for the mystic arts.” he then leaned forward and placed a gentle hand on lukaz’s knee. “but i’m open to hearing you out. what exactly is reincarnation? and why talk about it with me?”

—

“Well, I am certainly curious about your origins nonetheless. I’ve never ventured outside Aladonia,” Lukaz explains, “but that’s not entirely down to a lack of curiosity or choice. Eddis is beautiful, and I’ve lived here all of my life thus far, but my kingdom needs me here. Especially now that I am the senior warden. Alistair is green to it; he needs guidance. 

“Oh, I’m not—” Lukaz says quickly, almost defensively.  Lenor certainly had a flirty nature to him that he recognized in Graham, but he wasn’t quite ready to indulge himself with the lad’s coquettish advances. He had a feeling there was a mutual attraction between them, but as a man three-fourths of the way to a hundred, he knew better than to let himself be swayed by hot young things like Graham. Even if he were so convinced that it was, in fact, his lost love brought back to life through another.

Speaking of which, time to breach that topic now...

“It’s less a matter of the arcane,” Lukaz begins, “and more of a spiritual concept. I am not an especially religious man beyond my intrinsic leaning to Fityx. Reincarnation is the theory that lives can be reborn into new bodies... most mages in Aladonia don’t outright believe in such a thing. I don’t particularly believe in it... or at least, I didn’t until recently.”

A deep breath.

“Graham, I wanted to speak with you about it because, well... I suspect you are the reincarnation of my lost love, Lenor.”

Lukaz and Alistair seemed like such different people, one was reserved and a little grumpy, the other? Sociable and overly confident, must would assume they went together like water and oil. Oh how some would be shocked to know the chemistry they had behind closed doors...and sometimes with open doors where the risk of prying eyes was very real. Take this moment for example, where Alistair was pinned to the wall - arms bound above his own head by the senior warden's own clothing as he felt that hot breath on his lips whispering and murmuring words of praise to him. Which, of course, Alistair enjoyed every second of.

"Mm, careful there my dear senior warden. Anyone caught us right now they might think you were smitten with me" He purred out, tongue flicking across his pretty lips. Purple eyes gazing up at the taller, older male. Squirming his hands against the clothing binding them, brushing his nose against his.

The old adage of “opposites attract” didn’t always seem true in Lukaz’s experience, but with himself and Alistair, it wasn’t not true. He remembered being young and full of life like his junior warden; his appearance didn’t reflect his old age but his spirit surely did. He hoped time would just come a little more graciously for Alistair than it did for himself.

Brooklyn let out a hum. “Just because someone isn’t allowed to do something, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t happen.” The boy said with a grin as he looked at the other. Honestly? Brooklyn was probably one of the younger riders. He was just about as young as he looked, although he is excited about the fact that he’ll look this way for quite awhile. Because if you ask him? He definitely has quite the appealing look.

Brooklyn watched as the other man took a drink of his ale before hearing his words. And a playful grin came across Brooklyn’s lips. “You could…There’s definitely no one stopping you. But why ask a question when you already know the answer?” Brooklyn asked curiously and sent a playful wink in the other man’s direction.

Lukaz didn’t need to let Brooklyn know just how right he was in that assessment. It’s why the warden got away with so much, how would you put it... under-the-table dealings. As long as he kept them to himself and didn’t make a show of it, well, it was as though it never happened. Right...?

yet there was one man in particular who hasn’t even mentioned the gauthiers the entire time they’ve been together. in the past few months he’s spent with the pleasure of lukaz’s company, no discussion about the princes or the queen were made. not that graham was complaining. it was refreshing to feel like someone has taken an interest in him finally instead of the royal family he’s working for. eventually, the gentleman in waiting allowed himself to let down a number of his personal defenses and refrained from being so guarded around lukaz. in return, graham has genuinely grown fond of the mage and learned to enjoy every second with him without having to worry about any possibly ulterior motives. it didn’t hurt how incredibly attractive and charming lukaz was either. graham found immense difficulty keeping his eyes off him.

suspicions aside, graham accepted the invitation to the mage’s personal chambers. he saw no harm in establishing a close connection with lukaz. the attraction was present and evidently mutual between them. “no, not at all,” he replied while taking a few sips of his tea before setting the cup back down on the saucer in front of him. even for someone without aristocratic lineage, graham displayed decorum and refinement fit for a noble. “i spent my earlier years in rhorm when i first arrived at the continent. this is a welcomed change from the cold climates of dele.”

besides, it gave him an opportunity to dress even more like a harlot. graham enjoyed showing a bit of skin, which explains his choices for clothing or lack there of. some say he’d happily walk around naked if given the opportunity. “ah, well if the cold proves too bothersome for you — i am happy to provide a solution. i’m certain i know plenty of ways to keep you warm.” the gentleman in waiting spreads his legs just a bit, green eyes trained on the beautiful man before him. “i am quite well, ser laska. although i must admit, i’m curious as to what a senior warden might want with little ol’ me. are you planning on conducting experiments on me?” he inquired with a soft chuckle. 

—

It wasn’t just that Graham looked so much like Lenor that led him to his wild (if objectively baseless) theory. The way he carried himself, so confidently gorgeous and full of life, instantly reminded the warden of his lost love every time he caught a glimpse at him. It was almost as though some higher power had taken pity on him; offered him a second chance with his beloved. He just needed to convince Graham of this.

“You mentioned that before, your life before arriving in Aladonia,” Lukas muses. That was another aspect of the whole deal that led his mind to wander. If he wasn’t from Aladonia, where was he from? Heaven, perhaps? “All I have ever known is life in Eddis... I rarely leave the kingdom. The people need me here. It just so happens that I met you on the rare occasion I find myself in Dele, or anywhere else outside of these borders... almost as though it was destined to happen, us meeting...”

Lukaz blushes at the mild innuendo. Another aspect that reminded him of Lenor: the easy, boyish charm he displayed, enhanced tenfold when he made an effort to flirt. It filled the mage with a whimsical arousal he hadn’t felt in years. “No need for such formality with me, boy,” he chuckles, his choice of diminutive essentially proving Graham correct to refer to him as ser.

Lukaz, in his old age, had grown used to the idea that miracles didn’t happen anymore. Everything in life was planned. Predetermined. Whatever ability he had to overwrite the natural order, however little, came as a result of his luck (or lack thereof) being born with magic. But all it took was that one day in Dele however many months prior for Lukaz to suddenly feel as though he’d stumbled into an astonishing development by accident. 

It wasn’t just that Graham was a gorgeous, commanding young man. Aladonia was full of those. No, it was something more incredible.

Lukaz’s lost love. Lenor. 

Graham was him. 

Reincarnation was a long-held (but never proven) theory among wardens and other mages; necromancy, while somewhat similar, was distinctly different. And Lukaz could not help but believe Graham was living proof that souls could eventually be reborn into new bodies.

He needed to introduce himself to Graham if he were to investigate this possibility further. But he couldn’t let Graham catch onto this ulterior motive. Lukaz knew it was imperative to win the the beautiful boy’s trust; endear himself enough to get close to him. Become his friend. Perhaps become something more.

So Lukaz “accidentally” bumped into Graham, and “accidentally” let slip that his innate magic could be used to help the lad with anything that ailed him. Sure, Dele wasn’t exactly in Lukaz’s jurisdiction, but magic was magic. Just as Graham was surely Lenor.

Months passed, and the two became well-acquainted. Friendly, even. The plan was working, and now it was time for Lukaz to pull back the curtain a bit. Reveal his hypothesis. If fate was on his side, his suspicions would be proven correct. If not, well... Lukaz preferred not to consider the possibility.

He invited Graham to visit his chambers, where the two now sat, mulling over an enchanted pot of tea. (Nothing unsavory; just remaining magically hot without ever getting cold.)  Lukaz kept a cozy space, which Graham seemed to respond to just as Lenor did all those years ago. Heavens, this boy’s beauty radiated the room in a way no other fellow managed to do for Lukaz since Lenor faded into a distant memory. He had to be right about this.

Brooklyn was never good with politics. At times, they seemed even more violent and blood thirsty than his calling. Still, Brooklyn was willing to do anything that the royal family asked of him. Tokki and himself have grown fond of them, and they’ve proven to not be unreasonable with their requests. But that didn’t mean that he didn’t desire a drink from time to time. Especially a nice bottle of wine.

The rider blinked he looked at the other man. It took a moment for recognition came to his face, although a smile broke out as it did. “Lukaz! How’s it going?” Brooklyn asked with a big grin and a giggle as he looked at the senior warden.

“Been staying out of trouble?”

Been staying out of trouble? What a loaded question. Lukaz knew he could not answer that completely truthfully, so he just says:

“I’m not allowed to be in trouble. It’s my job to solve trouble.”

He gestures for the barkeep and orders a stiff mug of ale. He knew Brooklyn to be of legal drinking age in Aladonia, but he could never get over how young and boyish he looked, almost as though he’d enchanted himself with eternal youthfulness. Lukaz himself looked quite spry for a near-octogenarian, but he still retained the appearance of a human man in his forties. Hardly worth getting excited about.

It was good business to be in with the chief supplier of wine in Eddis. An occasional drunk like Lukaz needed it; alcohol was one of the few substances in Aladonia that truly put him at ease when he needed the downtime most. Fortuitously, Francesco was also one hell of a physical specimen, and it didn’t take very long into their friendship for other benefits to arise. Carnal ones.

Lukaz felt more or less completely neutral towards the royal family, specifically the king and queen’s children, but something about Matai intrigued Lukaz. He sensed a certain malaise in him; a resigned acceptance of the card’s he’d been dealt in life, no matter how unwanted they were. Some people had all the luck, and then there were those who really had great luck, but at what cost?

So they eventually formed a bit of a bond that took Lukaz by surprise, and he even had the younger man giving him lessons in the martial arts that he’d grown to be so good at. A warden like Lukaz didn’t necessarily need to know how to fight, but given recent events in Aladonia, it seemed nobody was safe. Couldn’t hurt to learn how to defend himself.

Another night, another several hours spent in a seedy tavern far, far from the auspices of a royal family. Sometimes Lukaz wondered if his ascent into Eddisian high court was a mistake. As good as he proved to be in his role, the pressure of it was far too much. He wished he could keep to himself, study his arcane knowledge, and —perhaps most of all— drink without fear of being caught by a familiar face.

At least the one he’d just caught a glimpse of as he sat down came as a welcome one.

Lukaz knew that, despite his high status in the Eddisian court, that his presence was to be requested, not imposed upon, so he thusly stayed away from the royal residence if he could control it. But it just so happened that sometimes he needed to gather materials for his spells that could only be found there. He usually didn’t see ether the king or the queen on these brief trips inside those walls, much less when he passed the couple’s bedchambers—

That’s when his eyes meet with Ayaan’s, quite an accident on his part. May as well be gracious and greet his queen face-to-face.

“Your highness—” Lukaz says, bowing just as quickly as he enters the other’s space. He always felt such immense pressure when in the presence of his royals, even though he’d been around them for so many years now and was in fact quite a bit older than them. Hell, he remembered the king’s own father, and his father...

Ayaan, though, was the most beautiful queen in he’d known in his existence.

It was common speculation across Aladonia that wardens upheld a long tradition within their ranks. One of a carnal nature. Something about mages bonding their bodies with one another at the start of a new partnership, which would strengthen their magic as well as their working relationship. Lukaz knew this to be true for himself, anyway. He spent a long, taxing evening with his late mentor after he ascended to role of a junior warden, and now it was time for him to do the same with the young mage who’d someday replace him — given the presumption that he lived long enough to do that.