#thingreyfog

With how worried Bradley had sounded over the phone, John-Robert came to the conclusion it was best to hand the shop over to Jeanne or one of the more experienced hands and travel abroad to go see if he needed help. Being among those with special clearances and the ability to pull certain strings or ropes made it easy to secure last minute travel plans for a quick hop across the pond.

Since his brother had mentioned someone interdepartmental having a bit of a meltdown, he supposed that the capital was a good place to start the search. It was so much easier to locate his siblings when they were where they belonged, outside of their region was difficult enough, but over seas....no such luck unless he stumbled on the kid by accident.

To say Nicholas was caught off guard would be one hell of an understatement. He had gotten embroiled in a bit of debate, had almost forgotten anyone else was even in the room and now he was cut off in the middle of a refute.

If one could even call it a debate, judging by Nick’s approach to the topic. He’d been laughing and making light of his corrections, generally quite cheerful in explaining that no, the Holy Grail was not a physical object at all but merely a metaphor within a cautionary tale about the boon of salvation. Likely not the exciting version that was being scratched out of the scraps of Arthurian legend one could get their hands on. Even if Nick’s version was Christian propaganda, it was the one being written on and believed by those writing which was the entire point of a doctrine on Medieval literature.

But now, mid-sentence, he’s half stumbling backwards and only just catching himself against the wall as his view of the notes was suddenly replaced with Indiana’s visage. The noise he made would have been a yelp if it hadn’t been so quickly muffled. A hand that had been raised in surprise, a self-defensive reaction, now settled on Indy’s neck as he managed to relax from the startle, now pulling back to blink in surprise.

He was left quite speechless. What had he been talking about..?

Normally, when Nicholas got himself on a roll, Indy didn’t like interrupting him without good reason. Unless they were having a debate. In this instance, Indy had decided it was a good a time as any to introduce Nick to his father, the Medieval scholar. And holy crap, was he enjoying this.

Considering most forms of modern technology were not to the immortal’s liking, Indy set up the video call himself, trusting someone on his father’s end to do the same. He then soothingly explained to his lover that he wouldn’t even realize he was talking to someone on the other side of an ocean through a ‘magic box’ once he got going. Even though he’d introduced him as a college and not as his partner, because that was a whole other conversation, Nick hadn’t disappointed him. He was taking great enjoyment over the fact that he could lord centuries of knowledge over Indy’s father, who, despite being very knowledgeable, didn’t know as much as the Royal Historian. Which was so much better because Nick appeared slightly younger than even Indy!

The more he watched the interaction from his seat just out of view of the laptop, the more satisfying it was. And, if he was being honest with himself, the more turned on by the whole thing he got too. The fact that he could one up his father when they’d had the most difficult relationship ever in terms of Indy’s opinion never being the right one was icing on the cake that he simply enjoyed being with the immortal. So he probably could be forgiven if he slipped slowly from his armchair and waited until his father wasn’t looking, despite Nick being mid-retort, before grabbing the other man around the waist and pinning him against the wall off camera, kissing him soundly.

Dear Sir--

I am at a Loss to aid you, as I cannot fathom Any Explanation for the Condition you describe, let Alone Any which might satisfy the Court. You may be Well-advised to avoid Legal Interference by any Means Otherwise Available to you. Frequent Migration, as an Outlaw or Itinerant Labourer, could serve, for Some Time, if you do not garner Much Infamy, and grant you an Undisturbed Life, but a Low and Lonely One, as you would be Unable to remain Any Place more than a Decade, nor to forge those Bonds of Family and Companionship any Man needs to Thrive. Else you might establish yourself as a Prosperous Recluse, who keeps Much to Himself and strays Out Only on Rare Occasions, and for a Time vanishes Altogether, under Guise of Ill Health, returning to Public Life at Such Time when the Previous Fellow has “died”, and you might proclaim yourself your Own Son and Heir. I find Neither Notion to my Liking, but I am not Afflicted as you claim to be, thus can offer no True Wisdom on the Matter.

eye emoji

(eyes you back)

(MUCH EYES)

He’d been observing the other man for a while now. Lord Grey was an, ah... Interesting character. Presumably it was to do with the nature of the other’s mortality - Mycroft could certainly imagine so many years of life taking its toll on a man - but still, it was infuriating.

“Why do you do that?” Mycroft asked out of the blue after watching the other eat for a good few minutes. It was impolite, he knew, but he couldn’t understand why Lord Grey seemed incapable of using a simple fork.

Send “Spar” for our muses to be sparring partners.-

            With a wave of the knight’s hand the new recruit, hopefully humbled, stepped out of the ring; the same hand went to wipe his own brow of the sweat that had accumulated even in such a short demonstration, and its existence amused him. Long ago it took him far more than a single round with a trainee to get him to sweat, and someone else had told him that it was a sign that he was a bad teacher. Even at the time, he’d agreed with them.