A medical emergency

[fadingworld]

A deep navy cloak hides his features and the more ornate tunic the courtesan usually wears to greet his clients. Mal hunches his shoulders and slides through the crowds hoping to avoid notice. He keeps his head down until he reaches the home of the doctor and wraps smartly on the door. "Open up," he calls in a voice that expects to be listened to.

How much time did he have? He could not have a client bleeding out. Not this one. Not one who had come to him for help, to be treated privately.

Comments

[fadingworld]

"It is different," Mal says with amusement. "But it is supposed to do wonders for the skin." He shakes his head. "I truthfully do not feel any different now that I have stopped it. The Madame did love to boast that we used all the best treatments to keep ourselves fresh looking."

[mandragoraspiritus]

Regis snorts where he lays, eyes having drifted closed. "Yes, well... The Madame seem to have some peculiar ideas about that." Regis had been in the Rose Thorn before he met Mal, for the sake of other patients. The House may have displayed a polished surface, but scratching that surface just a little could show all sorts of unpleasantness beneath.

[fadingworld]

"She did," and for the first time there is a hint of bitterness rather than the calm acceptance. Mal runs a hand through his hair. "Some I have only realised are very strange now I see how you work and interact with me."

[mandragoraspiritus]

Regis looks up then and reaches out a wet hand to Mal.

"You grew up in it, naturally it woudln't seem strange while you were in it." He sighs. "If I could think of a way to close down that house without those living in it coming to harm of being put out on the streets, I woudl in a heartbeat."

[fadingworld]

Mal takes the hand and leans forward to kiss the back of it in thanks. "It's awful," he says softly, "But I do not know who could survive away from what they know. They would turn to whores or find a lesser House to work for and be worse off."

[mandragoraspiritus]

"Yes, that is the concern," Regis agrees, giving Mal's hand a squeeze. Not everyone in there even wanted to leave. Many didn't.

[fadingworld]

Mal smiles sadly. "I wish they wanted saving. But.." he sighs. "If she ever does anything truly terrible...."

[mandragoraspiritus]

"If she does and we learn of it, then we will take action." That much he can promise.

But this is not the mood he wishes for this day to start with so he tugs gently on Mal's hand. "May I ask for that back scrub now?"

[fadingworld]

Mal will brood on this a little but he nods and a smile eases the tension from his face. "But of course." He takes the cloth and soap and comes to kneel by the tub.

"Lean forward," he requests and drops a kiss on Regis' shoulder.

[mandragoraspiritus]

Regis draws himself up to sit, knees pulled up and his arms wrapped comfortably around them, leaning forward to give Mal the space to scrub away.

[fadingworld]

Mal trails his fingers down Regis back first, naming off parts of the spine before he turns to the task at hand. He has made an art form of it over the years, soothing and relaxing and thorough.


"I am glad you do not scent your baths, I do not believe it would mix well with the smell of herbs.

[mandragoraspiritus]

"You may find that particular smell missing soon." And indeed, scrubbed away by the soap and rinsed away by the water the scent of herbs is fading and that peculiar scent of wet earth and something like metal growing stronger as it is no longer being masked by the herbs.

"The herbs are useful to hide my own scent. If I didn't I dare say that dogs would be howling at me in the streets."

[fadingworld]

"I do not mind this smell either," Mal murmurs, "It is part of you after all. Though the herbs are very pleasant."

He shifts his attention to Regis' sides and chest. 2

[mandragoraspiritus]

The offer had been to have his back scrubbed, but he won't complain about some extra attention. As Mal's scrubbing goes more to his front, Regis leans back against the rim of the tub again, his head coming to rest on Mal's shoulder.

[fadingworld]

Mal turns his head to kiss Regi's forehead. There is nothing sexual about this at the moment. He's simply getting to know Regis' body.

His voice rises into an old ballad, singing it for simple pleasure for them both.

[mandragoraspiritus]

Regis sighs in contentment. This is indulgence, pure and simple. He doesn't interrupt Mal while he sings, that would have been a shame. No, he waits until after the ballad is done.

"Careful, or you will send me back to sleep."

[fadingworld]

There is contentment on Mal’s face too as he passes the cloth and soap over. He laughs, “I do think if you want to sleep, it is safer out of the water.” He sits back on his heels, “The look of contentment on your face suits you.”

[mandragoraspiritus]

"Wouldn't it suit anyone?" He asks, at ease. "Though I will confess that true contentment is a feeling I have lacked for a long time."

He smiles where he rests, reaching up to lay a wet hand to Mal's cheek. "I shall savor it as it is given to me."

[fadingworld]

Mal leans into the touch and shuts his eyes for a moment, savouring the affection. “As will I,” Mal says softly. “I should leave you to finish off your bath.” He smiles, “Or I can stay and talk if you prefer.”

[mandragoraspiritus]

"Give me a while longer," the vampire requests, in a mind to enjoy himself and the bath thoroughly. And enjoy it he does, until he really shouldn't waste more of the morning. By the time he goes out to see his patients, dirty and cooling bathwater has been switched for clean and hot, now with Mal submerged in it.

Regis has a decently uneventful morning, with no more than the usual level of ignorance of city people of the lower societal classes that he usually deals with. All in all it's a normal morning and he's back at noon to get into his role as a tutor to his apprentice.

[fadingworld]

Mal relaxes in the bath and gives himself a good clean finishing off with a lavender oil on his skin. The oils, he does enjoy when he’s the time. That will never change.

While Regis works, he studies the theory in the study. Keen to learn, he doesn’t slack off just because he is left on his own.

He looks up eagerly when Regis’ joins him again. “Where the patients alright this morning, or did you have one of your complainers?”

[mandragoraspiritus]

"No complainers," Regis says as he comes in. As he is predicting a quiet afternoon at home without any need to venture back outside he sets his satchel aside and sheds his gambeson, making himself comfortable in simply trousers and tunic. "The most notheworthy one today is the old man who continuously refuses to believe that regular baths or even a quick scrubbing can be beneficial, but rather firmly believes it to be outright detrimental to one's health."

Ever since Mal officially moved in there has been an additional comfortable chair in the study. Regis now pulls it up and sits down, leaning back. "How goes yoru studies?"

[fadingworld]

Mal grins, “I coulld dump clean water over him the next time he leaves,” he teases. He pushes his notebook over with his new sketches and notes on anatomy. “I have been consolidating until the last hour. Then I moved onto the internal organs to get ahead for this afternoon.”

[mandragoraspiritus]

Regis looks over the sketches and notes, giving an approving nod. Mal has a neat hand and an eye for making detailed and correct drawings. If he wishes to take this further and become something more than a barber-surgeon like his master, perhaps do research of his own, that talent would serve him well.

While looking over the papers, Regis breathes in the clean, pleasant scent of lavender. Its far from the heady and spicy perfume he'd smelled on Mal the first time they met. This suits the man much better.

"Well thenn, since you have already gotten started I suggest we continue. We can make time for repetitions later in the evening. Now then..." He rises from his chair, settling into levture mode. This, Mal will find, has not changed despite the changes in their relationship. "We will of course begin with the heart..."

[fadingworld]

Matters of the heart is my speciality,” Mal quips. He grins and makes himself comfortable in his chair to listen and take notes. His preferred position is with his legs curled up under him and does make him seem younger than he is.