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The Miracle of Defiance (Starring Lorelai Dannehur and Erit of Eastcris)

Slightly embarrassed at her emotional outburst, Lorelai's face flushed a healthy shade of red and gave Irasel a shy smile as she backed up to give him his space. She couldn't resist grumbling just slightly at his insisting on calling her 'Apprentice' and replied, "Me name's Lorelai, I'd greatly appreciate ye usin' it." She looked utterly appalled as her mouth dropped open at Irasel's mildly threatening to give her a palace and she let out a horrified, "EHHHHHHHHH?! If I detested the idea of a servant, whit on earth makes ye think I'd be happy livin' in a palace?!" Lorelai knew she needn't worry about shelter, clothes, food or where she was going to sleep any longer now that Irasel had taken her under his wing and therefore was perfectly safe from Irasel ever feeling the need to provide her with a palace. It was just the mere mention of the possibility of living in one that had made Lorelai uncomfortable and set her on edge.

Lorelai obediently sat herself at the table and started doctoring a bowl of oatmeal by experimentally putting a little honey in it along with a few mixed berries, plus some almonds and walnuts. She tasted a spoonful and found her concoction a delicious success before filling a glass with fresh milk and put a buttered scone next to her bowl of oatmeal. At the mention of a bath Lorelai blushed once more and awkwardly shifted in her seat as she asked, "Um...if it ain't too much trouble...um, could I have me own washroom added to me room, and...maybe have th' two rooms separated by a door fer extra privacy? I just don't like the idea o' traipsin' back an' forth from wherever th' bath is located out here to me own room." Irasel certainly was a nice man, but Lorelai didn't want to run the risk of accidentally forgetting to take a change of clothes into the washroom with her.
 
"I'm aware that your name is Lorelai, little one. Since you asked nicely, I shall drop the formalities in private." He fixed his gaze on her a bit more firmly, "But, in the presence of company—and if I have my way there won't be much, for I hate people snooping about in my affairs—I will address you as my Apprentice, and I would be grateful if you did likewise to address me as your Master or Teacher." He summoned up a glass of sherry, sipping it intermittently as she ate. "If you're so worried about it, then I shall grant your wish. But~" he gave her a mischievous, impish grin, "you must bathe at least once a day. You've been catapulted to the top of the world's society, Lorelai; you shall learn to behave as such. That begins with cleanliness and ends with finer speech." He chuckled slightly, leaning back into his chair. He should have thought to give her a washroom of her own, really, but got distracted in thinking up her presents. Seeing her naked also wasn't something he entertained any desire for, either. He snapped his fingers, and the house shook ever so slightly as his will was made manifest, and Lorelai received her very own washroom, with a fine porcelain tub carved with all types of flower and tree and vine, and four white-gold dragon's feet. As well as this, the shelf next to the tub was stocked with several types of soap and shampoo—he did not know if she would prefer feminine or masculine scent, so he gave two of both. "It is so. Simply let me know when you wish to use it and I shall fill it with hot water." He gave her another tender look, his sometimes-gold-sometimes-silver hair falling a little in front of his eyes. "I hope you realize I'm not always going to be this kind. I am forgiving of honest mistakes, so long as they don't cause any real harm, but stupid decisions will earn you punishments. I tell you this in the hopes you don't feel betrayed if it should occur. Do you understand, Lorelai? ...Though, I am still going to spoil you rotten. Your reactions make it so amusing~"

He chuckled at the last, remembering her actions just then. And then a curiosity struck him. Irasel was far from a virgin—in fact, up until the last century he'd even kept a rather large coterie of pretty women as his companions of myriad intent. But for some reason, when Lorelai had embraced him he had felt so much better about... well, everything in general. It was like that warm feeling had just swept away all his worries... But the most bothersome part was that he was having a hard time stopping himself from wanting more of that feeling. There were few creatures in the world that could produce that effect in the immortal, and as far as he knew all of them were extinct except for two, and Lorelai couldn't possibly be either of them. Perhaps, he thought whimsically, his desires were not so perfectly suppressed as he'd like to believe. He would need more meditation to that end, later.
 
Lorelai nodded in agreement as it sounded like a reasonable compromise. "Alright. So when ye have company or we're out in public, can I call ye Teacher? I'm afraid I'd feel mighty uncomfortable havin' te call ye Master." Lorelai wondered why Irasel apparently didn't seem to want her calling him by his first or last name at least in private, but decided that was his affair and she wasn't going to pry. She heaved a sigh in relief as Irasel informed her she now had her own personal washroom and merely smiled while shaking her head at Irasel's stating she would have to wash at least once a day. "That won't be a problem, I'm glad te have a chance te get thoroughly clean for a change 'stead o' waitin' fer summer or spring for a decent bath. Even then I woulda been lucky findin' a spot away from pryin' eyes since I had nowhere else te wash 'cept outdoors." Lorelai didn't say that as a result it wasn't very often she could get a good bath as she felt her explanation most likely made that point obvious. She actually turned pale and stared at Irasel as though he'd grown an extra head while he talked about the possibility of her earning punishments if she made stupid decisions. Lorelai was certain she didn't even want to find out what sort of punishments a Sorcerer could dish out and made up her mind right then and there to make sure she steered clear of doing anything even remotely resembling a stupid decision. "Um...could ye give me an example of a stupid decision so I'd know what te put in that category and...hopefully avoid makin'em?" In response to Irasel's insisting on spoiling her rotten, Lorelai just sighed in exasperation as she grumbled, "Fine...I s'ppose I can put up with it so long as ye don't get ridiculous, and yes, I do believe servants and a palace would be ridiculous" Lorelai truly did appreciate what Irasel was doing for her and worried she would seem ungrateful if she told him to stop doting on her. It didn't take long for Lorelai to finish off her breakfast. Once she was comfortably full, she stood up and shyly sated, "Um...I think I'm ready te go take a bath now, sir."
 
"Not servants, Lorelai," he said, rising smoothly from his seat in a way that, had he his cloak, would cause it to flourish in a most dramatic manner, "Servants," the capital in his voice being evident as he went into her room, then her bathchamber, "are consctructs given life to fulfill but a single, specific purpose. The Treants guarding this very house, for example," he waved his hand over the tub—conjuring hot water was a bit trickier than other conjurations, as getting the temperature just so required concentration, "are Servants conjured from saplings given intelligence. Very high-level magic, Servants; typically, the only ones who master it are Archmagus potential. Or Sorcerers." He let out a pleased little "ah" when the tub suddenly flashed full of steaming water. Dipping a hand in it confirmed it a comfortable temperature—the kind of heat that seeped into the bones and stayed there for a while. He remembered one last thing she may want—magic could bring about many types of deficiencies, such as attention span or memory, and Irasel was unfortunate enough to suffer from most all of them at various times—and called into being a stool with several bath towels and a robe, all very plush, soft, pressed and specially enchanted to always be nice and toasty. As a final touch he added a silver-thread monogram onto each; the same image with which Lorelai had signed her contract. "I don't think I should need to elaborate on the most common uses for Servants among the more solitary Wizards." He turned back to her and smiled, asking calm-as-you-please, "Would you like any bath toys, or perhaps bubbles?"
 
Lorelai followed him into her bathchamber and watched in fascination as he concentrated on filling the tub with water. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of such a magnificently decorated tub. There was a time when Lorelai would have been perfectly happy to settle for just a plain prcelain tub if she ever could afford one. She certainly never dreamed to have a bath in something as beautiful as the bathtub Irasel had given her.

She dutifully listened to Irasel's explanation on Servants and filed the information away in case she was quizzed on it later at some point. As he asked in such a matter-of-fact tone if she'd like any toys or bubbles to go in her bath, Lorelai was torn between whether or not she wanted to feel amused at the tone he'd used or insulted at his sometimes treating her like a small child. Amusement won out as she couldn't keep back a snort which quickly turned into a small fit of the giggles as she gasped out, "No thank ye, I do believe I've quite outgrown needin' toys in me bath." Once her giggling fit had passed, Lorelai tilted her head to the side in puzzled curiosity as she asked, "Bubbles? I've never had bubbles in a bath before. What are they for?"
 
He shrugged. "Amusement, mostly," he clicked his fingers, and suddenly there was a two-foot high layer of rose-scented foam floating atop the water, "and it can be a bit relaxing to lounge about in them. Try it, if you like it I'll make sure you always have them. Once you're done, just get out and tap the side of the tub. Unless part of it get's broken off, thus voiding the enchantment, all you'll need to do from now on is step in, and the tub will fill itself to match your preferences—amount of water, temperature, etceteras etceteras—and stay at that preference until you're done." He gave her a smile and a gentle pat on the head, tousling her hair between the fox-ears, as he left. "Enjoy, Lorelai. Just call for me should you want anything else; unless you're being punished, you're going to be doted on." He chuckled as he closed the door behind him. It felt nice, spoiling that little one. Poor thing deserved to be treated so well, if she was so used to not getting her way. He'd change that yet, if he had to give her the moon on a necklace and the heavens in a ring; in his mind, she and he were not so different as Apprentices. Though Irasel's own Master had saved him from death's doorstep, and spoiled him in a very different way. A very saintly woman, Ea had been, indulging his every desire and granting his every wish, no matter the where or the when.
 
Intrigued, Lorelai watched as he added rose scented bubbles to her bath and smiled appreciatively at the soothing smell. She could certainly see how they would be relaxing if the smell alone was anything to go by. Lorelai frowned and couldn't help but sigh in exasperation at Irasel tousling her hair. It would have been a nice gesture by itself if Irasel hadn't made her feel like a child while doing it. She was twenty years old for pity's sake, why couldn't he treat her like an adult instead of a child?

Once again, she felt nervous as he brought up punishments again and realized he hadn't answered her question concerning what exactly fell into his category of a stupid decision so Lorelai would recognize if she was in the process of thinking about making one. She didn't have the courage to even ask what sort of punishments to expect if she ever did wind up crossing the line. To play it safe, Lorelai decided best way to go would be to ask Irasel's advice first on any choices she might make concerning magic since she was new to the whole magic business. For all she knew, what might seem like a good idea to her could turn out a disaster in the long run and she was certain Irasel would be able to point out the reason why before such a decision could be carried out.

With that dilemma resolved, Lorelai waited until Irasel had left to undress and eagerly stepped into the inviting bath. Lorelai had never felt anything so luxurious in her life and allowed herself to sink into the warm depths, only pausing to give the tub a tap so the bubbles were just below her chin instead of almost over her head. It seemed Irasel had been a little too exuberant in adding bubbles to her bath. Lorelai lazily stretched out with her head resting on a cushioned edge of the tub and stayed like that for fifteen minutes, soaking in pure bliss until she decided it might be a good time to wash her hair. With another tap on the tub to get rid of the bubbles, Lorelai set to taking an actual bath that would get her squeaky clean. Close to an hour later, Lorelai stepped out of her bathchamber in her soft robe smelling of roses from the bubbles and peaches due to the soap she'd used. Her washed and brushed-out hair was wrapped in a towel to prevent it from dripping everywhere. Once she'd changed into a rich green shirt that brought out her eyes, Lorelai quickly found a pair of brown breeches that would complement the green shade she had chosen. After pulling on a pair of shiny new black boots, Lorelai headed into the living area and gave Irasel a shy smile as she asked, "How do I look? I was wondering if ye could dry me hair for me? It's still wet from me bath."
 
He looked up over the top of his book as Lorelai came out of her room fully redressed in new clothes, the silver embroidery of roses and poison ivy making him smile; she could, indeed, be prickly about some things. "Nice, earthy colors that accent and compliment your eyes. Very fetching, Lorelai; were I irresponsible I would want you for a wife, myself." He put his book back on the desk and stood, striding over to her. "I can indeed dry it for you, but I'll need physical contact if you don't want to risk it catching fire." He smiled and combed his fingers through the damp locks anyway, now a deeper shade of crimson with the water. Certainly, his Apprentice was a beautiful woman, if not so fantastically endowed as the so-called "high-class ladies" of the day. He started to comb through it gently, drying it as his fingers passed through it and smiling. "In my day men would have fallen all over themselves the moment you walked by. Myself included, really." He chuckled softly, stroking her ears gently between his fingertips and drying them as well, the spell warming them gently. "A shame that a young one such as you should no longer be seen as beautiful, really. Still, I suppose if society's standards hadn't so devolved, I never would have met you, now would I?" As he spoke, though, he became less certain if he had done right in having her become his Apprentice. He could have simply taken her in like the wounded stray she was, really, and not bound her to centuries of shouldering a Sorcerer's duties alone. But now the contract was made, and neither of them could break it until it was complete. Or one of them did something stupid and Overbroke, wherein they spent too much power too swiftly and so allowed the DeadShade—which stalked all immortals of any description—to claim them.

Her hair and ears dried, he gave her tail a gentle, playful stroke as well, his hands warm as they steamed the water out of the fur. "Would you like a cloak to match your clothes, Lorelai? I just realized I forgot to give you one. Perhaps with that little fox drawing of yours on it?" As he questioned her, he strode around and shifted his own clothes. From the dull browns and grays of his usual attire, into the rich silks of deep ruby and bloody garnet, with amethyst-tinted embroidery of dragons and hydras up the sleeves and across the backs of his shoulders; his boots changed from the cracked, faded leather to gleaming ebony, and finally on his back appeared a brilliant violet cloak with embriodery of two dragons—one emerald, the other sapphire—roaring at a sphere bounded by two wolves—one silver, one gold. Similar to the Sorcerer's hair, however, the colors inverted depending on the light. At day, under the sunlight, the two dragons roared at the sun, with the golden wolf below it, and at night the dragons switched places, the sun became the moon, and the gold and silver wolves chased each other so that the golden wolf was atop. A very elaborate piece, indeed; a treasured gift from his Master as a "thank you" for accepting the Apprenticeship. He turned and smiled to Lorelai, the cloak fluttering with every move. "Or would you prefer something more like this?"
 
Lorelai could only blush and gape at such a bold compliment coming from Irasel while she only managed a little squeak of "Eh...?" in reply. If it had been anyone else Lorelai supposed she most likely would have slapped them for making such a statement, but she couldn't bring herself to strike the man who had done so much for her already. She certainly did find him confusing as one moment he'd given her a pat on the head as though she was a small child and the next, talking to her like the grown woman of twenty that she was. She only hoped eventually he'd make up his mind and finally see her as an adult instead of a small child looking for affection from a parent. She was distracted from such thoughts by Irasel gently running his fingers through her hair and gently rubbing dry her ears to the point where she actually ignored yet another one of Irasel's bold compliments. While her ears were being rubbed dry, Lorelai closed her eyes in pleasure at the feeling and vaguely wondered if this was how a cat felt when its ears were rubbed just the right way. Much like a cat, Lorelai had actually found herself leaning into his touch to allow him better access to her ears. She'd felt a small shiver of pleasure run up her spine as Irasel had given her tail a gentle stroke to dry it out.

In answer to Irasel's question concerning cloaks, Lorelai puzzled over the decision in her head for a moment before shaking her head and replying, "If it's all the same to ye, I don't wish te use me fox drawing anymore. It looks nice on me bathrobe and all which is a nice reminder o' how far I've come, but that part o' me past is behind me and I'm startin' over. So I'd rather not use it on anythin' else, and I really don't wish te flaunt me sign of a thief in public if ye don't mind. And I'd rather not have an elaborate cloak like yers just yet, it wouldn't seem right. I mean, I'm only just startin' as yer Apprentice so I'm in no way yer equal. Maybe someday ye could make one for me, when ye feel I've earned it? For now, I think a simpler cloak would be better fer me." As she spoke, Lorelai put on a dark blue vest over her green long sleeved shirt so now she had complementing colors of earth, greenery, and water. To complete her appearance, Lorelai tied her hair back with a ribbon matching the color of her vest and gave Irasel a shy smile as she explained, "I thought th' vest and ribbon would add a nice finishin' touch."
 
He shrugged, an "if you think so" expression playing across his youthful features as he turned, putting a hand on his chin as he thought. After a long, drawn out moment, he snapped his fingers with a soft "Aha!" and in the same gesture summoned a cloak of a heavy linen, dark as the night sky, with various faux-mystic runes embroidered in it with the same color-shifting thread. He swiftly threw it around Lorelai's shoulders for her and stepped back to see how it fit. "Silksteel." He said simply, "It's a touch heavier than regular cloth, but even the strongest warrior with the finest blade would have an interesting time trying to cut at you with that, and even Dragonfire won't touch you through it. Though you'll still get a bit singed if you go fighting any dragons." He chuckled at that, smiling at her in what he thought to be a reassuring manner. "Simple, yet elegant in its own way, I find. Do you like it?"
 
Lorelai's eyes widened in alarm as she asked, "EH?! Hold on, why would I be fightin' warriors or dragons?! Wait, dragons truly exist?? I thought they were only in stories." Lorelai craned her neck so she could get a better look at the cloak Irasel had given her and exuberantly responded to his question if she liked it with, "Oh yes! Yes, I just love it, thank ye so much!" Lorelai quickly follwed her statement with eagerly asking, "Are we really goin' te pay that lyin' weasel a visit today? I certainly hope he hasn't left town yet. He had the look of a traveler about him."
 
He nodded his assurances, "Unless I miss my guess, he won't be leaving until Seatr there," he gestured to the sword with a toss of his head, his hair tossing itself to partially cover his eyes as he did so, "is in his possession. That and I happen to know exactly where he is right now." He draped an arm over the young woman's shoulders, making sure she was close enough for this to work properly, and with a breath and a little trembling of the atmosphere around them, they vanished from his little house on the hill in the tranquility of the woods. A swirl of every color possible surrounded the pair, and after a long second the chaos settled into a scene of the town square. Then came a chaotic jumble of white noise, which after a moment sorted itself to the typical hubbub of the early activity of the town. As the mist of their transportation slowly congealed into the duo, the Sorcerer smiled. "Would you like for me to give you a little spotlight, Apprentice? Show everyone who my new favorite person in the world is?" As it stood, there were a few people glancing sidelong at them, but for the moment Lorelai was more or less completely hidden by his own voluminous cloak. "Or would you prefer to stay out of sight until we find this... gentleman to whom we owe our acquaintance?" The violet-eyed man, whose hair shone a burnished gold in the sunlight, gave her one of those small, tender smiles, rubbing her shoulder gently and hoping she chose the latter in spite of himself; it was strangely comfortable to have her drawn so close to him, and though he hated to admit it even to himself, Irasel wanted her to stay. That want for contact was a bothersome thing; perhaps, he thought, he simply needed to indulge himself in some pretty noblewoman to make the appetite go back to sleep. Of course, he would have long forgotten that thought by the time such a thing could happen, but it was the thought that counted, right?
 
Lorelai still felt a little weird from her first teleportation experience and secretly wondered if that was what a genie felt like whenever they were randomly summoned by someone opening their bottle or rubbing their lamp. Without even realizing it, Lorelai edged a step closer to Irasel as he mentioned the option of making her the center of attention for a little while. Lorelai was naturally shy and didn't mind talking to one or two people at a time, but if she found herself around a small crowd Lorelai would politely excuse herself to find a quieter spot. Lorelai jumped at option number two not just to avoid attention, but also because she was eager to see the look on her ex-employer's face when he realized the girl he'd hired had become his target's new apprentice. "Um...Teacher? I'd like te call on our 'gentleman' friend if that's alright with ye. No sense in keepin'im waitin' right?" Since Irasel seemed to know where he was going, Lorelai let him lead the way.

Sure enough, they wound up at the inn where Lorelai had first been hired and they found the man they were looking for grousing and mumbling to himself at a table in the corner while chewing on the ends of his mustache in annoyance. Lorelai happened to be closest to him and Mr. Mustache had to do a double take before he recognized her. His eyes nearly bulged out of his head in anger as he pointed at Lorelai and shouted out, "YOU! You've got some nerve showing up here, girl! First you blow off that errand I sent you on, and then you pilfered my chest while I was sleeping! I ought to have you arrested!" Lorelai narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest as she indignantly huffed, "Yer one te talk, ye forgot te mention ye were sendin' me te a Sorcerer's house! Otherwise, I would of had th' sense te decline yer generous offer." Lorelai gave the man a sweet cheeky grin as she added, "But, I s'ppose I should be thankin' ye. Teacher was so impressed with me he made me his apprentice. So if it weren't fer ye, I never would of met'im. Thank ye fer that." Mr. Mustache gave an angry yell and tried to lunge at Lorelai, but she quickly knocked him off balance with a right hook to the jaw swiftly followed by an uppercut to his chin which sent the man stumbling backwards against the wall. As he rubbed at his face and struggled to get up he threateningly growled, "Troublesome wench! I make you pay for that!" Lorelai glared at him as she replied, "Don't think just 'cause I'm a girl I'm unable te defend meself. Ye'd best stay where ye are unless ye want me kickin' ye in the balls if ye try anythin' else." Mr. Mustache was certainly angry but he wasn't stupid and the look on Lorelai's face clearly stated she meant business and was perfectly capable of carrying out her threat. If that wasn't bad enough, he finally noticed Lorelai's new master and quickly backed into the wall where he cowered in fear. He thought he'd be able to handle that troublesome slip of a girl, but a Sorcerer was an entirely different matter altogether. As Lorelai followed the man's gaze to her new master, Lorelai looked rather sheepish as she stated, "Oh! Terribly sorry Teacher, for a moment I forgot ye were here." Lorelai quickly stepped back behind Irasel to let him deal with the cowering mustache man.
 
The immortal certainly cut an imposing image, slouching slightly in the way of the eldest Wizards with his hands clasped behind his back, but letting his power seep into his surroundings, drenching the inn in his absolute domain. Sure enough, the man gave off the aura of death unique to his kind, unique to sins against the world. "Vegabjyrn" the Sorcerer muttered. The monster in the shape of a man cringed ever-so-imperceptibly at the utterance of what he truly was; a twisting and defilement of a kingly heritage, born through the moonlight rape of a warrior in his sleep. Disgusting. Irasel, as an Apprentice, had for the longest time been made sick to his stomach by the perversion of presences such as his. But now, he simply saw opportunity.

He turned back to Lorelai, gently stroking her hair as he gave her a small bottle filled with a clear green, viscous liquid. "There is a family just up the road whose baby son is dying of a very dire sickness in his blood. Go to them, Apprentice, and have him drink this; it will ensure him many years as a strong and healthy man." And it would, in fact, do just that. It went against a few of his standing rules to so intervene, but he would do what it took to get Lorelai to leave them for the moment; she did not need to see what was about to happen.

After he managed to get her to leave, Irasel turned back to the trembling wretch before him. The monster trembled against the wall, as though he could so escape. But in his eyes there was no simple fear. No, in them there was a raw, seething hate, an envy of his superior and a want to subjugate. Irasel's own violet eyes met that gaze with defiance, disgust and a touch of pity; obviously this was a young one, if he had not yet discovered a very important truth about himself. With a corner of his mind, the Sorcerer reached out, out of the inn, the town, and deep into the woods. With an intonation of "Beckon" and a mighty gesture that set his cloak to fluttering about his shoulders, Irasel Called the midnight blade into his hands and drew it, levelling Seatr's deadly edge at his quarry. He could feel the weapon's desire, its hunger for the soul that stood before it, like an itch in his blood that set his veins aflame. "Since you so desperately desire Seatr, I presumed you may wish to learn firsthand how it devours it's prey." He smiled somewhat cheekily; this would be enjoyable.

The other man gazed at the dark edge before him, and after a brief moment his lips quirked into a smile. Another moment, and the smile turned into a self-assured grin as he set about tittering at something he found amusing. "Are you mad? You know what I am, Sorcerer, you said it yourself! I'm a child of Isiah! My greatfather's sword will kill even you if you so much as try to beat me with i—ah?"

He went silent rather quickly as Irasel gave the sword what it wanted, plunging it into the nameless man's heart. The walking corpse looked down, an uncomprehending fear taking the place of all other emotions on his visage. Irasel brought his face close to the other's, close enough to smell the rot of his morbid existence, and gave a rather twisted grin, jerking the sword slightly as it began to slowly eat away at it's prey, turning him into a pile of stinking ash, piece by piece. "Your greatfather disowned you long before you were born, Vegabjyrn. This sword would have consumed you the moment you laid hands on it. To Seatr, you are nothing more than an appetizer." The demon writhed desperately, trying to escape the inevitable as the blade let off a flash of brilliant black light, killing him more permanently than most things ever could; his very essence now fed the sword's mystic powers. Sheathing the blade with an intonation of "Away", Irasel Sent it back to its proper resting place in his house. Then, he turned and strode out while the rest of the inn's inhabitants were too frightened and dumbfounded to know what was going on, in search of Lorelai; to ensure she did nothing else stupid. He also needed to inform her of her misconduct in using physical violence without reason, especially when he was there to take care of the given problem.
 
Upon hearing what the bottle with the green liquid was for, Lorelai took off like a shot with no waste of words. There was an innocent life on the line, and time was of the essence. Once Lorelai found the right house and knocked to be let in, Lorelai stood panting for breath as she waited for an answer until the mother showed up. She had a careworn face and had apparently been up the whole night crying over her baby son's sickbed if the circles under her eyes and their red rims were anything to go by. Lorelai offered her best reassuring smile as she asked to be let in to see the ailing child. It only took a little convincing the baby's parents for them to let her feed the bottle of liquid to the ailing child. Once it became obvious the boy was slowly recovering his strength and his breathing evened out, there was much celebrating in the small house. Half an hour later, Lorelai was found by Irasel happily humming to herself as she walked up the lane with a cheery bounce in her step. As Lorelai caught sight of Irasel she rushed to his side exuberantly exclaiming, "Oh, Teacher! It was so kind of ye te help that poor family the way ye did! Their babe was cooin' away happily in his cradle when I left, the wee darlin'. I'm afraid I lost track o' th' time playin' with their other young'uns, such an energetic lot! Bless them, they kept callin' me Big Sister." Lorelai grinned cheerily at the memory and felt truly happy for the family since they wouldn't be planning a funeral for one of their children anytime soon.
 
He smiled and nodded as Lorelai told her story to him, wondering in the back of his mind if she'd mentioned him to the family. He felt sorry for the boy if she had, as being associated with him at the present moment wasn't likely to be a good thing. When his Apprentice was finished, he slouched slightly to lean over the shorter woman, doing his best loom while keeping the same caring expression on his face, in slight mockery of the situation. "Tell me, little Apprentice; what is one thing you never hear of Wizards doing?" He didn't give her breath for reply before a switch of air struck her rump with a dull *thwack!*, audible for a good distance and doubtless giving her a peculiar gait for a little while. "I'll give you a hint; it's a fairly stupid decision you made, declaring yourself to be a Sorcerer's Apprentice and then using physical violence without any particular reason. I've half a mind to spank you until you would be hard pressed to sit down even on the throne of a god, unless you give me a very good justification for what you did back there."
 
Lorelai suddenly hit her fist in her palm as she remembered, "Oh! Terribly sorry Teacher, 'fraid I forgot to mention to the family where I got the medicine from. I was in such a hurry te get th' little one te take it and afterwards everyone was so busy celebratin'...well, I'm afraid it completely slipped me mind. I'm sure they would have wanted te thank ye in person." She looked up and suddenly noticed Irasel looming menacingly over her, causing Lorelai to give a frightened squeak as she took a couple of steps back to put some distance between them. She didn't even have time to try puzzling out his question concerning what a Wizard was never heard of doing before some invisible force struck Lorelai with a hard smack to the rump. "AAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIII!!" Lorelai yelled in pain and danced a rather frantic jig, hopping from one foot to the other while rubbing the back of her pants in an effort to relieve the unbearable sting.

Once she'd calmed just enough for her to listen and Irasel explained her misconduct to her, Lorelai's eyes widened in fear and alarm at the mention of a spanking. She did an awkward shuffle still clutching at the back of her pants and her eyes smarting with unshed tears as she asked beseechingly, "Please Teacher, if yer gonna punish me could ye please do it at home?" Lorelai felt this was a private matter between her and Irasel, so she didn't want any other witnesses. At his demanding an explanation Lorelai took a deep breath before launching into an apology combined with what she felt was justified as a good reason. "I'm terribly sorry, yer right I shouldn't have acted th' way I did. I won't announce me bein' a Sorcerer's apprentice out o' turn again, I promise. And-well-I'm afraid me self preservation instincts took over b'fore I even had a chance t'think. I saw a man lungin' at me and I just reacted, that's just th' way I was raised to fight off potential rapists if anyone found out I was a woman. Surely ye wouldn't punish me fer me upbringin' in a dangerous environment would ye?"
 
He gave a small frown of disappointment, feigning an incensed expression. "You mean to say you have so little confidence in my abilities that you do not think me capable of fending off a single sniveling wretch like that?" He arched an eyebrow, folding his arms over his chest in a very unimpressed fashion. "Oh, no. This will be quite public, Apprentice; five for the misconduct and six for the insult. Unless you would like to dig yourself a deeper hole?" He clicked his fingers, invisible chains of air binding the girl's hands behind her and lifting her up so her hips would be level with his chest, leaning her over and holding her tail out of the way. No one was even out to see at the moment, but once he got started it should be amusing. "Now the question becomes if I should use a real switch or more magic..." He raised a hand to his chin for a moment, then snapped his fingers with a soft "Aha!", so summoning a pair of switches which soon set about swatting at Lorelai's presented bottom with a deliberate slowness and anomalous power. After the third stroke they had quite an audience, though why they would want to watch was beyond Irasel's comprehension.
 
Lorelai's eyes were so wide in panic they were practically bulging out of her head as she frantically replied, "WHAT?! Oh no sir, of COURSE I trust ye! I didn't mean it that way at all! I'm terribly sorry sir, I never meant te insult ye, please don't take what I said th' wrong way!" Lorelai honestly hadn't had any intentions of insulting her mentor and thought he'd taken what she'd said entirely out of context. She was highly tempted to explain that she'd only acted on defensive reflexes, but thought better of it in case Irasel used it against her by saying something along the lines of demonstrating a lack of self control and decided to list that as a third punishable offense. Before Lorelai could protest any further, she suddenly found herself with her hands stuck behind her back, her bottom in the air, and her feet dangling off the ground. It was a good thing magic had a firm grasp on Lorelai's tail to keep it out of the way or Lorelai would have been highly tempted to transform into something small that could scurry away from her current predicament. Lorelai suddenly let out a pained exclamation of "YEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOW!" As the two switches came down on Lorelai's upturned bottom in a hard smack that she could feel even through the back of her pants. Once again, Lorelai's legs kicked out helplessly as they did their own dance in a futile attempt to relieve the burning sting slowly building in her bottom. Lorelai's protests and kicking only grew more frantic as the switches both paid a second and third visit to Lorelai's upturned bottom. At that point Lorelai was already in tears and pleading loudly, "Pleathe thir, I'b thorry! I'b thorry!" If her grammar had been bad before, it became even worse when she was in pain.
 
It was over soon enough—Irasel resisted the temptation to add a few more swings for good measure—and as the switches vanished and Lorelai fell after being released, the Sorcerer swept her up in an embrace as he spirited them both away, back to his house. He smoothed her hair and shushed softly, holding her close and enveloping her in his cloak, bringing her into his aura as a shorthand that he still cared for her. He started to hum softly, holding the girl's head close to his chest, as he rocked back and forth—something Ea had done for him as she healed him from the plague that had been so intent on claiming his life. He smiled down at her after everything was over, cupping her chin and raising her head so he could look her in the eye. "There, there, little Lorelai. It's all over now, I'm back to spoiling you rotten." He gave her head a few gentle pats, dispelling the pain in her behind as he did so, "Would you like a treat, little one? Perhaps a chocolate? Or maybe I can read you a story. Come now, my dear, tell me whatever it is you want and I will see what I can do." He smiled and loosened his grip, so she could pull away if she wanted, "Your punishment is over, so now I'm going to do something I actually enjoy doing to you."
 
By the time her punishment ended, Lorelai was positively howling and beyond any hope of being understandable as she blubbered out incoherent strings of nonsense. Soon as she was released, Lorelai's hands flew to the back of her pants and immediately started rubbing in a once more futile attempt to dispel the hot burning pain that had been put there. Even after Irasel picked her up and whisked her back to the house, Lorelai's hands remained firmly glued to her behind and she continued to loudly voice her pain until Irasel's pats on her head just between her flattened ears quickly got rid of the discomfort she'd been feeling in her backside. Lorelai's loud wails soon quieted down to soft hiccuping sobs now that the pain had subsided and found herself strangely comforted by Irasel's coddling, which came as a surprise to her considering how much she usually detested being treated like a child instead of the grown woman that she was.

Lorelai would never admit it, but after a punishment like that Lorelai needed comfort. She found her most recent spanking even worse than her most serious punishment she'd received from her previous guardian when she was only eleven after she'd almost been caught by the authorities picking someone's pocket, which was an offense that could've landed even a child at her age in jail. Needless to say, her guardian had been furious since she'd tried testing her thieving skills without his permission and had given Lorelai a good spanking with her hairbrush over just her underwear for that offense. At least once her punishment had ended he'd given her a wooden tub of cold water for her to soak her rear end in, but he'd certainly made sure that spanking had been a memorable one. He'd certainly succeeded since Lorelai found herself reflecting on that punishment nine years later.

In response to Irasel's asking if she wanted a chocolate or a story, Lorelai could only shake her head. She'd tried politely declining but all she could get out was, "N-No thank -hic-eek!- y-you..." Her hiccups sometimes had an interesting way of ending in a squeak if Lorelai happened to be inhaling when such a hiccup occurred. As he loosened his hold on her, Lorelai shyly buried her face in the front of his shirt and made no move of wanting to pull away.
 
He smiled somewhat bitterly and continued to hold her, stroking her hair and rubbing her ears. "Hush, little lady," he began, a lullaby he hadn't heard in centuries sounding out in his own gentle tenor, "don't you cry, Master's gon-na sing you a lull-a-by.
And if that lull-a-by don't work,
Then Master's gon-na let you shirk your work.
And if a free day won't ap-pease,
Then Master's gon-na give you some nice lil-lies.
And if those lil-lies wither and die,
Then Master'll still sing you a lull-a-by..."

He frowned as he finished, bringing a hand to his now-stinging eyes and being surprised to find his face wet with tears. His mind echoed with a single thought, wailed as though he was back at that long summer night when his Master, the only woman who'd ever shown love to him, abandoned him forever. Ea... She had sung that song to him, albeit a different version, as she tucked him against her bosom, saving him from oblivion. And she sang it to him as well, to put him to sleep before she left to die. She hadn't counted on his waking up on her leaving...

And all of a sudden, he hurt again. The pain, the agonizing sense of loss filled his heart again, after seven hundred years of him having sealed it away. He held Lorelai closer, then, pressing her against him but being careful not to hurt her. But even the warmth that flooded into him at her touch could do nothing more than keep him on his feet. If not for that, he thought he might have lost his mind. He was trembling, slightly, but try as he might he could not stop himself. He was simply so tired; tired of the world, of watching the mortals throw themselves time and again to their death, of being unable to enjoy that same freedom without damning all the world to it's end. Please, let it all be over soon, he kept thinking, let it all be over soon.
 
Lorelai couldn't help but snort in amusement at the lyrics Irasel was singing as she found them utterly ridiculous, but his nice singing voice certainly had a soothing effect on her. As she wrapped her arms around him in a hug and snuggled against him Lorelai still halfheartedly grumbled out of mere habit by now, "I'm not a child, I don't understand why ye insist on treatin' me as such." Her grumbling was a good sign as it showed she was bouncing back to her usual cheery self. She found his singing voice and rubbing her ears so relaxing, Lorelai felt her eyes beginning to droop and softly stated, "Mmmf...ye'll put me te sleep at this rate...not sure that's a good idea..." Lorelai was worried about her sleeping schedule being turned topsy-turvy if she fell asleep now. She vaguely remembered him saying something about chocolate earlier and asked in curiosity, "What's a chocolate?"
 
He smiled slightly, beginning to reassume control of himself as she hugged him. "I treat you like a child because I want to spoil you like one, little Lorelai. Well, that and I'm over eight hundred years your senior." He whipped up a small, brown cube in his hand and proffered it to her, "Now let me dote on my treasured Apprentice, will you? It happens to be one of the few things I can enjoy doing anymore. Here, taste this." He waved the chocolate square under her nose, "I assure you it's good." He chuckled slightly, thanking her in the back of his mind for the touch of affection. He desperately wanted to escape into his lover's arms, but Lorelai's embrace held a comfortable second on the list of things he enjoyed.
 
Lorelai sniffed curiously at the piece of chocolate Irasel had decided to dangle in front of her nose and she smiled appreciatively at the rich, sweet aroma before graciously accepting the offered morsel. Lorelai took a dainty nibble off one corner just to see what it tasted like and her eyes grew round as saucers as the sweet flavor practically melted in her mouth. The rest of the bite-size square soon followed and Lorelai was content to sit with a dreamy smile spread across her face as she savored the chocolate slowly dissolving on her tongue. Once the last of the chocolate vanished, Lorelai grinned at Irasel as she agreed, "Mmmm...that was very tasty, thank ye muchly."

Lorelai's smile turned to anxious uncertainty as she felt she had a serious matter to discuss and hesitantly asked, "Um...Teacher?" Even in private Lorelai wasn't entirely sure how to address Irasel since he'd said nothing about her calling him by his name. After a pause Lorelai drew a breath for courage before picking up where she left off, "Um...I understand perfectly why ye were angry with me earlier, and I truly didn't mean te insult ye. Please keep in mind up till yesterday I've had te fend fer meself, and...I've gotten so good at it that it's become completely natural to me like breathin'. So whenever I'm in trouble me body just tends te react on its own and goes through the defensive moves I've taught it without me havin' te think about it. I was wonderin'...if there's a way te gently inform those reflexes they're not needed anymore. It's...not exactly a habit I can train meself out of overnight, so I was wonderin' if ye could help me?"
 
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