A Smile That Holds the Past

Bo Crestmaul - Nephilim - 26 - Parabatai & Cousin of Maxwell

[finnswarriorheart]

He was glad for the news of Odette going to her room to rest. If he had to guess she probably hadn’t sleep since the night before the party. “Are you saying I should be resting?” He asked with a hint of amusement. Finn nodded in agreement at the declaration about Cassie being gifted. “It felt different to any healing I’ve had before,” he admitted quietly after a moment. Something in it, in the light he felt flowing through him. It felt powerful, yet gentle. Caring like a mother, yet ancient like the stars. Finn breathed out a sigh at the report Bo delivered on the party. Given the apparent cause and the fall out of it, it really was a miracle no one had been injured beyond repair. He send a silent thanks to the Angel that he was the only one of theirs that had been hurt seriously too. It was a weight off his mind knowing they were all ok.

Finn couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. “Have you been talking to Odette or my sister?” He asked in jest. Though he’d guess not. This was just the sort of person Bo was. Considerate, caring, diligent. It was why if he ever had to name an official second in command he’d pick him without a second thought. “As it happens I promised Odette I’d speak to you about this too. Thank you for already taking things in hand, for submitting your reports. And,” he sighed, “I think both you and Odette are right - it would be good to take a little time off to recover.” Part of him was still reluctant to do so but he also knew the place was in good hands. “How would you feel about running the show while I do?”

[beastly-bo]

"Maybe, but, then again, that would mean that I'm only giving the recommended care advice on Cassie's behalf," Bo mused with a fond sort of smile. Of course, Finn wouldn't truly need to be forced to rest in this instance as he wasn't the sort to be that stubborn, but it didn't hurt to reassure him that things were taken care of in the meantime for him to rest without any weight on his shoulders or conscience. Even if Bo lacked the experience in a lot of ways, he was taking things in hand thus far in a way that merited no objection from the Clave. And that was truly the last thing any of them needed at present.

He joined in on Finn's touch of laughter and the gentle suspicion in his jest. "Both, if you must know. And they both sold you out as it were--being a workaholic isn't exactly their preference for you at present," he joked in return before sobering a bit. "In truth, they wouldn't need to talk to me for me to have said any of this though. I just know you well enough." Bo let out a faint sigh of relief that Finn was accepting his input in this way. He had worried about seeming a touch presumptuous in his actions since the party, but that thankfully didn't seem to be the reception. "At the risk of sounding like a self-impressed knob, I'd feel more than capable." He laughed a bit again. "I think I can keep the rain out at least. And you know I would let you know if anything dire were to happen."

[finnswarriorheart]

Finn smile a little at Bo's words, turning his head towards the sound. "She's resting. At least I hope she's resting," he replied. "I hear I have yours to thank for still being here," he had meant to continue in the same joke that Bo had but he couldn't stop the gratitude towards Cassie slipping into his tone. He hesitated a brief moment then. It seemed rude to jump straight to it but there was a question he needed answered. One he hadn't wanted to ask his siblings or Odette. "How bad was it? All of it, were there many others hurt? I'm guessing since I'm the only one in here none of ours were caught in it?"

[beastly-bo]

"I think I saw Theo taking her to her room a little while ago, yeah. But I'd point out the light hypocrisy in those words," Bo mused with a subtle smirk. His expression softened into more of a gentle smile at the mention of Cassie though. "You heard correctly... A bit fascinating to witness, all in all. She's truly gifted." The question that followed had been expected, and Bo was grateful that it beheld a nice answer for once... at least for the overall outlook. "There were a lot of people caught up in the collapse of the stairs, and there was some sort of fight that caused it and carried on after the fact. Perpetrators cleared off without much issue though, as the seethe masters seemed to have things more in hand in that regard. Our lot were more focused on helping unearth people from the rubble. So barring scrapes and scuffs in that effort, we didn't suffer beyond your injuries." He paused to pass a silent thanks for such a thing. "And there were no casualties even amongst the larger numbers. A great deal of close calls, but the collective healing efforts and medical intervention of the Eld Cottage Hospital staff has gotten everyone more or less back to normal. Or at the very least on the road to recovery."

He smiled a bit again, glancing off towards the door in a passing sort of thought. "Admittedly, I ought to be honest about the fact that I've come in here to assure you that all is well enough for you to not rush back to duty. Or at the very least things are stable enough for that." Bo nudged Finn's leg, a bit of amusement slipping into his tone again. "You really should take a bit of time off for once--recover properly without worrying about the bureaucratical side of things. My reports have already been sent out to the Clave, and it's the general consensus that things are and will be quiet for at least another while yet... so, take the out, if you will."

[beastly-bo]

Bo had been keeping a close monitor on Finn's condition while still maintaining a bit of distance and privacy for the sake of Ava, Gwaine, and Odette. But the news that he'd woken up did not take long to spread through the Institute, and it brought a great deal of relief along with it. Never the less, Bo waited another while before making his own way to the Infirmary to see him.

He gently knocked on the door before entering, but having just seen Ava leaving he was able to assume he wasn't interrupting anyone's reunions at present. Finn looked right as rain, although Bo knew well enough that he'd need to rest even still to fully rebound from it all. While Cassie's gifts had saved him a great deal of such trouble, they were aided with recovery beyond that. "I'm surprised I'm not interrupting you and the missus," he joked, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

@finnswarriorheart

[gisvaliantsoul]

"And just who was that?" she asked with a knowing smile.

[beastly-bo]

Bo turned back to Giovanna with a small smile of his own. “My partner, Cassie. She helps to run the bookshop with her twin brother.”

[felix-likes-to-smile]

Felix sat outside the institute. He was bundled up in his favorite hoodie and just listening as the world zoomed past. It was hard to wrap his head around things. The actual things that happened as opposed to things he’d dreamed up in his head. With a heavy sigh he leaned against the wall.

[beastly-bo]

With their patrol shift coming up in a few hours, Bo figured it would be good to check on Felix after the previous night’s festivities. It took him a little while before he found him though, and the expression on his parabatai’s face didn’t exactly soothe him. “You’re a hard man to find, you know that?” He joked as he sat beside Felix.

[felix-likes-to-smile]

Felix scrunched up his nose at Bo. "Well...your indulgence deserves retaliation!" He said sagely, with a nod. Before giving his parabatai a playful shove. "Besides...shouldn't you be indulging someone else?" After that comment, he pouted, dropping his head back on Bo's shoulder so he couldn't see him tear up.

At the familiar name, Felix picked his head back up to peer curiously at Bo. "Maxwell? He's lovely." He bit his lip, eyes searching until they laid eyes of the nephilim in question. "It's complicated...I suppose." He murmured. Though it wasn't, not at all. Felix adored him. Truly adored him. "It's almost like I made him up in a dream...just out of reach...only he isn't....is he?"

[beastly-bo]

Bo laughed again at the shove. "Evidently so," he replied with a gentle nudge of his shoulder against Felix's. He caught the change in tone and expression though, and that made him frown slightly. Things had certainly been more distant between them since Bo had begun seeing Cassie. "I'm here to have my quality time with you. And I would point out that I sought you out on this beloved sofa of your choice," he mused, a gently playful tone to the words.

He couldn't help but smile as Felix spoke, but more so as he looked over at his cousin. In truth, Maxwell had let loose a few too many passing comments about Felix over the years that had led Bo to draw his conclusions as to the feelings at least extending in one direction, but given his own complicated past with his parabatai and his familial ties with Maxwell, he'd kept silent until things seemed to be coming about organically. "Complicated is often the case for most things at the onset," he noted, although he did have to wonder how many of those complications were of Felix and Maxwell's own invention. "He's not a dream, no... but I do think he's the sort of person you'd given up on hoping for. If I'm allowed to say that without sounding entirely biased to my cousin." He was still being a bit playful, mostly to lighten any background tension of the topic. But now he paused in a more serious way, waiting to catch Felix's eye again before he continued to speak. "I know I might have thrown a rather big wrench into anything happening between you both sooner... and I am sorry if it adds to your troubles in any way. But I don't love you any less than I ever have, Felix. You're my parabatai, you are and always will be half of me. And Maxwell?" He glanced over at his cousin with a small smile before returning his gaze to Felix. "He's my family. You are two of the people I love most in the world, and it therefore matters very much to me that you both are happy and cared for. And--not that it has to do with any of it, of course, but--you both are exactly what I would wish for each other. You two deserve a proper chance to see where this goes."

[felix-likes-to-smile]

Felix hummed contently. "Mmm...some of us more than others. Or so I'm told." As he sunk in deeper into the sofa, he purred a little. Bo was always such a cuddle bug. At least to him.

He had almost nodded off when Bo poked him. He poked him back. "Retaliatory poke. I win." He giggled. "Mmm...?" His eyebrow raised curiously, "And what is that? You know you can ask me anything."

[beastly-bo]

Bo quirked a brow at the comment but didn't question it further, simply focusing on and enjoying the comfort of their embrace.

He laughed a bit at the poke back to him. "I wasn't trying to win anything other than your indulgence of my curiosity," he retorted softly. "I wanted to ask how things were between you and Maxwell... if it's not to brazen of me to come right out and ask such a thing. But I have noticed the two of you."

[felix-likes-to-smile]

Felix nodded emphatically. "Only the best for our High Warlock." He wrinkled his nose a bit at the idea of Magnus hiring a designer. But being all cuddled against Bo was very comfy and he sighed dreamily. He perked back up again though, at the idea of talking about his favorite thing, the vampires. "Fae and shifter blood actually." He offered helpfully. "Though I hear they enjoy nephilim as well, when they get close enough to one. We tend not to get pulled in quite as easily."

[beastly-bo]

"But of course," Bo agreed with an affected seriousness before chuckling a bit. He found himself glancing at example guests while Felix talked, the faces of fae, shifters, and their own comrades mixed amongst the crowd. "Hmm, I suppose I'd never given it much thought. But the blood of the Angel would likely have that sort of allure to it, if nothing else."

When they lulled into a relative silence again, he decided to poke Felix gently in the side, waiting to catch his eye. "I had wanted to ask you about something else, if you don't mind."

[felix-likes-to-smile]

He hummed. "I'd forgotten how luxurious Magnus' tastes are. Where do you think these came from?" He asked, petting the couch beside him. "Some place exotic....probably." Curling against his parabatai, mostly instinctually, he rested against his shoulder. The ambiance was lovely. The air around them seeming to glitter. Or that might've been the fairy cocktail he devoured earlier. "Did you know the fairy queen declared war on the vampires? The moroccan vampires. They apparently invited themselves to a buffet. Of faerie folk." He started to babble about the things he'd discovered from the brothel.

[beastly-bo]

"Likely one of a kind, knowing our host. I'd imagine he hired a designer for most of the furniture and whatnot." Bo rested his head atop Felix's, a small smile tugging at his lips at the rambling. "I can't profess to know much about it, no. But I do remember someone once mentioning that fae blood is somewhat coveted by certain vampires. Do you really suppose we all have different tastes?"

[felix-likes-to-smile]

Lounging on a Puffy Couch

Felix was pleasantly buzzed as he lounged on one of Magnus' luxurious couches. As someone approached, he glanced up with a sunny smile. "Hullo, love."

[beastly-bo]

Bo had been rather caught up in his socializing so far, running into familiar faces typically turned into a dance or at least a prolonged conversation. But somewhere along the way he'd wondered where Felix had gone off to and made a point to locate and check in on him. The slightly too bright smile indicated alcohol as the culprit for his parabatai's absence, although not in a necessarily negative way. "Hello love," Bo echoed, taking a seat next to Felix. "Foggy headed? Or just enjoying a seat?"

[baby-blue-nephilim]

“Oh bother…”

He sighed forlornly down at the broken flask at his feet. “Well… this certainly bodes poorly for the rest of the evening.”

[beastly-bo]

Bo reached into his pocket and produced his own flask, extending it to Asher. "We can't be beginning the night on that sort of attitude."

[cassiessingingstars]

"That certainly came out of no where,"

[beastly-bo]

"Did it? Hmm... sounds like I ought to make it more of a habit," he mused, leaning down to press another kiss against her hand.

[beastly-bo]

"I'm afraid I'm a bit less obvious without the skull of Yorick in hand."

[singingshadowshelenus]

Early Evening @ Priam Books

"I like to stay open late on Wednesdays. Give people a chance to drop by after work instead of having to wait till the weekend,"

[beastly-bo]

"I'd think that's a rather smart move for business, but your regulars would certainly appreciate that sort of thing most."

[parkerstruebelief]

In the Institute Kitchen

"If she wasn't dating the boss, I'd bloody kiss Ava for having this place stocked with proper Yorkshire Tea,"

[beastly-bo]

"She is rather a gift in that regard, I have to agree," Bo replied with a laugh at the initial comment.

[beastly-bo]

[josephisafighter]

@ the Institute kitchen

"Why do I need to go to Hektor's? Left over pizza is a perfectly acceptable breakfast,"

[beastly-bo]

Bo nearly laughed. "I suppose I can't dispute that. But it felt rude not to offer."