FULL NAME Tuah, Son of Arjuna
NICKNAME(S) Tuah
ALIAS(ES) N/A
TITLE N/A
OCCUPATION business owner / CEO of Java Cafe chain
AGE 350 (appearance wise 35 yo)
DATE OF BIRTH March 20th
ZODIAC Pisces
NATIONALITY Malaysian
GENDER & PRONOUNS Male, He/Him
ORIENTATION Bisexual
RELIGION Omnism
⤕ Physical Information
FACE CLAIM Remy Ishak
HEIGHT 1.8m / 5"11'
BODY TYPE Muscular (broad shoulders and tapered waist. Think Chris Evans in Captain America)
EYE COLOUR dark brown
HAIR COLOUR + STYLE short black curls
DOMINANT HAND ambidexterous
ACCENT + INTENSITY A mix between English and Malay accent. Very faint that it's hardly discernible
TATTOO(S) None
SCAR(S) explained here
PIERCING(S) None
GLASSES None
⤕ Background Information
HOMETOWN Tanah Melayu (currently known as Malaysia)
CURRENT RESIDENCE Ashville
LANGUAGE(S) Malay + English
SOCIAL CLASS Wealthy
EDUCATION LEVEL undocumented
FATHER Arjuna, Son of Indra
MOTHER Embong, Daughter of Jalak
**more information can be found here
PARTNER(S) Laila, Daughter of Qaseem (Wife, deceased)
SIBLING(S) none
CHILD(REN) mentioned here
⤕ Personality
JUNG TYPE ISFJ
MORAL ALIGNMENT neutral good
CHARACTERISTICS
+ Protective, Dependable, Affable
- Altruistic, Stubborn, Repress own feelings
⤕ Vices & Habits
SMOKES? yes
DRINKS? yes
DRUGS? no
VIOLENT? no
ADDICTION(S)? no
SELF-DESTRUCTIVE? yes
HABIT(S)
HOBBIES working on his motorbikes/build his own muscle car
LIKES secretly collects Star Trek Collectibles
DISLIKES tight spaces, deep level body of water (sea, lake)
He could not remember much of his childhood, except that it was filled with love from his parents and a lot of scolding from his tutors. Born to farmers in their humble abode in the cold dreary night, Tuah had thought that he would become just like his parents; his hands deep in the rich earth and his back against the hot sun as he provided for himself and his family. As he grew up, however, he found he had a passion for the delicate art of Silat, a Malay martial art that moved as though you were dancing with your partner, but still packed strong deadly blows, so he decided to learn under one of the most influential teachers during night time while still working in the paddy field during the day. Under his tutor’s tutelage, he went for a position to be one of the laksamana, an admiral for the north king as soon as he was of age. It took him years to prove himself capable of protecting the beloved sultan, time and time again that he had proven himself to be worthy of his comrade’s respect and trust, though that was not to say that some did not despise his influence on the court and as the sultan’s constant aide at a young age. It was then that they devise a plan to rid of Tuah once and for all, and they had hired a man from a foreign land that rumoured to be skilful enough to wipe out an entire platoon in a blink of an eye.
Little that they knew that the man would bring havoc to their once peaceful kingdom.
He remembered that night as if it was yesterday; Tuah stood in the middle of an open field, shaking to his bones as he was face to face with a demon with a face of a man; fair skin and hair the colour of the hot sun, his eyes were as bright as the day sky. He watched his comrades fell to the ground one by one and painted the earth red, and still, he could do nothing but to watch. Then the man sauntered forward, taking one step at a time at his own leisure. He tried to move, but his feet were planted to the ground, shaking still. Words were spoken, but his ears could not catch what had been said, deafening with his blood rushing through his head loudly. He remembered the pain the seeped through him around his neck. He remembered screaming, though it felt like his voice was lodged tightly in his throat, before feeling his body went limp and everything went dark.
The next memory was of him waking up at the lowest deck of a slave ship, shivering from an aching hunger that he had not known before. The smell of sea salt burnt his nostrils in the months to come, so was the fear that reeked from those that were held captive. All in the name of gold, gospel, and glory. What lucid memories that he had at the time were filled with ‘corrections’ from his new master, his sire, alexander.
Days passed and turned into years, then decades. Before he knew it, Tuah had spent a century of his new life following the footsteps of his sire, all in the while the seed of revenge in his heart blossomed to a dark twisted tree with its branch jutting out of his still heart as moments passed. He had never made it a secret that he hated his sire with all his heart, vowing to end his life one way or another. His sire, in his arrogance and mockery, laughed at his attempts of killing him and dismiss Tuah's hatred as childish. It was a mistake on his sire part to underestimate one who was consumed with grief and grudge, as it soon became his undoing.
Now without his sire, Tuah wandered aimlessly, going from one country to another and making a habit not to stay in one place for too long, afraid to rouse suspicion among the locals as he did so. Until he met with alexander’s sire, Eleanor. Through Eleanor, he slowly learned to accept what he was, though the journey was arduous for both. He learned to accept those who were around him, despite the mistrust he still held deep within his heart. He learned from his lovers to love again and let himself be loved, letting their sweet nothings washed over the dark thoughts that consumed his days and nights.
He learned of forgiveness for others and eventually for himself, even though he felt that he did not deserve such mercy.
Sahid smiled, slightly proudly, as Tuah shared the amount of time it would take for the order to arrive. Their eyes remained on the other, waiting for his next words, some joke, some notice of the app maybe, anything that wasn’t going to be the next best heavy topic. Though they felt like maybe they had already faced enough of that throughout this conversation. The subject of cooking wasn’t what Sahid had expected. Did they cook? The skin around their cheeks felt rather warm as Tuah spoke, this new care and worry for their safety and health. It wasn’t familiar, it wasn’t something they had faced in a long time. Atlas was kind and warm to them, extending worry and help. Tuah was of a different sort, all-together. They weren’t even sure what they had done to deserve it. But they must’ve done something right, because God had put Tuah in their path and ensured they would stay connected throughout it all.
“I cook pasta sometimes,” Sahid admitted with a grin. “I don’t mind trying more cooking,” they added. After all, not having their cleaning job anymore and neither worrying about hanging up flyers around time did leave them with a whole lot of extra time. It had never been that Sahid had an aversion to food, but eating three healthy meals a day was never in their budget, so they stuck to fast food when they did have enough money, or made pasta with sauce when they didn’t. They wanted to defend themselves that they didn’t eat take out that much… but that wasn’t true.
“Really? That’s… that’s amazing,” they said. Not sure they could explain how the American system worked and how they were still paying off a debt from the last time they had ended up in the hospital. At this point they didn’t have money, so finding a job as soon as possible was important. But it felt strange to be admitting to that, to this debt that continued to haunt them.
There was a moment of pause, there was a lot that was going through Sahid’s mind. Something telling them that they shouldn’t, that taking so much kindness from a single person would be wrong. But they knew that if they had a job they could probably convince Tuah to participate financially, and they didn’t want to try and find another place, they didn’t want to live in a student apartment anymore, they didn’t want to live alone again, or go back to living a life for other people. They still wanted to, but live a life with other people sounded better. “Would you let me cash in?” they asked, grinning, their heart full.
Tuah nodded at the answer, seemingly satisfied for now. “Well, we can’t have you eat pasta everyday either, now can we?” He smiled at Sahid, patting their back. “Perhaps we can hire a cook for the time being until you can cook with more variety. And perhaps learn a thing or two from the cook.” He made a mental note to find someone who could cook vegan food without it looking bland or boring for everyday consumption while still retaining all the nutrition that Sahid would need. “I’ve been curious about your diet, Sahid,” he turned his attention to them, “Why have you decided to become vegan in the first place? I understand that some Hindu devout becomes vegetarian for the sake of their religion. Is it the same for you?” He didn’t quite understand the difference between a vegetarian and a vegan either, but he figured he’d have time to ask them later.
“It is quite amazing.” He nodded in agreement. “I know the medical fee in the United States is rather exorbitant, so it’s a nice change here.” He did have to pay quite a sum to secure his source of feeding when he’s over there, seeing that he rarely went out on a hunt. Nova Pangea was the only country that facilitated his needs without him having to pay such a large amount. Even so, he decided to become one of the sponsors since it would benefit him. He hoped that other countries caught on soon and allow his kind to roam freely. “Even if Astoria doesn’t provide such facility, I plan on helping you pay the medical bill anyway.”
“Cash in?” Tuah furrowed his brows, unfamiliar with the term. “If you’re worried about paying me back, there is no need.” He had more than enough to cover their daily expenses and more. “I simply want the best for you while you’re in my care. Perhaps you’ve thought of this as a joke, but I am quite fond of you, Sahid. And I want to take care of you the best as I can.” Tuah smiled at them as he cupped Sahid’s face with his hand. “I’m not doing this in hopes that you’ll pay me back one day. I want you to focus on healing yourself and look forward to a bright future here, hm.”
Sahid grinned, not trying to send their brain into overdrive at the thought of it, and slowly nodded. “Okay, two vegan mushroom pizzas it is, and I would like a pepsi,” they added. Soft drinks weren’t really their thing, but from time to time they enjoyed the weird sensation on their tongue and in their belly. Plus having pepsi’s somehow reminded them of the strange moments with their old friend group, when they had absolutely nothing to discuss and silence was alright.
They blinked a few times, the words registering as they read them off of Tuah’s lips, something which became easier they found with people who they had known for a longer time. “Free healthcare?” they asked, the notion foreign to them, strange, almost impossible. If it hadn’t been for mounting health bills, Sahid figured they could’ve had some more freedom in life.
They smiled, the idea of Cassie and Nadia staying here, with Tuah, somehow that thought both scared and excited them. Though they weren’t sure if they were staying here or if Tuah just wanted them around for as long as they wished. It was strange, but nice. Being welcome somewhere, anywhere, that wasn’t something Sahid was familiar with. “I’ll let them know, maybe it will make the decision easier to visit.”
Tuah nodded again and placed their order. “They should arrive in 40 minutes, it seems.” He debated whether he should prepare snacks for Sahid while they waited for their pizzas in the meantime, before deciding against it since he didn’t want to ruin Sahid’s appetite. He did make a mental note to restock the fridge later on, perhaps asking for one of the personal shoppers to do that for him since he wasn’t quite sure what to buy himself. “Do you cook, Sahid?” Tuah asked, “Ordering take out every now and then is fine, but I don’t wish for you to eat that way every day. If you don’t, I can hire a cook for us since I don’t cook either.” He had never learnt how to cook for himself, and with the lost of his taste, he didn’t want to risk burning his kitchen or poisoning Sahid with his cooking.
He nodded at the question. “Well, you do have to pay a small amount for the service, but it usually doesn’t amount to much.” Sahid didn’t have to worry about that too since he planned on paying on their behalf, seeing that they didn’t have an income yet. Even if they did, Tuah had planned on helping as much as he could anyway.
Tuah smiled. “I look forward to their visit,” he told Sahid once more, patting them on the shoulder. “You know, you can stay here for as long as you like too, if you want,” he offered, his smile turned gentle. “I won’t force you to stay, of course. I don’t want you to feel restricted or that you feel obligated to stay with me. I just want you to have options. Besides, I like the idea of having someone to come home to at the end of the day.”
Sahid offered an impressed grin, watching Tuah use his phone to open the delivery app. They knew the Vampire wasn’t the best with technology, which meant it was good to see him use it, because at least that meant he was trying to. “New York pizza has a new vegan pizza with mushrooms,” Sahid said, watching intently, slightly amused. “Unless if you want to eat something else?” they offered. Next step was getting Tuah on all the social media platforms, even though Sahid themselves didn’t have a single one. But maybe it was time.
“Uhm, a few weeks, It’s supposed to stay on my arm for six weeks,” they shared. They hadn’t gotten a referral, and they knew the only way to get the caste removed as to actually go to
Sahid gave a painful smile, glad for the sentiment, even if it just reminded them of what they had left behind. Cassie was so far away now, but at least she was safe. “I am just glad knowing she’s home, she’s strong, it will take some time, but she will learn to give it a place,” they said, then smiled a little brighter. “I’ll extend them the invitation, hopefully they’ll take it.”
Tuah nodded, brows furrowing slightly as he selected the restaurant and looked through their menu and ordered their vegan pizza. “I don’t have any preference, so I’ll just order the same thing as you.” He flickered his eyes towards Sahid with a brief smile on his lips before continuing to order. “What about drinks? Would you like to order some soft drink to go with your pizza?”
When the attention went back towards their arm, Tuah hummed. “We can visit the hospital to have that a look, and perhaps get you a full check up. Astoria does provide free healthcare, after all, so might as well take advantage of it.” Even if that wasn’t the case, He was willing to pay for Sahid’s medical so they would be well taken care of.
If it was up to him, Tuah wouldn’t want any of this to happen to Sahid and Cassie. They both deserved better than what they had been put through. He had always hated the saying ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’, because they didn’t need to be stronger, they shouldn’t be. They deserved to feel safe and protected by those around them. Alas, he didn’t have the power to shield either of them from the cruelty of the world, no matter how hard he wished for it. “They can even stay here should they accept your invitation. There’s enough guest bedrooms to accommodate to you all.” Nadia and Cassie were welcomed in his house, he decided, simply because it made Sahid happy just the mention of them. “I look forward to them visiting, too.”
Tuah closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the warmth that seeped through his skin without burning him. his new signet ring sat snugly on his index finger, glinting from the morning sun. It took him awhile to step out from his house after he had received his daylight charm, that deep-rooted fear caused him to make excuses for himself to stay inside instead of welcoming the warmth of sunlight into his life once again. With his partner’s help, Tuah slowly entered the world that he once knew, first from the curtain being drawn in his house then finally here, sitting at the park, basking in the warm light.
A content sigh escaped his lips before he brought his watch to his gaze, noting that it was time for him to return home. He was still uncomfortable going back to work, so he had been working from home until he was ready. His gaze caught someone familiar, and he stopped in his tracks. “Benji?” Tuah called out, hoping he hadn’t mistaken someone for the young witch. “Benji, is that you?”
Carleigha chuckled looking up to him with a grin. “To be fair you have been telling me that for what 50-60 years now. Right along with don’t have sex in my room. Which by the way was only the one time and it was mostly an accident. We took the wrong door and were too busy to notice.” She smirks up to him knowing the explanation is more likely to annoy him. She still hugs is side. She always takes his hugs when she gets them. “I’m glad you like them. You know how much I love to bake for you.”
She shrugs faintly as she leans against the counter. “I’m not sure. Eat them, pawn them off on some unsuspecting victims with a sweet tooth. That’s what I do with the cookies. It always helps when the local werewolves get the munchies near the full moon”
Tuah groaned when Carleigha brought up their shared past. “Please do not remind me of such thing,” he implored, visibly shuddering as he tried to get rid of the memory. “To be honest, I think Eleanor did it on purpose. You weren’t even in the right wing, for Heaven’s sake!” He believed his grandsire was not above such thing, simply to see how he would react. Despite his annoyance at the memory, his lips still curled into a smile at Carleigha’s words. “Or I’m one of your test subjects for your new recipe, hm.” Tuah arched his brow as he looked at her pointedly, before chuckling with a shake of his head.
“Well, it’s good to know that the rest of the cake wouldn’t be gone to waste.” Though knowing Carleigha, Tuah was sure she would find a way to make sure such thing wouldn’t happen anyway. The tea was prepared and served to both of them, together with the cake that Carleigha had baked. “How are you holding up, my dear?” Tuah asked after a sip of his tea, focusing his attention on his friend. “anything new happening in your life?”
Sahid grinned in return, the banter coming up and staying because of the way Tuah seemed to react to it, the finger against their cheek, the warm feeling that followed in their own belly. What they wouldn’t give for it to be romantic, although they knew it wouldn’t ever be. And they should set it out of their head. They really really should, but it was hard to. Tuah seemed to care for them, a lot, and Sahid was extremely glad for it. It was kind, it was something they still had difficulty accepting, because they weren’t sure if they deserved it. They smiled, then shook their head. “I haven’t, and yes, I will have to pick up my stuff,” they admitted. It wasn’t much. And it wasn’t as important as what they had in front of them now.
They watched the other with some confusion, but figured that what they were seeing was anger, or something along it. It had been normal for them, expected almost, they weren’t expecting another kind of treatment, but it was still a hard pill to swallow regardless. They refrained from shrugging at the question, they couldn’t ignore Cassie’s state. “She’s very traumatized,” they said. “I don’t think she gets the attention and love she needs right now. I think the most… the hardest thing she has to face is that she doesn’t trust people anymore. Especially not any of us.” They swallowed. “Yes, I can stay in touch with her, Nadia promised, and I told Cassie I would. I plan to keep that promise,” they said, trying for a smile.
Tuah nodded, taking out his phone. “Alright, then. I’ll order something for us. What would you like to eat?” He remembered how to order from the food app that Sahid had taught him before they left Astoria, and though he hadn’t use it for himself, he was glad that he didn’t delete the app from his phone (whether or not he knew how to do that was another story, or so he convinced himself). “Do you know when they’ll be taking the caste off?” Tuah turned to Sahid, “and do you need to have a routine checkup for your injuries?”
He tried to keep the anger away from his face, not wanting Sahid to think that it was directed towards them. “That’s good to hear.” It was a relief to know that Sahid was able to keep in touch with Cassie, at least. “I’m sorry you have to leave her behind, my dear. I know how much she meant to you.” Tuah clasped Sahid’s shoulder, brows furrowing slightly. “Perhaps in time, you can invite Naida and Cassie to Astoria. Show them around the city and whatnot.”
Though Tuah had a relatively high pain tolerance, even higher than most vampires, he still wasn’t able to withstand the surging pain that coursed throughout his body. Even as the fire was doused and he was covered in wet blanket, and his body healed rapidly, the phantom pain still had him groaning in absolute pain.
His mind retreated to itself as his consciousness slowly fading away, the pain brought forth unpleasant memories from his past. being left to burnt by his Sire because of his defiance, because his Sire felt like it. His Sire’s cruel smile lorded over him as he told Tuah that he was useless, deserving of all the punishment that was given to him. because that was all he was good for. A military dog being cast aside by the very people that he tried to protect, only to be taken pity by his Sire.
Tuah was no longer aware of his surroundings, of how the manager of the café who recognised who he was had contacted his assistance in a panic. Of how he was carried out from the café in an airtight casket to ensure he wasn’t being burnt in the sun. Of how the doctors unable to wake him up despite his body had fully healed days after the event. Of how his friends had came by and spoke to him in quiet, hushed voice, asking him to wake up.
When Tuah finally woke up, greeted by the stark white ceiling of the hospital, it took him a moment to realise where he was. When he turned, a tuff of black curls was within his reach, and he found himself smiling when he saw Sahid’s sleeping face, before he too succumb to sleep once more.
His head was pounding and the dizziness was growing stronger, he had been trying to avoid it, but it seemed that the hunger would only grow stronger as time passed by. James wished he had stayed home or, perhaps, it had been wiser to just drive straight to the hospital instead of the club. At the response that Tuah was alright, James nod. There was a distortion in the voices he was hearing, part of himself was focused on the words spoken by the person in front of him, but another was the echoes of Tuah’s thoughts; to the point that they were so loud, James could easily mistake one for another. Daylight ring. “Hope everything’s alright ever since you broke your daylight ring.” Had Tuah stated that out loud? Fuck.
“I think you should–” he wanted to say walk away, but the words didn’t leave his mouth, hands pressing against his head, and while he tried to keep space between himself and the other person, the mayor found himself reaching closer and closer. And his hand aimed for a tight grip over the man’s wrist. Fuck, James thought to himself. And he wouldn’t see it. How could he noticed changes over his own self? But his light blue eyes, somehow, became lighter, lighter than usual. Far from what’s expected from human eyes.
Tuah furrowed his brows, his eyes narrowed and lips pressed into a thin line when the Mayor mentioned about his daylight charm. “How did you-” but before he could finish his sentence, he felt a grip on his wrist. It wasn’t painful enough to hurt him, of course, but it did make him more alert than he was before. It was increasingly alarming when he noticed the changes on the Mayor’s eyes, and a whiff of the Mayor’s scent told him that something was different. James didn’t smell like he did during the festival, or like any human for that matter.
Tuah placed his glass onto one of the trays and focused his attention on the Mayor, keeping his voice as calm as he could. “James, I’m going to bring you to a private room, alright.” Clearly there was something wrong with the Mayor, and he wasn’t keen on exposing him to others in this state. “Something’s wrong with you, but I don’t know what it is. How long have you been this way?” He tried to steer the other to the private room, his hand wrapped around James’ arm gently.
“Cal is a great judge of character, so yeah, it’s probably because you are that charming.” Olivia mirrored his chuckle, briefly glancing to where the feline had curled up in a sunny spot, always seeking warmth, which she understood all too well. “No, I don’t think it’s that. Not that he wouldn’t take you up if you offered him a treat, but he knows he can get treats from me. Still won’t let me carry him around like a baby most days.” She didn’t mind that all too much though, as long as he still came around for cuddles, which he did, on his terms.
Responding with an idle shrug, she glanced up from her cup of tea that was inviting but decidedly too hot still when he joined her with the cakes. While he spoke, she cut two slices and placed them on their plates. “Sure, why not? A friend’s recipe sounds better to me than something I found on Google, which is usually a bit hit-and-miss.” That was why she often stuck to her grandmother’s old recipe books, but that could get a little repetitive. “Fine, describe it to me then. We could turn it into a game, you describe the cakes you liked best, I’ll try my best to name them.” The game didn’t sound half bad to her, but what she was really doing was stalling. Liv already had half the heart to share with him what was on her mind, but the other half didn’t want to ruin the surprise visit.
“Yeah… yeah, of course they are. And I don’t have any doubts about your listening skills.” She offered him a short-lived smile, grabbing a fork but making no move to eat just yet. “It’s just… I don’t even know what’s really bugging me.” She had some ideas, all of which were fraught with questions she couldn’t get answers to and feelings she didn’t understand. But somehow, while they only lived in her mind, she felt the chaos was contained, in her mind, they could only hurt her. “Maybe it’s just this whole discovering my magic thing that’s made everything feel weird.” Liv perked up when Tuah smiled, albeit stashed behind his cup, her eyes widening. “You are? That’s wonderful.” She said with a smile that reached her eyes in no time. “Who’s the lucky person?”
Olivia’s words brought a warm smile to him, his hand reaching out to scratch the back of Cal’s ear. “Perhaps I simply catch him at an opportune time,” Tuah reasoned, looking up at Olivia as he settled back to his chair, the warm cup of tea in hand, “though I’m certainly not adverse to your opinion of me. Perhaps I am that charming.” Tuah arched his brow as he smirked, taking a sip of his tea.
“Then you should talk to Carleigha about it. She’ll talk your ear off about any recipe that she’s fond of and whatever new recipe that she stumbled upon. Don’t say I didn’t warn you, though.” His words were tinged with fondness that accumulated from the decades of their friendship. Tuah frowned when Olivia suggested that he should describe the cakes that Carleigha had baked for him over the years. Tuah supposed he could describe the texture and colour of the cake, though if Olivia pressed about the taste, he wouldn’t be able to tell her. Would she accept his answer if he said ‘they taste like cake’? He could imagine that it would irate her, but lest he told her about his lack of taste, he supposed she’d have to be satisfied with the answer. “Fine, fine. I’ll ask Carleigha the recipes for what she’s baked for me. Mind you it’s quite an extensive list, seeing that we’ve known each other since world war two.”
Tuah paused mid sipping his tea when Olivia mentioned that she discovered her magic. “That’s new,” he remarked, putting his cup back onto the saucer as he focused his attention at her. “When did you discover this?” He had heard of the possibility of half witch’s magic manifesting much later than a full-blooded witch, so he could understand if everything felt overwhelming for Olivia. When the attention returned to him, Tuah looked rather sheepish since he had only told a handful of people about his relationship. “Do you know the owner of Kaleidoscope? The cabaret club in Birchwood? Yes, well. Him.” He hid his face behind the cup as he sipped his tea. “We’ve been seeing each other for a bout four years now, but we’ve only decided to get serious now.” Tuah decided to summarise it as best as he could, skimming past the complicated part of their relationship to Olivia.
The tendril grew, latching onto the one thing it recognised as powerful, Zhyan felt it then, but he wasn’t sure what it was exactly, wasn’t sure if he was drawing on it or just recognising it. His body felt warm, a reaction he was starting to notice when there was Magic at play. He couldn’t use any of it himself, but for years it had felt like it had inhabited his body without ever making itself known.
He swallowed, the feeling at the back of his mind forgotten when Tuah spoke again. “No, uhm, I’m just an intern,” he said, though the words tasted bitter on his tongue. He wasn’t someone who often stood up for himself, who came up with reasons why he had done it. He simply accepted that he was responsible, or took far too much responsibility. But Tuah was there for answers, and of course he was angry about the piece, Zhyan hadn’t been angry, but he had been incredibly uncomfortable knowing that it was his interview that got slandered. He wondered what he had done wrong to make it that way, if he was in some way responsible for it, had used some tone or diction that was translated wrong. But he couldn’t think of anything, going through his own notes. He was growing increasingly uncomfortable. He shook his head. “I don’t know. I don’t know why they would write a piece like that, I only gave them the interview, and a concept piece, but they didn’t use any of it,” he said. He was certain they hadn’t even read the concept piece. “I- I read back what I wrote… maybe something got lost in translation.” His chest welled up, and the warmth in his body grew, he was certain he was drawing on something now, certain that now that the Spirit was gone, his body was making his Magic work in different ways.
Tuah’s furrowed brows deepened, both from Zakary’s words and the ringing in his ears that was getting louder that it was hard to concentrate. It made him agitated, irritated even, as his surrounding slowly became muffled. Having no familiarity with magic except on a surface level, Tuah wasn’t able to recognise immediately what caused the ringing in his ears. He only knew it was caused by magic somewhere in the café, though he couldn’t exactly pinpoint the location. The air in the café itself was infused with magic from witches that came and went, being a town full with supernatural as it was, but it was hardly a cause for concern, especially not for Tuah.
He raised his hand to stop Zakary from saying anything further, hand reaching up and massaging his temple. As he brought his hand closer to his face, however, Tuah noticed that the ringing became louder. More specifically, the ringing seemed to come from his signet ring. “What the-” before he could finish his words, something unexpected happened.
The ring cracked and fell onto the ground with a muffled thud to Tuah’s ears.
And in an instant, he was up in flames. Pain coursed through him as he screamed in agony and commotion rang through the café. His body convulsed as sunlight continued to burn him alive, and he could barely hear the staff trying to get everyone out as he laid on the ground. Through the numbing pain, his mind automatically reverted back to his days with his Sire, and calculated that he had less than a minute, perhaps two minutes if he was lucky, to seek shelter from the sun. Or he would be turned to ashes.
Tuah got up, grunting in pain as he staggered to his feet and used his lightning speed to move to the basement. He crumpled onto the floor the moment he reached there, still screaming in pain. One of the staff had followed him to the basement, dousing him with water with her magic as much as she could. Another staff joined her with a fire extinguisher on hand, ready to release it if the water wasn’t enough to put out the fire.
The pain continued to fry his nerves even after the fire had finally subsided, and Tuah’s mind retreated into himself as his body twitched on the ground, unable to move. Tears streaking his face involuntarily, and it was taking such a strenuous effort for him to call out to the staff. “Help,” was all he could mutter, before passing out.
Their eyes still wide, even the of course seemed to come out odd, though they of course couldn’t really grab the tone of the word, just Tuah’s face as he smiled, and he had the type of smile Sahid felt comfortable around, the one they still were enchanted by. If not had grown to love more over the past months, though they weren’t sure what kind of love it was anymore, if it was the type of love that made them want to kiss Tuah right then and then, or the familial love. What they were certain of however, was that they didn’t want to be anywhere else, they wanted to live a life in a place where they could be close to Tuah.
Okay, the kissing was still on their mind, at least deep at night when they had no control over the dreams.
They nodded, but their movements were slightly automatic. They bit the inside of their mouth and handed Tuah the pictures. It felt odd, yet they knew that it would get them more information that they had expected.
They refrained from biting the inside of their mouth again as Tuah offered his home to them, it made them feel warm and fuzzy inside and there was this feeling around their eyes, a warth under their eyes, just above their cheeks. They nodded again. “Alright, I had a hotel, but since you said please,” they responded, a smile on their lips at Tuah’s gaze, the soft kindness.
They rubbed their hands together then. “I feel bad for leaving Cassie behind,” they said, feeling like they should admit this to someone. “But they didn’t want me there, they never wanted me back. Only she did. They found her around Christmas,” they admitted. And now Sahid was going to have to live for themselves, because they realised they had been living for Cassie since the very moment she had been next to them in their stepbrother’s arms.
A small laughter escaped Tuah’s lips at Sahid’s reply, shaking his head at their cheekiness. “You’re lucky that you’re very charming, or I would’ve rescinded my offer.” He said, returning with his own playfulness as he pushed his index finger against their cheek. He wouldn’t do that, of course, merely teasing the young Sahid. “I assume you’d like to return to the hotel to retrieve your things there. We can go there after you’ve freshened up. Have you had something to eat?” Tuah wondered if he should hire someone to cook for Sahid, seeing that he didn’t know how to cook as he didn’t need to sustain himself with normal food. He wasn’t sure how Sahid would react to it, though he could guess that they would merely accept whatever Tuah had arranged for them out of respect. He could take that advantage, only to ensure Sahid’s wellbeing, that is.
Tuah’s attention returned to them when Sahid spoke up again, brows now furrowed together when he was told that their family had withhold Cassie’s return from Sahid months before telling them that she was safe. Furious at the treatment that Sahid received, Tuah stopped himself and took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. “How was she?” he asked instead, diverting his focus on what he thought mattered more than his own frustration at the mistreatment. “Are you allowed to stay in touch with her once you’ve returned here?”
It was always as endearing as it was baffling to watch Tuah play with Cal in a way that would have resulted in a clawing protest with anyone else. Cal was always remarkably calm around him, to the point where Olivia wondered if he might just like him a tad more than he liked her. She could deal with the slight twinge of jealousy she felt over that, after all, her feline friend was happy, as was Tuah, as far as she could tell. “You know, he only turns into a big baby around you. He always loves attention, but I think yours is just on another level, somehow.” Cal’s chiming in after Tuah put him back down served as an affirmation of Liv’s words.
“Oh, come on, I’m not malicious; I won’t tell her.” Liv said in a teasing tone, grinning to herself as she finished making their tea. “I was really just hoping to get some pointers as to which recipes I should ask for.” That was absolutely the truth, she’d certainly not frown upon recipes from someone who’d had years’ worth of experience making cakes that made even the biggest birthday grouch happy. Carrying over their cups of tea along with a knife to cut the swiss roll, Liv slid into her usual corner, a hand wrapped around her cup to sponge on the heat it radiated since her hands were always cold. “I’m… good.” Drawing in a sharp breath, she glanced up at Tuah sheepishly. “I’m sorry I haven’t been very chatty lately. I didn’t want to dampen your mood with my… chaos.” She sighed. “But really, I’m fine. How are you?”
Tuah arched his brows when Olivia pointed out about Cal’s behaviour around him. “Well, I suppose I’m just that charming,” he replied, playfully winking at her before chuckling to himself. He then turned his attention towards Cal, who watched him expectantly. “Or perhaps he’s like this with me because he thinks he can get some treats? Which I do not have, by the way. Sorry to disappoint you.” At this, Cal meowed once again, as if he understood what was being said, and Tuah couldn’t help but shake his head in amusement.
He laughed at the teasing remark. “Oh, will you now?” he hummed, smiling at Olivia, “honestly, I don’t even remember half of the names of what she baked for me over the years. There are just far too many.” He had known Carleigha during world ward two, when she was still Eleanor’s lover. She was like a sister to him, an annoying one, and a very dear friend. Tuah brought the cakes with him and followed Olivia to the sitting area, Cal already claiming a spot between them as he took a seat. He arched his brow at Olivia’s expression. Clearly something was up, and it was confirmed when she continued. “Isn’t that what friends are for? To… share your chaos so it’ll make it a little more bearable.” Tuah smiled softly at her, “I’m told that I’m a very good listener, you know.” He didn’t push Olivia further, however, not wanting to seem like a nosey neighbour who wanted the latest gossip. “I’m… happy at the moment,” a sheepish smile crossed his lips, and Tuah tried to hide it behind his cup of tea. “I’m currently starting a relationship with someone.”
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