Read about swan maiden motive in Celtic stories and wanted to draw her. Also Breton twin brothers, Tomaz and Gwenwael. As a society we are corrupted by the amount of media about medieval slutty knights, so one of them has his hand on the hilt of the sword and slyly half-closed his visor.
(Need to expand the OC universe so now I have pre-medieval times story for Melnikoff Tzimisce sire (yay, a real dragon sire of the Dragon clan), medieval times for Tomaz and his twin brother, interbellum and WWII times for Alice, Tomaz and Melnikoff and 2009 times for Fabien, Alice and all others. Can't stop being a historian, I need to describe it historically accurately, so temporarily there will be little to none light-hearted fan art on VtMB)
Gwenvael looked at his brother, unable to bring himself to say goodbye. The hardest part for him was always putting an end to their conversations, so they could go their separate ways. He awaited each meeting with hope — because he was truly glad to see his twin brother — and with despair and shame clenching his chest tightly, because once again he had failed to rid himself of the demon. Standing beneath a streetlamp in the pre-dawn street, waiting for some breakthrough in his situation or a moment of revelation, was futile — this finally dawned on Gwenvael, and he said in a rasping voice:
"Wait for me in three months in Roscoff."
Tomaz knew his brother well and gave him time to gather his words — but when the silence grew too long, he finally asked:
"Where exactly should I wait?"
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his brother's mouth:
"You won't get it wrong. Ask for the most popular drinking establishment. Until soon, then." Gwenvael turned fast and strode quickly into the darkness of the street, afraid that if he stayed with brother even one minute longer, he would lose his composure and throw himself at his feet.
The twin remained standing in silence until the tree leaves rustled in the wind, drowning out the doubts racing through his mind. "The most popular drinking establishment... it must have a historic name, one with meaning to us. Well, I'll find out." Tomaz pulled up his hood and went the other way.
***
Having crossed the northern part of the city from end to end, Tomaz began to doubt whether he had been right not to press his brother for an exact meeting address. He had already walked down Rue Gambetta, which bore the same name as the street next to the hospital in Tréguier, and was heading toward Rue Jeanne d'Arc, hoping to run into his brother if not carrying a banner of France, then at least standing somewhere outside bar in a side alley. The time was approaching nine in the evening, and he feared that some establishments would close early, as was the European custom. Having circled the area north of the train station, he decided to head toward the eastern part of the city.
Somewhere behind him, the air was rent by the chatter and laughter of a young group walking slowly in his wake. Tomaz stopped and decided to ask about bars rather than wander aimlessly around Roscoff. After all, all he knew about this town was that Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, had once lived here, and that its famous Roscoff onions grew here.
"Nozvezh vat," he addressed them in Breton to get their attention, then switched to French, "could you tell me please where the most popular drinking establishment is around here?"
Without slowing, a young man tossed a greeting back into the air and said:
"'Bluebeard's' — you need to turn back, head down Rue Brizeux, take a left, and there you'll see the sign! No need to rush, it stays open late!"
And the group swept past Tomaz, as if they had suddenly remembered that other bars would soon close, or had thought that the tourist would start pestering them with the standard questions about "what's interesting around here?" and "how do you like life in the city?" The Breton thanked them, calling out after them, and headed toward the meeting place.
"Ha, ‘Bluebeard’s’ — hard to mistake that one. What next place will you summon me to, L'Exorciste'?" the Salubri reflected on the name as he walked along the cobblestones, trying not to get his boots stuck in the gaps between the historic stones. "They must have seen the young Mary Stuart herself."
After walking some five hundred meters, he spotted a neon-blue sign with the head of a black-bearded man; the lettering above the door read ‘Bluebeard’s’. Outside stood a heavyset woman, smoking a thin cigarillo. The Salubri didn’t recall such cigarettes being sold here. She gave Tomaz a disinterested look as he approached the door and took a drag on the cigarillo. Deciding to test whether the stranger was spying on him or his brother, he asked the most banal question:
"Is it loud in there?" — he put on the cheerful mask, though his eyes remained fixed on her mouth and nostrils.
"Stuffy. Just wanted some fresh air, that's all," — a tiny puff of smoke escaped her lips as she spoke.
"Remember to exhale," — Tomaz dropped over his shoulder and stormed into ‘Bluebeard's’. The door rang out loudly with a clatter of its bell and the unknown Kindred bared her fangs as she blew out the nicotine:
"Old bastard."
Blueness flooded the Salubri's field of vision as soon as he entered the bar. It seemed to him as if the blue light came from everywhere — from the bar counter’s lights, from the ceiling, from the walls — he could only make out the white halo-like chandeliers suspended on cables above the passage between the tables.
There was no one behind the bar counter, and on the right side by the entrance a young couple had settled cozily into armchairs. On the wood-paneled walls hung a row of paintings in black frames illuminated from the top — squinting through the all-pervading blue, Tomaz made out that all of them depicted scenes from the life of Gilles de Rais. In the painting nearest to him, the devil was tempting the aristocrat who stood with a dagger in one hand and a severed head in the other, against a backdrop full of alchemical vessels. The Salubri winced, remembering his brother's haven, which was cluttered with even more vessels and crates of materials. Farther along was a similar scene of blood ritual and to the left, one showing the suffering of Francesco Prelati inflicted by Barron.
But Gwenvael was nowhere in sight. In the absolute blueness at the far end of the bar something stirred and in that azure blur Tomaz recognized his brother's ever-present white shirt. The Salubri ambled calmly through the bar, continuing to take in its surroundings: on the opposite side of the bar behind the counter was a door leading to the backyard, against the rear wall stood a long sofa where his demonic twin was seated, and above him hung a painting — or rather, an image of Gilles de Rais's signature on a white sheet, which in itself resembled a sigil or a demon summoning key. “Why are there four eights at the end of the signature? What does that mean?” — Tomaz wondered as he approached his brother.
Gwenvael, without rising from the sofa, embraced his brother and shifted to sit a little more at ease — despite the increased likelihood of being caught off guard by enemies (after second blood-hunted Salubri joined him), he relaxed in the presence of kindred blood.
"Is that woman of yours smoking at the entrance?" Tomaz asked first thing, lowering himself onto a creaking blue sofa — though he strongly doubted it was actually blue — even his brother looked like one of the Smurfs in this light.
"Already met Bella? She's our pack’s Gangrel," the twin replied, staring unblinkingly at Tomaz, eager for news — he wanted to skip this part of the meeting as quickly as possible.
"Tell her that one should still breathe while smoking. Any inexperienced neonate could spot your gang just from such lookout. What is this place, anyway? How did you find out about it?" The reproaches poured from Tomaz's mouth, but he was only being cautious, showing concern for their safety. Gwenvael, not bothering himself with blinking, stared at him with his large blue eyes, making nothing of worries:
"Her appearance alone is enough to make people walk right past. And this bar is run by an acquaintance of mine. No, not from the Camarilla."
"Strange, I haven't heard of this Elysium, and I've only been here for a couple of days from London. Honestly, I'd shut this bar down myself — it looks too luscious for the sticks, the paintings and theme are gruesome, and personally, I pity Gilles de Rais; this is no way to preserve his memory. Just don't tell me there's a room for wives' in here,"—dark humour remained a hallmark of their bloodline.
"Haha, I appreciate that. As for the Elysium, you're right — no one informed the Mithraists because it's not an Elysium; it's impossible to guarantee safety here. The bar will serve its purpose and then close."
Tomaz raised his brows in indignation:
"You’re telling me two Salubri with a demon are now sitting in a common bar with a not so bright Gangrel on the guard? At least tell me there are protective wards in place?" — the possessed by demon one grinned broadly in response to his brother's displeasure. Tomaz concluded with dissatisfaction:
"We'd have been better off meeting in some cave — an enclosed space too, but at least no mortals around. Why on Earth did you decide to open a bar named after Bluebeard in Roscoff? He lived in Nantes, you remember?"
"Do you think they'd have allowed it to be opened in Nantes?" — Gwenvael suddenly stared at the painting of the child sacrifice and Tomas followed his gaze, shaking his head in the negative: "That's why they opened it here. By the way, the back door is an illusion — you can get straight to my haven through it; if anything happens, you can come with me."
Tomaz looked at the rear exit with his third eye — along the edges of the door frame he caught glimpses of another room: tiled walls and floor and a cold medical light.
🍂 pumpkin spice latte – what’s their biggest basic weakness and do they fall for it?
for Tomaz
☕ caramel macchiato – what’s their sweet side that most people don’t see?
for Gwenvael
Tomaz - What’s their biggest basic weakness and do they fall for it?
Tomaz has quite strong willpower but his nature is Penitent. If we speak of weakness as an idea, his flaw is carnal pleasure - food, sex and spoils of affluence. Golconda became attainable for him partly because he wished to live as a human with all his soul, watching the pleasures of all centuries he lived through slip past him. The first thing he did after reaching Golconda was to travel from the Middle East to Europe just to drink cider in a tavern. He constantly gives in to temptation, whether it’s tasting a new dish or pursuing a new sexual experience (and before Embrace both he and his brother already had wives and children).
If we speak of weakness as a concrete thing, his vulnerable point is his brother. His only loyalty goes to his brother, Gwenvael, a Salubri of warrior blood, and it overrides logic and self‑preservation. Tomaz, who witnessed the failure of the twin's ritual, has dedicated his existence to finding a way to free his brother from demon he was cursed with. The anger at brother's sire was long ago washed away by the waves of time, but acceptance has never come - the hope of liberating Gwenvael from the demon he is bound to is what keeps Tomaz among Kindred society. In other case he would completely abandon his lifestyle and contacts (taking a well-earned retirement). He repeatedly puts himself and surrounding Kindred at risk, falling into manipulative traps with the hope of finding a way to save Gwenvael. His desire to save his brother leads him into dangerous pacts. He agrees to exchange boons with different blood cults and sect leaders, all in pursuit of knowledge or power that could help Gwenvael. He has a history of using his sweet ancient Salubri blood in dangerous deals or as a shortcut to get what he wants, showing a pattern of using his body as a tool to achieve his ends.
tldr you can say Tomaz is an enlightened hedonist and has brother issues
Gwenvael - What’s their sweet side that most people don’t see?
Gwenvael's only truly close person is his brother, Tomaz. Hunted by every sect, he is unable to find permanent allies, forced to hide under various guises. Brief encounters with Melnikov were often terminated by the latter, though Melnikov, a kindred of dubious morals and shifting loyalties, never cut ties with the infernalist and the Salubri exile, often remarking how alike the twins were in character. Tomaz knows Gwenvael is always the more emotionally fragile one before him. He fears being rejected by the one who knows him best. He never can say goodbye to Tomaz normally, often suddenly walking away in silence, having no strength to say what he wants. Once, before their paths split, he and Tomaz were not just twins, but mirrors of each other. Each saw in the other their own faults and sins, but also their virtues. And though he chose the path of dark rituals, deep within his unbeating heart still lives the memory of the young knight who was Embraced alongside his twin, shared his personal trauma and swore to never abandon each other, binding them with twin amulets. Every time he finds himself under the demon's influence, the echo of Tomaz's voice, calling him by his true name, still resonates in the depths of his consciousness amidst the pain.
From childhood, Gwenvael dreamed of becoming a knight, looking up to his father. Unable to grasp the nuances due to his age, he romanticized the life of a mounted warrior, fighting in foreign lands for someone else's claim to power. Their father’s stubborn wish to give the twins an education - so they could lead the cloth trade he had built in the peaceful period between wars - clashed with the brothers' expectations. Life in an episcopal town, the constant presence of clergy in their lives bored them. In contrast, the warriors and their squires who came home, sharing tales of battles and life in other lands, seemed to them an ideal existence. Upon completing their schooling, Tomaz and Gwenvael, then still known by their mortal French names, as it was customary then, swore an oath never to part, in life or in battle, exchanging handmade amulets in a forest field of irises. When their dream came true and they became squires, écuyer, they commissioned new amulets and never parted with them, disguising them as religious ones, engraving them with the iris - a flower with many meanings, at once a symbol of Mater Dolorosa and the fleur‑de‑lis, signifying valor, loyalty, and divine right. The twin amulets stayed with the brothers after the Embrace. Fascinated by their new powers, the twins enchanted them to be magically linked, but it was Gwenvael's amulet that became the symbol of his bond with the demon.
Truly, Gwenvael's entire unlife is the result of someone else's mistake—the inexperience of the second ritualist, who insufficiently purified the ritual site. A voice - whether it truly was a demon, seeking release from the Abyss in exchange for secret knowledge, or a fae playing a vicious trick on Bath's kindred - whispered the demon’s name instead of a holy protector’s in his ear, and now Gwenvael is doomed to be with the demon. Since the perfect ritual for making demons walk the earth wasn't developed until the turn of the second millennium, the demon doesn't fully possess Gwenvael's body and mind and he constantly struggles for control. Gwenvael who had meant to walk the Road of Sorrows, strayed from the path to keep the Beast from devouring his sanity. The Via Dolorosa is the Salubri's ultimate path to combat the Baali. A Salubri seals the demon within himself and destroys himself along with it, reducing their numbers in this world.
Despite his pact with the demon and apostasy, Gwenvael dearly loves Tomaz and doesn't betray him, despite their differing views and sectarian affiliations. Longing for his family, Gwenvael never meant to harm Alice or Leo directly, even as he stalked her in Brittany and Leo in Canada. But his actions always intersect with the plans of the Guiomar Tzimisce.
ok I feel like a grandma who can't manage her profile, I think I turned on ask today after seeing it turned off in the settings.
