Ever the Peacemaker

Sebastian "Bash" Carnelion - Fae (Seelie/Unseelie) - 29/700+ - Younger Brother of Adonis & Older Brother of Matilda, Lavinia, Cedric, Ophelia, Percy & Pippa - Artist

[sabrinasdeadlygarden]

@ Hearth & Home

"Don't be silly, I can stay open a little longer. There's no need to rush,"

[the-second-carnelion]

"Only if you're certain it wouldn't trouble you."

[andre-is-the-courtier]

"Your next visit." Andre echoed. A strange sort of contentment settled in him thinking about that reality. "I should like that very much." He replied, swallowing hard. He laughed a bit at the mention of Bash playing the flute. "Whimsical instrument. Mixed with the lightness of harp strings. Absolutely beautiful."

Andre tried to smile at the fae as his fingers lightly brushed his face. The heaviness of his gaze making him want to shy away. But he lacked the will to actually do so. He caught Bash's hand with his free one, pressing a kiss to the inside of his palm. "Lovely fellow..." He murmured. "Why are you mingling with the blood of the damned..." Because that was exactly what he was. The damned.

At finally seeing the image of Bash, creating his lovely art piece, Andre finally felt something akin to relief. As if the cold grip on his heart eased just a bit. There was an innocence here. One Andre could not taint. Because it was encased now in memory.

Memory... Andre tore his gaze away. He manipulated memory. Sage's memory. Erebus' memory. He'd done it of course, throughout the years. But those two specifically, he'd never be able to atone for.

[the-second-carnelion]

Bash caught the words as Andre repeated them. "Unless that's too presumptuous of me?" He offered. But he settled again into a relieved smile as the offer was accepted. In truth, he wouldn't go if it were up to him. Which was a strange thing to admit to himself, but yet so very certain. He joined in Andre's laughter just a bit. "Ah, well it's lucky enough that Cedric plays the harp--with a mix of piano, violin, cello, and bass amongst the others," he added with a fond smile. "It's a wonder our mother didn't insist we form an orchestra of a sort."

The kiss to his palm brought about that familiar involuntary flutter of his heart, the little butterfly wings flitting about his chest. It was hard not to get caught up in those little acts where Andre was concerned. The rest of the world seemed to so easily melt away as he was locked in the vampire's embrace. And yet he seemed so convinced that it only bore the worst for Bash. "Perhaps I think there's a chance for the damned to see the sun again... Death is the only true permanence, is it not?" Of course, he knew that undeath added an odd filter to this specific instance. But Andre was living, even if he wasn't alive.

His expression dropped into a confused sort of frown as Andre seemed to retreat into himself again, into that sadness encased in his troubled heart. Bash didn't force him to look up again, merely coaxing him to relax in his arms if nothing else. He pressed a small kiss to Andre's hair as his gaze drifted over the illusion again. "The past is a complicated thing: friend and foe in equal measure, with nostalgia and regret as its advisors... I suppose that's why it's so troublesome to ponder in either respect, we get lost in ourselves."

[the-second-carnelion]

Those words made Sebastian’s heart flutter just a bit. But he reminded himself that they could be meant in an utterly platonic manner. Wanting the company of a friend. That was likely all it was. And yet it gave a bit of hope to those slowly budding feelings he was having for the master vampire.

He could feel the way his question made Andre change, made him sad. Of course, he had been incredibly vague in his wording. But the desire to soothe him, as well as the idea for how he might just manage it with his magic held strong.

Bash laughed a little at the notion of story telling. “I think you’ll find that to be true in some of my siblings. Two of them write for a living, after all. I, however, am more of a visual person. But I can make an attempt for your sake.”

He checked briefly, noting the way that Andre’s eyes were still closed and being almost glad of it for a moment. He moved one hand freely about the air as he spoke, slowly painting the scene from his mind. “My family have all lived in the mortal world for quite some time, although me longer than most. There was something so captivating about it, even in the infancy of technology or the like,” he began. A picture perfect illusion of the gardens at his childhood home in faerie was coming to life now. Flowers and open air scenes replaced the room surrounding them, and their perch now resembled the wooden bench his father had hand crafted for their mother to sit and appreciate the hyacinths just beside.

“But when I think of my home, I still see faerie. Our family home. My mother was the one to initially tend to the garden we had, but my sister Ophelia was the one to make it a work of art. Her magic is with plants, you see. And she could grow anything one could think of… Sometimes I’d even return from here and tell her of a new one I’d seen. And I’d show her, like this.” He gently brought his hand to tilt up Andre’s chin, coaxing him to open his eyes to the now fully formed illusion. “I may not be able to tell much of a story, but I can show you… I can take you away from your troubles for a moment,” Bash repeated, a faint smile on his face as he watched Andre’s expression.

[andre-is-the-courtier]

Andre always held the power of words in high respects. Because, words were a speciality of his own. The ability to persuade someone. He was a vampire, he could just compel someone to get his way. But Andre always felt it to be a rewarding challenge to persuade his victims to their death. Though, his children always had a choice. That was where he and Stefan were alike. Granted, Andre's reasoning for making vampires in such numbers was not nearly as honorable as Stefan's. Their maker, Marcilia, held one of the most powerful seethes in Italy. Or so at that time. She held Stefan at her right, her perfect soldier. Then Andre at her left. The courtier, they called him. Because he gained Marcilia anything she desired. Without the bloodshed that came with Stefan needing to sweep in. Wulfe? Marcilia was afraid of Wulfe. As were most of the vampires throughout Italy. It was almost as if Wulfe was her soldier and not Stefan. Except that she could control Stefan. Wulfe? A wildcard. You never knew when he was coming. Which fed into the fear.

They all lived blissfully together, for a long time. Or Andre had thought it to be blissful. He learned a hard lesson though, that love was not what it seemed.

As Bash spoke, Andre melted into his side a little more. He painted a picture of a beautiful landscape. Vampires were not permitted to visit faerie. If they tried they were stuck down on the spot. It never bothered Andre so much until now. Because he'd never known the beauty he was missing. And not just Bash's beauty. That beauty transcended the ages. The beauty of a world so far from touch. Just out of his touch. Round and around in a vicious circle.

He remained silent for a while. Though a ghost of a smile tugged onto his lips at the mentions of Bash's family. "What made you come here first?" He wondered aloud. The desire to know more about this magnificent being. "Did something happen?"

The gentle touch to his chin startled Andre to open his eyes. It took only a moment to process how the environment around him changed. A drastic change. It made Andre gasp with a shudder. He moved as far forward in his seat as he could. Eyes darting around the...garden? It seemed. Or appeared to be. Using his free hand, he grasped Bash's hand. "What sorcery is this?" He questioned, though softly and filled with wonder. It took great willpower for him to look away from the beauty and into Bash's eyes.

In Bash's eyes he fell. Fell into nothingness. But at the same time, fell into a vast, glittering cavern. A place the was safe. Andre didn't know how he knew it was safe. But it felt that way. In all of his being.

He leaned forward, curling his free arm around Bash's neck, pressing his forehead against the fae's cheek. "Show me..." He whispered. "I want to see...show me."

[the-second-carnelion]

“Well, the idea was given to me by my father, I must admit. He’d briefly traveled throughout Europe when he was young—I think he might have lived there if he hadn’t then met my mother. But his stories made me crave the opportunity to see things for myself. I longed to sketch or paint things other than faerie, to meet different species, to learn a little more about life really,” Bash explained, unable to keep the budding smile from his face as he spoke. “So one day I just went. No rhyme or reason, just a pull to go. And I would live here and there for a few years at a time. Eventually Matilda and Cedric began to do the same for sake of their art—the writers I mentioned. And even Ophelia came along with me when I lived in France.”

He held Andre steady then, watching the way he seemed to startle and question the moving portrait around him. At the question Bash had to bite back a bit of laughter. He looked so innocent then. So at peace compared to moments ago. “My magic,” he explained softly. An illusory butterfly landed atop their intertwined hands then, its wings a deep shade of blue that seemed to faintly shimmer in the imagined sunlight.

Bash caught Andre easily again as he adjusted his position, and he found himself so at the whim of even such a small request. Whatever Andre wanted, he realized, he would give to him. Anything.

The scene shifted slowly, including the figures of his family at a short distance away. Their mother and Lavinia helping Percy to take his first steps, Cedric stealing away Matilda’s journal and teleporting about to avoid her capture, Ophelia playing the violin as the rose bushes bloomed beside her, and Adonis holding a giggling Pippa. A very distant memory, and yet so clear in his mind’s eye to be conjured now. “My family, in one of our better moments.”

[andre-is-the-courtier]

“Ah…yes.” Andre replied, nodding his understanding. “The allure of the unknown. I do love Italy.” He sighed, melting against Bash. “I was born there. Both times. Thought I’d never leave. But now the thought of going back fills me with dread. Admittedly.”

“I should like to see them one day. Your paintings.” He gently caressed the back of Bash’s hand, then turned it over to lightly to brush across the hardened calluses of his fingers. Smiling softly, he glanced up at the fae. “Music is the gift bestowed unto my family. Though we all seemed to have lost our…” he took a breath. Muse wasn’t the word. Shrugging, he let that stand.

It was difficult to focus on any one place in the illusion. Despite his brain telling him it was just that, an illusion, he still marveled at the shimmering butterfly. The beauty and innocence of it. Brought tears to his eyes. “Thank you…” he gasped out. “I must’ve forgotten…”

The vision of Bash’s family made him laugh. A watery, subdued laugh. But a laugh nonetheless. He melted against the fae, their clasped hands pressed between. “And you?” He asked softly. “Where were you in this memory?”

[the-second-carnelion]

“Really?” Bash frowned a bit at that. He couldn’t relate through his own experiences—both in the fact that he loved when he could return to Faerie on a visit, and that he had a love for Italy on each of his visits there as well. “I lived in the Tuscan countryside for quite some time. I could barely resist leaving… Chicago is the longest I’ve settled in one place apart from my childhood home.”

“I’d love to show them to you. Although I’m afraid some are scattered around the globe. But I will paint you their memories on my next visit if you’d like.” He remembered each and every finished work, even after so many years. It was rather an odd sort of fixation in the back of his mind, that need to keep track. Sebastian didn’t question the trailer off thought, only mirrored Andre’s smile as he spoke. “Music and dancing were two insistences of my mothers for each of us to master. I play the flute, if you’d believe it.”

Bash brought his fingertips to brush away a stray tear, his gaze not quite able to tear away from Andre in that moment. There was a beautiful innocence to the moment. One he hoped to capture in his memory.

“Just here, at this distance. I was attempting to sketch the moment. Though it was an impossible effort with so many of them moving about. So instead I kept the memory to recreate since—although Mother insisted I include myself in the portrait I made of it for her birthday. So where that’s concerned, I’m just tucked in the corner near our stable,” he explained, gesturing just over his shoulder now so that Andre could see the glimpse of himself in that respect.

[the-second-carnelion]

Those words made Sebastian’s heart flutter just a bit. But he reminded himself that they could be meant in an utterly platonic manner. Wanting the company of a friend. That was likely all it was. And yet it gave a bit of hope to those slowly budding feelings he was having for the master vampire.

He could feel the way his question made Andre change, made him sad. Of course, he had been incredibly vague in his wording. But the desire to soothe him, as well as the idea for how he might just manage it with his magic held strong.

Bash laughed a little at the notion of story telling. “I think you’ll find that to be true in some of my siblings. Two of them write for a living, after all. I, however, am more of a visual person. But I can make an attempt for your sake.”

He checked briefly, noting the way that Andre’s eyes were still closed and being almost glad of it for a moment. He moved one hand freely about the air as he spoke, slowly painting the scene from his mind. “My family have all lived in the mortal world for quite some time, although me longer than most. There was something so captivating about it, even in the infancy of technology or the like,” he began. A picture perfect illusion of the gardens at his childhood home in faerie was coming to life now. Flowers and open air scenes replaced the room surrounding them, and their perch now resembled the wooden bench his father had hand crafted for their mother to sit and appreciate the hyacinths just beside.

“But when I think of my home, I still see faerie. Our family home. My mother was the one to initially tend to the garden we had, but my sister Ophelia was the one to make it a work of art. Her magic is with plants, you see. And she could grow anything one could think of… Sometimes I’d even return from here and tell her of a new one I’d seen. And I’d show her, like this.” He gently brought his hand to tilt up Andre’s chin, coaxing him to open his eyes to the now fully formed illusion. “I may not be able to tell much of a story, but I can show you… I can take you away from your troubles for a moment,” Bash repeated, a faint smile on his face as he watched Andre’s expression.

[andre-is-the-courtier]

Andre always held the power of words in high respects. Because, words were a speciality of his own. The ability to persuade someone. He was a vampire, he could just compel someone to get his way. But Andre always felt it to be a rewarding challenge to persuade his victims to their death. Though, his children always had a choice. That was where he and Stefan were alike. Granted, Andre's reasoning for making vampires in such numbers was not nearly as honorable as Stefan's. Their maker, Marcilia, held one of the most powerful seethes in Italy. Or so at that time. She held Stefan at her right, her perfect soldier. Then Andre at her left. The courtier, they called him. Because he gained Marcilia anything she desired. Without the bloodshed that came with Stefan needing to sweep in. Wulfe? Marcilia was afraid of Wulfe. As were most of the vampires throughout Italy. It was almost as if Wulfe was her soldier and not Stefan. Except that she could control Stefan. Wulfe? A wildcard. You never knew when he was coming. Which fed into the fear.

They all lived blissfully together, for a long time. Or Andre had thought it to be blissful. He learned a hard lesson though, that love was not what it seemed.

As Bash spoke, Andre melted into his side a little more. He painted a picture of a beautiful landscape. Vampires were not permitted to visit faerie. If they tried they were stuck down on the spot. It never bothered Andre so much until now. Because he'd never known the beauty he was missing. And not just Bash's beauty. That beauty transcended the ages. The beauty of a world so far from touch. Just out of his touch. Round and around in a vicious circle.

He remained silent for a while. Though a ghost of a smile tugged onto his lips at the mentions of Bash's family. "What made you come here first?" He wondered aloud. The desire to know more about this magnificent being. "Did something happen?"

The gentle touch to his chin startled Andre to open his eyes. It took only a moment to process how the environment around him changed. A drastic change. It made Andre gasp with a shudder. He moved as far forward in his seat as he could. Eyes darting around the...garden? It seemed. Or appeared to be. Using his free hand, he grasped Bash's hand. "What sorcery is this?" He questioned, though softly and filled with wonder. It took great willpower for him to look away from the beauty and into Bash's eyes.

In Bash's eyes he fell. Fell into nothingness. But at the same time, fell into a vast, glittering cavern. A place the was safe. Andre didn't know how he knew it was safe. But it felt that way. In all of his being.

He leaned forward, curling his free arm around Bash's neck, pressing his forehead against the fae's cheek. "Show me..." He whispered. "I want to see...show me."

[the-second-carnelion]

“Well, the idea was given to me by my father, I must admit. He’d briefly traveled throughout Europe when he was young—I think he might have lived there if he hadn’t then met my mother. But his stories made me crave the opportunity to see things for myself. I longed to sketch or paint things other than faerie, to meet different species, to learn a little more about life really,” Bash explained, unable to keep the budding smile from his face as he spoke. “So one day I just went. No rhyme or reason, just a pull to go. And I would live here and there for a few years at a time. Eventually Matilda and Cedric began to do the same for sake of their art—the writers I mentioned. And even Ophelia came along with me when I lived in France.”

He held Andre steady then, watching the way he seemed to startle and question the moving portrait around him. At the question Bash had to bite back a bit of laughter. He looked so innocent then. So at peace compared to moments ago. “My magic,” he explained softly. An illusory butterfly landed atop their intertwined hands then, its wings a deep shade of blue that seemed to faintly shimmer in the imagined sunlight.

Bash caught Andre easily again as he adjusted his position, and he found himself so at the whim of even such a small request. Whatever Andre wanted, he realized, he would give to him. Anything.

The scene shifted slowly, including the figures of his family at a short distance away. Their mother and Lavinia helping Percy to take his first steps, Cedric stealing away Matilda’s journal and teleporting about to avoid her capture, Ophelia playing the violin as the rose bushes bloomed beside her, and Adonis holding a giggling Pippa. A very distant memory, and yet so clear in his mind’s eye to be conjured now. “My family, in one of our better moments.”

[whitfollowinghisheart]

"I hate to admit it but it's actually my first time in the mortal realm. Never seemed to be able to find the time before,"

[the-second-carnelion]

“And how are you finding it thus far?”

[skylar-is-your-light]

East End - Navy Pier

Skylar made a habit out of visiting the Navy Pier, early in the morning, several times a week. He sat just at the edge of the dock, summoning a sphere of light into his hands. The sunlight from above, glittered through creating a kaleidoscope of colors as he spun it around and around. Once it solidified into a marble of glass, he cupped his hands around it. He invoked the little ball with a wish before throwing it out and allowing it to skitter accross the water where it eventually settled into a lazy turn while the current carried it away. One particular gem he held with him, it was blue and lavender, two of his favorite colors. He was saving it for a particular wish, a wish for himself. That someday might come true.

[the-second-carnelion]

Sebastian had made his way out to the pier for the morning, hoping to sketch away for the early hours. But the familiar sight of Skylar and his multicoloured conjurations took up his focus. Always a welcome distraction. Rather than spook him entirely, Bash lifted his hand to send down a light flurry of snowflakes around the other fae. They wouldn’t hold any cold, or even melt as they met his skin, just rest there in their delicately crafted patterns. Only after Skylar seemed to notice did Bash speak up. “It seems we both were on a mission for fresh air by the lake this morning then.”

[the-second-carnelion]

Bash had hardly been aware of the fact that he’d continued walking towards Andre. It was like he was in a daze, drawn forth beyond his comprehension, maybe even beyond his will. But it meant that he was close enough to spot the way Andre’s footing slipped from the chaise longe. He darted forward, swiftly but gingerly catching the vampire in his arms.

He seemed so fragile, so small then. It only made Sebastian want to scoop him up to take him far from his troubles all the more so. And that gave him rather an idea, although he held it to himself for the moment. Instead his focus was drawn to steadying Andre back to his feet as his hands took up the effort of making gentle motions along his back and shoulders, much in the way he’d embraced him at the party.

“Perhaps a bit of both,” Bash posited softly, a small smile tugging at his lips as the vampire seemed to inspect him.

His expression dampened a tad at the comment about Stefan. The chilled metal of the manacle touching him was only a colourful reminder of the fact that Andre’s brother seemed at the very least intent on detaining him. Bash slowly coaxed them both to sit along the seat, briefly removing one hand from his soothing efforts to adjust the volume dial on the record player. He didn’t silence it though, as some part of him found it rather a welcome distraction for Andre, or so he hoped. “Would you like me to take you somewhere else… if only for a moment?” He offered, searching the vampire’s face for any signs of discontent with the notion.

[andre-is-the-courtier]

Bash's response to his statement made him smile, sadly, but a smile nonetheless. "I should tell you to go...to never come back here." He said, falling into a deep melancholy at the idea. "But I wont...I cant. I don't want to."

He didn't say anything more as Bash settled them on the chair. The fae's touch was most welcome. Not in the way that simple touch was, because Andre could go and get that for himself, easily in fact. It was that it was freely given. No compulsion, no vampiric allure (there was nothing alluring about him currently). It was sweet, genuine, two things Andre was not accustomed to. So how could he not merely melt against him? Because that was exactly what he did.

The soft melody of the music was comforting. In much the same way as Bash's company was. His eyes closed somewhere along the way. The burn of hunger, that had been a constant pain for as long as he'd been in this place, quieted just a bit. The fact that he wasn't so ravenous as to attack Bash said wonders of his self-control. Though that was something Andre never had issues with.

Bash's innocent question made him sag a bit. The desire to just curl into a ball and sob was strong. But again, something Andre had always been able to handle. A courtier...after all...was always willing and able to attend to their duties, despite all else.

"For such a moment I would beg for an eternity." He sighed, jerking his arm to jangle the chain. "Though...a story perhaps? Aren't fae comforting in words?"

[the-second-carnelion]

Those words made Sebastian’s heart flutter just a bit. But he reminded himself that they could be meant in an utterly platonic manner. Wanting the company of a friend. That was likely all it was. And yet it gave a bit of hope to those slowly budding feelings he was having for the master vampire.

He could feel the way his question made Andre change, made him sad. Of course, he had been incredibly vague in his wording. But the desire to soothe him, as well as the idea for how he might just manage it with his magic held strong.

Bash laughed a little at the notion of story telling. “I think you’ll find that to be true in some of my siblings. Two of them write for a living, after all. I, however, am more of a visual person. But I can make an attempt for your sake.”

He checked briefly, noting the way that Andre’s eyes were still closed and being almost glad of it for a moment. He moved one hand freely about the air as he spoke, slowly painting the scene from his mind. “My family have all lived in the mortal world for quite some time, although me longer than most. There was something so captivating about it, even in the infancy of technology or the like,” he began. A picture perfect illusion of the gardens at his childhood home in faerie was coming to life now. Flowers and open air scenes replaced the room surrounding them, and their perch now resembled the wooden bench his father had hand crafted for their mother to sit and appreciate the hyacinths just beside.

“But when I think of my home, I still see faerie. Our family home. My mother was the one to initially tend to the garden we had, but my sister Ophelia was the one to make it a work of art. Her magic is with plants, you see. And she could grow anything one could think of… Sometimes I’d even return from here and tell her of a new one I’d seen. And I’d show her, like this.” He gently brought his hand to tilt up Andre’s chin, coaxing him to open his eyes to the now fully formed illusion. “I may not be able to tell much of a story, but I can show you… I can take you away from your troubles for a moment,” Bash repeated, a faint smile on his face as he watched Andre’s expression.

[the-second-carnelion]

Bash looked back to Thomas with evident curiosity and concern, as if he was picking apart every syllable of his speech for clues to Andre’s welfare. And that last thought, it made his breath catch involuntarily. Because it had seemed improper, not to mention improbable, that he should see Andre given the fact that he was as good as a stranger to them.

Luciana couldn’t help but smile at the exchange. Even despite everything, there was a sweetness to be found in Thomas’ trust and Sebastian’s hope, in the way the two sentiments danced on the midnight air. She faintly hummed at the kiss to her temple before releasing Thomas from her grasp and instead taking Sebastian’s hand to offer it a small squeeze. “Do try to forgive him… if he’s less than warm at present.”

Bash nodded dutifully, returning the squeeze to Luciana’s hand before she stepped back to allow him inside. He directed his attention to Thomas once more. “Thank you for this. I don’t know how I’m to repay your kindness for indulging my concerns.”

[thomas-is-prettier-than-you]

Thomas tucked Luciana's hand into his elbow, content to keep her with him. After everything that happened, he didn't take his eyes off her. Because she and her sisters were hurting.

He offered the fae a kind smile. "Think nothing of it. I would imagine it would be concerning, to be a friend of Andre's. Especially since he disappeared without a trace. Stefan doesn't always think things completely through." He laughed lightly as he spoke of his master. He led Bash into the foyer. Stefan had taken an old inn and renovated into a home for his people. It was warm and bright, not typical vampire decor. The Velvet Room rested below.

They ascended one of the staircases to the west wing. When they arrived at the door to Andre's suite, Thomas squeezed Luci's arm. She had yet to be in to see Andre, and Thomas didn't want to pressure her into doing so until she was ready. "I'll only be a moment." He promised her, retrieving the key that hung next to the door. Then he turned to Bash. "A moment, please. I don't wish to catch Andre off guard. He can be a bit...dramatic."

As Thomas stepped past the threshold he was nearly blown over by the blast of classical music that seemed to be permeating through the walls. He found Andre standing on the chaise lounge playing conductor to the best of his ability with his right arm being attached to the manacle.

It took a moment before Andre realized he had company. "Phantom Waltz..." He replied as his fingers moved slowly to bring it to a close. "Very Phantom of the Opera..." He murmured thoughtfully, hopping down off the chair.

Thomas had moved to the old fashioned record player that had certainly not been there the last time he visited. He gestured to it with a raised brow.

Andre was humming a bit, clearly distracted. "Archer is sweet on me. You all should pay more attention to him. He's delightful."

"I hadn't realized he was a fan of classical music." Thomas replied, picking up the record sleeve and investigating. "I'm sure Stefan will gladly provide you with more."

"I like this quite enough." He replied as the next song began to play and he reclaimed his position as conductor. "I'm not asking that leech for anything." He closed his eyes with a soft smile. "Ah yes....revenge."

Thomas wanted to ask revenge as in the music or what he was planning to do against Stefan. But left it alone. Returning the record sleeve to where it belonged, he cleared his throat. "You have a visitor."

Andre made a face. "Are you all going to start announcing yourselves like a esteemed guests?" Then he waved him off. "No visitors today. I'm actually enjoying myself."

He winced a bit at that. Andre had been fending off all his children for days now. He looked exhausted. And rather unkempt for himself. "It's not one of us. He says his name is Sebastian?"

That got Andre's attention and he perked up a bit. "Bashful?" Then he frowned. "Why on earth would he show up in a seethe of vampires?"

"To check on you." Thomas replied, his expression warm. "Quite adamantly in fact."

Andre looked perplexed, but then seemed to come to some sort of decision. "Well don't just stand there! Bring him here before he becomes a snack! I trust none of you."

Thomas bowed before retreating back to the door where Sebastian and Luciana waited. "He'll see you now."

[the-second-carnelion]

Luci was more than happy to accompany the pair, both for her own sake of preferring company at present and with her growing curiosity about Sebastian and Andre. She’d been worrying about her maker considerably since the party, especially with Stefan chaining him up and forbidding him to feed. It didn’t sit well with her, even despite everything. But she’d made a point of avoiding seeing him herself just yet, for Emilia’s sake.

Bash couldn’t help but sigh a bit as Thomas spoke. From what reasoning, he couldn’t quite tell. “Well, I’m sure he had his reasons… at least in part. And I suppose accounting for Andre and his seethe was the chief amongst them.” It wasn’t a difficult leap to make, given the vacancy of his home. Because even if they had deserted him in the wake of everything that had been said, their first point of landing would be the home of the Italian seethe. At the mention of drama he cracked a knowing smile, nodding his understanding.

With Thomas excusing himself into the room, Luciana found herself turning to Sebastian again, though she was listening in on the beginning conversation beyond the door. She cleared her throat before she spoke to the fae, although her voice remained lower than the blare of the record player. “You’re very dutiful to Andre, to seek him out after everything… as I expect you know at least some of what’s happened.”

“Some, just all that he’d said last night… Ah,” he remembered then the venomous words uttered against the seethe. “I’m terribly sorry.”

Luci smiled at him, though the pain of things crept into her gaze again. “You don’t need to apologize, Sebastian. Andre is a complicated man. Even more so towards those who try to hold him close,” she explained, casting a glance to the slightly ajar door. “I will not pretend there was no hurt to be had in this, but I haven’t given up on him… I do hope you won’t either.”

Bash offered her a smile of his own. “I don’t plan to.”

She turned her head again at the sound of Andre’s raised voice, a touch of concern crossing in her expression before she realized that Thomas was well and was returning to the pair. With a subtle urgency then, Luciana leaned up to press a kiss to Sebastian’s cheek. “Give him that for me, will you? If he’ll allow it.”

It was a bit of an assumption on her part, to be sure, although not a great leap to make by anyone’s standards. All the same, it made Bash’s heart ache a little bit—for the collective suffering brought upon an entire household in one night. Thomas’ voice caught his attention once more and he found a near sort of nervousness fluttering in his chest at being beckoned in.

“Thank you both,” he said again after a moment before moving into the room.

Loud classical music, the looming scent of alcohol, and the discarded bottles on the ground caught Bash’s notice for that initial instant as he entered. But soon enough his gaze was rather locked onto Andre, looking a great deal more drunk and disheveled than Sebastian had last seen him. And the shackle on his wrist nearly made the fae wince. He wasn’t entirely sure what he’d imagined upon entering the space, but this hadn’t been it.

“You’re alive,” he said softly then, forcing himself to look back at Andre rather than the chain that bound him.

[andre-is-the-courtier]

Andre had somehow forgotten about Thomas’ appearance and Bash’s visit. As he lost himself in the music again. But the soft sound of the fae man’s voice startled him enough to gasp and lose his balance. Falling from the lounge chair.

But, in that same moment, Bash caught him as he fell. He could only brace himself with one arm, being forced to allow Bash to take up his slack. Which struck him as odd. Because he hadn’t realized how sturdy Bash was, how strong.

All that though, made him feel suddenly inadequate. Small. Remorseful. Andre looped his free arm around Bash’s neck. Hiding his face. Unable to look at him just yet.

“You are either very brave.. or extremely foolish to come here. And I’m not sure which is worse.” He mumbled. Though finding his voice gave him the strength to inspect Bash further. Checking him over to make sure no one had tried to make a snack out of him.

Then, Bash’s words finally hit him and he pulled back to look at him. “Unfortunately.” He replied. “I dare say Stefan is reserving that right for himself.”

[the-second-carnelion]

Bash had hardly been aware of the fact that he’d continued walking towards Andre. It was like he was in a daze, drawn forth beyond his comprehension, maybe even beyond his will. But it meant that he was close enough to spot the way Andre’s footing slipped from the chaise longe. He darted forward, swiftly but gingerly catching the vampire in his arms.

He seemed so fragile, so small then. It only made Sebastian want to scoop him up to take him far from his troubles all the more so. And that gave him rather an idea, although he held it to himself for the moment. Instead his focus was drawn to steadying Andre back to his feet as his hands took up the effort of making gentle motions along his back and shoulders, much in the way he’d embraced him at the party.

“Perhaps a bit of both,” Bash posited softly, a small smile tugging at his lips as the vampire seemed to inspect him.

His expression dampened a tad at the comment about Stefan. The chilled metal of the manacle touching him was only a colourful reminder of the fact that Andre’s brother seemed at the very least intent on detaining him. Bash slowly coaxed them both to sit along the seat, briefly removing one hand from his soothing efforts to adjust the volume dial on the record player. He didn’t silence it though, as some part of him found it rather a welcome distraction for Andre, or so he hoped. “Would you like me to take you somewhere else… if only for a moment?” He offered, searching the vampire’s face for any signs of discontent with the notion.

[the-second-carnelion]

Bash looked back to Thomas with evident curiosity and concern, as if he was picking apart every syllable of his speech for clues to Andre’s welfare. And that last thought, it made his breath catch involuntarily. Because it had seemed improper, not to mention improbable, that he should see Andre given the fact that he was as good as a stranger to them.

Luciana couldn’t help but smile at the exchange. Even despite everything, there was a sweetness to be found in Thomas’ trust and Sebastian’s hope, in the way the two sentiments danced on the midnight air. She faintly hummed at the kiss to her temple before releasing Thomas from her grasp and instead taking Sebastian’s hand to offer it a small squeeze. “Do try to forgive him… if he’s less than warm at present.”

Bash nodded dutifully, returning the squeeze to Luciana’s hand before she stepped back to allow him inside. He directed his attention to Thomas once more. “Thank you for this. I don’t know how I’m to repay your kindness for indulging my concerns.”

[thomas-is-prettier-than-you]

Thomas tucked Luciana's hand into his elbow, content to keep her with him. After everything that happened, he didn't take his eyes off her. Because she and her sisters were hurting.

He offered the fae a kind smile. "Think nothing of it. I would imagine it would be concerning, to be a friend of Andre's. Especially since he disappeared without a trace. Stefan doesn't always think things completely through." He laughed lightly as he spoke of his master. He led Bash into the foyer. Stefan had taken an old inn and renovated into a home for his people. It was warm and bright, not typical vampire decor. The Velvet Room rested below.

They ascended one of the staircases to the west wing. When they arrived at the door to Andre's suite, Thomas squeezed Luci's arm. She had yet to be in to see Andre, and Thomas didn't want to pressure her into doing so until she was ready. "I'll only be a moment." He promised her, retrieving the key that hung next to the door. Then he turned to Bash. "A moment, please. I don't wish to catch Andre off guard. He can be a bit...dramatic."

As Thomas stepped past the threshold he was nearly blown over by the blast of classical music that seemed to be permeating through the walls. He found Andre standing on the chaise lounge playing conductor to the best of his ability with his right arm being attached to the manacle.

It took a moment before Andre realized he had company. "Phantom Waltz..." He replied as his fingers moved slowly to bring it to a close. "Very Phantom of the Opera..." He murmured thoughtfully, hopping down off the chair.

Thomas had moved to the old fashioned record player that had certainly not been there the last time he visited. He gestured to it with a raised brow.

Andre was humming a bit, clearly distracted. "Archer is sweet on me. You all should pay more attention to him. He's delightful."

"I hadn't realized he was a fan of classical music." Thomas replied, picking up the record sleeve and investigating. "I'm sure Stefan will gladly provide you with more."

"I like this quite enough." He replied as the next song began to play and he reclaimed his position as conductor. "I'm not asking that leech for anything." He closed his eyes with a soft smile. "Ah yes....revenge."

Thomas wanted to ask revenge as in the music or what he was planning to do against Stefan. But left it alone. Returning the record sleeve to where it belonged, he cleared his throat. "You have a visitor."

Andre made a face. "Are you all going to start announcing yourselves like a esteemed guests?" Then he waved him off. "No visitors today. I'm actually enjoying myself."

He winced a bit at that. Andre had been fending off all his children for days now. He looked exhausted. And rather unkempt for himself. "It's not one of us. He says his name is Sebastian?"

That got Andre's attention and he perked up a bit. "Bashful?" Then he frowned. "Why on earth would he show up in a seethe of vampires?"

"To check on you." Thomas replied, his expression warm. "Quite adamantly in fact."

Andre looked perplexed, but then seemed to come to some sort of decision. "Well don't just stand there! Bring him here before he becomes a snack! I trust none of you."

Thomas bowed before retreating back to the door where Sebastian and Luciana waited. "He'll see you now."

[the-second-carnelion]

Luci was more than happy to accompany the pair, both for her own sake of preferring company at present and with her growing curiosity about Sebastian and Andre. She’d been worrying about her maker considerably since the party, especially with Stefan chaining him up and forbidding him to feed. It didn’t sit well with her, even despite everything. But she’d made a point of avoiding seeing him herself just yet, for Emilia’s sake.

Bash couldn’t help but sigh a bit as Thomas spoke. From what reasoning, he couldn’t quite tell. “Well, I’m sure he had his reasons… at least in part. And I suppose accounting for Andre and his seethe was the chief amongst them.” It wasn’t a difficult leap to make, given the vacancy of his home. Because even if they had deserted him in the wake of everything that had been said, their first point of landing would be the home of the Italian seethe. At the mention of drama he cracked a knowing smile, nodding his understanding.

With Thomas excusing himself into the room, Luciana found herself turning to Sebastian again, though she was listening in on the beginning conversation beyond the door. She cleared her throat before she spoke to the fae, although her voice remained lower than the blare of the record player. “You’re very dutiful to Andre, to seek him out after everything… as I expect you know at least some of what’s happened.”

“Some, just all that he’d said last night… Ah,” he remembered then the venomous words uttered against the seethe. “I’m terribly sorry.”

Luci smiled at him, though the pain of things crept into her gaze again. “You don’t need to apologize, Sebastian. Andre is a complicated man. Even more so towards those who try to hold him close,” she explained, casting a glance to the slightly ajar door. “I will not pretend there was no hurt to be had in this, but I haven’t given up on him… I do hope you won’t either.”

Bash offered her a smile of his own. “I don’t plan to.”

She turned her head again at the sound of Andre’s raised voice, a touch of concern crossing in her expression before she realized that Thomas was well and was returning to the pair. With a subtle urgency then, Luciana leaned up to press a kiss to Sebastian’s cheek. “Give him that for me, will you? If he’ll allow it.”

It was a bit of an assumption on her part, to be sure, although not a great leap to make by anyone’s standards. All the same, it made Bash’s heart ache a little bit—for the collective suffering brought upon an entire household in one night. Thomas’ voice caught his attention once more and he found a near sort of nervousness fluttering in his chest at being beckoned in.

“Thank you both,” he said again after a moment before moving into the room.

Loud classical music, the looming scent of alcohol, and the discarded bottles on the ground caught Bash’s notice for that initial instant as he entered. But soon enough his gaze was rather locked onto Andre, looking a great deal more drunk and disheveled than Sebastian had last seen him. And the shackle on his wrist nearly made the fae wince. He wasn’t entirely sure what he’d imagined upon entering the space, but this hadn’t been it.

“You’re alive,” he said softly then, forcing himself to look back at Andre rather than the chain that bound him.

[the-second-carnelion]

@ The Italian Seethe’s Home

Bash hadn’t really continued to pay attention to the time once he’d checked in on the lot of his siblings. Adonis had quite literally yelled his way to being able to go to the hospital alongside Nyla, with Lavinia and Matilda both already there. And Cedric brought Ophelia, Percy, and Pippa home after the fact. And that just left him. Directionless. Well… almost.

His focus had hardly left Andre, even after they’d all since left Magnus Bane’s home. He’d told him to find him if he needed him, and yet a near 24 hours had passed—okay, maybe he was continuing to pay attention—since that offer had been made. Nearly a day since he’d willed himself to death. And that sort of thing didn’t sit well with Sebastian. So he’d convinced himself to go looking, and upon finding the home of Andre and his seethe seemingly deserted, he’d instead steeled himself to turn up on the doorstep to the Italian seethe’s home, quietly hitting the knocker against the doorframe until it swung back out of his grasp.

He only vaguely recognised the vampire that greeted him there, knowing at least that he was one of Stefan’s. But the woman that stood not far behind him caught his interest—she was one of Andre’s, or at least he thought so given her resemblance to the younger girl who had found him and Andre together yesterday.

“Pardon the intrusion… I, erm, simply wanted to ask if you knew where Andre might be,” he explained a bit sheepishly, glancing between the two of them.

@thomas-is-prettier-than-you

@the-love-of-luciana

@andre-is-the-courtier

[thomas-is-prettier-than-you]

At the sight of the fae man on their doorstep, Thomas eyed him curiously. It wasn't every day such a thing happened. Then again, nothing that happened in the last 24 hours was typical. And then the question as to Andre's whereabouts. Made him pause for a moment. Stefan hadn't sworn any of them to secrecy. Not that he knew of. But still...Andre was quite deliberately detained. "Oh..." He said, though his smile was warm. "No intrusion at all." Glancing into the foyer behind him, his smile faltered just a touch. "Do you know Andre?" He asked delicately, then frowned again. Because the answer to that was obvious. "My apologies. I do believe he's a bit indisposed currently."

[the-second-carnelion]

Sebastian’s expression fell into a bit of a frown at that. “But… Is he alright? Is he safe?” He couldn’t help but ask the very things weighing on his mind, although he was almost certain he had no right to know, let alone ask. He wilted a bit more—here he was, asking after a master vampire’s welfare as if he were the caretaker for his safety. And as far as anyone would really know, Bash was no better than a stranger. “Forgive me. I’ll bid you goodnight,” he said, collecting himself somewhat and beginning to turn on his heel.

“Wait,” Luciana called out, stepping up just behind Thomas now. “You’re one of Cedric’s brothers, are you not?”

Bash turned back to the woman with a raised brow before he remembered the significance. She worked in The Barrel Pub on occasion, which was one of Cedric’s local haunts. He nodded in response to her question before bowing his head somewhat. “I am, although I beg you not to hold it against me. I’m Sebastian,” he greeted, feeling a touch more at ease in doing so.

“It would be lovely to meet any of your family members,” she replied with a warm smile. “I’m Luciana, and this is Thomas.” She placed her hand on the arm of the man who had initially greeted him. “Andre’s safe. He’s staying here for the time being, as we all are, given everything going on.”

He brightened visibly as his curiosity got the better of him. He wanted to outright ask if he could see Andre, but the previous comment about him willed him to not for the moment. “Thank you,” he said after a moment, genuine in his doing so. “Will you tell him I asked after him? When he’s not indisposed, that is…”

[thomas-is-prettier-than-you]

Thomas was content enough to allow Luciana to join the conversation. He covered her hand with his own on his arm and gave it a little squeeze.

He studied Sebastian as they spoke. The obvious interest in Andre, was refreshing to him. Because normally he didn’t get to engage with those of Andre’s people. Well.. not his cousins. He adored his cousins.

“I believe Stefan provided him with a suite.” Thomas offered. Trying to stay upbeat about it all. “Though from what I gather he’s not happy about it. Perhaps a visitor from outside the seethe would improve his temperament.”

He offered Sebastian a kind smile. “Forgive me. There are many things happening here. I am not entirely certain of anything. But… please do come in. I’ll take you to the wing Andre is staying in.” He pressed a kiss to Luci’s head as he stepped aside to let the fae inside.

[the-second-carnelion]

Bash looked back to Thomas with evident curiosity and concern, as if he was picking apart every syllable of his speech for clues to Andre’s welfare. And that last thought, it made his breath catch involuntarily. Because it had seemed improper, not to mention improbable, that he should see Andre given the fact that he was as good as a stranger to them.

Luciana couldn’t help but smile at the exchange. Even despite everything, there was a sweetness to be found in Thomas’ trust and Sebastian’s hope, in the way the two sentiments danced on the midnight air. She faintly hummed at the kiss to her temple before releasing Thomas from her grasp and instead taking Sebastian’s hand to offer it a small squeeze. “Do try to forgive him… if he’s less than warm at present.”

Bash nodded dutifully, returning the squeeze to Luciana’s hand before she stepped back to allow him inside. He directed his attention to Thomas once more. “Thank you for this. I don’t know how I’m to repay your kindness for indulging my concerns.”

[the-second-carnelion]

@ The Italian Seethe’s Home

Bash hadn’t really continued to pay attention to the time once he’d checked in on the lot of his siblings. Adonis had quite literally yelled his way to being able to go to the hospital alongside Nyla, with Lavinia and Matilda both already there. And Cedric brought Ophelia, Percy, and Pippa home after the fact. And that just left him. Directionless. Well… almost.

His focus had hardly left Andre, even after they’d all since left Magnus Bane’s home. He’d told him to find him if he needed him, and yet a near 24 hours had passed—okay, maybe he was continuing to pay attention—since that offer had been made. Nearly a day since he’d willed himself to death. And that sort of thing didn’t sit well with Sebastian. So he’d convinced himself to go looking, and upon finding the home of Andre and his seethe seemingly deserted, he’d instead steeled himself to turn up on the doorstep to the Italian seethe’s home, quietly hitting the knocker against the doorframe until it swung back out of his grasp.

He only vaguely recognised the vampire that greeted him there, knowing at least that he was one of Stefan’s. But the woman that stood not far behind him caught his interest—she was one of Andre’s, or at least he thought so given her resemblance to the younger girl who had found him and Andre together yesterday.

“Pardon the intrusion… I, erm, simply wanted to ask if you knew where Andre might be,” he explained a bit sheepishly, glancing between the two of them.

@thomas-is-prettier-than-you

@the-love-of-luciana

@andre-is-the-courtier

[thomas-is-prettier-than-you]

At the sight of the fae man on their doorstep, Thomas eyed him curiously. It wasn't every day such a thing happened. Then again, nothing that happened in the last 24 hours was typical. And then the question as to Andre's whereabouts. Made him pause for a moment. Stefan hadn't sworn any of them to secrecy. Not that he knew of. But still...Andre was quite deliberately detained. "Oh..." He said, though his smile was warm. "No intrusion at all." Glancing into the foyer behind him, his smile faltered just a touch. "Do you know Andre?" He asked delicately, then frowned again. Because the answer to that was obvious. "My apologies. I do believe he's a bit indisposed currently."

[the-second-carnelion]

Sebastian’s expression fell into a bit of a frown at that. “But… Is he alright? Is he safe?” He couldn’t help but ask the very things weighing on his mind, although he was almost certain he had no right to know, let alone ask. He wilted a bit more—here he was, asking after a master vampire’s welfare as if he were the caretaker for his safety. And as far as anyone would really know, Bash was no better than a stranger. “Forgive me. I’ll bid you goodnight,” he said, collecting himself somewhat and beginning to turn on his heel.

“Wait,” Luciana called out, stepping up just behind Thomas now. “You’re one of Cedric’s brothers, are you not?”

Bash turned back to the woman with a raised brow before he remembered the significance. She worked in The Barrel Pub on occasion, which was one of Cedric’s local haunts. He nodded in response to her question before bowing his head somewhat. “I am, although I beg you not to hold it against me. I’m Sebastian,” he greeted, feeling a touch more at ease in doing so.

“It would be lovely to meet any of your family members,” she replied with a warm smile. “I’m Luciana, and this is Thomas.” She placed her hand on the arm of the man who had initially greeted him. “Andre’s safe. He’s staying here for the time being, as we all are, given everything going on.”

He brightened visibly as his curiosity got the better of him. He wanted to outright ask if he could see Andre, but the previous comment about him willed him to not for the moment. “Thank you,” he said after a moment, genuine in his doing so. “Will you tell him I asked after him? When he’s not indisposed, that is…”

[the-second-carnelion]

@ The Italian Seethe’s Home

Bash hadn’t really continued to pay attention to the time once he’d checked in on the lot of his siblings. Adonis had quite literally yelled his way to being able to go to the hospital alongside Nyla, with Lavinia and Matilda both already there. And Cedric brought Ophelia, Percy, and Pippa home after the fact. And that just left him. Directionless. Well… almost.

His focus had hardly left Andre, even after they’d all since left Magnus Bane’s home. He’d told him to find him if he needed him, and yet a near 24 hours had passed—okay, maybe he was continuing to pay attention—since that offer had been made. Nearly a day since he’d willed himself to death. And that sort of thing didn’t sit well with Sebastian. So he’d convinced himself to go looking, and upon finding the home of Andre and his seethe seemingly deserted, he’d instead steeled himself to turn up on the doorstep to the Italian seethe’s home, quietly hitting the knocker against the doorframe until it swung back out of his grasp.

He only vaguely recognised the vampire that greeted him there, knowing at least that he was one of Stefan’s. But the woman that stood not far behind him caught his interest—she was one of Andre’s, or at least he thought so given her resemblance to the younger girl who had found him and Andre together yesterday.

“Pardon the intrusion… I, erm, simply wanted to ask if you knew where Andre might be,” he explained a bit sheepishly, glancing between the two of them.

@thomas-is-prettier-than-you

@the-love-of-luciana

@andre-is-the-courtier

[andre-is-the-courtier]

Andre sighed deeply, folding against the fae as he did so. He really ought to be more careful. But he didn't much care about being careful right now. With his looming death on the horizon. Why not go out with a little bit of happiness. Right?

The word happiness appearing in his own mind made him stiffen. That was a word he'd never associated with himself. It disarmed him a bit. Sticking there, like it belonged. Andre pinched the bridge of his nose. "I find it amusing that you seem to think so highly of my family." He diverted. "Though..." He nibbled on his bottom lip as he drifted into silence. "I wonder...what they'd do. When I'm gone. Wulfe...well he'd just wander off someplace. Maybe take Cali with him. Stefan though...I've no doubt he'd take my children in. All of them. But...would be feel any sorrow? Or would it merely be relief?" It was more just rambling as he followed his thoughts. Until the last of them. Stefan would be relieved. To not have to worry over him anymore. "Well..." He scoffed, though his heart wasn't in it. "There's that. I suppose."

The fae's comment made his lips quirk up just a bit. "And if the acquired taste is my own?" He asked, that light of flirtation back in full swing. Gently, he took the man's chin between his fingers, turning it back and forth. "Mmm....yes." He settled on before releasing him. "I am a connoisseur of all things tasteful." He told him, tilting his head a bit, a ghost of his usual 100 watt smile peeking through. "Consider yourself, acquired."

Pulling away from him took a great deal of strength on Andre's part. Were he to have to do it again, he wouldn't be able to. So instead, he turned to face Sebastian. He wanted to laugh at his statement, but just couldn't muster it. "Have you ever been with a vampire?" The question came out soft. Softer than Andre usually bothered to be. As he stared at him, his expression crumbled just a bit. "Oh...I'd ruin you." He realized with a sad resolution.

But, he now had a name. Sebastian. Or Bash. His lips twitched again. "Bashful?" He teased, leaning against his arm. The featherly touch on his knee made Andre shiver a bit. His smile subduing more and more. The earlier words he'd spoken were still true. He would ruin Bash. He gently took the fae's hand from his knee, combing their fingers together. He would ruin him. Andre glanced up at Bash, almost shyly, thought no part of Andre had ever been shy. Or delicate even. Yet...somehow...this felt like he could be. "If I'm destined to die anyway..." He murmured. Not really caring if Bash heard him or not. "I'd want you still." Then, he fluidly slid onto the fae's lap, taking his face in his hands, and kissing him. A real kiss. A desperate kiss. One to last a lifetime.

[the-second-carnelion]

“I think highly of long-standing loyalty in a family, yes. And that much I’ve come to gather about you all through the opinions of others. But it’s also easy enough to witness on my own.” Bash was beginning to add that the heartache or tension present in the wake of the business that ended the last supernatural fete was only proof that there was love there, but he fell silent as Andre seemed to ponder aloud. Almost as if the fae was no longer there. And the notion of him being ‘gone’ in pairing with his melancholic demeanour left Bash with an incredibly heavy sort of worry settling upon him. “None of them would be relieved… I doubt anyone would.” I wouldn’t, he thought to himself.

Sebastian laughed a bit at the question and following inspection, although he didn’t truly mind either. It was flattering, even if it might well just be the product of teasing. But then that smile and his assessment really took him aback. Maybe not just teasing… “I could say the same to you, although we both know that you’re far from an acquired taste.”

The question was a bit bold, although perhaps not surprising given the shift in their conversation, but Bash didn’t have a chance to answer before Andre’s expression seemed to wilt. He smiled a bit at the latter comment, albeit with a touch of sadness that it seemed to be the sort of thing his new companion expected of their interactions. “I won’t speak in definitives as there are none where the future is concerned. However, I would dispute the fact that you would ruin me. I rather think pleasant surprise has been the takeaway of our meetings thus far… unless, of course, you feel differently.” He cleared his throat then, leaning forward towards Andre ever so slightly as he brought his elbow to rest along the top of the couch. “I have been with a vampire. Several, actually, over the years. One as long term as decades… and I have yet to be ruined, at least as far as I’m aware.”

The playfulness of the adjective turned nickname softened Bash’s expression again, with his smile now a mix of budding fondness and interest while a hint of amusement played behind his eyes. It almost faltered at what he thought he’d heard Andre say. In truth, he hardly had any time to process that the other man had spoken at all, let alone to question what he’d said, because now his focus was taken up in entirely different matters. He caught Andre by his hips at first, the suddenness of this all rather taking him by surprise. But it didn’t stop him from deepening the kiss, unfolding himself to the vampire as his hands roamed from their position to pull them all the closer together. Because instinct and desire certainly won out over any impulse towards flustered natures or, indeed, bashfulness. This was real, and this was right.

[pippasperspective]

She couldn't help but chuckle as he sped up their spin. "Oh very well, but only because it's you,"

[the-second-carnelion]

Bash let out a triumphant sort of laugh. "I always knew I was your favorite older brother!" In reality he knew that they all had unique relationships with each other, but not true 'favorites.' "But you have to actually play along, now that you've agreed."

[andre-is-the-courtier]

Andre laughed a bit at the question. He extended his arms in a shrug. "I don't even know anymore. Nothing makes sense. And the world is faulty." He paused then. "Or the underworld I suppose. Supernatural politics and all that rubbish." Andre turned more to face him. His eyes honing in on the light flush in the fae's cheeks. He laughed a bit suddenly, though it was a harsh sound to his own ears. "I need not know your name..." He said with an amused little smile. "I've named you many times on my own. "Cosmo...Orion...all sorts of things. I have twelve...remember?" Pressing his lips together he sighed. "But...you can tell it to me. If you'd like. If I enjoy it more than the ones I have in my head I might even use it." A little flair of his flirty personality started to seep through the fog of his melancholy. Andre loved to flirt, it was the one thing he was very good at.

Andre sucked his teeth. "There's that word again...love. Seems to be in the air tonight. There's no love shared between my brothers and I. Respect? Sometimes. Usually...resignation." The words tasted to bitter on his tongue he winced. At the fae's comment, he let that thought fade away. "Bribery? From you? What on earth would you need to bribe someone for? I would imagine you could get anything you wanted with a mere smile and a soft word."

The gentle stroking of his hair, made Andre feel wretched. Because how dare he receive anything other than cruelty. It was what he deserved, in the end. And as the handsome fae brushed away the tears Andre hadn't even realized he'd begun to shed, a sort of realization came over him. This man's concern for him, was genuine. And when had Andre ever felt genuine? Or had genuineness extended towards him? It was too much to bear in that moment, and his entire facade fell away. He clutched the man's shirt in his fingers and he was overwhelmed with everything he'd been holding in. The tears continued to fall, as did his ramblings. The string of French words seemed to spill out of him. Like blood from a wound. And it was a wound. A deep, seeping one. The affection he'd once held for Morpheus burned like poison in his veins. The regret, sour on his tongue. The deep ache of loneliness...in his very soul. How could he have let his guard down like that? He wasn't meant for a great love. He wasn't meant for anything. His mere existence was a mistake. But how could he communicate all of that to this man holding him? He couldn't. So he took that affection. And he reveled in it.

At the soft words, Andre took in a shuddering breath. Because it didn't make sense to him. Why after he'd told this man he wasn't worth a damn thing at all. He'd extended a hand of friendship anyway. Friendship...or perhaps something more? Andre couldn't even bear to follow that line of thinking. He rubbed the heel of his hand accross his face. He could only imagine how awful he looked right now. But he couldn't help but laugh a little. Only a little. Because he felt if he let it out completely he'd fall into a fit of hysterics. "If I'd like you to be..." He sniffled miserably. Falling into silence, he busied himself with wiping his face clean, smoothing his rumpled clothing, attempting to shield up but his bottom lip trembled a bit as he battled for control. So he gave up, entirely.

"I'd hardly push you away right now..." He sighed, slumping a bit in his misery. "Though I would caution you on inviting a strange vampire past your threshold. Once you invite us in,,,you can never keep us out." Considering that, he popped his lips. "Smarmy little creatures aren't we?"

Somehow though, Andre's chest felt a little lighter. He didn't have that crushing pain anymore. Which was an interesting result. It had been ages since he'd properly cried like that. He'd never done it in front of anyone, save for Wulfe. And Wulfe never cared about anything, so Andre figured it was safe enough. That and Wulfe typically didn't like to leave him alone for long periods of time. His oldest brother had always been such a mystery to him.

He turned more to face the other man. Brightening a bit, more and more. "And why...I wonder. Would you think that wouldn't count for anything?" It was strange, what he was feeling. A more settled, more clear minded appreciation. And if he were honest with himself, a dream. A dream of an existence that wasn't quite so bleak at all. He sighed again, more deeply this time. Letting his forehead drop onto the fae man's shoulder, he shook a little. "Well...now you're really going to have to tell me your name. I can't very well develop a true fantasy without it. What with your white horse and all. Orion just doesn't seem to fit anymore."

[the-second-carnelion]

Sebastian settled back against the sofa a bit more, at least somewhat contented in the fact that Andre's lack of a proper answer in this moment wasn't due to any insistence of secrecy as much as an alcohol-influenced memory. "We are quite the contradictory bunch. A lot of hard and fast rules amongst us," he mused. The laugh caught him a bit off guard, resulting in a sharp raise of his eyebrows and a glance back to the vampire. His expression softened again into more amusement. "Ah. Well, I would say that those aren't terribly far off... but they are, at least somewhat." The following flirtatiousness silenced Bash again though, and he found himself falling silent as he tried to read Andre's expression.

But then he changed the subject again, just as swiftly. Contradictory, indeed. Not that Bash was complaining really. He liked Andre's complexity, his intrigue, his depth. "I think you'll find that it's there,e even if it's not entirely typical or obvious to your own eyes. Not for all families, of course. But yours I would rather count on." He bit back a laugh at the notion of being able to get anything he wanted, opting instead for a small smile. "I'm afraid my charms are much more of an acquired taste than you make them out to be."

The motions of Sebastian's hands only stopped as Andre pulled away to try to right himself, but they remained at a resting spot between the two, almost at the ready to hold him together again if needs be. But he understood the limits of pushing Andre away with perceived pity or the like. So instead he just watched intently, a slight smile tugging at his lips at the comments about vampires. "Perhaps I think it's worth throwing a bit of caution to the wind this once."

He laughed as Andre spoke again, as he seemed to fold nearer against his side. It was odd, really, not to mention rather unlike himself to be quite so comfortable or inviting with an all-but stranger. And yet it felt entirely natural to do so. "I don't know about the white horse being a good fit either," he replied, allowing his fingertips to gently swirl patterns against Andre's knee. "But it's Bash. Or Sebastian if you prefer formalities."

[andre-is-the-courtier]

At the offer of a drink, Andre smiled, though it was pained. “No…” He forced out. “I meant… “ but the response died before it finished. “It doesn’t really matter i suppose.” He admitted, glancing away. The fae remained with him though, which puzzled him. At self-deprecating statement, Andre wilted a bit. Apparently his usual charm was lacking tonight. “I admit… 12 sounds about right. I could list the reasons for you though.” He offered, trying once more discovering it was too hard so he gave up entirely, sinking back into the couch gracelessly.

The comment about elder brothers made Andre feel wretched all over again. “I venture to guess I’ve simply given up on that front. He’s comfortable being cross with me so why should i argue? Then Wulfe. Well he doesn’t really care about anything these days.” Talking about his brothers sunk like a weight in his stomach and he grimaced, scrubbing his hands over his face. At the tea comment though, he choked on a laugh. “Perhaps he thinks you’ve poisoned it. I thought I was the only one who did that anymore.”

Andre fell silent then, getting lost in his own head. The questions he wanted to voice, but wouldn’t dare too. Had anyone actually loved him? Cared for him? Certainly not. The kind hearted comment disarmed him though. He made a choking sound between a laugh and a sob. “Look at that…I’ve done it again.” He turned toward the fae then, ready to lash out at him for that. But what he found there was genuine openness, even affection. Leaving him no desire to do it. Perhaps it would be alright to have one person who didn’t know. Just one. This one.

Andre hadn’t even realized that Bash had shifted his weight until he was outright curled against him. The sob that strangled out of him was raw. Painful. And he just wanted it all to stop. The fingers in his hair and the kind words coaxed more pain out of him. He just couldn’t anymore. He started to ramble helplessly in French. The same feeling that night Erebus came to him about Morpheus. “I loved him.” He whispered brokenly. “And I lost him. I loved them. Now I can’t keep them. I’m completely alone, so alone.”

[the-second-carnelion]

"No, what is it you were trying to say?" Bash questioned, though his tone was more gently inquisitive than in any way demanding. He wanted to know, yes, but he did want it to be on Andre's terms as well. That felt right. The notion of listing the reasons brought about a familiar sense of warmth in the fae's cheeks, although subtle it wouldn't likely be missed this up close. "I don't think I'm deserving of twelve when you don't even know my name... especially given that I know yours. It seems a bit unfair, does it not?"

"I should think most siblings are cross with each other when it suits them... but what counts in the end is that there's love there. Loyalty too," he reasoned, his gaze drifting to the ceiling as he imagined his own family. Certainly there had been arguments and heartache between them all over the years, but they always came back to one another when it counted most. The half laugh caught his attention again though, making him glance back at Andre with a soft smile. "I don't think he'd put it past our sister, but I think he rather worries it's a bribe where I'm concerned."

Sebastian wasn't entirely sure what was going on in Andre's mind, in his life either. But to see him so broken truly made Bash's own heart ache. Funny, really, given their lack of familiarity. But it was consuming--that need to shoulder some of this burden for Andre, however temporarily. Maybe just long enough to show him that someone could.

He didn't stop his gentle caresses of the vampire's hair--not as he cried, not as he talked. Bash knew better than to think he had anything resembling the right words in that moment. How could he? How could anyone in the face of such sorrow? So instead he continued to stroke Andre's hair away from his face, with his hand's path occasionally diverted to wiping away the stray tears escaping down Andre's cheeks.

After a long pause Bash gathered his words, the promise his mind and soul had somehow settled on over the course of their brief meetings. He wanted to be here, he wanted to know Andre. Maybe even care for him. At that thought, he finally spoke. "I know it might not count for anything at all... but I'm here if you would like me to be. And if you feel cast out or alone, you always have a place to stay with me if you should need it."

[the-second-carnelion]