s i p h o n

Ely - 547 - Faiman

[theograves]

Forever the liability, Theo still didn't understand what the boy was doing involved in all of this. Asher should be on a beach somewhere, not in the middle of a battle between literal good and evil. So fucking melodramatic. When this was done, Theo was resolved to put this damned city behind him for good. His successor chosen, if nothing else they needed to win because the vampire would be damned if all this shit was for nothing. "You coddle him." Theo said with a sigh, his smile was light before he nudged the other, "you coddle both of us."

[xelessarx]

"You should've sent him away when you had the chance. That would've been coddling," Elessar pointed out, thinking about the vampire now. The faiman wouldn't wish for anything to happen to any of them, and now he here was, dealing with two children instead of one. At least Theo could hold his own at times. They were nearing the end of their journey here anyway, but Elessar wouldn't fight Theo the minute he was told to leave. "I coddle you because you'd cry if I didn't."

[theograves]

A progeny of Rhiannon's couldn't disappoint, and while she'd once plucked him from the battlefield Theo had no intention of letting history repeat itself. Especially not with original vampires and magisters in their midst. As it happened, Death was rejecting everything that wasn't dead already, but the souls did not come back after they were taken. Several husks littered the area around him, unphased, they came back to life only to die of some sort of systemic failure moments later. "It would take more than this, how are you? How's Asher?"

[xelessarx]

It was hot of Theo to steal souls, that much Elessar could get behind, even as he had an unlimited source, this whole battle was a stalemate. The faiman stepped over another husk, moving towards the Senator now, "Asher is fine. I saw him." He knew Theo would feel whether or not the other was harmed, which made Ely feel better anyway. He put his hands on the other's features, wiping away the slightest bit of dirt. Otherwise, he looked impeccable. "I told him to find us if he gets into trouble."

[xelessarx]

@theograves

Another being crumpled to the ground in front of him, Theo at his back now as they retreated into the only safety that they had for the moment. The base camp was filled with the dying and dead, the wounds on the faiman healing up as the amount of energy he'd siphoned kept him as fresh as anything. It was the vampire that he worried about, about Asher, about the only little family that cared about him. Even the fey were cut off now, and Elessar felt better beside the one he loved, anyway. "Are you hurt?"

[poetryincamelot]

Like fine wine. Happy 40th to Bradley James!

[xelessarx]

Being a siphon had its many perks. When Elessar started feeling even slightly sick, he just had a little pick me up from a coffee shop. His immune system was basically ready for anything most of the time, he couldn't actually remember the last time he felt even remotely ill. Mild benefit from the fey, he supposed. "Not really. Don't tell me you're getting bothered by it." He tilted his head a bit, raising an eyebrow, "We're all on the same side, aren't we? Are you really prepping for war?"

[xelessarx]

Being a siphon had its many perks. When Elessar started feeling even slightly sick, he just had a little pick me up from a coffee shop. His immune system was basically ready for anything most of the time, he couldn't actually remember the last time he felt even remotely ill. Mild benefit from the fey, he supposed. "Not really. Don't tell me you're getting bothered by it." He tilted his head a bit, raising an eyebrow, "We're all on the same side, aren't we? Are you really prepping for war?"

[xelessarx]

theograves​:

@xelessarx location: the FUNCTION notes: couple of Kings watching druids make fools of themselves

For some reason watching the archdruids jump through rings of fire and balance on circus balls wasn’t eliciting the sense of joy that the triumvir was expecting. Theo felt oddly content though, successful in some regard… He’d come to Rome to achieve some semblance of order and peace within the city, now look at it. He couldn’t help but feel accomplished though the Hand hadn’t the faintest clue how they had gotten here. Theo folded his arm across Elessar’s shoulders as the Goddess Diana refilled their wine for them, “The Lion Eren is very talented,” Theo stated as he gestured with his glass towards the overgrown cat that was walking around on its hind legs while a smaller cat stood on its front paws on his head. So acrobatic.

-

“I think I’m a fan of the birds.” Someone had turned into a goose and was chasing around a fox, it seemed showy enough, didn’t it? Either way, the faiman leaned on Theo now, taking another sip from his wine before he turned to grin against Theo’s jaw, “You look good in white,” he hummed, happy enough to just be there with the vampire. Elessar was never this touchy, perhaps, always saving that for the safety of their own home. But for some reason, he couldn’t help but put his hands and mouth on the vampire. “Have I told you that I love you?” He still had regal thoughts of Theo on a throne, Ely on his lap. Or his knees. Wherever was best.

[xelessarx]

@praetorleal​ Location: halfblood house

“I’m not sure an ‘I told you so’ is warranted, but how are the war efforts going?” The faiman had been let into the halfblooded home, somewhere that Elessar had visited a few times. As always, the siphon would leave, gathering what gossip he could before getting his fill and moving on. There was tragedy in the walls of the city, in each place that a halfblood tried to make home, and this one was no different. Either way, he wasn’t there to berate, just genuine curiosity once more as the senator found herself buried under the weight of all other supernaturals who would always want more.

[xelessarx]

@wardercloud​ Location: Outside the forest

“You’re leaving – that’s what Aurora said.” Not forever, but just for a while, perhaps. His sibling was someone that he didn’t know too well, but that wasn’t exactly Cloud’s fault. Elessar was a prickly person, hard to get along with, jaded by the world that he’d grown up in. Edinburgh was home, but only because he’d met Theo there. Though as Ely looked at Cloud, he found that he didn’t mind his siblings quirks; they were not similar, though maybe it was time that Elessar stopped harassing before getting the answers he wanted. “Our father – what was he like?”

[xelessarx]

wintersaurora​:

Huginn had reported on the visitor nearing the edge of the forest and Aurora had come down to see to him. It wasn’t completely a surprise, but it was still keenly disappointing to hear him deny his family again. It saddened her and worried her, but Aurora had far more to worry about than a wayward cousin. She would not fight a grown man on his decisions.

She took the ring in her hands and inspected it silently before looking back up at Elessar. “Your mind is made up,” she observed, pensive. Her owl hadn’t followed her cousin endlessly, but Huginn did occasionally report on Elessar’s whereabouts and she knew enough to know that he hadn’t allied with the halfbloods and the Senate either… at least not at the meetings. He had only been seen speaking to the Juno Senator. “Where will you go, Elessar?”

-

He could tell that Aurora had accepted this for what it was, but Elessar was certain that she would understand what else he had to say. There was no place for him between vampires and fey. He was not human, he didn’t get the full experience either way, and truthfully – he wasn’t sure he wanted it. Aurora tried to understand faiman, and for that he could give her the benefit of the doubt, but there was always a piece missing. “And it’s not because I dislike you. Or because...I don’t care,” he chose his words carefully, though it wasn’t like he could lie, anyway. “But I will never be welcome in a place like this, and I’ve lived too long away from you all to actually want to see the other side.” Ely tilted his head now, “Wherever Theo goes, I go. I have lived through enough shit in Rome, I think. Wherever we go, it’ll be away from this war. It’s not mine, and I don’t want it.”

[xelessarx]

@wintersaurora​

“I came to give this back to you.” The faiman was standing on the edges of the forest, the ring that she’d given him so many months prior in his palm. It was charmed to always return to him – he’d tested that theory. Either way, Elessar couldn’t enter the forest, and he had no intention on allying with fey or halfbloods – so here he was. “I don’t want it,” he admitted, the ring that had apparently belonged to his father simply weighing him down. “And I can’t use it. So I think you should have it back.”

[xelessarx]

theograves​:

“They didn’t leave us with any choice, besides, The Eye has information and technology that far outweighs what either the fey or the lupo are capable of.” Theo commented easily, “We have magic already, we have manpower, we have - druids - what we don’t have is the ability to counter magic, or the Asphodel’s manpower, or whatever monstrosities the drow queen will throw at us.” He didn’t feel he needed to explain himself to the other, he never had before. “We’ll be fine Elessar, we’ll get through this, and when it’s done we’ll put this wretched place behind us. For good.” 

-

Elessar watched the other for a few more moments, but it didn’t take much to placate him. The faiman had followed Theo for so long now that he didn’t need lies to settle him, only the plain truth. Theo gave him that, so for now, he was okay. “Okay,” he murmured quietly, putting his hand on the side of Theo’s neck. The other had the party with Pluto coming up, one that Elessar would not be going to. He had other things to take care of, apparently. “I love you. I just want you to be safe. This city is hating vampires, fey – everyone. No one is safe.”

[cilly-murphy]

BBC MERLIN costumes appreciation ARTHUR’S WHITE TUNIC 

[xelessarx]

theograves​:

It was obvious that they were beyond what the senate could handle alone, “I’ll have to call a summit, broker some agreement with the others, it’s clear that this is heading in one direction.” War, something that the hand had actively been working to avoid for years, countless disputes settled before it ever came to this but things had grown beyond what he alone could control. Despite everything that had happened, Theo remained calm, if only to try and put the other at ease but if his heart could still beat it would have been racing. “The senate will militarize, pull in allies where we can and I’ll-” he hated asking for help, “I’ll reach out to the magisterium. Tell them that the city is falling.” Theo hadn’t forgotten what the fey had done here, nor had he forgotten about the proclamations that had been made by the Lupo. His predecessor was dead because of Titania’s cruel game, if the others moved towards peace, or some attempt at it, he’d follow-suit. 

-

Elessar watched the other for a few moments, knowing that this was unfortunate – but even without the worry in the air, there was a connotation, now. “There are a lot of fucking enemies, Theo. Where do you even start?” he stood up now, putting his hands on the other’s shoulders. He opened his mouth to say something, but he dropped his hands instead. He rubbed his jaw, turning away to pace. “No one needs war. You don’t know what kind of magic there is against you. And the Eye? That won’t work for the fey or the lycans. I feel like you gained one ally when you could’ve had two.” Ely, of course, was simply thinking out loud, stopping to look at Theo, “Tell me you’ll be okay.”

[xelessarx]

bloodyrhiannon​:

✠

Rhiannon scoffed. “Who says I trust them?” She hummed thoughtfully. The vampire trusted Elessar enough to share a bit of damning truth. And if he didn’t keep it to himself, well, Rhiannon had escaped sticky situations much harder than The Eye and she figured it would make it clear to Theo where his would-be-husband’s loyalties lay. The chance Elessar would every betray her was probably less than %1 anyway; she really liked the faiman. “In fact, I’m sure if the lovely researcher lady found out that I killed her cute ex, she’d be very, very upset.” Rhiannon shrugged. “I didn’t actually realize it was her until I looked into it cause I thought she looked vaguely familiar. There was a very annoying hunter I had to drain years back and I had seen her with him once or twice… Really funny how fate works.”

-

Elessar wasn’t sure who those people were that Rhia was referring to, but he was certain that it wasn’t anything good. She hardly thought through her decisions; how anyone nicknamed her after a goddess was beyond him. Yet he cared for her, anyway. “So you’re saying you already have enemies in the Eye, and now you’re working with them – and they have to keep a truce? You so sure about that? Does Theo even know?”

[xelessarx]

theograves​:

It didn’t seem possible for things to get any worse. Yet, at every turn, Rome seemed to prove quite the opposite. Another monstrosity, another cataclysmic event. More and more things seemed to be leading somewhere, but the senate had its in now. If Kaan’s information was good then they could mount an attack on Necromanteion in force, destroy the book for good, crush those who’d declared war on the city and then he and Elessar could put this fucking nonsense behind them for good. He was… Rattled, which wasn’t an easy feat for the Juno yet he couldn’t help but feel shaken after the day’s ordeal. “That’s putting it mildly.” Theo said as he immediately went to the liquor cabinet. 

-

Elessar watched Theo for a few moments, knowing that the wine was going to be pulled out and that would basically be dinner for the two of them. Either way, he watched his vampire closely, “So what is your plan, Theo? What is the Senate going to do against the Asphodel?” And when can we leave them behind? It was too easy for the faiman to cut and run, but Theo’s political aspirations always rooted them to the spot a bit longer. And Ely didn’t even have a ring to show for it. “Tell me. I’ll help you if I can, but I don’t want to be near anyone else if this shit happens again.”

[xelessarx]

bloodyrhiannon​:

✠

Rhiannon put a hand to her heart and canted her head, all in mocking offense as Elessar claimed she spoiled her grandprogeny. It was partially true, but what was the job of anyone with ‘grand’ in the beginning of their title but to spoil what they’d indirectly helped create? It was now Theo’s turn to be harsh with a progeny; she’d done her due diligence with him. Her eyes dulled at the faiman’s talk of the Senate. 

“I’m responsible for whatever I want to be responsible for, and it’s not this.” She idly twirled a strand of the darkened hair over he shoulder. “It may kinda suck but I see the all Senators’ points. It was either… contend with the growing threat of human technological innovation or… add on to our own force.” She smirked at him. “Why? Are you worried?”

-

“I’m not so much worried as I am over being here,” Elessar felt no need to lie about that, the faiman had done his fair share of running in his life. Everywhere he went, someone was there. If anything, he knew the Eye making a deal with the Senate wasn’t good for him. Right now, they’d stopped all their torment – but who’s to say they wouldn’t start again? An immortal faiman was the last thing he wanted them to know about. “But I don’t trust them. And you’d be an idiot to do that.”

[xelessarx]

theograves​:

They were back, naturally Elessar was alright. Theo’s little adventure with Sumeyye had been less than ideal, but it was over now and the Juno could take some comfort in that. Clearly, the Asphodel had had a plan, the senate would need to move quickly. Elessar’s arms were around him Theo felt the concern that had been itching under his skin quietly wash away as strong hands brushed through the other’s hair. “I have my theories, but we should get home. We can discuss it there.”

-

Elessar studied the other’s gaze now, having pulled back for just a moment to make sure Theo was truly okay. He felt the other’s magic, a taste — to prove he wasn’t dying — before taking the vampire’s hand to lead them home. It was a slow walk, the bustling city of Rome around them as humans forgot everything that had transpired. Perhaps that was always easier. There was a change in the air of Rome, one that pushed for discussion. Plus, the queen wasn’t doing well — another issue, maybe. The faiman entered the apartment after Theo, shrugging off the partially ruined suit jacket and setting it down. “This city is a shit show, Theo.”