Hero

Of Blood and Magic

_{Dates: December 7th - December 21st}

12/9: Eris and Ailsalia

Maybe he should have asked someone to just record these mage observation sessions. Sure, it was nice once in a while to have a little free time to catch up on messages and emails, but whenever Eris was ahead of schedule, he didn’t really have much to do, and he could only watch Wells quietly brood with his magic so many times before that got boring.

Speaking of the mage, Eris had a lot to think about for once, though none of it had to actually do with Wells himself. The moment he first laid eyes on him, the very first thing he had considered was that the kid had a certain look he liked, and he’d probably end up making a lineage for Eris to cultivate. Alderman was a decently stylish last name, too--he was perfect. Until he opened his mouth, but he supposed if the attitude couldn’t be fixed, he could always sell him to an Astorio.

But the kid’s health form had changed things. The phrase ‘diamond in the rough’ had never applied more until now, and he had to consider how to protect his precious little asset. Dumb luck as it was having such a thing stumble onto his lap, he had to consider the lineage seriously now. He would have liked to wait some before starting Ismene’s fertility treatments, but neither of them were getting any younger, and he had the age gap to consider. He’d have to think about requesting the kid’s fertility test sooner than later, too.

Stretching his arms above his head, Eris decided he had enough, taking his phone out. He supposed he could ask Antigone to send over any contracts, but as he raised his gaze, a blot of red caught his attention. Said red belonged to a vampire whose face he swore he had seen before. He hadn’t taken too much care to get to know all of his classmates--not that he hadn’t gotten to know them by getting swarmed by some of them before--but he knew her face from somewhere.

Despite his initial thought being to dismiss it, he ended up getting out of his chair. Fortunately there was an empty seat right next to the redhead and Eris was all too glad to slide into it, perching his chin in his hand as he gave her a wry smile.

“Pardon the interruption and usual line, but I feel like I know you from somewhere,” He had to laugh, knowing it sounded exactly like a lame pickup line. “Care to help me figure it out?”

The woman in question turned her head at his voice, careful not to jostle her phone where she was recording her mage. She took a few moments to look Eris up and down before an excited glimmer of realization lit up in her eyes. Ailsalia ended the recording and turned to give Eris her full attention. “I doubt I’d have given you the opportunity to forget me if we’d had the pleasure of meeting but by all means, Mr. Samael, you’re more than welcome to learn now.” Ailsalia chuckled at the awful pick up line before holding out her hand. “Ailsalia Margaux.”

A pretty name for a pretty lady, but not one he knew. Marques or Margot, maybe, but no Margaux. Eris had to stop himself from mentally scrolling through every Mar- in his head, the glimmer in her eyes telling him that this was definitely the first time. Recognition and remembrance had different looks, but he wasn’t about to go doubting himself. Maybe they ran into each other once? It wouldn't be surprising but he knew her face, he just didn’t know from where. Great, this was going to drive him crazy until he figured it out. He was terrible when it came to names he didn't care for, but she seemed important, like he should know her name.

Happily taking her hand, he decided to, for once, be more upfront about it. "No, you're right, I don't think I'd forget your gorgeous face, but I feel like I've seen you before--outside of this school, I mean," He ended up explaining, trying to think. "I want to say...business related, perhaps?"

“I sincerely doubt it unless you’re in the market for cars. Margaux dealerships are common enough in most Sinnenodel territories but I doubt we offer the type of luxury vehicles you’d be interested in.” Ailsalia considered, humming thoughtfully. “Why don’t you take a seat and we can compare our recent history. Maybe it turns out we crossed paths at an event or a meeting.”

Eris gladly took the seat offered, putting on a polite smile as he crossed one leg over the other. Dealerships in the Sinnenodel territory didn't ring any bells, either. He honestly didn't even know what brand he rode around in, but that wasn't important right now. For a second he wondered if maybe she was a cousin of his--every once in a while there was a random Samael that came to light, but she didn’t really look like any of his relatives aside from the rouge of her hair.

"Attending has muted my schedule somewhat, I hope you don't find it too boring," Eris joked, once again perching his chin in his hand as he eyed her, a little curious. "Nothing in the industry, the last event in a Sinnenodel territory I ended was...a soiree, I believe, though I accompanied Count Varis Sinnenodel."

"That would certainly explain it." She sighed, her smile falling. "I have the dubious pleasure of sharing blood with that worm. Varis is my cousin, his mother my aunt. We share some resemblance but until I found myself confined to the same grounds as him, I did not realize I was so unappealing."

Eris squinted at the woman, the realization hitting him a second later. That definitely explained it, she really did resemble Varis. Thank goodness she came right out with it, he didn't know how much longer he would have lasted without satisfying that itch. He wasn’t too surprised to hear her displeasure at sharing genetics with him, but he did her last statement odd.

"Unappealing? I'd daresay it was the opposite," Eris chuckled, albeit he had to admit redheads were more up his alley, so maybe he was biased. Hm, would she be open to his questions, or would she be guarded? He was definitely curious to hear the source of what she mentioned. "I didn't know you grew up together. My mother had my sister and myself kept in her estate for some time for some attempt at bonding, but well...it didn’t work out."

"Until just this year, I'd gone a wonderful seventy seven of them without meeting him. We met infrequently for the first thirty of our lives but his father decided that on the passing of our mothers, that I was no longer welcome in his household and Varis has maintained that decree ever since." Ailsalia rolled her eyes. "He was a difficult little worm to deal with back then; I can't even imagine how awful he is now."

Biting down on his lower lip, Eris tried not to laugh too hard, settling into something resembling an amused grin. Considering how the smallest of things would set the vampire off, he wasn’t surprised. Well, actually, that he would follow in his father's steps and continue to uphold one of his decrees did strike him as a little weird.

"Imagine taking one of his classes--he's the aide in Treaty Law now. I don’t think anyone has scored perfectly on any assignment yet," Eris said, leaning back a little. "Though I'm a little surprised I'm only meeting you now. Well, not that I'd wish being a Sinnenodel on anyone, but you seem very...not Sinnenodel-like. At least a complete contrast to your cousin."

Remembering something, he added, "I was always under the impression he was a needy child. Did he spend his youth terrorizing you?"

"With the exceptions of our forced time together, I grew up away from most of the Sinnenodel family influence and I'm thankful for it. I have no desire to be a puppet in their matriarch's games." Ailsalia waved the observation away with a shiver. "Varis was constantly attached to his mother's hip unless he was clinging to mine. It was the only haven besides the library he could find away from the rest of his father's brood. Absolute nightmares, all of them." Ailsalia pulled a face at the memory of Varis' siblings.

"He was always carrying around a book or a blanket and built himself little pillow forts away in the library back then and would start crying if he thought he couldn't find a single piece of his pillow hoard. It's why I called him a worm; always burying himself beneath his pillows and in a book." She explained almost fondly.

Getting to hear something like that stirred something in Eris, but he ignored it. No need to get sentimental, he was an emotional mess as it was and needed to get a better handle on things. Still, he couldn’t really stop his imagination, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He flattened it back down with another reminder that again, their relationship was professional, though his curiosity hadn’t been sated just yet.

“I honestly can’t imagine him clinging to anyone,” That time he did let himself laugh. “You poor thing! Well, not poor, you’re lucky to be away from all that. I suppose I’m just surprised, I didn’t think anyone that had been close to a noble heir would be so obscure.” Was that harsh? He was going to say ‘a complete nobody’ but she hadn’t really done anything yet to draw his ire.

"Well, he wasn't the heir of anything when we were closer. He was the youngest of the third eldest bloodline." Ailsalia watched her mage for a few moments as she considered what she said next. "He managed to secure his position through currying favor with Lady Sinnenodel. I was surprised when I heard it, even sent a letter asking after him, and I didn't even get a courtesy response."

“Ah, the rise of power...it’s so hard to see the little people once you soar in the sky,” Eris waved his arm to his eyes as if shielding himself from the light. “Sad, really, but I suppose the sudden change is enough to make anyone forget. It fuels their egos and suddenly they go denying that they ever knew you.” He rolled his eyes. “Mirabelle Hanover still won’t admit we were friends. Though I wonder if she sings a different tune nowadays.”

He was distracted for about two seconds before frowning at the redhead. “Is he still cold to you? I can’t imagine not having run into everyone else here at least once,” He asked.

"Yes, he certainly has changed." Ailsalia laughed. "We crossed paths once at orientation. He was talking with Countess Eve and Marivaldi and he stumbled over himself escaping my presence. Took a dirty shot at my dead family too but what can I expect from a Sinnenodel." The amused tone quickly turned bitter at the reminder. "He's proved himself his father's son."

Eris fully frowned at the change of tone, a little pensive. Even when he was younger he had heard of Laucian Sinnenodel, though it was never in a good or flattering way. Varis had not had a good relationship with him, either; he was pretty sure he would ruin Ailsalia if he heard her comparing the two. Not that he blamed him too much, he had done his best to step away from his own father even though their relationship was positive for the most part. Or as positive as it could get, anyway.

“Countess Eve…? Oh, I don’t think I got to meet that one,” That said he would never pass the urge to crap on the Eve house, if only out of spite. “At least I know the fourth one. Benjamin Eve, I had the pleasure of a dinner with him and Countess Amaris Marivalidi, probably the same one you saw. I felt like a third wheel with the way those two were eyeing one another, though.”

Ah, that would be a fun one to spread, he would work on that one more. It was probably for the better, he felt like he was asking too much about Varis, and he didn’t want to get mouthed off for ‘asking from plebeians when it’s best to get it from the source’ even though hearing it from others was fun.

“And what, may I ask, are your plans while here?” He decided on a safe subject.

"The Eves and the Marivaldis bedding each other? I suppose Count Benjamin must realize she'd be an excellent way to support himself. The Eves are always desperate for help. Even if she isn't technically the heir to the family anymore, she must still have quite an array of strings to pull." She spoke thoughtfully, interested in the intrigue, before considering his next question.

"I don't have any grand plans. A little networking sure but otherwise just enjoy this. Classes are easy, the student body a pleasant distraction, and my mage is absolutely delightful." Ailsalia glanced down into the classroom and waved at her mage who'd looked up just at the right time. "And yourself? I doubt the famous Eris Samael is resting on his laurels here."

Shoot and score, Eris would have to follow up on that to see where it went. Unfortunately it wasn't as subtle as the others, but it was worth it to see old Benji get flustered and confused when people asked what was happening with him and his new piece. He could claim ownership when he would inevitably be confronted by the blond no problem--the two were basically at each other's throats anyway, love and hate are two sides of the same coin.

He followed her gaze, amused that she was so into whatever they were doing. "It's a prime chance to renegotiate some contracts and focus more on investments and the business side of my career," He admitted that much. "I was offered a few parts that would've gone through filming by now, but taking a small break for a few years to cultivate what I have is needed. I'll admit, getting to meet Her Highness was a definite bonus."

He threw her a wink. "Which is to say I'm taking a small break. That'll be our little secret," He joked. That was basically the top response anytime people tried to guess at his motives over his attendance and he figured leaning into it was easy.

Ailsalia regarded Eris for a moment and laughed. "I guess everyone needs a break every now and then. Though, I'd expected you to take time to yourself rather than drop feet first into a noisy academy surrounded by nobility." Ailsalia smiled slyly. "Including a particular red headed one. I've not often discussed anyone's childhood habits with the intent of business. Maybe I should be asking you about him. Despite our estrangement, I do still harbor some fleeting care about his well being."

"I live for the noise, though this is basically my equivalent of taking time for myself. I can't even take a vacation without a laptop or a few conference calls planned without losing my mind," Eris ended up admitting. "My mages are amazingly competent this generation, too, so I could, but all I end up doing is trying to get ahead of schedule. I really don't know how to relax for more than a few hours."

Eris smiled fondly as he recalled Ismene booking him a trip only to find out he had spent it attending meetings. It wasn’t his fault the resort happened to have several rentable meeting rooms that just so happened to be close to several of his business associates, that was on her for not checking. Though considering what she expressed she would make sure the 'next time' he'd end up on some private island, so it was safe to say she had learned her lesson. Ah, young Ismene was fun to cultivate.

As for Varis, well, he couldn't get around that one. "We have a recent business agreement that has finally seen some fruition, although in our few years working together, I don't actually know much of his personal life. I've worked with a few Sinnenodels before and they tend to have the same M.O.: strict professionalism with any attempts at anything personal ending up with getting tossed aside or laughed at," He ended up explaining with a shrug. "I think even with little contact you know him better than I do, and I honestly couldn't resist asking."

Eris kept up the smile, but inside that irked him to no end. He supposed it was because they really only ever did talk business, but to see someone who hadn't spoken to Varis in so long still know more than him was just annoying. But that was what he had signed up for, even if he found it less and less amusing as time went on. Then again, any chance to improve that status was single handedly tanked by his emotional outburst, so it was going to be some time before he could try again. If he ever got the chance, that is. Just the thought was enough to annoy him further, and he needed to remind himself to get a better handle on things.

"Family ties are important, it's sweet of you to still acknowledge it," Eris chuckled.

"True. They adhere to a strict no emotion, no connection policy. Everything is fodder for that thing that sits at the head of their family. Thank the Queen that I'm not one of them for that reason alone." She shivered at the thought of Sybil being anywhere near interested in her life. "Family is important to the Margauxs. Varis may not like it but he shares our blood and we don't abandon each other, even if they are awful pricks. My mother used to dream of the whole family together living in some semblance of happiness and thus far, I've kept her last wishes. Varis is the one exception."

“Maybe in some weird way, he divorced from everyone because of Sybil,” Eris thought out loud. “Though it’s not exactly secret that Laucian ran an odd house as well. I don’t think I’ve heard anything positive come out of that family fiasco, and well…” The banishment didn’t exactly help things. But it was easier to be alone when you wielded such power and climbing to the top in a family of backstabbers meant there was no affording any weakness.

“The concept of family for him must have been doomed from the start,” He couldn’t help but mutter, looking back at Ailsalia. “Have you tried talking to him here?”

"Perhaps. I'd like to ask him one day." Ailsalia sighed. "I only approached him once during orientation but since he ran like a feral cat at the earliest opportunity, I figured I'd give him the opportunity to acclimate to my presence before trying again. He used to get so flustered when his routine was disrupted; I'm sure suddenly seeing me after all these years completely upset whatever he was trying to do."

Varis ran? Why didn’t Eris believe that? The idea was absurd, he couldn’t even really imagine it unless someone was physically threatening him, maybe. But from talking? Where he liked to verbally dominate people?! He genuinely couldn’t wrap his head around it no matter how hard he tried.

“Maybe it’s because you have some juicy secrets that he doesn’t want you to spill,” Eris gave her a mischievous grin. “Like...he secretly had a crush on you when he was little, or that he didn’t properly feed until he was ten!”

"Maybe you're right. I do have quite a number of stories. Like that time he…" She laughed to herself and waved the thought away. "No, no. I shouldn't gossip if I want to get the opportunity to speak with him. But I guess you're right. I just thought that talking to me about staying quiet would be better than letting me run my mouth to anyone that asks."

Eris supposed he could ask on her behalf, but he wasn’t sure Varis would be receptive. If he’s been actively avoiding her until now he’d probably get nowhere, and he wasn’t sure if it was even worth it. Maybe he could squeeze out one story and find something of interest later? Was he coming off as too obsessive?

Ah, fuck it, he was already in. “Can’t even spare one? The least embarrassing one?” He asked, grinning.

She grinned in return. "Well since you are business partners, I guess one little secret wouldn't hurt. But which one." Ailsalia considered her choice seriously for a few minutes. "I guess talking about his first love wouldn't be terrible. It's not such a bad secret for most vampires these nights but as a strict traditionalist, I suppose it is a bit of dirty laundry. Varis' first love was a mage and a fire one at that. He'd write poetry about her for weeks and even composed a piece of his violin for her. It was sweet but you can imagine how that went with a father like that."

Had there been anything in Eris’ hand, he was pretty sure he would have either shattered it or just plain dropped it. He honestly had no idea why he was angry--or surprised? No, he was surprised. No, he really was angry. His eyes darted away as he let out a mock laugh, hand covering his eyes as he tried to buy himself some time to recover. Varis couldn’t love him, an accomplished actor and businessman, but he could love some hodunk mage. Yup, that hurt and infuriated him to no end.

But he was a professional, and as he finished laughing he gave Ailsalia an incredulous look. “I honestly wouldn’t even believe you if it wasn’t for the things you said before,” He said, his left hand twirling a blond lock. “Or...maybe you are? I mean, I’ve always heard that the Traditionals were usually the most mage-loving freaks out there, but you know, this is too much.”

"Now, Mr. Samael, why would I lie to you? You said it yourself, I'm not a Sinnenodel. I'm not looking to put myself ahead of anything in this conversation or get anything out of it except your company." Ailsalia laughed. "Ask him about the piece the next time you talk. If I recall, he titled it "A Waltz in Sunshine". It was pretty. I'm sure you'd absolutely love it.”

Yeah, well, Eris would believe that when vampires could freely walk into the sun. He’d admit he was definitely enjoying the conversation more than he should have, but even then it was only because it was a subject he had way too much interest in. Well, at least he had a new talking buddy for these observation periods.

“I will,” He promised. “I have to admit it’s nice to talk to you as well. I hope I haven’t bored you too much with my questions.”

"Oh no, not at all." Ailsalia waved off his concern. "It's understandable why you'd go behind his back. I'm sure he isn't exactly forthcoming with any of this. I hope it's helpful in your business with him."

“Ah, I’ll take special care to learn more about you next time,” Eris replied after a glance at his watch told him that their time was up, the scuffle of the mages below confirming as much.

As the pair bid their farewells, Eris added a few more things to his to-do list, though his mind kept circling to the same thing. A mage. Eris wouldn’t have believed it, really, but he didn’t think Ailsalia had any reason to lie about it. Why did that bother him so much, anyway? Varis drew the line, Eris accepted it, things were back to normal. He didn’t have any reason to linger on it. He wasn’t about to bring out the whole book of people he had slept with. It didn’t matter.

12/14: Eris and Varis

WARNING: Scene includes some degeneracy, scroll down to after the SECOND line break to get to the plot-relevant stuff.

Great stars above was Eris tired. Dame Patel was a sadist and no one was going to convince him otherwise--he had dedicated as much time as he possibly could to her training and she reveled in kicking his ass nearly every day. He was starting to think he definitely took up the wrong offer, but he had to admit, whenever he didn’t feel like his muscles were on fire or wasn’t collapsing face first into the couch because his bed was too far, it was fun. Combat learning was great exercise and it was actually nice not to have to worry about anything else.

That said, it took up more time than he wanted. Dame Patel was a great conversationalist, yes, but he was neglected in an area he wasn’t used to. This was probably his longest dry spell and now he knew for a fact that anyone that decided to wait until marriage was so full of shit. It was exceedingly easy to get some in this campus, usually taking a smile and a lift of his eyebrows and it was on, but even that felt like too much effort. And ever since the post-practical fiasco of his little outburst, he hadn’t really approached the redhead that way. Not that there hadn’t been any effort, but it was always dismissed with a wave of the hand or an eyeroll that told him ‘not now’.

What didn’t help matters was that Eris still had Ailsalia’s comment in the back of his mind. He’d be lying if he said he was surprised that a Traditionalist ended up falling for a mage--actually, that sounds exactly like something that would happen to a younger vampire--but it bothered him for a multitude of reasons. For one, it showed just how little he actually knew Varis, which wasn’t something he really thought of until now. Then again, maybe that was the best way to go about it without getting himself too entangled. And yet, there he was, dying of petty jealousy that somehow the emotionless being had somehow gotten wrapped up in a mage but wouldn’t give him the time of day. Figures as much.

And so he stared at the slim part of Varis’ neck that hadn’t been covered, eyes trailing up his jaw and landing on his lips. He was in a neutral mood, which was as good as you could get with a Sinnenodel. He had seemed pleased with that weird dinner, even if he did bitch Eris out for a solid four minutes afterwards. Who knew Starag blood was actually good? It wasn’t like he was chummy with the royals! But even that didn’t stop Eris from letting his eyes wander, and eventually, he had enough of waiting.

Rising from his seat, he walked around the desk and stood behind Varis, scrunching his nose at the papers. Ew, schoolwork. He could interrupt that. Eris leaned down and wrapped his arms around Varis’ shoulders, taking a quick nip at the exposed part of his neck.

“You should take a break, rifling through trash for too long isn’t good for you,” He muttered, hand working on turning Varis’ head towards his.

Varis fully intended to flay half his class alive for making him read through this utter nonsense. He didn’t even have to nitpick at them. They were truly abysmal. He just didn’t understand why these students couldn’t wrap their heads around some of these concepts. Others he just wondered how they communicated. If they spoke anything like they wrote, it must just sound like garbled nonsense. When this was all over and he could leave this mockery of an institution, Varis was either going to do everything in his power to see it razed to the ground or open his own and teach Ryner how to mold minds.

He wasn’t sure what Eris wanted when he first arrived, only waved the whimsical actor away so Varis could finish his work, but it made sense now. Eris had seemed relatively busy. He was probably suffering from a lack of attention. Not that he didn’t get much wandering the school grounds. While the endless murmurs and whispers in his wake finally vanished, people still watched him pass but that was something Eris was accustomed too. Varis gave a quiet sigh at the nip, his hand pausing at the promise it held, and only resisted for a brief moment before following Eris’ hand. He’d been brushing off the actor in the wake of the weirdness after Eris’ revelation but Eris returned to his usual manner of annoying without hesitation. He must have enjoyed the gift and finally understood the purpose of their relationship; Varis clearly made the situation more complicated than it needed to be. He put his pen down and gave Eris his full attention.

“True. I’ve had enough of their idiocy today.” Varis turned into the hand Eris had on his cheek, letting his fangs drag across the blond’s hand as he pressed a kiss to it. “Did you have something in mind or should I find a way to distract myself?”

Eris clucked his tongue in mock disapproval, albeit he did stare at his hand for just a second. His mind unwillingly went back to the practical, but he waved it off--no weird mark on his hand, no need to think about that. “I’ll borrow you for just a moment,” He promised, fingers running over the soft material. Shit, it really had been a while, he had almost forgotten about the gloves. They had been consistent since the practical for some reason, though he had initially assumed that he had a scratch that hadn’t healed or something.

Nope, he was thinking too much, he needed to stop that and go with his whims. Wanting to feel more skin, he did make an attempt to get Varis to stand as his hands looped around his wrists and pulled. “Avoiding my touch?” He joked, his right thumb stroking under the glove.

"Avoiding your touch?" Varis crowed into Eris' space, forcing the other vampire to sit on his desk and smirking. Varis stood barely a hair's width away. "Quite the opposite. And if you behave, I plan to be away for much longer than a moment. It's been too long since I've heard you beg properly." Varis purred, pulling Eris down to claim his mouth fiercely.

Oh, yes. It was never a good thing to give in too easily, but fuck it, the dry spell ended tonight. Eris was all too happy to indulge himself, a low groan of approval at the back of his throat. He was tempted to throw them both on the floor, but last time he was spontaneous he ended up getting a lecture, so instead he ended up wrapping his arms around his neck, shifting himself closer. He got a little impatient with the feel of Varis' glove, his left hand slipping underneath with the intention of pulling it off. As corny as it sounded, he wanted to hold his hand to feel closer, but as his fingers trailed down the back of Varis' hand, there was something off about it.

Varis' felt a smug sense of satisfaction rush through him at the noises Eris made. He was so easy and responsive when he was needy and Varis relished the ease with which he could read Eris when he was like this. Varis moved with Eris, pressing them together as Varis pressed another kiss to his mouth and down his throat, savoring the willing man under him.

He blamed it on his lack of control, on the trust Eris managed to earn despite everything Varis was, but he was caught completely unaware when Eris went for his gloves. He hadn't even considered it an issue; Eris knew the rules and Varis didn't have any issue dumping Eris out on the street if he broke them. He hadn't even considered that his gloves were usually the exception, how the touch of his hands was usually a reward for good behavior. So when Eris started playing at the edges, he'd ignored it.

It wasn't until Eris crept further and he felt Eris' fingers slide along the back of his hands that he realized his mistake. He bared his fangs as he snatched his hand away and jumped back against the wall, hand cradled protectively against his chest. He tried to keep himself steady and still, fighting the urge to curl up into himself, but he couldn't keep it all under control. His shoulders trembled, his eyes were dark and wide, and Varis struggled to find words.

"Why… Wha…" Varis stammered, everything inside screaming at him to run. Someone found out. Everything he worked for, everything he'd done was gone. As soon as it got out, she was going to kill him. "Why did you do that?!" The demand came out weak and trembling.

Eris was stunned at the sudden shift in mood, jaw dropped as he saw the terrified vampire in front of him. He hadn’t even realized his mistake, a teasing question on the tip of his tongue when Varis had backed out. But he knew him well enough to know that he had done something very wrong--he could handle a hiss and lashing, but seeing the redhead look frightened of all things felt like he was seeing something he wasn't supposed to. What happened to his hand? What happened to him?

Raising his hand in a weak effort to calm him down, Eris shook his head as he slowly approached him, doing his best not to set him off. "I-I’m sorry. I'm--I got overzealous," He admitted, still trying to wrap his head around Varis, Sinnenodel heir and King of Emotionless Beings, being scared of all things. "Are you...are you okay?" It was the stupidest question, yeah, but fuck, what else was he supposed to say?

Eris’ approach had him trying to press further into the wall and scatter what few thoughts he managed to piece together. For a moment, he wasn’t in the dorm anymore but back at his Lady’s home, trying not to beg for mercy, knowing that it would only make it worse. He could only whimper as he slid down the wall and crouched, going deathly still as he tried to keep himself grounded. She wasn’t here, she wasn’t here, she wasn’t here. Ryner would keep her away, Ryner would keep her away, Ryner would keep her away. Even she wasn’t confident enough to cross Ryner directly like that. He was safe for now. He was okay. Everything would be okay.

His eyes were trained on the ground and he scowled. The boy must have gotten injured during his training or something. That’s the only reason he could find why there would be blood stains on the ground. It escaped him that more were appearing in front of his eyes and that his face felt oddly wet. He stared up at Eris, eyes vacant and emotionless despite the familiar downward tilt of his mouth. “Why did you do that?” He asked again, his voice robotic. “Everything was fine, everything was going so well, we had something pleasant. Why did you take that away?”

Unfortunately Eris was doing more harm than good. It reminded him of one of the first times he had his old tiger, how low to the ground and frightened she had been when he approached her. He had broken some invisible line of trust, and as amusing as it was watching his mages trip over the line, he'd be damned if he was going to lose everything over one slip up.

"Everything is fine. You're fine," Eris tried a different approach, remaining where he was. "Nothing is going to happen to you. There's nothing that can hurt you here. The last thing I would ever want to do is make you feel unsafe."

Everything sounded muffled and distant, like he was underwater. He saw Eris’ mouth move before he heard it and it almost made him laugh. Unsafe? Unsafe? He hadn’t been safe in sixty years, this had nothing to do with safe. This had everything to do with his Lady finding out that he slipped up. He knew exactly one person she couldn’t drag information out of and it wasn’t Eris. Eris was unsafe. Eris was a problem, his problem, a problem he’d sunk decades of resources and time into, decades of trust into, and now it was ripped away from him like everything else he wanted. He fucked up. He’d grown attached. He broke the number one rule: Don’t get attached to people less powerful than himself. Use them, abuse them, break them, and dump them. That was how it went. And yet here was a walking testament to his own failure.

“Nothing is fine. You know.” Varis whispered. It was all he could manage, struggling to force himself to breathe. “You know how disgusting I am. You know what she’s done. You’re a target now. You’ve ruined everything. Nothing is fine, nothing.”

For fuck's sake, what was with all the crypticness? Eris had half a mind to smack the guy in an effort to get him back to himself. He could handle getting yelled at, getting belittled, getting scolded, but having to play nice and have patience was so foreign it made his skin crawl. But even as he listened he still felt like he needed to give an effort to correct things. Years of work weren't going to up and vanish over something as stupid as a mistake. He refused to let it be so.

"I don't know what you're talking about and I'm not going to ask. That's what we agreed on," Eris decided on a different approach, offering his hand. "Come on. You can yell if you'd like, you can come hit me. You know I'm not going anywhere no matter what happens, right?"

Varis started at the proffered hand for several long moments. He struggled to think about anything but the terror and dread boiling in his chest. Taking that hand was dangerous. Vampires only cared about themselves, only cared about how they could benefit. Eris would leave as soon as Varis stopped being useful to him. He’d flutter away and land on some other flower that would grow taller and reach higher. Taking that hand meant trusting Eris, meant shifting his entire world view, ignoring every instinct and experience. Could he do that?

At this moment, he needed it. He’d been alone for half his life, standing on his own, suffering on his own, fighting the constant pressure to break on his own. And still it felt like his hand was heavier than ever before, that moving it was like trying to move a castle. Could he do that?

Varis put his hand hesitantly in Eris’.

The blonde scarcely moved, unwilling to let the other vampire shrink back into his shell. But there was an odd satisfaction watching Varis reach for him, a slight disbelief as he realized what was actually happening. It was definitely a good ego boost, but there was something else to it. Something almost intimate.

No, he was just overthinking things.

Eris moved painfully slowly, making sure to keep his grip on Varis as he placed a kiss on the back of his hand. “I’m yours completely. Don’t ever forget that,” He told him. “I don’t care about anything or anyone else. If you see it fit to toss me aside the second I’m no longer of any use, then fine. Until then, I’m here.”

Varis tensed as Eris moved, eyes tracking every movement the other vampire made. He wanted to laugh at Eris’ declaration. How stupid, how idiotic it was to put yourself at the mercy of another, much less a Sinnenodel and the heir at that. But he couldn’t because it felt...nice. Reassuring. Something he desperately craved and Eris was here, willing to give it to him.

Varis stood up, not willing to take his hand away just yet, and stared at Eris, brow furrowed. He felt like his thoughts were slipping through his fingers like sand and Eris was an anchor in the confusion. Everything seemed muffled and distant, like it was underwater.

Except Eris.

Eris was steady and firm and, in that moment, perfect. Varis took a step closer and closer and closer, until they were a hair width apart, and just stared. Stared and stared and stared until he pressed up to Eris. Eris claimed he was his. Eris claimed he wouldn’t leave. Something darker curled inside him and a possessiveness tugged at his gut. Then it was time for Eris to prove himself.

Varis didn’t speak, instead scooping Eris up like he weighed nothing, and moved across the dorm in a blink, slamming his door behind him. He didn’t even think about the boy; after all, he was just another piece of furniture and no one considered the furniture. He tossed Eris on the bed like a rag doll and was on top of him in an instant. Varis’ eyes were still blank, staring through Eris rather than at him, as he tugged off one glove and then another. Crisscrossed scars, raised and red, crossed the back of his hands. Next came his shirt, unbuttoned slowly to reveal the patterns that ran down his chest and stomach, crossing around to his back.

All the while, Varis himself felt nothing. He felt detached and floating as if his body wasn’t his, as if he was watching all of this from an outsider’s view. He was free and emotionless and yet all the while, he knew this was a mistake. This was too vulnerable, a weakness like this would destroy him, and yet he was helpless to stop it.

They watched Eris intently as the shirt hit the floor.

The movement was unexpected and Eris wasn’t proud to admit that if it hadn’t been for him forgetting to breathe, he definitely would’ve let out an unflattering yelp. It wasn’t until he practically bounced on the bed that he had any sense of his surroundings, but it wasn’t like he could do anything, almost nervous that any sudden action would spook Varis. To his shock, he revealed his hands, no longer the usual, perfect ones he had been used to seeing. But he wasn’t sure which surprised him, those or the marks on his body.

He didn’t even realize he had lifted his hand upwards, fingers looking like they were going to touch, but they barely grazed--had they any warmth, maybe then it would have been felt. His eyes eventually made his way to Varis’ golden ones, propping himself up on his elbows in an attempt to get closer. He felt like he should say something, but the words never came, getting stuck in his throat as he stared back at Varis for a moment.

That didn’t really stop him from acting, however. Both his hands cupped Varis’ face as he managed to get himself in a seated position, his gaze turning into something intense. Yeah, he was speechless, but he had honestly never seen anything like this.

Finally, he choked out a word: “Beautiful,” He mumbled, not letting the moment slip past him as his lips attacked Varis’ neck.

Varis flinched at Eris’ raised hand but didn’t look away; Eris’ eyes drew him in and held him there, not letting him move an inch. A sob tore out of him when Eris spoke, so horribly at odds with how he saw himself: disgusting, repulsive, revolting. A walking testament to his own failures, forced to relive every single one anytime he saw himself in a mirror. He could feel the tears rolling down his face as he snapped back into himself and he needed. He didn’t know what but he clung to Eris desperately, desperate whimpers escaping as he dragged Eris back to his mouth and shoved him down, slipping his hands under his shirt in a desperate attempt to get closer, closer, closer without breaking the kiss.

Eventually, he gave up and the shirt was shredded as Varis tore it off him. He wasn’t willing to break away from Eris, his mouth everything he needed in that moment, as his hands wandered and explored a body he’d mapped a hundred times but felt so new and forgein now that he’d bared a part of himself he’d hidden for so long. He felt like he couldn’t get enough of this vampire who told him he was beautiful even if it was a lie, that was devoted enough to pretend. Eris couldn’t leave him now; Varis would make sure of it. He’d kill the vampire before he let him.

Of course, that thought drew Varis up short and he froze. “Oh no. Oh no no no.” Varis whispered. “Oh no, you know. Fuck, I’m an idiot.” But still he couldn’t bring himself to move away from Eris, just staring at him with wide eyes. “Sybil can’t find out. She’ll kill you.”

It was confusing and thrilling and satisfying and overall just something new. No, that wasn’t right. It was something Eris hadn’t felt since Rosaline. Even if the thought should have caused him to curl up and cry, it was too good to pass up. Fine, he could end up cold and alone later so long as he got to have this now. He was fine with that. He was getting something he had been desperately craving for so long that he wasn’t preoccupied with the consequences.

Once Varis broke away again, however, he had to consider that there was more to it. Just hearing ‘Sybil’ was enough to make any vampire run for the hills. His hand reached for a piece of his shirt and wiped away Varis’ tears, his head slowly working. There was no fighting the Lady, no real escape if she chose to turn her eye to him. But for once, he not only accepted it, but he just didn’t care.

“I’ve been doomed for a while now. Nothing’s really changed,” Eris replied, the smallest touch of bitterness in his voice as he spoke. With Varis’ face clean, he tossed aside the cloth. “No one else will know. And when she finds out, that’s when you throw me away to save yourself. Same as always, right?”

Varis stayed still as Eris wiped his face. It was a confusing experience, the tenderness behind the action and the words coming out of Eris’ mouth clashing in Varis’ mind. Varis hadn’t stumbled across a vampire ever that was okay with simply being tossed to certain death like they didn’t matter. He couldn’t decide if he was annoyed at Eris for not caring or annoyed at the idea that he’d ever throw away his property. He grabbed Eris’ chin roughly, searching Eris’ face for something that suggested anything other than what nonsense was coming out of his mouth.

“And you’re fine with that? It isn’t a pleasant death. She’ll drag you through whatever sadistic pleasure has her attention this decade and then she’ll slowly burn you alive, drinking a glass of blood all the while. That doesn’t make you care more for your own skin than this?” Varis gestured between them with his free hand, not intending to let Eris go anytime soon.

His life wasn’t pleasant, either, so having an unpleasant death wouldn’t surprise him at all. Eris couldn’t really shake his head, but he could suppress a laugh. Maybe he was just overconfident and promising something that wasn’t true. Maybe he’d end up regretting everything after all as he was tortured.

“If it ever comes to pass, it means that I failed. It’ll mean that I wasn’t good enough for you, that I was careless or overplayed my hand. And I’d rather be dead than be a failure,” He replied, a weird emptiness in his voice that could be mistaken for him being serious. “And...I don’t know. I just think it’s worth it for you.”

So Eris was being honest. What a strange concept. He’d rarely see the vampire without something behind his words, even if it was usually just a trick to be played. Varis wasn’t used to vampires being dedicated to another; it was a foriegn concept to any Sinnenodel. They were taught to turn on each other from a young age, that dedication to anything other than yourself was a weakness. Varis certainly wouldn’t claim he felt the same about Eris. He doubted he’d ever feel that way about someone but he certainly felt possessive after that declaration. Maybe it wasn’t so bad to have someone love you.

“You said you were mine, mine completely.” Varis said slowly, trying to remember earlier events. Everything was a little fuzzy but now wasn’t the time to think about that. “If you mean it, look me in the eye and say it again.”

Eris never did find a reason to look away, but as always, did what he was told with enthusiasm. The blond stared up at Varis, a hand touching Varis’ as if it was meant to be comforting. “I am yours completely,” He said. “Everything and anything I have is only for you.”

Varis released Eris and immediately patted his pockets, clicking his tongue when he couldn’t find his. He must have left it at his desk when Eris distracted him. He fished out Eris’ instead and held it out to him. ”Unlock it.” Varis demanded. He snatched it back as soon as Eris did, tongue sticking out as he typed furiously on the phone and then tossed it to the side. A smug little smirk tugged at the corner of his lips again. He still felt odd, like he’d spent three nights dealing with inane vampires and blundering mages all at the same time, but he felt light too. Someone else knew his secret and hadn’t run screaming. And he was very interested in showing exactly how grateful he was about it.

“Stay the morning with me.” Varis demanded, leaning down to press a short, chaste kiss to him.

Eris’ eyes did follow his phone, but there wasn’t any time to question it, his interest gone as soon as their lips clashed again. He’d spend the rest of the week if he could, though that wasn’t what was asked of him. His initial response got caught in his throat again, a slight groan escaping him instead. He couldn’t say no at this point, especially as he was at the redhead’s mercy.

“Y-Yes,” His response was more for show than actual acceptance, easily giving into the demand. “I’ll stay.”

“Perfect.” Varis purred. “That deserves something special. Stay right there. I have to get something.”

Varis sauntered into the closet, pushing aside the clothes on the right side to reveal the colored rope. He hadn’t shown these to anyone and he certainly wasn’t ready to explain the real purpose for these to Eris―one emotional discussion was enough for the next few centuries, thank you very much!―but since the rules were changing, it only fit that his favorite toy changed as well. He considered a few ropes, picking them up and considering how’d they look against Eris’ skin, how’d they make his eyes pop, and put them back, until he finally settled on a blue. He’d play with color combinations later; now was to change the rules of their relationship and Varis was far too excited to deliberate further.

---

"Join me for a bath?"

The request was a simple one, and coming out of anyone else, it would’ve been expected after the deed. But hearing it come out of Varis had caused Eris to do a double take. They’ve never done that before--and now he knew why--and that look and that gentle tone of voice was just...it was all new. It was all tender and everything he wanted and everything he wished for and he was almost expecting to wake up at any moment now.

Giving the redhead a nod, Eris had to stop himself from bouncing over to the bathroom, taking a second to search for the chest. Those things freaked him out, but for some reason, Varis loved them. He still remembered the first time he had stumbled onto the discovery, having offered him one after receiving some samples some time ago. Silly, but he supposed they all had their quirks. Once he found it, he avoided picking any of them up, fearful of accidentally breaking one. His hand absentmindedly ran over his shoulder, fingers stopping at a groove from where he had been tied. He was used to the rope, but this was the first time it was colored blue, now that he thought about it. Eh, no need to think about that now, he needed to pick up one of these things.

Once his mind was made up, he pulled up the stopper for the tub, turning the faucet. Once the water had collected somewhat, he placed the bomb in, withdrawing his hand as it fizzled and spread. He avoided making any commentary, though he did let out a small noise of surprise as a few petals floated along, not dissolving. They must have come included--he still remembered accidentally slipping on a little frog that had come with the bomb he had tried--but he ignored them as he tested the water.

He looked over to the bedroom, taking a second to let everything sink in. He still couldn’t believe this was happening. This was probably the first and only time he still felt like he hadn’t quite climbed down from the high, usually after sex he’d wind down but he felt like he was just floating along. What if this was just for tonight? Well, it would be worth it. He probably wouldn’t go forgetting it anytime soon.

“It’s ready,” Eris ended up calling out, poking a flower petal floating in the water.

Varis closed the door to the closet and made his way to the bathroom, pausing to admire the view. His bath bombs, his lover, in his bathroom… it all fit so perfectly. He'd have to make this a more permanent arrangement but that was a thought for another time. He carefully avoided looking at the mirror and covered it as usual with the sheet under the sink. The fear and self consciousness crept up again and he fought the urge to cover himself, instead focusing on getting Eris in the shower with him so they could rinse off. He made it quick, dragging Eris into the warm water.

For once, he was quite pleased at their height difference. He pushed Eris into leaning against the back of the tub and settled down better his legs with a pleased sigh, relaxing with his back against his chest. He instinctively reached for his phone to pull up his playlist but realized he'd left it out in the study and was content just to hum, his fingers tracing patterns into Eris' thighs. "You're good at that. What a shame I hadn't let you take the lead for so long."

Settling into a comfortable position, Eris let out his own hum of approval. The aroma was divine, setting the mood and making everything so much more pleasant. His right hand was settled on the edge of the tub, the left moving the water so it swirled before them. At Varis’ comment, he couldn’t stop his laugh, having to bite down on his lip to stop himself.

“I aim to please,” He replied, slicking his hair back and off his face. “There’s always the possibility of more opportunities in the future.”

"I'd certainly hope so." Varis smiled along with Eris' laugh, closing his eyes as he rested his head against Eris' shoulder. He could feel himself relax even further, muscles he didn't realize could untense ease in the warm water. "I guess now's the best time to discuss how we proceed forward as I'm very interested in seeing what else I've underestimated you in." This discussion could turn uncomfortable but the fact of the matter was Varis wouldn't rest as easily as he'd like unless he knew how everything fit together. Delaying it was nothing less than moronic and Varis wouldn't let himself be called that.

Tonight was just full of surprises. Considering that he had just gotten rejected not even two months ago, however, one couldn’t blame Eris for being too wary. Even as he felt Varis’ weight as a comfort, he had to consider the next step. He was willing to go whatever way possible, but he needed to be smart about it. He had been burned before, he wasn’t sure if he was willing to go through that again.

“Can’t I be selfish and just keep the moments to myself?” He couldn’t help but whine, fingers trailing through red locks. “Call me sentimental if you want, I’d like to enjoy you more without having to worry about any red tape or interviews or any of the hassle.”

Of course, that wasn’t realistic. Neither of their positions could keep something like this under wraps for too long. That said, the answer that did pop in his head wasn’t one he was fond of. “You can’t afford a weakness. Not such a public one, anyway. A fling, maybe, but more than that would be a hassle,” He said, though he didn’t bother hiding how dissatisfied he was with it. “Though I’d think to proceed business as usual on the outside.”

"Able to withstand me for 32 years and a few measly interviews scare you off commitment." Varis teased, tilting his head into the soothing feeling of Eris' fingers in his hair. It was a problem and Varis wasn't going to be satisfied until he'd gotten everything arranged how he wanted. So how to balance keeping Eris close without getting him caught up in his awfully complicated situation?

"Realistically as long as my Lady doesn't find out you know what you know, she won't care about you. Just anytime she decides to visit us, stay near me and you'll be safe from her wandering curiosity." Varis started counting off the list of threats. "I think Ryner wants this to happen for some reason so I don't think she'll leverage you against me. The other Sinnenodels are already plotting my death but none of them is stupid enough to think I'd let anyone get away with touching one hair on your head. So really, there isn't much more to do other than expand your security detail. That little metal rat Ryner gave you isn't very intimidating as much as poorly raised. I guess I'll pick up some new mages for home as well. Maybe a few Astorio trained ones."

If it was only interviews then Eris wouldn’t have bothered trying to be serious. But even in throes of happiness he had to consider the possibilities. At the mention of Ryner, Eris actively rolled his eyes, the smallest click of his tongue leaving him. If he was going to be serious about this, he needed to be honest. Holding certain cards to his chest was useless if they could very well be turned against him.

“I agree with your assessment of Her Highness,” He ended up admitting. “And at the risk of having everything blow up in my face, I have some potential proof for that absurd claim. As well as a confession.”

Varis was going to laugh at Eris' clear disapproval of the woman. He agreed, she was awful to deal with but she was a useful ally and a downright nuisance as an enemy. But Eris continued and fear started bubbling in his stomach. Confessions were never a good thing and the fact that he'd just revealed his biggest secret to someone who wanted to confess concerned him.

"That is more than a little concerning." Varis didn't move from his spot, hoping that at least he could enjoy the head rub for a while longer before this little bubble of peace and relaxation came to an end. "But by all means continue, darling."

It honestly was concerning and, frankly, stupid. The possibility of him even finding out was close to zero. But it wasn’t zero, and he would rather have everything come out now to give Varis the out than have everything come crashing down later on. He was not going to let this happen the wrong way. If he told him to leave and never come back, he’d accept it.

Of course, nothing he could say wouldn’t sound like an excuse, so he took the plunge. “There was an odd mark I had inherited after the practical that wouldn’t go away. I didn’t bother bringing it up for some time because I didn’t know what it was, but it turned out to be some form of blood manipulation and it dissolved after some practice,” He explained that much first, testing the waters before continuing with, “Ryner seemed to know exactly what it was. And it was connected to you.”

Varis frowned at that. "It was a strange experience but no one else had any sort of mark as far as I'm aware. I didn't know you knew any forms of blood manipulation and certainly not any that erased marks from your skin." And Varis wasn't even going to mention the fact that Eris hadn't told him but instead went to Ryner. What was with the people around him trusting her over him? It was something to deal with later. "And how would some mark pertain to me? I can't erase marks off my skin. Seems like a useless skill considering how long it takes to master them."

He was treading on dangerous ground, but there wasn’t any going back. Nicking his thumb, he reached over to his left hand, drawing the symbol to the best of his ability. “I had no idea, either. But this is what it looked like. At the time I was...dejected by your rejection and didn’t consult you first. Not that I thought it had anything to do with you--if I had, I wouldn’t have resorted to asking her about it,” Eris told him. “I initially went to complain to the princess because the thought of any mage putting anything on my skin was ludicrous. She informed me of my ‘innate talent’ and implied that I would find the meaning of the symbol with you.”

Placing his hand in the water, he let the suds make work of the blood. “I guess in hindsight it could have been a result of the practical, but I hadn’t seen anything like it before. I’ve been in your room more times than I can count. I don’t know, for a while I thought it was some inane way to get me to act like a crazy ex and go through your things. But once it was gone, it didn’t matter anymore. I never found anything else that matched, and put it out of mind.”

Eris moved his hand around until the mark disappeared. “It was an error in judgment. Despite dismissing it, I never brought it up to you, and that could have been a mistake,” He admitted that much. “I want to be honest: I don’t trust Her Highness. Of course, there is nothing I would do that would jeopardize that relationship, but things like that...it’s hard to say. Regardless of the outcome it’s something I should have brought to your attention and I regret not doing so sooner.”

Varis let Eris get out his confession and he let out a sigh of relief, relaxing back into Eris. Here he thought it was going to be something terrible, not something stupid. "You're right. You ought to have brought it up to me. I could have waved off all your concerns easily enough. At least this explains Ryner's weird behavior recently." Varis resumed running his nails over Eris' thigh as he considered. "I seriously thought she was trying to kill me but now I just know she's being a meddlesome hag with nothing to do but play matchmaker for favors. I don't trust her anymore than any other family but she is useful and we have a mutually beneficial business relationship. As soon as that's over, I'll wash my hands of her and I can make sure to put some distance between the two of you if you don't like her that much." It was strange that she knew that he was connected to that mark, not to mention how she figured out how to get Eris to put it on without teaching him the technique, but something told him it wasn't the important part right now.

"The important part is that you came clean about it now. The symbol is an old glyph from my mother's family that they used to seal personal objects away from detection spells. I have one on my trunk; it used to be hers." Varis explained. "I'll open it for you one of these nights; honesty is important in a relationship I understand though this is my first time trying my hand at it. Was that all you had to confess or should I mentally prepare myself for a slew of issues?"

“It’s a slow slew. It’ll happen gradually and I don’t think you’ll care about half of them,” Eris couldn’t help but joke, giving Varis a squeeze. After a second he fell quiet, clicking his tongue as he deliberated. “I have another confession but it isn’t anything serious. It’s more of an...apology offering.”

Letting out a groan, he put it off before finally talking. “The last relationship I have didn’t go too well. Despite coming out and denying any rumors and another relationship being revealed, I did in fact date Rosaline Blackdale,” He admitted that much. “I know. Who cares? But I’m not proud to admit it broke me when she decided to fuck off with another. And now you have the most humiliating moment of my life in your repertoire. I’m afraid you can’t go far with it, but it puts me to shame every time I think about it.”

Varis considered the information he was given and then turned to look at Eris with a grave look. There was a long pause.

"Who is Rosaline Blackdale? And what is this an apology offering for?" Varis frowned, sincerely confused.

“For not telling you about the mark,” Eris had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. “She’s the main chick from The Blood War. You said you’ve watched it!”

"Well, yes but why would I care about anyone but you in them? I don't have much spare time and I certainly don't want to spend it watching frivolous nonsense. The only reason I watch anything is if you play a role." Varis scoffed, settling back into his spot. "Everyone else is just an extra."

Holy crap. This is the man he wanted to spend eternity with, and he didn’t care about celebrity gossip?! Even at the thought, Eris couldn’t help but laugh, wrapping his arms around Varis as his entire body shook. He honestly hadn’t laughed like that in a while, placing a kiss on his cheek before he calmed down.

“You’re right. My apologies,” He chuckled, settling back down.

Vaeis grumbled at the extra jostling but was content to stay in Eris' arms still. The water was starting to cool past where he liked it but Varis was comfortable and he was loath to disturb the peace just yet. "Now that you've unburdened your aggressively self sabotaging conscious, can we return to this thing between us?" Varis asked pointedly. "Good. Though on a side note if you lie to me from now onwards, I will take it personally and use all my available resources to ruin you. Not that you'd expect anything less I'm sure but just to keep the air clear. That being said, do I need to ask if this experience with Black whomever is going to affect your behavior in our current situation?"

“No, but usually in relationships exes come up as a topic in one way or another. I just figured I’d get over that hump sooner than later,” Eris outright admitted that much. “And I want this to work.”

"Excellent." Varis nodded as if something was settled. He stood, the water officially unpleasant and fetched towels for the both of them. "I guess I ought to be honest about my history too. I've never been intimate with anyone who I cared to permit to invade my personal space purely so I would have the pleasure of their company. So now we're both on the same page." Varis dried himself and stretched again, this time with a yawn.

"I’m surprised you seem interested in keeping this quiet. I'm surprised. I expected you'd want to flaunt it everywhere." Varis told him, propping his hand on his hip as he waited for Eris.

Listening as he dried himself off, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at Varis. "It's not about what I want, it's about what's smart for the situation," He pointed out, taking a moment to towel dry his hair. "Not to mention I don't know if you really want to deal with dating me publicly and I'm a hassle in private as it is, do you really want that in public, too? You'd kick me to the curb by the end of the week!"

Letting his hair fall in a mess around him, he looked directly at the redhead. "In addition using that information and pocketing it for the future is another strategy to be used," He concluded with a small sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Although I suppose that does make me come off as more methodical."

Varis looked around and realized he'd forgotten his sleep wear so he couldn't even look in the mirror. "Well, I thought it would be easier for you overall. I mean, I can't imagine the rumor mills won't take notice when you're living in a Sinnenodel castle full time and if we take control of the narrative early, we can spin it so you can use it as a springboard for whatever you decide to do after this." Varis explained, heading into his room briefly and returning in a robe he tucked tightly around himself. He pulled the sheet off the mirror and folded it, stashing it away again.

"But if you have a strategy for that, you're more than welcome to pursue it. Just keep me informed so I'm not blindsided by someone snooping after you." Varis asked as he started getting ready for bed.

Eris would have to think on it. As much as he hated to admit it he struggled between what he wanted and what was for the best. He couldn't hide the small smile at the idea of living at the Sinnenodel castle--Eloise would never let him live it down. But there were a lot of things involved, assets to consider, mages to bring. Antigone was always on the road, anyway, but he would want to keep Ismene with him and he wasn’t entirely sure how she would do in that environment. The list just kept growing as Eris thought about it, watching Varis as he let his thoughts wander. He didn't have any sleepwear but it didn't matter, he was clean now and he'd figure out how to get back to his dorm before classes started.

"I'll think on it for a little," Eris said, sliding into bed next to Varis. "Need to think about a lot of things now."

Varis yawned and curled up around Eris as he slid into bed, tangling their legs together and throwing one arm over his waist. He gave another yawn, burying his face in Eris' shoulder to muffle it and nodded. "Yeah but that can wait until tomorrow. We can just stay here together for now."

Settling himself in, Eris' free hand stroked the back of Varis' head, agreeing with the statement. For now, things were fine. They could use the few years they had here to figure things out. Sleep pulled at him, comforted by the feeling of his lover in his arms, and he couldn’t resist one last squeeze despite feeling the disapproval radiating off of Varis. "Mhm. Together is nice," He quietly admitted, letting his thoughts wander to better things.

---

Stirring in his sleep, Eris moved, though he was held in place. He muttered a groan, assuming it was Sasha pinning him down. As he opened an eye, he only met red, momentarily forgetting where he had spent the morning. Varis was still asleep, and judging from the lack of alarm, Eris didn’t really have a need to get up just yet. He cautiously reached for his phone to double check the time, making sure the light wouldn’t awake the redhead, though the glint of something let him know something in the room had changed.

Despite the lowlight from his phone, Eris saw nothing but flowers all around them. A series of gorgeous bouquets all adorning what looked like at minimum forty-something vases (from the ones he could see and count) were placed all around them. The sight was topped off by a small pedestal in the center of the room holding a box. It was corny as all hell but Eris adored flowers; there was something behind getting anything from a single rose to a bouquet that he loved. They never lasted long, sure, but they were always beautiful to look at. The glint informed him something different was in the box, but for now, he would leave it for when they both woke up. He couldn’t resist giving the sleeping vampire a grateful squeeze once he tossed his phone back, happily willing to fall back asleep.

You have to tell me what you would expect if someone was to sweep you off your feet, romantically speaking.

As the words echoed in his head, Eris’ eyes opened as froze in place. He had almost forgotten completely about the practical’s challenge, the unpleasant memories tucked away somewhere else. Now that he thought about it, had he ever told Varis of his love for flowers? No, it must have come up at some point in these past thirty years. Unless it really was that other Varis that remembered. But that was just magic, the princess herself had dismissed it as such. Then again, Eris didn’t trust her as far as he could throw her.

Huddling the still-asleep redhead closer to him, Eris stared off at something in the darkness. The other Varis had challenged him to find him, but was that really for the best now that he got what he wanted? He mentioned a whole slew of trouble could come from it as well. Was this how it was always going to be anytime he thought he found a sliver of happiness?

12/16: Eris and Ben

The song and dance of the academy was fun sometimes, but Eris didn’t understand why there was so much paperwork involved. Technically homework, but homework, paperwork, same thing. Maybe it was worth it for some classes, but for others it was basically pointless. Still, if he had to do paperwork, he was going to make sure everything was done well. It’d be pretty embarrassing if he failed anything, after all.

But borrowing books was annoying. Not the process itself, but the fact that anytime he did go to any of the student buildings, he ended up unable to study properly without getting bombarded by a horde of fans. Usually, he didn’t mind--and while he’d never admit it out loud, he loved the attention--but he figured by now people would get used to it. Well, they did, but if he spent too long sitting down, it gave people the sense that it was just okay to approach him for some reason.

With books in hand, he figured studying in the dorm would be easier. As he walked back to the dorms, however, an all too familiar sight was met: one Benson Eve looking down at his own book as he walked. They hadn’t had a chance to have a digest of the little party the other night, did they? But he was in such a good mood that he figured he could try playing nice with the little Eve.

Despite knowing he had better things to do, Eris couldn’t resist the chance for another talk. “Good evening, Count Bennett,” He greeted him cheerfully.

Ben wasn’t too absorbed in his book; after Count Sinnenodel’s commentary that he needed to educate himself, he thought it best to do just that. Of course he had greatly underestimated his own patience for reading history texts. It was one thing to pour over reports and compile his own knowledge but something about reading dry words bored him to tears. If he could get away with never having to do his own assignments he would; as unbecoming as it was he was not a fan of higher education.

The nearby voice caused Ben to snap his book shut as he looked up. Ah, Eris Samael coming with another wrong interpretation of his name. No surprise there albeit he could not help but wonder why he bothered remembering the rest of his name wrong. Clearly he remembered ‘Ben’ consistently and while it would initially bother him to be called by his nickname by someone he could not stand, it was better than constantly having to correct him.

“It’s Benjamin,” He said. “Good evening to you as well, Mr. Samael. To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence?”

“Is it really a pleasure? You’re such a good liar,” Eris chuckled, tapping his chin. “We never did get a chance to chat since that night, did we?” He knew damn well he wasn’t a pleasure, but he figured he’d jump right in. No need for subtleties, after all. “I never did get to follow up with you on that charity I talked about. I did mean what I said--if you’re looking to free the mage, I do have someone who would be genuinely interested.”

Eris had a point; none of their encounters were anything even resembling pleasing but that was his own fault for defaulting to smalltalk. Ben would strive to correct that going forward by making sure he would not encounter the actor for as long as it could be helped. He was a little surprised at his question and would have possibly considered it if he wasn’t acutely aware that the actor would revel in immediately telling Lilie and whoever else would listen that he considered dismissing her. Of course, he would lie if he said he wasn’t curious.

“Your gesture is appreciated but unnecessary. Miss Dionne will remain in my possession until I deem otherwise,” Ben said. “I must ask, do you actually know someone with such a charity or was it a play of yours?”

Eris rolled his eyes--why the hell would he lie about something like that? It was stupid, he wasn’t going to just plug Katya nilly-willy without any followup. “If you want my honest opinion, there are plenty of Astorios that would love to break in a fragile little thing like that,” He informed him cheerfully. “That said, I know that sort of decision would keep you up at morning, so I suggested the charity as an alternative.”

Digging around in his jacket pocket, he clucked his tongue in disappointment. How the hell did he forget his cardcase? He searched his other pockets, only to come up empty, and shrugged. “I’d give you a card if I had one, but you can just look up Viscountess Katerina Vasiliev if you don’t believe me,” He told him with a shrug. “I know the name makes what I say seem even less likely, but I do promise I was serious.”

Ben wasn’t aware there were any viscounts, let alone viscountesses. He always thought there were counts, dukes, and the royal family. Interesting. The name did not sound familiar to him at all although he would be lying if he said he had never heard it. From where, he hadn’t a clue. Eris’ followup however warranted some questioning.

“Why would the name make me doubt you?” He asked. “Is the Vasiliev name a known one?”

Eris quirked an eyebrow at Ben, a little confused. Old Benji must have forgotten that other nobles exist outside the four houses. “Then I take it you’ve never heard of Alexander Vasiliev, infamous tyrant of his territory,” He figured he should explain. “He had methods that would make an Astorio blush and was utterly ruthless. There was the odd rumor that he was planning to make a move to integrate his family into the Astorios, but nothing ever came of it. It was all hearsay, anyway, and there’s no real proof that that was his intention since he seemed to enjoy ruling over his territory with his vassals.”

Ben had not heard of the man at all. He felt like he should have, but there were many nobles outside his jurisdiction that he did not know of. But to think there was a vampire who had such power, why hadn’t he heard of him before this? He felt such a figure would have made the rounds by now. Not to mention what he just said completely contradicted the idea that a charity would come out of someone like that.

“And this viscountess is related to him?” Ben asked.

“Correct. She’s the youngest daughter and a darling--you’d never think the two were related,” Eris laughed a little, remembering Katya fondly. “I don’t think she’s very active in mage matters, but her charity has picked up now that Feliks Vasiliev has made a name for himself. It’s an organization that helps mages with defects live normal lives--at least, as normal as they can. She takes in broken ones, defective ones, you name it.”

It now made sense why Eris would recommend such a person but it did not give him much confidence. The actor did seem serious but Ben had to have some caution when it came to those that chose to associate with him. He would have to look into it in his own time and judge from there. As for the other name, Ben did not recognize that, either.

“I don’t believe I’ve heard of Feliks Vasiliev,” Ben said.

“He’s a mortal fashion designer. Rightly talented considering he just gets my style,” Eris sighed happily, though the smile never quite reached his eyes. “Charges me both arms and legs but I think he just likes to overcharge me to be an ass. He’ll be showing up at Chaend, I think, so I could introduce you if you’d like.”

Ben could not believe what he was hearing. Was Eris truly looking to introduce them? It would be convenient yes but owing Eris anything left an ashy taste in his mouth. However he could not outright dismiss it. Perhaps he could delay it until Chaend rolled around in case he found the need unnecessary.

“I will get back to you on that,” Ben said. “I have to ask, however. Why do something that would benefit me? You don’t seem like the type to help without getting something in return.”

The blond shrugged, placing a hand on his hip. “I like Chérie, so if you do decide to get rid of her, I’d want her to go to a good place,” Eris told him.

Likely story.

“You wouldn’t take her in?” Ben asked.

“And have the paparazzi devour her? That’s just cruel,” Eris declined immediately, shaking his head. “That delicate little flower is already wilting in nobility, you really think she has what it takes to survive stardom? I mean, I could do it for shits and giggles just to watch her drown, but that gets old quick. Even Wells has probably already learned not to Google himself by now, and he doesn’t care about anything.”

Ben figured that would be the extent of Eris’ response. Right, he did have a mage but Ben had yet to interact with him. His words rang hollow but he wouldn’t indulge him; it was obvious that feeding the actor the negative attention he was looking for. As amusing as getting into another humorous back-and-forth would be, Ben had better things to do with his time. There was only one thing left on his mind.

“You have a point. Albeit I must ask, with a father like that, wouldn’t someone like that be more heard of?” He asked. “And how is it that he would allow his daughter to do something like that?”

“Oh, he’s dead now. Assassinated, if I recall correctly,” Eris replied cheerfully.

How grim. For once, however, such news did give Ben pause to seriously think about what Eris offered. He wasn’t a fan of being in debt to someone like him but he could not deny that it was something to think about.

“If you have nothing else to say, I’ll need to get going,” Ben said. “I will consider your proposal.”

“Mhm. Do let me know, I’m sure you and the viscountess would get along swimmingly,” Eris gave him a wink, figuring his one good deed of the decade was done.

_{Dates: December 22nd - January 5}

12/28: Solo

“Wake up, Eris.”

“No,” Eris mumbled in protest, pulling the blanket over his head. “Tell Cornelius that I’m exhausted.”

“That’s not very professional.”

“If we had to stop production because some mage collapsed on set, then he should be willing to cut his main star some slack,” He yawned, currowing himself into a cocoon. “My contacts bother me, the lights are too bright, and Emmett’s a pain in the ass. It’s not worth getting up.”

“Come on, it’s not all bad. We don’t want to let everyone else down, do we?”

Poking his head out of his protective barrier, Eris looked at the woman trying to coax him awake. Her crimson locks spilled over her shoulders, covering up more of her body than he would have liked, shimmering blue eyes looking down at him fondly as she sat up. She beckoned him out as he stretched, though she made the mistake of getting closer. He took his chance to grab her, pulling her in and trapping her.

“Does that mean you’d stay with me, Rosaline?” He asked, peppering her cheek with kisses. “Because that doesn’t help your case.”

“Eris! No!” She giggled, her efforts to free herself in vain. “We’re behind schedule as it is!”

“Mmm...I’ll consider it,” He said into her skin, giving her a squeeze. “I’m tired of putting on that mask.”

“Seriously, get up, if we’re both missing, people are going to talk,” She urged him. To her relief, that seemed to do the trick, though as she wriggled free and turned to reprimand him, her words died as she saw his expression. Concerned, she shook his shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

Eris’ eyes flickered to hers for a second, though he just turned his back on her. “Nothing. I agree with you, you should probably get going,” He waved her off, settling back in.

Realizing her mistake, she rolled her eyes. “You sensitive baby, it was your idea to keep this a secret,” She reminded him. “If it was up to me, I’d tell everyone. This is going to end up being your big break, and when everyone’s clamoring at your feet and pushing each other aside for attention, you’ll push me to the wayside.”

That got Eris to turn back to her, propping himself up on his elbows. “I wouldn’t do that,” He frowned at her.

“That’s what everyone says,” Rosaline shrugged at him, climbing off his bed and unbuttoning her pajamas. “Fame changes people. It’ll change you, too.”

Eris scrambled off the bed after her, nearly tripping, but he stumbled his way to her, grabbing both her hands and placing them on his chest. “I wouldn’t do that,” He assured her. “You mean everything to me. And I know it goes against this being behind closed doors, but I need you to trust me on this.”

Rosaline gazed up at him, fighting back a smile as she interlaced their fingers together. “I really hope you don’t change,” She told him. “Please, don’t ever change.”

“I won’t.”

But she did.

The thought came to him clearer than the memory did, clearer than anything else in his surroundings. Even as Eris had to untangle himself from his blankets, the thought rang out repeatedly like a bell, taunting him. After all that talk of sweet promises and eager anticipation, after constant reassurances, Rosaline ended up being the one that changed. Eris let out a groan as he ran his hands over his face, staring up at the ceiling. He shouldn’t be thinking about that, it was harder to wear the mask in a bad mood.

Letting his arms drop to his sides, he searched the bed for the little puff, disappointed to find her missing. Right, he wasn’t at the academy. Sitting up, Eris stretched a little before blindly searching for his phone, unphased by the sudden brightness as he scrolled through his notifications. His thumb stopped as he saw an article from a gossip magazine, double tapping it to open up its contents. An engagement was announced between Rosaline Blackdale and Julius Monraine, sparking up a myriad of observations and guesses for the timing, the locale, what she would wear, and a bunch of other useless tidbits that people would eat up.

He stared at her smiling face for a moment before closing the tab, throwing himself back onto the bed. Maybe he should stay in, he felt like crap. No, he could deal with that, what he couldn’t deal with was the emptiness in his chest. Well, if he had time to mope, he had time to do better things. That much was enough to get him out of bed at least.

Going through the motions by habit wasn’t anything new, but by the time he was standing in front of the mirror, Eris couldn’t help but stare at his reflection. Absolutely flawless as always, but he wasn’t satisfied. Of course, even with that pathetic look on his face he was still better looking than three fourths of the entire vampiric population, but that wasn’t the face he should have. He needed confidence, he needed charisma, he needed a face that made every idiot throw themselves on the floor in front of him. And this sorry excuse for a gloomy pout wouldn't do at all.

A small smile, a rise of the eyebrows, opening up his eyes, throwing in some classic contempt with a splash of amusement, and there was the face he needed. Alright, now he was ready for the night, and he had a list of crap to take care of, and one of them was in this very condo.

Exiting his room, he was surprised to feel the heat and hear the noise from the kitchen. As he strolled in, he saw Antigone in casual conversation with Denise. The latter was one of the few hired help he had who normally worked during the daytime, so it was rare to see her there. She was quiet, effective, and barely noticeable, so she was perfect for taking care of cleaning and maintaining the condo to let Ismene work.

The pair stopped as they heard Eris coming, both giving him a bow. “Good evening!” Antigone greeted him.

“Good evening. It’s good to see the two of you,” Eris replied slowly, clearly waiting for an explanation.

“My sincerest apologies, sir, I’ll be out of the way in just a moment,” Denise told him. “I thought it’d be prudent to adjust the meals for tomorrow but that required more prep work.”

“Adjust?” Eris was confused--not to say he wasn’t normally confused by cooking in general, but he understood this less.

“Ismene’s got the sniffles. Some soup will fix that,” Antigone chuckled. “I just happened to drop by, some meetings got cancelled and shuffled around so I’m left with some spare time, I’m just waiting on a phone call before I get going.”

That made more sense. Eris nodded, the pair resuming their conversation as he went into Ismene’s bedroom. It was rare to see her asleep at all, really; there were multiple times he had to peel her away from her computer or confiscate her phone just to get her to eat, but there she was, snoozing away. Sitting down on her bed, he placed a hand on her temple. Yeah, that was higher than usual. And she was all sweaty, ew.

Her eyes opened at the touch, shifting slightly so she could sit up. She looked pale, her nose all pink and cute, though she looked like she was ready to die. He motioned for her to lay down but she refused, shaking her head. “I received a call from Mr. Abadi. I think you already know what it’s about,” She said, not letting the hoarseness in her voice stop her from speaking.

“I do,” He admitted. “But let’s not talk about that right now, you need to rest. Do you want me to tell Denise to get you food? I think she chopped up the lettuce this time.”

“Better than getting the entire head, but no, I’m not hungry and we need to talk,” Ismene declined. “If this conversation is to proceed, I need to speak freely.”

Oh boy. Ismene was mad at him. Either she was going to tear him a new one or he did something to anger her. There were a few things that came to mind but he wasn’t sure which one it was this time. Maybe it was the suggestion of getting an assistant? Or was it that he wanted Antigone to accompany him to his grandfather’s house instead of her?

Well, only one way to find out. “Speak your mind, then,” Eris made a grand gesture, grinning.

Ismene wasn’t amused, but to her credit, got right to it. “When were you planning to tell me that you became something to Varis Sinnenodel?” She asked.

Oh yeah, he knew he forgot something. “I figured you would’ve picked up on it. You’re a smart girl, you tend to pick up things before I have the chance to even tell you,” Eris replied.

Ismene was entirely unamused by this response, seemingly trying to make sense of what he said before dismissing it. “Becoming part of House Sinnenodel regardless of intentions or plans or developments or anything is not something you can just drop on someone’s lap like this. It’s dangerous. He is dangerous,” She said as she tried to emphasize her point. “This is exceedingly reckless, this isn’t like you.”

“Things have changed,” Eris replied, not really feeling like he needed to justify himself. “It’s different now.”

“Different how?”

How would he describe it without sounding like a total sap? Nah, there wasn’t any way to do that. “We’re involved. Personally,” He shrugged. “And if I didn’t say anything, it was because I didn’t want you all up in a tizzy.”

“I’m up in a tizzy because you’ve decided to let me scramble to make adjustments over the very sudden news that I had to learn about my own vampire second-hand. I just--I can’t accept this,” Ismene informed him.

“It’s a good thing I’m not looking for your approval, then,” Eris rolled his eyes as he stood. “I expect better than this from you.”

Ismene grabbed his arm, trying to prevent him from leaving. “If I protest, it’s because I care about you. My loyalty is to you, and yet here you are informing me that you’ve decided to put yourself in danger and just expect me to go along without saying anything?!” She asked in disbelief. “What sort of mage would I be if I just let you do something so foolish?”

Prying himself out of his grip, Eris shook his head at her. “I know. I’m taking a leap of faith,” He informed her. “All you need to worry about is learning a few new things; for all intents and purposes, everything is business as usual. Rest, I need to talk to Antigone.”

Walking out of her room, Eris couldn’t help but feel a little miffed. He didn’t expect his right hand mage to get so passionate and upset about something that would be a benefit in the long run. Maybe it was cause she knew her lenient life was coming to an end--she was afforded a lot more luxury under him, but being a Sinnenodel mage entitled changes. He’d have to go over that with Varis, he supposed. As stupid as she was being right now, she was at her best when she was being alone, so maybe her worry had some merit.

To his surprise, he found Denise wearing a pair of earbuds as she worked. Clicking his tongue in disappointment, he walked over and pulled one out, causing her to jump in place. “Oh--I’m so sorry, ” She said, eyes wide and full of worry.

“I don’t like these when I’m here,” He commented, giving her a weary look as he noticed how loud the music was.

“Yes, I know, but Antigone suggested it,” She told him meekly.

Was he going to have to deal with two insolent mages tonight? Ignoring Denise’s apologies, he walked over to the living room where Antigone had made himself comfortable, skimming through a book while also listening to music through headphones. He smirked to himself as he pulled his own pair out, giving Eris a wide grin.

“I figured you two were going to argue,” He commented, looking back down at his book.

At least that explained the headphones. Throwing himself onto the couch, Eris let himself sink into it. “Your sister can be surprisingly stubborn,” He replied. “That’s a terrible trait for a mage to have.”

“She’s only stubborn when it comes to your wellbeing. She worries about you,” Antigone chuckled. “Don’t worry, she’s already gone ahead with the restructuring as per Mr. Abadi’s instructions, they’re going to meet once Angelique brings everything she asked for.”

“That doesn’t mean I can just accept her going off like that. No one likes a hysterical woman,” Eris grumbled.

Antigone gave him a half-hearted shrug, closing his book and deciding to turn on the television. A news program came on, with the mage taking out a small notebook and clicking a pen. “She’ll apologize in a few minutes, you’ll see,” He assured him.

Eris mumbled a noise in affirmation, eyes nearly glazing over at the horrid suit the newscaster was wearing. After some story about some port getting renovated, he looked over at his mage. “Are you worried, too?” He asked.

“I’m a little worried, yeah, but if anything happens, that’s what we’re here for. For you,” Antigone replied simply.

That made him feel a little better. He decided to relax a little, another question on the tip of his tongue, but before either one of them could say another word, the television screen flashed, distracting them both.

“We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming for an emergency broadcast. Authorities discovered Count Varis Sinnenodel’s personal vehicle smoking on the edge of Astorio territory.”

Antigone’s jaw dropped, slowly looking over at Eris, who let out a groan. “Well, fuck.”

Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

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---

It was hard not to notice Shev locking the door behind them. Had things progressed that way already? Kazuki figured it would take a little more time until the masses started to panic but he supposed no one could really predict what was going to happen next. An unsettling thought, that was; the idea that the world was trying to kill them was bad enough, but would other players join in and present their own problems? Then again, he was the prime example of that, even if it was relatively mild compared to other things. Perhaps he was overthinking the situation and Shev did it for ease of mind.

The inside of the guild was quaint, albeit he had no idea what to expect. The only experience with a guild he had was Vulcan's Hammer and their modus operandi was primarily for crafting, so it was usually chaotic and had constant socialization between everyone in an effort to get projects done and clientele attended to. He supposed the quietness was due to still mourning their losses. His mind automatically jumped to Luci, but if he was honest, he was glad that he didn't see her around right now.

Of course, no sooner had he relaxed and paid attention to Shev did the world decide to punish him for letting his guard down. It was a little too sudden to react to, though he felt like time had slowed down as the two locked eyes. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting, only that he didn't think they'd be coming face-to-face so soon. Was that naïve? Probably. But there wasn't any time to say anything, and Luci made it clear that they--he, better said, wasn't a reason to stick around. Still, in some strange way, he was relieved that she was up and active. At least she took his words to heart or something, even if he couldn't deny it stung.

Closing his eyes for a second, he shook his head in response to Shev's statement. There wasn't any need for an apology, but he figured getting into it now was pointless; she'd hear about it sooner or later, he supposed. Of course, that begged the question of what the rest of the survivors thought, too, but he wasn't going to jump down that rabbit hole right now.

"Whatever is more convenient, we've imposed enough as it is," Kazuki replied.

---

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Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

---

---

Kazuki managed to hold it together for the most part, albeit he'd be lying if he said he was completely calm. Of course, if he had the time to worry, then he had the time to think of what to say to Graves when he saw him. He had already apologized once, would another work? Perhaps he could try appealing to him again. He could apologize on behalf of his brother and probably make sure he would keep him our of any future fights. He supposed he also owed the rest of the group an apology, one blanket one should do the trick. Possibly.

In truth he actually had no idea, he usually walked away from people that disliked him. Then again, this was the first time he needed to interact with anyone out of necessity for survival. There was also the very real possibility that Graves would reject him and his second apology--what then? He didn't want to rely on Seele too much, but even she could probably only go so far. Just thinking about it was starting to get to him. The hell was wrong with him? Was interacting with people always this much of a pain? Why was he asking himself that, of course it was, it was the reason he went out of his way to interact with as few people as possible.

At the girl's question, he realized he had been unintentionally rude, forgetting to introduce himself and ask for her name. Her question was as good a time as ever to remedy this. "I met him yesterday," He admitted that much, figuring there was no reason to keep it a secret. "I must apologize for forgetting to introduce myself. I'm Kazuki, and my traveling companion here is Seele."

---

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Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

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---

Erianda? Seele must have been talking about the NPCs. Kazuki couldn't say he really knew much, he didn't pay too much attention to the lore of this world...which would probably come back to bite him in the ass sooner than later, he bet. Locations were one thing, but knowing who people were was another. Maybe he should brush up on the little lore he did know, though he wasn't sure what he remembered and he couldn't consult the guides anymore. It couldn't be that hard, could it? He was pulled out of his thoughts as Seele mentioned she was proud of him. It was a weird thing to say since he hadn't actually done anything yet, but he supposed she meant coming here and resisting every urge to turn around. Considering she had stepped behind him, she definitely expected him to go in as well. It was too late to turn around, anyway.

There was definitely a part of him that hoped no one would be around, but fortunately he didn't recognize the face that greeted them. He didn't think the guild was so big that they even had a receptionist. At least Fiona hung out Vulcan's Hammer to take orders, but he didn't think a battle guild needed one. Well, maybe they took requests from denizens? Is that how that worked? Her hat reminded him of the one Seele wore and he felt it was safe to assume she was a mage of sorts.

His eyes darted around as he made sure that no familiar faces were nearby, only clearing his throat when he could assume no one else was around. "We're looking for Graves, has he passed through here?" He figured asking directly would be the best course of action.

---

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Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

---

---

Thorinn definitely wasn't Kazuki's favorite place, either, the humidity was terrible. Not that the heat in Iblenar was any better, but he preferred the dryness, at least. He watched Seele point out a few places, wondering if she knew the city better than he did, although she ended up admitting she didn't know why she was doing what she did. Truthfully, he never knew why she did anything she did, but he didn't mind it. He did agree with her preferences, although before he could reply, she stopped them.

He waited for Seele, deciding he may as well go over his assets. He couldn't access the menu anymore but he knew he had money all over the place, with the bulk of it in Iblenar. He had asked Robin to look over his house there, too, but would the rest of his places still be there if he went to the other city states? Someone could just as easily break into his homes without him ever knowing, and while he didn't have anything of value (aside from the pianos) he didn't know if they would be readily available. Not to mention if the sadist decided to throw on property taxes into the Cycle of Pain then the city was likely to also just seize it from him. Going forward he was just going to assume the world was going to bring every single pain in the ass the real world had, it'd just be easier for him that way.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he let out a sigh, albeit he straightened up as Seele returned. He had assumed she was going to get another witch's hat, but she returned with something else. His mouth formed a small 'o' of surprise as she opened it. An umbrella? Or was it technically a parasol? Either way she seemed pleased with her purchase and they were able to continue on their way.

Picking up where they left off, Kazuki nodded in response. Maybe she was from somewhere that didn't get a lot of sun. Her skin was pretty fair, so that was the assumption he would go with. "Maybe you could enhance it and use it as a weapon," He noted, pretending to swing something. Now that was a comical sight, imagining Seele thwacking someone with a flimsy umbrella only to send them flying.

But he would continue as they walked. "No, I didn't start here, I started in Iblenar and my pathos is Queon," He decided to explain. "Once I got comfortable with the game I traveled a lot, ended up buying a place in every major city-state since it was cheaper than always staying at an inn and more convenient to store whatever I ended up crafting. I'd usually just wait for Benkei to call on me whenever he wanted to adventure, but otherwise I spent my time performing, crafting, and accompanying a friend who usually joined me for traveling."

He hoped Robin's trip was going well, even though he couldn't have gone too far it would be a few days before he would likely hear from him. But he was talking too much about himself, he wanted to know more about her. "What pathos are you aligned with?" He asked.

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Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

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“Because I want to.”

Kazuki couldn't help but stare long and hard at Seele, eyes searching her face for...something. He didn't really know what, but he just found it so incredibly difficult to believe. Why would she want to waste her time on him? He couldn't really wrap his head around it, and even without the situation at hand, he couldn't understand. At least he could understand his brother helping him, because he would do the same for him. But he and Seele were strangers. They didn't owe each other anything. And yet she just wanted to help. For some reason that humbled him a touch, if only because he was convinced there was a better use of her time and effort.

But it felt nice.

Finally, he tore his gaze away, a hand on his forehead as he tried to make sense of anything she said. It was a little rude that she thought he was broken, but he supposed all his moping around would give that impression. Whatever issues he had he needed to take care of on his own, though. He wasn't going to accept any help for that. More importantly, if he was going to do right by the group, then they needed to get going.

Even if it was reluctant, Kazuki ended up following Seele's gesture, looking down at her with wary eyes, "I would rather leave the pastry for last so we don't have to carry it around. It'll probably end up melting by the time we finished everything, so it's better to do that later," He informed her, looking forward as he thought to himself for a second. "We should take care of your errand first and then go to the guild hall. The heat here is tough for people who aren't used to it."

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Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

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Was it the right thing? Kazuki was wholly unsure and didn't think it was a good idea, but he supposed if he was going to be staying in Thorinn for a while he needed to get used to the idea of seeing the members of the guild. But if he tensed up seeing Sif in the tavern, what was he supposed to do when he saw more of them? What was he supposed to say to Priscilica? To Leaves? To Luci? No, there was nothing in this world or the other that could make him face her.

As he looked down at Seele, however, he found it hard to say no. Was he really so easily kowtowed by someone he could probably outrun? He didn't have any real reason to not follow her advice, but he was still plenty wary of her. Admittedly most of that was due to stealing his pastry, but she knew how to get him to do things a little too easily. It didn't feel manipulative, at least, her alternatives seeming genuine. She wasn't being overly sweet or trying to get him to do something for her. But then that begged the question:

"Why are you trying so hard to help me?" Kazuki suddenly asked. "You should be telling me to get over myself but you're going out of your way to accommodate my cowardice."

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Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

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Seele really was naïve if she didn't think that was a possibility. Of course, Kazuki would rather have her nearby in case it really did come down to blows, thought enough to slow down his stride a little. Unfortunately he was just as vulnerable in this world as he was in the real world, though at least there he could take a beating from regular people--Graves was about twice his width and had the strength to beat him senseless. Or as previously demonstrated in the dungeon, he could actually kill him. Graves could very well kill Kazuki. This was not something he had previously considered and did not help his steadily increasing anxiety. What a stupid emotion.

Now that he thought about it, however, Seele's words really did ring true. This entire time Kazuki had operated on the grounds that they were all equal, but the truth of the matter was that they were far from it. Anyone that had chosen to go the tank or DPS route had the advantage if they relied on brute force to get what they wanted, whereas the casters and healers were at a disadvantage. Not to mention someone like Seele who didn't have any offensive capabilities. The thought was enough to make his blood run cold and he had to hold back a groan. No wonder Graves had told him he was a hypocrite, he was useless even compared to Kalie considering she was a DPS, and even a bad DPS was better than a squishy healer.

At the mention of Priscilica, however, every other thought was tossed aside as he felt a weird pain in his stomach. No, it was in his chest. No, his throat. No, it was everywhere, he couldn't pinpoint it, but the urge to lose his lunch compounded with the feeling and his stride definitely slowed down. The one thing he knew was that he definitely shouldn't show his face at the guild hall. What if Luci was there? What if they were all there discussing his failure? That thought alone was enough to make him stop in his tracks, breathing suddenly becoming a hassle.

He couldn't do it. His legs stopped of their own accord and no matter what he tried to do, he couldn't move. Was he dying? Was this more anxiety? Twenty four hours in this world and he was already crippled by something he scarcely felt. It was pathetic, but it was increasingly infuriating to fight. Years of shutting down his emotions and now he was a mess. Pathetic.

"Are you sure that's where he is?" Kazuki asked, his voice a little quieter than usual. "I wouldn't want to make anyone uncomfortable."

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Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

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Seele couldn't have been that naïve. Kazuki had probably been the least friendly out of their little crew. Not to mention friendship had never been a goal of his; what mattered right now was survival. This was beginning to make him wonder why this felt like more of a headache than anything else he had encountered, but any situation consisting of multiple people did tend to give him more trouble than he wanted. Robin's offer looked more and more appealing--at least he could burrow himself in his home there and never have to deal with anyone until he rode out all this. But if he went, he had a sneaking suspicion this girl would protest. Or worse, she'd follow him and convince Hammer not to let him in since he already had an obligation.

He supposed the flexibility thing was less of a hassle, even if it wasn't his favorite solution. He did raise an eyebrow at skeptic--he was being practical, why could no one understand that?--but didn't comment on it. Well, he didn't have a choice. If he was going to put his money where his mouth was, then he needed to follow Seele's advice. He had faith in all but one but if they were going to insist on bringing that girl along then he didn't really have a choice. The decision was made for him.

"Mhm. You're right about most of that, I suppose," He said, beckoning her to follow. "Let's go find Graves, then. If I get punched in the face, you can try to calm him down."

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A Hero's Training!

Locales

Fujioka Senior High
Classroom [whatever our class is]
Gym
Clubrooms [insert clubs]
Student Councilroom
Guidance Counselor Office
Outdoor Court

Coffee Shop KENT
-description
Kotone's Family Inn
- owned by dis girls fam?
Local shopping center
- list
Okubiwake Grand Park Hotel
- chain?
Kaizu Osaki
- A scenic penninsula with a multitude of cherry trees. Has a playground that attracts children and is a popular spot for families.
Lake Biwa
- The largest freshwater lake in the Shiga Prefecture and known for its abundant fish population. Many like to visit when the migratory birds come and go.
Makino Sunny Beach Chinaihama Camping Ground
-camping ground idk
Sakuraba Community
- A cluster of luxurious holiday homes with its owners coming from all over Japan. Most houses are unoccupied but tended to by hired help to ensure they're ready for their owners to return during their breaks.
Makino Pic-Land
-Farmlands located on the west where you can enjoy picking seasonal fruit. These include early summer cherries, rare for Kansai fruit parks, along with blueberries, grapes, chestnuts, sweet potatoes and apples. They also have a shop that sells handmade gelato and souvenirs for the tourists that explore outside of the resort.
Mr. Pumpkin Makino
- A pachinko parlor where time is spent gambling. Despite its cheery name, the building looks depressing outside, with some stating that it's rare to win at any games within.
Makino Kogen Ski Resort
-Makino's most popular tourist trap and the reason it's on the map at all. A primary reason for the rich to come spend their free time here, it's credited for the community of holiday homes collected in the Sakuraba Community.
Manufacturing Plant
-ask for brand
Makino Station
-A small train station that takes people to other towns. Despite its size, the town has made sure to maintain it as the ski resort tends to attract outsiders.