Re: Svarik and the company II

[Mirach]

"I think we should finish it together," Senecio said slowly. "It may feel like ruined to me, but not for Tide. It is a nice gift and he deserves it. Let's make it as good as possible."

[VisAnastasis]

" I need to ask... Do you really want that? " Demon asked quietly. " If you do want it... Then maybe we could try to see... Maybe we could still enjoy this. We could salvage it. It would be more bittersweet than I hoped, but if it's sweet at least... We could try. I don't know if I can do this, if I am just... just a third wheel for you. I don't know can I do it, over will of us both. " he admitted quietly. "  And, to be honest... All I can imagine right now, is Tide figuring out that we did this over will, and having his face fall in sadness... The weight of that image is crushing for me. I don't want... to imagine that... "

[Mirach]

"Do you think he could figure that out from the present if we don't enjoy making it?" Senecio asked. "I do not want that... Do you think we could still make it together? I would like to try..."

[VisAnastasis]

" I would like to try, too... " Erdel said quietly, and hesitantly, he dared to glance back at him, carefully, slowly, hurt and still on guard, but opening up to that possibility. " But only if you're willing to be open about it and try to enjoy it, too. As long as you don't see me as a third wheel - which, honestly, I can't understand why *would* you. It's almost funny. " he smiled, and that smile was imbued with some thoughtful sadness. " It's absurd, because I am not interested in him, like that. I am not available. I have loved once, deeply and madly, and I am not even sure, if I can love again like that. It's absurd because... I was the one that *got you* together. You wouldn't had been, had I not agreed to let him guard you, as you requested. " he let lad see some of his bafflement. " There is literally, no reason for jealously from your side. I told you that very night, if you hurt Tide's feelings, I'll not let it go unpunished, but I'll let him see if he wants to look out for you. I felt you two may get along and worked on my instinct. I was never your competition... I was literally your matchmaker, for crying out loud..."

[Mirach]

"I'm sorry," Senecio sighed. "I just feel like he could get someone much better than me if he wanted. I don't quite get why he chose me, and I'm afraid he might dump me for someone better..."

[VisAnastasis]

" I am not saying I know what's going on in his head... But I know he's self conscious about the way he looks and how others see him. I think that your fascination with him makes him forget about that focus on ugliness and feel pretty instead... " vampire smiled somehow sadly, as he added. " Come on, don't pretend you aren't aware how handsome you are. To be considered attractive and desirable by someone as attractive as you, I imagine it's something new for him.... And to be honest, I rather think he's anxious, that he's just a novelty and nothing more than fascination, and that you'll eventually leave him for someone more attractive and normal... "

[Mirach]

"I know many handsome people," Senecio said depreciatively. "Actors have to be... But he is unique, and wise and kind. I am just handsome, like dozen of others..."

[VisAnastasis]

" Well, you are certainly not really wise and kind, but.... You are definitely, hm... unique. I don't think I have ever met someone quite like you. " Erdel said slowly - it seemed that, for some absurd reason, despite his honesty, vampire tried to be... supportive. " So, at least you can be sure to have that going for you... As for wisdom and kindness... Well, you have Tide. Maybe you could just... watch and learn. That's what actors do anyway, don't they? They observe and track down traits they need to represent, and learn how to do that... " he paused, and admitted. " I am not an actor, but I gained habit to observe a lot, in last months, too...  "

[Mirach]

"Yes, that's what actors do, but it is just that - an act," Senecio sighed. "But maybe it will stuck if I try it long enough, who knows..."

[VisAnastasis]

" Hey - I am a soldier, and if I could learn a nice thing or two from people better than me, I dare to say, I am sure you'll too, if you put effort into it. " vampire told him quietly, and then he brought himself to smile a bit, as he added carefully. " You should get to it, urgently, really. You know how to be a deceptive knight in the night, but what if you suddenly get a role that requires you to be super kind and nice? Your whole image as a great actor will fall apart. Maybe even sooner than you know - if Death is written rightly in the play as kind and benevolent, you'll be up to some serious struggles to represent it, heh... " he stuttered... it seemed he tried to lighten up situation, and make a joke. " But if you persist and learn from Tide, I'm sure you can patch up enough knowledge to save the act. If I managed to learn, you can too... "

[Mirach]

"Oh, it's no problem to act benevolent and kind in a play where everyone is true to the script and you don't have to guess how they are feeling. Real life is a bigger problem..."

[VisAnastasis]

Erdel nodded, watching in the distance. For a moment, he took a deep breath, and he seemed to enjoy a bit of reprieve, from exhausting conversation.
" It was not easy for me, either. It's not easy to be kind to people you are indebted to, when you feel so ashamed and worthless that you want to just throw yourself in the thrash. I should have been sentenced to death, rightly... But Svarik spared me. His friend sir Falcon has taken me in, and he looked after me. I am truly, an unhappy person... But I felt that I still had to be kind to them, and to put myself to their service, to thank them for the life they gave me. " he whispered quietly then. " I think that if you practice kindness long enough, it sticks with you. I am still learning every day... but I'd like to think it was like that, for me, and I hope it will be like that, for you... "

[Mirach]

"Really?" Senecio looked at him as he found it hard to believe. "You did something deserving death? That's hard to believe..."

[VisAnastasis]

" Well, yeah... It were complicated circumstances... " Erdel bit his lip, as if not sure should he say it - but maybe because of Senecio's own situation, he swallowed the discomfort, and said slowly. " But let's say I was loyal to this dubious figure of authority that came out of nowhere... To a new general, that was a vampire. I was dying from liver sickness I gained from my young age, but he saved my life, by turning me into vampire, saying he's messenger of The Bull who told him I was special and all, worthy of salvation and glory... You can imagine how loyal I was, to a man whom I owed my life like that. " he whispered, and couldn't help but look away in shame as he added quietly. " And let's say that when general ordered us, to destroy and slaughter Lowlandian council... I took a part as we slaughtered Lowlandian council. And former general Irnet. And any other smaller lesser men who needed to be removed for a cover up. Only few of council survived. They elected king. King trialed us as traitors, but spared us.. You can guess the rest. "

[Mirach]

Senecio was quiet for a while, the story sounding too familiar to him, and still raw. "It sucks, owing someone who leads you on a wrong path..." he murmured, and then stood up. "It must be past midnight already. Let's finish the present."

[VisAnastasis]

" It sucks. But you are right... " " vampire whispered quietly, as he stood up slowly, and smiled a little. " Let us think about happier thoughts. Let us make Tide the cutest, sweetest gift ever... Deal? " he asked, and then slowly and carefully, as if offering a truce, he extended his hand to the actor in offer of a handshake.

[Mirach]

Senecio accepted the hand, and pressed it in confirmation. "Deal. So you wanted to get more shells to crush and sprinkle on top?"

[VisAnastasis]

" That was one of my ideas at start... " creature replied after they marked the deal as confirmed. " I thought it wouldn't be bad to have some variation, with sweet and glitter. After hearing of Tide's taste of shells, I tried one, and I found I can eat it with my strong teeth... But it just tastes alright, not delicious to me. Like some hard candy would, had I not known difference - but apparently, he adores it. I thought, more of what he likes, the merrier. There are not too many weird stuff around the shore, so I also had a thought that it would maybe be neat if we could take your boat and go a bit further on open sea, where I could dive deeper in and bring you things from the bottom for you to sort out... I thought it would be fun, and I was... invested. " he cleared his throat, as he added appealingly. " But I understand you must be tired... It's alright, if we go back to mansion, really. I would rather have us have some calm time packing up the sweets, than have you dead tired by the time we'd get back, if I delayed us any further. "

[Mirach]

"I'm used to be up late at night, but it's true that I'm tired and it's cold and wet here. How about you just try to find some more nice shells from here once more, and then we go inside and do the decorating part?"

[VisAnastasis]

" Alright, I will dive one more time... Under one condition. " Vampire agreed, and slowly, he took of his own soft warm cloak, a  part of his form, and, much mirroring Tide's kindness of the first night they met, he extended the cloak to the actor - as if in a quiet, hesitant, but solemn offering of trust.

[Mirach]

Senecio looked down. "Thank you..." he said, accepting the cloak.

[VisAnastasis]

" You're welcome. I, um, fear it's just a borrow, not a present... It's super uncomfortable for demons to take of their clothes - it's like second layer of skin, I was told. So, I expect it's return, when we get back to the mansion. " vampire grinned little shyly, and once anew, one last time, he dived into the sea.

[Mirach]

"I know," Senecio nodded. "I will keep it safe."

[VisAnastasis]

Erdel was gone for around ten minutes this time, wanting his last find to be worthwhile.
After ten minutes, he returned, with a oyster, not really too big or beautiful, but when he opened it shyly with little grin, Senecio could see a sweet little black pearl inside.

[Mirach]

"Oh, that's a great find!" Senecio told him. "We can put this like cherry on top. By the way, these are rather expensive. But normal pearls are not that cheap either. If you need some money for prsents, you can just find and sell a few..."