Senecio adn Tide II

[VisAnastasis]

" We'll talk more in the morning, now, let me see where that useless brat Tide got lost..." Hans murmured, and turned to search, but then, Eros gently made him sit down in free chair.
" He sow us get up and wanted to give us more time, but you know him... He got distracted soon enough. I will call him." He imposed himself gracefully, and went to bring the demon.

[Mirach]

Senecio let his head fall back on the table, drowning in the noise of feelings from the room, but unable to resist them or focus on anything anymore.

[VisAnastasis]

Eros brought Tide right away, knowing Senecio is passing the border where it is safe to remain in crowd. He himself decided to stay at the ball for a while longer to make sure it ends smoothly, and Tire, with permission, took both Senecio and Hans who were both at their limits and carried them to their carriage.

[Mirach]

Senecio had his thought drown out by the noise of feelings at that point, and didn't care that Tide is carrying him or how he looks during it. He leant his head on the demon's shoulder because it felt nicely cool against his feverish brow. Once they left the crowd, he sighed in relief, but it took him a while to really start perceiving what's going on.

[VisAnastasis]

Despite not knowing if it's concious choice or not, it eased Tide's worry of Senecio's dislike of him considerably, and demon felt touched and happy with actor leaning against him in public, as well as hopeful with Hans not refusing him now that they were going out in public. At this point, Hans was at the end of his wits too, his eyesight growing too blurry, and unlike Senecio who was running a fever, he seemed to grow more unresponsive and lethargic, due to his inability to regulate temperature properly when in hightened emotional state, his body  growing rather cold in response this time.

Tide held both of them closely once they sat down in the carriage, cooling down the actor while warming Hans, focused on trying to make sure they are as comfortable as they can be during the ride home, instictively lulling them lightly, trying to help them stay calm.

[Mirach]

The relative quiet of feeling after they left the crowd, combined with Tide lowering his fever and lulling him made Senecio fall asleep almost instantly.

[VisAnastasis]

Hans remained awake until they reached mansion, only not by phisical strength, hut mostly through sheer force of will and anxiety, although he was weak and barely concious, that last forced investigation draining last bits of his determination.

Once they reached mansion, Tide carried them anew, up the stairs, picking his own bedroom, knowing they should feel safest there. Not wanting to part them, knowing it would be better if they are there to keep each other company during night, Tide laid them on the same bed, and tucked them in, Hans murmuring something illegible in miserable protest, but not having strength to resist, and not needing to do so right away, as no one was watching how bad he looked and that took of some pressure.

[Mirach]

Senecio was deeply asleep and didn't wake when Tide lay him on the bed. He didn't wake on the next day either, and slept through it until the next morning.

Svarik did wake the next day, around noon, stumbling out of the bed dizzily.

But Death didn't sleep. Being left alone, he finally had time to reflect on everything that happened without having to pay attention to othets, and it helped him deal with the pent up emotions of it on his own, private way. 

[VisAnastasis]

( OOC: So, as far as I get it, Senecio will sleep through whole next whole day, but Svarik will wake up first then, on that first day after? Still, while Tide will make sure to stay whole night to take care of the two, he'd feel like going to visit Death to check on him, so should we get through that first? As for Svarik, Eros choose to stay at mansion and not return to his city right away, to make sure he does wake up and doesn't fall into slumber, or give him another dose of nutrients if he doesn't wake up on time, so when Svarik wakes up, he'll find him and Conrad doing some tarrot card readings together, I feel Eros would def have an unusual hobby like that )

Tide stayed with them both, not daring to leave their side when they were so ill. While Senecio slept deeply in his fever, Hans's sleep was shallow and restless, and even when he would fall asleep, he would often flinch and toss and turn and shiver and whimper in his dreams, and Tide remained to take care of him. Only by the time sun was rising, did Spirit calm a little, finally knocked down more by exhaustion.
Only then, Tide felt he could have the right to leave for a little bit. He didn't leave them alone, though - he asked for Melody, who was in the house, and bid her a favour to watch them, knowing she knows Death's identity, and would gladly do him the favour of looking after his friend and boyfriend in exchange of him checking on her former king.

Tide was relieved with that, but he was thoughtful, reflecting on the last day more calmly with the slowly rising sun. He left to the kitchen, picking up a fresh batch of Death's special cookies from Jake who prepared them tirelessly. He put them in a big jar, and slowly and with attention, he tied a violet bow along the edge of lid as decoration, and drew little simple kitten heads across it, with great care. After he put that little personal touch to the gift, he took it, and quietly he walked back to his floor, and to the room with White and Black doors, and hesitantly, he knocked first.

[Mirach]

(OOC: yes, I wanted to give a timeline)

There was no response for a while, but then, from the other side of the door, sounded a quiet "Come in, please."

[VisAnastasis]

Tide, who was on one side torn about whether hesitance meant Death was sleeping or not okay, on other sign determined to be patient, breathed out a little in relief with the sound. Stil, it took him a moment, as if to prepare himself for the encounter. He still carried the ballmask over his face while he walked the hall just in case he meets someone by chance, but now, he removed it.

Shifting the jar into another arm, with free hand he easily opened the massive door, his eyes searching Death's.

[Mirach]

Death was sitting on the couch where Tide left him, and his face seemed calm, almost peaceful.

[VisAnastasis]

Tide took in the sight, and then, he walked up to him slowly. First, he left the mask at a table aside, and then he stepped to the sofa. Now when he was there, though, it seemed as if many words were swelling in his mind, scattered like fireflies, and none felt like  just the right words to say. In the end, creature first timidly offered the full jar in its hands.

" I am sorry to disturb your rest when you haven't called me. It is just that... I was thinking about you a lot,  " he whispered." And I thought you might be feeling hungry by now..."

[Mirach]

"Hm..." Death thought for a moment. "I think I am. Thank you. How was the ball?"

[VisAnastasis]

" Hmmm... honestly? " Tide paused as if gathering determination to be truthful and not just say it was alright. "For most people it was fine, but for me, it was like a bunch of sourdough with barely one chocolate chip in it, " he tried to smile faintly but was failing, as he handed the jar to lying creature carefully. " It was nice to see so many there, but that made me feel even worse because I couldn't enjoy their company sincerely on such a rare occasion. On one side, Hans scolded me constantly, on the other side, Senecio got disappointed in me, but... at least I found it in me to sing one song, and Senecio did let me carry him in public a lot. So, long story short,  I am still glad I choose to go...  "

[Mirach]

Death took a cookie. "Did it make it better or worse that I wasn't there?"

[VisAnastasis]

Tide's gaze got a little serious with it.
" How could I say better or worse, when how it would make you feel would determine such a thing? If you forced yourself to come over will, you'd only feel miserable, " Tide replied without any doubt this time, despite he couldn't help hide just a streak of sadness in his unexpectedly somber tone. " Thank you... for preventing me from making you miserable. I wasn't thinking straight while pleading for you to come, and later too, when I was convincing you to pick someone to keep a watch over you... I must have been quite... overbearing, " he cleared his throat. " to make even someone patient like you, annoyed with me... "

[Mirach]

"I was more annoyed in general," Death murmured. "I needed a moment to myself to take it all in and I was running out of the will to interact with others, squeezing out the last drops of it. I'm sorry if it made me harsh."

[VisAnastasis]

" I just thanked you for preventing me from making you miserable, so why apologize for that? You were pretty lenient with me in last days, so when you got annoyed, I knew you needed this really bad, " Tide whispered, his words a little more uncertain though, and timid, as if, after yesterday's events, he felt rather worried if his attention was burdensome. " When I think about it, I must have seemed really clingy. I just got so used to it recently, but we were on the run back then. Now you are safe, so it is natural that you assert back boundaries you could not when we focused on survival. Did I... come to check on you too soon? Am I... too assertive? " he asked quietly. " By coming here before you called me... "

[Mirach]

Death shook his head slowly. "No. I expected you. I just didn't have a preference about when. I wanted to ask... can we do the Semai thing again? I think it would help me to process some things if I see them through a different perspective."

[VisAnastasis]

Tide was taken aback by that request. He grew thoughtful all of a sudden.
" When... two are bound as Semai, thoughts and feelings of both affect the experience of the whole. And I've had... a lot of unpleasant thoughts about myself since last night," he whispered then, not saying no or yes outright yet. " That is, I am not sure if it'll feel quite like the last two times. The first time, I was determined to be with you as I am, the second time, I was free to be with you as I am and trusted your desire to heal my burnt hand. But now my heart is... unreasonably petulant. I am not sure you will like it, and... " he looked down unsurely, but his words were open. " I am not sure my heart could take another rejection so soon... "

[Mirach]

"Okay," Death said simply. "It doesn't have to be now. I'd just like to do it when you are in the mood. What rejection did you face, if I may ask?"

[VisAnastasis]

" Well, it is a long story... but in short, " Tide whispered, as if unsure if Death would want to listen. " Hans, that is, Llyr, is someone I've been close with for longest time... but whenever I show concern for him, he responds harshly. The growing distance is... painful. " he sighed. " And Senecio... he discovered that he has the ability to feel emotions of others now, and I felt too embarrassed about it because unknowingly, I was emotionally drooling over him a moment before. I feared he will see me differently when he grows to see how different I am. He was disappointed with how I responded. The growing distance... was like a cold shower. Disappointing both my first family and best boyfriend in one day is really a record, and... " he tried to jest and make light of truth. " If I get even my Semai disappointed, I'd probably spontaneously combust into sea foam...  "

[Mirach]

"Ah... so the blood Eros gave him actually had side-effects," Death sighed. "Well, it's up to you. If you don't want to do it now, we won't. But maybe you could also use a change of perspective."

[VisAnastasis]

" Well, a perspective with something other than a disappointment of how childlike, simple and tactless I am would be nice... but you can't guarantee me that. No one can guarantee they won't be disappointed in advance," Tide replied, and as he looked up at Death, there was some sadness, but also, lot of thoughts bubbling under surface. " I have been thinking a lot, though. If I really do not bother you... may I stay here with you for a bit? A lot happened yesterday. If we jump into being Semai right now while you have lot of thoughts to deal with, and while I have lot of things to deal with, it can become a mess, and we can hurt each other's minds. To decide whether... we can be Semai right now or not, we first must make sure we know where we stand... "