Senecio adn Tide II

[VisAnastasis]

Tide, who was only one working without stop since this started, could not reply, his lips upon Senecio's, but the simple decorative mask was removed from his face, and in his foamy blue eyes, Death could see determination, the same one Demon had in its eyes when he was determined to prevent Death from dying at Cernunnos's fortress. He was as ready as he was going to be, and Eros nodded too, unlike Tide's savage determination, his face carrying simple dignified confidence.

[Mirach]

Death made just a little motion with his hand, but it rippled through all layers, returning the soul to the body.

[VisAnastasis]

The body, despite all their efforts, was still frail and damaged, but the soul did manage to return, if at least in this first moment, for how long, and if it will gain root there again, it was hard to tell so soon. Eros kept stabilizing it, observing the changes carefully, to see if it will come to consciousness or start breathing on its own. Tide didn't dare look aside, not yet, although, as soul returned, he didn't firmly control, but more gently aided heart and lungs, hoping Senecio would soon begin to breathe, as he could barely say or see much other than his face while their lips were sealed.

[Mirach]

The soul settled in tentatively, and in its presence the vital functions stabilized soon. Maybe too soon. Senecio opened his eyes and the pain hit him before Death could start healing what Svarik didn't manage.

[VisAnastasis]

They did lay a pretty good foundation, but still, it was suspiciously fast, and it drew the attention of everyone awake anew, worrying them. First thing Senecio sow as he opened his eyes, was Tide raising lips from his, and his bright eyes full of seafoam, dimmed with feverish fret and care.
" S-seine...? " he first, barely dared to whisper the name, steadying his voice. " It's okay, it's okay... Do not worry, Seine...  we've got you... "

[Mirach]

Senecio's pupils were still dilated and he couldn't see Tide's face well. He bit back a whimper of pain, despite his body shook with it. "Forgive me..." he whispered. "I didn't want the war..." 

[VisAnastasis]

Tide's eyes widened a little with it, as he wasn't present at rehearsals and knew how deep in the role Senecio can get. But, taking things as they come, and just too relieved to hear his voice, demon snorted a little, and reached hesitantly for his face, putting his palm against Senecio's cheek.
" I know, dear, " he whispered gently. " Please, don't think such frivolous thoughts. War is war, and it was terrifying, but you are you, and I am me. " the shadow of the play and event was still on his shoulders, but his words were simple and sincere. " There is no world or future I can imagine in which I wouldn't forgive you... "

[Mirach]

"Is it over then?" Senecio asked, gritting his teeth against a wave of pain. 

But Dearh already started healing him then, slowly and carefully repairing the damage that the poison left. 

That clashed with the character, though. He didn't understand why the pain is lessening and his hold on consciousness was slipping. 

[VisAnastasis]

" It doesn't matter if... that it's not over yet. " Tide replied to him gently, worried all the more as Senecio was slipping away from him so soon. " It's just important that it gets better. And it's getting better, don't you see? " he caressed his cheek with a trembling gesture. " It is just important that you get better... "

[Mirach]

Death looked up from the healing. "He's talking about the war," he said hoarsely. "He thinks he's Death... he must know who he is or the soul can't connect properly..."

(OOC: Hans promised to help him get out of the character)

[VisAnastasis]

" But I promised him that I will accept him in all his roles. H-how... can I tell him it's not him when it's him now? " Tide bit his lip, unsure what to say, of course knowing Senecio is in the role, but not knowing how to tell him he's not who he thinks he is.

Hans, who was helping out Conrad with unconscious Svarik by now, originally planned to let Tide handle this, as he didn't want to bud in of their private time after such horrific event, no matter what his heart wanted, restraining himself for sake of their privacy. But he couldn't watch this any longer, seeing, unlike him, that Tide is just too considerate to figure out how to do this without hurting Senecio's feelings. Hans was willing to take that bet.

He apologized to sir Falcon, and then, he knelt beside the weak actor. He knew Senecio can't see him well through dilated pupils. and he welcomed it, as he looked quite awful. Instead, he laid his hand on the actor's chest.

" Senecio... Come on, you silly lazy bug... " he said, only one in their group who, amidst this horror could gather the impossibly heavy determination needed to speak casually. " Don't leave me hanging here. I promised you the most awesome ball ever, didn't I? Did we get all those awesome clothes sewn from Alpha for nothing? I got all your favorite foods, and I made them play your favourite songs. You wouldn't bail on me, would you? "

[Mirach]

Senecio didn't react at first, slipping into unconsciousness. But at the mention of the clothes, something in his face appeared more alert, struggling to stay awake and connect the confusing dots. It hurt to be awake, though. He moaned, trembling on the whole body.

[VisAnastasis]

Hans didn't yield.
" Come on, don't pretend you don't want to go. You picked the outfit so carefully! " he told him, taking his hand into his palm, pressing it lightly as he spoke alluringly, while Senecio was trembling, himself pulling form last reserves of his mental strength to keep the casual tone, using Senecio's own words while describing it. " The hat like midnight shadows crisscrossed by thin silvery lines of dew-covered cobwebs, and feathers that are burning like fire. The soft black cloak with a rim of a cloudy night, no stars visible in the sky, and a gap in the clouds, just at the horizon, with the last rays of sun colouring the sky, and the first stars appearing, like pearls shining with pale inner light... A belt that foams like a sea. It turned out so, so stylish... " he tempted him, as he often would when speaking of things he knew actor adored. " You were going to look so outlandish today, and make everyone turn their heads. We were going to go in matching outfits, and make everyone that hates you insanely envious and bitter, remember? You won't let me go out alone now, will you? We need to spite them all together... "

[Mirach]

The actor opened his eyes again and this time there was more Senecio than Death in them. He meaned, clutching the hand holding his like a lifeline.

[VisAnastasis]

Hans pressed it back firmly, only a slight tremble in his gesture. Then, after taking a deep breath, bringing himself to do something he normally would not do, he leaned towards him more, and lowered his head to actor's hand and kissed it, before, while still holding the hand firmly, Hans leaned Senecio's knuckles against the skin of his cheek, and let it brush across his scarred face. He knew the actor had to remember the texture of it, a memory if all the times he put on his makeup, a memory that has no place in Death's mind.

" You promised to do my makeup for the ball, too. Do you remember? It is important for me, you wouldn't forget that, would you? " he whispered, words he would not dare say so openly otherwise. " But I wouldn't blame you if you did. I arranged with you to do it for me and brushed it off like it is no big deal, but it's a huge deal to me. You gave me my real face back. No one else could do what you did for me, Senecio... You gave me my face back, again and again, like it's nothing. I... looked forward so much, to wearing my best face for you today, and making this ball awesome and fun for you... you always cheer me up when I'm down too, after all... you make having fun seem so effortless... "

[Mirach]

When he could only see blurry shapes, the touch grounded Senecio. He groaned with effort, trying to speak. "If... if you paid attention... you'd be able to do it yourself now..."

[VisAnastasis]

" What? Now, that's just mean! " Hans snorted hoarsely with a grounded reply, holding the actor's hand against his face firmly, as he spoke. " You can't compare a wizard and a wizard's apprentice, can you? I paid attention, but my work can't compare to yours. I don't go around asking you why you can't write a symphony from the first go, do I? B-besides... " he cleared his throat, admitting what he didn't find the need to before. " When I do it, I only feel stressful, wondering if I'll miss a spot, or if people will realize how self-conscious I actually am by how much effort I put into polishing it. But when you do it, it's not stressful, but fun. When you do it, your sheer confidence rubs off on me, and I feel happy. So, I am going to keep finding excuses to make you do it for me, okay? " his hand trembled a little, his words that someone on the outside would deem sharp, to Senecio feeling like familiar banter. " You're going to have to suck it up and get used to it... "

[Mirach]

As Death progressed with the healing, Senecio was able to think a bit more clearly, too, and tried to take in the situation. "Tide?" he murmured, grimacing with pain. "You're here too, aren't you? I... I can't see well. Is that... is it going to stay like that?"

[VisAnastasis]

He couldn't see well, but he could feel a hand reaching for him, and caressing his hair - a hand familiar, and familiarly gentle.
" Do you mean doing Han's makeup? If yes, I'm afraid you're going to have to suck up and get used to it. H-hans can be annoyingly persistent sometimes. " Tide's voice was trembling, but trying to imitate Hans's casualness, rather unsuccessfully. " If you mean the sight... I do not know, but we will figure it out if it doesn't improve, don't worry. In the worst case, I will make a deal with Janus to get those special vision adjusting glasses made for you, okay? But your pupils look very dilated, almost black, so it should get better, at least in part, with some time... "

[Mirach]

"They should be to normal when all toxins are cleared," Death murmured. 

Senecio tensed when he recognized the voice. "Oh. You're here. That's embarassing... How... how did you find the play?"

"Let me finish healing you first and then I'll tell you."

"Oh the suspense," Senecio muttered, despite his voice being faint and weak still. "How did you find it?" he turned to where he suspected Tide was.

[VisAnastasis]

" Honestly? You will laugh at me when I tell you. " Tide's voice cleared up from sorrow a little, with embarrassment. " It was very good, but... it's my first play, you know. Well, second, including the one from couple of centuries ago, but I left that one before the first act was over, so this is technically the first, and... " he seemed shy as he admitted while caressing actor's hair. " It felt so real. It was intriguing and interesting for the most part... but I am so foolish. Whenever there was a fight or people were suffering, I felt like I was seeing the real thing. I wanted to jump down, to intervene, to help... " he chuckled, and Senecio couldn't see him blush, but he could hear it in his voice. " I am such a silly person, aren't I? Thank goodness this was important for you, or I'd have totally given into temptation and ruined it... "

[Mirach]

"We really should do something romantic next," Senecio murmured towards Hans. "But it was good, wasn't it... ow... I don't remember... much of the last act... What happened? Oh... Guilamo..." He started to tremble forcefully as his mind finally picked all clues and caught up with the state of his body. "Guilamo... poisoned me?"

[VisAnastasis]

" I will have to investigate further. It is likely to be him, but I don't get it. How could none of us see the needle until now? Janus checked everything below the stage, so could have it been placed above the stage from the start? How no one noticed it when moving the throne? How none of the Being craftsmen noticed it? " Hans spoke, disheartened. " We have made more than one person here mad, there are more candidates... "

Eros, who was determined not to draw attention to himself, though, didn't have the heart to let them suffer, torn by doubts, and only then brought himself not to spoke up.
" No, it was Guliamo," he whispered, timidly and sadly, but surely. " It is true some people here dislike, hate, or wish ill to you two. But none of them was focused on you tonight or had feeling of expectation or anticipation of your demise. Giuliano was feeling so wrathful and hateful to you before he died, and I could feel he was plotting something against you, but did not know what, and I could only tell Hans as much. If anyone did this, it had to be him, and if anyone knew or suspected, I can not tell right now... "

[Mirach]

Senecio curled on his side, looking like he was going to throw up as he felt like Guilamo was touching him with his sweaty fingers even from his grave, and he was so weak and helpless to resist.

[VisAnastasis]

It weren't Guliamo's sweaty fingers that reached for him this time, though. He felt Tide's hand on his shoulder.
" Seine...? Don't worry, Seine... " creature whispered, and caressed him hoarsely, trying to smile against lips that could not raise with pain. " You were acting so well, the end was amazing! Your acting tricked us, and no one knew it was real, expect Eros and Hans, but we will be careful from now on. We will throw away all props and start from scratch if we need to, too. I'll make sure there is nothing else that can hurt you... "
" He clearly planned for this to kill Senecio by the end of the play, though. "Hans joined in fervently. " It may sound bad, but it's actually a good thing. It means it's highly unlikely he put any other trap, as this one was going to work if all of us weren't here. He couldn't possibly have had time to so elaborately plan for more than one. "