Re: Senecio adn Tide II

Posted by VisAnastasis on
URL: http://cherrizon-2.93.s1.nabble.com/Senecio-adn-Tide-II-tp19275p23804.html

Conrad seemed greatly relieved as if from impossible, the task at hand suddenly turned manageable.
" It would have been a nightmare... trying to question and weigh everything I do, to figure out if any little warmth is okay or if it passes the line... but if it is just about not creating monopolies and competing with time, yes, that is already a more tangible goal, " he seemed encouraged. By both his effort into reacting honestly and saying how he feels, although he was squirming and clearly unused to being direct and honest, it was clear he was putting great effort into being transparent, so he would not cause Lipka doubts that he is reserved from her... He was clearly determined to not mess things up. As he kept talking, it was likewise clear, that he was not sharing his feelings casually, but that he was consciously putting effort, trying to, just as he said before, build something on sincerity, not half-truths. " We did not spend that much time together yet, and when we were, it would always circle back to Svarik, so I do not know what you think of me... but... if I were the kind of person that wanted to monopolise him, I would have used the chance when you considered going back to your hometown, to try to grow the rift between you two and have your mutual misunderstandings grow until you would break up... I would not have bent over backwards, to try to convince you to stay, and figure out how to get you two to get that behind you. I am not saying that you two would not be able to overcome it if you both tried... just that I do not want to use petty tricks to try to win him for myself alone. Besides... the anxiety of being excluded... is not an enviable feeling. It is hard not to fall under it, " he admitted, shaking his head quietly. " If you are anxious you would be excluded now, when the three of us are closer friends with each other than with you due to our circumstances... I am likewise discouraged, of what will happen... once the child is born. It would be so very easy... if you felt I acted too familiar... to claim I am meddling too much beyond my rights, and intruding on your family time and private affairs. It would be very easy to mark me as someone who should stay aside, outside of your circle, and you would be within your right if you were to tell me I have no right to share your and Svarik's time with your child. Whatever role I try to squeeze into to not be left behind, friend, best friend, brother or partner, I can only depend on your good will. I will never give you reasons to worry, that I am planning to monopolise the currently favourable situation in my favour. It would be shameless of anyone, to hope for warmer treatment from a person to whom you'd deny the same thing... "

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Simbel's gaze was filling up with warmth and determination, and from being nervous at the start of the conversation, it became bright and brimmed with hope.
" Whether they stay or go, yes... If you are allowing me this, I would do anything to help them get extra protection... " with that determination, he turned his gaze to Alpha pleadingly, and ancient Star could not help but chuckle heartily, waving its hand away.
" My dear, my my, indeed, Gods should be at least that adorable to be worshipped! Okay, you cute racketeers... Materials for such heavy protection are not cheap and easy to acquire even for me, since I will have to make deals among quite a few Beings and mine a bit anew in deeper Layers, but I don't like such cute kids getting in danger, so, as long as you are as certain as this that one day you won't put cheap blame on me, and claim something bad wouldn't have happened if I didn't provide your little demonic entourage with too much, I am in, " he glanced back to the timid unsure vampires, his fingers passing through sketches on the table a little more thoughtfully, before his gaze fell back on Svarik and Simbel, and orbs of his eyes curved, though they  seemed weary despite their warmth. " Even if I am doing it for brownie points for such a cute pastel God and sparkly Sun King, still, it would set a bad precedent for the future, if I were to give something with getting nothing in return, of course. I do not want to be demanding, though, since the pleasure of good looks is very little part in safety you are hoping for from me. So, do you have any special things you would like to offer me for this deal? I usually like to watch people squirm and sweat a little to figure out what is best they can give me, but you are in need, and I am depressed, so I could suggest a prize and see if it suits the two of you, unless you have no specific offer in mind for me. "

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When he unpacked it, he could see it was a lovely little photo frame, clearly made by a highly skilled experienced person, decorated with real high-quality silver and mother-of-pearl mosaics of little roses with thorns woven delicately around the rim. It was truly an exquisite work of art that Hans clearly commissioned from a famous Lowlandian craftsmen especially for him, but on top of that, within the frame, there was a painting that on the other hand, was not made by a human hand.

" Ummm... Alpha can capture the likeliness of people from his memories, by combining and putting its reflections to canvas. He can't recreate something he's never seen, but he can capture the likeness of things he has, and blend them together until it feels like an intentional panting, not a random frozen snippet in time, " Hans coughed, despite clear bubbly anticipation, wiggling his tail with some nervousness. " I have a collection of little family paintings made by Alpha in one of my personal rooms... so when Tide and I discussed what would be the best surprise on the small scale, we  thought it would be fitting to bright more life into the place, so this is what I picked for mine... first milestones are important... "

" Yes, the three of us spoke most carefully about it in our thoughts so we wouldn't spoil the surprise. Oh, Alpha really poured his heart into this one, it turned out so well! " Tide explained brightly. On the little painting, with details so delicate no paintbrush could replicate them, was a realistic image of four of them - Hans, Tide, Senecio and Alpha, as they looked that day they went shopping to the Fourth city, at the time they sat down in that nice cafe to rest, where they had a nice drink to relax and made a toast to the future family. It was clearly not a single captured moment, but a refined process and Alpha seemed to have poured some of his own magic and warmth into the photo, because there was a pleasant feeling of care woven within it, and the figure of the four people in it was shifting but lightly as if they were breathing, and the colour was shining and wavering as if the Star captured the summer breeze and the cosy sunlight and placed it within, making it feel soothing and peaceful.