call me angel

   There wasn’t even a hint of flirtation in the malice of Dex’s words, and it made Sebastian curious. He’d started to tune it out, because he knew Dex was never serious, only said those things to get a reaction, and the worst thing Sebastian could do was give him one. Now though, Dex wasn’t even attempting to hide behind casual flirting. Something had changed, and Sebastian wasn’t sure what it was. Thinking back to the interaction they’d had backstage at the party was like trying to remember a faded dream, the edges eaten away at and obscured by what had happened directly after. If Dex had been involved, how could he have looked at Sebastian like he had, as if Sebastian was pulling some long-abandoned thread inside his chest and if he kept at it, Dex was going to unravel right in front him. Maybe this wasn’t the first time Sebastian was close to something Dex would rather not have him see.

   “You thought I ran away.”He was surprised at just how offended he sounded, even to his own ears. “After everything I said?” Suddenly, it was impossible to keep the mask he was wearing from cracking, and he looked away, wondering why this was affecting him so much. Why had he expected Dex to listen, or to understand? They weren’t the same, Dex had said it himself, Sebastian was the only one who recognized anything in Dex. Yet still, still, Sebastian couldn’thelp but swallow around a sudden bloom of awe. “That’s the first time you’ve said my actual name.” It was nice, the way Dex said it. He wanted to hear it again.

   This happened every time he was with Dex. It was always so easy to let his guard down and say things he’d regret later, as if he wanted Dex to understand. He had to quickly compose himself again, because he still hadn’t gotten a conclusive answer, and if he kept dodging all of Dex’s questions, he suspected Dex really was going to kick him out. It was time to try a different tactic. Finally, he looked back at Dex, determined. “Fine, let’s not play games.” Sebastian took another step closer, his breathing getting just a bit quicker. He had to be careful to give away just enough that if Dex didn’t know anything, he would stay that way, and if he did know something, he’d react. “I want to know why Roman was involved at all. He doesn’t have anything to do with the truce. They could have waited for him to leave to get me alone, but they didn’t. That was a huge risk to take. Why?” His hands were balled into fists at his sides, real anger slipping into his posture. All Roman was ever going to experience was pain when he was with Sebastian and that… it just wasn’t fair.

There seemed to be something behind Sebastian’s words, an edge, like Dex had insulted him somehow, called him cowardly. Maybe, in the other’s eyes, running away was. Running was necessary in Dex’s line of work, sometimes you could fight, other times it was better to take the hit. Marriage out of the blue seemed like a reason to pick flight. “Lot’s of people run away from shit like that... arranged marriages,” Dex replied, “It’s reasonable. I would of.” Though, he’d already drawn the line in the sand. They were different people, from different walks of life. Oil and water, they’d never mix, even if some part deep down wanted to keep swirling. When Sebastian mentioned Dex calling him by his name, honey in his voice like he was trying to catch flies. He looked away, face reddening. “Oh. You’ve been paying attention? You care that much?” Dex tried to sound biting, but instead it just sounded embarrassed. 

It must of been hate, that made Dex feel this way. Like his lungs were on fire and his head working over dive. He wanted to come closer to size the princess up, kick and shove. Last time told him not too. Dex never had too, Sebastian came a step closer, a step towards his barrier, the line between them. His breath was gone. For a second, it felt like before. Then, of course, the princess spouted a bunch of bullshit about people he didn’t even know. “Who the fuck is Roman?” he asked, more anger than anything. Now, Dex wasn’t just confused about Sebastian, he was confused about what he was saying. “I don’t know a fucking Roman, kid. Whatever your smoking, you should probably cut down on it.” A part of him wanted to bridge the gap, grab the prince’s wrists and ask him to calm down for a fucking second and explain. It made his lungs constrict, thinking about it, having to be so close to someone like him, Romulus’ son. 

“Look, I have no clue what you’re on about. I’ll let you know,” he started, hopping up to sit on the table, legs swaying ever-so slightly. “After our little talk, I took the place of Dante with an... associate of mine, to which you didn’t show up despite us calling you to the stage a few time and performed... let’s call it a magic trick.” More like a magical murder, but Dex wasn’t about to get chewed out for having a little fun. “Then they announce an engagement with you and Margaret, you never fucking show, I finish up some business with a vampire friend of mine and leave. My friend calls me the next day, says she’s fucking off for a while, so I have to keep my... business running by myself. I was running shit the last two nights. Doing books during the day.” Whatever Sebastian was insinuating, Dex didn’t want any part of it. “Quid pro quo. I told you my story, how about you tell me yours.  Since you clearly think I did something.”

Roman was thoroughly unimpressed with his rescuer. When Stella announced that plans had changed, and instead of being brought to the estate he’d be dropped off somewhere in the city, he was just glad it meant he’d be out of her company sooner. She’d made it obvious that she didn’t like him, and in return, Roman had more or less done his best to piss her off at every turn. He was pretty confused when she dumped him off at some shady looking coffee spot, but didn’t bother trying to get any straight answers from her. It took nearly a half-hour for his replacement babysitter to show, but Roman didn’t care much either way. He had a lot to think over from the past several hours. 

Dexter Woo’s self-introduction ( though strange and somewhat flamboyant ) was met with a soft chuckle. It caught Roman off-guard, if nothing else. “Forty-minutes, half hour? I dunno.” And he didn’t care, truly. “I’m Roman–not a friend of Stella’s, as she’s made it abundantly clear in the past hour.” He said the words with amusement, deciding to take her immense dislike of him lightly. Roman lowered his voice slightly, unsure of who might be around and how his words could come back to hurt him. “I was with Sebastian the other night. I guess–Rom doesn’t want me to go back to the estate until I get my story straight.” Ha. He cleared his throat, pulling back to a normal distance. “So, uh. Why are we waiting at a coffee shop?”

“You’re... that Roman,” Dex replied flatly, not needing much extra explanation to put the pieces together. He didn’t think there were that many Romans, especially ones who Romulus’ might not be so eager to have around. So this was Sebastian’s... whatever. Dex sighed, he didn’t want to to think about that anymore, and moved to hop up on the bar, still facing the guy. “So Stella is your... handler. Designated babysitter. Rom’s a real fucking idiot.” What the fuck had Stella gotten herself into, running errands for a guy they wanted to kill? Perhaps it was the least of their problems, to be honest. Having some unknown lycan in the Pit, near all of their secrets, might be a bigger one. 

Raising an eyebrow at Roman’s question, god Stella really didn’t tell him anything, Dex wanted a cigarette. Being around Sebastian’s boy-toy and his... sired, werewolf child, whatever was exhausting. The guy was more anxiety than the princess and that was saying something. “This is my establishment. I guess also Stella’s as well. I live overhead,” he explained, trying to keep his tone as impersonal as possibly. It was still a strange experience to look him in the eye, the guy he turned. “I’m not connected with Romulus or the Glasgow pack in any way. You don’t need to... hide anything. Could care less about seeing this whole thing work.” He cleared his throat, “How long do you’ll supposed it’ll take for you to... get your story straight. Not that it has to be, of course. I’m quite alright with it very, very bent,” Dex added with another wink. He’d killed his way into this mess and he’d fuck his way out of it. “If that’s what it was.” 

It wasn’t something he could hide, the way he got lost in his own musings in the brief moments of silence between his last words and Dex’s next. He had gotten soft. Of course, it’d been something that’d been happening slowly over the last decade or so, but Astor hadn’t really put actual thought, or acknowledgement towards the idea. It wasn’t good for someone in his particular line of work, to have one, or in his case, three specific weaknesses… but the thought of not having them was worse than any alternative. He was enough to keep them safe. He was enough, he was enough. His brain followed that side path until he felt like he was internally panicking, possibilities made him anxious. Though his face wouldn’t show it, his form did go still, losing that slack that had worked its way into his muscles. Hopefully Dex didn’t pick up on it, though Astor knew that was probably a long shot. The wolf started up again, and Astor did finally pull back from his musings, a small fang-revealing grin on his lips. “Please. You know you’re the only furry for me. Besides, he is a vampire.” And he’d leave it at that. They did like to taunt each other.

He wouldn’t deny that he was curious about Dex’s venture, but he would deny that it was to Dex’s own intentional orchestrating, just as he said. The chuckle that climbed its way out of his throat was sincere, not even dry or sarcastic like it normally was. “My, my, Dex Woo. What have you gotten yourself into? You know I’ll be there, and hell, maybe even participate. Especially of those are the pointers you’re going to give.” He normally relied on stealth, it was a well kept secret that he could handle himself in a fist fight. Maybe he’d have to let that secret loose.

The impulse to open his mouth and explain himself was squashed down. Technically, both of the adults he followed to Tuscany had to be here, and hell yes he was whipped, but none of that was Dex’s business, or anyone else’s. He raised an eyebrow, but didn’t comment, because yes, his viking children would be terrifying. He’d have it no other way. But the seriousness tone in their turn of conversation was already settling in, his mind wandering right back down that path he’d began earlier. And the fact that Dex, always the joker before he was sincere, understood the situation so well only drove home the exact position he had put himself in. This is exactly what he’d been yelling about when the news of them having to go came, his mind only focused on Lili. And he knew now, that he’d lost some of his edge… could he be able to afford it? Would he be able to focus when the time came? Because rest assured, it would come. Before, he would have never doubted these things, but now… Astor shrugged a shoulder, and pulled himself to a stand. He wouldn’t think it, and he most definitely wouldn’t voice it. He schooled his features as he gave a soft, but firm reply, “I’m aware. Out of everything going on here, the one thing I know for sure, is that she’ll be safe.” Point blank, no room for any arguments.

By now he’d made himself uncomfortable, and that on top of how apparently familiar he was feeling with Dex at the moment, those two facts didn’t seem like a good combination. Besides, this was more catching up than they ever did, they might be tapped out for the entire month with this conversation. He put his arms above his head, taking a moment to stretch, trying to shake all of the internal dialogue away, before he said, “Just be sure you’ve got a plan when the shit hits the fan, yeah? Obviously, I’ll be preoccupied, and unable to pull your fluffy ass out of the fray.” It was something he’d never done before, but he leveled Dex with a look, blues sharp and serious, before turning on his heel and exiting the room. He wouldn’t say they were friends, especially now in the climate they found themselves in, but he did want to tell Dex, even nonverbally… to be careful, and watch his step.

When Stella called him thirty minutes ago, asking if he could hurry back to The Pit, he assumed it was some sort of problem— a pipe burst, a quasi-bar fight, something Dex could easily handle. When he came up to the door of his coffee shop and saw another man, a lycan, his nose was telling him, filled with some sort of anxiety. Dex became furious, of course she’d leave him on babysitting duty, while she went off and fucked around doing... whatever. Sighing, he pushed open the door, introducing himself with a “Guess this is what Stella meant by an emergency... Jesus Christ kid, how long have you been here?” When Dex looked up, catching a glimpse of his face, something set off in his chest. Fear, maybe. He’d remember that face anywhere, Christ. Honestly, Dex thought the man probably died too. Instead, he turned him in to this. 

There was a weird part of his mind that took pride in this, establishing himself as some sort of big bad. Another part, much smaller, felt guilty. Then Dex realized he was staring. “Sorry, sorry. Caught me off guard. You look a lot older than expected,” he said, trying to get over his quick flub. He needed to play nice, long enough for Stella to retrieve him and for Dex to explain why they could never be in the same room again. “I’m Dexter Woo, a friend of Stella’s. She, of course, hasn’t given me any information about all this,” he made a hand gesture at the space between them, hoping it might clear something up. “So I’m a little caught off guard. Don’t often see handsome men like you around these parts.” 

   The sound of Dex’s voice made Sebastian freeze involuntarily. He’d told himself on the way here that he was ready for this, that he could confront this, and that his conflicting feelings about Dex wouldn’t get in the way of him finding out the truth. If Dex had been involved in the kidnapping, none of it would matter anyway. It would just be another tally in the long list of mistakes he’d made over pretty boys who only wanted to cause Sebastian trouble. Yet, even with all that in mind, it still took Sebastian a moment to compose himself and turn around to face Dex’s scowl. He stared back as blankly as he could, revealing nothing, shoving down the nerves that threatened to shake their way to the surface. In his coat pocket, he had a text written out to Ophelia with the time and his location and who he’d been following. One simple tap of a button would send it. Sebastian had hoped that would make him feel braver. It didn’t.

   “You seem pretty nervous,” he commented when Dex was done with his tirade. It was even true. Dex was highly agitated about something, brimming with anger, which meant Sebastian was close to something he shouldn’t be. His eyes traveled to the laptop and notebook, then to the door Dex had appeared through. What was back there, he wondered. “Weird that you’d assume someone sent me here to this perfectly legal coffee shop, which you apparently own.” He couldn’t help it, the corners of his lips turned up. Was Dex a barista? That was adorable, and he hated himself immediately for thinking so.

   But that wasn’t why he was here. “You’re surprised to see me,” he went on, stepping away from the counter and more towards Dex. He was paying close attention to Dex’s expression, looking for any slip that might mean he knew more than he was letting on. If their past interactions had taught Sebastian anything it was that Dex’s poker face took time to break down. He was a good liar, maybe even better than Sebastian, but he wasn’t perfect. “I guess that’s to be expected after what happened at the party.” The words were purposefully vague, so that Dex would fill in the blanks for himself. Sebastian himself wore a mask of complete innocence, unaffected by Dex’s clear contempt for him. There was nothing on his face to reveal that Dex hating him stung.

Dex clicked his tongue against the upper roof of his mouth, annoyed at Sebastian’s comment. Nervousness didn’t sit naturally with him, thrummed in his veins like a poison that needed to be purged. Of course he was nervous, the prince was never supposed to be at his home turf. Not before Dex showed him, at least. There was a fucking plan and the kid had to shatter it with his own two hands. “We’re far from the nice, touristy parts of town, kid. We’re out in the warehouse district,” he commented, tamping down whatever anxiety he felt about the other lycan being so close to an important secret. “This isn’t some place you stumble upon by accident.” Nobody came here for coffee, not unless they knew Dex, Stella or his establishment. Even then, most would only venture this far out on late weekend evenings. 

“Of course I’m fucking surprised. I thought you skipped town,” he replied with a shrug. That’s what made the most sense to him, at least. To be frank, Margaret didn’t seem to be Sebastian’s type. Even if he did also like women. Though, the fact that Sebastian was on his doorstep and not two-thousand miles away was clear evidence of something else. Maybe he threw a fit, because he didn’t know about it. That seemed plausible. “Which part? Our fun little romp backstage together or the part where you didn’t show up for a very important engagement announcement?” Then, of course, Dex realized the little game the prince played. Get him hooked on another topic, make him forget about the unanswered questions. “Why are you here, Sebastian?” 

It was clear to him the other night, or he thought it was. The heir of the Glasglow pack was a nuisance, someone who made Dex beyond furious and would probably later bite him in the ass. Now, of course, that the kid was a step closer and a touch more in focus, Dex wasn’t so sure. Being around Sebastian always was confusing, so he’d resolved to just avoid him. No such luck. “Look, if you have something to say, say it. If you want something, ask for it. I don’t have time today to play games,” he said, more tired than anything else. Even if it was a lie, that he could entertain Sebastian for a little while, as his work wasn’t that important, he’d rather not. “Either that or I kick you out and you can run back to your bride-to-be and pick out flower arrangements or an extra-martial affair together.” 

          “Probably, but many of them are just old fogies who’re jealous of anyone with a good head of hair,” she says, giggling to herself.  ( she should know, margaret brushes back her curls and smiles. )  He doesn’t seem to mean the word in a bad way, so she accepts interesting as a compliment. Conversation is so much easier when she’s feeling flattered. And she needs the newfound confidence because his mention of a battlefield makes her stomach twist. She’ll always find the subject unsettling. “Yes,” she agrees simply, lips tightening. “Always better.” Margaret feels too close to an outbreak of violence already, and it’s just as nerve-wrecking as she imagined. Nothing’s happened yet, so she tries not to worry. She’d just rather be away.

         “Ah.” She thinks she understands. Either way, neutral doesn’t sound too bad. “Well,” Margaret settles back in her chair, “if you’re lost, I could show you the way. I have a few hours to spare and the bad fortune to have read everything that’s worth reading from their library.” With a sigh, she frowns at the Kindle abandoned atop a pile of books. “And this thing is — hopeless. I watched a Youtube for how to make them work, but there are just far too many questions. Too many options, I just want to read.” She gives an annoyed little huff and turns back to Dex. Blaming boredom, she suggests, “You could help me. You seem young. Unless your errand needs to be done now, in which case … you should take care of that. I can find someone useful later.”

Dex found himself running his hands through his hair at Margaret’s compliment, the work it took to keep his own hair long and sleek was not lost on him. “Good hair is hard to come by and harder to maintain. You don’t do so bad yourself.” The longer the conversation went, the more footing Dex thought he might have. Awkwardness aside, he was starting to get the hang of a conversion that wasn’t mostly thinly-veiled threats or outright aggression. Listening to her, Dex almost snorted at the idea of reading everything in a library, it seemed to suit her more than he originally thought. “That’s a lot of books,” he commented, turning his attention to the Kindle. Then Dex couldn’t help his laughter after. “You watched a... never mind.”

He went to lean against the armrest of Margaret’s chair, grabbing the Kindle and powering it on. Dex had no use for one, he wasn’t a avid reader, but he knew some of the basics. “My errand is that urgent,” he said, “Besides, I know how this shit works. I’ve always lived in a world with computers and shit, even if they were like the size of a small room when I was a kid.” Even Dex had fumbled with everything at first, cellphones were always a big one, but to a certain extent he needed to keep pace with the times. To blend in in plain sight. It must of been impossible for others, born hundreds of years ago, before even science fiction was thinking about this shit. The screen booted up, to which Dex asked, “I assume you want to read in English? Unless you want to set another preferred language?”

   Technically, Sebastian had been told not to leave the estate without supervision, and for a few days, he’d even heeded that advice. Security had been heightened, though only subtly so as not to frighten those who were ignorant of the events occurring during the party. Still, it had been difficult to slip out of the estate’s ground without raising any alarm. He’d gone to his favorite gallery to calm himself, feeling outside his body and outside of the events that had happened in the past week. He just needed some time to think and plan what his next steps were, if there were even any to take. His kidnappers’ words kept repeating in his mind at night, making it hard to sleep. When he left the gallery, the words returned to him, following him down the street as he looked for a cab to hail.

   Instead, his eyes caught on something much worse.

   Dex was walking with his back turned to Sebastian, turning a corner and disappearing out of sight. If Sebastian had only looked up a few seconds later, he wouldn’t have seen him at all. New words started to flood his mind, memories of what had happened with Dex before he’d been taken. ‘Caring gets you killed. Or worse.’ Had he known? Had Dex been involved? The thought made him grow cold with dread, his whole body shuddering.

   Without thinking, Sebastian quickly crossed the street and followed after Dex, made it just in time to see him making another turn down a smaller side street. Sebastian stayed up-wind, making sure not to let Dex catch his sent and keeping a wide distance between them. Eventually, they made their way to the outskirts of the city, where the streets were lined with warehouses not unlike the place he and Roman had been kept. The heavy unease in Sebastian’s stomach grew. But Dex didn’t enter any of the warehouses, instead he entered a small building, and when Sebastian approached it, he realized it was a dingy little coffee shop. This was definitely not what he’d been expecting. After a few seconds, the curiosity got the better of him, and Sebastian pushed the tiny door open, and a jingle of bells sounded. He looked around the shop, but Dex wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Tentatively, Sebastian went to the counter and leaned over it to see what might be behind it.

Music blasting through his earbuds, Dex was briskly making his way across Florence, paying little attention to his surroundings as he made his way through the lavish, tourist infested areas out to the warehouse district where his base of operations was. Mostly, he’d wanted a relaxing day, one where he could sip coffee without others around and brood on the events from a few days ago. Mostly, he just wanted to escape any and all thoughts of what took place that night, along with all the other fallout. Once he reached the Pit, dull glass windows and wearing wood, he jangled the keys in the lock, before the old door popped open again. He quickly made his way through the coffee shop, to the back, making his way through the open ring to grab a few things from his office. 

Faintly, Dex thought he might have heard bell chimes, but he couldn’t really tell whether it was his music or not. Pulling the earbuds out, he made his way towards the front of store, a few notebooks and a laptop tucked under his arm. Mostly, Dex expected to see a confused customer, not someone bending over his bar. A smirk dancing across his face, Dex wetted his bottom lip. “Hey, Fred Jones,” he called over, making a few tentative steps towards his shitty intruder. “Nice positioning, real nice ass, but I’m not too sure what monster you think is behind my counter, I assure you it’s just coffee beans and—” Dex had been continually walking towards the mystery man, circling him until Dex caught a brief glimpse of his face. His face fell to a scowl, watching Sebastian Barnett make a fool of himself. 

“Jesus fucking Christ, what the fuck are you doing here?” he snarled, voice low, though Dex would prefer it if he were screaming. After that night, the princess was supposed to stay away. Seeing him now only made Dex more frustrated, his an uncomfortable tightness. “How’d you get this address?” he asked, setting down his few things on a table. He then turned around and leaned against it, arms crossed. “What are you doing here? Someone send you to spy on me? I assure you, my business is all perfectly legal. Inspect the coffee beans, if you want,” he smiled. “Though, I doubt you’d know the first thing. So whoever sent you is an idiot.”

   There was an unfurling warmth in his chest at Dex’s words, completely at odds with the fact that this was still a threat. It was nearly like affection, nearly like a magnetic pull, nearly like longing, except he couldn’t allow himself to feel any of those things for Dex, so that couldn’t be what it was. Sebastian had been sure he’d just been teasing at the bar when it came to all those stolen paintings, especially because it had been he himself who had brought it up as a joke, but Dex kept mentioning it, and now Sebastian suspected maybe Dex had been there at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. His pupils dilated further in the already dark space until there was only a ring of blue iris left. “You have a Klimt…” He sounded disbelieving, and unsure, and there was a barely contained excitement under his breath. For an instant, he wanted to demand Dex stop everything and take him to see it, but he’d almost certainly say no, and Sebastian didn’t have the leverage to force him. He knew logically that shouldn’t have been his focus, Dex had just made a rather serious threat on his life after all. And yet, Sebastian didn’t feel like he was in any real, physical danger. At least not yet, and not here.

   But that warm, aching feeling only continued to spread as Dex’s voice got softer and quieter, the burning hiss of his cigarette hitting the wooden floor loud in comparison. It overtook everything else inside Sebastian as he watched Dex’s features grow gentle, his gaze locked on where Sebastian was holding on to him. He knew he shouldn’t put a name to that feeling, because once he named it, the feeling was his, and there could be no denying it. It couldn’t be affection, it couldn’t be longing, Sebastian couldn’t like Dex—Dex was awful, and rude, and frustrating. Except he did. Sebastian did. Sebastian really really liked Dex. “Oh god,” he breathed, dismayed as the realization settled in. There was no way this was going to end well for him. Dex had even admitted it himself: he was mean, he was only toying with Sebastian for his reactions.

   It was for the best, when Dex tore his arm away fromSebastian’s grip, despite the flash of hurt it sent through his expression. Sebastian looked away quickly, biting down on his lower lip hard. It would only give Dex more ammunition to use against him if he realized just how much Sebastian did care, so he’d have to stop being so reckless. What had he even been thinking, allowing himself to become this compromised when outside his father was getting ready to announce his engagement. There was no time for this. “You’re right,” he said, and fuck, his voice hadnearly broken. The hand that Dex had shaken off was clenched into a loose fist around empty air. Sebastian shut his eyes, took a deep breath, cleared his throat. He only needed a second to regain his composure. “You’re right,” he said again, but he was still unable to look back at Dex. “I can’t.”

   His posture was ramrod straight and filled with tension as he made himself take a few wooden steps backwards. He gestured to the new space he’d created between them. “Enjoy the rest of the party, and… I guess whatever it is you have planned here. I’ll look forward to the show.” Then, feeling like his whole body has been filled in with cement, he turned to leave.

Even though Dex had pulled his arm away, pushed away the almost touch that had occurred between them didn’t stop a strange tingling from enveloping it. It felt completely different from when he’d grabbed Sebastian’s wrist, pulled him out into chilly air and watched the heir speed away with the phrase, you’re so full of shit, ringing in his ears. The cigarette was out, not that Dex would pick it up and smoke it anyway, slowly fanning out the smokey haze between them. It was the nicotine, he decided, that was the culprit for the strange feeling. Not the fact that in the dark, shadows dancing across his face, Sebastian looked like someone he’d rather forget. Not the fact Sebastian questions him like he did. Saw through his bullshit faster than anybody else could, with only a few traded sentences between them. 

Sebastian’s voice sounded so fucking strained, like glass cracking, the crumbling of a building. It caused Dex’s head to snap back towards the younger lycan, only to catch a glimpse of an expression that he couldn’t put his finger on. It almost looked sad, made his heart stutter and demand Dex backtrack, grab Sebastian’s hands again and try to soothe whatever he had caused. He felt a twinge of guilt. Confusing, aching, guilt. He had to keep a mantra throughout, this is not him, this is just some guy who you know nothing about. Eyes-wide and star-struck, he watched as Sebastian quickly able to take hold of his emotions, tensing at the second mention of how Dex was right. 

The smoke cleared and everything became so clear, like a dump of water on his head. Watching Sebastian create space, the air that Dex felt he could finally breathe. He swatted at his leather jacket, as if to attempt to clean it of all touch, smile gracing his lips. It was all so simple. Still, the lycan princess looked more stiff, if that was even possible. Could be a straight-up statue. “I won’t,” he replied, “This party is boring, anyway.” He pushed away the thoughts that it was interesting up until the point Sebastian wanted to leave. “Hope you enjoy my show, princeling. Thanks for not calling the I.C.U.”

Watching the heir walk away, entering into the kingdom of light from the clutches of darkness, Dex couldn’t help but smirk at his revelation. 

Dexter hated Sebastian Barnett. That had to be it. It couldn’t be anything else. 

You know him better- she can’t help her expression dropping for a split second, from smirk back to slightly less complicated smirk with that moment in between where she realizes she doesn’t know her nephew at all, but if he’s anything like his mother there’s something worth fighting for. But it’s easy pretend that that’s not what the pause is for, especially not with an innuendo like that hanging in the air. “No, no pounding from behind- god he’s’ a kid.” At least that’s how it felt when the last image of him she could think of was a chubby toddler with red cheeks. There was still some catching up to do with the lanky blonde who she’d caught glimpses of around the compound. 

“I know we’re not going to end up in a jail or dead.” Rules had never worked in her favor, and so far as she could see neither of them had yet to end up dead or seriously injured. Close calls were one thing, but seeing how they were in Tuscany with all limbs still in tact there wasn’t much to complain about. “There’s just no point in a plan yet, it’s not like any of the cards are on the table.” She’d be fine with discussing specifics once there was anything to say, post introductions and all that. If Sebastian seemed unresponsive then there was no point- and they could leave to their next city as if nothing had changed. “Unlike the instructions to this table,” She hated talking about her family and the vast unknown that left her feeling an exposed livewire. Her only recourse was pointing out the IKEA table again, “how are the screws?”

Dex wasn’t paying much attention to Stella, instead focusing on getting the screws in after she so helpfully suggested it. Though he almost choked on his own saliva, hearing Stella repeat the words he’d said before. He hadn’t really conscientiously... thought about the implications of that. “Jesus Christ, I’m not doing it. But you know, he’s very...” Dex turned back to Stella, waving his hands in the air, attempting to conjure an image with his wild motions. “I dunno, boyish looking. Sort of attractive in a very jail-bait way?” God, he was digging himself an even deeper hole. “Look, we get in, get him out, back-stab Sourwolf McTyrant and we’re off to Athens or Paris or Cardiff for all I care.” 

Finally, it seemed the long screws worked, slotting the pieces together in a way that looked slightly... more right. Maybe Stella did know her shit, maybe her bluff got her farther than Dex expected. Either way, step one done. Only like twenty to go. “My former fang-follower is here,” he replied, beginning to show some of his proverbial cards. “I have decent intel that another lycan friend of mine might be coming, but I can’t say for sure. I’m cautiously optimistic, you could say.” Sighing slightly, he turned his attention away from the table for a second. “You were right,” he begrudgingly answered, knowing she was going to hold this over his head for the rest of eternity, “Two types of screws, long and short. Just look so fucking similar I couldn’t tell them apart.” Still, little progress had been made on either of these tables, the one Dex was working on and the one Stella wanted to avoid. He shrugged, deciding to maybe leave the topic for another day. “You seen the estate yet? Shit’s nice.” 

   At first, the threat of violence against his father – and against Sebastian too—made him nervous. He still wasn’t entirely sure what Dex was capable of, and he wasn’t stupid enough to believe that just because he knew Dex was hiding something vulnerable inside him didn’t mean he wasn’t incredibly dangerous. Then the fear turned to annoyance. Did he really think he was so different from other lycans just because he’d been born human instead? As if that separated him from the crimes their species and he himself had committed. But then again, maybe he had a right to his anger. It wasn’t like Romulus had fostered a sense of belonging for any of them. “You wouldn’t be the first person to try going down that route with my father,” he said, keeping his tone as casual as possible. “Yours would be my first assassination attempt though. I’ll be honest, I don’t think my head would look very good on a pike. Mounted on a wall maybe…” If Dex was going to threaten him, Sebastian was at least going to make him confront it.

   Maybe he really had pushed too far though. Underneath the anger, Sebastian could tell Dex was afraid, and that too was familiar in a way that filled him with sympathy. For a moment, Sebastian wanted to reach out and take his hand, tell Dex that he didn’t mean any harm, that it didn’t have to be this way. The urge was so strong that his arm lifted and hung, suspended between them in the air for a fraction of a second, before he dropped it again, feeling foolish. Trying to comfort him would only scare him further, and Dex would hardly believe any of it was genuine. After all Sebastian was only Romulus’s heir to Dex. Just an identity that he could take out all his grievances on. He was as much a person to Dex as he was to any of the people out there at the party celebrating his birth. The thought made him feel nauseous. “Keep your guesses, I don’t need them,” was all he said, voice strained. The glow of the cigarette lit up Dex’s face and as much as he wanted to, Sebastian couldn’t look away.

   They were close again, and he thought of the tide coming in and receding, repeating the same dance over and over again. Endlessly. Sebastian wondered where this would end. Which would give in first, the ocean or the earth? “I could ask you the same thing,” he replied, before he could think better of it. Every time Dex got close, Sebastian breathing quickened and his pulse picked up and it was starting to make him feel dizzy. “Why come up to me at that bar in the first place? Why say all those awful things to me?” As he went on speaking, he found that it was harder to remain calm. Suddenly, as if a wire inside him had been cut, releasing some wave of emotion, he was visibly upset. His hand came up again, this time to grab on to the sleeve of Dex’s jacket. “What do you want from me? What is it that you’re so interested in making me admit and what do you think it’s going to change?” Finally, he looked down at the ground, his fingers clutching at leather like he needed something to anchor him there. The questions had been piled up inside him and now that he’d let them out he felt hollow. “I don’t know why I care…” The rest of the sentence remained unspoken, and quietly filled in the dark spaces around them: ‘But I do.’

The princess was keeping his cool, which caused a strong eyebrow quirk from Dex. Usually people didn’t take well to death threats for them or their ‘loved ones’. He listened, didn’t mention how this time was different, how the forces at play would allow for a different outcome than before. Romulus had never been well liked, the number of assassination attempts are well known. They mostly end in the swiftest, harshest judgement possible. But, it is no longer just lycan business, now that the vampires have come into play. “The Tyrant’s head is a symbol, a trophy. It’s gruesome for a reason,” Dex started, punctuating the statement with a shrug. “I think I’d rather have you painted. I like art, it would be better suited to you.” Sebastian was pretty, maybe Dex would use other words if he was high. It’d be a shame to waste that, mount and stuff something so it looked like a crude approximation of the real thing. A grin went from ear to ear, remembering a certain part of their last conversation. “I’ll hang you up right next to my Rembrandt, across from the Degas. I was going to put the Klimt there... but I’d like to look at you more than her.” 

Eyes wandered to other parts of the stage, the quiet between them more deafening that anything else. Dex’s eyes snapped back once he saw some moment, Sebastian raising his arm, only to thrust it back down again. If anything, Dex should if disregarded the motion, chalk it up to the strange nature of their conversation. Instead, it drove him crazy because he wanted to know. Dex hated not knowing, being left in the dark. Plus, they were so close he could swear he could hear Sebastian’s breath, feel a thrumming of energy that drew him closer yet also wanted to make him run away. Wetting his lips, Dex answer a shaky, “Opportunity,” before Sebastian suddenly latched on to his sleeve. His vision followed, watching warm fingers brushing against his hand, the grip of knuckles against dark leather. He dropped his cigarette, a soft hiss was made as burning embers hit the ground. “You were there, I was curious. I’d only seen you from far away, I wanted a chance to get up close,” he continued, gaze still fixated on the hand close to his. His voice was hushed now, softer, more truthful; Dex couldn’t help it. He couldn’t think clearly when his stomach was doing flip-flops. “That’s just how I am. I’m mean.” 

Dex was mean to Sebastian in a way that was different from anyone else, from the snark he had with Astor, the violence with Ashton, hell, even how cruel and uncaring he was when he first met Stella. “I want... to annoy you. Your reactions are fun,” he lied, trying to divert himself away from the few truths he’d spilled before, things he laid bare but never meant to. Sebastian was very good at making him do things he didn’t mean to. He’d should of stay distant, hostile, uncaring; god, he’d never should of promised to not tell. Even if he wasn’t going to regardless. He’d just looked so scared, more youthful and Dex let his heart guide him rather than his head. Maybe, he wasn’t the only one out of the pair that wasn’t thinking. “You don’t know? You’re confusing.” You’re confusing me, he wanted to say. He didn’t like all the things he felt with prince, the soup of emotions Dex could never tease apart from one another. It was too warm, his senses were too responsive, there was a pounding coming from somewhere deep inside. It needed to stop, because Dex hated it.  

“You shouldn’t,” he said at last, yanking his sleeve away from Sebastian, pulling his arm back. He had to think straight. “Even if you do, you can’t. Caring gets you killed. Or worse.” 

          “If you’d like, it’s always nice to hear,” she admits. Nothing about him screams nice, so Margaret isn’t too surprised that the compliments — ? — sound more grating than flattering.  She accepts them nonetheless. It’s much easier to like people when she speaks for them.  “That’s good to know, but that’s not a nice word to call yourself,” she frowns. “As for me, my bite is far worse — but you don’t need to worthy. Neither are very scary.” Margaret didn’t know a Dex. She doesn’t know many lycans, period, so maybe she’s a little surprised when he moves forward, so fast and sudden that she almost cringes, smile wavering on her lips before she realizes he’s stretched out a hand. He’s being polite. 

         She takes his hand but remains seated, raising her eyes to regard him with a polite smile. “Then, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Margaret says kindly, “it’s better like this than some — other way.” She holds on a little longer than proper because he’s warm, wet blood and there’s no way she could ignore that. But she keeps a soft, gentle grip, admiring the way it feels. “Were you looking for anyone in particular?” She asks when they pull back. “I haven’t seen Romulus around.”

A pin could drop from somewhere in the Tuscany estate and it would startle Dex, the jilted awkwardness of the conversation growing as he spoke. Her words elicited a slight chuckle from the lycan, surprised to see a vampire call him on that. “You’re interesting. The vampires I am... aware of would probably agree with me.” Though, Dex could guess that there were all types that made up covens. He’d just only come in contact with the kinds who’d been hardened by war and slaughter. “Me, worry? Never,” he found himself replying, grin stretched across his face. Despite the fact vampire bites are made to kill, Dex had never found himself worrying too much about it. Most couldn’t get close enough anyway. 

Of course, right now was close enough, hand-in-hand with Margaret. Her hand is a lot colder than he expected, the only contact he’d really had prior was slapping away hands of the likes of Astor or Ashton. “Maybe. It’s better than finding out on a battlefield, that’s for sure.” As if Italy wasn’t another one. Though instead of being fast-paced, it was a slow one, like a game of chess. Something one needed to watch. He thought he might have held on a little too long, so he let his firm grip fall slightly. His face falls along with it when she mentions his least favorite person. “Romulus? I don’t really find myself involved with him, either. I’m more... neutral, I guess,” he sighed, letting out the brief tension from his shoulders. “I’m just on a simple errand. Not really here to see anyone.”

   The anger bloomed in front of Sebastian’s eyes, until Dex’s frame seemed to vibrate with it and Sebastian could hear the echo of it in his words. It should have been satisfying, to know that, finally, he had hit some kind of nerve. But all Sebastian felt was an aching sympathy because the anger was so recognizable he could taste the remnants of it on his own tongue along with the curl of smoke. The thickness in the air and the darkness made it all feel like a dream, which made the next words out of his mouth easier to say, despite their truthful vulnerability. “I’m loyal to whatever’s best for our species,” he said. Romulus would have no doubt found the words verging on blasphemous, but Sebastian wasn’t done. “My mother said that was my father and I have to trust her. My responsibility is to her.” He stopped just short of mentioning the decade he’d spent living in doubt, wondering if she’d only been deluding the both of them, or that his faith in his mother was the only thing left he could give to her.

   There was a moment, when Dex was reaching for his cigarette with anger still bright in his eyes, that Sebastian nearly flinched as Dex’s hands got close to his face. Somehow, he managed to restrain himself, and the only reaction he gave was a small shudder. Part of him thought that Dex wouldn’t be the type to latch on to that particular instance of weakness, but a larger part of Sebastian knew that just because he thought he was starting to understand Dex, didn’t mean he was right. “Does it make you feel better?” he said anyway, testing his theory. “Projecting like that, I mean. Tell me, do you hate Romulus because he’s a war mongering asshole—” the words felt so good leaving his mouth that a smile turned the corner of his lips. “Or do you hate him because he reminds you of someone else?” It was a cruel thing to say, even though Sebastian said it with nearly no inflection. Just a simple question, and maybe that would make it worse. Sebastian wasn’t trying to get back at Dex, he just wanted to stop this awful game they were playing with each other.

   Dex stepped back and Sebastian took a deep breath as the tension thinned. Outside, there was the sound of a wine glass shattering followed by nervous laughter, and the noise brought him back to the present. He couldn’t stay here much longer, they’d be wondering where he was soon. But Sebastian still couldn’t make himself go, not when, for just an instant, Dex’s guard was down again like it had been at the bar. He took a half step closer, not looming like Dex had been. “I’m sure I know some of it,” he said quietly. “But I’ve known people who do terrible things and don’t feel regret. My father and his generals, I don’t think they’re even capable of it anymore.” He paused, glancing to the side as the chatter from the party got louder. Then he turned back to Dex and he frowned. “You don’t act like any of them, only like you’re trying very hard to act like them.”

Dex was struck by the sheer vulnerability of his statements, so much so his eyes went wide and the spaces between his ribs filled with something. Sadness, maybe. Time stopped for a mere moment and it didn’t even feel like reality, surrounded by smoke and shadow. More than anything, Dex couldn’t understand why the heir-to-be would be telling him. He already had ‘dirt’ on the lycan, yet here he was feeding him more. A stranger, with a rap sheet longer than War and Peace. “Don’t act like we’re the same,” he bitterly replied, words more tired than angry. The hubris of born-lycans was never lost on him. Born ones had different outlooks, priorities— calling them a singular species seemed almost idiotic. “What’s best for my species is Romulus’ head on a pike. Blind loyalty to the dead will lead you towards yours as well.” It goes unsaid, that Dex wouldn’t spare Sebastian just because he feels... conflicted, perhaps, towards the lycan. Just because he doesn’t completely hate him doesn’t mean if push came to shove, he wouldn’t kill him too. 

For a moment, Dex visibly tensed, only the embers falling from his cigarette pulled him out of the trace. Sebastian asked him all those questions with cool indifference, like he was simply observing a phenomena and not unwrapping layers Dex had carefully constructed. It drove him mad, how someone who knew him so little, for such a short time would even dare. A part of Dex had always know that he’d projected his so-called father on to Romulus. His father hated him because he was a disgrace in more ways than one, a bastard, a dropout and a queer. And he could never get back at him because he choked before Dex could do it himself. If Romulus was a surrogate for that rage, so be it. A part of him knew, since the day the Glasgow pack had come knocking on his door it’d come to this. It just so happened there wasn’t just one person Dex was projecting on. Perhaps that was the more unsettling revelation of the evening, not just that Sebastian could see through him like a glass pane. “Maybe you’re dumber than I thought,” Dex said, taking a drag again, hoping the nicotine could get him back to the way he was at the beginning of the conversation. “Two more guesses before I tell you to fuck off.” 

A shatter of a glass seemed to grab the other lycan’s attention for a split second, Dex was hopeful that he’d just leave and go back to the world he belonged. Instead, Sebastian took a step closer, so unlike how Dex would crowd someone, would enter into their space. Everything about princeling is weird. He could never tell if he was supposed to like him or hate him. He had to go and break every rule Dex had constructed about him, be so unbearably nosy about things that didn’t concern it. Why doesn’t he just tell Dex to fuck off and leave? He’d rather that than whatever this is. He liked hard lines, easy situations. This was so gray it left him unknowing where he even was. “So? Riddle me this, princess,” he began, taking a half-step towards the other, closing the space between them even more. “Why do you give a shit? Why does it matter if I’m actually bad or pretending to be? If I’m... trying so hard to be person I’m not. What satisfaction do you get out of proving that?”

Name: Naomi. Just Naomi. Last names are for nerds and people that don’t have multiple arrest warrants on them. She choose her current name mostly because Marlowe and Dex wanted to pick Bellatrix and she didn’t need that train wreck happening. 

Gender: Trans-Woman, uses she/her pronouns. 

General Appearance: Naomi could cut you with her cheek bones, they’re that sharp. She’s mid-stature with a willow-y thin build, which cleverly covers the fact she could kick your ass. Her hair is shoulder-length and her hair always looks like it hasn’t been brushed. Her eyes are a weird hazel-green, which Dex partially blames on his biological father. She’s a big fan of vans shoes and bulky hoodies, along with enough necklaces a rapper would be jealous of her. 

Personality: She’s a badass, and she knows it. Naomi and humility are like oil and water, she’ll gladly brag about everything from punching a creep in the face to conning a guy out of thirteen cents on a head of lettuce. She’s more explosive than either of her parents, when anger kicks in she becomes even more ruthless. Naomi is surprisingly loyal once you earn it, but anyone that doesn’t command it will usually get swift stab in the back. If you break any trust she gives you, you might as well go and pick out your coffin right now. 

Special Talents: Making any outfit look bomb as fuck. Drinking alcohol like it’s Capri-Sun. Can and will hot-wire a car for hilarious pranks. Actually able to wash the cats. 

Who they like better: Dex, she’s a total daddy’s girl. Marlowe might be more fun but Dex will let her have literally anything with a bat of her eyelashes and a pout. 

Who they take after more: Marlowe, she’s inherited their like of ‘pranks’ and various exploits that usually involve someone getting killed. 

Personal Head canon: She and Astrid would be a scary duo and they’d probably get along swimmingly. They could probably get away with almost any crime with both of their skill sets and look great doing it. 

Name: Julian Drake. Dex and Roman fought about last names so much everyone got tired of it and Stella made them flip a coin. 

Gender: Cis-male, uses he/him pronouns. 

General Appearance: Could be a Sebastian doppelganger, while they don’t look feature-for-feature similar they definitely get mistaken for one another. Still looks older than Sebastian, surprisingly. Is mid-stature and still really hoping he’ll hit another growth spurt. He’s classic in style, if it’s not sweaters and collared shirts, Julian doesn’t want to wear it. Somehow inherited Dex’s like of leather but very, very high class shit. 

Personality: He’s always the first to raise his hand, answer a question or attempt to prove his intelligence over another. Julian is the Fred of his friends, the mystery-solving guy who’s always trying to tie something to an international conspiracy. Somehow always finds himself in trouble, despite good intentions. Regularly finds himself in police or IPU custody for trespassing on crime scenes but is always able to sweet talk himself out of getting in trouble. Hard not to like him, despite his snooty appearance. 

Special Talents: Figured out how to hack the local police departments sever using tutorials from Youtube. Finding “evidence” that “proves” Bigfoot exists. Can speak ASL. Can dump more coffee into his body than theoretically possible. 

Who they like better: Honestly Roman. He likes hearing the stories behind each tattoo (despite the fact Julian would never want one) and the stories of Roman’s years on the force. It’s weirdly comforting to him. Also because he and June click really well and Roman helped make June so...

Who they take after more: While Julian would claim he takes after Roman, after all, his meddling in almost everything is very reminiscent of him, but he’s actually more like Dex. He inherited the eyebrow quirks and Roman thinks it’s the universe getting back at him. 

Personal Head canon: While Julian seemed like a shoe-in to go to the Police Academy and get his badge, he actually decided to go to college and go to law school. He likes the challenge of it all and it drives him to actually learn more shit. 

Name: Flora Barnett-Woo

Gender: Cis-female, uses she/her pronouns. 

General Appearance: Taller than Dex, Flora towers over almost everyone around her, to a point where she hates wearing heals because it makes her so tall. She looks completely different from her brother, her features more reminiscent of Sebastian’s mother than anyone immediate. Flora changes her hair color on a semi-regular basis, but her favorite color to return to is blue. Loves wearing skirts with combat boots. 

Personality: Almost nauseatingly cheerful, it’s like nothing can ever get her down. The air about her is driven and optimistic, to the point where she can tire out other people around her. She’s highly motivated, but really only does the shit she wants to do, which can sometimes make her come off as ungrateful or whiny. Marches to the beat of her own drum, Flora just does her thing and if you don’t like it she doesn’t really care. Super protective of her brother, it might be the one time when she can actually be scary as fuck. 

Special Talents: Making mix-tapes for every occasion humanly possible. Driving like 20 MPH over the speed limit yet somehow never getting caught. Covering everything in sparkles and having it still look great. 

Who they like better: She’d vibe with Dex more, probably. Just because she’s a lot and it can be super tiring to be around. I think she’d see his cool-ish aloofness as almost relaxing in a way. 

Who they take after more: Hard to say, but probably Sebastian. She’s got more optimism than anyone, and Dex doesn’t have an optimistic bone in his body. The way she interacts with her older brother is also more like how Sebastian would. 

Personal Head canon: She started a band because she thought it would make her seem cooler. Then she realized she actually liked making music and banging on drums, so she kept at it. Her music is very pop-y and way more up Sebastian’s alley than Dex’s. They both still go to all her shows, even if it’s at like 2am or whatever. 

Name: Shay Barnett-Woo 

Gender: Demi-boy, uses he/they pronouns. 

General Appearance: Shay inherited his face shape from Sebastian, but ended up getting most of Dex’s features, from his nose to his hair-type. Shay is medium height, taller than Sebastian but shorter than Dex, though they’d give almost anything to be taller. His style is very punk-chic, boots, plaid and yellow are his favorite items. Despite feeling like he paints his nails all the time, they always looked chipped and flaking. Wears glasses but generally has good vision, they just like the style of it all. 

Personality: Somewhat aggressive, but more than not used as a defense mechanism for Shay, he tends to keep people at arms length. They have a low-tolerance for dealing with life’s shit spew, so they often try and avoid their problems rather than deal with them. He’s also fairly sensitive and dislikes being touched, along with loud noises and flashing lights. Quick to pick fights with others but almost never follows though, his bark is worse than his bite. 

Special Talents: Never doing laundry until they absolutely have to. Being able to do a grand total of one trick with a skateboard. Is a better cook than Dex and can make pretty much anything taste great.

Who they like better: Sebastian, because Dex is a little harsh around the edges and Shay has trouble talking with him. Shay feels a lot more comfortable talking to Sebastian about shit and feels he gives better advice.  

Who they take after more: Clearly Dex. So much so, he’s actually pretty tired of people commenting on it. 

Personal Head canon: Will be an animal lover until the day they die, Shay is always able to assemble all the cats in the house like a magnet. Also is a magnet for every other animal out there, so Dex and Seb have dealt with removing small animals like rabbits all the way up to a fucking small bear from their house. 

Name: Serapis. They probably fought for like seven years about a name and eventually Hae-Nim just did it for them. 

Gender: Cis-Male, uses he/him pronouns. 

General Appearance: Surprisingly short, considering both his parents height, Serapis stands at an intimidating five-foot-three, disappointing Romulus immensely. He’s inherited a strong chin from the guy, but his other facial features seem like they’re taken from somebody else. He’s got a mop of brown hair with loose curls and almost grey eyes. His build is athletic, but not too bulky. Enough muscle where it looks like he could beat you in arm wrestling but you could still take him in a street fight. His go-to outfit is a loose fitting collar shirt and dark jeans, he’s of the mind that simple is better. 

Personality: Serapis is driven, political, and ambitious; yet also a huge nerd who can never shut up about philosophy for five seconds. Way more laid back than either of his parents, Serapis tends to earn scorn by not showing up to certain stuff, cutting meetings, often with weak excuses about the will of the universe or whatever when we all know he was smoking weed. He’s almost comically agreeable, even if you dislike him it’s hard to deny that charm. Once you can get him serious about a topic though, expect lengthy research sessions and even lengthier conversations.

Special Talents: Disappearing without a trace only to show up when you least expect it. Finding classified information online and through databases. Being able to blind taste wine. Hoarding all the glasses on his bedside table.

Who they like better: Keket, mostly she shows some actual affection even if a rock would show more affection than his mom. Also, Serapis respects her more a person so...

Who they take after more: Really neither of them, at first glace, but Serapis’ political nature does somewhat mirror his father’s. Which you should never bring up unless you want a fist to your face. 

Personal Head canon: Serapis was a pain in the ass about wanting to go to traditional human school, along with university, because it was going to ‘broaden his horizon’ and ‘help him with future political endeavors’. In university, he ended up making a lot of human friends and even a human girlfriend, despite the fact both of his parents disliked it. His degree is in business with a minor in philosophy, which isn’t completely useless.