nightray

That was enough. More then enough. It would surprise anyone that Elliot wasn’t yelling though his speech, but hearing his thoughts, everything his friend thought of, planned for the future… that was nice to hear. It felt good, and it made Leo want to try and become a better person then he is. To become strong like Elliot, someone who was hot-tempered, but admirable in many aspects. Where on earth would Leo start off with?

Though thinking of where to begin allow the Baskerville to let out a light laugh. Nothing really has changed. “Elliot, where do I even begin when it comes to you. Of course you would be the one that would come up with something so wishful that it might just come true.”

Unable to help himself, Leo gloss his hand over the piano keys, picking out key points in his friend’s response. “Well- you know I had my reasons for staying quiet. I wasn’t even sure what was going on, and withholding secrets from you is despicable of me as your servant… and as your friend.” Both admitting their mistakes and flaws in front of one another felt like a huge weight was lifting from the boy’s body. 

“You’ll become a fine Duke. Someone who the Nightray family desperately needs. I doubt it will take you long to earn the trust of the others in charge. No doubt you would win over the Vessalius’ hearts. The Baskervilles need to reclaim their own reputation as well now that I think about it. No thanks to a certain someone I’m glad you never had the please of meeting.” ‘And he never will.’

“Though rebuilding the House of Fianna… that seems like a good place to start. You’ll get enough recognition from doing so. Not to mention you’ll make plenty of children happy. You always did appear like a ‘big brother’ to them after all.” A light chuckle before his hands press slowly on the lighter notes of the piano keys. “And you will most certainly make Lady March very happy with your proposal. It will make you both very happy.” It would make Leo happy to see his former Master happy with the people he loves so much. Now when it came back to asking what he was going to do… well, the answer would be somewhat textbook.

“Just as you will try, I would need to restore the Baskerville name. Suddenly becoming the head of a family was not my intention, nor it ever was. That’s something I won’t run from… I’ll have to face whatever troubles lie for a Master head on. To care of the Core- to treat it kindly and make sure it’s never used for someone’s selfish wish. Us Baskervilles have a longer lifespan then the average person. perhaps it’s some kind of curse… but at least I know I have enough time to fix the mess the past Glens left behind. And… I want to see if I would be allowed forgiveness. Real forgiveness. From everyone I cast away because I just didn’t care what happened with myself. Just as I asked, just stay a little mad at me. I’ll have to tell Mitexi the same thing… I don’t want either of you to let me off that easily. i want to work for it.” Leo stopped glossing over the keys, clenching his fist- unable to express how much he wants to work for their own trust. No matter what Elliot said before- he would still need to take some responsibility. It’ll make him feel better.

“That last part is a selfish request but I would like that still. And that is my current plan. Long and calculating… but with the right people around, something I will cherish.”

Elliot listens. Without expressing disagreement or passing judgement, he listens. In his opinion Leo didn’t owe the Baskervilles anything, but what mattered was that Leo had embraced the title and responsibility. A part of Elliot was still accepting the changes and coming to know the sides of Leo that he didn’t show before, and it would start by getting to know the Leo who was both his old friend and one of the Baskervilles. 

He doesn’t follow everything Leo says about the Core and the Baskervilles, but the part about having to fix up a mess someone else left behind? That he understood. 

“The head of the Baskervilles. That’s a heavy title to carry. Restoring their reputation may be even more difficult than restoring the Nightray’s. Seeing you this determined will keep me determined.“

Yes, it would seem they both had their work cut out for them. Even though they had just reunited, there would be other responsibilities separating them now, but if you were to ask him, Elliot felt confident about the future. 

Come to think of it, in the past, the Nightrays were said to be close to the Baskervilles. Their reputations had fallen together after the Tragedy of Sablier. Now, a hundred years later, perhaps they could rise together.

At Leo’s request, he let out a huff. “You don’t know how long I spent being angry.  If I think about it now, I might start to feel angry again.” He learned even his temper had a limit. At some point, he just had to accept that he couldn’t force Leo to think the way he did. “But like I kept telling you, there’s no point dwelling on the past. I realized I was trying to force you to return to someone who you couldn’t be anymore because I was afraid of losing you, too. You don’t know what you put us through, taking off like that. I wouldn’t want to live through that time ever again...but I wouldn’t take it back either. Not when what happened brought us all together.” The people he’d come to cherish more than words can describe had helped him through. What he thought he’d lost, he’d found again. So though it was painful, he wasn’t resentful. But if Leo thought he was getting off easy, he was wrong.

“My favorite character? There’s no question. She’s strong and brave and tries her best to protect her Master Luca. As for least favorite...obviously that scheming vampire forcing others to do his will.” 

yeah same ahaha there are a few wild ph characters!! surprisingly like jack, oswald, and miranda i know off the top of my head

Second place goes to Elliot and his rants, because boy did he talk a lot when he ranted. 

There was no doubt that after a few more months of practice for Elliot, he’ll be back to his usual form when playing the piano. It must feel weird for the nerves to not work the way you want them to. Knowing how stubborn the other is, Leo is sure that he’l get it down in no time.

Leo observe how Elliot began to jot down a few notes, scratch out others that were there. Improvising the song sheet to make it beneficial for the two of them to play together… 

Before Leo would sink further into that thought, the other’s words brought him back, glancing at Elliot as he continued to scratch out a few other note keys on the song sheet. Somehow looking at him like this was a little strange. It took a moment for Leo to realize that now, it would be impossible to hide whatever emotions his eyes express, now that it was visible for the world to see.

A moment of silence took over just as Elliot finish speaking. The boy let out a chuckle, as if to cover up the odd silence between the two. “Well, that came out of no where. I didn’t think we were going to start reminiscing about the past. Whatever happened back then, happened. There’s no way to go back, or change it… and even now, as I said before… it’s something we can’t go back to.”

As much as there was a small part in him that wish they could… it was impossible, without screwing up some time paradox, or destroying the lives of hundreds of people. 

“This doesn’t have to do with bringing back anything. I’m telling you this because I want you to know. When I picked you as my valet I’d already rejected a dozen other people my family chose.” Elliot wasn’t finished. Maybe this was out of nowhere, but he decided now was when he would spill everything he wanted to tell Leo. After a close encounter with death, the strain in their relationship, losing the people he loved without even a chance to say goodbye... Elliot wasn't going to waste any more time holding back because of pride or other reasons that felt insignificant now. “I was looking for a friend, not a servant. Someone I could speak to as an equal and who would speak their mind back. That’s who you are to me. That hasn’t changed.” 

“There were things about you that surprised me. Like why you wanted to hide your eyes...I never got that part about you. Not until you left and told me about Glen Baskerville. It made me realize I never knew the burden you carried. Even now I want to say ‘you’re Leo, I don’t care what Glen Baskerville wanted of you or any of that’, but it’s not that simple is it. After all the arguing we did I get it now. As for me, I’ve also been self-centered. Still forcing my opinion on others. A hypocrite for telling Oz one thing and doing the opposite. I was frustrated. When I lost my family, all I could think was that I didn’t want to lose you, too. You’re not someone who can be replaced.”

“Whatever you were trying to do to change the past, I’m glad you finally got it through to your head that it was a stupid idea. Even if there are things I regret, I wouldn’t trade anything that happened. I must have told you a million times-- whatever, I’ll say it again. I don’t regret choosing you as as my servant. I’m not going to act like the past we had is lost time. 'Whatever happened' back then is still important to me, Leo. Even if it’s painful to think about now, I want to remember. That Chain forced me to forget and I hurt you because of it. I don’t want to forget anything anymore. Not Lutwidge, not Sablier, not you or the friends we’ve made. Even the things about my family or myself that I’m not proud of.” He touched the scar on his hand. It was his resolve to take all the painful memories with him. He would carry them and his sins with him always. Elliot straightened up and looked Leo in the eyes. Honestly, he preferred talking like this rather than through those glasses and mess of hair. 

“You’re right that we can’t go back to the past. I’ve thought about what I’m going to do. I’m going to become Duke, Leo. I’m going to rebuild the Nightray House and find those who worked with my father and hold them responsible for their actions. I’ll make the Fianna orphanage a proper home for the remaining children and for all children who’ll live there in the future. I’m going to work with Pandora and the other Houses and, slowly, maybe the Nightrays can earn their trust again. I won’t be who my father was. When I’ve done all that and I can find pride in the Nightray name again, I’m going to ask March to marry me.” 

In the ballroom filled with chatting noblemen and noblewomen, Elliot felt stifled by formalities. As the night stretched on it became obvious who were approaching his family only to curry favor and who avoided him, the Nightray name bearing a stain they’d rather not be associated with.

Lighten up, Elly. Try and make some friends, Ernest had noted his frustration and said to him, before taking off with a lady on his arm. Elliot watched his brother leave, overhearing the way Ernest placated her. ( “He can be too blunt sometimes--” ). Scowling, he muttered loud enough for the next person to hear, “shouldn’t have asked if she didn’t want my opinion.”

“Elliot…”

“It was pitiful.” Leo was sure he could come up with more creative word then that, but it certainly describe the mood he felt after that piece. The two of them together is probably worse then when he and Vincent played together!

The boy sighs quietly, looking down at the keys again. But thinking a moment longer, Elliot was right… it could have been a lot worse. Eyes shifting towards the other before a smile he hadn’t shown in a long time appear over his lips. “Well, I hope this will improve if we keep practicing. Three hands and a keyboard. Well, two and three quarters.” After all, noting the other’s scar, it would make sense that a few nerves would not function properly, the way they use to. 

That was it. The smile he wanted to see. Elliot was hit with relief that made him realize he’d been holding in his worry. “This?” He waved his scarred hand dismissively. “Is nothing. I’m just rusty. I’ll be back up to speed in no time.” Not that he had any doctor’s words to back him up, only his own gut drive not to let some injury stop him.

“Playing like we just did though, we have a lot of work ahead of us.” And by work what Elliot meant is to pick up the sheet music in front of them and scrawl over it with a pen, crossing out notes that were obviously unattainable and revising it to make it suited to two and three quarters hands. 

“You know when we first met, you pissed me off in every way. Then I heard you play. Well, that also pissed me off because of how naturally good you were. That aside, your music had this...calming effect that I can’t describe. I was impressed. And even though you were annoying, I liked how direct you were. No one had spoken to me like that before.”

Elliot's pen halted as he started to speak. In Leo’s absence, he’d thought long and hard. He’d come to know there was a haunted side to Leo that Leo hadn’t shown him before. His friend returned not Leo the servant but Leo Baskerville. While Elliot couldn’t understand everything that entailed, he wanted Leo to know that he accepted him past and present. That Leo was important to him, and that he wanted to be honest with each other. That included conveying the feelings he may have once held back from expressing to Leo in his pride or anger.

If Elliot ever contracted a Chain (like a proper one, not the murder egg), I’ve decided its powers would be defensive only. It will have some kind of shield that is unbreakable except receiving damage will tire out the contractor so in the end it’s a battle of will and endurance. I’m thinking about what Reim said about Chain compatibility and a defensive Chain would be perfect for Elliot.

I also imagine that if Elliot were given the chance to contract Raven, like his siblings he wouldn’t succeed. His brothers were furious that Gilbert did succeed but Elliot didn’t think Gil was stealing his chance or anything (after Gilbert would be Vincent, anyway). If anything, Elliot felt it was proof of Gilbert’s place as a Nightray, which is why he was so angry and hurt when Gil left and seemingly abandoned the family. As the contractor of Raven and “bearer of the black-winged Chain”, Elliot saw Gilbert as having responsibility to protect the family.