Saint Amongst Sinners

Raphael didn't bother hiding the over-exaggerated eye roll as Nathan continued blathering. Normally this might –– might –– be somewhat cute with Charlie or Mason, two slaves he claimed for their looks and feisty personalities yet always seeking him out. With the priest it was just fucking annoying and Raph wasn't in the mood. He gave an order, he expected it followed especially since that was how the spell worked. No matter, he was fine with some stress relief anyway.

If Nathan hadn't been on his knees, he would have been able to catch himself, but he was already off balance, and so he ended up on his back, rubbing where he was hit, he chuckled. "Wow, my dad hit harder than that."

His first instinct was to run, as he almost always done when things like feelings ever made their way into his conciousness. It wasn’t something he liked handling, there wasn’t a time in his memory that he ever had any control over such things. Usually pushing them away, locking them up to forget them for another century or more. The more he saw Nathaniel the more he was having a hard time keeping it away, something about the pastor was aggravating that part of his head. “The problem is feeling anything.” He said, growing more aggitated the longer he was there. “Not just with you– but others. What do I do with it?” He asked as if he knew all the answers, turning to the human to help him with what he saw as a human problem.

"You know nothing of what you speak, Nathaniel. Of the people that live around us, nor their intentions. One dumb human may be all they need." He hissed, completely baffled at how loose he was being with his mouth. Saying the things he was saying as if he wanted to be accused of being involved. Considering just what he did, being on the council himself, it felt as bit like a betrayal. As though he might not have cared as much as he liked to spew to anyone that would listen. The vampire moved from his lap only to turn on his heel to look at him with a serious look. "You're not safe from prosecution just because you live in the village, just because you are human."

Nathan huffed when Ilya started to get angry with him. "Need me for what? It's like you said, I'm one, dumb, human. I don't have magic, cool powers, or shift into anything. I'm a middle-aged, guy from Boston." Muttering into his glass, "No one has ever needed me for that long. Doubt they're going to need me to kill some haughty taughty vampire king."

At almost every word that left Nathan, Rhys found himself both mildly surprised and feeling an overwhelming need to check over his shoulder every few moments to ensure that such a conversation wasn’t being overheard by anybody who would certainly take offence to hear the current circumstances be discussed so flippantly. Whilst he was aware that a number of the councilmen seemed disinterested in the very real threat to their safety, Rhys personally felt like something more nefarious was only a short while away from bringing itself to the castle’s doorstep. A blase attitude was no defence for an occurrence such as that. However, he could see things from Nathan’s perspective too – why should he care? Not being of vampiric origin, nor finding himself having to deal with the council too regularly… there was no need whatsoever for Nathan to care about a handful of suspicious deaths. Only, as he had mentioned himself, that the spotlight of such suspicion had been cast over the religious leader intermittently. 

Nathan let out a small chortle, "They're not all terrible isn't the great defense you think it is. But you're right, they aren't. I'm willing to bet though, for every actual nice one, there are like ten complete, and utterly awful assholes. Which, when you're our ruling overlords, is a terrible, terrible statistic." Nathan let out a small shrug, "Sure, murder is always discomforting. Even if the person getting murdered deserves it." He swirled his water glass around his hand, not wanting to seem like he was condoning it, but truth be told, Nathan could care less about the dead vampires. Hell, he could think of a few others that if they got hit with a stake, he would give a flying fuck over them, which sure, wasn't the godly thing, and he'd have to pray over those thoughts, not that they would care.

Nathan smiled when he saw Ilya come into the bar, and then make his way over to him. Even if the Vampire was mean to him, he knew it came from a place of appreciation. Like a kid pulling a girl's pigtail on the playground, he didn't know how to show affection, so he showed it in the only way he knew how.....by being a brat. Rather brazenly, when Ilya was settled in the seat next to him, Nathan gripped him and pulled him into his lap, so they were sitting together. Wrapping his arms around the Councilman's waist.

Had he been anyone else he would have torn his limbs off for being so bold, but with Nathan he found himself falling easily into his lap. He'd huff as though he was offended by the whole action, the only way he knew how to react despite enjoying such a bold move from the preacher. His lap was big, and warm, where he fit perfectly without feeling too big or too small. Then his big arm came around his waist making him feel secure and warm, his own hands moving to lay across said arm. The vampire had to remind himself why he was here speaking with him, and what he'd just heard him say.

Nathan shrugged, "Seriously, who is going to accuse me? You really think a human, like me, would be capable of killing two councilmen? Fuck, Ilya, if I could do it, I'd argue maybe they weren't worth being on that little council of yours for simply being so weak. Besides, are you you going to say they weren't assholes who had it coming? Do shitty things and shitty things eventually happen to you." He nuzzled into Ilya's neck. "Besides, even if I was accused, you'd save me, yeah?"

"It would make sense if it was all connected. Personally I think the fangs are offing each other and they're just trying to find a way to cover it up. Put the blame on someone else, they're shitty enough to do that, you gotta admit. I mean look at everything they do around here at Krovs, that's just enough to make me think the vast majority of them are all just a bunch of assholes." When he was asked about what he had been doing in Spain and Portugal, and if it was interesting. Nathan just shook his head and chuckled.

Nathan had been out of Krovs Town for the past few weeks, he was at an interfaith forum giving a series of talks in France, Andorra, Portugal, and Spain. Most recently in Portugal and Spain, he had been in both countries when the news broke about the councilmen, which was absolutely wild. He didn't even realize vampires actually went poof in the sun and that they needed their little rings. He thought they were just power symbols like the pope, and medieval kings.

Having not long finished his shift, Mason decided to stop off for a drink before heading back to Raphael's for the night. He wasn't at all tired, but he had the overwhelming need for alcohol to make him feel at least a little bit better after his long shift. The werewolf had sat down at the bar and ordered something strong, which just so happened to be a fairly large shot of whisky. As much as he had wanted a bit of peace and quiet, he had started chatting to the guy next to him and now they'd got onto the subject of the recent Council deaths.

Ilya wasn’t sure why he was even there, or what he spurred this on so suddenly. Lately he felt as though he was coming undone, crumbling without any idea howto stop it. The mood swings were enough to tell him that much, and usually when he got this way he could go to Remus. The other hadn’t been arund lately so he had to find ways to figure it out on his own. Nathaniel was the only person he knew he could go to without much judgement, despite everything the other was still deep within his religion.

"Hey, hey....." Catching Ilya's hand when he went to walk away, Nathan pulled him closer, against his chest. Wrapping a hand around Ilya, almost holding him, his voice was a low whisper. "Hey, it's ok. You could never waste my time, never. Talk to me, Ilya. What have you been feeling? Are they bad thoughts? Good thoughts? You second guessing things? If you want we could go somewhere more private, my house, your suite. We can do anything you want, I just want to help you figure this all out. That's what I'm here for."

Gareth had been spending more time in the village these days, taking more advantage of the house that he had there. It was easy to slip away there when he needed a break from the castle or a breather from the slaves that he'd claimed. The aswang was currently seated at the bar, nursing a blood wine when he heard the priest or whatever he was talking. The subject drew his attention further and Gareth's eyes narrowed a fraction. A little suspicious that there had been councilmen deaths in the places that Nathan had visited.

Waving his hand, Nathan chuckled, drinking from his glass. "Please, if anyone thinks I could actually kill anyone, let alone a councilman, then they're being absolutely ridiculous. I mean, let's be real, do you think I could actually anyone?" He shook his hand, smacking his knee a little. "Besides I think there's a few other people who need to get the stake first beyond the ones getting it."

With the recent deaths Ilya had made it a priority to keep his ring on him, as he trusted no one even his fellow councilman. He was no idiot, he might not have been brought up in the world of politics but he knew that inner machinations were often the reason for such assassinations. People wanting positions they thing they deserve, he was not free of this very thing, having done what he needed to do to take his own spot. It was why he was so suspicious, sure it didn't happen on the grounds of the castle but that did not mean anyone there had no hand in this.

Nathan smiled when he saw Ilya come into the bar, and then make his way over to him. Even if the Vampire was mean to him, he knew it came from a place of appreciation. Like a kid pulling a girl's pigtail on the playground, he didn't know how to show affection, so he showed it in the only way he knew how.....by being a brat. Rather brazenly, when Ilya was settled in the seat next to him, Nathan gripped him and pulled him into his lap, so they were sitting together. Wrapping his arms around the Councilman's waist.

Hugo should've been more...aware of the situation unfolding with the council, but then again, he was merely a tool for pleasure, a commodity with no reason to stick his nose into anything that didn't require its perky tip.

Nathan listened to the other trying to follow along, but there were a few moments where he got lost before at the end, a wide smile cracked across his face and he laughed. "Oh that's a really interesting proposal, you know it could have been me with the candlestick, but for all intent and purposes, if I could kill a councilman with a candlestick, as a human, I would really be the most powerful being in existence, and I honestly would not be sitting here right now, talking to you. No offense intended, by that, just the reality of the situation, yeah?"

"That is quite the coincidence indeed," Kaden replied to Nathan, brows raising a little that the Krovs Town pastor would be brave enough to say that out loud around here. Someone of the wrong mind – likely a councilman – overhearing that might immediately jump to the wrong conclusions. Kaden, however, was willing to believe that Nathan was innocent until proven guilty. He took a sip of his beer and quietly mulled over everything he'd heard on the news, not wanting to say the wrong thing for the wrong person to hear. "I think it's likely to believe it's connected. Councilmen are high profile figures with a lot of power and a lot of enemies. Timin' seems about right for if this was planned what with travel and whatnot. I think it's a stretch to think two councilmen givin' up their guitars for harps in about a week's time ain't connected." He wasn't about to complain about it either since he'd once fought against the vampires cementing their reign as supreme supernatural species in the world. Was it fair and just for them to enslave the rest of the world that didn't possess fangs and a thirst for blood? Absolutely not. Law was the law and Kaden, ever the obedient soldier, would follow it even if he disagreed.

"It would make sense if it was all connected. Personally I think the fangs are offing each other and they're just trying to find a way to cover it up. Put the blame on someone else, they're shitty enough to do that, you gotta admit. I mean look at everything they do around here at Krovs, that's just enough to make me think the vast majority of them are all just a bunch of assholes." When he was asked about what he had been doing in Spain and Portugal, and if it was interesting. Nathan just shook his head and chuckled.

Emerson had just wanted a simple drink. He just wanted to have something light after a long day. He really didn’t want to be talked to. And out of everyone it had to be the church man. Right about now he was wishing Kaden was arresting him for borrowing the badge. “Of course it is. Have to be real dumb to think it’s not. Though statistically the third killing was a bit too quick. Or rather in my opinion too far. Spain and Portugal are right next to each other. Egypt is further away. Either it’s a group of people or the third is a copycat. But it really doesn’t matter. They can all burn in hell. Especially that shit head spider fucker.”

Nathan blinked for a few seconds, before he nodded. "Hey, that actually makes sense. You're right. It's out of the way, too far. It's gotta be a copy cat, or maybe more than one person?" Shrugging. "Could be a cult who wants to I don't know, topple the current balance of power."

Given his own recent return, Rhys could only sympathise with Nathan’s tale. Given the locations the religious leader had travelled to, it was surprising to hear him speak so freely about the details given the current state of affairs afflicting the council. There was nothing about Nathan that prompted any concern – one glance at the man was enough to prove such a fact. However, Rhys was aware that tensions were gradually running higher and higher. It was only a matter of time before rational thinking amongst the ruling class weakened and anything could be taken out of context to fit the overarching narrative. Still, the excuse to get out of his office for an hour or two and engage in a conversation that didn’t focus on the mountain of paperwork currently sat atop his desk was one he'd welcome with open arms no matter the conversational topic present.

"Oh no, I think you're absolutely right. I wouldn't be surprised if this place gets locked down tighter than a miser's purse. I mean Krovs is the gathering place for all the bloodsuckers. I wouldn't be surprised if the ones that aren't here at the moment come flocking here for safety." Stroking his chin, "I mean look at all of human history, people love giving up privacy, and personal rights if it means that they're safe, or at least think they're safe." Nathan shrugged, this was all above him anyway, why should he care if Vampires are getting blasted here and there. There always seemed to be two more to take every one that went down's place. But hey! I love kids, I would been happy seeing a few of them here and there.