Amante del Dilf Medio

Sebastian considers his choices. He could be quiet and have Stefano become so frigid he simply stops moving. Or he could try and understand the fucked up version of reality in Stefano's fucked up little head-- he could keep him talking so he doesn't just pass out and fade away.

Pressing his lips together, Sebastian decides he's tired of people dying because he failed them. If nothing else, he at least owes Stefano for taking that hit for him.

"...what's 'beautiful' to you, anyway?"

Is this concept of ugliness why Stefano is so cold? Sebastian swallows, glances down at where the man's fingers have curled into his shirt, and then draws his arm up slightly so he can rub his bicep. The friction offers some warmth, but he's not sure how much; truthfully, Sebastian just needs something to do with his hands before the posiiton leaves him restless.

"I know it's not the Harbingers," he mumbles, his rubbing gradually slowing into something more akin to stroking, "and I know it's not the clothes I wear." He's gotten enough backhanded comments about his plain shirts and blue jeans to last a lifetime.

"I also know you showed me some of your work, but I was way too pissed off to get it." Obviously. Stefano probably already gathered as much, though-- that nothing else had mattered to Sebastian at the time of his battle than his daughter. "If it's technique, you got that in spades. But your subjects...

"People see the beauty in a life being born, and yet, when a life is lost, it is deemed nothing but a tragedy, regardless of how or who or why."

As Stefano presses his forehead against the side of Sebastian's neck and his fingers mindlessly begin to toy with the fabric of the shirt. Even if the warmth offered is limited, it's welcomed and helps him steady a good deal.

"The harbingers are nothing but shock fodder and your clothes are uninspired. But capturing the moment of someone's death... well, there's so much feeling in it, it..."

Stefano trails off with a sigh and his hand lowers from Sebastian's shirt to his own lap.

He's unsure of why Sebastian has taken a sudden interest in his art, but Stefano's all but certain he'll be met with the same judgement and baseless criticism for it, regardless.

"It doesn't matter."

"The one time you shut up," Sebastian mutters, "and you're acting like a cat."

But the other man is deathly cold. Perhaps more so than a typical person suffering blood loss would be. Is it a side-effect of Stefano's pessimism in survival, maybe?

Sebastian sighs, deciding that he'd rather not risk the possibility of Stefano killing himself on accident. The crossbow is removed from his back and leaned against the wall. "Enough. You're not gonna get anything out of a pose like that."

He slides lower, pushes Stefano down a little aggressively, and then makes it so that they're both lying on the carpeted floor. It isn't comfortable in the least, but there isn't much by way of comfort in this visitor centre, and Sebastian doesn't really want to figure out the logistics of doing this on a chair.

"C'mere," he mutters, pulling Stefano close with an arm around his shoulders. If Stefano'd been trying to cuddle his fingers earlier, he slots against Sebastian's side now like a human puzzle piece. It'd be horribly embarrassing in any other context.

Sebastian's other hand takes Stefano's wrists, guiding them up so he can huff warm breath against palms gone pale. Then he manoeuvres him so that callused fingers can rub at Stefano's hands with his arm still cradling him close.

But he couldn't muster anything up other than a sigh of contentment as he begins to pull him in closely.

"I don't think I'm going to die, Sebastian. Not yet, at least," he admits in a soft voice, his tone wavering as his breath stutters minutely. "I am, however, very aware that I likely won't make it out of Union. I'm certain Theodore would have changed me into one of those tragically ugly harbingers."

He pauses once more to recollect himself, taking in several deep, long breaths as he huddles into the warmth Sebastian's body offers him. When he comes to a bit more, he knows he'll wonder why the man who so easily could have killed him fought so hard to keep him comfortable.

He'll also wonder why he enjoyed being so close to a man who would have killed him without a second thought if he remained the only obstacle between himself and Lily.

"I haven't been beautiful in quite some time."

He closes his eyes and lays his head upon Sebastian's shoulder, a hand raising to gently clutch at the front of the elder's shirt to keep him close.

It takes everything in him to keep his mouth shut. He'll do it for her, though.

Seeing the way she hesitantly approaches Obscura, though, he understands now why it is Stefano was convinced his daughter wasn't scared out of her mind. Lily's trembling when she reaches her hand out to touch Obscura's camera head, and he can see the way her lip wibbles and her eyes start to fill with tears, but he's sure that all Stefano sees is a little girl making friends with his precious creations. The fear doesn't compute to him nearly as much as Lily's soft admission of "I'm glad you liked my drawing".

Jesus. Sebastian swallows. He has no fucking idea.

Everything makes so much sense suddenly that he can't help but feel anything except pissed off about it.

"You played with them, huh?" he asks, acknowledging Lily. She looks over her shoulder, nods once, and sniffles before saying, "Just Ms. Obscura... M-Ms. Guardian was out fighting with you."

I remember. "I see." Sebastian's arms cross over his chest. "I'm glad Ms. Obscura was so nice to you, then."

"Y-Yeah--" Lily flinches at a chirp that comes from Obscura, wrenches her hand back as if she were burned, and then steps back towards Sebastian's ready hands. He takes both her shoulders in them, squeezing in comfort.

"You okay?" he asks.

"She just--" Lily's only barely keeping herself from whimpering. "I got surprised..."

The ground beneath them trembles. Sebastian's thumb strokes the side of Lily's neck, feeling her pulse jackrabbiting in fear, and then dips his head to kiss the top of her head.

"It's okay, sweetheart. She's just excited." A beat. "Why don't we, uh... play a game or something? Maybe that'll help Ms. Obscura calm down, huh?

Though, as a game is suggested, he falls silent.

A game he suggests? When was the last time he himself had played a game.

There's a sense of discomfort that settles into his bones as he attempts to hide the fact that it'd been so long since he'd played a game, he can't even remember when or what it was.

Still, there's a smile, albeit forced, as he nods in agreement.

Turning his attention to his saddened Obscura, he delicately strokes her neck with gloved fingers as he attempts to console her after Sebastian so rudely interrupted her time with her beloved comrade.

He knows better than to dwell on it, though.

It's best for Lily if he continues on.

"And what game do you think we should play?"

Guardian and Obscura also seem to be on board at the thought of a game.

He's seen what happens to the people who die in this world. Connelly's scared, dead body, Jimenez' fucked up little corpse-- the thought of returning to the real world and finding Stefano's lifeless body in a container fills him with dread, and he's not sure if it's because that'd be someone else he failed to keep alive, or...

God, that he's afraid of losing him.

"Don't be stupid," he hisses. "I'm not letting you die." You're my only lead to Theodore is a reason he thinks of giving, but the logic falls apart even before the thought fully forms in his head. Kidman had provided far more intel than Stefano could-- in two minutes after he called her, no less.

Value is a peculiar subject. Without Lily's powers, Stefano's hardly the formidable man that he was when they first clashed. In terms of back-up, he doesn't know how to use anything well but his knife, and when he throws it he still has to get it back. In terms of everything else, the man's got a shitty attitude, they don't really get along, he scares his daughter like crazy, and...

He got hurt trying to protect him for some convoluted belief that Sebastian deserved to live more.

"We've come this far, Stefano," he says, tone softening some. With luck, maybe Stefano would think it was just exhaustion. "What, you get bit once and that's it for you?"

From his crouched position, Sebastian moves to sit by Stefano's side, sighing as he does. "Only because you finally asked me nicely-- fine, I'll kill you before anyone else can." He curves his palm over Stefano's shoulder, then finds himself surprised at the chill he can still feel even through the shirt. Jesus. "But we're not gonna get to that point, all right?

"I'm not letting you die," he says a second time. "You offered to come with me-- that makes us partners.

It's moments too late that he realizes he's beginning to curl into the comfort that Sebastian's touch brings. Though, even when he realizes that he's all but holding the detective's hand against himself, snuggling around it as if he were a child with his teddy, he makes no effort to undo his movement.

All thoughts of the point he was trying to make, why it was important that Sebastian kill him before anyone else has the chance, slips away as he huddles against as much of the warmth the appendage has to offer.

"Own," he repeats, unaware that the word left him at all as shivers begin to roll through his body.

While he wishes words brought as much warmth to himself as Sebastian's touch does, he can't help but cling to the way Sebastian acknowledges that they are now one. It's a sentiment he hasn't quite felt since the accident, and he wishes he could bask in it, perhaps, even tease Sebastian for finally seeing him for the catch that he is.

But he can't.

Not now, at least. Not when everything is frigid and hazy and his touch is going numb.

Stefano's so cold- colder than he's ever felt before. He just needs warmth.

Now, though, he's seeing for himself that whatever Lily had seen Stefano's creatures do must have terrified her. Which is why it surprises him when the first thing that comes out of her mouth is--

"It's b... been a while, Ms. Guardian."

What?

Looking behind him, Sebastian sees that Lily's body language is full of fear. She's tense, she's hiding, she's still holding onto him... and yet she bites her lip and greets not just one, but both of Stefano's girls.

"...and Ms. Obscura."

She even calls them "miss"!

"You've met?" Sebastian asks, doing his best to stifle his shock. Then again, Lily had been resolute about letting Stefano stay-- it shouldn't have surprised him that they'd spent enough time together for her to have seen the things he made.

"We... Mr. Valentini... sh-showed me his pretty art..."

Pretty? You said his art terrified you!

"...so I saw them before..." She swallows. "And I saw them fight you, too... when I thought you weren't... weren't real."

His poor daughter is shaking like a leaf, so Sebastian takes her hand and squeezes it firmly in an attempt to reassure her.

"We're friends now," he says, "so you don't have to worry about anything, okay, sweetheart?

Truthfully, it'd been quite some time since someone's been so appreciative of himself and his work, so much so that his own work even acknowledges it.

It's nice being appreciated, even by a child.

Though, as Sebastian all but warns him, a wave of irate exhaustion overcomes him, rolling his eye before meeting his gaze once more.

"The three of us were already friends with your daughter. Did you think to ask her at any point what she did while in my care? She had ample crayons and paper to color. While it may not be my preferred medium, I respect her choice."

He lackadaisically crosses his arms over his chest before he turns his attention to the young girl once more, a fond smile over his lips as he watches her, somehow unable to comprehend her fear.

"Obscura loved your drawing of the puppy so much she took many pictures of it." He turns his head to his more graceful creation. "Isn't that right, my beautiful?"

With his hands steadfast in their bandaging of Stefano's wounds, the way the man trembles is terribly obvious. It's not bad enough to affect Sebastian's work (he's grateful he hadn't started shaking when he was sewing him up, at least), but is still something to take note of.

His head snaps up when Stefano whimpers, though. The surprise on his face is unmistakable, even as he hurries to wipe the look away.

"Theodore isn't changing anything, Stefano," he says, not to scold but to clarify. After the bandages are done up, he buttons the man's shirt up again, then takes a moment to look around the visitor centre. "...but I think you might have lost enough blood to fuck with your pressure."

As the man's still capable of rambling, Sebastian doubts the whole ordeal is life threatening. He stands up, first moving to turn up the heat with the thermostat, then retrieving a t-shirt most certainly reserved for tourists (which makes him wonder in turn if Union could even get tourists). He brings this back to where Stefano is sat on the floor.

"Come here," Sebastian says, but he doesn't wait for consent before he's undoing Stefano's shirt again. This time he pulls it off all the way, then tosses it aside; the damn thing's ruined, anyway. "A dry shirt should do you some good.

"This was the only one they had, though. Sorry."

Well, that last part he does focus on, but rather, not the part one normally would.

"Sebastian, may I ask something of you?"

His voices is soft and low, almost as if he's nervous his request will be denied for one reason or another. Stefano's not so foolish to think Sebastian would ever truly understand him or his motivations, but maybe he'll respect the wishes of what would be a dying man.

"If someone in this hellscape is to kill me, please, make certain it's you. I only trust you with my death. I've seen your work, and it truly is a work of art that I would never be able to achieve."

There's an honesty in the way he kills the lost that Stefano isn't sure he'll ever be capable of. It's not death for the sake of it, nor is it even death for the sake of survival- it's death to save his daughter. The desperation of a parten protecting his kin is something he's unable to recreate as he's not felt such anguish before.

He remembers what Hoffman said about his profile: that, generally speaking, Stefano didn't care for any interests but his own. But in that case, what did this mean? And why is it that Sebastian's heart tightens when he's called beautiful?

"If tragedy makes something beautiful to you, Stefano," Sebastian starts, "then I think you got it made."

The stitching's finished, and Sebastian dips his head to cut the thread with his teeth. He grabs medicine from the kit, pretending the back of his neck isn't still warm in a mix of confusion and...

God. With how the cut by his eye tingles after Stefano touched it so delicately, Sebastian could choke on the word pleasure before he thinks it.

He changes the subject, scowling as he rubs medicine over Stefano's ghastly looking wound. "If you died back there, what would I tell your girls, huh?

"And what about our plan to get Theodore together? Some fucking backup you'd be, getting eaten by one of these freaks before we even get there."

"Detective, is this your way of telling me you'd miss me should I perish?"

Stefano's only teasing, of course. He's not so disillusioned to think that there are any genuine feelings towards himself from Sebastian. The man has made it quite clear that he's nothing more than a murderer and a monster on multiple occasions. It would make sense that the only reason he's demonstrating any kindness towards him is because they have a mutual enemy.

As there's mention of the real world, the artist parts his lips to ask if Sebastian intends to turn him in to the authorities for the crimes he's committed out there, but the words flee his mouth as a shudder rolls through his body.

Unable to help the way his body trembles and the way he whimpers as he grows colder, he forces his eyelids open to look around.

It falls, of course, with the way the knife passes through bone and brain. Sebastian grabs its corpse before it collapses on Stefano's fallen form, then throws it bodily aside (he fails to notice that he throws it a little too far, and a little too strong to be normal).

"What the fuck," is the first thing he says, pressing his palm to Stefano's shoulder and another against the artery on his arm. He isn't bleeding exaggeratedly, thank God (thank God?), but it's enough to be worried (worried?).

"Why did you take that for me?" Never mind the fact they'd been surrounded. Never mind the fact that Sebastian had just fended off two at a time and didn't see the third coming for him.

"We gotta move."

He has enough in his pack to wrap cloth around Stefano's wound for pressure, but Sebastian takes him to a nearby information centre nevertheless. It's here that he sets Stefano down on a cushioned couch, scouring the area for the inevitable emergency first-aid kit and bringing that back with him. Once he gets Stefano's shirt off, Sebastian starts work on him methodically, calm despite the ugliness of the wound.

That's when Stefano speaks, quiet and soft--

❝ there’s no touch that feels like yours. ❞ ( x )

And Sebastian, lifting his head to meet @obscurart's visible eye, mutters a dry, "If you wanted that you could've come up with a better plan than this one."

Still, a bloody knuckle taps at the corner of Stefano's jaw in something like appreciation. Sebastian almost smiles, even, if not for the furrow of his brows.

"It's better something happens to me than you, Sebastian. Theodore needs to be stopped, and Lily needs her father."

The words are serious, too much so for him to usually be able to stomach, but he'll chalk it up as nothing more than the blood loss skewing his cognitive abilities.

Truthfully, though, whatever removes his inhibitions, Stefano's almost grateful for. As Sebastian sews him up, the hand nearest the former detective lifts up and delicately strokes the back of a finger along the healing wound he himself had caused.

It would make sense, he's certain, seeing as how he's begun to numb to the point he can barely feel Sebastian working on him.

"You're so magnificent. A stunning creation without anyone needing to mold you into it.

"And yet, life itself molded you into such a specimen, didn't it? There's a sadness in your eyes that I've always attempted to capture in my art. So beautiful. So moving..."

Stefano trails off as he feels himself slip out of consciousness for but a moment.

As he comes to once more, his hand falls to his side and he allows a low sigh to flutter between his lips.

"I remember Mr. Valentini's friends, Dad," Lily says, looking at him in the mirror as Sebastian brushes her hair. "They were really scary..." Her lip quivers some as she says it, but then goes firm once more as she does her best to be brave. "But if you say they're gonna be nice to me, then... then it's okay."

"They get excited, that's all," Sebastian says, placing clips in to hold her bangs out of her face. "I promise-- they're gonna protect you while we find the bad man that made Union like this."

"And then things'll be normal again?" Lily murmurs.

"And then things'll be normal again," Sebastian agrees, dipping his head to kiss the top of her hair once it's all fixed. "Or at least less scary."

Hopping off her chair, Lily straightens her dress, then takes Sebastian's hand in her little one. "I'd like that."

"Me too." He squeezes Lily's hand gently. "You ready to go?"

With his daughter's nod of approval, Sebastian takes her out of her bedroom and down the stairs of the house. Stefano ought to be in the backyard with his girls, and the thought that this is the most fucked up playdate he's ever taken his daughter to comes to mind without warning. Sebastian would snort if he wasn't trying to be positive for her sake.

"Mie bellissime creazioni," Stefano begins in a tender voice, the affection he feels for the two works of art before him apparent on his features as he cradles Obscura's lens in one hand and one of Guardian's heads in his other. "I know we are very excited for more friends to care for and appreciate us, but we must remain polite.

"Remember, as she is young, she doesn't understand the world as it truly is. She will likely be unable to understand us, and it is important that Lily grows to appreciate us the way we do her."

As he pulls away, he moves to meet Sebastian at the door to the yard, uttering a light but sincere, "Best behavior, mi amors."

Head dipped, Sebastian shuts his eyes as he processes this new information. It's cruel that everyone wants his little girl. It's even crueller that there's nothing she can do about it, terrified as she already is by this unstable world.

With the things that Ruvik could make people do simply by controlling STEM, he can't imagine what someone with genuine charm might be able to get away with. Was Theodore why the world wasn't fixed as soon as Lily was brought somewhere safe? And if he knew Lily was the Core, did that mean he was Mobius too?

As his eyes open once more, Sebastian knows there's no use thinking aimlessly about it. More important than his own paranoia is making sure he has conclusive information, and with luck Theodore'll be the kind of asshole who underestimates him the whole way before he shoots a bolt between his eyes. He'll call Kidman as soon as Stefano is gone, then see about the rest of the agents still in Union.

Speaking of Stefano, though, the moment of calm affords enough clarity for Sebastian to say, "For what it's worth, I don't think you're beyond reason." But he doesn't look over his shoulder, not wanting to see the look on Stefano's face as he speaks. "You're not a monster, just an asshole. But so am I.

So instead, he just offers a curt nod and folds his hands behind his back.

"Understood." There's almost a hesitance to himself as he eyes the door then Sebastian once more. For some reason, he finds it almost difficult to look him in the eye as he moves to gather his knife, walkie-talkie, and bottle of water.

He begins to look for his camera, but is quickly reminded that Sebastian's confiscated it.

How is he expected to work efficiently and collect materials without his camera?

Though, he doesn't dwell on it. With a sigh, he approaches the door to the hellscape that now is Union.

"I'll attempt to keep as quiet as possible while I gather supplies and resurrect my works. Please let me know if I'm making too much noise, though. If we're attempting to keep Lily as calm as possible, perhaps her inadvertently seeing them before they're ready will be counterproductive."

He's blinking as Stefano rambles, and somewhere in the middle of that the washing machine beeps with a reminder of the clothes inside. He doesn't turn away, though, in some attempt at respecting the conventions of polite conversation.

"Uh..." Is that enough time? Stefano asks him. Sebastian wants to ask in turn how long it'll take him to retrieve "parts", especially without Lily's power backing him up, but swallows the curiosity back. "Yeah. Sure. Gives me some time to do some research of my own."

And by that, he means Kidman is doing research, but he imagines she ought to have profiles for everyone that's been brought into this damn place, anyway. (He'll check in with Hoffman and O'Neal too, just in case.)

Sebastian turns back to the machine, transferring Stefano's clothes from the wash to the dryer.

"One last thing," he says, hand pressing flat to the top of the rumbling machine. "When you met with this Theodore... did he want Lily, too?"

Of course, knowing his two greatest creations and the things that were the closest thing he's had to a family in quite some time will come to life once more is an exciting moment.

He's about ready to head out and begin assembling pieces once more when Sebastian speaks up. With a soft sigh, he looks at him gently.

"Caro," Stefano begins, tone lower and emulating something along the lines of sorrow and empathy. "He was the reason I was after her in the first place. Before him, I hadn't the slightest clue that the core was a physical being."

Without thought, his eye shifts to the direction he's certain Lily's in.

"...fine."

And then: "You're coming with me."

To most people, perhaps leaving one's daughter in the care of two monsters would be an incredibly questionable decision. Already, Sebastian anticipates Kidman's shock as soon as he speaks with her next. But for as long as Stefano finds Sebastian's services useful, he won't order his pets to do anything to his little girl-- besides, grim though it might be, Sebastian knows that her being alive would be a bigger benefit should be die along the way. If Lily lived and he died, Stefano would have full access to her powers, and that's exactly what he wanted in the first place.

Lily will be fine. He can't imagine it'll take him more than a few days to locate Theodore, anyway.

"I'll let her spend time with..." He can't believe what he's saying, honestly. "...Obscura, at least."

The admission makes Sebastian want to swallow salt.

"Your Guardian's a little too much visually." And Lily's only just starting to get better, as far as coping with her fear of the place goes. "But she needs a friend while we're gone."

Obscura hadn't been nearly as violent as the Guardian was, even if the latter might have been fuelled by Stefano's own desire to cut Sebastian down. All Obscura really cared about was photographs; foolishly, he'd been unable to hurt her because of it, but he's tired enough of all this violence that the opportunity to use smoke bolts and move on proved too tempting.

"Fortunately, my Obscura only needs some touch-ups from what you did to her. She'll be ready within an hour. As for Guardian, she'll require some more... supplies. It'll likely take the whole night to piece her back together, but as for gathering parts, I'm unsure how long that will take."

He pats the tip of his pointer finger against his chin repeatedly in thought.

"I may also need to adapt her design a bit. I may add a third arm to utilize a secondary weapon. The saw, naturally, is going to remain, but perhaps something that offers range, even along the lines of a catapult, will serve useful.

"Ugh, but I worry it'll make her too busy and unappealing- visually speaking, of course."

As Stefano's rambling begins, so does his pacing, and he all but forgets who it is he's sharing his process with. Granted, it doesn't matter, in a sense, as he knows Sebastian doesn't care enough about his art to attempt to recreate it himself.

Finally, after what felt like only seconds, but was, in fact, far longer, he finally stops and looks back at the other.

You don't argue with insane, anyway, his rationality offers. Someone who kills for art wouldn't understand killing for self-defence.

(Never mind that he's gotten so good at killing these things he can take groups of them out from afar.)

"Theodore." The name isn't familiar to him, but Kidman might have something to say about it. At the very least she'd be able to research in the real world in a way Sebastian couldn't here. "Thank you for finally giving me something to work with."

The washing machine keeps running behind him, and likely will for the next few minutes. Stefano's clothes were soaked through with blood, after all. Still, Sebastian pushes himself off of it, brings one hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose in exhaustion, then drops it to slide into his pocket.

"Look… I can take a lot of shit, Stefano." That's an understatement, considering. "I don't even care about having to compromise.

"The only non-negotiable thing in this whole situation to me is Lily and her safety, and if you don't want to understand why I can't agree with what you need her to do, then there's no point discussing it."

Sebastian's steps forward, standing toe to toe with the other man, and meets his one blue eye with a resolute look. "If I go track this Theodore down on my own, though, you have to promise me you won't use her powers any more. I think you owe me that much for getting rid of your batshit employer.

Despite how close Sebastian is, he doesn't waiver. The man insults him at every turn he possibly can, how could he possibly back down from such a blatant attempt at intimidation.

"Tell me, why do you think I'd create something with a name such as Guardian that was capable of such defense? While she was a work of art, she also served a purpose. You saw how easily I handled the Mobius agents on my own- their deaths, I admit, were more... personally driven- why would I need Guardian to protect me from them?

"No, amore mio dolce, she wasn't for Mobius, and she certainly wasn't for you, despite how much joy you brought her as you played with her. She was to keep Theodore distracted long enough for me to acquire all the power I could get."

There's a slight smile that spreads across his features as he comes to a sense of compromise. Warped as it may be, he knows his creations were strong. Theodore has a great mental fortitude and a wonderful affinity for persuasion, but outside of the power he gets from others, he's essentially weak.

Though, there's always the chance he's found his footing already in STEM, but Stefano ignores that inkling that perhaps things could be worse than when he last saw the zealot.

"And once people get Lost, you can't bring them back-- that's how this works."

Briefly, the image of Joseph struggling not to succumb to STEM's natural breakdown of personalities comes to mind. The own struggle he had, however brief, is another memory, and Sebastian ignores the phantom sensation of an itch in his brain. As long as he doesn't pay attention to it, it shouldn't harm him.

"You're a serial killer and you mangle bodies for art-- that's dangerous, and honestly insane, but not on the same level as what I've dealt with before. Even if you keep trying to scare my daughter."

Stefano isn't like Ruvik, who was fuelled by more than his own personal passions. He isn't consumed by the desire for revenge nor the desire to be with family, and while he'd created nightmare creatures and even manipulated the world when he had Lily, Stefano's perspectives were... different. Ruvik enjoyed the experimentation, the dehumanisation. Stefano created pictures out of bodies that came for him because Sebastian was trying to kill their creator.

"If you were the most dangerous thing here, I wouldn't be letting you in my house." Sebastian snorts. "I know there's some reason we can't be pulled out of the system, and I also know it can't be you because you don't have Lily any more. If something is keeping us here even without STEM's Core, that means whatever's doing it is a powerful son of a bitch.

He draws in a deep breath through his nostrils, attempting to regain his composure as he stands upright once more.

"You also seem to forget, your body count is likely higher than mine.

"Besides, it's not like death is necessary for all of my art. I didn't kill you, after all." His eyes move to the long cut along the side of his face and smiles fondly as he remembers the firm yet delicate slice he used to create it. "No, you were already so full of emotion, you just needed something more physical to depict it."

Folding his arms over his chest, he raises a hand and delicately sets the knuckle of his pointer finger against his chin as he deliberates everything else Sebastian had stated. He doubts the other would believe him that it's not his goal to scare Lily, and that the only reason he needed to do it before was to increase the volatility of her power.

No, of course he wouldn't believe this. He's no more than a mad man in Sebastian's eyes.

There were moments that he wondered if he was the man at the coffee shop all of those years ago, but he knows well enough that, while the resemblance is striking, someone who lacks as much vision as Sebastian simply couldn't be him.

Sebastian's back remains leaned against the washing machine. His arms cross over his chest, albeit more loosely than anyone who was truly upset would do it.

"Tell me about this 'thing' you're trying to 'sever ties from'. Instead of taking Lily out to see nightmares she doesn't want to see" -- why couldn't Stefano just make normal pictures, and not little dioramas with dead men and bullet wounds?-- "tell me what this monster is and I'll take it down.

"She's only six, Stefano." Twelve, offers some logical voice in the back of his mind, but when the Lily in STEM presents herself as a little girl, doesn't that mean that's the way she perceives herself? It's all too complicated for Sebastian to really contemplate, and he's already sad enough about what happened to her while he was away, so for now he settles for the age she believes she is.

Though, as he returns to the initial question posed to himself, Stefano lets out a humorless huff of breath.

"Why should I waste the breath to explain Him to you? Would you honestly believe me?" The photographer steps towards the former detective, hands folded behind his back as he leans in and meets his gaze. "Would you truly believe that I am not the biggest monster in here?"

His eyes flicker across the other's, admittedly handsome, features before leaning back.