BLEED

Sebastian hadn't cared for Adolin at all when they met. Can't say he does so, even now. However, there was one thing. They both cared deeply for Vanth, and caring and loving Vanth was no competition. Sebastian had learned that from just being around Adolin and Vanth. Learned that both he and the prince only wanted what was best for the Pactbearer. For Sebastian, this was enough.

Sebastian inhales through the kiss, taking in Adolin's scent. The hand that rests upon his cheek moves, pulling the prince in closer, but not enough to fully close the gap between them. He lets their kiss linger for a moment, and when he pulls away, he licks his own lips, savoring Adolin's taste on his lips.

Adolin couldn't say that he liked Sebastian, or that he understood him or knew what principles guided him. But here, in this moment, the kiss they shared wasn't motivated by desire, as it had been the first time, but by care. Adolin cared about Sebastian because of how much Vanth cared about him. How could he not?

Letting the other man set the pace, Adolin exhales in a breath that almost turns into a quiet chuckle when Sebastian pulls him closer. The prince immediately follows the movement, sliding his free hand up to rest on Sebastian's shoulder. Unhurriedly, his lips meet Sebastian's, and when they finally part, that faint smile returns to the corner of Adolin's mouth.

And yet… why was he going along with it?

Even Lyney wasn't entirely sure. Curiosity, certainly. But also… how did the saying go? Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.

"…Husband?" - unable to hide the curiosity in his voice, Lyney hesitantly follows after Sebastian, unconsciously keeping a step behind him, as if that small bit of distance would make it easier to turn around and disappear unnoticed if things took a turn for the worse.

"Are you really telling me that all of this was just a coincidence?" - his tone is wary, but not accusatory. "After that whole 'I'll find you' thing?"

"Amazing, isn't it? This place is not too large, and yet..."

Though it had been some time, Andrale still finds that she can at least more easily navigate the Mistwood now. Her fingers brush against tree trunks and shrubbery leaves as she follows a trail made by local fauna. The Warden sighs softly.

She missed the nature of Thedas, the forests of Ferelden, but here was close enough. Andrale had even taken the chance to shed her boots, those now hung in the crook of her arm, so she could feel the earth beneath her feet once more.

"Easy, Morpheus," He coos in the direction of his hellhound when the hound begins snarling at the scent of someone else nearby.

It seems his home is an attraction to certain people.

Then again, maybe that has more to do with the hole in his side, the blade still buried in him the only thing stopping him from bleeding out. Yeah, that's probably it.

"Haven't killed anyone... in a long time." His voice is low and raspy, punctuated with a low wheezing sound every time he breathes in. Talking is clearly painful for him, but he stubbornly continues. "Starting again with you..."

A laugh, short and wet with blood. Monkey King looks up, locking eyes with the demon. There is still a spark of that past anger deep in there, lighting up the golden irises.

He should be grateful to not have been killed, and yet, he cannot help but feel some kind of anger rolling in him. The blood trickling down his ear from the light graze is enough of a reminder that he had been gone easy with.

Sebastian chuckles dryly, with a shake of his head. "I cannot extend the same courtesy to you." Though perhaps Monkey King could call it mercy for what was to happen next.

Sebastian tightens the hold on the blade now and pushes the weapon in further into the other's injury. He twists and turns it, making sure it gets shoved in deeper. He leans in and whispers,

"I cannot risk you healing and going through what you have promised." If anything was on HIS side, Monkey King would not return until Sebastian received all of his abilities back. He'd have a better chance of protecting what belonged to him that way.

The way he holds the blade cuts through his own skin. Golden irises shift into reds, matching the color of his own blood on his hands.

Sebastian doesn’t need words. Nor, truthfully, does he need any further encouragement. Even so, Adolin gives him a surprised look when he touches him with such care, closing the small distance between their faces for a kiss far, far gentler than the one they had shared the first time they met.

Sebastian hadn't cared for Adolin at all when they met. Can't say he does so, even now. However, there was one thing. They both cared deeply for Vanth, and caring and loving Vanth was no competition. Sebastian had learned that from just being around Adolin and Vanth. Learned that both he and the prince only wanted what was best for the Pactbearer. For Sebastian, this was enough.

Sebastian inhales through the kiss, taking in Adolin's scent. The hand that rests upon his cheek moves, pulling the prince in closer, but not enough to fully close the gap between them. He lets their kiss linger for a moment, and when he pulls away, he licks his own lips, savoring Adolin's taste on his lips.

It hurts. His next breath comes out a pained wheeze, taste of blood in the back of his throat. He can only hope his invincibility kicks in soon, or...

No, there's no time to think about that. Not when he can feel a small pulse of his power back again, just enough to end this now. Monkey King twists his body back to aim a punch at Sebastian's head, ignoring the way it makes his wound howl in pain. Even a fraction of his power is a frightening thing to a mortal body, and Sebastian doesn't have his demon powers here. This is it. If he can just land this one, it should be enough to...

It would be enough to...

It would...

...He would kill someone.

SURELY it would be over. His promise to Vanth to come back in one piece? Well....He'd break that promise. Sebastian wasn't an idiot. Monkey King was a strong foe, and being this close meant there'd be nothing left of him once that punch landed.

Except....

Monkey King uses that strength and misses--No. There was no way he'd miss at this close of a range. Sebastian's eyes are wide. The only thing that Monkey King got was a graze on Sebastian's ear, the tip of it, and the items behind, crashing against walls and glasses shattering into tiny bits and pieces.

The heart beating in his chest is loud. He's sure that maybe Monkey King can hear it, too.

He wasn't scared of dying. Not really. At this point, it wouldn't have been anything new. However.....He had thought of Vanth when he thought the moment would have been his last.

"You could have ended me."

"It's a promise" - he agrees, fully aware of the weight those words carry. A promise could be worth far more than an oath, after all. It was something more personal, something filled with meaning.

Adolin raises his brows slightly, his gaze curious as it meets Sebastian's. When he hears the other's words, the prince lets out a huff somewhere between amusement and flustered disbelief.

"Do you think so?" - he teases, the smile stubbornly remaining on his lips. And when Sebastian turns his body to face him, Adolin almost expects something else.

For just a moment, his heart seems to skip a beat in anticipation. And when Sebastian's hands move to adjust the scarf around his neck, and he hears what he says, Adolin's smile only grows more amused.

"And what might that be, dear prince?"

You couldn't ignore the air between them. It trickles around them like soft rain. Like the way these petals do. One falls on Adolin's shoulder, and Sebastian reaches for it with his free hand---only to cup the palm of his warm hand upon Adolin's cheek.

He sounds thoughtful as he says it. More and more, the world he once called home and Spirale seem to be blending together in his mind. He has a place to return to, and yet... Yet, what a shame it would be to leave all of this - all of them - behind.

Not wanting to dwell on it, Adolin gives the slightest shake of his head, chasing the thoughts away. And as soon as Sebastian's words reach him, he responds without thinking, the answer coming almost spontaneously.

"Then I guess I'll have to bring you back here in the spring for another date."

"Something tells me we will be having plenty of those leading up, mm?" It was rare for Sebastian to enjoy his time with a mere mortal human. They had always been just livestock to him. Even those blasted humans touched by the deity of his world were a thorn in his side. He'd avoid them and kill countless whenever he could. Of course, Adolin hadn't been any different. After all, the prince had died once at his hands and suffered a few times again afterward.

Now look at where they are.

Now, he fully faces Adolin and fixes the scarf around his neck.

He lands on all fours easily, and grins as he lifts his hand and the silky black strands slide out, falling to the floor. "This one's going to be hard to explain to your husband now wouldn't it? Maybe I should rip the rest of it out while we're at it, make it even."

"No need," he snarls as he dodges the blades attack. He manages to grab one, though. Using it to chop off the remaining long locks of his hair.

Bastard.

With the shears in hand, he has obtained a weapon. Instead of throwing it right back at Monkey King, he's charging at the other full force.

He looked down at the small bag Sebastian was holding. "...That's for me? What's in there?!"

Mother!

The boy's laughter echoes with pure bliss!

Right. He remembers seeing this memory through his mother's eyes.

"It is," he says to the boy. "My husband enjoys these. I figured perhaps you could try them and see if you like them as well."

Morpheus's lowest whimper of concern can be heard. "Much like Morpheus," Sebastian says with a soft smile, turning toward Vanth. "Everyone is worried." Sebastian really did his best to keep his worry and fear under wraps. He didn't want to add to it all, but Vanth can tell just how worried he was for his Dove.

(Huh, this is almost nostalgic).

Monkey King is quick. He also has all of his abilities, as faulty as it is. Sebastian wonders if it would have been a good idea to have all of his. A shame he didn't come with them.

The snake wraps around his neck, choking, and then that snake is replaced with Monkey King once more. It's funny. Sebastian laughs, although strained.

He's still sniffing him. What a damn weirdo. "Well, I, for one, wish i didn't." Someone has abandonment issues it seems as Edward stared at them with a slight glare. Upon the mention of their child does Edward gave a slight raise of his brow.

"Your son??? I didn't see any babies crawling around here." Unless the asshole was talking about a walking child. Hes seen few kids, but none of them looked like them. Except for that one menacing looking one...

"A babysitter?" He isn't familiar with the term, and it's evident in how confused he looks. He's thinking of a literal person who sits on babies.

With the flower crown resting on his head, Sebastian continues down. There are stalls lined up here and there, though no one is around to tend to them. Seeing as how late it is, the festivity for the Beotkkot will continue in the morning, it seems.

Walking alongside him again, the prince thinks for a moment that it's a shame the stalls are empty. Then, soon, he corrects himself. Perhaps it was better this way. Having the whole place to themselves was, in truth, the greatest gift he could have hoped for.

Shaking his head once more, Adolin lets his eyes wander over the surroundings for a moment before briefly turning them back to Sebastian.

"I see. Neither do we. Perhaps we will one day get to see your flora from your world, here." The pink flowers were delicate things. "This place is strange," he said quietly. The flowers looked like they could be destroyed so easily, and yet, they bloomed in full force. There was not one section that wasn't a cherry blossom.

Further up, there is a house. Sebastian hums in thought. So, Juliyah lived here. He hadn't realized.

Clicking his tongue as he listens to the other's explanation, Adolin tries not to dwell too much on the thought of losing everything that made Vanth… well, Vanth, still unable to fully grasp the weight of everything that had happened. He was so weak… The thought not only worries Adolin, but leaves him storming mad.

“It's not fair” - he says simply, letting out a quiet sigh.

For some reason, Adolin seems to avert his gaze slightly when Sebastian leans in to kiss him, but he soon gets to his feet as well, hesitating for a moment despite Sebastian having taken care to leave Vanth in Morpheus's company.

“Do you want me to go? I can get whatever you need, and you don't have to leave his side” - Adolin offers, knowing it was the right thing to do. Sebastian was Vanth's husband, after all.

And at the mention of Aurelius, a quiet, worried sigh escapes him, and Adolin adds somewhat uncertainly. “I don't think he'd come all the way here…”

"No. I will need you here."

He faces Adolin.

"That angel may keep his distance, but..." he was unpredictable. "They already encountered one another. Protect him while I am gone." He knew he didn't have to ask Adolin. He's watched and worried for Vanth like a lover would.