BLEED

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Aurelius is so ready to summon his weapon if Sebastian tries anything suspicious that merely speaking...catches him off-guard. His brows crease in confusion, then doubt, as the demon takes on a serious tone to lay out his thoughts.

Sebastian is quiet again, mulling over Aurelius' words. Tossing them around in his head and taking them apart and piecing them back together.

The gentle brush of a finger against his cheek draws Vanth's gaze. His breaths are still ragged as his head follows its wordless request for attention with a blink, his limbs yet to finish tingling from the rush of adrenaline through his veins. Similarly, his mind remains partly in the battle. He's somewhat dazed as Sebastian's lips press softly against his own, only remembering to close his eyes with some delay. And no sooner than Vanth falls under a spell of a different kind, Sebastian withdraws. You did good. How funny it is that merely three words have the power to raise such a flush over Vanth's skin. He hadn't been thinking of anything else but his lover's rescue; earning praise was the least of his worries.

He spares Adolin a glance when the guy walks over to them. His reaction has him holding back a smirk, honestly. And when Vanth moves closer to his side, Sebastian places his fingers in between Vanth's, but only for a brief moment before he pulls them away.

I realize there are like a handful of people Sebastian won't bother and those people are like

oH AND TILL. he was kind enough to lift Till up and all that, but hasn't messed with the guy....

Lyney's eyes drift briefly to the victim, left on the ground as though they were nothing more than something to be discarded, and he finds himself frowning once again. If he had the chance, he would at least give them a more dignified end. Right now, though, he had to think about himself.

Sebastian doesn't take a step forward when Lyney steps back. That is enough, though. It makes him want to chase his prey. What fun would it be if he found Lyney first instead of this sorry excuse of a sack of meat? He scoffs at the idea, but his gaze softens when they look at Lyney,

Perhaps Sebastian doesn't understand it as Vanth means it. He couldn't, as Vanth has never told him of his past mistakes. Still, Sebastian's words comfort him all the same. It doesn't really matter if Sebastian knows what scars lie beneath Vanth's quiet begging for a promise—not to leave him for his protection, or worse, to depart in death or even eclipse. Sebastian would not leave him for any reason, and that is more than enough. It's everything. The shaking breath above him tickles warmly against his scalp. Vanth slowly slides his arms around Sebastian's middle, squeezing him as though to comfort him back. ❝ I'll always be by yours, too. ❞ Briefly, Vanth falls silent. His thumbs strokes into the fabric over his partner's waist, weighing his next words. ❝ And whatever happened back there... I'm still beside you. ❞

He knows vanth will always be by his side no matter what. They won't ever leave each other. Not even for the worst, he knows. Vanth has proven time and time again that he was here to stay for the long run.

Vanth warily sizes up their opponents. All the while, he stays poised for defense, but unfortunately, this also gives those robots a chance to scan his abilities. Shit. ❝ If I had to pick a number out of ten, ❞ Vanth speaks over his shoulder, keeping his eyes in front of him. ❝ I'm like a three right now! ❞ If Vanth had been more careful at the start of this, that number would be much higher. He should probably do as Adolin suggests and seize an opportunity to rescue Sebastian while Adolin keeps these stupid hunks of metal busy. ❝ I'm on it! ❞ Flickering out of sight, Vanth reappears deeper inside the puzzle, bypassing which platforms he still can. ❝ Shout if you're in trouble! I'll zip back to you! ❞ Though the other two are preoccupied in a match with Adolin's sword, one of the robots follows Vanth's rush to free Sebastian. It teleports directly in his path, swiftly gearing up to attack. Perhaps it is his frustration that he weaponizes, but Vanth reels his arm back with all his might— ❝ Fuck! ❞ —and strikes.

Sebastian didn't like being caged. Being confined made him remember things he'd rather not. The feeling behind it, the emotions he felt. The loneliness, the darkness of it all. Things he now took in stride with him. Darkness, he wasn't afraid of, loneliness had become a part of him. It was why he had created Morpheus and his siblings so many, many, moons ago.

Lyney narrowed his eyes and, before he could even answer the rhetorical question, the man let out a chuckle. A chill ran down his spine. Nothing good could possibly come from that.

Vanth is too precious. Sometimes, Sebastian worries that he will break Vanth more than he has in their time together. He finds that he is worried that it will be the case. It isn't something he's thought of often with another. The last person having been with Love was so, so, SO long ago.

❝ Mm... ❞ Vanth hums affirmatively, a low, almost drowsy little sound. The change in position touches the deeply buried instinct to sleep. He's so comfortable, so safe inside his lover's arms that he wishes they could shut their eyes and dream all the hurt away. Perhaps he'll do as Sebastian taught him his first night in the city, and drift into his thoughts to rest. For now, he is awake, focused on the familiar baritone of Sebastian's voice. Vanth takes him by each side of his face, kissing him between his dark brows. ❝ I will, ❞ Vanth murmurs, before tucking himself underneath Sebastian's chin. ❝ I promise. ❞ Though his body lies still, his pulse somersaults. Vanth's fingers fidget into Sebastian's clothes; his feet between his ankles do, too, overlapping at the toes. ❝ ... Will you promise me that it's anything but leaving? That when I open my eyes... the first thing I'll always see is you? ❞

There's a brief surprise in Sebastian's eyes. Had he also been worried that he would leave? It aas a foolish thought. Sebastiaj could never leave Vanth behind.

The question gets thrown back to him and he simply hums as he looks at his own cards for a moment.

"Mm, you sound so sure," he says as he eyes his own cards in hand. "You are right about me being a risk-taker, however. I enjoy challenges." He enjoyed being kept on his toes. The thrill of it all was where it was at!

"Ah. This is about the prince. Or perhaps about the girl who was behind Vanth's death. Not once, but twice," his voice seethe out a whispered fury. He regains his composure.

"No you don't."

Sebastian doesn't say anything, instead he huffs out a small sigh. He thinks for a moment and then motions for Aurelius to enjoy the scene with him.

@hollowfaith

He'd approached the silhouette because there was something painfully familiar about it, but once his senses realize who it is, Aurelius skids to a halt.

"Ah. This is about the prince. Or perhaps about the girl who was behind Vanth's death. Not once, but twice," his voice seethe out a whispered fury. He regains his composure.

Sebastian's words put a stop to Vanth's recklessness. At his side, his fists flex. He has to focus; his soulmate's safety depends on it. ❝ Okay… ❞ Vanth's gaze moves between Sebastian and Adolin before temporarily settling at his feet. ❝ Alright, I won't blow it. I promise. ❞ Once Vanth is quiet and his frustration in check, Adolin instructs his attention. It lifts from his feet, closely watching the pebble the man plucks from the ground. A short toss sends it clattering to yet another platform, which responds by illuminating the next step forward. Good! This means they're getting somewhere. Adolin's got the right idea here. Vanth pays closer attention to the third stone thrown. He sucks in a sharp breath as it ricochets off to the wrong platform. And when it settles, the platform drops, unleashing a group of enemies upon them. ❝ Shit! ❞ Vanth jolts into a position of defense, poised between Adolin and harm's way.

As the two figure out the platform, Sebastian doesn't show much, aside from praising quietly, mainly toward Vanth for how good he was being. In any situation, if it had been reversed, he knew he would have been frustrated, too. Still, he was handling it well. And Adolin...well, he knew he could mildly count on the prince to watch over Vanth and keep him on track.