The Sangruis Society

"I'm grateful you have so much faith in me, it's so sweet, Padraig," he retorted sarcastically, this time not bothering to hide the roll of his eyes. Once he was certain that leaving for some space was the best way to proceed, he left the bedroom with little more than a murmur in goodbye. He didn't want to wander about the house all by himself when the temptation to feed from one of the humans seeping inside it was as big as it was, but he was too stubborn to return to Pat, whimpering and pleading for forgiveness. He didn't think he needed to apologise for much and, equally, he at least wanted to prove that he could manage; that he didn't need his boyfriend holding his hand every step of the way through the rest of the transformation process.

By the time morning arrived, he was one of the last to appear at the breakfast table. He knew the importance of dining together at every meal was something his mother believed in, so while he much preferred to avoid having food thrust in front of him and urged to eat every ounce of it, he turned up and took his seat nonetheless. The fact he had gone the entire night not hurting anyone (other than Isabella's cat) was something he had immense pride over, and he couldn't help but smugly smile to himself as he rested his hands on the table, either side of the plate.

August was the next (and last) to appear at the table, taking in the sight of the sisters and the mother he had yet to meet, nodding as politely as he could as he found a seat besides Pat. He was fully aware of the eyes following him, but he also knew that he would get that attention when he opted to wear a lace nightgown; one he had taken from a young woman back in London he often slept with. Just because he knew the reaction wearing it would get didn't mean he wasn't going to wear it - he wanted to, and that was the only thing that mattered.

"...I had a wonderful sleep, it was really refreshing. The country is so peaceful," he began as he adjusted the rings on his fingers, smiling despite the noticeable distance between the other vampires. He knew the argument that had taken place, but he was smart enough not to call them out on it - at least not right now. "You are a wonderful host, Forrest. I haven't felt so welcome at a guest's home before. I'll be sure to sing your praises to my friends in London."
 
"Oh, well, thank you-"

"So you're my Obediah's Friends?" Confirmed their mother as she sipped the tea she had poured for her, her smile aimed towards the servant that had placed the conservative meal down. Taking in the fact that she finally had breakfast with the full family for the first time in over four years, having had lost her daughters to their husbands the moment they married. The only reason she hadn't lost Forrest after their marriage was due to him being the heir to their estate. Her smile faltered only a tad at seeing Padraig and August in confusion, though it was hardly noticeable to anyone who didn't have a trained eye. "It's lovely to have a few new members as well. I wish I had known you were coming, I would have had you greeted properly. At least I was able to see you at all - it's interesting to see who my son has spent his time with."

"Yes, they're very kind, aren't they?" Confirmed Forrest quickly as he cut into his food, his eyes subtly watching August from across the table. He had to spend the last hour and a half trying to console his wife when their cat had seemingly ran away and that wasn't really what he expected to have to deal with so early so he was desperate for some time away from Isabelle. "They say they won't stay long, perhaps a few more days at most. It's unfortunate, they're lovely guests."

As Forresr spoke, Padraig sat stiffly while being praised, his eyes locking on the food with a flat expression. Folding his arms, he did eventually offered an obligated smile to the other Crownfield's. More often than not he could forgive things but to be forced to speak about his trauma only to be yelled at for it made him more than furious.
 
"It's very unfortunate, I'd love you all to stay a little longer than you intend. It's so nice to have new people to talk to, especially friends of Obediah's. We've always been so worried that he might have perished in London, so meeting the people that helped him out so much is an honour, really. I-I apologise for my appearance, I've-- had an awful morning," laughed Isabella weakly, wiping her red, teary eyes with a forced smile. She was aware that an emotional woman crying at the breakfast table was hardly appropriate, so she quickly forced herself to forget about her missing pet, however difficult it was not to erupt into tears in her understandable panic. "A-Anyway, let's not get into my problems, they're not at all relevant. What are you all planning to do today? A tour of the village or the grounds, perhaps?"

"...I'm not entirely certain our guests would be fond of that, Isabella. I intend on spending my time packing up some of the belongings Mother managed to save for me to take back to London. It's hardly fun so I'm sure Pat and August would rather spend their time elsewhere," answered Obediah, his eyes locked anywhere other than on his boyfriend. He still maintained that he hadn't done anything wrong - even after feeding, he was determined to believe that he had every right to ask what he did, and the following admissions were at least now out in the open and off his chest. If that annoyed his boyfriend, it was unfortunate but he hardly regretted it - he was being honest and he thought that was important in a relationship. "August, I'm sure, mentioned that he wanted to see the library some more, Forrest? Given I'm so busy today, maybe you'd like to accompany him a little? It'd mean a lot to me if you could, I'd appreciate it a lot."
 
"Really? I think it would be lovely to show me the village," Pat countered with raised brows, though he mostly wanted to speak with the other in private. "August and I are guests to this town, I think it would be lovely to at least so me the village you spent your young years in. Or would you rather be a poor guest, unlike your brother?"

"No, no, Obediah is right. Since you have no intentions of staying here, I... don't put the blame on you for wanting to take your things. They only leave sad memories when you aren't with us. As for August, I would love to show you the library if you are still truly interested," admitted the older brother as a hand held Isabelle's under the table in a silent attempt to comfort her. "It's the least I could do, as a guest."
 
"Maybe you could show him the family histories? The Crownfields have been around the top of the English society for decades; centuries, even. You might find the history fascinating. The library has plenty of books passed down the generations about it all," began Isabella in the effort to help, though, not wanting to be left out, she more or less invited herself along. She had no inclinations that August had his eyes set on her husband, so there was no desperate need to intervene and be around her husband constantly to prevent something occurring - she was just the sort of person who didn't want to be left out of something she thought might be interesting. She also didn't want to be left alone when two of the house's staff had recently been killed and now her cat was missing. "It'll be marvellous fun, I should think. Padraig, you're always welcome to join us. I won't have any guest of ours wandering the village alone, especially with this vicious animal prowling about--"

"...Pat's quite capable of managing for himself. Even a bear would find taking him down a challenge, I'd guess," laughed August joyfully, hiding his contempt for the woman surprisingly well. He wanted to be alone with Forrest, that much was obvious, so having the woman invite herself along was infuriating, but he could hardly tell her he didn't want her to come. He was a guest and he was intent on keeping up that good appearance, however difficult it was becoming being nice to people he really didn't like too much. "After breakfast, a little tour of the library sounds grand. It's a plan. Pat is welcome to join us too, of course-- though I think he'd prefer to help Obediah pack. I imagine it'll be just as interesting."
 
"I don't mean to sound rude but I couldn't care less about history. I like to focus on the present as much as possible, to many people's surprise." Pat replied simply as his eye locked onto Obediah's, a deep hurt still behind it. "I'll help Obediah. Besides, I doubt you want another person to follow you on this tour."

"Ah, yes. Understandable. I think three is enough, especially since the 'tour' really isn't much. I'm sure Obediah can explain everything," Forrest reassured, his own eyes scanning the two cautiously. He immediately picked up on the tense energy and he hardly wanted a fight, especially not in front of his mother. Raising his glass, he took a sip of tea before looking back to August. "I'm sure Isabelle and I can make the tour at least somewhat interesting."
 
"I don't really want you to help me, though. I'd prefer to be left alone, I think that ought to be respected. I don't feel well still and I don't want to pile more stress on myself by dealing with your inevitable anger towards me, Padraig. I'm not in the mood to be told I need to apologise when I've done absolutely nothing wrong. If anything, you owe me an apology, but I know you well enough to know that's hardly going to be coming my way anytime soon," snapped Obediah suddenly, the suddenness of his remark and the ferocity behind it causing silence to fall amongst the others chattering away at the table. Even Eva, who would usually chastise her brother for such rudeness to a guest, fell silent in surprise, her only reaction being her wide eyes and nervous frown.

"Honestly," the youngest at the table continued, forcing himself to calm down by taking his mother's hand in his own, offering the woman a reassuring smile. "I can pack my belongings alone-- in fact, I'd like my mother to help me. It'll be nice to talk to her about the past, without anyone else there bothering us. I don't care what you do, Padraig, just don't come bothering me today if you expect an apology or remorse - if, however, you want to apologise to me, I'd be willing to hear you out--"
 
"Apologize? To you? You must be joking, Obediah. You disrespected my boundaries and forced me to talk to you about something that has caused me destressed, something that I haven't even told my closest mate and you have the audacity to say that I need to apologize to you?" Pat replied slowly, starting quietly before gradually growing more angry in his tone. He then pushed to his feet, the untouched plate of food rattling as he did while running a hand through his hair, desperate to decompress and not lash out.

"Fine. I cant stand how bloody suffocating this whole stiff and pompous air anyway. It seems to be rubbing off on you, what with how entitled to my emotions you are. I will... I don't know. I'll go to the village alone. I've lost my appetite so maybe being away from you could help with that." Padraig decided firmly before scoffing and pushing from the chair, giving no shit about it falling to the ground as he stormed off. He was never one to pretend to be something he wasn't, that is except for his attempts at seeming respectful in front of Obediah's family. He couldn't keep up the lie when he was being gaslighted as hard as he was.
 
"...Why don't we get on with that tour? I'm not certain I can sit here with this tension brewing. Let Padraig calm down by himself and let your brother do the same, there's really no need for us to fuss about over them, so let's go and get on with this tour you've so generously promised me," smiled August, eager to hurry the tour along and avoid sitting at the silent table for a minute longer. The stiff air was almost oppressive and it only made him want to yell at the people sat around it. He wanted to make sure his friends were alright, but nothing he said would resolve their issues, so fussing about trying to make things better was of no use to anyone. A better use of his time was to be around Forrest and at least connect some more with him, and he wanted to do that without the other's wife lingering around.

Fortunately, Isabelle seemed to decide on her own volition not to join them, peering over at Obediah and making the decision to stay put and make sure he was alright. It was all August needed to hear, wasting no time in excusing himself and making a leave from the table, letting out a long breath in relief at escaping the environment.

"I can only apologise for Padraig's behaviour-- and Obediah's as well. They don't normally argue like this, but I'm sure it'll be resolved by lunchtime-- by dinner at the latest," he smiled, smoothing the creases out of the gown with a faint hum to himself. "I'm at least enjoying my time here, even if Pat isn't. He's not entirely used to environments like this. I'm not from this sort of background either, but... I'm at least more used to engaging with people who are-- Let's not focus on them. I'd rather devote my time to you, Forrest~"
 
"Just as I can only apologize for Obediah. I... don't know what happened between the two of them b-but I promise that Obediah's actions and attitude are not a reflection of the rest of us," he reassured quickly, having had to apologize to his mother before leaving. The scene was horrifying for Forrest, having been excited for a pleasant breakfast. To be able to hurry away as fast as possible was a saving grace for him, especially now that Isabelle was gone as well.

"I know those two are... close, but they seemed so happy with one another earlier. I didn't - I didn't expect your friend to lash out as he did, nor did I expect my brother to act rude to him. It's none of my business, I'm aware. I just - I apologize," He babbled out, his face a soft pink in secondhand embarrassment from his brother. Taking in August's gown now that they were alone, that blush only grew. "You know, you keep surprising me with your quirky outfits. You're very brave."
 
Forrest's flustered nature only made August's smile grow more. Whilst he knew that he might find the behaviour annoying in other men, to be so mortified by something as natural as a lover's tiff, he couldn't help but to find the same behaviour adorable in Forrest's case. In fact, seeing him nervously apologise and blush whilst he did so only made the vampire bite his lip and smile in recognition of just how attracted he was to him.

"Oh, my outfit? Brave? I suppose I am, aren't I? I didn't think too much about it. Maybe it wasn't the most appropriate clothing to wear in front of your family, they all seem rather traditional, but I'm so used to wearing what I like that it never occurred to me to be a tad more... traditional myself. It was my ex-girlfriend's. She wore it and I thought that I would look cuter in it than she did. Not to sound arrogant, but I was right," he snorted, his light pink eyes rolling at his own confidence. "I just don't care what people say, it's refreshing to be so unconcerned with other people. You might want to take that lesson on, Forrest. You seem to care so much about what others think of you. As important as that might be, you should learn to care about yourself and your wants and desires too, hm? You only get one life, after all. What a shame it'd be to live it worrying about what others think."
 
"Girlfriend? I... oh. I suppose I assumed you wouldn't have your eyes drift towards woman, if you understand m what I'm saying," he admitted quietly as he fiddled with the string of his robe, his sleepwear covered properly as he led the other down the hall, exhaling deeply once he knew he was a good distance away from the kitchen.

"I wish I had your confidence, August. In fact, I've been told that I'm overly confident myself so I'm trying to stop doing that. I don't think I could just stop doing something that I was raised to do. Obediah doesn't understand the importance of how I was raised. He thinks I'm weak for crying, I know he does. He thinks that he was the only person to have been affected by our father's abuse. He sees himself as a victim and no one else. He... I shouldn't speak poorly of my brother. That isn't important."
 
"I'm not fussy when it comes to my lovers - I like men as much as I do women. I shouldn't admit that given how traditional your family seem, but you seem rather accepting and I don't have any worry talking so openly with you. I only hope you see me as someone you can open up to too; I assure you I'm not at all judgemental," he promised as he wandered beside the human, every now and then glancing across to him and smiling even more at how handsome he was. Obediah had always said that his brother was deemed the 'handsome' one of the family, but he had always thought he was being polite out of brotherly affection. If he had known just how attractive Forrest was, he would have invited himself over to the country house years ago.

"Of course it's important, don't be so daft. Your brother's as much a victim as you are - I can't imagine how oppressive your father was, Forrest. Obediah mentioned it, of course. But seeing you, meeting you-- it's clear that you've been forced into this all. It's important to open up and speak about that. As nice as your wife is, she... doesn't seem like she would... understand? She seems very invested in this lifestyle," the vampire continued, stopping abruptly and, reaching out for Forrest's hand, tugging him to a stop beside him too. "Listen, your brother is... he can be rather dismissive sometimes. I adore him, but he tends to focus on his problems and ignore the issues of others. Don't take it to heart. Just because you're head of the household doesn't mean your feelings are invalid-- this is all rather depressing, isn't it? You have plenty to be happy about. You have me as a friend; most gentlemen in London would sell their kidneys to be near me. Again, not to be arrogant, but you'd be surprised how eager most people are to be around me and the Society."
 
In clear distress, his attention was brought back to August once he felt his hand being held, a simple action that caused him to grow red once again. Offering a small, thankful smile at the kind words, he gave August's hand a squeeze before sniffling and wiping his eyes quickly.

"That sounds lovely. I apologize that I didn't realize just how important you are until you arrived. I... thank you, August. You had no reason to have to listen to me, especially if you're a popular elite in London. It's nice to be able to express myself without having consequences. If I were to say anything to my sisters, they would most likely scoff and look at me like I was a weakling. Let's not speak about me, it's... boring, dramatic family problems. Maybe one day I'll be able to walk away from this place. Perhaps when mother passes, Bur hopefully that won't be so soon. I don't know if I could handle my mother dying so soon to my father's death..."
 
"You can surely visit London whilst your mother remains here, though? I apologise for continuing to go on about this but I really do think a visit to London would do you the world of good. You need to get out of this house; away from your sisters and, dare I say, your wife. I'm sure you love her enormously, but... I'm not a fan, admittedly. Obediah isn't too fond of her, and I can't really defend someone who judges someone else for something as natural as their sexuality. I'm sure she has her good qualities, but I can't find it in myself to like her, I'm afraid," he admitted with blunt honesty, shrugging to himself. Before the other could possibly call him out on that honesty, however, he quickly changed the subject, removing his hand from his and continuing the walk forward.

"You know, you aren't a complete mystery to me. I won't pretend I know everything about you but I think I know enough; more than you might realise, in fact. You can claim otherwise, but I know you must like me more than you care to admit-- I'm rather good at sensing when people find me attractive," he drawled with a sudden flirtatious tone, glancing around for any lingering servants before daring to move closer to the other. "You don't have to admit it, though I'll be rather sad if you try to claim that you don't. It's rather obvious to me-- as is, I assume, my attraction towards you."
 
"E-Even If I were to perhaps have an attraction to you, why are you so interested in me?" He asked after a pause in shock. Looking around nervously himself, he swallowed the limp in his throat, his heart pounding hard as his hands absently fiddled with the belt of his robe. After clearing his throat, he adjusted his posture.

"August, I... don't know how I can articulate to you, my feelings. They - I don't know what I would lose if anyone found out," he admitted in a murmur, his eyes still searching anxiously. Their closeness wasn't subtle and while he didn't push away, it didn't mean he didn't fear of being caught. Obediah was already a source of controversy, after all.
 
"...See, if you're so concerned about what you'd lose and willing to sacrifice your personal happiness because of it, this will never happen. It's brave of you to put everything ahead of what you clearly would prefer to choose, but I'm not... as patient as I'd like to be. I can't wait for you to be brave enough to put yourself first. It's sad, really, but I respect your decision nonetheless," began August, the smile fading from his face. He had naively believed that him making the move by admitting his feelings would be instantly reciprocated, however anxious and nervous Forrest might be. To instead receive nothing much in return was disappointing, but he couldn't exactly be mad - he understood that Forrest had other responsibilities that he was consistently putting before his own happiness. As annoying and unthinkable as August found it, he didn't really have any other option but to put on a smile and accept it all.

"...Yes, well, let's just see this library, shall we? I'll need to get dressed after this. Maybe I'll even head on down to the village; it's cloudy and windy out there and that's my favourite weather, so it'd be a shame to stay indoors," he murmured as a way of changing the subject, frowning despite the effort to appear positive and upbeat. "I assume we'll be going home tonight. I think that'd be for the best-- so Obediah and Pat don't cause more distress and chaos around here. Reputation is clearly everything to you - I'd hate for them to ruin it."
 
"I - wait, that's it?" He confirmed in disbelief, his eyes wide. He didn't really know what he was expecting; he knew what he would have wanted; he wanted August to prove his confidence and take him in for a kiss and leave him blushing, gushing about how the whole experience was foreign and strange, though so was August in general. Adjusting himself a tad from the wall, he quickly tried to hide just how disappointed he was.

"... yes, the library," he murmured, his lips pursing as he continued down the hallway. He only stopped and met eyes with the vampire when he stepped inside, his hands clasping one another as he offered a polite smile. "My father has collected books from all over the world. It's an impressive collection, yes?" He confirmed, his eyes taking in the walls lined with aging books, their spines nearly untouched. "I was never allowed to read them. My father said that if I did, I'd somehow affect the value or some rubbish like that. You seem like the type to read, very educated."
 
"I like to think of myself as educated, though everything I've learnt has been during my adult years. I never learnt a thing in the classroom; never had the patience for it. Only when I grew older did I learn to appreciate the... fun in learning. I'm an avid reader, actually, so this is really quite remarkable," the vampire smiled as he, with genuine eagerness, took in the walls of books in the grand library. If nothing else, the roaring fire in the similarly grand fireplace was enough to warm the room up. It wasn't enough to take away the perpetual coldness he felt, but it was much warmer in the library than it was in the rest of the house, which immediately made it his favourite room. The walls of books and the generally grandiose surroundings was just an added bonus.

"Now your father's gone, perhaps you should allow yourself to read them-- I'd certainly like to sit back with a glass of wine in here, with one of those books in my lap. I can't think of anything more relaxing than that," he continued, taking a seat beside the fireplace with his hands held out towards the flames in a desperate need to warm them up as much as was physically possible, without just thrusting his hands directly into the fire. He often did that, but he knew that doing so in front of a human was just asking for trouble. "Come and sit down, you still look tired. I assume it's the stress. I'll make it my mission these next few hours to relax you as much as I can, before I leave for London again. But when I go, I'll write to you. You should do the same. It'll be nice to keep in contact with you. I'm sure Obediah will appreciate it too."
 
Hesitating, Forrest did inevitably take a seat beside the other on the adjacent chair, watching August in concern at just how desperate he seemed to be to get warm. In contrast, Forrest was admittedly beginning to sweat a tad and while he would have never in any other circumstance, he dared to undo his robe. It wasn't super scandalous, in retrospective, but he only ever took off his robe and just wore his pajamas in front of his wife.

"Oh, sending letters? That would be lovely," he admitted as he absently felt the fine stitching on the armrests of the fancy chairs. "We don't get many letters, only the occasional fro Isabelle's parents and some from my sisters, though they seem busy with themselves so it rarely happens. As for Obediah, I'm surprised that he would want to speak to me after this. The fight we had -I'm not excellent when it comes to verbal fighting," he admitted.
 
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