The Sangruis Society

"Brothers fight, it's perfectly normal. I've never had a brother but Padraig is rather like a brother to me, and we bicker now and then. It's what brothers do, isn't it? But I don't think it was such a ferocious argument that Obediah would stop speaking to you. He's sweet, he's forever telling us about his family. He adores you, I'm sure you're overthinking things," he reassured as his own hands rested back on the arms of the chair. He noticed that his urge for warmth wasn't subtle, and he didn't want to draw attention to it more than he already had, hence his immediate decision to sit back from the fire, however much he longed to sit right up beside it and warm himself up as much as possible.

"Letters sounds like a good idea, it'll be nice to give myself something to do. I'd like to keep up to date with you; I'm interested in your life. However mundane you might feel it is, I'd like to hear every detail in your letters-- even of your wife. I... was too harsh on her, she seems like a lovely woman. You're very lucky," he drawled as he forced back the sarcastic smile that threatened to break. "I assume children is next on the agenda for the two of you? I can't say I'm too jealous of that; I'm not remotely interested in children, but that seems to be the next logical step for many in a marriage."
 
"Unfortunately," he replied, a frown growing on his lips at just the idea. He had heard Isabelle grow ecstatic at the prospect of having children of her own and to be able to continue the Crownfield line. He knew it was expected of him from everyone, especially his mother, but he knew he couldn't handle children.

"I can barely handle myself," he admitted before laughing dryly. "The idea of children running through the halls terrifies me, if I'm to be honest with you. God - I know you're sick of hearing this but... but it's what I'm supposed to do. I just don't want to be a bad father, you know? That... the idea terrifies me. You're so lucky, just having fun at your society."
 
"And I assume you're also tired of me telling you this, but do what makes you happy. Honestly, I've never met a man more miserable than you, and it's sad. It really is. When you're 60 years old looking back on your life, I guarantee you'll regret putting so much effort into a life you clearly don't want to lead; with a wife you presumably aren't as attracted to as you like to pretend to be, being the head of a household you want to escape. It doesn't sound so fantastic, Forrest," the elder man sighed, resting his chin in his hand as he leaned forward, the concern written across his expression surprisingly not fabricated or exaggerated as it was when he tried to be sympathetic with humans. Forrest was an exception who was able to bring out the vampire's sympathy without him needing to force it at all.

"...But I'm tired of enforcing that opinion to you when you've made it abundantly clear that you're willing to sacrifice your personal happiness to remain here. I find it staggering, but it's also rather admirable, in a sense," he laughed, waving his hand as he pulled himself back away once growing aware of the close proximity between them again. "Children aren't the end of the world. I'm sure it's a rewarding process. You and your wife might grow closer if you start a family-- I'm not an expert, Forrest. I don't know what else you want me to advise you on when you won't follow or take on anything I say."
 
"... I'm just... scared of what would happen," he admitted after a long pause, his eyes avoiding the vampire's. "I mean, I don't... I don't know what I would even do if I was in London. I... I've never been out of the village, August. I don't know - I don't know how I would handle it. I mean, I-I... I was conceived to be the heir to his family. I don't know anything else, i guess?" He admitted, his hand now holding his head.

"I've always wanted to do better things, of course I have. Obediah - I know he thinks he was abandoned and that's horrible, but... but at least he's been able to do what he wants, right? He has a lovely man... though I suppose their relationship isn't perfect, is it? Nevertheless, he had a man who loves him with amazing friends, he should be glad to be rid of this place. If I could, I would never come back."
 
August wasn't entirely how to respond without losing his patience and snapping at him, which wouldn't improve his chances of bonding with the human. So, rather than risk insulting him by being brutally honest, he opted to stay silent and turn his attention away from him, at least for several minutes while he composed himself and got his anger under control. He sympathised with the human, but there was only so much sympathy he could show before he found the other's words grating and his constant devotion and dedication to the estate borderline insane. He had always done what he wanted, and he found it difficult to relate to someone who was so miserable yet failed to do anything about it. He knew that he wasn't in the situation and that it was more complex, but frankly, he didn't think it mattered.

"...I'm trying my best to try and understand you, but I... find it absurd, actually. I'm actually finding this remarkably difficult to talk about without shaking some sense into you. Perhaps it's best we don't discuss it. I'd hate to argue with you." August sighed, crossing a leg over the other and adjusting the rings on his fingers, just to give himself something to do to calm himself down. "We're different people from different backgrounds, yes? I don't understand why you're dedicated to this place and your life here, but that doesn't mean I'm right; I suppose I can be wrong. Clearly you're better off staying here, I won't go on trying to convince you otherwise. You aren't made for the city or our Society, I understand that now. I suppose I apologise for being so... forceful, trying to change your mind. That was wrong of me."
 
"No, it's fine - I shouldn't have dumped all of my stress on you. It's just that no one really listens to me here, not even my wife," he admitted, his own body sinking a tad into the chair in a mixture of shame and embarrassment. August was so cool in his eyes so to make him upset only caused him dread. Growing silent, he fiddled nervously with a loose string on the chair.

"... look, I'll ask my wife and mother. I'm... sure they'd let me take a few days to travel. I could use it to be able to expand my role amongst the other Lords," he decided when the silence grew unbearable. "I couldn't stay for very long of course, I would feel horrible if my mother passed whilst I was gone. It's just the fact that you're so... refreshing? I don't want to upset you, aha..."
 
"I'd hate for you to come and your mother pass in your absence; I'm not sure I'd be able to cope with the fact I was the reason you weren't here for her," he sighed, this time forcing himself to appear sympathetic - though it was only because he really didn't care about the other's mother whatsoever. He had no doubt that she was a lovely woman, hearing Obediah gush about her for four years straight, but he wasn't entirely a fan of the woman that was the only barrier he could see to Forrest abandoning the country for the capital. He didn't want to resent her for that reason alone, but he did. Luckily, he knew better than to criticise her - he wouldn't just anger Forrest, but Obediah too, and he cared too much about the latter to upset him.

"No, you're best staying here until she passes on. It'd be cruel of me to entice you away from your home when she's as ill as she is. You're a family man; that's commendable. I was never close to my parents. Never even knew my father, and my mother gave me up when I was born, so I... just don't understand or relate to this sort of... love for your mother. But I respect it enough to stop you doing something reckless."
 
"That's so kind of you, August," he admitted, though his frown held as he stared into the fire. "I know this sounds cruel but I'm surprised she has lived as long as she has. She's been sick since I was born and she only got sicker when Obediah was born. It's a welcomed miracle of course, but it's still a miracle nonetheless. I'm surprised that Obediah's so insistent on returning to London, I expected him to want to stay more and get closer to her again. I suppose he's changed a lot since he has left."

Letting out a tired sigh, he rubbed his forehead wearily before running a hand through his hair. It took a lot of energy to finally face the other, his eyes scanning the vampire critically. He then pushed to his feet to skim the books, finally settling on a book after he tugged hard on it to disrupt the perfectly fitted bookshelf. Rubbing dust off the spine, he set the book down on August's lap.

"It reminds me of you," he explained. The book was one he always found fascinating; a book on mythical creatures. "My father was given it by a friend more than a decade ago. You seem to be the type who finds this sort of thing interesting. You're unique, after all."
 
The sight of the book in front of him didn't amuse him too much until he saw -and heard- what its content comprised of. With a wide grin, he gently flicked through the old pages until coming to the page he knew would amuse him the most; the chapter on vampires. He had read plenty of novels with fictitious vampires as their characters, but, no matter how many books he scanned through, it would never fail to amuse him. Sure, even as he scanned the book now, there were certain sentences that rung true - the aversion to sunlight and the need for blood were clearly factual. That didn't mean everything was correct, and he had to stifle a chuckle at the references to sleeping in coffins and transformations into bats.

"Oh, this is wonderful, Forrest. You know me so well. Mythologies and strange creatures and the like... well, I adore reading about them. I find it all so fascinating. I truly believe that such creatures exist, of course. What a bland world this would be if they didn't," he laughed, his eyes glancing up from the pages of the book as he flashed the human a brilliant grin in gratitude.

"Now, what can I do for you in return for you bringing my attention to this book? You deserve something in return, Forrest; you've been so kind to me. I like to reward kindness," he nodded as he calmly closed the book and set it aside, biting his lip thoughtfully. "...I know what you'd like from me the most, and I'm more than happy to oblige. If you're willing to take the risk, of course. I think a little risk is something you need in your life."

With that, and not content in waiting for the other to say anything in return, the vampire leaned across to make up the distance in order to plant a kiss on his lips. Perhaps he ought to have been gentle, but when he had been patiently waiting for the chance to show his affection for hours now, he wasn't inclined to be passionless or quick about it.

"...You'd be able to do that much more often when you come to visit me in London. I'll wait years if I need to - I want you to be apart of our Society. And you will be, in time. I just have to be patient about it, I suppose."
 
While there was initial shock, Forrest couldn't help but lean into the kiss eagerly. He had suppressed his feelings for more than two decades in fear of responsibility and the possibility of being disowned by his family. He was still terrified, but the rush of the chance of being caught only exhilarated him more to cooperate the kiss. When he pulled away, the Lord's face grew beetroot as he let out a nervous laugh, his hand immediately covering his face.

"That - oh my," he whispered through his giggles, his eyes bashfully avoiding August's. "I've never done anything like that - look at me, all flustered like a young maiden. No one saw us, right?" He confirmed quietly, his eyes then looking around wearily.
 
"If someone had seen us, I'm sure they'd have made themselves known. You have nothing to fear; nobody saw us, it's all fine," he reassured as he once again bit his lip in contemplation, deciding once and for all that the kiss had been the right thing to do. As much as he wanted to wait and allow the other to make the first step, he found him far too irresistible to be so patient. He selfishly wanted the kiss before he returned to London, and he couldn't help but to smile satisfactorily at the decision he had ended up opting for.

He leaned in close once again in the attempt to offer another kiss, one that was a tad more gentle, but his attention was drawn away from him the moment Isabelle's scream interrupted them. He found himself rolling his eyes at the cry, only growing intrigued when the woman herself came rushing into the library with blood smeared across her cream-coloured dress.

"I-- I f-found-- Felix, I-- s-someone killed him, i-it wasn't an accident, he-- he's been ripped apart--" She hysterically stammered as she flung herself into her husband's arms, sniffling hard in an attempt to control her body shaking and shivering in response to finding her cat. Apparently, Obediah hadn't done the best job at disposing of it, given Isabelle had stumbled upon her pet's body and was now a quivering wreck because of it. "O-One of the maids, m-maybe-- or that Irish fellow, he-- he seems like h-he's a brute-- this c-can't go unpunished, you're the head of the household, y-you need to-- to take control of this place!"
 
"Oh, Isabelle..." he began, holding his wife close for comfort, not caring about the blood that now soaked into his own clothes. While he hadn't had as close of a relationship with Felix as Isabelle, he still saw the cat as their child. Holding her close, he brought her out of the library while covering her eyes to keep her from seeing the carnage. Once seeing it though, despite his attempt to seem strong, Forrest couldn't help but get sick once seeing their pet torn apart.

"T-This... who would do this?" He whispered in horror, his eyes welling with tears shooing his wife away, he hurried to at least search for a sheet to cover their pet up neatly. He forced back the urge to bawl, his hands shaking as he wrapped their cat in the dark blanket neatly.

"Oh, Isabelle. I'm so sorry..." he insisted, holding the parts of the cats close in his arms, not caring as his pajamas only became more soaked. "Whoever - or whatever - did this needs to be punished, you're right," he firmly decided, his expression growing more firm. "We can bury Felix by the tree you like, Isabelle. I promise we'll have justice for our baby, okay?"
 
August followed behind both Forrest and the weeping Isabelle, murmuring useless and thoughtless platitudes just to sound as though he was as horrified by the situation as they were. In reality, he had to fight back the urge to laugh aloud. Sure, he was furious with Obediah for risking exposure, but he also had to be soft on him - he was a new vampire whose sole concern was feeding, not covering his tracks. If anything, he was proud of him for following his and Pat's advice and finding comfort in animal blood, and even more proud of him for the chaos he had created. It gave the vampire something to be entertained by, even if it ruined the flirtatiousness between him and Forrest.

But seeing Isabelle upset was the next best thing and August refused to feel anything but enjoyment as the scene played out. It didn't stop him sending a strict glare towards Obediah who arrived upon the scene to investigate the source of the crying, warning the new vampire to keep control and not give himself away by appearing guilty.

That was far more difficult for Obediah than even August assumed it would be. Obediah was a notoriously bad liar, after all, and his natural sensitivities didn't help matters. Seeing the bundle in his brother's arms made him panic instantly, chewing on his fingernails to stop both the guilt hitting his expression... and the hunger that came from the sight of blood.

"...Oh my, what... what's happened?" He inquired nervously, forcing himself to look at his brother and not focus too much on the blood he was smeared with. "Is... that Felix? O-Oh god... I... that's just awful, I'm so sorry, Isabelle-- I really am, this is dreadful."
 
"Whatever did this couldn't have been human, no human could tear an innocent animal apart like this," declared Forrest as he held the cat close, his voice shaking a tad as he spoke. "Felix has been our pet ever since Isabelle and I met, a-and... and to lose a family member not a day after our father's burial is salt in the wounds. I-I... I need someone to retrieve the groundskeeper. I understand that some of you May not be able to comprehend just how close our dear Felix was to us but he was a member of our family, much like all of you."

Pulling Felix close to his chest to stop the parts from slipping in different directions, he looked to his wife in deep sympathy before offering her a soft kiss to the temple to calm her. As he comforted his wife, Padraig strolled to the group with arms crossed, his own eyes locked on Obediah.
 
Dealing with Padraig on top of the guilt he was trying to digest wasn't something Obediah needed, not when he assumed his boyfriend would only chastise him for his carelessness. He realised upon reflection that he hadn't been very wise in tossing Felix aside in the manner he had, but he had hardly thought about consequences - it was practically impossible to do so when he was entirely consumed by his hunger. He didn't imagine Pat or August would appreciate that, however; not know he had brought potential suspicion to them as well as himself.

"I... know how much he meant. I adored him when he was a kitten, I... I'm sure you'll find who done this, Forrest. You're very smart and... and it shouldn't be too difficult, I imagine," the younger brother began as he avoided glancing to his friends, instead proceeding to bite his fingernails and shift his weight nervously. It wasn't too obvious, which was perhaps the only thing preventing Isabelle calling him out.

"...I just n-need to... to lay down, I think. I don't f-feel safe here. First the maids, n-now Felix... W-We should call the police, Forrest. I don't care a-about reputation; there's an a-animal around this house and... the police... they can help, r-right? Someone need t-to stop this, I-- I don't want to be killed."
 
"... you may be right, Isabelle," he whispered, his eyes avoiding hers with a growing anxiety, his face growing red as he tried to settle his said anxiety. He felt as if all eyes were on him to fix everything and that was stress he didn't want to bear. He shook his head, exhaling deeply.

"I need to be alone. I-I'll... I will alert the police. First, I would like to bury our friend here. I can't have anymore innocent souls lost on my property - don't tell mother, understood? Not while we're still emotional." He firmly decided, before turning away, holding the cat close. He stormed down the hallway, his eyes welling with tears once again.

"... this is a mess." Padraig declared once Forrest was far enough, his hand absently running through his red hair. "This is why I should have helped you, Obediah. You never listen to me. I know you think I'm acting pompous but I know more about this than even August."
 
"If all you're going to say is, effectively, 'I told you so', then you can keep your observations and opinions to yourself. I don't need to hear you smugly tell me how right you are and how idiotic I am for causing this mess, Padraig. You'll be gone tonight anyway, what does it even matter to you? You and August can head home to London and nothing here will ever impact you again. I fail to understand why you're so bothered," responded the younger vampire as he stared quietly at the droplets of blood that had dripped onto the floor, his hands now clenched at his sides with his nails digging into his palms - the pain of that distracted him from doing something more reckless out of hunger.

"I won't be heading back to London until my mother's passed. She's made it clear to me that she doesn't want me to go, and I feel it best to honour her wish," he continued, ignoring the sharp glance August gave him in shock. Before he could attempt to talk Obediah out of it, the man had already nodded firmly, refusing to have his mind changed. "She is my mother. I can't abandon her now. The doctor tells her she only has six months or so left, it's really not a long time in the grand scheme of things."
 
"It matters to me because your irresponsibility could cause damage to you, Obediah. I'm fine, I know how to get out of trouble because I have experience. Your family - at least some of it - don't trust you simply because you're in a relationship with a man, imagine how they would react if they found you were a vampire," he firmly explained, his usually cocky and casual disposition completely gone. He enjoyed having a fun time and having some risks... in a city he had become adjusted to. This was no London; the population was insignificant in comparison, after all. If he was caught, killing the witness would be more trouble than necessary. Resting a hand on Obediah's shoulder, he exhaled deeply.

"I'm trying to help you and I'm frustrated by your stubbornness to accept that help. You came here to see your mother and join the funeral and you've done both of those things finished. I just... know you won't listen to a word I have to say, will you?" He confirmed with a groan before pushing to face away.
 
"I am listening. I just don't agree and I personally think it's fine to disagree with you every now and then. You're not my master; I don't need to agree with every word that you utter, Padraig. I'll be remaining here for as long as is necessary. You might not have your mother around but I do, and I won't leave her when the one thing she wants is to be near me. That'd be cruel. I'm a vampire, yes, but I'm not a heartless monster," he retorted a tad too bitterly, but he failed to feel guilty for it. He still expected an apology, after all, and he had no desire to offer one himself. If the other was so determined to believe he was right, then Obediah really didn't want to back down from his belief that he was either. Usually he would give up in a heartbeat to keep the peace and have everything move on as it normally would, but in this instance, he was determined not to be so weak and, essentially, one big pushover, even to his own boyfriend.

"...frankly, I think the space will do us some good. I don't like you right now. Maybe I'm being childish but I struggle to look at you without being angry, actually, so... a little break might be beneficial, don't you think? Of course, given your propensity for finding new 'soulmates', it wouldn't surprise me if I returned to London to find you in the arms of some horrid man, but I guess that's a risk I'll take. My mother's most important to me right now."
 
"Will you just shut up about the soulmate thing?!" He snapped, his attempt at staying calm failing miserably. It took everything in him to not slap Obediah then and there. Running a hand across his face, he avoided Obediah's gaze to keep him at least somewhat relaxed.

"August, May I speak with you in private?" He eventually asked, though he didn't really need a confirmation and instead took the other vampire's arm and stormed down the hallway, going as far as to slam the door almost hard enough to break the door off it's hinges. Padraig rarely expressed his anger even though he held it in more often than not. Adjusting his friend's shoulder, he had to adjust his jaw.

"Am I in the wrong?" He asked, his eyes welling with tears. "I think Obediah's right, I can't be here when he acts like this. He keeps bringing up... Him. That was more than a a century and a half ago and he keeps bringing it up. I even told him about my eye and he just focused on the fact that it had to do with Him. I... I think we should kill his mother, August. We both would be in a better place without her, wouldn't we?"
 
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