The Sangruis Society

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"I... don't like arguing with you. I don't think I... acted appropriately but it upsets me to think about... him. I'm just... insecure about it. I imagine he was some dashing, strong, handsome man who was adventurous and fun and I just... can't imagine why you'd love me more than someone like that, is all. I don't know. I allowed my own insecurities to impact us and... fine, I apologise for acting the way I did. I'm more like my father than I thought I was, this is how he would act, and that... horrifies me," he laughed as he made his way to the bed, awkwardly staring at his feet. Having a heart-to-heart with his boyfriend was awkward enough without having to deal with August observing it all, though shying away from discussing his relationship would only exacerbate their issues - Pat clearly wanted to talk, and he loved him too much to not give him that discussion.

"I'm sorry, I really am," he repeated again, biting his lip as he furiously wiped away the tears that typically threatened to show. He was a sensitive person who often cried over the littlest things. Something as serious as his relationship, which he had believed was close to ending, was bound to cause him to cry. Despite spending most of the afternoon doing that, more tears seemed to spring to his eyes, making him groan quietly at how pathetic it made him feel.

"...You're not leaving me, are you? I... I don't want to break up, I couldn't cope with that, Pat."
 
"What? I-Of course not!" He replied in disbelief, a chuckle following as he took Obediah's hand in his. "No, no. I... I could never leave you, especially not over a couples quarrel. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring him up so often. I just wanted to tell you my stories and he was just a part of them. I have plenty more without him in there - I'm sorry, Obediah."

Taking his boyfriend's hand in his, he offered it a kiss before offering the same soft kiss to his temple with a comforting smile. It was good practice on how to calm his lover down later that day after all, going as far as to sniffle.

"I love you, Obediah," he reassured lovingly before entangling his arms around the other. "Don't forget that, alright? I'm sorry I acted so dramatically, it was unnecessary of me."
 
His teary smile in relief only lasted for a few seconds, his expression turning quizzical the moment he leaned in for a kiss. He didn't talk immediately, spending the few seconds examining his boyfriend closely, as well as glancing towards August to confirm something to himself. Only when he was adamant he wasn't imagining things did he arch a brow expectedly.

"...You could have invited me along when you both went to feed. I can smell the blood on you, Pat. I'd have liked to go into the village and feed to. I-I am... suffering, I... can't explain to you how horrid I feel right now. I'm so cold and my throat is-- you know, you've been through this too. It's hell. I... could really do with a proper meal," he whined, pouting to himself in disappointment. "Honestly, you could have at least brought me a glass of blood back. I know you were mad at me, but I... I'm so hungry... Who did you kill, anyway? Not one of the staff here? I... really wouldn't like that too much, they're like family to me."
 
"August and I decided to go into town for a few hours while you were sulking. I couldn't stay here, I needed to clear my head," he admitted easily with a frown. "I'm sorry, I know what state you're in right now. I should have taken you into consideration. I promise that you can have as many humans you want when we get back to London, right?" He reassured, his eyes locking on August.

He wasn't going to be the only one having to hold up the lie, especially when it was a lie that had to be very meticulous. He could be sly but August could hold a straight face and despite his closeness with Obediah, he knew that August held more respect in the eyes of the young vampire.
 
"I did contemplate asking you to come along, but Pat needed to have a break. We didn't intend to go feeding, if you can believe that. Some poor girl had a nosebleed and I was hardly in a position to turn away temptation. She seemed sickly; she probably wouldn't have lasted the winter anyway. It was a fortuitous moment that we didn't plan-- but I apologise anyway, Obediah. It does seem selfish of us," conceded August with a hand on his friend's knee, having leaned over with an apologetic expression. He didn't think he would need to act until Obediah's mother was found, so being thrust into a situation where he quickly needed to act sorry and spin out some lies did cause a flutter of panic - though it only lasted a few seconds. August adored situations like this, where he could use his charm and be a little dramatic. As bad as he genuinely felt about using that against Obediah, it was either that or admit who he had really killed - and that would only make things worse.

"But yes, Pat's right: we'll make it up to you in London. We'll find you someone tomorrow, in fact--"

"I'm not going, August. Not for a few months. Pat understands; I've told him this," smiled Obediah quietly, taking in the lie from the two easily. He had no reason to doubt what they were telling him, after all. "I just-- can't leave my mother. You understand, don't you, Pat? I... maybe you can stay here with me? It isn't too bad here. I was thinking of having my portrait painted. I last had it done when I was 14. I could have another painted and... maybe you can be in it too? It'll be fun, spending time here. My mother certainly needs me here, so..."
 
"I don't know, your family saw me... act dramatically. I doubt they would appreciate spending any more time with me," he admitted, exhaling. He hated being seen as anything less than a goalmouths and put-together gentleman so to get so frustrated in front of the others only made him grow red once embarrassed.

"I feel horrible about that. I wouldn't be surprised if your family never wanted to see me again. They think me some savage, uneducated monster, I assume," he continued before resting his head on the shorter man's shoulder. "Though I would definitely enjoy a portrait of you and I..."
 
"...I suppose you're right, actually. As much as I hate to admit how my family can be, they don't appreciate people as wonderful as you, Pat. You were up against it the moment you began talking - they judge you for your accent and slang terms alone. The moment they realised you weren't from the upper class, I imagine that they decided to dislike you-- or at least be wary. You're so handsome that I doubt they're capable of disliking you," he laughed with a gentle nudge, trying to make things feel more normal between them with a little flirtation. He wasn't wonderful at it, the delivery being a tad awkward and ruined by his nervous stammering, but the intent was clear and he felt that was enough.

"Maybe it's best you don't stay here, you're right. I'll remain here until she passes, then. But it won't be long, I... think she'll leave us soon. She's really not very well," he sighed, smiling across at August when the vampire, timely, made a murmur of forced sympathy. "It's alright, I think I'll be okay when she does go-- I was contemplating turning her, but that'd be-- I couldn't do that to her. I'd hate it. She's better off passing peacefully in her sleep, I think."
 
"That's commendable of you, Obediah. It's almost always for selfish reasons - changing a human to a vampire. Sometimes it's simply to keep people in your life and... that can be selfish. Vampire life isn't always fun, y'know? I had turned my entire crew - I asked them of course, and they all agreed, but it isn't reversible. There are people who have become vampires and crave death every day, a death that can only be achieved through painful means. It would be selfish to turn your mother, not to sound rude," he admitted with a small grimace.

"There was one crewman who didn't want to be a vampire anymore. He had wandered into the front of the boat while we were all inside and we found him, burnt to a crisp. He... didn't want this, and that's understandable," he explained, his back adjusting in discomfort.
 
"...I turned someone once, in panic. it was after I first became a vampire. It was a whole mess but I panicked and ending up turning the poor fellow. He ended up driving a stake into his own heart, which I never thought would work; I thought it was an element of fiction. Had to witness him die right in front of my eyes, which was horrid. Pat's right - this isn't for everyone. It's why I make sure everyone who joins our Society is aware of what they're agreeing to. It's important. It's why we waited four years for you, Obediah. We wanted to wait until it was your decision."

"I get that, I... I'm agreeing with you both. It's why I haven't turned her. As much as it hurts, it's better to let her die peacefully," the youngest nodded as he turned his focus to his hands, the talk of his mother only upsetting him and causing his anxiety to rise. "I should be with her-- I promised her I'd check in on her once or twice in the night in case she needed something. I'll be back soon; she'll just want some tea and some medication if anything."
 
"Shouldn't she be sleeping?" Padraig questioned with a furrowed brow, though his arms did let go of his lover nonetheless. "I haven't been human for so long, I forgot that they can get sick and how dangerous it can be. I believe I grew sick once and that was almost a death sentence, but that was out at sea - it's a bit different than on land. Do you know what she has?" He asked curiously, subtly trying to keep Obediah in place without forcing him of course.

"I'm no physician, there's no need for me to be. I do find it all fascinating nonetheless," he continued quietly before stretching his legs and laying back on the bed. "I imagine her physician gets paid quite a bit, huh?"
 
"My sister said she has cancer, which means that it really won't be long until she... passes. It's a miracle she's lasted as long as she has, she's never been a well woman. She had me when she was in her mid-40s, and I know that my birth only exacerbated her sick she was. Her physician is a lovely man, though. He's so caring and gentle and-- and I think he's the reason she's lasted this long. He's really very smart, gives her the right sort of advice that keeps her.. here with us," he continued and, for a moment, he seemed to have forgotten his earlier remarks about leaving, being too comfortable sat beside his boyfriend and too focused on not bursting into tears to remember what he had declared. However, he pushed himself up from the bed just seconds later and offered a tired smile across to the two.

"I really do need to see her. She wakes up in the night for mediation and I told my brother I'd be on hand to help her. I don't sleep so there's no point in stirring my brother from his slumber when I'm around to help-- and he's still grieving over that cat, so it'd be cruel of me to force him awake. Would you... come with me, Pat? I... don't like seeing my mother so sick, it'd be nice to have you come with me for some support? And she does lie you a lot, she told me herself. She said you were good for me."
 
"If being there will help, then yes," he declared after a moment of contemplation. He knew she wouldn't be there and would have to act accordingly but he wasn't worried; the only emotion he ever had trouble holding back was anger, as was proven earlier.

"Hm... it's reassuring for her to say that, I suppose. I dunno, I'm sure she at least thinks less of me for causing a storm earlier. Either that or she's out of her mind," he teased, offering a playful nudge.
 
"...I'm sure she doesn't approve of that outburst, but I found it passionate-- it's why I love you. Even though the criticisms were all aimed at me, I found it rather amusing. My family were all so shocked; it was hilarious. I don't think you should regret it, Pat. Why hide how you're feeling, even if it comes out in the form of an outburst at a posh breakfast table? That is what made it funny to me. I think we should laugh about it; not be embarrassed," he grinned as he took his hand and entwined their fingers, taking advantage of the fact everyone else in the house who might have an issue with him being intimate with his boyfriend wasn't awake to show their disgust.

Inevitably, he paused in confusion at the sight of his mother's empty bed, and the fact her dressing gown and her slippers were left in the room, which he naturally assumed she'd have changed into had she gone for a walk. Even then, he knew her first instinct would be to go to her son if something was wrong or she just wanted to talk, so the fact she hadn't only caused him to grow more concerned than he already was.

"I-- I need to go and find her-- I should tell Forrest, maybe Mother sleepwalks and I wasn't aware of it? Can you go search for her? I should wake him, he... my brother always knows what to do."
 
"Perhaps she took a walk in the woods, right," he murmured in agreement, snooping the area in feigned curiosity. Turning to his lover with a concerned frown, he peered out the large bay window, the curtains drawn back. They had been meticulous in putting clues to lead the two Crownfield brothers to assume their mother had traveled to the tree line, seemingly only her footsteps being seen.

"She was a little eclectic, maybe she took a walk without asking for permission?" He suggested with raised shoulders, his attempts to offer leads subtly leaning toward their plan. "You know her better than I do, though, so..."
 
"And why would she take a walk out into the woods when she believes there's a vicious animal out there, Pat? For all we know, there could be. Who knows what's in those woods?" He countered with a nervous glance out of the window. His improved eyesight allowed him to spot the footprints in the snow in spite of the pitch-black darkness. They could be anyone's footprints, he realised, but all the evidence pointed to them being his mother's, and that realisation only caused him to panic, as he was prone to do often given his sensitivity and generally weak personality.

"She's not g-going to survive out there; it's cold and she's in a nightgown, nothing else. This-- This is bad," he breathed, gulping in deep breaths to try and calm himself down before an attack took hold. He had no need to breathe, but the coping mechanism had been devised when he was a human - if it helped him now, regardless of whether he needed the breaths or not, he was going to give it his best shot. It was either that, or curl up on the bed in a fetal position, breaking down over the very distinct possibility that his mother had perished somewhere outside in the cold.

"I-I'll get my brother; you and August go and... and search out in the woods, please? F-Forrest and I will join the search in a moment."
 
"Obediah, take some deep breaths. I know it's futile to ask you to relax given the circumstances but you won't be much help in the state your in, yes?" Pat replied calmly, his hands resting lightly on his boyfriend's shoulders in an attempt to ground him a bit. It was scenes like these that always rugged on his heartstrings, especially when the other was still human. Even though Obediah was now a vampire, that didn't mean his concern had gone away alongside his humanity.

"Yes, alright. You take a moment to relax just for a moment before you find your brother. You need a level head for this, alright?" He continued in a soothing voice before leaning down to offer a soft kiss to Obediah's forehead.
 
"I just-- I can't f-face it if she's-- if she's, you know--" He began nervously, chewing on his thumbnail as his eyes inevitably strayed back outside to the footprints. It didn't help his rising anxiety until Pat's affection and soothing tone broke through, the vampire finally able to breath out and in without visibly shaking as he did so.

"I-- Right, I'm okay. I'm fine. She's tough, really. I'm sure she's alright. If not, I... I'll cross that bridge when I come to it," he nodded as firmly as he could manage given the circumstances, leaning up a little to at least reciprocate the affection with a firm kiss. "...If you find her and she's... unharmed, bring her straight inside and sit her by the fireplace, alright?"
 
"OF course," he replied into the kiss before taking a step back, observing Ovediah's State with concern. "I'll get August and we'll head out. Be careful, please. You may be a vampire now but you're new, not to mention your brother is still human."

With that, he gave one more quick kiss before heading down the corridor to August's bedroom, a small smirk on his lips, though it was strained. "... we need to head into the woods."
 
"You want me to head out into those woods, pretending to search for a woman I tore to pieces? That sounds fabulous fun, but I can't be bothered to do that when I'm cold; I'll only be colder venturing out into the dark at this infernal hour, Pat. Just let them find the body and be there as a shoulder to cry on. Why do I need to stumble about out there?" He grumbled from the seat beside the window, having spent the last few moments soaking in the peace and quiet beside the fire, sipping occasionally at the wine in his hand. The idea of cutting his relaxation short to look for a woman he knew was already dead would be a waste of his time, but one look at Pat inevitably changed his mind.

"We can't be the ones to discover the body first. It'll provoke suspicion from Obediah. We'll stumble about in the opposite direction and, when they meet up with us, we'll let them take the lead and find it first. Then we can act shocked. Maybe I'll throw up. It's certainly possible given the amount of wine I've drank," he tiredly sighed as he reached for the dressing gown he had brought with him from London. "Fine, let's go-- how is Obediah? I heard him panicking."
 
"Of course he's panicking, he lost his mother for Christ's sake," he reminded as he grabbed his fur-lined coat in abc attempt to keep himself cold. It was futile but it was at least a bit comforting, comforting enough as he headed into the snow. It also kept up appearances, of course.

"That's a brilliant idea, yes. You and I can just wander about, I'm not worried. We can take in the beautiful scenery, right? I think it'll be nice," he reassured, offering a pat to August's back in encouragement before slipping on his shoes and patiently waiting for the other.
 
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