megaTEN (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
tenshinoakuma) wrote2005-08-09 09:58 pm
tenshinoakuma) wrote2005-08-09 09:58 pm
Entry tags:
[TSaS RP, AU] Like the Hiding Sun
AU from the Twilight Sweet as Syrup RP, set after Rosalie and Ami meet and return to Trian's home. My posts are in dark red and dark blue for Trian and Ami respectively, and supadiva_03's is in black.
la la la TBC Man, I spot mistakes on my posts that I wanna correct grrgrr
Late morning, vampire time, and the sun was about to rise within the hour. Trian walked up the steps to his home, neither hurrying nor dawdling. The police had dropped by the hospital just as he was about to leave, and he had already gotten messages from two of his employers, which were now tucked into his shirt pocket. He had no doubt in his mind that he was going to get more over the course of the week.
But speaking of messages, he had found the little puppy's note of goodbye. Initially he had been irritated she had disappeared on him despite his warnings, but later quietly consoled himself with the fact she had brought him more trouble than he really cared to deal with. Perhaps it was not such a waste after all.
He noted the broken window and frowned, shifting his staff from its resting position against his shoulder. If the intruder was still in his home, they would get a nasty surprise. Soundlessly, he opened the door to his house, not using his eyes to scan for intruders, since he could barely see in the dark anyway. Instead, he tried to 'feel' for any presences of other living beings around him. Trian found none in the immediate area, but kept his guard up as he moved to the stairs.
Rose, having finally accomplished the deep, sleep that she had hoped for, rolled over noiselessly on the couch, completely oblivious to Trian's entrance. The deepness of the sleep did nothing to supress her dreams, however.
She dreamt of Belle first. She was in obvious pain, probably from the wound she suffered at Cragan's hand. But she was being cared for by a devestatingly handsome man. Rose had the feeling that she was safe, and her visions of Belle slowly subsided...
Next came Trian; asleep on the cot in the hospital. He looked very peaceful, but his pallid expression suddenly turned furious in his sleep. Rose cringed in her dream, slipping silently out of the room.
And lastly, came Cragan. He deep maroon eyes were all she saw, pursuing her through the darkness. She ran, but strangely, she wasn't afraid. The only emotion she felt was determination.
Rose rolled over noiselessly on the couch, hugging the blanket tighter around herself. The only giveaway to her position was the quiet squeek of the sofa cushions as her weight shifted.
Trian turned abruptly in the direction of the sound, murmuring softly. At his command, a dim flame appeared, hovering above the palm of his free hand, casting its faint light over the room. He noted a familiar suitcase, and relaxed a little. Ami must have returned, although that had not explained the sound, or the broken window.
Seeing no sudden movements, Trian 'looked' for a presence again. This time, he felt someone, very faint by the couch, and he cautiously approached it. He gave a soft "Hn," of surprise when he saw who was sleeping there.
No wonder he hadn't felt the puppy's presense; sleeping people tended to blend with the background.
He wasn't sure whether he should be gratified Rosalie had decided against leaving, or mortified. Not one to disturb another's sleep, especially when he himself disliked people doing as such to him, Trian turned to go upstairs and check on Ami.
Rose wasn't sure if her dreams had pulled her out of her sleep, or the fact that she sensed another presence in the house. Whichever it was, her eyes opened slowly, a few moments after she had regained consiousness. She stayed motionless in the dark, moving nothing but her eyes.
She caught sight of a light receeded up the stairs, as if from a candle or lantern, or some other flame. She wondered idley if Ami could have managed lighting a candle or lanter quietly without waking her.
Rose rolled off the couch smoothly, falling into a crouch once her bare feet hit the floor. She had a dagger from between shoulder out and clutched in her small hands in an instant. Silently, she rolled her shoulders, making a mental note to try and not fall asleep with that dagger still in place. She had a knot in her back now...
She stalked across the main room to the foot of the stairs, prideing herself in how little noise she made. She climbed the stairs just as silently, stepping on the edges against the wall where they were most sturdy to keep from hitting a creaky board.
The light was coming from the room where she had left Ami. She took a deep breath as she pressed herself against the wall next to the open door, offering up a silent prayer before darting into the room with her dagger held tight.
Trian let a small smile flit across his lips as he saw the little lump on the bed so typical of Ami. If she was well enough to lump like that, then he supposed the little girl was none the worse for wear after her extended holiday. Somehow, things tended to work out for her. Even if she had lost her keys.
He felt something, and his mind quickly jumped to the most logical conclusion. "I suppose I shouldn't really be surprised you're a light sleeper," he said into the dimly lit darkness before he turned around. Trian arched an eyebrow at the sight of the dagger, glinting in his fire's light. "A bit much, don't you think, little puppy? I have no need to break into my own home like a thief."
Rose took in Trian's presence with little more than a smirk. Inside she was wildly relieved that it was him. She reached over her shoulder to slip the dagger back into its sheath with the smirk fading.
"Well, under the current circumstances, with a bloodhound still on the loose with a grudge towards me, don't you think that it is more intelligent to be more causious?" Once her hand was free of the dagger, she crossed her arms across her chest. "I didn't mean to be here when you returned anyhow." she explained. "But she convinced me to stay, and I was worried that she would try and follow me if I left. With her sense of direction, that could prove dangerous for her."
Her posture relaxed visibly, her tense muscles relaxing. "And yes. I am a very light sleeper most of the time." She rubbed her eyes that now felt like sandpaper. Rose could only imagine the dark circles that rimmed her eye sockets.
"So your note said." Trian leaned his staff against his shoulder and flicked out her note from his shirt pocket, dangling it before them between his forefinger and thumb. After a brief moment, he flicked it into the small flame before he continued. "I have no idea why she would want to follow you, but I hardly know what goes through her mind when she gets these whims. I suppose a thanks is in order for keeping an eye on her," he said grudgingly.
The flame flared a little as it eagerly ate the note, throwing up a few sparks before it subsided back into a gentle glow. Taking his staff back in his free hand, Trian moved to the doorway, indicating they should go somewhere lest they disturb Ami's rest. "If you are going to be cautious," he murmured, leaning down to whisper in Rosalie's ear. His eyelids dropped until they were half closed, "I suggest you keep your weapon sheathed when you are in hiding. Metal reflects." He paused briefly. "Although if I were truly the bloodhound, he would have known you were there regardless, and would immediately engage in taunting you."
"Thanks for the tip." she mumbled, noting how grudgingly he had offered her thanks for watching Ami. She was recovering from the goosebumps that broke out across her bare shoulders when he whispered in her ear, his breath fanning out across her skin. He still had an air of frustration, and her fears were validated- he was upset at the trouble she had caused.
She stared up into his eyes incredulously, about to reveal exactly why Ami wanted her to stay. She decided against it in the last minute as she looked at him, her mouth working. She ended up staying silent and pushed past him, walking downstairs to the sitting room.
Trian watched her for a moment in thoughtful silence. He wondered what was wrong with her, before momentarily tossing his ponderings aside. He really had a lot to do...
He paused.
Well.
It was nearly sunrise. Rather than spend the day writing letters to explain his scrapings with criminals and authorities, he would drop by to personally inform them all. But, of course, they couldn't honestly expect him to drop by during daylight hours, especially when it was harmful to his, ah, delicate health.
Having found excuses for procrastinating and slacking off, Trian cheerfully followed Rosalie, although none of his good spirits showed in his face aside from the slight arch in his eyebrows. He had nothing better to do, so he was going to bother the little puppy.
"You were rather short with me a moment ago," he observed aloud. "I'm curious as to why you're suddenly staying when you seemed so adamant in your note that you were leaving. So which are you planning to do now? Staying or leaving? You can't do both, it can only really be one or the other."
Rose stopped dead in her tracks and spun on her heel to face Trian. Her face was a mix of eagerness, pain, and anger as she stared at him, her pale blue eyes masked.
"I told you." she sighed. "Ami talked me into staying. She said that she would follow me if I left. I thought of leaving after she fell asleep, but seeing as she is nearly as stubborn as you are, I figured she would follow me anyhow and get lost. Then, not only would I be causeing you all this trouble recently, I would be depriving you of a blood doll." Her voice was almost a hiss at the end, even though she was exactly angry with Trian. She was more upset at herself.
She crossed her arms across her chest and shifted her weight to her right leg, letting the other bare foot tap nearly noiselessly on the ground. "Ami has...hopes." she began, about to tell him again. But her face flushed crimson and she chickened out. "As for leaving...I'll do that now. I am sure that you can manage to restrain Ami from coming to find me."
Trian showed no reaction to her snappish tone, other than to tilt his head and raise an eyebrow, a few strands of hair flopping in front of an eye. He lightly flicked his wrist, tossing the flame up where it floated a little way in front and to the side of him. He let the flame slowly grow larger and brighter, now that there was no need for a dim light. Satisfied now that the room was bathed in a more homely glow so he no longer had to strain his eyes to see the puppy, he deftly tucked the stray strands of hair back behind his ear. He stepped towards Rosalie and leaned closer, eyes half-lidded.
"Perhaps I should have been more specific. I am more interested in the words you exchanged with Ami," he whispered, a smile curling at the corners of his mouth. "My mere presence shouldn't be causing this," and he reached out to brush her flushed cheeks with the edge of a thumb. Although his mouth wasn't smirking, his eyes were. "It wasn't before."
Straightening, he took a step back, returning some of her personal space. "You may leave if you wish. I will not...cannot," he glanced out a window at the slowly lightening sky, "stop you. It won't be long before I retire for the day. However," Trian tilted his head slightly with a small smile on his face, "Ami works in human time, while I work in vampire, as it should be. I believe she will be waking in a few hours. And I daresay something as trivial as sunlight will not deterr her from her duties."
Rose flushed crimson again once he dragged his thumb across her cheek. Why was she acting like this now? Was it just because of Ami's words?
"Duties?" Rose asked, still unable to keep the ice from her voice. "What? Would you send her after me or something?" With a sigh she held up her hand to forstall his answer. "We'll see how much you want me to stay after you find out what she wants from me..."
She took a deep breath, her pale blue eyes studying Trian before she began. She wanted to give her cheeks time to cool before she continued. She was sure that it wasn't the last time she would blush tonight.
Rose never took her eyes from his as she spoke, wanting to gauge every incling of a reaction that he had. "She wants us to be together." she mumbled. "Not just together...together." She interlaced her fingers infront of her to paint a picture for him. "She is worried about you, and apparently wants you to find love."
As expected, her cheeks brightened again, giving light to her name. But she couldn't take her eyes from him.
Trian blinked. Very slowly. There was a very long pause as he stared blankly at Rosalie. He heard her words perfectly, but for some reason they were not registering in his mind.
...For some reason, the image of the little midget dancing madly in a circle waving a pair of fans squealing, "Squee~! Rabu rabu~!" appeared in his mind.
Trian pinched the bridge of his nose, rubbing the corners of his eyes as he tried to resist the urge to make a graceless "gnnnhhhhh" noise while he banished the image from his mind. Dropping his hand, Trian opened his mouth to say something, but thinking better of it, he shut his mouth. He tilted his head up to stare at the dark ceiling before he let a long sigh through his nose.
He turned his gaze back on Rosalie. "I should have known better than to allow her to fill my library with romance novels," he muttered. Waving a hand vaguely, Trian continued, "Nevermind, it's only one of many whims of her's. She shouldn't be concerning herself with my love life," he added darkly under his breath.
Shrugging, he said more clearly, "Whether you want to stay is up to you, but I neither have the will nor ability to stop Ami from doing as she wishes."
Rose watched Trian's reaction go from blank to...disgusted? And she immediately turned defensive. Her cheeks paled slightly, leaving one a hushed pink, and she crossed her arms across her chest.
"Well, you don't have to make it sound so terrible." she mumbled under her breath. She peeled her eyes away from him to look out the window. "You're the one who just had to know. You should try being the one that she was telling her little plans to. I put it mildly for you." Rose winced as she remembered 'babies' and such.
Her grimace deepened when he made mention that he couldn't stop Ami even if he wanted to. She seemed to be stuck at the moment. The muscle in her jaw worked as she tried to think of a solution that wouldn't cost Trian a source of nutrients.
Soon enough, she buried her face in her hands. An annoyed and frustrated sound ripping from her throat, and she sank back on the couch. She was tired, so tired. And the current situation wasn't doing anything to curve her mood.
Trian had been quite enjoying bothering the puppy until...that. The little one had been good at keeping her nose out of his private matters, but it seemed it didn't keep her mind from it. He did not really care what Ami thought of him, but he would start caring if she continued to play matchmaker.
He was going to have words with her.
"Well, you don't have to make staying sound so terrible," Trian echoed her words with a wry smile at her less-than-graceful noise of frustration. He mumbled a few words and pointed his staff at the curtains by the windows. The curtains silently snapped shut, blocking out the soft tendrils of light creeping into the room. His approach heralded by a soft 'thunk' of his staff into the floor, Trian sank into the couch beside her. He suddenly didn't feel like being a pest anymore.
"Is it really such a hard decision to make?" he asked seriously, crossing his legs as he leaned back against the couch, hands curled around his staff. Trian's eyes were fixed on the mantlepiece, although he wasn't really seeing it at all. He was honestly curious. He idly tapped a finger against his staff. "I don't want you to stay if it is merely from the request of another; I believe this place would soon feel like a jail if that is the case."
Rose lifted her head from her hands and angled her body towards Trian, tucking one leg under her on the couch to make it possible. The look she gave him was nearly tortured.
"It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't causing you so much difficulty." Her face flushed for an instant once she realized that those words could be taken two ways. But it quickly changed from anguished to stern. "And don't say that I'm not, just to spare my feelings. In case you were thinking on going that route." An inkling of her confidence returned. Just a moment, fluttering to the surface. She thought maybe if she stayed around Trian and Ami long enough, maybe all of her confidence would return.
She reached, and thought about touching his hand, taking it into hers to show her sincerity. But halfway there, she stayed her hand. Ami's words were too fresh on their minds, she was sure. Shaking her head to cover her moment of indecision, she sighed.
"It wouldn't be terrible if I stayed. I have grown fond of you and Ami. Not to mention you have come to my rescue...twice. I wish there was just some way that I could thank you, or repay you." she said, looking back up at him. Her voice began again as a mixture of anger and pain. "And since you don't seem to want my blood, then it appears as if the only way to thank you would be to remove myself from your presence and quit disturbing you."
Rose sighed again. "Do you even understand my line of thinking? Or am I just rambling?" A wry grin slid across her face in the last part, knowing the womanly side of her was prone to overreacting.
To say he understood her would be a lie (not that he was above lying, although he preferred half-truths), but to agree would only encourage her exasperating behaviour. He was not one for giving false comfort if he didn't see why he should. "I have no need to spare your feelings," he said bluntly, "nor do I require any means of thanks or repayment. I do not believe in obligatory acts; they are insincere and mean nothing."
He looked directly at Rosalie, eyes slightly narrowed. "Do not concern yourself with whether or not you have caused me trouble, or whether you will in the future," he said flatly. "Those are my own concerns, and regardless of whether you leave or stay, there will be problems. There will always be problems." He paused momentarily to allow his words to sink in. "Even if I had never met you, even if you didn't exist, I would have undoubtedly encountered some other problem. Your decision will undeniably impact this household in some way, but if I couldn't accomodate for a change so minor, I have no right to my name." His last words had an edge to them, but his expression didn't change.
"Concern yourself with what you stand to gain from what you decide to do." He turned so he could lean back in the couchseat, eyes fixed on the mantlepiece opposite. Trian never remembered if Brother had given him advice about indecision, but Trian always knew what he wanted.
Except those times he didn't...
He tossed his head aside so he didn't have to see Rosalie's face, so his hair slipped from his hair and she couldn't see the set of his jaw. He was wandering too close to old memories and forbidding thoughts. There were some things he preferred not to show. "Being indecisive is akin to being lost," he continued flatly, closing his eyes. "I don't care what you decide, as long as you make a decision."
Rose struggled visibly for a moment, her jaw working. She could feel all of her defensive walls shoot up. She couldn't put her finger on it, but Trian's words hurt her. She didn't know why. Her sun kissed brow furrowed in thought for a moment as she pondered what that could mean.
When she was able to look up at him again, she noticed his hair had fallen between them. For another unknown reason, this bothered her. She casually swept it out of the way, tucking it behind his ear so it would fall again.
"Don't hide." she said sternly. "It doesn't become you." She let her hand drop to her side, as she looked at the set of his jaw. She couldn't place the face.
She wasn't sure how long she stared at him, the only way she could tell that time was passing was by the quick 'tick, tick' of a clock...
"I'll stay, I suppose. For a time." she said quickly, but her own jaw set firmly, showing remnants of the stronger woman she kept tucked away. "But you need to eat better. And I will begin to pull my own weight around here, like making sure that there is food in the house. I'll clean where cleaning is needed. I won't sit around and do nothing all day or night or whatever."
"Hiding does nothing, because someone will always come and find you."
Trian unconsciously stiffened when Rosalie brushed aside his hair. Inwardly sighing, he turned his head so he could watch Rosalie out of the corner of his eyes. He didn't look quite at her, rather, past her. The puppy frustated him in so many ways. She most infuriatingly reminded him of Brother, but she was nothing like him.
He only blinked once when she announced her decision, before uncrossing his legs and getting to his feet. He swept his hair out of his face in one fluid moment. "Do as you wish, I do not mind you staying," he said with a small smile. It quickly faded when Trian held up two fingers. "On two conditions. Firstly, when I am in the middle of crafting a spell for my employees, do not disturb me. I doubt you would enjoy bearing the consequences should it misfire. Secondly, do not ever wake me up. I do not care if there is an important visitor here to see me, I do not enjoy having my rest interrupted. They can always wait."
Trian dropped his hand, resting it on his hip. "Are there any questions?"
Rose stood in one swift movement. A movement that was surprisingly graceful. She planted her hands on her hips and closed the distance between her and Trian. She got in his face, or as close to his face as standing on her tip toes would allow, her pale blue eyes hard.
"Fine." she almost growled. "But you will start feeding better, even if it's from me. If Ami and King aren't available. You can hardly do whatever it is you do whenever you are sickly."
She didn't move, she was so close that she could feel his cool breath fanning across her face. Her mind flashed to the time they danced...she hadn't been incredibly uncomfortable there in his arms as he twirled her across the dance floor. Actually, it wasn't....
Damn it Ami! she screamed in her head.
She still didn't move, keeping her face perfectly still, happy that Trian couldn't read her thought. She had a point to make here with him and she wouldn't let the ramblings of a mindless girl to ruin it....
Trian didn't back down when Rosalie infringed on his personal space. Instead, he coolly stared down at her, not in any way intimidated by the smaller woman. The way her face remained the same, static, was something he recognised; he often did the same thing to hide his own feelings. Which meant she was hiding something from him, although he had a sneaking suspicion he knew what it was. Were the circumstances any different, Trian would have perhaps lightly teased the puppy, but her words grated against something in deeply ingrained in him.
He stared levelly into Rosalie's eyes, a stare that gave off vibes of 'you are crossing a line you don't want to cross'. There was a pause as he stared down at her, not saying anything, but it was clear from the narrowing of the corner of his eyes that his silence wasn't from shock or from having no words to retaliate with.
"Have a care, little puppy. You are in no position to tell me what I will or will not do," Trian said in a low voice, sharpness lining it. He leaned closer, close enough for her to see his small fangs behind slightly parted lips, fully aware of the discomfort it would cause her. "My health is my own concern, not yours."
Rose's eyes flashed to Trian's fangs for an instant, and a wry smile immediatly lit up her face. He was trying to intimidate her. Of course, the sight of his fangs would have frightened the hell out of her a few days ago, but something had changed in her recently.
She couldn't help it, but she found this extremely entertaining. The wry smile spread farther across her face, and she stood her ground, knowing Trian must be feeling her warmth by now...he was so close. She pinned her azure gaze back on him.
"Don't be silly, Trian." she said sweetly, too sweetly. She purposfully made the tone mocking. "I am sure that Ami would hate for you to be...ill, and I know I hate having to care for you when you are dry heaving your guts out. So, your health actually effects us all when you think of it that way." She kept the sickly sweet voice thoughout her short speech, a smile dancing in the corners of her eyes. She was enjoying the ripping, turning the tables on him before he could find a reason to tease her.
She place her hand on his cheek, hoping to throw him farther off, and her face turned serious-or as serious as she could be with a mischevious smile ghosting across her lips. "Honestly, would it be so hard to drink a little more? For everyone's piece of mind?"
Trian jerked his face away from her hand, pushing Rosalie's hand away with the back of his own at the same time. He glared down at her, taking her chin with two of his fingers to tilt her face up towards him. Rosalie's sickly sweet tone made a part of him raise its hackles and snarl at her.
First she was commanding him, next she was mocking him? He hoped the puppy wouldn't make a habit of it; he wouldn't stand for it. He had very little patience, and would not hesitate to throw her out if she proved to be too much of an irritation.
"Do not. Patronise. Me," he hissed, pronouncing each word with deliberate slowness. Trian didn't frown hard enough to crease his brow, but the his eyes were narrowed in controlled anger. There was a shadow hanging over his face as the free-floating flame bobbed closer to the floor, uncontrolled by him. Trian tilted his fingers slightly, applying a little more pressure so she would feel his claws dig into her flesh, but not enough to break the skin. "You assume too much for one who knows nothing. My 'illness' is not caused by blood, or lack of it, puppy."
Rose still wasn't afraid. Her sweetness melted away immediately and was replaced with a stubborn set in her jaw. She jerked her chin out of Trian's grasp and averted her eyes if only to stop looking at the way his eyes were heated.
"God, Trian." she hissed, taking a step back. "Nothing works with you. First I try to be pushy, then sweet. You are every bit just as stubborn as I am. And that's dangerous." She flashed him a fleeting smile. "I'm sorry that I angered you, but in my defense, you did intend to frighten me with your little flash of your fangs."
Rose sighed and shook her head, retaking her place closer to Trian. "I amsorry. But I have enough out there trying to frighten me without you trying too." She looked into his eyes, willing them to soften and stop being angry with her. He hadn't taken being teased as well as she had hoped. And for some reason, having him angry with her sent a chill down her spine. It bothered her. She told herself if was just because she owed him so much, despite what Trian said.
Dammit Ami!
She took a deep breath. "Will you tell me what does have you...ill?"
Trian snorted gracefully, or at least, as gracefully as one could when doing something as inelegant as snorting. At Rosalie's initial words, he almost had his hackles up again, but her second apology had placated him. Slightly. But he was still angry at her.
His voice losing some of its hard edge, he said coolly, "If being stubborn is dangerous, then why are you stubborn when you seek to avoid danger?"
Trian called the little flame back to his hand as he rested his staff back against his shoulder. Curling his hand around the fire, he extinguished it by closing his hand. Light from the morning sun began to filter through the small gaps in the curtains, just bright enough for them see each other, but perhaps not bright enough to make out the nuances of their faces or their expressions in great detail.
"I cannot help having fangs, little puppy," he said flatly, fingers tightening around his staff. The claw of his thumb dug into his forefinger, drawing a small slit of blood on the joint nearest to the nail. "And neither can I help it if you pay attention to them when I speak." Trian made a few vague gestures with his hands, breaking eye contact. "My illness is not something you will understand."
Rose shot him a wistful smile. "Apparently, being stubborn isn't exactly a choice. I doubt you can help it anymore than I can." She had to blink when he let the light of the flame go out. Her eyes weren't adjusting very easily. Trian was a mere sillouette(sp?) against the morning light seeping through the curtains.
She stayed silent until she could see some of his features, wanting to gauge his reactions to her words. She was still finding a way to be without hacking him off. It was turning out to be a bit more challenging than she intended. He was so moody. She inwardly laughed at the thought, trying to keep the smile from spreading to her lips. She failed miseribly, and her nose crinkled as she smiled.
Her smile faded slowly and she scoffed at his excuse for why he had flashed his fangs. "Oh, come off it." she groaned. "You know you were-" she clamped her jaw shut in mid-sentence. She decided that it wasn't worth the argument. Apparently his ego wouldn't allow him to apologize like she did.
Rose took a deep breath, calming her newly acquired quick temper. Her eyes flickered to his fingernail digging into his skin and confusion flickered across her face as she looked back up at him. She wished they were sitting, this whole glaring up at him was making her neck sore. But she wouldn't cave now.
"Would you at least attempt to explain?" she asked softly, suddenly concerned.
Trian's ruffled feathers settled as she appeared to back down, and a small part of him waved a mug around and declared 'victoryyyyy!'. He let a small smile play across his lips, but said nothing, having won already.
He decided to humour her request.
"Magic is a highly complex practice in which myself and a professor are researching the exact nature of it." He gestured with his hands as he talked. Trian didn't notice the small smile slip into his expression as a hint of eagerness came into his voice. "Sometimes it's like a colour. While it exists, it is only in the very background of your mind, but if removed, it feels as if something from the soul is missing. Other times, tapping into magic is like going to another plane of existence, where the senses are immersed in a whole new experience. Occasionally it appears to be a stream, where spells are branching rivers, neverending.
"Previously, magical ability was believe to be 'just is' and was simply an inherent ability, but some magic users," Trian's brows drew together in disgust. "-- I will not classify all magic uses with the title 'mage'; most are mere dabblers like your bloodhound -- do not evoke spells in the same manner as others. Many are not able to cast the exact same spells. For example, when creating fire, one magic user may create one with an orange flame, while another my create one with a blue flame. While there is a certain amount of differentiation between magic users, there are trends in these differences.
"I, and the good professor, experiment with magics that are not our within our natural, fundamental ability, but also not outside our boundaries. For example, I have an affinity for pyrogenic evokation," he spread his arms, murmuring a few words as he did so. Flame trailed after his fingers, before dissipating when he brought his hands together, "and primarily cast verbally. But I have been trying a conglomerate of other spells -- polymorphing, illusions, weather control, enchantment -- some with more success than others. Sometimes there is a backlash, but the symptoms and causes appear to be random." He made a frustrated sound at the back of his throat as his attention shifted. "We had an idea before, but recently all our data has been skewed," he growled, talking more to himself then Rosalie now. "We were hoping with so many trials, they would form some kind of pattern, backlash, successes, halves, and it was working."
Trian suspected the nature of magic was dynamic rather than static. But then again, he also suspected it may be of a divine nature rather than arcane, drawing from another deity rather than from the world around them. He had not corresponded with the professor recently, so he did not know if the other mage was starting to see a serpent when he crafted less mundane spells...
He blinked, as if he suddenly realised he had been talking to (or rather, at) Rosalie all this time. He realised he was no longer irritated at her anymore, and had felt quite content to talk magic, although now he was frustrated with the lack of progress of their research. Trian winced. "I do not think my explanation gave a clear picture of the issue; it appears to simplify it to simply a side-effect of doing something I 'shouldn't' be doing," he said, slightly (very slightly!) apologetic, "but I am unable to demonstrate unless you have some magical ability." He flicked a stray strand of hair away from his face before making eye contact with Rosalie, blinking slowly. "For the most part, it does not interfere with my everyday life. I was simply...unlucky the other night."
Rose suddenly felt at ease, letting him talk at her all he wanted. She listened intently, however, she was intrigued. She watched him shift from intense to annoyed to placid again. Judging by his reactions to his words, she had come across his niche.
She folded her arms across her chest and shifted her weight, tilting her head to the side. Questions were tumbling in her head, but she wanted him to finish before she went on. His last statement threw her train of thought off, though.
"Unlucky..." she mumbled. "Well, you don't have to worry about it. I am actually rather good at caring for people. I know you must hate having to be cared for, but I will take that as my duties around the house as well." She was sure that he would protest, so she held up her hand to stop any protests, and hurried on.
Her face was soft, her cheeks flushing ever so slightly, a light dust of pink. "Just be careful, alright? This is something that you obviously enjoy, but please...don't over do it." And just like that it was gone. Her moment of worry was fleeting, immediately replaced with a disarming smile.
Trian tilted his head to the side, before half turning to partially hide the smirk flitting across his face. He lifted his head slightly, a hint of pride coming into his voice. "Your concern for me unnecessary; it will never happen again." He faced her again, with a more sincere, albeit small, smile. "Your worry, perhaps, would be more well received from someone who needs it."
He rolled his shoulders, easing the stiffness from them, before he sweeped past Rosalie to seat himself onto the couch. With one arm wrapped around his staff, absentmindedly tracing the grooves in it with his fingers, Trian leaned back against the couch, crossing his legs. He idly hummed, eyes flickering above, below, around the mantlepiece.
Rose shrugged. "I have no one else to worry about. And I am a creature of habit. I am used to worrying about something. So why not you?" She crossed the room and took the seat opposite the couch, watching Trian carefully, listening to him humming. The sound was somewhat soothing.
She leaned back against the seat, pulling her long curls over her shoulder and idely twirling a curl around her finger. She followed his gaze to the general area of the mantel piece.
"Ami showed me the picture of your brother..." she said quietly. She didn't know how to bring it up, afraid that she would make in sad. But she was curious.
Trian only half heard her reply, abruptly stopping his humming and closing his eyes. He couldn't stop himself anymore; he had gone too many days without visiting their old home, where he could do this in private.
He kept his silence for a long moment, as he dipped into past memories, mixing them with magic. Before his talents for magic were discovered, he used to shut his eyes, because he never needed them to know it was him. It made him feel more real when he had four senses instead of five, like him.
Now, with magic, Trian thought he could hear him, thought he could feel him, sometimes. This time, the magic appeared to him as a vast web, spiralling around him. Whenever his fingertips brushed against something he couldn't see, more webs spread from them, wrapping around him. Trian didn't feel any fear though, as they slowly bound him. Instead, he closed his eyes, feeling the world drop away, and he was caught around the chest and swung around by a pair of familiar arms.
Trian kept his eyes shut, a happy smile playing across his lips, raising his arms so his smaller hands curled around his wrists. They stood together in sightless silence for a moment that stretched on and on and on, before he spoke.
"You know I'm not real."
"I know."
"You know I wouldn't approve."
"I know."
"You know I wouldn't say anything."
"I know. But you're real while I'm here."
"Stop it." But he didn't let go.
Trian gave an apologetic grin, mouthing 'I'm sorry' before pulling away and opening his eyes to his home. Only a minute would have passed, and none of his actions while he was working the illusion would have been mirrored by his actual self sitting on his couch. He absentmindedly combed his hair with his fingers. Maybe some part of him was warning him; Brother was never so direct.
Maybe he was addicted.
Not liking that idea, Trian half turned to face Rosalie. He didn't want to think about it. Trian tilted his head to the side, an inquiring look on his face as though he didn't know what she was asking. "What of it?" he asked, carefully pitching his voice so it didn't betray his slight dizziness and the ache in his chest.
He was terrible at illusion magic, but with him, Trian found himself fooling himself all too easily.
Rose watched Trian's face carefully, afraid that the mention of his brother would upset him. He seemed to miss him so much when they were dancing. She pushed herself off of the couch and crossed the short distance between them, taking a seat on the couch next to him.
"If you don't want to talk of it, I understand. It's fine." she said quietly, her face soft and full of concern. "You just looked so happy in the picture...I was wondering what happened to him."
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she wished that she had them back. She had so much trouble talking of her family at first. Though it has become easier for her the more she has, she didn't know how fresh the memory or actual event was to Trian's mind.
Trian angled himself away from her, leaning his elbow against the couch's armrest and lightly resting his cheek against the joints of his fingers. He could see her out of the corner of his eyes, but her features were slightly blurred. Not that he could see much of them with the dim light. He didn't bother trying to squint to focus his vision.
Although there were no outward ill-effects, Trian could feel the muscles in his back knot together and a fog press down on his mind. "Nothing," he said quietly, taking care to keep his words as articulated as he normally was. "He simply aged like all humans are supposed to."
Like I was supposed to.
Rose's face fell. So it hadn't been quick. Trian had to watch one of his loved ones wither and die. She felt tears well up in her eyes, but she blinked several times to supress them.
She reached forward and rested her arm on his forearm. "Trian." she said softly. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea." She wished harder than ever that she hadn't brought it up.
stupid she hissed to herself. She could all but feel the gloom descend upon them as they sat there. Her mind raced to find something that would cheer him up. She smiled wistfully at him. "Have you ever heard Ami snore?" she knew he would probably pick up on the fact that she was attempting to change the subject, but whatever she could do to pull him out of his present mood.
Trian leaned into her touch. While her words were unfounded and unwanted, he didn't mind her hand; he could feel the slow seep of warmth through his sleeve. He found it strangely foreign to have someone else in his space all the time. "If I have, I wasn't aware of it," he replied, arching an eyebrow.
He stared at Rosalie for a long moment, taking in the slight shine in Rosalie's eyes. Sighing, Trian reached out to brush her curls away from her face before slipping his arms around her. His face was past her shoulder, so she wouldn't be able to see his face even if she turned her head. "Don't cry," he said softly, eyelids half-dropping. "There's nothing to cry about, little puppy."
Trian let his eyes close, and his fingers at her back dug in between her shoulderblades as he tightened his hug.
Rose very nearly visibly blanched as he pulled her into a hug. He just spoke of his dead loved one, and here he was comforting her. She suddenly felt very stupid and very childish. And of course, she show of affection did nothing to help stop her tears. Her jaw cleched as she willed them to stay put, where they belonged, in her eyes.
As his arms tightened around her, all her worries melted, and she returned the gesture. She snaked her arms under his, wrapping them around his waist. The simple human-well, maybe not human- contact felt foreign to her. He was cold, but it wasn't enough to make her shutter. It was enough to make her hug him closer, summoning all her warmth to warm him.
She took a deep breath and tucked her face into the hollow of his neck. "I can't believe that you are comforting me." she chuckled humorlessly, her voice muffled slightly by the position of her face. "I just seems a little lopsided."
Trian kept his eyes shut. He could feel her breath against his neck, flowing down inside the collar of his shirt, spreading across the skin undearneath. There were tiny vibrations as she spoke, and he didn't reply, feeling like he was caught up in a fast flowing river, but the water was warm and it was enveloping him in an embrace that was there but not tangible. He wasn't sure if he was unconsciously tapping into the magic around him, because he knew he was hugging Rosalie (or was it Rosalie hugging him?) and that was real and tangible, but the feeling was real too.
Was this real?
Trian's feet turned onto their sides a little, so he could better angle his body towards her. As he tightened his fingers against her back, claws digging into her, perhaps a little painfully, Trian could feel the slide of her hands against him before they came to rest at his waist.
He didn't mind this, not really, even though his upper back was aching from having to bend over her. Rosalie's warmth wasn't the same, and he couldn't hold her the same way -- she was so small and he was afraid he might break her by accident and as warm as she was it was a little uncomfortable hugging her -- but at the same time, it wasn't unwelcome.
Trian made a soft noise at the back of his throat, almost like a purr, but a little like a mewl at the same time. He shifted again so her hands were pressed against his hips, which were bony under his shirt.
--
Ami yawned and stretched herself like a cat in her bed before she blinked blearily. She flopped around bonelessly as she slid off her bed like some kind of legless creature. First stop, breakfast.
Rubbing her eyes, Ami stumped down the stairs, gripping onto the handrail. She was concentrating on getting the blurriness and the sleep out of her eyes, but when she arrived at the bottom of the stairs, she looked up.
"OHMYGOD," she blurted out, before her mind registered what she was seeing. Waving her arms around in front of her frantically, Ami cried, "DON'TMINDMEI'MJUSTPASSINGTHROUGHCARRYON!" and made a dash for the kitchen.
As Trian's claws dug into her back, Rose shuddered ever so slightly. It didn't frighten her, nor was the pain terrible. Her heart was thumping in her chest by now, threatening to lurch out of her altogether, and her breathing was quickening. Unknowingly fanning more fevered warm air across Trian's skin. She didn't feel as if she were in her body any longer...
If she just tilted her chin then she would be in his face...she trailed the end of her nose up his neck to the bottom of his jaw, her breath trembling within her. She breathed him in, noting how wonderful he smelled.
Her ears caught the sound of something on the stairs, but whether it simply didn't register, or she simply ignored it was unclear to her. Reality came crashing down on her when Ami's voice rang out.
Rose's entire body tensed, her cheeks flushed and she simply froze, squeezing her eyes shut. She hissed a curse under her breath, only audible to Trian, since her mouth was so close to his ear.
Trian opened his eyes and turned his head to look at where Ami had been, but found his vision blocked by Rosalie's hair. Sighing heavily, he reluctantly pulled away from Rosalie, immediately feeling the warmth wash away like waters receding from a beach. Combing his hair with his fingers, Trian murmured, "Don't take Ami's words to heart. They don't mean anything, like the rest of her ramblings."
His face was carefully neutral as he moved to stand and leave. "I'll leave you with the little one for the day. If you need anything, ask her."
--
Ami pressed a hand to her thumping heart, alternating between fanning her bright red face and holding her cheeks in wonder. She hadn't been expecting things to be moving so quickly, and neither did she expect Trian to be so openly reciprocating their true love.
"Go go Rosie~!" she whispered to herself, quietly punching her fist the air.
But she had interrupted things just it looked like they were are about to go somewhere Dx Ami wasn't sure if she should stay in the kitchen and wait for them to finish, or embarrass them both. But then again, they might not do anything either, now that their mood had been spoilt.
Crouching down low, she crawled on her hands and knees to peek around the corner of the kitchen into the room. Her view was partially blocked by one of the seats, so she couldn't see Rosie, but she could see Trian. Ami watched, feeling like she shouldn't be watching, but not wanting to miss any of it either.
The emptiness encroached on Rose the minute Trian moved away from her. Even though he was cold, the cold was suddenly more noticable with him missing. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to wring Ami's neck.
In a moment of indecision, Rose grabbed Trian's wrist as if to stop him, blushing furiously and looking up into his face. After a moment of studying the neutrality of his features, she bit her lip and averted her gaze, letting her hand drop.
She would probably retreat into sleep as soon as she could to escape Ami's questions and prodding. She looked back at Trian, resisting the urge to tell him to stay, but knowing it was painted plain across her face. She closed her eyes and nodded.
Trian half turned when he felt her hand on his wrist, his face hiding any thoughts he had when he saw her red face. He waited a short moment and as he was about to brush her hand off, Rosalie let go. He gave her a small smile, a little wistful perhaps, tinged with longing, but not for her, before he began to slip away.
--
Ami nearly groaned in disappointment, seeing Trian move off. She fervently wished she hadn't opened her mouth when she saw them together and just quietly crept to kitchen. Then maybe they would be speaking again :<
In impulse, she dashed out of the kitchen towards the pair, before Trian could disappear up the stairs. Pointing a finger accusingly at him, she yelled, "WHY ARE YOU WALKING OFF D<" Gesturing wildly at both of them, she continued, "SHE LIKES YOU YOU LIKE HER YOU SHOULD BE GETTING TOGETHER D<"
Rose heaved a heavy sigh as Trian started to leave. The look on his face confused her further and she sank into a sullen gloom. Which she was abruptly pulled out of once Ami rushed into the room.
Oh GOD! she groaned inside her head. There would be no end to her comments after this. It had just been a moment. A fleeting moment, and it didn't mean anything to either of them...didn't it?
She buried her face in her hands stifling the groan that wanted to echo the one in her head. She wanted to run in that moment...Far away.
NO she wouldn't run again. She didn't think she could leave now, but she pushed that thought away. She heaved a sigh and stood.
"Ami..." she began, not knowing what to say.
Trian stopped at the sound of Ami's voice, but didn't turn around. This morning had turned out to be rather more troublesome than he had anticipated. Maybe if he closed his eyes...
But then there was Ami, who was entirely more persistent than he sometimes gave her credit for. Trian knew full well she wouldn't let go of the idea if he tried his usual methods of evasion. But she could also be amazingly easy to distract, unlike King.
However, King actually had tact.
Turning around to face the little girl, Trian smiled, inclining his head slightly so his hair swayed a little. "Forgive me for making it appear that way, little one, but I believe she needs some time away from me," he said with a smirk, his grin showing his teeth. "She doesn't seem to want to love me yet, and it's only love if you can let them go and they come back to you." He appeared to look thoughtful for a moment, before his face brightened, as if he had just thought of a perfectly world shaking idea. "I know! Maybe you can help her out; I think she needs help coming to terms with my mindshattering good nature." With a light laugh that could be interpreted as either very happy, or positively evil (or perhaps a combination of both), he turned and swept up the stairs before either of the women could say a word.
--
Ami's jaw dropped as she stared after him. It took several seconds for his words to register, and when they did, she whirled around on Rosalie, running up to the taller woman. "Woooowww, Rosie, he smitten! Good job!" There were practically stars in her eyes as Ami gave her a thumbs up. Her face suddenly fell, though. "But why aren't you happy? TT^TT" She pouted, before tugging on Rosalie's hand. "Come ooooon Rosie, he can't be that bad as far as suitors go~"
Rose ignored Ami for a moment, staring after Trian with nothing more than confusion plastered across her face. He is more clever than she thought, or more evil. Her eyebrows drew down as her chin did to look at Ami.
She took in the tiny woman's enthusiasm and sighed. "Don't be so easily fooled, Ami." she said, frowning back up at the stairs where Trian had disappeared. It dawned on her...he was truly evil. Now Ami would never leave her alone. She would turn all her attentions from Trian and start trying to convince her.
Rose had to restrain herself, rather roughly, from stalking up the stairs and throttling him in his sleep. She rubbed her face hard with both hands, trying to unclench her jaw. "I need to sleep." she hissed as she slid past Ami and headed for the stairs.
But speaking of messages, he had found the little puppy's note of goodbye. Initially he had been irritated she had disappeared on him despite his warnings, but later quietly consoled himself with the fact she had brought him more trouble than he really cared to deal with. Perhaps it was not such a waste after all.
He noted the broken window and frowned, shifting his staff from its resting position against his shoulder. If the intruder was still in his home, they would get a nasty surprise. Soundlessly, he opened the door to his house, not using his eyes to scan for intruders, since he could barely see in the dark anyway. Instead, he tried to 'feel' for any presences of other living beings around him. Trian found none in the immediate area, but kept his guard up as he moved to the stairs.
Rose, having finally accomplished the deep, sleep that she had hoped for, rolled over noiselessly on the couch, completely oblivious to Trian's entrance. The deepness of the sleep did nothing to supress her dreams, however.
She dreamt of Belle first. She was in obvious pain, probably from the wound she suffered at Cragan's hand. But she was being cared for by a devestatingly handsome man. Rose had the feeling that she was safe, and her visions of Belle slowly subsided...
Next came Trian; asleep on the cot in the hospital. He looked very peaceful, but his pallid expression suddenly turned furious in his sleep. Rose cringed in her dream, slipping silently out of the room.
And lastly, came Cragan. He deep maroon eyes were all she saw, pursuing her through the darkness. She ran, but strangely, she wasn't afraid. The only emotion she felt was determination.
Rose rolled over noiselessly on the couch, hugging the blanket tighter around herself. The only giveaway to her position was the quiet squeek of the sofa cushions as her weight shifted.
Trian turned abruptly in the direction of the sound, murmuring softly. At his command, a dim flame appeared, hovering above the palm of his free hand, casting its faint light over the room. He noted a familiar suitcase, and relaxed a little. Ami must have returned, although that had not explained the sound, or the broken window.
Seeing no sudden movements, Trian 'looked' for a presence again. This time, he felt someone, very faint by the couch, and he cautiously approached it. He gave a soft "Hn," of surprise when he saw who was sleeping there.
No wonder he hadn't felt the puppy's presense; sleeping people tended to blend with the background.
He wasn't sure whether he should be gratified Rosalie had decided against leaving, or mortified. Not one to disturb another's sleep, especially when he himself disliked people doing as such to him, Trian turned to go upstairs and check on Ami.
Rose wasn't sure if her dreams had pulled her out of her sleep, or the fact that she sensed another presence in the house. Whichever it was, her eyes opened slowly, a few moments after she had regained consiousness. She stayed motionless in the dark, moving nothing but her eyes.
She caught sight of a light receeded up the stairs, as if from a candle or lantern, or some other flame. She wondered idley if Ami could have managed lighting a candle or lanter quietly without waking her.
Rose rolled off the couch smoothly, falling into a crouch once her bare feet hit the floor. She had a dagger from between shoulder out and clutched in her small hands in an instant. Silently, she rolled her shoulders, making a mental note to try and not fall asleep with that dagger still in place. She had a knot in her back now...
She stalked across the main room to the foot of the stairs, prideing herself in how little noise she made. She climbed the stairs just as silently, stepping on the edges against the wall where they were most sturdy to keep from hitting a creaky board.
The light was coming from the room where she had left Ami. She took a deep breath as she pressed herself against the wall next to the open door, offering up a silent prayer before darting into the room with her dagger held tight.
Trian let a small smile flit across his lips as he saw the little lump on the bed so typical of Ami. If she was well enough to lump like that, then he supposed the little girl was none the worse for wear after her extended holiday. Somehow, things tended to work out for her. Even if she had lost her keys.
He felt something, and his mind quickly jumped to the most logical conclusion. "I suppose I shouldn't really be surprised you're a light sleeper," he said into the dimly lit darkness before he turned around. Trian arched an eyebrow at the sight of the dagger, glinting in his fire's light. "A bit much, don't you think, little puppy? I have no need to break into my own home like a thief."
Rose took in Trian's presence with little more than a smirk. Inside she was wildly relieved that it was him. She reached over her shoulder to slip the dagger back into its sheath with the smirk fading.
"Well, under the current circumstances, with a bloodhound still on the loose with a grudge towards me, don't you think that it is more intelligent to be more causious?" Once her hand was free of the dagger, she crossed her arms across her chest. "I didn't mean to be here when you returned anyhow." she explained. "But she convinced me to stay, and I was worried that she would try and follow me if I left. With her sense of direction, that could prove dangerous for her."
Her posture relaxed visibly, her tense muscles relaxing. "And yes. I am a very light sleeper most of the time." She rubbed her eyes that now felt like sandpaper. Rose could only imagine the dark circles that rimmed her eye sockets.
"So your note said." Trian leaned his staff against his shoulder and flicked out her note from his shirt pocket, dangling it before them between his forefinger and thumb. After a brief moment, he flicked it into the small flame before he continued. "I have no idea why she would want to follow you, but I hardly know what goes through her mind when she gets these whims. I suppose a thanks is in order for keeping an eye on her," he said grudgingly.
The flame flared a little as it eagerly ate the note, throwing up a few sparks before it subsided back into a gentle glow. Taking his staff back in his free hand, Trian moved to the doorway, indicating they should go somewhere lest they disturb Ami's rest. "If you are going to be cautious," he murmured, leaning down to whisper in Rosalie's ear. His eyelids dropped until they were half closed, "I suggest you keep your weapon sheathed when you are in hiding. Metal reflects." He paused briefly. "Although if I were truly the bloodhound, he would have known you were there regardless, and would immediately engage in taunting you."
"Thanks for the tip." she mumbled, noting how grudgingly he had offered her thanks for watching Ami. She was recovering from the goosebumps that broke out across her bare shoulders when he whispered in her ear, his breath fanning out across her skin. He still had an air of frustration, and her fears were validated- he was upset at the trouble she had caused.
She stared up into his eyes incredulously, about to reveal exactly why Ami wanted her to stay. She decided against it in the last minute as she looked at him, her mouth working. She ended up staying silent and pushed past him, walking downstairs to the sitting room.
Trian watched her for a moment in thoughtful silence. He wondered what was wrong with her, before momentarily tossing his ponderings aside. He really had a lot to do...
He paused.
Well.
It was nearly sunrise. Rather than spend the day writing letters to explain his scrapings with criminals and authorities, he would drop by to personally inform them all. But, of course, they couldn't honestly expect him to drop by during daylight hours, especially when it was harmful to his, ah, delicate health.
Having found excuses for procrastinating and slacking off, Trian cheerfully followed Rosalie, although none of his good spirits showed in his face aside from the slight arch in his eyebrows. He had nothing better to do, so he was going to bother the little puppy.
"You were rather short with me a moment ago," he observed aloud. "I'm curious as to why you're suddenly staying when you seemed so adamant in your note that you were leaving. So which are you planning to do now? Staying or leaving? You can't do both, it can only really be one or the other."
Rose stopped dead in her tracks and spun on her heel to face Trian. Her face was a mix of eagerness, pain, and anger as she stared at him, her pale blue eyes masked.
"I told you." she sighed. "Ami talked me into staying. She said that she would follow me if I left. I thought of leaving after she fell asleep, but seeing as she is nearly as stubborn as you are, I figured she would follow me anyhow and get lost. Then, not only would I be causeing you all this trouble recently, I would be depriving you of a blood doll." Her voice was almost a hiss at the end, even though she was exactly angry with Trian. She was more upset at herself.
She crossed her arms across her chest and shifted her weight to her right leg, letting the other bare foot tap nearly noiselessly on the ground. "Ami has...hopes." she began, about to tell him again. But her face flushed crimson and she chickened out. "As for leaving...I'll do that now. I am sure that you can manage to restrain Ami from coming to find me."
Trian showed no reaction to her snappish tone, other than to tilt his head and raise an eyebrow, a few strands of hair flopping in front of an eye. He lightly flicked his wrist, tossing the flame up where it floated a little way in front and to the side of him. He let the flame slowly grow larger and brighter, now that there was no need for a dim light. Satisfied now that the room was bathed in a more homely glow so he no longer had to strain his eyes to see the puppy, he deftly tucked the stray strands of hair back behind his ear. He stepped towards Rosalie and leaned closer, eyes half-lidded.
"Perhaps I should have been more specific. I am more interested in the words you exchanged with Ami," he whispered, a smile curling at the corners of his mouth. "My mere presence shouldn't be causing this," and he reached out to brush her flushed cheeks with the edge of a thumb. Although his mouth wasn't smirking, his eyes were. "It wasn't before."
Straightening, he took a step back, returning some of her personal space. "You may leave if you wish. I will not...cannot," he glanced out a window at the slowly lightening sky, "stop you. It won't be long before I retire for the day. However," Trian tilted his head slightly with a small smile on his face, "Ami works in human time, while I work in vampire, as it should be. I believe she will be waking in a few hours. And I daresay something as trivial as sunlight will not deterr her from her duties."Rose flushed crimson again once he dragged his thumb across her cheek. Why was she acting like this now? Was it just because of Ami's words?
"Duties?" Rose asked, still unable to keep the ice from her voice. "What? Would you send her after me or something?" With a sigh she held up her hand to forstall his answer. "We'll see how much you want me to stay after you find out what she wants from me..."
She took a deep breath, her pale blue eyes studying Trian before she began. She wanted to give her cheeks time to cool before she continued. She was sure that it wasn't the last time she would blush tonight.
Rose never took her eyes from his as she spoke, wanting to gauge every incling of a reaction that he had. "She wants us to be together." she mumbled. "Not just together...together." She interlaced her fingers infront of her to paint a picture for him. "She is worried about you, and apparently wants you to find love."
As expected, her cheeks brightened again, giving light to her name. But she couldn't take her eyes from him.
Trian blinked. Very slowly. There was a very long pause as he stared blankly at Rosalie. He heard her words perfectly, but for some reason they were not registering in his mind.
...For some reason, the image of the little midget dancing madly in a circle waving a pair of fans squealing, "Squee~! Rabu rabu~!" appeared in his mind.
Trian pinched the bridge of his nose, rubbing the corners of his eyes as he tried to resist the urge to make a graceless "gnnnhhhhh" noise while he banished the image from his mind. Dropping his hand, Trian opened his mouth to say something, but thinking better of it, he shut his mouth. He tilted his head up to stare at the dark ceiling before he let a long sigh through his nose.
He turned his gaze back on Rosalie. "I should have known better than to allow her to fill my library with romance novels," he muttered. Waving a hand vaguely, Trian continued, "Nevermind, it's only one of many whims of her's. She shouldn't be concerning herself with my love life," he added darkly under his breath.
Shrugging, he said more clearly, "Whether you want to stay is up to you, but I neither have the will nor ability to stop Ami from doing as she wishes."
Rose watched Trian's reaction go from blank to...disgusted? And she immediately turned defensive. Her cheeks paled slightly, leaving one a hushed pink, and she crossed her arms across her chest.
"Well, you don't have to make it sound so terrible." she mumbled under her breath. She peeled her eyes away from him to look out the window. "You're the one who just had to know. You should try being the one that she was telling her little plans to. I put it mildly for you." Rose winced as she remembered 'babies' and such.
Her grimace deepened when he made mention that he couldn't stop Ami even if he wanted to. She seemed to be stuck at the moment. The muscle in her jaw worked as she tried to think of a solution that wouldn't cost Trian a source of nutrients.
Soon enough, she buried her face in her hands. An annoyed and frustrated sound ripping from her throat, and she sank back on the couch. She was tired, so tired. And the current situation wasn't doing anything to curve her mood.
Trian had been quite enjoying bothering the puppy until...that. The little one had been good at keeping her nose out of his private matters, but it seemed it didn't keep her mind from it. He did not really care what Ami thought of him, but he would start caring if she continued to play matchmaker.
He was going to have words with her.
"Well, you don't have to make staying sound so terrible," Trian echoed her words with a wry smile at her less-than-graceful noise of frustration. He mumbled a few words and pointed his staff at the curtains by the windows. The curtains silently snapped shut, blocking out the soft tendrils of light creeping into the room. His approach heralded by a soft 'thunk' of his staff into the floor, Trian sank into the couch beside her. He suddenly didn't feel like being a pest anymore.
"Is it really such a hard decision to make?" he asked seriously, crossing his legs as he leaned back against the couch, hands curled around his staff. Trian's eyes were fixed on the mantlepiece, although he wasn't really seeing it at all. He was honestly curious. He idly tapped a finger against his staff. "I don't want you to stay if it is merely from the request of another; I believe this place would soon feel like a jail if that is the case."
Rose lifted her head from her hands and angled her body towards Trian, tucking one leg under her on the couch to make it possible. The look she gave him was nearly tortured.
"It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't causing you so much difficulty." Her face flushed for an instant once she realized that those words could be taken two ways. But it quickly changed from anguished to stern. "And don't say that I'm not, just to spare my feelings. In case you were thinking on going that route." An inkling of her confidence returned. Just a moment, fluttering to the surface. She thought maybe if she stayed around Trian and Ami long enough, maybe all of her confidence would return.
She reached, and thought about touching his hand, taking it into hers to show her sincerity. But halfway there, she stayed her hand. Ami's words were too fresh on their minds, she was sure. Shaking her head to cover her moment of indecision, she sighed.
"It wouldn't be terrible if I stayed. I have grown fond of you and Ami. Not to mention you have come to my rescue...twice. I wish there was just some way that I could thank you, or repay you." she said, looking back up at him. Her voice began again as a mixture of anger and pain. "And since you don't seem to want my blood, then it appears as if the only way to thank you would be to remove myself from your presence and quit disturbing you."
Rose sighed again. "Do you even understand my line of thinking? Or am I just rambling?" A wry grin slid across her face in the last part, knowing the womanly side of her was prone to overreacting.
To say he understood her would be a lie (not that he was above lying, although he preferred half-truths), but to agree would only encourage her exasperating behaviour. He was not one for giving false comfort if he didn't see why he should. "I have no need to spare your feelings," he said bluntly, "nor do I require any means of thanks or repayment. I do not believe in obligatory acts; they are insincere and mean nothing."
He looked directly at Rosalie, eyes slightly narrowed. "Do not concern yourself with whether or not you have caused me trouble, or whether you will in the future," he said flatly. "Those are my own concerns, and regardless of whether you leave or stay, there will be problems. There will always be problems." He paused momentarily to allow his words to sink in. "Even if I had never met you, even if you didn't exist, I would have undoubtedly encountered some other problem. Your decision will undeniably impact this household in some way, but if I couldn't accomodate for a change so minor, I have no right to my name." His last words had an edge to them, but his expression didn't change.
"Concern yourself with what you stand to gain from what you decide to do." He turned so he could lean back in the couchseat, eyes fixed on the mantlepiece opposite. Trian never remembered if Brother had given him advice about indecision, but Trian always knew what he wanted.
Except those times he didn't...
He tossed his head aside so he didn't have to see Rosalie's face, so his hair slipped from his hair and she couldn't see the set of his jaw. He was wandering too close to old memories and forbidding thoughts. There were some things he preferred not to show. "Being indecisive is akin to being lost," he continued flatly, closing his eyes. "I don't care what you decide, as long as you make a decision."
Rose struggled visibly for a moment, her jaw working. She could feel all of her defensive walls shoot up. She couldn't put her finger on it, but Trian's words hurt her. She didn't know why. Her sun kissed brow furrowed in thought for a moment as she pondered what that could mean.
When she was able to look up at him again, she noticed his hair had fallen between them. For another unknown reason, this bothered her. She casually swept it out of the way, tucking it behind his ear so it would fall again.
"Don't hide." she said sternly. "It doesn't become you." She let her hand drop to her side, as she looked at the set of his jaw. She couldn't place the face.
She wasn't sure how long she stared at him, the only way she could tell that time was passing was by the quick 'tick, tick' of a clock...
"I'll stay, I suppose. For a time." she said quickly, but her own jaw set firmly, showing remnants of the stronger woman she kept tucked away. "But you need to eat better. And I will begin to pull my own weight around here, like making sure that there is food in the house. I'll clean where cleaning is needed. I won't sit around and do nothing all day or night or whatever."
"Hiding does nothing, because someone will always come and find you."
Trian unconsciously stiffened when Rosalie brushed aside his hair. Inwardly sighing, he turned his head so he could watch Rosalie out of the corner of his eyes. He didn't look quite at her, rather, past her. The puppy frustated him in so many ways. She most infuriatingly reminded him of Brother, but she was nothing like him.
He only blinked once when she announced her decision, before uncrossing his legs and getting to his feet. He swept his hair out of his face in one fluid moment. "Do as you wish, I do not mind you staying," he said with a small smile. It quickly faded when Trian held up two fingers. "On two conditions. Firstly, when I am in the middle of crafting a spell for my employees, do not disturb me. I doubt you would enjoy bearing the consequences should it misfire. Secondly, do not ever wake me up. I do not care if there is an important visitor here to see me, I do not enjoy having my rest interrupted. They can always wait."
Trian dropped his hand, resting it on his hip. "Are there any questions?"
Rose stood in one swift movement. A movement that was surprisingly graceful. She planted her hands on her hips and closed the distance between her and Trian. She got in his face, or as close to his face as standing on her tip toes would allow, her pale blue eyes hard.
"Fine." she almost growled. "But you will start feeding better, even if it's from me. If Ami and King aren't available. You can hardly do whatever it is you do whenever you are sickly."
She didn't move, she was so close that she could feel his cool breath fanning across her face. Her mind flashed to the time they danced...she hadn't been incredibly uncomfortable there in his arms as he twirled her across the dance floor. Actually, it wasn't....
Damn it Ami! she screamed in her head.
She still didn't move, keeping her face perfectly still, happy that Trian couldn't read her thought. She had a point to make here with him and she wouldn't let the ramblings of a mindless girl to ruin it....
Trian didn't back down when Rosalie infringed on his personal space. Instead, he coolly stared down at her, not in any way intimidated by the smaller woman. The way her face remained the same, static, was something he recognised; he often did the same thing to hide his own feelings. Which meant she was hiding something from him, although he had a sneaking suspicion he knew what it was. Were the circumstances any different, Trian would have perhaps lightly teased the puppy, but her words grated against something in deeply ingrained in him.
He stared levelly into Rosalie's eyes, a stare that gave off vibes of 'you are crossing a line you don't want to cross'. There was a pause as he stared down at her, not saying anything, but it was clear from the narrowing of the corner of his eyes that his silence wasn't from shock or from having no words to retaliate with.
"Have a care, little puppy. You are in no position to tell me what I will or will not do," Trian said in a low voice, sharpness lining it. He leaned closer, close enough for her to see his small fangs behind slightly parted lips, fully aware of the discomfort it would cause her. "My health is my own concern, not yours."
Rose's eyes flashed to Trian's fangs for an instant, and a wry smile immediatly lit up her face. He was trying to intimidate her. Of course, the sight of his fangs would have frightened the hell out of her a few days ago, but something had changed in her recently.
She couldn't help it, but she found this extremely entertaining. The wry smile spread farther across her face, and she stood her ground, knowing Trian must be feeling her warmth by now...he was so close. She pinned her azure gaze back on him.
"Don't be silly, Trian." she said sweetly, too sweetly. She purposfully made the tone mocking. "I am sure that Ami would hate for you to be...ill, and I know I hate having to care for you when you are dry heaving your guts out. So, your health actually effects us all when you think of it that way." She kept the sickly sweet voice thoughout her short speech, a smile dancing in the corners of her eyes. She was enjoying the ripping, turning the tables on him before he could find a reason to tease her.
She place her hand on his cheek, hoping to throw him farther off, and her face turned serious-or as serious as she could be with a mischevious smile ghosting across her lips. "Honestly, would it be so hard to drink a little more? For everyone's piece of mind?"
Trian jerked his face away from her hand, pushing Rosalie's hand away with the back of his own at the same time. He glared down at her, taking her chin with two of his fingers to tilt her face up towards him. Rosalie's sickly sweet tone made a part of him raise its hackles and snarl at her.
First she was commanding him, next she was mocking him? He hoped the puppy wouldn't make a habit of it; he wouldn't stand for it. He had very little patience, and would not hesitate to throw her out if she proved to be too much of an irritation.
"Do not. Patronise. Me," he hissed, pronouncing each word with deliberate slowness. Trian didn't frown hard enough to crease his brow, but the his eyes were narrowed in controlled anger. There was a shadow hanging over his face as the free-floating flame bobbed closer to the floor, uncontrolled by him. Trian tilted his fingers slightly, applying a little more pressure so she would feel his claws dig into her flesh, but not enough to break the skin. "You assume too much for one who knows nothing. My 'illness' is not caused by blood, or lack of it, puppy."
Rose still wasn't afraid. Her sweetness melted away immediately and was replaced with a stubborn set in her jaw. She jerked her chin out of Trian's grasp and averted her eyes if only to stop looking at the way his eyes were heated.
"God, Trian." she hissed, taking a step back. "Nothing works with you. First I try to be pushy, then sweet. You are every bit just as stubborn as I am. And that's dangerous." She flashed him a fleeting smile. "I'm sorry that I angered you, but in my defense, you did intend to frighten me with your little flash of your fangs."
Rose sighed and shook her head, retaking her place closer to Trian. "I amsorry. But I have enough out there trying to frighten me without you trying too." She looked into his eyes, willing them to soften and stop being angry with her. He hadn't taken being teased as well as she had hoped. And for some reason, having him angry with her sent a chill down her spine. It bothered her. She told herself if was just because she owed him so much, despite what Trian said.
Dammit Ami!
She took a deep breath. "Will you tell me what does have you...ill?"
Trian snorted gracefully, or at least, as gracefully as one could when doing something as inelegant as snorting. At Rosalie's initial words, he almost had his hackles up again, but her second apology had placated him. Slightly. But he was still angry at her.
His voice losing some of its hard edge, he said coolly, "If being stubborn is dangerous, then why are you stubborn when you seek to avoid danger?"
Trian called the little flame back to his hand as he rested his staff back against his shoulder. Curling his hand around the fire, he extinguished it by closing his hand. Light from the morning sun began to filter through the small gaps in the curtains, just bright enough for them see each other, but perhaps not bright enough to make out the nuances of their faces or their expressions in great detail.
"I cannot help having fangs, little puppy," he said flatly, fingers tightening around his staff. The claw of his thumb dug into his forefinger, drawing a small slit of blood on the joint nearest to the nail. "And neither can I help it if you pay attention to them when I speak." Trian made a few vague gestures with his hands, breaking eye contact. "My illness is not something you will understand."
Rose shot him a wistful smile. "Apparently, being stubborn isn't exactly a choice. I doubt you can help it anymore than I can." She had to blink when he let the light of the flame go out. Her eyes weren't adjusting very easily. Trian was a mere sillouette(sp?) against the morning light seeping through the curtains.
She stayed silent until she could see some of his features, wanting to gauge his reactions to her words. She was still finding a way to be without hacking him off. It was turning out to be a bit more challenging than she intended. He was so moody. She inwardly laughed at the thought, trying to keep the smile from spreading to her lips. She failed miseribly, and her nose crinkled as she smiled.
Her smile faded slowly and she scoffed at his excuse for why he had flashed his fangs. "Oh, come off it." she groaned. "You know you were-" she clamped her jaw shut in mid-sentence. She decided that it wasn't worth the argument. Apparently his ego wouldn't allow him to apologize like she did.
Rose took a deep breath, calming her newly acquired quick temper. Her eyes flickered to his fingernail digging into his skin and confusion flickered across her face as she looked back up at him. She wished they were sitting, this whole glaring up at him was making her neck sore. But she wouldn't cave now.
"Would you at least attempt to explain?" she asked softly, suddenly concerned.
Trian's ruffled feathers settled as she appeared to back down, and a small part of him waved a mug around and declared 'victoryyyyy!'. He let a small smile play across his lips, but said nothing, having won already.
He decided to humour her request.
"Magic is a highly complex practice in which myself and a professor are researching the exact nature of it." He gestured with his hands as he talked. Trian didn't notice the small smile slip into his expression as a hint of eagerness came into his voice. "Sometimes it's like a colour. While it exists, it is only in the very background of your mind, but if removed, it feels as if something from the soul is missing. Other times, tapping into magic is like going to another plane of existence, where the senses are immersed in a whole new experience. Occasionally it appears to be a stream, where spells are branching rivers, neverending.
"Previously, magical ability was believe to be 'just is' and was simply an inherent ability, but some magic users," Trian's brows drew together in disgust. "-- I will not classify all magic uses with the title 'mage'; most are mere dabblers like your bloodhound -- do not evoke spells in the same manner as others. Many are not able to cast the exact same spells. For example, when creating fire, one magic user may create one with an orange flame, while another my create one with a blue flame. While there is a certain amount of differentiation between magic users, there are trends in these differences.
"I, and the good professor, experiment with magics that are not our within our natural, fundamental ability, but also not outside our boundaries. For example, I have an affinity for pyrogenic evokation," he spread his arms, murmuring a few words as he did so. Flame trailed after his fingers, before dissipating when he brought his hands together, "and primarily cast verbally. But I have been trying a conglomerate of other spells -- polymorphing, illusions, weather control, enchantment -- some with more success than others. Sometimes there is a backlash, but the symptoms and causes appear to be random." He made a frustrated sound at the back of his throat as his attention shifted. "We had an idea before, but recently all our data has been skewed," he growled, talking more to himself then Rosalie now. "We were hoping with so many trials, they would form some kind of pattern, backlash, successes, halves, and it was working."
Trian suspected the nature of magic was dynamic rather than static. But then again, he also suspected it may be of a divine nature rather than arcane, drawing from another deity rather than from the world around them. He had not corresponded with the professor recently, so he did not know if the other mage was starting to see a serpent when he crafted less mundane spells...
He blinked, as if he suddenly realised he had been talking to (or rather, at) Rosalie all this time. He realised he was no longer irritated at her anymore, and had felt quite content to talk magic, although now he was frustrated with the lack of progress of their research. Trian winced. "I do not think my explanation gave a clear picture of the issue; it appears to simplify it to simply a side-effect of doing something I 'shouldn't' be doing," he said, slightly (very slightly!) apologetic, "but I am unable to demonstrate unless you have some magical ability." He flicked a stray strand of hair away from his face before making eye contact with Rosalie, blinking slowly. "For the most part, it does not interfere with my everyday life. I was simply...unlucky the other night."
Rose suddenly felt at ease, letting him talk at her all he wanted. She listened intently, however, she was intrigued. She watched him shift from intense to annoyed to placid again. Judging by his reactions to his words, she had come across his niche.
She folded her arms across her chest and shifted her weight, tilting her head to the side. Questions were tumbling in her head, but she wanted him to finish before she went on. His last statement threw her train of thought off, though.
"Unlucky..." she mumbled. "Well, you don't have to worry about it. I am actually rather good at caring for people. I know you must hate having to be cared for, but I will take that as my duties around the house as well." She was sure that he would protest, so she held up her hand to stop any protests, and hurried on.
Her face was soft, her cheeks flushing ever so slightly, a light dust of pink. "Just be careful, alright? This is something that you obviously enjoy, but please...don't over do it." And just like that it was gone. Her moment of worry was fleeting, immediately replaced with a disarming smile.
Trian tilted his head to the side, before half turning to partially hide the smirk flitting across his face. He lifted his head slightly, a hint of pride coming into his voice. "Your concern for me unnecessary; it will never happen again." He faced her again, with a more sincere, albeit small, smile. "Your worry, perhaps, would be more well received from someone who needs it."
He rolled his shoulders, easing the stiffness from them, before he sweeped past Rosalie to seat himself onto the couch. With one arm wrapped around his staff, absentmindedly tracing the grooves in it with his fingers, Trian leaned back against the couch, crossing his legs. He idly hummed, eyes flickering above, below, around the mantlepiece.
Rose shrugged. "I have no one else to worry about. And I am a creature of habit. I am used to worrying about something. So why not you?" She crossed the room and took the seat opposite the couch, watching Trian carefully, listening to him humming. The sound was somewhat soothing.
She leaned back against the seat, pulling her long curls over her shoulder and idely twirling a curl around her finger. She followed his gaze to the general area of the mantel piece.
"Ami showed me the picture of your brother..." she said quietly. She didn't know how to bring it up, afraid that she would make in sad. But she was curious.
Trian only half heard her reply, abruptly stopping his humming and closing his eyes. He couldn't stop himself anymore; he had gone too many days without visiting their old home, where he could do this in private.
He kept his silence for a long moment, as he dipped into past memories, mixing them with magic. Before his talents for magic were discovered, he used to shut his eyes, because he never needed them to know it was him. It made him feel more real when he had four senses instead of five, like him.
Now, with magic, Trian thought he could hear him, thought he could feel him, sometimes. This time, the magic appeared to him as a vast web, spiralling around him. Whenever his fingertips brushed against something he couldn't see, more webs spread from them, wrapping around him. Trian didn't feel any fear though, as they slowly bound him. Instead, he closed his eyes, feeling the world drop away, and he was caught around the chest and swung around by a pair of familiar arms.
Trian kept his eyes shut, a happy smile playing across his lips, raising his arms so his smaller hands curled around his wrists. They stood together in sightless silence for a moment that stretched on and on and on, before he spoke.
"You know I'm not real."
"I know."
"You know I wouldn't approve."
"I know."
"You know I wouldn't say anything."
"I know. But you're real while I'm here."
"Stop it." But he didn't let go.
Trian gave an apologetic grin, mouthing 'I'm sorry' before pulling away and opening his eyes to his home. Only a minute would have passed, and none of his actions while he was working the illusion would have been mirrored by his actual self sitting on his couch. He absentmindedly combed his hair with his fingers. Maybe some part of him was warning him; Brother was never so direct.
Maybe he was addicted.
Not liking that idea, Trian half turned to face Rosalie. He didn't want to think about it. Trian tilted his head to the side, an inquiring look on his face as though he didn't know what she was asking. "What of it?" he asked, carefully pitching his voice so it didn't betray his slight dizziness and the ache in his chest.
He was terrible at illusion magic, but with him, Trian found himself fooling himself all too easily.
Rose watched Trian's face carefully, afraid that the mention of his brother would upset him. He seemed to miss him so much when they were dancing. She pushed herself off of the couch and crossed the short distance between them, taking a seat on the couch next to him.
"If you don't want to talk of it, I understand. It's fine." she said quietly, her face soft and full of concern. "You just looked so happy in the picture...I was wondering what happened to him."
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she wished that she had them back. She had so much trouble talking of her family at first. Though it has become easier for her the more she has, she didn't know how fresh the memory or actual event was to Trian's mind.
Trian angled himself away from her, leaning his elbow against the couch's armrest and lightly resting his cheek against the joints of his fingers. He could see her out of the corner of his eyes, but her features were slightly blurred. Not that he could see much of them with the dim light. He didn't bother trying to squint to focus his vision.
Although there were no outward ill-effects, Trian could feel the muscles in his back knot together and a fog press down on his mind. "Nothing," he said quietly, taking care to keep his words as articulated as he normally was. "He simply aged like all humans are supposed to."
Like I was supposed to.
Rose's face fell. So it hadn't been quick. Trian had to watch one of his loved ones wither and die. She felt tears well up in her eyes, but she blinked several times to supress them.
She reached forward and rested her arm on his forearm. "Trian." she said softly. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea." She wished harder than ever that she hadn't brought it up.
stupid she hissed to herself. She could all but feel the gloom descend upon them as they sat there. Her mind raced to find something that would cheer him up. She smiled wistfully at him. "Have you ever heard Ami snore?" she knew he would probably pick up on the fact that she was attempting to change the subject, but whatever she could do to pull him out of his present mood.
Trian leaned into her touch. While her words were unfounded and unwanted, he didn't mind her hand; he could feel the slow seep of warmth through his sleeve. He found it strangely foreign to have someone else in his space all the time. "If I have, I wasn't aware of it," he replied, arching an eyebrow.
He stared at Rosalie for a long moment, taking in the slight shine in Rosalie's eyes. Sighing, Trian reached out to brush her curls away from her face before slipping his arms around her. His face was past her shoulder, so she wouldn't be able to see his face even if she turned her head. "Don't cry," he said softly, eyelids half-dropping. "There's nothing to cry about, little puppy."
Trian let his eyes close, and his fingers at her back dug in between her shoulderblades as he tightened his hug.
Rose very nearly visibly blanched as he pulled her into a hug. He just spoke of his dead loved one, and here he was comforting her. She suddenly felt very stupid and very childish. And of course, she show of affection did nothing to help stop her tears. Her jaw cleched as she willed them to stay put, where they belonged, in her eyes.
As his arms tightened around her, all her worries melted, and she returned the gesture. She snaked her arms under his, wrapping them around his waist. The simple human-well, maybe not human- contact felt foreign to her. He was cold, but it wasn't enough to make her shutter. It was enough to make her hug him closer, summoning all her warmth to warm him.
She took a deep breath and tucked her face into the hollow of his neck. "I can't believe that you are comforting me." she chuckled humorlessly, her voice muffled slightly by the position of her face. "I just seems a little lopsided."
Trian kept his eyes shut. He could feel her breath against his neck, flowing down inside the collar of his shirt, spreading across the skin undearneath. There were tiny vibrations as she spoke, and he didn't reply, feeling like he was caught up in a fast flowing river, but the water was warm and it was enveloping him in an embrace that was there but not tangible. He wasn't sure if he was unconsciously tapping into the magic around him, because he knew he was hugging Rosalie (or was it Rosalie hugging him?) and that was real and tangible, but the feeling was real too.
Was this real?
Trian's feet turned onto their sides a little, so he could better angle his body towards her. As he tightened his fingers against her back, claws digging into her, perhaps a little painfully, Trian could feel the slide of her hands against him before they came to rest at his waist.
He didn't mind this, not really, even though his upper back was aching from having to bend over her. Rosalie's warmth wasn't the same, and he couldn't hold her the same way -- she was so small and he was afraid he might break her by accident and as warm as she was it was a little uncomfortable hugging her -- but at the same time, it wasn't unwelcome.
Trian made a soft noise at the back of his throat, almost like a purr, but a little like a mewl at the same time. He shifted again so her hands were pressed against his hips, which were bony under his shirt.
--
Ami yawned and stretched herself like a cat in her bed before she blinked blearily. She flopped around bonelessly as she slid off her bed like some kind of legless creature. First stop, breakfast.
Rubbing her eyes, Ami stumped down the stairs, gripping onto the handrail. She was concentrating on getting the blurriness and the sleep out of her eyes, but when she arrived at the bottom of the stairs, she looked up.
"OHMYGOD," she blurted out, before her mind registered what she was seeing. Waving her arms around in front of her frantically, Ami cried, "DON'TMINDMEI'MJUSTPASSINGTHROUGHCARRYON!" and made a dash for the kitchen.
As Trian's claws dug into her back, Rose shuddered ever so slightly. It didn't frighten her, nor was the pain terrible. Her heart was thumping in her chest by now, threatening to lurch out of her altogether, and her breathing was quickening. Unknowingly fanning more fevered warm air across Trian's skin. She didn't feel as if she were in her body any longer...
If she just tilted her chin then she would be in his face...she trailed the end of her nose up his neck to the bottom of his jaw, her breath trembling within her. She breathed him in, noting how wonderful he smelled.
Her ears caught the sound of something on the stairs, but whether it simply didn't register, or she simply ignored it was unclear to her. Reality came crashing down on her when Ami's voice rang out.
Rose's entire body tensed, her cheeks flushed and she simply froze, squeezing her eyes shut. She hissed a curse under her breath, only audible to Trian, since her mouth was so close to his ear.
Trian opened his eyes and turned his head to look at where Ami had been, but found his vision blocked by Rosalie's hair. Sighing heavily, he reluctantly pulled away from Rosalie, immediately feeling the warmth wash away like waters receding from a beach. Combing his hair with his fingers, Trian murmured, "Don't take Ami's words to heart. They don't mean anything, like the rest of her ramblings."
His face was carefully neutral as he moved to stand and leave. "I'll leave you with the little one for the day. If you need anything, ask her."
--
Ami pressed a hand to her thumping heart, alternating between fanning her bright red face and holding her cheeks in wonder. She hadn't been expecting things to be moving so quickly, and neither did she expect Trian to be so openly reciprocating their true love.
"Go go Rosie~!" she whispered to herself, quietly punching her fist the air.
But she had interrupted things just it looked like they were are about to go somewhere Dx Ami wasn't sure if she should stay in the kitchen and wait for them to finish, or embarrass them both. But then again, they might not do anything either, now that their mood had been spoilt.
Crouching down low, she crawled on her hands and knees to peek around the corner of the kitchen into the room. Her view was partially blocked by one of the seats, so she couldn't see Rosie, but she could see Trian. Ami watched, feeling like she shouldn't be watching, but not wanting to miss any of it either.
The emptiness encroached on Rose the minute Trian moved away from her. Even though he was cold, the cold was suddenly more noticable with him missing. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to wring Ami's neck.
In a moment of indecision, Rose grabbed Trian's wrist as if to stop him, blushing furiously and looking up into his face. After a moment of studying the neutrality of his features, she bit her lip and averted her gaze, letting her hand drop.
She would probably retreat into sleep as soon as she could to escape Ami's questions and prodding. She looked back at Trian, resisting the urge to tell him to stay, but knowing it was painted plain across her face. She closed her eyes and nodded.
Trian half turned when he felt her hand on his wrist, his face hiding any thoughts he had when he saw her red face. He waited a short moment and as he was about to brush her hand off, Rosalie let go. He gave her a small smile, a little wistful perhaps, tinged with longing, but not for her, before he began to slip away.
--
Ami nearly groaned in disappointment, seeing Trian move off. She fervently wished she hadn't opened her mouth when she saw them together and just quietly crept to kitchen. Then maybe they would be speaking again :<
In impulse, she dashed out of the kitchen towards the pair, before Trian could disappear up the stairs. Pointing a finger accusingly at him, she yelled, "WHY ARE YOU WALKING OFF D<" Gesturing wildly at both of them, she continued, "SHE LIKES YOU YOU LIKE HER YOU SHOULD BE GETTING TOGETHER D<"
Rose heaved a heavy sigh as Trian started to leave. The look on his face confused her further and she sank into a sullen gloom. Which she was abruptly pulled out of once Ami rushed into the room.
Oh GOD! she groaned inside her head. There would be no end to her comments after this. It had just been a moment. A fleeting moment, and it didn't mean anything to either of them...didn't it?
She buried her face in her hands stifling the groan that wanted to echo the one in her head. She wanted to run in that moment...Far away.
NO she wouldn't run again. She didn't think she could leave now, but she pushed that thought away. She heaved a sigh and stood.
"Ami..." she began, not knowing what to say.
Trian stopped at the sound of Ami's voice, but didn't turn around. This morning had turned out to be rather more troublesome than he had anticipated. Maybe if he closed his eyes...
But then there was Ami, who was entirely more persistent than he sometimes gave her credit for. Trian knew full well she wouldn't let go of the idea if he tried his usual methods of evasion. But she could also be amazingly easy to distract, unlike King.
However, King actually had tact.
Turning around to face the little girl, Trian smiled, inclining his head slightly so his hair swayed a little. "Forgive me for making it appear that way, little one, but I believe she needs some time away from me," he said with a smirk, his grin showing his teeth. "She doesn't seem to want to love me yet, and it's only love if you can let them go and they come back to you." He appeared to look thoughtful for a moment, before his face brightened, as if he had just thought of a perfectly world shaking idea. "I know! Maybe you can help her out; I think she needs help coming to terms with my mindshattering good nature." With a light laugh that could be interpreted as either very happy, or positively evil (or perhaps a combination of both), he turned and swept up the stairs before either of the women could say a word. --
Ami's jaw dropped as she stared after him. It took several seconds for his words to register, and when they did, she whirled around on Rosalie, running up to the taller woman. "Woooowww, Rosie, he smitten! Good job!" There were practically stars in her eyes as Ami gave her a thumbs up. Her face suddenly fell, though. "But why aren't you happy? TT^TT" She pouted, before tugging on Rosalie's hand. "Come ooooon Rosie, he can't be that bad as far as suitors go~"
Rose ignored Ami for a moment, staring after Trian with nothing more than confusion plastered across her face. He is more clever than she thought, or more evil. Her eyebrows drew down as her chin did to look at Ami.
She took in the tiny woman's enthusiasm and sighed. "Don't be so easily fooled, Ami." she said, frowning back up at the stairs where Trian had disappeared. It dawned on her...he was truly evil. Now Ami would never leave her alone. She would turn all her attentions from Trian and start trying to convince her.
Rose had to restrain herself, rather roughly, from stalking up the stairs and throttling him in his sleep. She rubbed her face hard with both hands, trying to unclench her jaw. "I need to sleep." she hissed as she slid past Ami and headed for the stairs.
la la la TBC Man, I spot mistakes on my posts that I wanna correct grrgrr