call the schoolmaster

[derpish]

Who: Cain Knightlord and Abel Nightroad
What: Discussin' neck nommings and Crusnik
When: Just after Alucard and Crusnik went batshit together
Where: Abel's room - Satis Tower
Rating: Uhh... PG-15?

Comments

[derpish]

This is a nightmare. No, worse than any nightmare he had ever had before... to think that he might become a monster. A creature without the control Abel seemed to be capable of gaining, just... warped and twisted and destructive.

Is that the fanged smile that had told Abel he had murdered his soulmate? Is that the form that his brother had slaughtered? No... no, he hadn't. Caterina had told him that he was still alive in her time, Abel had lied about that.

Why?

To protect him? Was it truly less damaging to believe he had died at his twin's hands, than to know what atrocities he had committed?

Abel's arms are strong, and the scent of him is a weird mixture of soap and blood. The reassurances that don't come echo loudly in the air around them, crushing for their weight. So... that was what he would become? That was the monster that destroyed Abel's life, and was now burdening him here because of Cain's own weakness to resist its thrall.

"...I'm so sorry."For everything. For his future. For centuries of sin he hadn't committed yet,

[priestish]

"--No," he said -- firm but soft, a hand coming to gently tug Cain's head further to his shoulder and entangle fingers soothingly in his hair. He knows what he's apologizing for... and absolutely refuses to hear it. This burden isn't Cain's to bear -- it's his, and Seth's, for their joint mistakes that had cost them everything. Mistakes they'd each pay for until they finally... died.

For Seth... it was ironic, at best, that death would be to Cain's hands.

Abel leans his cheek atop his brother's head, finding strange stability and comfort in being the one providing consolation -- even if be desperately wished he didn't have to. A soothing hand ran down his spine. "...None of that is your fault, and it never will be. Do you understand...? I won't let you take the responsibility for things that lay solely at their feet."

Crusnik. They're blissfully silent, now... a rare reprieve, a clear-headedness coming with it. They were at fault for what they'd driven Cain to do while puppeting him... not the other way around. Not at all.

[derpish]

How did Abel know he hadn't given in to them deliberately? How did he know the fears and hatreds he'd hidden so well hadn't played a role in his subservience to the beast?

He exhaled shakily, before forcing himself to stop indulging in these circular thoughts. The smooth of Abel's fingers down his spine made him ashamed, as though he were acting like a child afraid of the dark.

Pulling away slightly, he scrubbed a hand through blonde hair and looked away. "--are you hurt anywhere else?" Focus on Abel, focus on being the big brother. This... can overwhelm him later.

[priestish]

Cain could try to maintain the title of elder, protective brother all he liked -- but in this case, he'd find it was little more than wishful thinking. The role had been taken on and well practiced, now; the man who had once been so eager to destroy everything with these hands now wanted to soothe pain instead of cause it.

"I'm fine," he said quietly, soft, tiny smile at his lips. It'll... be okay. He can make this right. He can. He needs to believe it...

"...You need to rest. You lost... a lot of blood." Smoothing a stray strand of blonde from Cain's brow and tucking it behind his hair, he swallowed the tiny pang of grief for the smile that was absent from his twin's lips... and probably would be for a while. "Lay down, okay...? I'll make tea, and you can take a nap."

[derpish]

How could Abel think he would sleep even a second with all this running through his mind? But he didn't argue, not this time.

It was easier, wasn't it, to pretend until the raw sharp newness of it faded and it was more palatable to think on. If he kept searching for answers now, would he hurt them both more?

Laying back, he closed his eyes to appease Abel, waiting for him to leave the room.