#𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐄 //: 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐂 𝐈𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄.

[heunmoor]

@monstroum INQUIRED: are you ready for the real party ? / from santiago !

𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐡 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐬 , almost akin to a chortle as smoke trapped itself in the base of his throat and silenced any words that may have come to his tongue . TAKEN OFF GUARD IN THE BACK ALLEYWAY , lax form transforms into a taut arch before loosening once more . santiago . creeping in the shadows , 𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚋𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚘𝚏𝚝 𝚐𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚖𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 . just santiago . no golds , or blues , or crimson spewing from neck to blooming white cloth . santiago . santiago . not ..... not him .

" i didn't know there were any festivities going on after the show ? " he posed it as an inquiry , fingers twitching once before allowing the cigarette to fall to his feet and smolder away . SERENE SILENCE NO LONGER WALTZING THROUGH HIS MIND . an edge now set at his throat , keeping him on his toes . careful , louis , don't slip now . " 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚐𝚞𝚢𝚜 𝚍𝚘𝚗𝚎 ? "

[heunmoor]

𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥 . she had been everything he could not find in himself , the perfection only god could curate and wrought into her lithe form . SHE WAS DIVINITY , far more than the devil he'd accepted into his being and lost himself in when withering in the depths of hellfire .

@roseguided INQUIRED: ❛   hand .   hold  out  a  hand  for  my  muse  to  take .

" you and me , little miss . " his hand cradled hers , gentle , 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚍𝚒𝚐𝚒𝚝𝚜 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚏𝚛𝚊𝚢𝚎𝚍 𝚜𝚒𝚕𝚔 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚑𝚎'𝚍 𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚍 . " always remember it's you and me , 'kay ? "

[heunmoor]

𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐦 , heedful and searching . whether or not they found much to pry open and rearrange into pieces was left to be seen , BUT IT KEPT LOUIS ON HIS TOES . tightrope walking ; one foot put before the other with care and a thoughtfulness he once didn't indulge . " maybe next time , " he retorts , an upturn of his brims evident despite the unease he felt .

one step before the other . swift and painless . he could do this . " has claudia been doing well ? " his sweet girl has bloomed , and developed thorns with age , but still a pride and joy .... HE LONGED FOR NOTHING ELSE THAN HER HAPPINESS NOW . she deserved far more than he could ever conjure up for her . perhaps this was the first stepping stone to atonement ? this theater , these people .... 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚜 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚖𝚎𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐 . even if he stood on the outskirts , fearful of submerging in the tightly woven community .

a shiver caressed his spine , down to tailbone before clawing into the back of neck . the proximity was close , 𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭 , but not a wince was made in counteraction to the looming of the other's form . speak , mon cher , speak ! snakes entangle your ankles . " i didn't bring a helmet . " stupidity instead made itself known . THE IRONY .

he steps into the dimly lit alleyway and , already , santiago glows with a proud mischief typical of the character he played on stage ; of course , louis du lac wouldn't be aware of this since he so often preferred to skip their performances ( and when he did show up he enjoyed dozing off mid monologue ) . still , santiago leans against the theatre's wall and crosses his arms over his chest while eyeing louis . " oh , we always manage to find some reason to paint the town red 'round these parts . " the grin on his face is painfully sharp . it was always hard to tell whether santiago's smiles were genuine or at someone's expense . " and judging by that long face of yours i'd say you're in urgent need of some celebrating . " the englishman observed , pointing a finger in louis' general direction .

the cigarette is abandoned , but the embers of something else pulsate in the depths of the american's mind ; FLASHES OF COLOURS , nothing more . as hard as santiago tries to get inside louis' head he just can't quite manage . was he being locked out ? ㅤ─ ㅤ oh , curiouser and curiouser . " we've been done for a while , my american friend . they've all left . of course , you'd know that if you ever bothered to join us . " his eyes bore into the other vampire . and the more he stared , the more santiago wondered whether he did so in judgement of the other man's unpunished rebellion or to admire his beauty . green eyes examined the other from head to toe ㅤ─ ㅤ he would not voice his fascination .

" they're in a charming little bar somewhere in valenton ! very secluded , very chique , very ... secret . " he suddenly announced , pushing himself off the wall and moving to stand before louis . how quickly he had dropped the lingering contention he held for him ! and how easily he wore his playful mask . " need a ride ? " he asked with a small quirk of his brow .