#rhys5

[mindful-mateo]

"Mano, I'm begging you, don't let him pull you back in! Remember how right I was the first time? I'm still right! Just because he's been showering you with gifts and promises doesn't mean he won't leave you high and dry again." Mateo had the distinct feeling he was repeating himself but the fact that he and Rhys had already shared a bottle of wine (or was it two?) probably had something to do with that. He was a little fuzzy, pleasantly so, and for some reason they were sitting shoulder to shoulder on the floor of Rhys' office leaning back against his desk. That seemed the least concerning part of this as he nudged Rhys, a little forcefully, and gave him a baleful look. He wasn't sure if they'd been discussing Roland for a while now or it was a new topic, the details were blurring a little, but Mateo definitely knew it was paramount to get this fact through Rhys' thick skull. Going back to the vampire was a bad idea. Mateo knew it, Seth would've agreed, even Byron would probably think it was a bad idea and he was the king of bad ideas. Rhys just had to acknowledge it.

"What'll be different this time? Tell me. How do you know he won't pull the exact same crap again? I can tell he's getting to you but I need you to resist! This whole persistent bit of his is a red flag, don't you think? You claim it's because you haven't firmly told him no but if you really said 'I never want to see you again' would he really respect that? I don't think so." He took another sip of wine (ranting like this made him thirsty) and waited for the justifications. He was sure there would be some but somehow Mateo was convinced that if he just found the right combination of words he could save his friend from the goddamned Belgian councilman.

@rhysdasior

[councillor-roland]

"Of course I did." Roland didn't even have to think about it. He'd meant every word. "I fully intend on ruining him and he'll deserve every second of it." It was heated but that was to be expected. Roland didn't do anything by half so if was hell bent on vengeance or destruction that is most certainly what would happen. He intended to be a little more careful about it, not taking him head on or obviously, but he was a powerful man with endless wealth so there were plenty of strings he could pull. It was easier to focus on his anger than...everything else even if that anger was what had really made him realise...well. Hopefully that wasn't really true or it could be tempered. Naturally Rhys would want to make up with Seth, they were close, but Roland had no such desire other than for Rhys' sake and that was....soon not going to be a concern. He swallowed, trying not to think about that. Tonight. He would just focus on tonight and enjoy their last night together it as much as he could and face everything else in the morning. Why did just the thought of that feel like he was ripping his own heart out? Tomorrow. It could all be faced tomorrow. "The fact that you're willing to be the bigger person speaks volumes, cheri."

In typical Rhys fashion, he shook his head and tried to deny his worth but Roland knew by now what it was. He did his best to make Rhys aware of it most of the time with limited success but he liked to think he'd made some progress. Still, it was best to cut off any possibility of verbal denial besides the fact that Roland just needed to kiss him right now. It went on for a long moment and Roland refused to let himself think about anything else but this moment. He was normally very good at living moment to moment and pushing all troublesome thoughts so he could enjoy himself. He very much tried to employ that skill now. The kiss broke finally and Rhys leaned against him and Roland just kept his eyes closed for a moment, their foreheads together, his arms sliding down so he could hold Rhys properly. How he would miss this. His eyes opened at the words and he smiled a little. "I have my moments." He mused. "For the right person." Damn, he shouldn't have said that. It wouldn't seem strange to Rhys, Roland said all kinds of things like that but...but now? Having realised his own feelings (possible feelings, he reminded himself) there seemed to be more weight behind those things. "It's been a long night." They were both also rather soaked which was really only just occurring to Roland. Normally he'd have made much more of a fuss about his clothes but it had barely registered until now and he became aware that their was a slight puddle growing around them from their clothes dripping. "Let's get out of these wet clothes and go to bed." The look he gave Rhys was heavy with promise, smirking a little. One more time, one last indulgence and then...well. He would think about that tomorrow but all he could think of right now was how much he wanted Rhys and how it felt to hold him as he drifted off to sleep.

Rhys waved away his concern and disapproval as he tilted his head back to take a deep breath and waited for the lingering traces of exhaustion to finally taper away. His attention was quickly dragged straight back to Roland as the vampire’s anger altered the atmosphere by the slightest degree. “I’m fully in agreement with you, trust me, but did you… mean what you said to him? The threats you made toward him?” Part of Rhys wanted to argue that it wasn’t worth pursuing; Shade was pretty much harmless in the grand scheme of things and neither of them were likely at risk of having to interact with him any time soon. He was easy enough to turn a blind eye to for both of them. However, another part of Rhys was deeply intrigued to see what Roland had in mind. The display had been ridiculously attractive even if it shouldn’t have been, after all. Perhaps chivalry really was alive and well even in the modern age. As the topic turned to Seth, Rhys sighed at Roland’s response. He hadn’t expected much more and was inclined to agree given the younger witch’s outburst. “I’ll see what I can do. I’ll have to patch things up with him regardless; can’t work alongside one another if we’re both being petty and relentlessly stubborn.”

As Roland replied, it felt as if all the air had been knocked from his lungs momentarily and Rhys struggled to keep the smile from his face as he watched on from a short distance. He shook his head with a muffled laugh as Roland attempted to convince him that he was apparently worth more than the sum of his parts and was almost tempted to debate the matter out of pure instinct when Roland’s touch was on him again. He melted into the kiss instantly, his hands resting on Roland’s hips out of habit as he gladly welcomed the affection after an evening of nothing but strife. The desperate edge to the gesture caught the witch off-guard for a moment but given how high tensions had been, Rhys didn’t overthink it and simply gave as much of himself to Roland as he needed. Eventually, Rhys pulled back to catch his breath, absentmindedly tracing small patterns against Roland’s waist with his fingertips as he rested his forehead against the councilman’s with a soft sigh of contentment. “Thank you. For doing what you did for me back there, I mean. Didn’t pin you as the ‘knight in shining armour’ type.”

[councillor-roland]

Seth, in spite of the implications behind the word 'councilman' that Roland was not ignorant of thanks to the witch's tone, had tried to prevent all hell from breaking loose. Admittedly, Roland had helped it along and he gave him a look when he was asked if he knew where Chicago was. So he wasn't trying that hard but he was trying which was to his credit. Such a question didn't deserve a response. He listened politely to the information he'd asked for and would've responded when the shoe finally dropped before anyone had really eaten anything and the cambion suddenly fired off a rather impressive amount of vitriol. Roland blinked, not having quite expected that though he'd certainly expected something to happen. The complete disrespect and insults hurled Rhys' way quickly roused his anger and his expression hardened considerably. How dare this cambion treat Rhys of all people in such a way? He'd already thought little of him from their previous interaction but with this on top of it? Well, Roland was very much inclined to attack him for it. He knew he couldn't, Krovs Town was different than the castle, but the will for violence tensed his muscles and made his eyes flash. He had to work so hard to suppress the urge to run over and rip Shade's throat out that he didn't interrupt before the cambion's ire was turned on him. Rhys got a few words in just before that but Roland was still trying to swallow his sudden rage too much to really appreciate them. He'd gone unnaturally still with his efforts aside from the cigarette between his fingers getting crushed. While normally Roland did not react well to any insult hurled his way and fired them back just as hotly, he hardly cared what venom Shade spewed at him when he felt that everything he'd said to Rhys was worse. Shade stormed away but Roland wasn't about to let him get away with any of that. "How dare you!?" He snapped, discarding the mess of his cigarette onto the floor as he followed Shade to the bar. Roland was hardly going to respect the cambion's property given the disrespect he'd shown Rhys. "Speaking to a councilman like you just have is bad enough and an excellent way to earn a collar around your neck. But to sling your filth at Rhys, a man so much your better that you don't even deserve to breathe the same air as him? There you've made a grave error. T’es vraiment un roi des cons!" He shook his head, still finding it hard not to just reach over and strangle the asshole where he stood. "I hope you've enjoyed your life in this town up until now because it's all about to change, starting with this sad little establishment, and ending only when I think you've suffered enough." Roland would ruin him, he was determined now. No one was allowed to attack someone he loved in such a vulgar way without retaliation. Spinning on his heel, he tugged at his suit jacket and shot Seth a disdainful look as he walked past him, hoping Shade would be foolish enough to physically attack him with his back turned. Then Roland would have reason to retaliate in any way he saw fit. "What a stupid pet you've chosen to keep." He fired it at Seth, not waiting for a reply as he followed Rhys outside. He was still simmering with rage but something he'd just thought caught up to him before he reached Rhys. No one was allowed to attack someone he loved...Oh no. All the fury and indignation he felt was for Rhys. The insults sent his way might as well have slid right off him and that was not how it normally went. Oh no. Had he been anyone else, Roland's step may have faltered at that realisation but he managed to keep walking, just. It was lucky he was already incredibly pale as a vampire since it felt as though the colour would have drained from his face otherwise. He reached Rhys and put an arm around him, protective, drawing him closer but he didn't say anything, didn't feel like he could. Let Rhys still think he was incandescent with rage because...because this was a problem, a very big problem.

@witchysethharper

"A councilman," Seth filled in for Shade. He drawled the word out, everything he wanted to say –– and assumed the cambion next to him intended to say as well –– either subtly or not so subtly implied behind the response. Blood-sucking, entitled, overdramatic, pompous prick. He snorted out a laugh at Shade's little comment not missing the innuendo there that brought his fluctuating mood back up. Sipping his drink also helped with that and at this point he was already more than halfway through it. He flashed Rhys a lopsided grin as he accepted the older witch's offering of his drink and held off on drinking it for now until he got some food in him. No need to go from a good vibe to a bad place when he was already sitting across from Roland being... Roland. "I'm fine, thanks dad. I can handle my alcohol."

He was trying for Rhys' sake despite how difficult it was to keep his mouth shut with that super punchable face on the other end of the table. The tequila kept burning through whatever thin filter he had left. "We met, what? Like almost ten years ago, wasn't it?" He looked to Shade for confirmation like he'd remember better than Seth. Dude still didn't know when Seth's birthday was. Definitely almost ten years ago he'd been going on 23 or 24 when they met. "In Chicago, have you heard of it?" He glanced at Roland then, dead serious in that question like the vampire who'd lived for over a thousand years must not have heard of that city. He continued speaking in between picking at things on his plate. "We both lived there. I was dealing out vertigo and he found his way into my life then. Sold him some shit and we hit off and then we fucked around a bit. Lost touch for a couple years and then we reunited here in Krovs almost two years ago."

@shadedempsey

[mindful-mateo]

Mateo was too nice a friend to fake gagging as Rhys said Roland had 'a way about him' but it was a near thing. The wine made it seem like a much better idea. He nearly plugged his ears as Rhys went on and on about the vampire's apparent virtues and good qualities but instead just chugged more wine. Finally, when Rhys was finished, Mateo gave him a look. "Well you shouldn't be allowed to make your own decisions if they're dumbass ones like going back to him." He scoffed as Rhys kept going. "Yeah, and how long's that gonna last? You'll be back joined at the hip sooner rather than later, trust me. I know you. For months I had to listen to how gaga you were for him and you're already starting to talk like that again. You're hopeless." He shook his head, feeling like he'd already made all his very valid points but it still mostly felt like he was trying to get through to a brick wall.

"Saying I'm robbing you is an overstatement!" Mateo protested, laughingly, and somewhat feebly. They struggled but then the song played and it seemed like it was mostly over. Rhys looked as shocked as Mateo was, at least, and like he didn't quite know what to do with himself. The witch took his phone back, though, and Mateo leaned his head back against the desk again, sighing for what felt like the millionth time. He looked at Rhys again when he spoke. "Why would I want to mention it?" Obviously, Byron was an exception to this comment, because he would absolutely be telling the hellhound about this ridiculous grand gesture. At least Rhys was asking him how he should react, though Mateo doubted he'd follow the advice. "Ignore it. Or if you can't ignore it just be like 'nice thanks' and then forget about it. You said you're gonna keep him at arm's length, right? Here's your chance to prove it."

Rhys scoffed as Mateo tried to dismiss his point, rolling his eyes behind the safety of his hood as a dozen responses immediately came to mind. “And how was I supposed to stop myself? He’s got a way about him, Mateo. To you and Seth, I know he doesn’t hold much appeal. You’re both entitled to your opinion of him. But I know him better than you two do. I’ve spent way more time with him. He’s so much more than you think he is. He’s compassionate, empathetic, considerate, surprisingly funny when he wants to be– he’s not some callous, cold-hearted bastard. I know the ghosting thing wasn’t good. Trust me, I’m all too aware of just how awful that was seeing as I was the one going through it, but that’s also precisely why I’m the one that gets to make this decision. I get it, you just want the best for me, and I appreciate that. Really, I do, but when it comes to this, it’s down to me.” Finally, Rhys paused to take a sip from his glass even if yet more alcohol wasn’t likely to help the current conversation. Mateo clearly disapproved of the justifications explanations provided if the noise that left him a moment later was anything to go by but Rhys didn’t let it dishearten him. “His actions have had consequences. I’ve been rebuffing him for the past few months. It’s only… recent occurrences that’ve brought us back together again. Well, kinda. It’s not like how it was before. I’ve made sure of that much, at least.” Realistically, it was only a matter of time before things returned to how they used to be. No matter how hard he tried, Rhys could only deny Roland for so long. Apparently, that much was obvious given how effortlessly Mateo pointed it out barely a heartbeat later. Tugging his hood down with his free hand, Rhys levelled the thunderbird with an exasperated look, leaning over to lightly jab him with his elbow, making sure not to spill a drop from his glass in the process. “C’mon, have a little faith in me. You know how stubborn I can be when I wanna be. This isn’t an exception just ‘cause it’s him. He’s gotta earn his way back if that’s how this is gonna go.”

Despite his panic, Rhys couldn’t help but laugh along with Mateo as he tried to keep his balance. “What does it look like I’m doing? You just tried to rob me! I’m not moving ‘til you give it back.” The scuffle for the phone continued with a surprising amount of gusto from both parties and though it was challenging enough through his laughter and considerable inebriation, trying to wrangle the phone from Mateo’s grasp when it had something to do with Roland seemed to suddenly become an Olympic sport of sorts. It was impossible to tell exactly who was at fault for causing the inevitable but as soon as the first few notes began to play, Rhys sat back as if he’d been struck, eyes wide and disbelieving as his gaze flickered intermittently between Mateo and the phone itself. At the very least, seeing his bewilderment mirrored by Mateo was reassuring; it meant this wasn’t some kind of pathetic fever dream. Lifting a hand to cover his mouth and stifle his laughter at the sheer absurdity of the circumstances, Rhys patiently waited until the piece had drawn to a close and snatched his phone back from Mateo’s hold before the thunderbird could complain, locking it and shoving it in his hoodie pocket as he tried to get his thoughts in order. He really shouldn’t have indulged in half as much wine as he had – trying to think straight right now felt entirely out of the question. “Well,” he started, pausing as he tried to find the rest of the sentence as his mind whirred with thought after thought. “That was… that was something. Something that you can't mention to a single soul outside of this room. I'll draft up an NDA for you if I have to. Don't think I won't.” With a hint of reluctance, Rhys finally moved to sit beside Mateo again, reaching for his glass to down the remainder of the wine before turning his full attention back to Mateo. “…How am I supposed to react to that?”

[mindful-mateo]

Mateo snorted, loudly and disbelievingly. "Really? That's your defense? Really? You sure didn't try very hard to stop yourself!" The thunderbird could tell Rhys didn't really mean it given how he was smiling. Ugh. This was clearly a losing battle but Mateo kept fighting it anyway. Irritatingly, Rhys agreed with his points but then made the utterly insane statement that it was his decision to make. "No! It's absolutely not your decision because, need I remind you, I'm the one that usually stops you from making dumbass decisions. So I'm making this decision for you and you're not going back to him." Mateo knew that wouldn't stand but he liked to think it was final, at least for a moment. Rhys was stupidly stubborn though and it seemed like it was only a matter of time before he ran back into the vampire's arms. He made a very rude and dismissive sound as Rhys tried to justify Roland's shit behaviour. "Do you hear yourself right now? Not meaning to hurt you didn't mean he didn't hurt you and obviously he did. Spare me the 'it's not his fault' bullshit, please. Actions still have consequences, or they should anyway." He gave Rhys an annoyed look just in time to see him peeking out at him, looking all kicked puppy. It made Mateo want to soften to him but he tried to harden himself against the impulse. The thunderbird let out a long suffering sigh as Rhys claimed he'd set up boundaries but Mateo very much doubted that. "Sure you have. And the first time he croons in your ear or whatever the fuck he does and sweet talks you past all those boundaries you'll fold like a piece of paper."

Rhys objected to his phone being stolen to the point that he just climbed on Mateo and Mateo was so startled and half concerned with not spilling his wine that he laughed. "What are you doing? Get off me!" He leaned away from Rhys to try and keep the phone out of his grasp which was hard when Rhys was literally on top of him. The witch managed to get a hand on the phone and Mateo tried to twist his wrist and then someone's finger clearly hit the play button as piano chords came out of the phone and then a deep, melodious voice started singing. Mateo let the phone slip from his grasp in shock, falling completely silent as the video was clearly Roland at the piano, playing and singing, and he let it go on, alternately staring at it and Rhys in bewilderment. He knew that the battle was lost even before the song was done and sighed, watching Rhys more and sipping his wine. Maybe he could tackle him and pin him down to keep him from going to Roland but that was only a temporary solution. Well, it was well played, Mateo would have to give the vampire that, even if he did it grudgingly.

“It’s not like I chose to have feelings for him!” It was a weak defence at best and the smile in his tone likely wasn’t doing him any favours in propping up any kind of convincing argument. “I mean, yeah, you did warn me, as did Seth, and yeah, you both made valid points. I get that, I don’t disagree with that, but isn’t it ultimately my decision to make?” As Mateo paused to take a sip, Rhys fiddled with the drawstrings of his hoodie with his free hand, ducking his head as he replayed Mateo’s points in his mind with a tired sigh. No matter what the outcome would be, someone in his social circle was going to be disappointed. The witch bit back a laugh as Mateo’s ranting continued despite the good intentions behind it. “It’s not, I know. Trust me, I know. But it’s an explanation. That doesn’t make his actions right but it does prove that there was no malicious intent behind him fucking off for months without a word. He didn’t do it to hurt me, not intentionally.” Feeling Mateo’s stare resting on him again, Rhys finally plucked up the courage to peek at him from under the safety of his hood, his expression perfectly mirroring that of a kicked dog as he reluctantly listened to yet another slew of frustratingly valid points. “We’ll see when we get to that point, won’t we?” It wasn’t a thought Rhys necessarily wanted to entertain, not now that he’d finally managed to start tentatively rebuilding something with Roland. “But I don’t think it’ll happen again, I really don’t. The conviction he spoke with… it wasn’t just to placate me, Mateo. He meant every word. I genuinely think he’s learned from this. Besides, it’s not like I’m gonna go wandering back and act like nothing happened. I’m gonna be laying down boundaries and expectations when we see each other next to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again if something’s gonna be going on between us. I’ve thought about this, trust me.” 

The quiet ding from his phone pulled Rhys’ attention down to it as Mateo’s focus simultaneously shifted and the sight of Roland’s name made his chest flutter immediately, the surprise getting the better of him for a moment before he moved to try and snatch it back from the thunderbird with sudden urgency, pushing himself up to clamber onto Mateo to try and prise it from his hold. “It’s my property. You can’t just– give it here. I won’t even look at it, just lemme have it.”

[mindful-mateo]

Rhys tried to hide in his hoodie but Mateo was sure to speak loud enough that the fabric wouldn't be much of a barrier to the sound. The witch was only hiding because he knew how right Mateo was and that in itself was like an admission. But even if Rhys knew Mateo was right and that Roland was a bad idea, he seemed to be extremely willing to run right back into his arms. Case in point, all the justifications that came pouring out and Mateo stared at him at first then thudded his head back against the desk in exasperation. Still, he let Rhys say all he had to say, gladly taking the refill when it was offered and watching the bottle roll away as Rhys continued to go on and on about how Roland was misunderstood and handled things poorly and all the other excuses he was willing to make for him.

"I seem to remember having a conversation with you about this before where I'm pretty sure I warned you not to have feelings for him because he couldn't be trusted but you just wanted to 'play things out' and 'see where it went' and figured it would all come to an end anyway. And I was right and it did end but you still didn't listen to me!" He took another fortifying sip of wine then got animated again. "Also, unresolved trauma about his ex is not a good reason to fuck you over! That's another red flag! I've got a dead ex too but I don't use it as an excuse to be a maldito bastardo to people." He paused at himself and sighed, then took another large sip of wine, looking over at Rhys. "Sure, he means it now. But what happens when he panics again? Is he gonna abandon you again? I bet he will. You watch." Mateo didn't take any joy in that idea, it wasn't like he wanted Rhys to experience pain, but this whole rant was trying to save Rhys from it though it was getting muddled and he felt like he was failing.

Rhys' phone had fallen out of his hoodie pouch when he'd leaned over to pour Mateo's wine and a text notification went off which was why Mateo noticed it. He saw that it was from Roland and it came with some kind of video attachment so Mateo moved to snatch the device before Rhys could get to it. "I'm not letting you look at this. He doesn't deserve you. This is a vampire free zone right now."

Pulling sharply on the drawstrings of his hoodie to shut out Mateo’s pleas, Rhys gave a weak groan from the safety of his material sanctuary and rested his head back against the desk as he tried to downplay the thunderbird’s concerns. It wasn’t as if Rhys genuinely had room to argue; countless individuals had tried to warn him of the dangers of entertaining Roland’s courtship the first time around. The ghosting that had eventually followed had only served to prove every single concern Rhys’ nearest and dearest had held and now that Roland had plucked up the strength and determination to come crawling back, Rhys’ resolve had weakened far quicker than he’d wanted it. The confession had been a lot and though the witch cringed at how cruelly he’d treated Roland at first, he still stood by it all. He’d had a right to be hurt, to utter some home truths, to let Roland know that he couldn’t fix the months of radio silence and avoidance with a swanky gift and some honeyed words. Still, he’d managed to turn up at the right time and had offered comfort when Rhys had needed it most. The gifts from Valentine’s Day had been a pleasant surprise – the note from the peonies remained tucked safely into his wallet even now. Pushing his hood back, Rhys met Mateo’s gaze with a pitiful one, deliberately making himself look as vulnerable as he could. It was only the faint trace of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips that gave a hint to the extent of his amusement towards the thunderbird’s impassioned plea. 

“Things are different this time. He had some stuff to work through, some things to face and work out for himself. Not that it makes any of it okay, but… it’s not as heinous as it seems. There was no malicious intent behind his disappearance. Did he handle it well? No,” Rhys paused to take a generous swig from his glass, gesturing incoherently with it to fill the silence as he swallowed. “But does that mean we need to demonise him for it? Also no. The whole reason he up and left with no explanation was ‘cause he panicked. He realised he had feelings for me and then realised he hadn’t felt that way about someone since his ex. That loss hit him hard. Badly. He wasn’t sure if he could go through it again. He thought that distancing himself from me would make it all go away. Needless to say, it didn’t,” Rhys shrugged, seemingly placated by his own retelling of events before he gestured to himself with a smirk. “Can’t blame him. But on a serious note, he realised that what he felt for me was genuine. He wasn’t lying. Trust me, I checked. Repeatedly. He meant every word of it, every promise made to do whatever he could so that we could rebuild things.” Finishing off the contents of his glass, Rhys reached for the bottle sat between them for a refill and leaned across Mateo to do the same until the last drop fell, rolling the bottle away from them without a second thought as he swirled his glass absentmindedly. “I know you’re not gonna wanna hear this, but… I don’t know if I’d want to banish him from my life forever,” Rhys cut his gaze away sharply to eye the still-wrapped present from December now propped up against one of the bookcases. It’d been moved around the office a number of times by now; somehow, Rhys still didn’t have the heart to open it. “I never said I didn’t feel anything for him– I mean, I do. Obviously. Think I realised I did before he realised he did. I didn’t say anything, though. Didn’t wanna ruin things in case it wasn’t mutual, y’know? I thought I could get away with being selfish about it.”

[mindful-mateo]

END (for Mateo anyway, exit stage left)

Mateo was too nice a friend to fake gagging as Rhys said Roland had 'a way about him' but it was a near thing. The wine made it seem like a much better idea. He nearly plugged his ears as Rhys went on and on about the vampire's apparent virtues and good qualities but instead just chugged more wine. Finally, when Rhys was finished, Mateo gave him a look. "Well you shouldn't be allowed to make your own decisions if they're dumbass ones like going back to him." He scoffed as Rhys kept going. "Yeah, and how long's that gonna last? You'll be back joined at the hip sooner rather than later, trust me. I know you. For months I had to listen to how gaga you were for him and you're already starting to talk like that again. You're hopeless." He shook his head, feeling like he'd already made all his very valid points but it still mostly felt like he was trying to get through to a brick wall.

"Saying I'm robbing you is an overstatement!" Mateo protested, laughingly, and somewhat feebly. They struggled but then the song played and it seemed like it was mostly over. Rhys looked as shocked as Mateo was, at least, and like he didn't quite know what to do with himself. The witch took his phone back, though, and Mateo leaned his head back against the desk again, sighing for what felt like the millionth time. He looked at Rhys again when he spoke. "Why would I want to mention it?" Obviously, Byron was an exception to this comment, because he would absolutely be telling the hellhound about this ridiculous grand gesture. At least Rhys was asking him how he should react, though Mateo doubted he'd follow the advice. "Ignore it. Or if you can't ignore it just be like 'nice thanks' and then forget about it. You said you're gonna keep him at arm's length, right? Here's your chance to prove it."

[councillor-roland]

Oh, this was bad. This was very, very bad so much so that it was distracting Roland from the absolute disaster that the dinner had been. Not that it had been much of a dinner when they hadn't even gotten around to eating before chaos erupted. It had only been a matter of time before that happened, though, Roland had really expected nothing less. All of that paled in comparison to this sudden realisation. It didn't stop him from pulling Rhys against him, though, or noticing how right it felt when the other man's arms were around him. "You should always listen to me." He responded, almost absently. Roland wound his arms around Rhys in return, almost too tightly because...because he couldn't do this. As much as he wanted it, as much as it felt right, as much as the thought of even a single day without Rhys was painful...he couldn't let this happen. Rhys was mortal, he clearly had no interest in eternity, and even if he had a witch's extended lifespan it would end eventually. Roland would not, could not do that to himself, not after he'd barely survived losing Alix. In spite of the maelstrom of his thoughts and emotions, he still paid attention to what Rhys was saying. "You wanted to keep the peace. It was admirable, if misguided." His voice betrayed nothing of what was going on underneath, his tone fond as usual. He might've said something else to distract both of them when a sudden downpour drenched them. Roland blinked before his attention was drawn to Seth storming out of the restaurant, the vampire's eyes narrowed as Seth fired insults at them. Compared to the cambion's they weren't that bad but still uncalled for.

Roland was about to fire back a scathing retort when he caught Rhys' quiet apology and looked at him to ask what he was apologizing for...only to find himself in the familiar surroundings of his suite. He blinked and frowned a little since that had clearly been a lot of magic quickly and Rhys didn't look comfortable. He let the witch pull away, though, even if his instinct was to pull him closer and comfort him. An instinct, he reminded himself, he would need to start suppressing and quickly. "Rhys..." The tone was both concerned and mildly disapproving. The witch knew Roland had a vested interest in his well being and never liked seeing him push himself too far as it seemed he may have done now. He let out a breath and shook his head at the apology. It was hardly Rhys' fault. He'd gone there in good faith and been attacked mercilessly for it. Reviewing the insults still made Roland's blood boil a little and his fists clench. He tried to focus on what Rhys was saying instead. "Don't waste any time making excuses for that cambion. He's not worth it." He wasn't worth anything and in spite of all of these things he was realising he still fully intended on ruining him even if....even if he wasn't with Rhys. The topic turned to Seth and Roland shook his head. "I expected better of him given your high opinion of him. It will take some doing to put him back in my good graces." Not that it would matter...after tonight. Roland could give them tonight, at least. They both likely needed it. Just the thought was painful but he knew he would have to distance himself from Rhys, cut himself off quickly and totally because then maybe...maybe it wouldn't be true. Maybe it just felt like love but it was familiarity and once it was removed and he got through the withdrawaal...maybe he would be safe.

Roland was a little surprised when Rhys asked about him, focusing back in on the conversation instead of being lost in himself. Damn. Clearly Rhys could sense that he was....going through something. He'd have to try and spin it so that it seemed like it was just his anger about the whole situation. "I'm incensed by what he said to you. He'd be lucky to be mud on your boots and yet he dares insult you like that?" Roland shook his head, that all having the benefit of being true, his ire roused again and real. Hopefully that would cover everything else. "You don't deserve it. What he said and whatever else has been said that's worse. You're better than all of that." Roland closed the distance between them again, cupping Rhys' face and kissing him, like he was using the action to soothe them both. Maybe he was and maybe he was also trying to get in as many kisses and touches as he could before...before he cut it all off. He kissed him a little harder at that thought, an edge of desperation to the action that he couldn't seem to help.

continued from here.

It was entirely plausible that it could’ve gone worse. It hadn’t gone well, that much was abundantly clear, but knowing that it could have been worse helped to placate some of Rhys’ concerns. Roland’s response to Shade’s targeted character assassination had been a sight to behold and was partially why Rhys hadn’t bothered to say much more than he had – after what had been dished out, what more was there to say? Once they were both outside, Rhys finally granted himself the privilege of releasing the exhausted sigh he’d been restraining since they’d stepped inside. There was something off about Roland’s emotional state and though it was likely easier to pin it entirely on the disagreements that had occurred only moments prior, a brief inspection of the councilman’s aura and, consequently, emotional well-being, quickly informed him there was more to the picture. He leaned almost instinctively into Roland’s embrace, coming to a halt to bury his face against Roland’s neck with a muffled noise of tired exasperation. “Should’ve listened to you,” he mumbled solemnly, wrapping his arms tightly around Roland’s waist to keep him as close as he physically could now that they were in a slightly calmer environment and he could just about think straight again. “We never should’ve shown up. Don’t know why I thought that might work.” He remained in place for a short while, simply pleased to have some sense of normality return after the vibrant display indoors. As he pulled back to straighten up, he’d been moments away from addressing the gradually growing issue of Roland’s emotional discomfort when it seemed as if the heavens themselves opened up and unleashed a torrent of rain, followed by the sound of the restaurant’s door flying open and Seth’s voice accompanying it which quickly redirected his immediate attention. He sneered at the younger witch’s remarks, his disapproval painfully explicit. Hadn’t enough been said by now? Was the desperate need to have the last word really that important? He didn’t rise to the bait as it was offered, merely content with letting his expression speak volumes for him instead. 

The second the last word left the younger witch, Rhys focused all of his attention and strength on not fucking up, tightening his grip around Roland and murmuring a quiet apology before he pushed his conjuration magic to its limits to teleport them both back to Roland’s suite to escape the side effects of Seth’s ire. A sharp exhale of discomfort left him once they were indoors and he untangled himself from Roland to catch his breath, trying to shake off the toll of pushing himself a little too far too quickly in record time. “I’m sorry about that. All of that,” he said after a few moments of silence, straightening himself up to look not quite as exhausted as he felt. “Next time I try to drag you into something like that again, feel free to remind me of this night. Seems like trying to keep the peace was a fucking awful idea. Should’ve known from the start that Dempsey’s incapable of being even halfway decent at the best of times. As for Seth…” Rhys clicked his tongue in disappointment and cut his gaze to the floor, seemingly lost for words for a moment. “Please don’t take on board anything he said. Tensions were high. I’ll… talk to him at some point. Try and get things ironed out. More importantly, though…” Hesitantly, he glanced back up to hold Roland’s gaze. “Are you okay? Don’t bullshit me. Something’s bothering you. I can see it. Is it just ‘cause of what went down in there? If so, you don’t have to hold onto it. It’s fine. I’ve had a lot worse hurled my way than the little display Shade put on.”

@councillor-roland

[councillor-roland]

Well, this promised to be interesting. A double date, as it were, with Rhys, Seth, and the cambion who'd harassed Rhys in his office. What could possibly go wrong? Never mind that more and more Roland was becoming...concerned with his attachment to Rhys. Granted, those only seemed to come up when he wasn't with Rhys (which was a large portion of time) but they were starting to gnaw at him. Four months, as much as it was the blink of an eye in his long lifespan, was no longer just a passing fling or momentary infatuation. Even when he wasn't with Rhys he was often thinking about him and that was becoming less and less comforting, was verging on dangerous. Rhys was mortal, after all, and seemed in no way inclined towards immortality. In fact, aside from a sort of academic interest in what it was like, the idea seemed to horrify the witch and that meant if Roland pursued this, stuck with this, he doomed himself to eventual heartbreak and loss.

The troubling thoughts had been pushed to the back of his mind as they usually were when he was with Rhys and he glanced at the restaurant curiously before Rhys drew his attention. The witch looked tired and strained and Roland wanted to smooth it all away though he doubted he could, the situation being what it was. He raised his eyebrows. "Has he been given similar instructions to rise above anything I do that irks him? And what about this cambion? He's already lost some of my esteem given his treatment of you." Roland doubted those words would particularly soothe Rhys but he couldn't seem to help it. Still, his hands settled lightly on Rhys' hips for a moment as the witch brushed off his shoulders. "I'll remind you that I've been nothing but civil to him. He was the one making threats." The mention of the holiday made him smile a little, though. "Perhaps it would. Lighten up, cheri. It might not be so bad." He kissed him lightly then pulled back and winked, turning to head into the restaurant. "Allons-y."

The table was very nicely set, Roland would give this Shade that. Not that the food interested him but he did notice the blood wine. He clearly hadn't been forgotten, then. The two were at the table and Roland glanced back at Rhys, eyebrows slightly raised, before he turned back and smiled brilliantly, approaching the table and the other two men. "Doesn't this look lovely. Hello again, Seth." He nodded politely at the other witch then turned to the cambion, assessing him. "You must be Shade. As apologies go, this does appear to be a rather good start." He was still smiling but his tone was just slightly cooler with the cambion. He'd have to make up for those points he'd already lost but Roland had centuries of being social even with people he didn't particularly like so it wasn't difficult to put those skills to use now.

@witchysethharper

Double Date From Hell

"They should be here in about a minute," Seth announced, tucking his phone away after checking the latest texted status update from Rhys on their location between Krovs Castle and Cannabites. This was a good idea, or so he tried to continue convincing himself. What could honestly go wrong using promised sex afterwards getting Shade to apologize to Rhys with Roland the narc present? Everything would be fine, he continued to convince himself as he nursed a half-empty vodka soda that was probably more vodka than soda. He leaned against the doorframe between the kitchen and the restaurant, watching Shade work his magic in the kitchen. This was another bad idea in itself that would make his part of their little deal much easier later in the evening. Shade cooking always got Seth's mouth watering and knees weak, dude seemed to know that too. Really made it fucking hard to stay away from the physical aspect Shade wanted after their relationship –– or whatever the cambion apparently decided they were or weren't –– when Seth couldn't move on from the emotional side. "Sure I can't help you with anything?" he asked.

@shadedempsey

[councillor-roland]

Rhys clearly didn't want him elaborating if the squeeze was anything to go by and Roland tightened his grip on one of the witch's shoulders for a moment, both to say he got it but with a little extra firmness to say that he didn't necessarily need such warnings. Seth apparently got his deeply unsubtle hint and Roland smiled winningly at the suggestion. "Yes, I would very much like some. Merci." It was like they'd never hosted anything before but better late than never. The wine was poured and he and Rhys separated slightly to take their seats though Roland didn't mind Rhys taking his hand. Once seated, he took a grateful sip of his bloodwine and hid his smile behind his glass as Rhys obviously had no interest in the drink Seth was explaining. Roland drank alcohol for the taste and tequila wasn't generally to his taste so it wasn't as though he would offer to drink it for Rhys. Not surprisingly, Rhys pushed it Seth's way soon enough. Setting his glass back on the table, he caught Rhys looking at him and winked quickly, smiling a little fondly as he saw Rhys pulled two cigarettes from his case instead of just one. Rhys knew him well. He gratefully accepted the lit cigarette and took a long drag himself, tilting his head to blow the smoke away from the table and the other occupants then tapped it off in the ashtray. Shade spoke and Roland's eyebrows went up at the aborted statement. He probably shouldn't but he couldn't help himself... "Being a...what? Do finish your sentence, Monsieur Dempsey, I for one am curious about what you were going to say." The tone was all charm and there was still a smile on Roland's face but there was a hard glint in his eyes. How ballsy was the cambion, really? He supposed they'd see. He felt Rhys' hand on his thigh and settled his free one on it for a moment, at least until he needed another drink which might be soon, considering. Even through those slight touches he could feel Rhys' simmering resentment about it all and if his question hadn't lit the fuse to blow this whole evening up it was just a matter of time before something did. At least it would be more interesting that way. Until that happened, someone needed to make more than strained conversation so he looked at Seth again. "How did the two of you meet?" He nodded towards Shade. "That must be a story worth hearing."

@witchysethharper

Seth's eye visibly twitched when Roland opened his mouth –– somehow the councilman's praise felt condescending or perhaps Seth was just extremely biased. Either way, he shut himself up from saying something he'd regret in this opportunity for multiple parties to be mature and civil by sucking down another mouthful of his drink. His glass was practically half empty at this point and the meal hadn't even begun. Course that could bode either really well or really poorly for Seth this evening as he felt a warmth spread underneath his skin from all the alcohol he'd consumed thus far. Tequila and vodka both had their ways of really knocking him out so the sooner he got food in him, the better. He smiled politely at Roland –– the gesture somewhat strained and surely Shade standing right next to him could hear the young witch grinding his molars.

"Why don't we sit down and get started?" he suggested. "I take it you want some wine, Roland?" He didn't wait for a response. Seth flicked his hand and the bottle of blood wine lifted off the table and poured itself into a glass all at his command. He settled himself into his seat, absentmindedly leaning into Shade's space whenever the cambion joined him. That wasn't an unusual act itself, at least not when they were officially together. Lately it was rare for Seth to get this touchy with Shade since they broke up but it seemed instinct took over as the buzz settled in. A few drinks also had the tendency of opening Seth up to more physical intimacy with someone familiar. "Shade made you a special drink too, Rhys. 'S'called a Black Cauldron and it's pretty fucking good. 'S'got tequila in it though but hey if you don't want it, you can slide it on over here," he offered the older witch with a grin.

@shadedempsey

[councillor-roland]

"You're probably right. Let's see if they'll be enough to avert disaster." That definitely wouldn't calm Rhys at all but Roland wasn't himself if he wasn't being a little bit of a brat. He really didn't know how this was going to go but he assumed everyone would at least start on their best behaviour and they'd just have to see where the evening went from there.

They were inside soon enough and exchanging greetings and pleasantries. He doubted Seth really meant that it was nice to see him but he shook the young witch's hand anyway, firmly, then dropped it. He could practically feel Rhys' tension and certainly caught the relieved sigh when no one bit each other's heads off in the first few minutes. Rhys really needed to relax. Perhaps a few drinks would help him. Shade at least showed him proper respect, or pretended to which was the next best thing and Roland inclined his head towards him. "I'm sure you don't. But please, call me Roland. No need to stand on ceremony when we're all friends here, non?" He knew damn well they were not all friends here but that's the farce they seemed intent on playing out and Roland was very good at playing a role. Rhys claimed it was an honour to be invited which directly contradicted how much he'd been dreading this moments ago but Roland wisely chose not to remark on that.

The witch was close to him a moment later and it was practically automatic to settle his arm around Rhys' shoulders comfortably, pleased at how the witch's slid around Roland's waist. The two of them were being just as free with their touches as Shade and Seth were with their significant and rather obvious looks, something else Roland picked up on but chose not to mention. He blinked slightly as Rhys positively fawned over the spread which honestly seemed a little excessive to Roland. Detecting the squeeze, he suppressed a sigh but nodded. It wasn't like any of it was really for him so why should he comment? For Rhys, this time, he would agree. "Indeed. I've rarely seen such effort and skill put into a meal." It felt decidedly fake but Roland thought he delivered it convincingly enough. He couldn't help but look at Rhys as he went on though, offering an apology that seemed very much unnecessary when the whole point of this was for Shade to apologize. Well, he supposed Rhys was doing what he thought was necessary though Roland felt no need to add anything to that or say anything remotely similar to Seth. "How generous of you, cher." He mused instead, giving Rhys a strange look before he turned his attention back to the other two. Someone should have really offered them a drink already but Roland supposed they were amateurs and tried to forgive them for it. It would be rude for him to get the drinks himself so he'd wait until they were offered though while Rhys asked about smoking he did make eye contact with Seth then glance at the bloodwine and other refreshments meaningfully. Hopefully the younger witch could take an obvious hint.

@witchysethharper

"Aye aye, captain," Seth said, giving Shade a two-fingered salute as he grabbed the charcuterie board mentioned and brought it to the table. Leave it to Shade to go the extra mile as he observed the care and detail with the table setting, dressed in red and Pinterest-worthy meal all tailored to Rhys' few preferences in season and color. Seth almost believed that this attempt at an apology might truly be genuine were it not for the promise of sex afterwards, a thought he decided not to linger on. He also couldn't recall a time seeing Shade dressed in something so... professional. Course he had no issue with how the cambion usually dressed on a daily basis; Shade was attractive to him no matter what he wore or how he looked save for certain instances with that mouth and attitude of his. Apparently this business casual look was doing it for the witch who couldn't resist glancing over at his ex slaving away in the kitchen, mixing drinks at the bar, all while looking fine as hell in those pants that really emphasized the great ass underneath. Focus, Harper.

He'd just sucked down the last of his vodka soda when Shade with perfect timing handed him a new drink that seemed far more appealing. He snorted out a laugh at the name as he traded his empty glass for the one full of black liquid and tequila –– another go-to alcoholic drink for Seth –– and took an experimental sip, humming in content. "Yeah, that's fucking fantastic, thanks. If Rhys won't drink his, I'll take it." And he absolutely would despite how terrible of an idea that might be. Seth wasn't blessed with that whole healing thing Shade had now so he was not as tolerant drinking or smoking as the cambion seemed more so these days. Seth's tolerance also seemed to be weakening in his 30's compared to his 20's; those days he could drink as more than what he did now, stay up to greet the sun, sleep a couple hours, and be relatively fine. He casually sipped his black cauldron as he ran his gaze over the table again, mouth already watering in anticipation to eat anything and everything Shade prepared. "Everything looks fucking delicious. Thanks again for doing this," he said to the cambion right before they were joined by their company for the evening.

The young witch somehow managed not to scowl at Roland when he walked in with all his entitled attitude and just... stupid face in general. Another sip of his drink helped distract and mask his annoyance at the presence of the man that Rhys for some reason seemed so smitten with. Shade wasn't the only one owing apologies here and Seth had his own effort to make. He started with his own outfit for the evening, which wasn't a usual despite it being all black. He went with his nicest pair of black jeans and a sweater that weren't ripped or frayed in some way, short boots that didn't scream "pirate" or "Renaissance cosplay," and a nice coat. Seth swallowed his tequila, pushed his glasses back up his nose, and put on a friendly smile for Roland.

"Nice to see you too, councillor," he greeted, offering out his free hand to shake. His smile warmed as he turned his gaze to Rhys whom he far more preferred between the pair here. "Thank you both for coming. Shade's been hella busy setting this all up for tonight," he said, shooting a starry-eyed smile over at the cambion for a moment before raising his brows and cocking his head as he prompted to Shade to actually say whatever verbal apology he might have prepared.

@shadedempsey