A Bad Mood (Seven)

[Laszlo]

For a hushed moment, there was only the sound of the rolling storm. Laszlo's mind was either blank or racing too fast for him to track his thoughts, his eyes fixed on the quietly dancing flame in the glass bulb in front of him. When a tame voice cut the silence from behind, Laszlo spun around. Seven was pushing himself up to sit on the edge of his bed, rubbing his head like he was waking up. The Ethaefal watched mutely as relief and apprehension both coursed through him and stung his veins, his mouth hanging open. The halfblood just got up and started cleaning the mess on the floor, like nothing had happened at all. Laszlo could only stare, knowing the rage and the torment that had possessed him barely minutes ago. With angry red eyes he had cursed his father, and vowed murder and suffering against him. Now Seven was just young, pleasant man, making harmless jokes and picking up papers. He had no idea what had just happened to him, and the memory of his murder was probably just as deeply buried as it was before, if not more so. Only Laszlo stood here, knowing the truth of it. How could Seven look so normal now? Sure, he seemed a little cynical and mildly troubled, but no more than anyone else. Overall, he seemed moderately happy. It didn't seem possible. "It's noise," Laszlo remarked plainly, glancing toward the window. Seven was acting as if his trance never happened. The Ethaefal's frightened mind replayed it for him, to remind him that it really happened, even if he was the only one who remembered. You made me do it. "It's comforting though, to know the world is alive and exists outside the buzz of your thoughts. This is really the first time I've been inside properly from a storm." Who ended up with their blood on the wall? "It's soothing, somehow, to watch the violence from behind the safety of a window." You and that woman. You wouldn't look at me if your face was pulp. Laszlo shook his head gently, closing his eyes. The pressure behind his eyes had become a throbbing, and patches of a headache stroked the inside of his skull. He uttered a soft sound of annoyance, reaching his fingertips up and rubbing them against one temple. As always, he consciously noted the absence of his horns. Seven sent a small smile at him. Remaining measuredly stoic, Laszlo was horrified by the placid expression. What had made him snap before? What could possibly set him off? And could it happen again? The Ethaefal stepped away from the lantern and walked around Seven to the bottle of wine still in the middle of the floor. Stooping over, he collected the item by its neck, and lifted it up in the light. A tapered black claw slid over the label's wording. Seven had blamed his trance on the wine. He had no idea that Laszlo had used magic on him. "It must be good wine." Lowering the bottle, Laszlo sampled its aroma, but he didn't know anything about wine. All he smelled was flowery, fruity alcohol. Feeling battered, Laszlo threw his hesitance to the wind and tipped the bottle up, taking a hearty swig from its contents. Slightly disoriented from the headache, one foot stumbled back to fortify his balance. Taking the bottle away, a pink, watery droplet trailed down one side of his chin as the cool, bitter liquid washed over his tongue and warmed his throat. This was followed by the wrinkling of his nose and an involuntary shudder. "Wish I hadn't done that." Laszlo set the bottle down, then walked over to pick up his wet cloak. "Thank you for entertaining me as your guest, Seven. I'm better for the company, but I need to get some rest." Hanging the cloak over one arm, he turned back to the halfblood, knelt there on the floor. Laszlo swallowed, his mouth still tasting of wine. "You should too. You've been through a lot." Well, that might sound… "In the past few days, I mean. Well, you know what I mean." The Ethaefal cleared his throat, then reached to open the door. "Good night, Seven." Pulling it shut behind him, Laszlo leaned back against the oaken door, huffing a heavy breath as he stared upward in astonishment. I should have liked to see her face when she found you. Goddess, did all of that just happen? Seven was so… quiet, small, and intelligent. And without expecting to, Laszlo had stumbled upon his darkest secret. Sure, maybe the Ethaefal had been meddling with things he had no business meddling with, but he didn't want this! So badly did he want to just give this knowledge back, stick it back into oblivion where no one would remember it. He was never going to look at Seven the same way again. Finally finding the wherewithal to head to his own room, Laszlo grasped the handle of his door with a shaking hand. He disappeared into his room without much event, leaving the hallway empty, quiet, and dark. The storm rolled on, as everything else does, and the Cubacious Inn was tranquil.

[Aural]

Player: Seven Xu XP: Astronomy +2, Mathematics +1, Rhetoric +2 Lores: Bitterness is a Welcome Burn, Held in the Grip of a Waking Nightmare Other: -4 sm for the wine and the ink stains will be on your hands for days, have fun explaining that. Additional Notes: Player: Laszlo XP: Hypnotism +4, Observation +3 Lores: Lean on Me, Blood is the Color of Friendship, Vault of Secrets Other: If I was you, I might not delve into the deeper layers of friendship again for a while. Additional Notes: I'm guest grading for Fallacy. The two of you are amazing writers. I forgot I was grading a thread and thought I was curled up in bed reading a book. I loved it. If I missed some XP you wanted or you have any questions, don't hesitate to PM me.