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He.. he mean's there is far for sin here. Which it fitting for your kind.
Francis gives a soft noise of acknowledgement.
"Funny how these things work out. My daughter lives here. Not very far away in fact."
Several blocks and a veil of dimensions but near enough. One can never be entirely certain where Aurora's body is residing much less her mind. It's one of the things he treasures about her.
"She seems to like it despite the reputation."
Francis gives a soft noise of acknowledgement.
"Funny how these things work out. My daughter lives here. Not very far away in fact."
Several blocks and a veil of dimensions but near enough. One can never be entirely certain where Aurora's body is residing much less her mind. It's one of the things he treasures about her.
"She seems to like it despite the reputation."
She's a flighty thing that flits through dimensions like a butterfly. A sweet, odd little duck.
"Mm, really? It's an interesting city. Doesn't sleep, really. Kind of obnoxious, but it's home, now."
He glances up from his work and smiles.
"If she ever needs anything, you can have her call me." And he isn't jonesing for a phone number or anything like that - he's a genuinely nice person who just wants to help people out.
"Mm, really? It's an interesting city. Doesn't sleep, really. Kind of obnoxious, but it's home, now."
He glances up from his work and smiles.
"If she ever needs anything, you can have her call me." And he isn't jonesing for a phone number or anything like that - he's a genuinely nice person who just wants to help people out.
Yes, it seems so. How interesting.
"That's kind of you. I shall inform her. Are you really so kind a soul? You don't know anything about me much less her."
It reminds him for a moment of Aurora's other parent. He would have offered the same.
"That's kind of you. I shall inform her. Are you really so kind a soul? You don't know anything about me much less her."
It reminds him for a moment of Aurora's other parent. He would have offered the same.
"No.. married to a dog of a man. But I do commiserate."
With the tone of personal reflection. His children are mostly happy And Aurora seems to insist on prolonging her husband's life, so be it.
A beat. He relaxes his formalities.
"It really is awful. Being alone. It's a cold you can't extract."
With the tone of personal reflection. His children are mostly happy And Aurora seems to insist on prolonging her husband's life, so be it.
A beat. He relaxes his formalities.
"It really is awful. Being alone. It's a cold you can't extract."
And quite literally a dog. Tch. Aurora.
Francis hums and shrugs it off, shifting to rest one arm against the edge of Ethan's table.
"I should be used to it by now. Such is my lot in life. Do you not have a coven?"
Francis hums and shrugs it off, shifting to rest one arm against the edge of Ethan's table.
"I should be used to it by now. Such is my lot in life. Do you not have a coven?"
Hm. Interesting.
"But you're quite young, am I right?"
An orphan perhaps. It does happen. He's had his fair, fair share of vampire drama.
"But you're quite young, am I right?"
An orphan perhaps. It does happen. He's had his fair, fair share of vampire drama.
Ethan is an idiot.
This is his friends (sire? boss? captor? savior? he loses track of how Marcus slots into his life) doing. It's fucking antiquated, this is the 21st century, no one should be arranging marriages anymore, least of all Ethan's.
Admittedly, when whoever tore into his neck that night and didn't get to finish, he was sort of thrown back a century of two. Vampires...do things differently. They live differently, they govern themselves differently. There's a whole...infrastructure and caste system he wasn't aware of (and why would he have been, he was a horology studying, book reading, fanfic writing, video game playing dork with few friends and one dog. Vampires weren't a part of his world. Hell, people in general weren't really part of his world. He wasn't exactly mister extrovert.
And now...now they are his whole world. He has been forced to learn more about human anatomy and the way the body works than he had ever been interested in, and he's seen more blood than he'd ever wanted to.
The first time, to his friends horror, he'd fainted.
Great. A vampire who faints at blood, fucking...fantastic.
He wets his lips and looks in the mirror. He's in the bathroom before the 'ceremony', whatever the fuck that is, trying to prepare himself for this shit. Marcus has been dead for two months and this fresh hell is all his fault. Ethan still hasn't decided if he hates the man, or misses him horribly.
Ethan remembers the conversation like it was yesterday.
"Look, I know it's crazy, I know it sucks. But this guy is old and has a ton of resources. Our coven is just you and me, man. That's piss poor compared to others. We need this if we want to keep the club running, and ourselves safe."
"Why can't you marry him," Ethan asked him pointedly.
Marcus pulled a face.
"Because he didn't want to marry me."
"Oh, so he gets to choose?"
"Ethan," Marcus said, a little pleading. "He's loaded. It's a good match, and we need it."
Ethan scrubbed his hands through his hair and growled in frustration, but in the end, Marcus was right. It was just them, and Ethan is not an argumentative person.
And now it's just me, Ethan thinks, swallowing as one of the other grooms butlers or what the fuck ever pokes his head in.
"Mr. Crowne? It's time."
Ethan nods, smoothing his jacket. He'd have been late, if not for the butler, just staring off into the mirror, lost in his memories.
Instead, he's following the man out - Robert? Was that his name? Doesn't matter, really - and down the hall, where his fiance is waiting.
This is his friends (sire? boss? captor? savior? he loses track of how Marcus slots into his life) doing. It's fucking antiquated, this is the 21st century, no one should be arranging marriages anymore, least of all Ethan's.
Admittedly, when whoever tore into his neck that night and didn't get to finish, he was sort of thrown back a century of two. Vampires...do things differently. They live differently, they govern themselves differently. There's a whole...infrastructure and caste system he wasn't aware of (and why would he have been, he was a horology studying, book reading, fanfic writing, video game playing dork with few friends and one dog. Vampires weren't a part of his world. Hell, people in general weren't really part of his world. He wasn't exactly mister extrovert.
And now...now they are his whole world. He has been forced to learn more about human anatomy and the way the body works than he had ever been interested in, and he's seen more blood than he'd ever wanted to.
The first time, to his friends horror, he'd fainted.
Great. A vampire who faints at blood, fucking...fantastic.
He wets his lips and looks in the mirror. He's in the bathroom before the 'ceremony', whatever the fuck that is, trying to prepare himself for this shit. Marcus has been dead for two months and this fresh hell is all his fault. Ethan still hasn't decided if he hates the man, or misses him horribly.
Ethan remembers the conversation like it was yesterday.
"Look, I know it's crazy, I know it sucks. But this guy is old and has a ton of resources. Our coven is just you and me, man. That's piss poor compared to others. We need this if we want to keep the club running, and ourselves safe."
"Why can't you marry him," Ethan asked him pointedly.
Marcus pulled a face.
"Because he didn't want to marry me."
"Oh, so he gets to choose?"
"Ethan," Marcus said, a little pleading. "He's loaded. It's a good match, and we need it."
Ethan scrubbed his hands through his hair and growled in frustration, but in the end, Marcus was right. It was just them, and Ethan is not an argumentative person.
And now it's just me, Ethan thinks, swallowing as one of the other grooms butlers or what the fuck ever pokes his head in.
"Mr. Crowne? It's time."
Ethan nods, smoothing his jacket. He'd have been late, if not for the butler, just staring off into the mirror, lost in his memories.
Instead, he's following the man out - Robert? Was that his name? Doesn't matter, really - and down the hall, where his fiance is waiting.
His Fiancé indeed, who for his sins just can't seem to stay away from vampires.
Which really, seems to be his running downfall in the last millennia. It makes sense. He's weak to humans and vampires are just like humans except they're needier and live longer.
And in a way that suits him just fine because he is also needy and lives far longer than he has any real right to. Forget the knowledge and children, perhaps it's life itself that is Francis' greatest hoard.
They haven't met, he can only trust the agreement he made with Marcus that the match is good and it will fill the hole in him, if only for a little while.
And should it not he'll simply skip dimensions to another and reevaluate his options.
He really shouldn't get involved in this but.. there are so many vampires in his family now. And he's a damned sucker.
And a damned fool.
A lord amongst the undead without being one of them. Association with Ethan will skyrocket the club, not just keep it floating.
So he waits at the end of an aisle, not bothering to trouble his family to stand there with him.
Not in a church of course, though that cliché is tired and incorrect.
A brunette in fair skin and soft brown hair, standing tall at six foot three with round, silver glasses. Who turns when he hears Ethan enter and smiles so softly. Oh yes. Pleasing.
Which really, seems to be his running downfall in the last millennia. It makes sense. He's weak to humans and vampires are just like humans except they're needier and live longer.
And in a way that suits him just fine because he is also needy and lives far longer than he has any real right to. Forget the knowledge and children, perhaps it's life itself that is Francis' greatest hoard.
They haven't met, he can only trust the agreement he made with Marcus that the match is good and it will fill the hole in him, if only for a little while.
And should it not he'll simply skip dimensions to another and reevaluate his options.
He really shouldn't get involved in this but.. there are so many vampires in his family now. And he's a damned sucker.
And a damned fool.
A lord amongst the undead without being one of them. Association with Ethan will skyrocket the club, not just keep it floating.
So he waits at the end of an aisle, not bothering to trouble his family to stand there with him.
Not in a church of course, though that cliché is tired and incorrect.
A brunette in fair skin and soft brown hair, standing tall at six foot three with round, silver glasses. Who turns when he hears Ethan enter and smiles so softly. Oh yes. Pleasing.
Francis laughs, he can't help it. How sweet.
"Yes, quite young. How long have you been forty three?"
"Yes, quite young. How long have you been forty three?"
Ethan doesn’t know why this guys so important, but before Marcus died, he’d hammered that fact home. This won’t just keep us in business, we’ll go from dive bar to elite status, man.
And the club is even more important to him now that Marcus is gone. It keeps his memory alive, and. Well.
That’s important to Ethan. He’s sentimental and a softie. He can’t help it, so here he is.
There aren’t many people in here. It’s just Francis there up front, a lawyer with the paperwork. A few witnesses. Ethans family is dead, and Francis... doesn’t seem to have any.
So.
He wets his lips and straightens his shoulders, and forces himself to chill out. Relax. Nothing weird about getting married in the dead of night to... someone who looks like a librarian.
And the club is even more important to him now that Marcus is gone. It keeps his memory alive, and. Well.
That’s important to Ethan. He’s sentimental and a softie. He can’t help it, so here he is.
There aren’t many people in here. It’s just Francis there up front, a lawyer with the paperwork. A few witnesses. Ethans family is dead, and Francis... doesn’t seem to have any.
So.
He wets his lips and straightens his shoulders, and forces himself to chill out. Relax. Nothing weird about getting married in the dead of night to... someone who looks like a librarian.
You are really a baby then. Goodness.
And alone.
Definitely an orphan then. He has to be.
"Please take my words in the spirit in which they are intended, but you are remarkably well behaved for a fledgling. Especially one alone."
And alone.
Definitely an orphan then. He has to be.
"Please take my words in the spirit in which they are intended, but you are remarkably well behaved for a fledgling. Especially one alone."
"I'm sorry to hear that." He hopes. Not all sires are good.
"I was for a time married to a vampire. I do understand your plight. Quite intimately."
"I was for a time married to a vampire. I do understand your plight. Quite intimately."
"He wasn't my sire, if that's what you're thinking. I don't know where my sire is, or if he's alive. He was a friend."
He...thinks...
"Oh? Well. It's nice to meet someone who understands." Probably, anyway. Though..."You aren't one, though. I'm...untrained, but I can smell...I don't know. You smell like paper, honestly."q
You love the fact he looks like a librarian, admit it Ethan.
Besides, what were you expecting, some gold draped European Duke? Dripping in money and jewels?
If that's the wort of thing just play your cards right. He'll shower you with all the ridiculous splendor you can handle and then some.
Francis smiles as he approaches and holds out a hand. Long, elegant fingers slightly calloused from his work. Freckled with very, very green eyes flecked with gold. The sort of emerald you only see in movies. When he speaks it's with a soft but pleasant cadence. Easy to lull someone. Comfort them. He has, to his credit, an immediate pull to those around him. The curse of his kind.
"Ethan Crowne. It is such a pleasure. Marcus spoke so highly of you, my deepest condolences."
Besides, what were you expecting, some gold draped European Duke? Dripping in money and jewels?
If that's the wort of thing just play your cards right. He'll shower you with all the ridiculous splendor you can handle and then some.
Francis smiles as he approaches and holds out a hand. Long, elegant fingers slightly calloused from his work. Freckled with very, very green eyes flecked with gold. The sort of emerald you only see in movies. When he speaks it's with a soft but pleasant cadence. Easy to lull someone. Comfort them. He has, to his credit, an immediate pull to those around him. The curse of his kind.
"Ethan Crowne. It is such a pleasure. Marcus spoke so highly of you, my deepest condolences."
Truthfully, he had no idea what to expect. Marcus didn't get a chance to prepare him.He'd never even seen a picture, it was all up to his imagination.
But this...it isn't what he expected. He low key was expecting some gold draped asshole but this is...better.
This is kind of amazing, actually.
Ethan smiles shyly, taking his hand and gently giving it a squeeze. His fingers are cool to the touch, but that's something Francis likely expects after everything he's been through. The husband...husbands? he's had.
"Thank you," he murmurs, sincere, eyes big as he looks up to meet his gaze. He's not a terrified doe, he's not Raleigh's normal ferocity, but he's...somewhere in the middle. Soft and kind and gentle, non-argumentative, a people pleaser. And with that aura calming him, he's less...frustrated with the situation.
But this...it isn't what he expected. He low key was expecting some gold draped asshole but this is...better.
This is kind of amazing, actually.
Ethan smiles shyly, taking his hand and gently giving it a squeeze. His fingers are cool to the touch, but that's something Francis likely expects after everything he's been through. The husband...husbands? he's had.
"Thank you," he murmurs, sincere, eyes big as he looks up to meet his gaze. He's not a terrified doe, he's not Raleigh's normal ferocity, but he's...somewhere in the middle. Soft and kind and gentle, non-argumentative, a people pleaser. And with that aura calming him, he's less...frustrated with the situation.
Ah. Perhaps that's more sad. Though being attacked and abandoned is more common than you'd think. People do terrible things in the heat of the moment.
Still, Francis can't help but laugh.
"I'm not surprised. Books are my life's work. I spend a great deal of time restoring them."
Still, Francis can't help but laugh.
"I'm not surprised. Books are my life's work. I spend a great deal of time restoring them."
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