Truth

She finds that these endeavors are the most strenuous ones. The kind that came out of curiosity and ends up blossoming into something more virulent and voracious. In the end though, what more could she possibly 'expect'? They were vampires and demons...She knew what they were about, even before she got there. But...there was still some vague hope within her vision that some things could be salvaged, even though she knew that it wouldn't be as so.

 Silently, does she appear infront of the Rowan. Hands move carefully, fiddling with the buttons upon his shirt as she speaks. "I think that-mmh...I'd like to speak to you, alone." she states, a mild frown beginning to deepen considerably. "Anywhere is fine, perhaps, at home...Just so others wouldn't be able to hear." Bauk's words had clearly made an impact upon her, but in what possible way?

 Is she going to tell him everythingthat has happened or would it be best to simply withhold that information while knowing what might occur. All in all, she knows one thing that is simple. Him, bringing the entirety of the Order would generate a lot of friction. And within the best way that she can, she would like to give him insight on the matter. And...

 Problems that are here, within their own people as well.
(Bei Bei)

With the undead minion recently sent to the Ravenshire, his gaze was turned towards Bei Bei, a mild squint given at her appearance; it was met with a smile, although one that only lasted briefly, simply because of how exactly she approached him. There was... something wrong, wasn't there?

Even if she didn't tell him, he could sense that.

"Of course. We can head home and speak there, in that case."

It's not too long until he turns, the mantle swirling behind him in a single spin he made, before he was headed towards direction of the home. Not like he was pre-occupied with anything at the moment, so it made a good moment to speak about something.
(Arthur Rowan)


She is led away from the rest of the world with thoughts of the future upon her mind. Her gaze drifting elsewhere as she takes her seat upon the edge of the table rather than the chair itself. There were a lot of matters that needed to be discussed and yet, her mind seemed to be focused on one aspect that she had been thinking about. The vampires themselves seemed to be pretty decent people in terms of hospitality to Theodore, but to her, Rea, and Joy, she wonders what the difference was? Is it because they assumed that they were a hunting party or...Is there more? It is evident, that someone told others that they were going to Bhaldraithe and more. It is evident, that there is someone within their ranks or society that is a spy, gathering information for the Vampires.

 A soft, gentle sigh is given as she begins to speak. "I'm...Uncertain if you've already gotten in contact with them, but, if you plan on meeting them, then I have to ask that you-...That you do so in neutral territory." she murmurs softly. "There were a lot of things that happened and...We did not leave off on a friendly note, that much, I'm sure you already know." she says, while beginning to nod.

 "And, there is an insider. I believe that it might be Sebastian but Rea doesn't think so....Apparently, we have someone in our ranks that might be spilling details and misinforming them...And because of that- I'm weary of this meeting. It might be in vain, Arthur, and I'd rather you not be led into a trap."
(Bei Bei)

Such precaution was already taken.

A soft laugh spilled from his lips. Did she really assume that he would actually wander right into the heart of their city, with all of the Order members following him suit? That's a death trap, nothing else. Of course there was no trust to actually wander into their land like that, and thus, Arthur specified it in his letter that the meeting will be on the neutral grounds.

And if they refuse? There will be no meeting at all.

"I know, Bei. I can be bold, brave and assertive - but there's a clear distinction between being brave and being a moron. I wasn't going to wander into their territory."

"The letter was forwarded to them already. The meeting place is cavern entrance at our side, right next to Dawn. If they refuse that place, then there will be no meeting at all."

His hand reached out, softly brushing against her cheek. Although he was no capable of simply wiping away her sorrows, her worries and her fears, he did his best to do so- a gentle touch of his fingers ran along the side of her face, cupping her cheek. He leans in, giving a gentle, brief kiss on her lips.

"It'll be okay."

"Anyhow, what things happened?"
(Arthur Rowan)


 The laughter brings about an idle frown upon her lips. It's not that she imagined that he would wander into the depths of their city. She just knows that there's a lot more at stake here than what others might think. She doesn't want him to falter, she doesn't particularly want to go to war against the demons although relations are becoming terribly, terribly strenuous. But the truth of the matter is that this...This thing between Valmasia and the vampires will always be stressful, especially since those in Bhaldraithe have seemed to want to end many of Valmasia's own people out of pettiness. In the end though, the young girl begins to nod briefly.

 "Very well then- I just, mhh.." They were threatened with war when they first appeared. They called a 'gentleman's battle'...Something that she most certainly felt as if she should tell him but, feared that it would bring about more waves of something. Although the kiss is granted and savored, she just sighs.

"...Nothing."

 She was always a bad liar. And even worse at hiding her own feelings when it came to pressing matters. "It's best if you not establish any contact at all- I feel as if there's no way that we might be able to talk this through." With little reason, Bauk desired their heads and Rurik spoke of war...The others, Lucien Voss, had also said that they should be captured and hurt. To her...The only one that was defending them was their leader, Tepesh.

 And perhaps, that was out of sheer luck.

 "Don't go."
(Bei Bei)

It's not hard to tell when someone is lying.

And in this case? He could tell she's not telling everything to him that's happened. Arthur considers her words, thinking as to why she could be possibly hiding the whole truth from him- why would she lie, to begin with? She wouldn't have malicious intent... would she? No. It's not possible. After everything they've lived through, he cannot believe that she would do that to bring harm to him.

Perhaps, she's doing it to protect him, to safeguard him from harm? From himself?

Despite his attempts to tell himself to not pursue the truth, there's a concern that they may have done something to Bei Bei, something... terrible, something bad, something disgusting. Have they touched her? A single, mere flash of such thought causes him to furrow his brows, the scarlet hues staring intently at the Drakaness.

No, he couldn't keep it away. Not anymore.

"You're lying, aren't you?"

Arthur sighed. This wasn't going to be good...

"Bei, please... tell me. What happened? I want full story. It's clear you're not telling me everything."

"I want to know."
(Arthur Rowan)


Because a part of her felt as if they would be thrusted into something that they cannot handle. Because a part of her felt that if the lot of them were threatened with death for glory - with war to prove a point, that this underlying issue would burst into an actual battle that could have been avoided if she kept silent. To tell him these things meant that he would commit. And she knows that even though it's hard...And that he might be upset at her for attempting to stay focused and 'trying' to somehow...stave off the inevitable, it's hard. And harsh.

 When confronted, she avoids his gaze. "I've never been a good liar." Unfortunately. Although, she does offer him nothing more than a slight smile. "It's not something that you'd like to hear...Because I know how things would be. It's...Understandable to some point why they felt the way that they did but-...I guessI wasn't imagining the other factions watching, scoffing at us, and also mocking all that we are." She imagined that, Celica, out of all people wouldn't have done so but they just watched.

 In the end, she presses her own lips against his once, twice, thrice. There is an attempt to distract him through other means - "If I told you everything, you'd fight. And-...I don't want all of that to happen, because I know how we are. I know how you are.." She also knew that Rea would be all for us... But the numbers are against them.

 And Gehenna most certainly would not step to the plate. Atleast not in the way that she expects. "Please...Please don't be mad at me. I simply can't, I can only ask that you not go- and just...Just-.." But even the realist inside of her knew that it couldn't be helped.

"-Go back and forth between letters for now. Until we can establish more trust. Until we can try to work through this."
(Bei Bei)

There's something that stirs inside of him, boils and brews, and she could feel it- one of his hands reaches up to her shoulders, placed there idly, and yet... there's something about his grip that even by being idle, it almost feels like he's trying to keep her in same place, not letting go until he knows the truth.

Now, more than ever, he's convinced they did do something to her. A mere thought that she could've been abused by Vampires, that she could've gone through something vile, disgusting, that they may have tried to take Bei from him, it's--

-- it does not promise anything good, for anyone involved.

The same energy that brought destruction, that ripped apart reality itself, it could be felt in the air. At any moment, it felt like Arthur would rage out against reality, both in frustration and anger that brewed within, and she was the catalyst of it, the fuel of it... partially, the reason forit.

"Bei, I want to know--"

A kiss, once, twice- but he stops her. His grip tightens on her shoulder, quite literally pulling her away from kissing him any further. There was no distraction - she could see it in his steeled eyes, in his gaze full of resolve, full of violence, full of silent fury. It was too late.

"I want to know."

He just continues to persist...
(Arthur Rowan)


It seems that she has gotten herself into trouble. Something, that she most certainly had expected in events such as this. But to warn him didn't mean that she would want to tell him everything that had happened - because she knows. Or atleast, she feels as if she knows what might happen if she were to express all that occurred. "There are others things that they attempted to get out of us that you didn't know about." she says, her frown beginning to deepen. "Because of the exchange that happened - I believe that the next time there is to be a visit of some sort, they are expecting materialistic matters. Wealth, relics, trinkets....Or civilians." They needed to feed, they wanted things that'll give them the upper-hand, they want currency. It was strange...But she knows, or atleast, from the piercing gaze that he gives her, she feels that the worst might happen. And so, she makes way for it..

 If only, partially, out of her own fear of fueling more into this chaotic pressure within the room. "It's that - okay?" She cuts herself short, refusing to tell the extra bit where they were threatened purposely. "I just didn't think that you would accept anything of the sort and I didn't want you to become upset. I know - that keeping these matters from you only makes you angry so....It's best if we just communicate through letters to get past that point."

 Things were not in place yet for the war.
 She needed time.

 Even if he wouldn't grant her that luxury. In the end though, with his hand tightening upon her shoulders and keeping her away, even she, finds her hands raising carefully. "Arthur, please-...please..." She was never one to beg, never want to plead but when it came to something such as this, she wanted to be certain that all is inline. "-Don't.."
(Bei Bei)

She should've known better to make a good excuse.

But to hear that Vampires openly demanded wares, when their leader personally sent the letter that stated the purpose of their campaign, that explained the conflict, and that explained they did not wish for anything else from anyone on entire Agartha? That's a contradiction right here. Unfortunately for Bei, she was not even close to making a good excuse that actually matched with what Arthur knows so far.

"--You do realize that I have a letter from their leader, right? That is not what they demanded, at all. Not even close."

At least she got one thing right - she's bad at lying. Besides, what sort of reason is that to make him angry? The fact that they want material possessions? At most, that'd prompt Arthur to tell them to buzz off - what he valued far more are the people of Valmasia, not some supplies.

"I can't believe that you just keep lying to me."

"I get it. You want to safeguard me, but at times, the lie can be worse than truth, no matter how much you think the lie can be beneficial. What if I do not know what exactly I'm dealing with? What if I don't know which Vampires I should be wary of?"

"What if I can't even rely on you to tell me that something bad happened to you? Would you ever forgive me for not telling that something bad happened to me?"

A sigh. His resolve did not wane, no- in fact, the brewing anger that persisted in his heart just a moment ago, it turned into a quiet fury, cold like a winter night and just as bitter. It was distrust to Bei Bei, that she was no longer even honest with him.

And she caused it.

"I'm done."

It was quick. Arthur turned on his heel, aimed to leave the house. For him, the conversation was over - but what he felt after it would persist for oh so long.
(Arthur Rowan)

The sad part is that she's telling the truth. It wasn't a wanton lie - it was something that Rurik had spoken vocally to the lot of them. It was something that had needed to be done - especially since she also knows that the vampires aren't too keen upon their own leader's decisions. In the end though, it was not something that even she could imagine - or rather, this reaction was...In the end, she almost regret attempting to warn him. "It's why I thought that it would be best if you just stayed away for now and speak through letters- It's not...I'm not lying to you. It was said! You can ask Rea and Joy! They'll tell you what the vampires demanded from us...It's-..I promise."

 Bitterness, distrust. Just as passionate as a storm could be, she knew that it could also be relentless. With him turning upon his heel - her own hand would have reached out carefully,grasping his. "Okay-...Okay, wait." She knows that it wouldn't change much of anything but, the least that she could do..

"Don't leave, please- I'll tell you everything." Is inform him of how things turned. Of how things might end up becoming in the end of all of this. She just didn't want him to go to war while there were so many Valmasians out and about, feeling around the area and attempting to gather what they could.

 "Let me explain- please.."
(Bei Bei)

If it wasn't for the grasp of his hand, he probably would've left by now.

Although, initially he tugs, almost instinctively, before his gaze wanders back upon Bei- there's a clear reflection of distrust, of venom in his eyes, not exactly keen on believing her words anymore at all. If she planned to keep lying, or not tell him everything? She'd need to come up with something really, really believable. But even then... something believable at this point could be just as destructive, if only to turn out to be a lie later on.

And that's not something that she'd enjoy.

Unamused, he stops. The grip of her hand is loosened, and he parts the connection- his arms cross over his chest, a clear gesture he's not very keen on continuing any further conversation. She did not earn herself any good points by avoiding the full truth so far...

"Speak, then."

His gaze remains set upon her, waiting. This wasn't going to be good for her.
(Arthur Rowan)

"I know it's not fair of me to lie to you in situations like this...I never would want to hurt you. I would never want you to go into a situation blind - which is why I wanted to avoid it. But I know that it would come out eventually, and that trouble, might be brewing in the darkness for us." she says silently as his hand slips carefully from her own. Steadily, though, would her own empty hands trail towards her heart - her frown beginning to deepen considerably.

 "I'm uncertain as to how everything happened so quickly, but when Joy said that she had expected them to be a little more mindless, the lot of them had suddenly become violent." she murmurs. "There were a lot of threats shot within our direction - and one of the vampires, I believe his name is Father Bauk.." she says while beginning to trail off. "He said that he possessed a spy within our ranks and they told him that we were vampire hunting. We were accused of seeking out to end them before anything else...They wanted-.." she says, pausing, desiring to reach out towards the Rowan once more...

"They wanted all of our heads on pikes, but their leader, Tepesh, saved us. He said that they wouldn't do such a thing- and that they wouldn't be going to war over this. And because of that, there was a big argument." she says, her frown deepening. "Many vampires sided with Father Bauk and others, sided with Tepesh over everything that happened...They argued and eventually, fell in line with Tepesh's view point but-...The disrespect to their leader let the three of us know that there may be a powerstruggle in their future." Her frown deepens...

 "I'm not harmed-...We were threatened with a battle, Rea issued a challenge and none of them stepped up to fight her. We were let go, because Tepesh did not want this fight- Please...Please, Arthur." She must have seemed pathetic in this moment.

"Please don't look at me like that."
(Bei Bei)

Perhaps he expected to hear that they attempted to harass Bei, that they were disrespectful towards her, that they sought to bring her harm- but apparently, it's been even much worse than that. Not only they admitted to the spy inside of Valmasian settlement, which is something that he would need to investigate later on, but they threatened to take their lives.

To take Bei Bei from him.

No. How dare they? How dare they even think they have the audacity, the right, to decide who dies? How did they ever think they had the right to kill his people, to dictate that they would plunder the resources from the others, to say that they were going to have their heads on pikes?

Much like the cold embrace of death, the silent fury that rested within his heart emerged- the reality itself protested, no, it was outraged at the idea that someone was going to commit such heinous crimes against Arthur. How dared these animals, these vile beings, these pests that sold their souls to the curse, ever think they can do such things and get away with it?

The ground shook. The air felt like it was snuffed out. The reality itself became hazy, no longer stable.

"What?!"

"And you've been hiding this from me?!"

A backlash. There's a palpable element of anger, of growing hunger for retribution in him- first, the furniture goes to suffer at the hands of Rowan. A single kick to the nearby chair, and not only it flies across the room, but the shockwave follows - the destructive energy that rips through the table, through the rest of the seats, and evidently, anything that stood on it.

The Destruction followed.

"If these animals even think, no- even DARE to think that they can ever get away with any of that, I'm going to rip their heads, all of them!"
(Arthur Rowan)

They were threats.

Threats against the three women who were simply curious about the being of the vampires that existed. The truth of the matter is that she had expected to get attacked - starting from Joy's vivacious insults to Rea's impeccable timing with challenge - she expected all twelve of the vampires, not including ghouls, to attempt to string them along and, perhaps, kill them in the worst way. It's...A frightening aspect, and to even be standing here after all that had happened, unharmed, is a miracle. Although, his reaction was something that she had both expected and feared.

 She does not move within place - when the nearby chair clears the room and creates an impossible clutter and mess....She simply wraps an arm around her waist and holds herself steady, as if in preparation that she might be in line for that same amount of destruction - "Because I-..I knew.." Is there something that she could say? Something that she could do to, perhaps, quell this anger?-...No.

"-Arthur, just-" She doesn't feel as if she should touch him. she doesn't feel as if she should press onward and yet, she does. Steadily, would she drift, standing upon the tips of her toes to press her lips against his chin.. "-Breathe..." Calming him, instead of egging him on was something that needed to be done. "Don't-...You can't let it consume you." She swears that she could feel the sky fall in the backdrop. She swears, that she could already hear the silent pitter-patter of rain...Or perhaps, she was merely expecting all of this.

"Their leader punished them- He didn't let them get away with it...But now, it's best if we remain quiet for now. Don't issue war, please...Please, I beg of you. I'll do anything.." Anything.

"We can be better than this...There are other ways of getting what we want, Arthur. Just--..Not yet."
(Bei Bei)

It's an expected reaction.

Normally, Arthur would already hold negative, even hostile disposition to an event like this. But, ah-- to be influenced by Chaos Arcane, even if he realized just how much it consumed him at times, it felt... liberating. The thought of crashing down on their heads what Chaos is capable of, the terrifying power of Destruction, to rip them to shreds with naught but a blast of the willpower that defies reality itself...

A tempting thought. 'Kill them. They tried to take her. Slaughter them all.' Those were the only whispers coming from his own mind, from his own heart, from his own soul even. His fury, spilling across the room like this, could not be tamed- even from outside, one could hear the gathering of the Storm, the roar of raging thunder that promised to burn and destroy anything on its path.

He was beyond control. Perhaps, it's better for him to live through that outburst in here.

Slowly, the high from Arcane wears off, only to be replaced by internal pain- the way he's drawn to this destructive energy is, in fact, his own vitality, his own blood. For every time there is a use of it, there's a cost... and that cost may be quite great at times, too.

Breathe.

Inhale, exhale. Although he felt her lips upon his chin, serving him as reminder of reality, it seemed as if his gaze was still elsewhere, still focused on something else entirely. He was thinking.

"--They'll pay for it. Sooner or later."

A single mutter spilled from his lips, and he remained silent amidst the Destruction he's caused.
(Arthur Rowan)