noirenewyork | "Stone cold crazy."

Entry tags:

"Stone cold crazy."

Who: Seamus O'Reilly and Greg Kent
What: Out of control
Where: Carlisle Estate
When: Follows THIS and THIS

It had been a few days since Seamus made the decision to stay away from Luka so he didn't cause Jett more discontent. The thing was, Seamus was somewhat notorious for being a very calm Kindred. In his Kindred life, he could count on one hand the amount of frenzies he had, and most of those had been when he had been a childer learning to cope with being taken against his will (albeit, a better option than drowning). The theory was that his soul link was to music, which brought him a contentment most didn't have the luxury of. It was true, music was within him. Without it, he would have ended his Kindred life. It was what calmed him, and as a result, he had always been one of the safest Kindred to be around.

He was also somewhat skeptical in that knowledge that he would find a soul mate. At least, a human one that wasn't developed in a symphony or on sheet music. When the other Kindred in his inner circle began to make noises that there was a chance Luka could be his soul mate, he hadn't exactly scoffed at it, but he had definitely not believed it because it seemed like a crazy as fuck notion. About as likely as finding the Holy Grail. He had thought steering clear of Luka was best for both Luka and Jett, and he had gone on his merry wee way diving into his music to try to distract himself to the lingering niggle in his gut that he put down to worrying about Luka after he had been sick.

The first night, he had been okay... ish. He hadn't been in the best of moods and even had an argument with Xavier about basically nothing that simply boiled down to him disrespecting Xavier inadvertently. The second night, he had wandered the streets of New York searching for a feed, but nothing gave him the senses that it would satisfy his hunger. He ended up more stalking the streets and fed from some random person and then wiped their mind of it. It was careless and normally he would feel guilt over an action like that, but he had returned to the manor without giving the mortal a second thought. The third night, he spent in the music room playing basically every angry song in the history of music and when it didn't placate him, he tore the drapes off the curtains with his claws and frenzied, smashing one of Xavier's prized stained glass windows.

And now it was the fourth night, and something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong. He had away from his day sleep feeling on edge. Feeding didn't help, so he tried again and ended up overpowering one of the maids, scaring the shit out of her. He stopped mid-feed and looked at the woman. She looked terrified, but she was also not Luka. Why wasn't she Luka? It was then that something felt like it was tearing him up inside, and with his Kindred light speed, he was soon tearing through the manor, but Xavier was nowhere to be found. Instead, Greg was in the sitting room and Seamus pounced on him with such strength, he knocked the seat back Greg was sitting on and he was now straddled over him, hands gripped at the collar of Greg's expensive shirt. He was about a step away from a frenzy, and he was terrified inside.

"HELP ME! HELP ME!" he screamed in his face, fangs bared as he gripped at Greg for dear life.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Xavier had gone into the City to meet with Ben in regards to the young mortal who was staying in their home currently, being treated for his illness, and honestly, Greg was growing tired of having to be separated from his lover so much. There were always things as Primogen that Xavier would be responsible for, and both he and Greg had known that when Xavier took on the title. But it was far from something that Greg enjoyed when his lover was taken from him for extended periods of time... or even for just a little while. Whenever Xavier went into the City, Greg usually went with him, but the situation with Asher and Brodie being so volatile, it was best if one of them was close to Brodie at all times.

So it was that Greg came to be in the sitting room when a near-frenzied Seamus had come flying at him out of nowhere, begging him for help. Greg was a Prince's childer, so he was an extremely strong Kindred in his own right, but he had no intentions of hurting Seamus if there was any way whatsoever he could help him through whatever it was that had him so on edge. "Seam... Seam, calm down, buddy. Tell me what's wrong and I'll do everything I can, but you have got to calm down. Stay with me, Seam. Don't give in." His words were calm and careful, but firm in their nature, and he met Seamus's gaze with an intensity that was well honed over the years. "Seamus, listen to me. I will help you, but I don't know what I'm helping you with."

Seamus didn't want to hurt Greg. At all. In fact, if he did, he would be riddled with guilt for a long time, not to mention that it would piss Xavier off and that was never something he wanted to do. He would have initially thought he didn't know what was happening, but he did, and it was all-consuming of him. It had been consuming him for days, and with enough intensity that it had turned him into a completely different person to what he usually was. There was a hunger that couldn't be satiated no matter how much he fed, and he felt like he was being pulled from the inside out to a place that he shouldn't be. He was dominating Greg, but not with an intention to hurt him. But if he hit frenzy, he wouldn't be in control of himself.

"Something's wrong with him! Something's wrong..." he told Greg, his tone pleading as he tugged roughly on Greg's collar. His head whipped around when he heard a nearby sound, his senses intensely piqued to everything going on around him that could be what was causing Luka harm. It didn't matter that Luka was a good drive of a distance away in the city. Kindred felt with senses, not with their rational mind when veering close to a frenzy like this. All he knew was that Luka was in danger, or he was hurt, or worse, and his senses were somehow flagging him that Luka needed his help, and so fucking help whoever it was that was hurting him, because they were going to fucking DIE.

Every single one of Greg's senses was on high alert that this could go very badly very quickly if anything at all pushed Seamus over the edge he was so precariously sitting on. If only Xav were here, he'd know how to handle this. There were so many things running through Greg's mind, but one of them was being grateful that Seamus hadn't quite reached frenzy levels yet. So there was still a chance, if a very small one, that Greg could get it out of him what it was he was worried about. He tried to calm Seamus by holding his hands out to the side to show that he definitely didn't intend to hurt him. And that was true. He didn't want Seamus hurt anymore than he wanted himself hurt, because Seamus was like family. He just wasn't sure what was going on now.

"Seam, something's wrong with who? What are you..." but Greg trailed off, and his instincts kicked in. Who else would have Seamus this upset? There was nobody that Greg could think of, save for one person, and that was Luka. And suddenly, he felt sick to his stomach, almost like he would after a bad feed, because all at once, he just knew. A combination of memories and flashbacks mixed with just knowing deep down that it had to be Luka, and Greg put his hands down on Seamus's wrists to try and get him to let go. "Seam, buddy, you have to let go of me, because we have to go to him. I think I know what's going on here, and you have to trust me on this, because I've been a mortal soul mate of a Kindred, and when they're not around you... Sometimes you get stupid. But you gotta let me go, Seam. Please, so we can go to him..." Saying his name could either snap Seamus to attention or break him into a full blow frenzy, but for this, Greg had to take that chance. "Seamus, we have to go to Luka now."

If they were being real about this, there was a very high risk Seamus could have tried to rip Greg apart just in his panicked attempt to get help. If Xavier was here, there would be no doubt Seamus would have instinctively gone to him, but who carried part of Xavier's blood in his veins since they mated? Greg. So Seamus was there and he was in Greg's face and one snap too far, he could manage to kill Greg in this position where he had accidentally come to dominate him. It showed how much Seamus was acting on instinct here. It would be like trying to cage a wild animal trying to protect its young. You wouldn't have a hope in hell. But Seamus wasn't in a frenzy, he just would be if he didn't get to Luka straight away. He had enough sliver of rational thought left to jump back up off Greg, and started to claw at his own hair, knotting it around his fingers with increasing anxiety while he paced waiting for Greg to get up too.

He stopped abruptly and looked at Greg sharply. His eyes were silver, but he was still not quite in the lost cause zone yet. He was looking at Greg intensely, trying to figure out if he was going to follow along with this. But the urges to object to the whole soul mate thing were gone, and the look was more like he was trying to fit the pieces together here beyond his inner turmoil. But it was impossible. All he was feeling was and overwhelming panic that he had to get to Luka, because he could feel inside something was really wrong with him. "How do you know? How do you know?" he cried and managed to yank out some of his hair with the frantic pulling at it. But he stopped, hand going to his chest and grabbing it so tight, he drew blood to the skin beneath his silk shirt. "He's in so much pain--" he choked out, a droplet of blood in lieu of tears escaping and dripping down his cheek.

Greg kept his voice as calm as possible, but he didn't really feel all that calm himself, because he had a very sickening feeling that he knew just what the problem was here. And thinking on that just made his mind overload with the images of the night that he had ended up trashed on alcohol, in his trashed state, unable to think of anything but the fact that, if his world had to exist without Xavier, he didn't want to be a part of it anymore. He remembered being so drunk and just wondering why Xavier didn't want him... What he'd done so wrong to make the one person that he needed not want to be around him anymore. It had been the most overwhelming sense of pain and hopelessness, and that night, he'd actually had a gun in his hand, contemplating putting it to his head and just taking his own life, because he wasn't sure how he could live with that pain any longer. It just hurt too fucking much to keep feeling it, and at the time, he hadn't known why. He'd never been like that over anyone in his life, but Xavier... Xavier was his soul mate... a piece of him that was missing, and Greg couldn't live without him. He could only imagine that Luka was feeling the same way.

"I know, because I've been there myself," Greg answered calmly, though he didn't immediately explain. He crossed over to Seamus and held his gaze intensely. "Look at me, Seam," he said firmly. "We are going to go to Luka now, and I need you to make me a promise that you will not leave him again. Luka needs you to be with him, Seamus. He... He just does, the same way that you need to be with him, but it expresses itself differently. All he feels is pain, and he wants it to stop. We have to get to him now, okay? We have no time to lose." He just nodded his understanding when Seamus broke down, knowing Luka was in pain. "Yes. He is. I know."

Kindred were known for their lightening fast speed when they needed it, and Seamus was actually seriously contemplating running into the City. But it would probably be quicker to get to him by car and he nodded, already backing up towards the door and he bolted out of it. He just took Greg's word for all this, because he was the one Seamus trusted the most right now without having Xavier there. Honestly, however, there was no other option to what Greg was saying. What Seamus was feeling inside wasn't a mistake. It was very, very real, and it was getting worse. He didn't know exactly what it was or why, but he was definitely feeling it and he didn't say anything until one of Greg and Xavier's drivers sped up to the door of the manor and Seamus and Greg got inside as quickly as they could.

Greg instructed the driver to speed... but safely, of course. If they got pulled over, they could just mess with the cops mind a bit. Seamus gripped at the arm rest on the door and he felt like his insides were trying to burst out of his skin. If he had a beating heart, it would be beating out of his chest by now. "What happens if we don't get there in time? Does this stop? Does it just cut off?" he asked, voice low and snappish, but only because he was so agitated. They were questions Greg probably wouldn't even have the answers to because Xavier was still alive, and do was Greg... at least technically. "Is this my fault? He was so upset with me. When I told him I couldn't see him anymore, he was hurt. I hurt him, but I thought I was doing the right thing so Jett wouldn't have to bother with me. But Luka's just... he's just... when I'm near him, I feel all his pain. I feel all his hurt. The physical and the emotional, but when I touch him, when he's near me, it's like I can take some of it away. I just don't know how I'm fucking doing it."

Luckily, Seamus needed no coaxing to get moving quickly to the City to get to Luka, and he made it to the front step to wait for the car before Greg even finished what he was saying. That wasn't a problem, though, because if Luka really was hurting the way Greg remembered hurting without Xavier... and on top of a plethora of other problems that Greg hadn't been dealing with at the time, there was honestly no telling what he might do to himself. Greg felt awful for the kid, even just thinking about what he was going through, because no matter how long it had been since his Embrace (about fifty years now), he would never forget the pain he went through when Xavier was blocking him, keeping his distance, and Greg was just lost without him. Falling in love with a human was hard, but falling in love with a Kindred who was trying their damnedest to keep you from being with them for your own safety was a pain that Greg still held fresh in his memory.

Once the car was on the road to the City, Greg was sitting there, trying to keep a level of calm far above what he felt for Seamus's sake. Seamus was on edge enough for the both of them and probably ten other people, so while he spoke, working out his feelings and trying to make sense of what was going on, Greg listened carefully, taking in all of what Seamus was saying, and he nodded. "Seam... dude, you can't let something like that go. It will drive you both insane... possibly even destroy you, and none of us want to see that." He paused, thinking a bit more before pushing forward with that train of thought. "If you can give him even a little relief from his pain, and it's what you want, Seam, don't let anything stop you from being with him. Anything or anyone. Let the cards fall where they will, but I'm telling you, for your sake and for his, Seam... no one can tell you what you're feeling, but if you feel that pull to be with him and to protect him from harm, listen to it. Do what you feel is right, because if you're soul mates, which it certainly seems like... You'll be miserable apart."

Seamus was so agitated that he put his hands up on the roof of the limousine and pushed against it, scrunching his face up when he could find no real way to alleviate the restlessness and panic coursing through him. He dropped his hands back down and his silver eyes locked on Greg though he didn't say anything right away. He just looked at Greg, and if Greg had been human, the way Seamus was looking at him would probably be terrifying. He couldn't help it, though. This felt similar to how he got when he couldn't get a daily fix of his music, only this was so much worse. "He's done this before." He put his fingers to his lips, pressing the fingertips against them when he tried to collect some rational process of his thoughts. "I felt it off him the moment I touched him. He hasn't said, but he's tried to take his own life before. I should have known. How did I not think that this could have happened?"

That was when he realised what he was saying. He hadn't pinpointed it to that point, but he knew without a shadow of a doubt that Luka had hurt himself. It hadn't been someone else hurting him at all. He shook his head. "No... no..." If Luka had tried this before and he did it again tonight, what if he made sure he got it right this time? "DRIVE FASTER!" he screamed at the driver, once again struggling with the feeling like his insides were on fire and trying to burn through his skin.

Greg had seen other Kindred in frenzy before, and that wasn't quite where Seamus was yet, but he was in such a panic that it could very well be impending. If Seamus frenzied, there would be absolutely nothing that anyone could do to stop him... to reason with him. Seamus was usually one of the calmest and most collected Kindred he knew, if only because he always surrounded himself with music -- thrived on its beauty and its calming effects. But not even music would be able to calm him if his soul mate's life was at risk, as Greg understood all too well. He had the painful, but beneficial knowledge both of how Luka was feeling right now, and of what it felt like to almost feel your soul mate's pain, even if it wasn't nearly to the levels that Seamus was dealing with here.

He tried his best to help Seamus hold onto his last vestiges of control as the driver sped down the highway, trying to get them to the Marriott as quickly as possible. "Seam, buddy, we're getting there as quickly as we can, but I want you to understand one thing. This is probably related to Luka's background and the pain he's already been through, but it's also largely because he knows deep down that he needs to be with you, but he doesn't understand it. I am not telling you this to make you feel guilty or to make you feel worse. I just want you to understand when we get to him that much of his pain is because now that he's met you and connected with you, even though he doesn't understand it, he..." Greg paused, and if he required breathing, he would've taken a deep breath to try to get his nerves calmed before he said it. "He doesn't want to be in a world where he can't be with you. And he doesn't even understand why."

Seamus shifted his eyes back to Greg and put his fingers to his lips. He ended up just being so distracted that he bit his own finger and blood dripped down the back of his hand. He was a mess. He knew it. "I... I need you to stop me. When I get there. From doing anything to hurt him. You have to fucking stop me if I lose my shit. I promised Jett I wouldn't hurt him, and I promised Luka the same. I told him I didn't want to hurt him and I've done it anyway." He didn't remember what it felt like to be physically sick, but he was pretty sure this had to be somewhere in the realms of it. It was more than a little bit unnerving that he felt something wrong with Luka before he even realised what it was. He appreciated the confirmation from Greg, but it just made him feel so much more worse.

The blood from his finger had dripped down to the cuff of his sleeve, the dark red garish against the light colour of the shirt. If this was really happening, what was supposed to come next? Greg wanted to be Embraced, but Luka didn't have to be. At the very least, so they didn't have a repeat of the Asher situation, it would be better to try to get some therapy for all the pain and suffering he was carrying around with him. He put his finger back to his mouth, lapping his tongue over the bite to heal it, but he didn't clean up the blood. For some reason, he kept looking at the blood at his wrist, then to Greg, but his eyes went back to his wrist... and that was when it hit him, and his other hand gripped around his wrist as he looked at it in horror.

"You have my word," Greg assured him with a firm nod. "You will not hurt him. I will make sure of it for your sake, and for Luka's." He thought quietly for just a moment before adding, "And you need to go into this already aware that you cannot Embrace him against his will. I know that you know that, but when you see him, hurting and ill, perhaps near his death... You can't take him, Seamus. You can't." Greg gave Seamus's arm a small squeeze. "You didn't meant to hurt him, Seam. You just had no idea what kind of bond you were dealing with. That isn't your fault, but it means that you have to get to him soon to make it right. He will need you, and you will need him. He will always hurt if he doesn't have you with him to ease his pain and soothe him. Because he doesn't know why, but you're part of him already."

Greg saw the flash of pained recognition in Seamus's eyes when he saw the blood on his wrist, and it told Greg that Seamus was, as was expected, extremely attuned to Luka. He knew exactly what was happening, and he had no idea what to do about it. "We'll be there soon," Greg murmured. "Until then, you just have to hang tight with me, okay?"

Seamus nodded, and he was glad Greg was here. Greg would always be Seamus' fallback in Xavier's absence. This was a time that Seamus knew he couldn't trust himself. He had fed from Luka, had the sweet and perfect taste of him, and he knew that bar none, Luka had been the best taste he ever had. He wanted more, he never wanted to let Luka go, and all of those realisations were overwhelming and dizzying. And scary. Terrifying, even. He had never lost control like this before and he knew how easy it was to make horrific mistakes if you frenzied around someone you had a connection to. He knew that Alistair had been guilty of it, and whilst Seamus had scoffed at his viability to have a soul mate, now he possibly could, he was jumping out of his skin from the onslaught of senses he was feeling. "How could anyone hurt him? How could anyone want to... to do awful things to him? It makes me want to fucking hunt the cunts down and rip their fucking throats out," he growled through a hiss and he grabbed the armrest beside him so hard, his claws ripped the leather to shreds.

Okay, so maybe he was deflecting his feelings here, but if he ever was in the presence of Luka's father, the guy wouldn't have a hope in fucking hell of surviving. He wouldn't have a fucking hope in hell of having his body identified either by the time Seamus was done with him. It felt like forever before they made it into the City. It was even better when their driver took a police light out and planted it on top of the car to make it look like they were cops in pursuit. It got them to the hotel quicker and Seamus didn't bother with the elevators. He took the 22 flights of stairs at lightning-fast Kindred speed and he pushed the hotel room door off its hinges from his strength.

The scent of Luka's blood hit him like a ton of bricks and he rushed into the bathroom to find Luka slumped on the floor in his underwear, unconscious and his blood seeping all over his lap onto the floor. There were empty pill packets and Seamus could smell the alcohol too. "No! No, no, no, no, no..." he panicked and scooped Luka into his arms, holding one of his wrists up to survey the damage. It took every ounce of strength inside him not to put it to his lips and drink. "Luka, baby, come on... come on... don't you fucking die on me!" he pleaded, tapping at Luka's cheek to try to wake him up.

By the time they'd arrived at the hotel, there was no slowing Seamus down. Greg had to run, too, because he refused to let Seamus go into that room alone. He'd promised Seamus he wouldn't let him hurt Luka, and he was determined to keep that promise to him, no matter what it took. But when they walked into the room, there was an overwhelming scent of blood, one that obviously affected Seamus very deeply. Greg could sense that Luka was still alive, but beyond that, there was very little else that he could say. He was weak from an apparent overdose and there was so much fucking blood everywhere. Greg felt terrible for the kid -- he was so young, and to have that much pain that he just didn't want to live anymore was one of the hardest things anyone could ever go through. It brought back to the forefront even more the memory of what he'd done when he thought he'd lost Xavier. It was honestly the worst pain he'd ever felt, and the only time he ever raided his own stash of drugs. It was a strange twist of fate when the overdose had actually saved his life, causing him to pass out with the gun in his hand that he'd had every intention of killing himself with. But Luka had gotten farther in the process, what with the blood everywhere making it clear that he'd very much intended to end this right here.

Discreetly, as Seamus clung to Luka, begging him not to die, Greg took out his cell phone to call an ambulance. Their time here was limited before Luka was lost forever, and Seamus would be crushed without him. There was just no way whatsoever that he would make it much longer. After giving the ambulance driver all of the necessary information, he made his way over very quickly to Seamus to try and and talk to him so he wouldn't lose control. "Seam, I need you to listen to me very carefully. I want you to heal Luka's wounds, but not completely. It can't look like all this blood came from nowhere. We just have to keep him from bleeding out before the paramedics arrive." Seamus was so focused on Luka that Greg spoke again, loudly and with authority. "Seamus, I need you to look at me, this is no situation to make things worse in, so you must listen to me. Do you understand me?" He clasped a hand gently on Seamus's shoulder. "Only enough to keep him from bleeding out, Seam. No more."

Seamus could feel how little time they had here. He could feel the connection with Luka slipping away, even if he was right here in his arms. Yet still, his Kindred instincts were trying to tell him to feed and to Embrace. It was so loud, he was almost shaking trying to keep his control and not immediately transfer into a frenzy. Luka's blood was everywhere and it was making things even more difficult. He was hearing Greg, but his eyes didn't leave Luka, whose head had slumped against Seamus' chest and Seamus' shirt was smeared with his blood. He lifted one of Luka's wrist to examine the damage. They were deep cuts, and the razor blade he had used was lying in a small puddle of blood by the bathtub. How the hell was he supposed to just heel them a little? How the hell was he supposed to get Luka's blood on his lips, on this tongue, and not immediately hit frenzy and do something he could never be forgiven for? He had promised Luka he would take care of him, that he wouldn't hurt him. He couldn't go back on his world.

A small sob escaped him and some tears of his own blood streaked down his cheeks. If he gripped Luka's wrist any tighter, he would break the bone and he was kneeling here, fighter an inner horrific battle that he felt like he was losing the more moments that flicked by way, way too fast. He just had to turn Luka's head and bite down on his throat and he could drain him, and force him to drink from his own blood to turn him. It would be so easy, but then Luka would almost certainly be guaranteed a terrible life or torment and he might even hate Seamus for what he did to him. The thought of Luka hating him made Seamus just nurse him tighter against him, resting his lips against the top of Luka's head while he worked so damn fucking hard to get in control here and do what needed to be done. A couple more beats passed and then he pulled one of Luka's wrists to his lips and brushed his tongue about two thirds over the wound, and then did the same with the second. The taste of Luka's blood engulfed him and his full Kindred form was triggered. Eyes, fangs, the works, and he held his hand over the gash on Luka's wrist, trying to staunch the blood if only to try desperately to get rid of the scent.

Even if Greg himself had not been Kindred, he would've been able to see the turmoil in Seamus. But as it stood, not only could he see it... he felt it. It was something Greg could sense in his mate's adopted childer, and Greg had to admit, the pain of it all had to be overwhelming. He couldn't imagine if he were in Seamus' place, watching his beloved dying as a mortal, and knowing within himself that he had the power to make it stop... to keep him alive forever... to never have to lose him. With the scent of his blood overwhelming him with the urge to feed and to Embrace... Greg knew this wasn't going to be easy. In fact, a part of him had actually considered trying to do some of the healing on Luka himself to protect Seamus from having to taste his blood. But the truth was, if Greg had attempted to heal Luka, or honestly even touch him at this point, Seamus might've snapped, and the control he had was so carefully built.

He watched as the torment of tasting his lover's blood and just... stopping hit Seamus hard, and Greg could tell. He spoke in calm, gentle tones, reassuring Seamus that he was doing the right thing. "Good, Seam. Just like that. Just enough. We're not going to let him die, okay? He's going to make it. Just stay with him. He will know somehow that you're here. Your presences is good for him." He was quiet then, moving to rest his hand on Seamus' shoulder quietly to let the other Kindred know that he was there, and he had his back. "He's going to make it. His life is weak, but he is still here."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Stone cold crazy."

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject