Post by Sebastian Martin on Jul 9, 2013 1:24:33 GMT -5
Sebastian Martin
"I'm buried in the snow, but something tells me I'm not alone"
~*~~*~~*~
Player Name: Leffie
Years Roleplaying: 3-4 years :3
Gender: Of the estrogen-fueled variety
Contact me: Skype meh! Lefantomeromance, email meh! rewrittengirl@gmail.com. I’m always on the chat!
How you found us?: I founded YOU, don’t you know? ;D
Anything else?: Sebastian probably shouldn’t even be on Phantom Manor... But I’m bringing him anyway. ;D
~*~~*~~*~
Basic Information
Age: 35
Canon or OC?: Villager
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Appearance
Body type: On the lanky side, but appears to have a bit of muscle when shirtless. He has quite the runner’s legs, but slouches a lot.
Eye color: A cross between dull teal and sky blue.
Wardrobe: Sebastian is quite the bookish type in his wardrobe. The first thing you’ll notice he wears are his black rimmed glasses. He’s blind as a bat when it comes to reading, but when he’s out and about he usually takes them off, as he feels they make his face look small. He hasn’t gotten a new prescription in years... Otherwise he enjoys sweaters and scarves in the winter, not the kind your grandma knits you for Christmas but the ones you buy in super stylish department stores... though they’re probably knock-offs. He likes blazers and vests, and when teaching is never without a tie or bowtie. He’s obsessed with matching his clothing, so you can be sure everything he wears goes perfectly together, unless he’s having the worst day ever. He’s always perfectly kept except on those bad days, then you might as well mistake him for a bum on the streets. His guilty pleasure is converse, which he wears when out and about on town.
General Appearance: When you first see Seb, he comes off as being quite the... well the nerd, to put it lightly. His glasses make it worse, but even though he grew out of the awkward geek stages of adolescence, the traces of it still linger in how he looks. He’s rather shy when first meeting someone, so often his eyes drop to the floor or ceiling. He slouches when he’s not confident, which is much of the time, but when he was around Andy or his students he looked much calmer and more assertive. He often doesn’t sleep due to nightmares, and thus can appear tired and worn, and even forgets to shave on occasion.
Though he’s somewhat of an awkward man, many would still call him handsome. His hair is a natural sandy to honey colored blonde, depending on the season. His kind eyes will inevitably invite people to conversate with him, thus he could be considered to have many friends. However, his loneliness does show, in a sad smile or a shaking hand. He’s suffered through many bouts of depression in his life, the most recent one being when he discovered his husband to be dead. Nevertheless, he strives to always look his best even when he’s not feeling the greatest.
Sebastian definitely could be considered fit. He’s thin due to undereating and a possibly illegal amount of coffee floating in his bloodstream. He tends not to keep food in the house, apart from maybe a box of cereal if you’re lucky. Though he’s thin, he has a significant amount of muscle. He takes jogs every morning, and rides his bike to and from his work and anywhere else he needs to go. He used to be quite the scrawny young kid, but due to years of bullying he toughed it out and became much better for it.
His nature is naturally subdued and quiet. Growing up homosexual in the rural south of the US was never easy, and he had to keep his mouth shut or else he was beaten to a pulp. He appears to be wistful sometimes, or he could be totally spacing out and not remember what he was doing for a moment. He walks a bit like a woman, and even sits like one too, though he doesn’t mean to do so. With the crisp and tasteful way he dresses, it would be hard to mistake him for a straight man, though he has had girls have crushes on him.
Played By: Ewan McGregor
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Personality
His reserved nature lends to his shyness, which isn’t so much out of fear but politeness and sometimes embarrassment. He has a somewhat thick southern accent, and many comment on its “cute” nature, which makes his ears heat up. He has many an oddity about him, being an English teacher, a gay man, a Trekkie, a closet drinker, etc, however his unconventional attitude doesn’t usually put people off. He’s a bit of a pessimist when it comes to his own well-being, but he’s very optimistic when it comes to others in relation to him. You’ll rarely find a frown on his face, though that’s not to say his smiles aren’t sometimes the sad kind...
Sebastian is a very sad man. Quite the contradiction from your first impression of him, but he has been suffering from bouts of depression since he was sixteen. His extreme melancholy comes and goes, though recently due to his husband’s death his eyes have started to wander blankly again. After seeing his mother die and suffering a near-death experience all his own, he is weighed by thoughts of suicide and life-after-death, though he doesn’t believe in any kind of religion. He is not atheist, just a practical agnostic, who dreams of something beyond comprehension but is tied too closely to the reality of his life.
His inner mind’s decay has led to many consequences on the outside, including his drinking. He doesn’t drink enough to be called a drunk (though it does run in the family, as his father was indeed an alcoholic), but it has caused problems in the past. He is also a very emotional person, and tends to express his feelings more readily than others, including his late husband. He also has a problem with his biting sarcasm. When he gets to know a person well, or he’s having a bad day, his replies are usually filled with sarcastic comments and can sometimes seem a bit rude, though he doesn’t mean them to be. If one were to get a glimpse into his mind, however, you’d find that he has a constant bitter banter going on with himself.
Though you’ll find Sebastian to be usually kind, he can also hold terrible grudges, specifically against criminals and murderers. He can’t stand it when someone is intentionally harmful to someone else, and he feels helpless when he can do nothing to stop them. He can’t believe that anyone could be so cruel as to hurt another living soul (though you’d be surprised to know he’s not a vegetarian), and tries to be a champion for people in need (though he’s rather bad at it, because of his introverted nature).
All his life Sebastian has been fairly lonely, mostly due to his sexual preference. When he was outed he was left with no friends to speak of, but that did not discourage him from growing. He learned from childhood experience and figured that it didn’t matter what people thought of him, only what he thought of himself, and while he doesn’t always like himself, he takes care of himself. He dresses to the nines when he’s in a good mood, and drinks ungodly amounts of coffee to keep him energized and happy.
Compassion is what he most strongly believes in. He gives love to anyone and doesn’t expect it back in return, though he’s grateful when it does make its way to him. He is fiercely loyal to those who he considers close friends (though that really only extends to April May). He doesn’t get too close to people, however, because he knows when he does that he trusts them too easily. He can be taken advantage of if someone is kind back to him, and therefore tends to keep his heart guarded. Now that his husband is gone, he is more closed off than ever, and seeks only to play the part of the observer, watching from the sidelines.
Things Sebastian Likes:
- Andrew
- Coffee
- Dogs
- Reading
- Riding his bike
- Nature
- Sci-fi movies and television
- Humanity/People in general
- Teaching
- Men
- Favorite colors: blue and yellow
- Apple Martinis
Things Sebastian Dislikes:
- Death
- The fact that Andrew is dead/a ghost
- Children (not in general, but the idea of having them)
- Being dirty
- Smoking/Smokers
- Murderers
- Being alone
- Tea
- Cars
- Airplanes
- Small-minded people
- His middle name
Dreams and Goals: Seb hopes to eventually move on from his husband’s death. He thought by going back to where he died he’d find closure... but fate has a way of twisting our desires.
Strengths: Running is a big strength of his. He’s a decent swimmer too, though he doesn’t do it often. He’s a fantastic teacher, and really cares about his students, however since Andy died he’s had trouble communicating effectively with them, and wishes he could take a break from teaching (but it pays the bills). He’s also very compassionate. He loves humanity and the people around him, and usually sees good in pretty much anyone, or at least a reason for them to exist (unless they’ve wronged him in an inexcusable way)... I suppose you could say he makes a mean cup of coffee, but that’s besides the point.
Weaknesses: Coffee. Andrew joked that java was 90% of Seb’s blood stream, and he probably wouldn’t be far from the truth. It’s his miracle elixir, pretty much the only thing he drinks apart from water. You will ALWAYS find a cup of coffee in his hands, and if you’re trying to get something out of him, offer to buy him some Starbucks, and he just might talk. Seb is also far too trusting of people, as as stated before, he sees the good in anyone. It can often lead him into trouble with the wrong crowds. Seb doesn’t really have a temper, but he can be a bit testy when he hasn’t had coffee, or when someone is annoying him. He has endless amounts of sarcasm bottled up, and again, he could probably get into trouble because of it. His worst weakness is his history of depression, which has lead to near suicide attempts in the past (though no one knows about this, not even Andrew when he was alive), as well as a tendency to drink.
Fears: Sebastian fears death. He fears the unexplained nature of it, but he’s not all that religious, so it comes with the territory. He also fears being alone, as life without Andrew has made him. He has a history of self-violent tendencies, and being alone makes him afraid he’d resort to them again.
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The Past
History: Sebastian Martin was born in rural mid-Georgia to Virginia and Jonathan Martin. His parents were poor, and at an early age Sebastian’s drunk father walked out on them. Without a husband to support her (though he already had done a poor job of it to begin with), Virginia could only get a job at the local grocery store, having never worked a day in her life. Thus Seb was raised mostly by daycare and his mother’s friends, though he adored his mother and found her beautiful. He grew up finding his mother kind and hardworking, and sought to help her out as much as he could. They had a good relationship... That was until Sebastian discovered his sexuality.
When Sebastian hit puberty his mother often teased him about girls and asking when he would ever go on a date. It annoyed him a little, because he never really thought about that sort of thing, nor did it embarrass him. It was really just a peeve of his about his mother. Seb really only wanted to read or study, and never really fit in with any crowds at school. There were homecoming dances he went to with girls his mother set him up with, thought it was always rather awkward and he always felt out of place.
He began to realize as he started high school that it was his male classmates that were interesting him, though he’d never really act on his feelings. However, when his mother found out... Things weren’t so simple anymore. His mother was a rather religious woman, though Seb had never really subscribed to any of it. When he told her he was gay-- on the mistaken assumption that she would love him either way-- she very nearly kicked him out of the house. She didn’t, only on the count that leaving him stranded would be unjustly cruel to her only son, though she didn’t feel like he was her son anymore. Sebastian was devastated that his mother would only talk to him when necessary, as he’d always found their relationship to be rather close, since they were all each other had.
This continued on for a little while, until one day, when Sebastian was riding his bike home from school, he was caught by surprise when he found a gay pride parade happening in the streets a few blocks from his home. He was so happy that he found people who could relate to him that he dropped his stuff back at home and went back to the parade, trying to make friends and join in festivities. However, a group of religious protesters swarmed the scene an hour later, and attacked those who were in the parade brutally. A few people were killed, and Sebastian was badly injured by a couple of parents of kids he knew. He ran home the moment he could get away. When his mother saw him-- bruised, bleeding and crying-- she realized she was being the same as all the others by ignoring her son's sexuality, and embraced him and all his differences. No one deserves to be beaten for being different, and she accepted who he was, and their relationship strengthened.
Since Sebastian's father had left them years before, leaving him and his mother to fend for themselves, Seb had to help support them. The boy didn't mind working, so he took a job at a local comic book store, somewhere he fit in. His school life wasn't too great, as when he came out during the parade (as the parents of the kids he knew of course told their children who had been there, unwisely), his reputation dropped to zero. He wasn't beaten, as his school had a zero tolerance policy for violence, but he was indeed called names and ostracized. If there were any other gay kids around his school, they were too afraid to come out for fear of being just like him. Instead of socializing, he focused on his studies. He excelled in english, and was on his way to realizing his destiny as an English teacher.
Things were going pretty great for Sebastian and his mother for a while... but then, his life changed forever. At the beginning of his sophomore year, Sebastian and his mother were in a brutal car accident. He watched his mother die almost as if in slow motion. He nearly died himself, and afterward, as he saw his mother buried and felt so alone, something broke inside of him. He was already a lonely child to begin with, having no real friends and growing up with financial needs, that the loss of his mother crippled both his self-esteem and his emotional stability. He'd been horrified and grief stricken all in one blow. He ended up moving in with his Aunt Linda in NYC, as there was nothing left for him in Georgia, but he hardly ate or slept, constant nightmares of the crash tormenting him. His aunt was decent to him, but she was flighty and tended to date awful guys who were rude to Seb, and that wasn’t what he needed right now.
Without a mother or present aunt to guide him he had to do things on his own, and he was even worse off financially than before, all the while dealing with constant depression and suicidal thoughts. Tired of being dependent on an aunt who would rather date seedy men than ones who actually cared about them, he studied and studied until he was able to get a full-ride scholarship to NYU, his dream school. He settled in nicely, but due to his years of being a loner, he had no friends or connections he could depend upon, and soon felt like a little fish in a big pond. To pay his way he got a temporary job as a waiter, and then at a bookstore when that fell through. He made one good friend, an actress named April May, but he never found her friends to be the most sane of people. April was good to him, however, and got him to come out of his shell and subdue his depression.
He excelled in school, having nothing else to occupy his time, so he graduated rather easily and became a grad student. He'd figured that English majors didn't have much else to do outside of teaching, since he was hardly the next great American novelist, so he decided to pursue a teaching degree. He aspired to be a university professor, as he had more fond memories of college than of high school. He continued to have nightmares, but doing student-teaching at a local public school really opened him up and taught him the value of human existence. After witnessing some student suicides and intense moments during the years, he swore he would never even think of suicide again, and strive to save others from near death as well. However, his toying with suicide began to be replaced by a fondness for apple martinis... and some other less than savory liquors. He never drank more than one glass in public though, as he does care what other people think about him.
While he was still a grad student, Sebastian stumbled upon an undergraduate named Andrew Johnson. Now he likes to think it was love at first sight, but really Andrew kept him calm. He made him laugh, and he made him forget. Seb still had nightmares, and it had gotten worse over the years and led to sudden blackouts where he might find himself forgetting where he was going or what he was doing, startling the people around him, and himself. Even after Seb told him about his drinking, Andrew still stayed with him, despite the fact Sebastian knew his boyfriend disapproved. He felt loved to know that Andy liked him anyway.
Soon the liking was turning to love. After Andy graduated and Seb completed grad school, they decided to move in together. They rented an apartment near the high school Seb had once student-taught at, Sebastian now hired as an English teacher. Andrew worked odd jobs, and while they had their share of problems, they were happy. After a while they bought their own place, and Andrew ran the little tea shop downstairs from their flat. Things were going rather smoothly, despite the fact that Andrew’s parents did not like him in the slightest. Things were never easy when it came to the Johnsons and his relationship with them, as they were even more conservative than his mother ever was. Andrew often tried to cover up their relationship as less than it was for his parents, which made Sebastian angry to no end. He believed that they shouldn’t hide their relationship from anyone, especially family.
When gay marriage was legalized in 2010 however, Sebastian and Andrew got married, and Andy’s parents finally became slightly more accepting of their relationship. They honeymooned in England, per Seb’s request, but when they came back Seb was laid off from work due to financial cuts. They decided to go back to England, as they’d enjoyed their stay there so much, when one of Seb’s old colleagues suggested a quaint little town in the countryside that was in need of an English teacher. Andrew also found a job at the school, as well, working with the school’s speech pathologist. They adopted a small Beagle named Data, though Andrew never really liked dogs. He warmed up to him due to Seb’s love of the mutt, and often offered to walk him when Seb was busy with work.
That’s how, one day... Andrew didn’t come home.
It was any other day. Seb was neck deep in papers, and Andy had some time off, so he went to walk Data like he usually did. Usually, however, he would call Seb when he was about to be home, or at least stop by the office to surprise him with coffee. Usually Andy was home before Seb was...
Sebastian was out of his mind with worry by the time it hit midnight that day. He’d been hoping, up to the last second that he had just gotten lost, or maybe he was out with friends, or maybe Andy was mad about something and needed to let off steam... Maybe he lost his phone, or better yet, maybe he lost Data off his lease and was too embarrassed to call Seb before finding him...
That was until the dog returned, without Andy.
Immediately, as soon as he saw the dog puttering outside on the street as he stared out the window (having been waiting with agitation for hours, staring at the illuminating streetlights), he called the police. They could do nothing until Andy was twenty-four hours gone, so to pass the time he left to look for him himself, texting April May back in New York to keep his mind occupied. He didn’t eat, surviving on Starbucks until he collapsed outside the building of their flat.
He was found the next morning by the police, who had come to follow up on his call. After making coffee for the policemen and settling into the living room, he described the previous day in detail, his voice never above a frightened whisper. They soon sent out a search and declared Andrew missing, though Seb wasn’t allowed to help in the search due to conflict of interests. He grew to be out of his mind with worry, and when a week went by with no sign of his husband, or a ransom note at the very least, he finally broke down and called both Andrew’s family and April May. Both parties flew immediately to England and the group conducted their own search, throughout the village and the countryside.
When Andrew and Sebastian had moved to the village, they’d been warned about the Manor at the top of the hill. Therefore, the group never thought about searching there. Instead they combed through the forest, after April had suggested that Andy might have gotten hurt and was stranded, Data having run away back to town. There was no sign of him, however, and after the second week, the police called off their search and told the family they would declare Andy legally dead.
The family and April May had resigned themselves to this. Sebastian had not. He could and would not give up the search, and still held so much hope that his husband was alive somewhere, worried sick about him just as much as he was. Having not slept in two days, Sebastian told the family he was going for a walk with Data. In reality, he ran, Data following close behind him. After feverishly wandering for hours around the area outside of town, he was about to collapse when he saw a white light. It started to guide him to the manor.
It was there that he saw Data’s dog-leash tied to a pole. Then, he knew. Andrew was inside the abandoned mansion.
He didn’t have to look far, as Data lead him to the body. His entire being shut down, and for a long while he could not move, or speak, until he finally screamed. Data ran for it and brought the family to the couple, one alive and one dead, though Sebastian might has well have been dead himself.
The funeral was a few days later. Andrew’s parents and younger brother left, unable to bear the loss with Sebastian, who was like a ghost himself. They couldn’t grieve the way he grieved. April May stayed behind for a month, then she, too, was offered an acting job in London, and left Sebastian alone.
After a period of time, Sebastian regained some form of life. School started again, and while his students knew what had happened, they did not say anything more than a few condolences, even though some of them knew Andrew and were just as saddened as he was. While he appreciated their sympathy and their consideration, nothing was the same without Andrew. He was alone again, just as he had been all those years before.
Even though he’d sworn to himself suicide was out of the question, he thought of it constantly during those next few months. He went through the motions of life, until finally one day, April May came back from her extended time on the West End, and found him dead-drunk in an alleyway near his flat. She coaxed him out of his depression by telling him to go visit Andrew’s grave on the anniversary of his death. He did this, but there was still no closure. He decided to do one better... and visit the place where he died.
He’d heard that the abandoned manor was now inhabited with a variety of people, and was being restored. He didn’t want to intrude... but he had to be there again.
RP Sample
Sebastian was a wanderer.
He no longer saw, could no longer feel what he was doing. A blind need, a desperate hope drove him now. If one were to see him now, they would suggest that death and sorrow were in his eyes, though his forward steps were his perseverance.
Next to him, Data hopped along and whined, wondering when his daddy would stop searching. He wanted to make Data understand that nothing would make him stop searching. But he was just a dog. How could he possibly know how he felt? He would never know what it was like to have his whole world collapse against him.
But there was that still small voice in his mind, the voice that sounded like someone he’d lost... “Sebby, you’ll find me... Keep going.” He kept going. The voice wouldn’t be lost forever, he knew.
It was cold in these English fields, though in reality it was the middle of a mild summer. He was cold, cold to the touch, his teeth were chattering and his eyes were wild. He gripped Data’s leash tight, wanting to wander back to the forest. Perhaps they’d missed a cave somewhere, perhaps there was a pit covered by leaves his husband had fallen in...
However, Data was pulling him back towards town. ”No, honey,” he told him, his voice broken and gone. “We have to keep going... We have to find your daddy...” he no longer cried. He had not shed a single tear for over a week. What was there to cry for when he knew he would find him?
Sebastian stumbled suddenly to the ground, the leash slipping out of his hand. He sliced his hand on a rock and groaned. It was only now that he realized he was covered in the dirt, grime and cuts of previous falls. When had those occurred? Beyond his recognition, he stood, falling again and letting out a dry sob.
Data whined again, sniffing Sebastian’s trembling hands against the ground. Finally he let himself buckle against the dirt and grass, his strength finally leaving him...
“...BARK! BARK BARK!”
Sebastian didn’t know how long he had been unconscious, but he knew Data was still beside him. Was he trying to get him to wake up, or...?
Slowly, he picked his head up, grasping at the dry summer grass and moving to lean against his legs. He heaved a breath, looking up to the sky and wishing it would rain, to wipe away the excess fight.
Data continued to bark, and it was only then that Sebastian looked in front of him. There, bobbing in the distance, with the old abandoned manor just behind, was a light.
He could have been mistaking it for the moon, but Seb wasn’t that delirious. He stood, with much effort, and staggered forward. Data followed, and Seb absently bent down and gripped his leash as a lifeline. He didn’t take his eyes off the light.
It was mesmerizing, and calming all at the same time. He moved when it moved, and stopped when it stopped. Suddenly it was a game, and the light was testing him, to see if he was paying attention. Without warning or reason, Sebastian laughed, and might have smiled. The closer they came to the manor, the brighter and nearer the light became, until Sebastian was almost blinded by its beauty. He forgot all worries, and as if it was raining he was washed away...
Suddenly, as he tripped against a crumbling stone step, the light vanished.
In its place, in his line of sight... was Data’s discarded leash.
Sebastian’s breath stilled. Data dragged his master by the new leash, the one he’d bought when he hadn’t come home with... the one he was staring at... the one Andrew had taken him on...
Sebastian let go of that new leash. Sebastian ran. No. Sebastian tore his way through to the manor. He did not breathe, only saw the vivid reality before him. Perhaps... loose and cracked floorboards... stranded... in the basement...? There were dungeons... yes... he was in the dungeon...
Data thundered next to him, but as Seb fled through hallway after hallway, the dog turned and careened down another path. Shuddering to a stop, Sebastian turned to follow him.
His adrenaline was gone. His legs shook as he took his steps little by little, the dog waiting patiently for him next to a large doorway. The pup wagged his tail, his eyes calm and focused, as if he said to him “Come on, daddy. You can do it!” He might have believed him.
“I’m...” he began with haggard breathing slumping against the wall. Only a few more steps, please just a few more steps. “I’m coming, baby...”
Sebastian fell forward, only catching himself on the large door knob. Slowly, he composed himself, Data rubbing against his leg for support.
Through between the two doors, the light began again. He could see its brightness, and it washed away the exhaustion and pain. Seb smiled again, and clicked open the door, letting it swing open of its own accord.
Blood.
Redness... there was no more white. There was only blood on the floor. It was days, weeks old, dried and cracked in a disgusting pool of helplessness.
Sebastian no longer felt composed. He crashed to his knees, staring blankly at the body and dead eyes before him. His eyes were dead, too. He stretched his hand to his husband’s, stained pink and curled in decay and frozen. Data did not follow him now.
Before he could control himself, Sebastian was clutching the body. Andy was cold, as cold as Seb was on this summer’s night... probably colder. Seb could see nothing anymore, except the red... The blinding, devastating red...
Data bounded away when he heard the scream.
He no longer saw, could no longer feel what he was doing. A blind need, a desperate hope drove him now. If one were to see him now, they would suggest that death and sorrow were in his eyes, though his forward steps were his perseverance.
Next to him, Data hopped along and whined, wondering when his daddy would stop searching. He wanted to make Data understand that nothing would make him stop searching. But he was just a dog. How could he possibly know how he felt? He would never know what it was like to have his whole world collapse against him.
But there was that still small voice in his mind, the voice that sounded like someone he’d lost... “Sebby, you’ll find me... Keep going.” He kept going. The voice wouldn’t be lost forever, he knew.
It was cold in these English fields, though in reality it was the middle of a mild summer. He was cold, cold to the touch, his teeth were chattering and his eyes were wild. He gripped Data’s leash tight, wanting to wander back to the forest. Perhaps they’d missed a cave somewhere, perhaps there was a pit covered by leaves his husband had fallen in...
However, Data was pulling him back towards town. ”No, honey,” he told him, his voice broken and gone. “We have to keep going... We have to find your daddy...” he no longer cried. He had not shed a single tear for over a week. What was there to cry for when he knew he would find him?
Sebastian stumbled suddenly to the ground, the leash slipping out of his hand. He sliced his hand on a rock and groaned. It was only now that he realized he was covered in the dirt, grime and cuts of previous falls. When had those occurred? Beyond his recognition, he stood, falling again and letting out a dry sob.
Data whined again, sniffing Sebastian’s trembling hands against the ground. Finally he let himself buckle against the dirt and grass, his strength finally leaving him...
“...BARK! BARK BARK!”
Sebastian didn’t know how long he had been unconscious, but he knew Data was still beside him. Was he trying to get him to wake up, or...?
Slowly, he picked his head up, grasping at the dry summer grass and moving to lean against his legs. He heaved a breath, looking up to the sky and wishing it would rain, to wipe away the excess fight.
Data continued to bark, and it was only then that Sebastian looked in front of him. There, bobbing in the distance, with the old abandoned manor just behind, was a light.
He could have been mistaking it for the moon, but Seb wasn’t that delirious. He stood, with much effort, and staggered forward. Data followed, and Seb absently bent down and gripped his leash as a lifeline. He didn’t take his eyes off the light.
It was mesmerizing, and calming all at the same time. He moved when it moved, and stopped when it stopped. Suddenly it was a game, and the light was testing him, to see if he was paying attention. Without warning or reason, Sebastian laughed, and might have smiled. The closer they came to the manor, the brighter and nearer the light became, until Sebastian was almost blinded by its beauty. He forgot all worries, and as if it was raining he was washed away...
Suddenly, as he tripped against a crumbling stone step, the light vanished.
In its place, in his line of sight... was Data’s discarded leash.
Sebastian’s breath stilled. Data dragged his master by the new leash, the one he’d bought when he hadn’t come home with... the one he was staring at... the one Andrew had taken him on...
Sebastian let go of that new leash. Sebastian ran. No. Sebastian tore his way through to the manor. He did not breathe, only saw the vivid reality before him. Perhaps... loose and cracked floorboards... stranded... in the basement...? There were dungeons... yes... he was in the dungeon...
Data thundered next to him, but as Seb fled through hallway after hallway, the dog turned and careened down another path. Shuddering to a stop, Sebastian turned to follow him.
His adrenaline was gone. His legs shook as he took his steps little by little, the dog waiting patiently for him next to a large doorway. The pup wagged his tail, his eyes calm and focused, as if he said to him “Come on, daddy. You can do it!” He might have believed him.
“I’m...” he began with haggard breathing slumping against the wall. Only a few more steps, please just a few more steps. “I’m coming, baby...”
Sebastian fell forward, only catching himself on the large door knob. Slowly, he composed himself, Data rubbing against his leg for support.
Through between the two doors, the light began again. He could see its brightness, and it washed away the exhaustion and pain. Seb smiled again, and clicked open the door, letting it swing open of its own accord.
Blood.
Redness... there was no more white. There was only blood on the floor. It was days, weeks old, dried and cracked in a disgusting pool of helplessness.
Sebastian no longer felt composed. He crashed to his knees, staring blankly at the body and dead eyes before him. His eyes were dead, too. He stretched his hand to his husband’s, stained pink and curled in decay and frozen. Data did not follow him now.
Before he could control himself, Sebastian was clutching the body. Andy was cold, as cold as Seb was on this summer’s night... probably colder. Seb could see nothing anymore, except the red... The blinding, devastating red...
Data bounded away when he heard the scream.
[/ul]
Credits
Template & Graphics © Admin Leffie
Song Lyrics Used: "Old Souls" from The Phantom of the Paradise. Music & Lyrics by Paul Williams.
Song Lyrics Used: "Old Souls" from The Phantom of the Paradise. Music & Lyrics by Paul Williams.