Welcome to The Duality of Man, an original animanga role-play that features numerous supernatural creatures. Unfortunately, these various species have distanced themselves because of the war that occurred thousands of years ago, plaguing some with eyes that only see their dualism. While others meddle themself with their differences, two groups fight, each attempting to eliminate the other in for their definition of worldly peace. These two groups of the Terror Response Syndicate (TRS) and the Assembly of Phantoms (AP). With individuals fighting merely over their differences, it brings uncertainty to the outcome of this war.
We happily accept all role-players as long as they obey the rules and are capable of meeting our word count of 50. This does include those who are unfamiliar with this style of role-playing. The staff of The Duality of Man are willing to happily help those who are new to the role-playing world so they feel comfortable on site. Feel free to message the staff if you need help, they can be found here or in the site Discord and will gladly answer questions alongside calm concerns. If you have any suggestions we would love to hear them; guests may use the support board as a suggestion area as well. Should you decide to join, may I say welcome to the site and we all hope you enjoy your time here.
Yours Truely,
The Staff
season
Summer 2024
Heat has broken through into a glorious summer. The snow has entirely dried through the spring, leaving to the brilliance of the warmer months. Terror activity has risen as people are brought out of their homes, leaving the TRS in a position of consistent work. Each are attempting to maintain victory in the endless struggle for power.
Since the wonderful members of TDOM enjoy the site enough to play around on it, this thread is to assist with the site's tidying! Functionality is important and we want to make the site functional even if its activity will be minimal at best!
The tight grip that held the sleeve of Nathan's sweater caused the vampire to softly gaze at his friend. Witnessing how much Tristan desired his attention, desired for him to be near sparked feelings of guilt. During those moments he pushed, he never thought about how his friend felt when he deliberately attempted to scare him away. Tristan had been adamant about remaining near, refusing to be frightened by the threatening manner that Nathan acted. It was impossible for the hunter to comprehend the blond's craving for his friendship and support despite his abrasive attitude that was constantly on display. When Tristan whispered, Nathan heard every word of it found himself feeling the sight heat rising in his cheeks. He remained silent, speechless over the comment that has never been spoken to him since the mask entered the playing field.
As he assisted Tristan in standing and helped settle him back into the bed, no words escaped Nathan's mouth. He was uncertain how to respond to the whispered comment and instead opted to work towards making his friend comfortable. Once he managed to settle Tristan on the bed again, he fetched the blankets and gently drew them over his friend's form, making certain he would be comfortable. When he completed tucking the blond back under the comforters, Nathan found his eyes trail towards Tristan's face and lingered there for a few moments before suddenly glancing away. The vampire's heart fluttered over his own actions, why was he keen on staring? Nathan pulled away from the bed, standing tall and inspecting his work at making the blond comfortable. That was when he heard Tristan speak, causing the vampire's gaze to flit back towards his friend's face.
The initial comment had caused Nathan to be slightly confused until the follow up was spoken. Instantly, the vampire found himself looking away speechlessly. Heat was pooling in his cheeks, painting them a vivid red while his heart rate spiked again from words Tristan said. He found his breathing growing a tad more rapid as his thoughts rushed, trying to find a conclusion on how to answer. The sentence suggested that Tristan wanted him to lay next to him, in the same bed. Some invisible strings seemed to desire the concept, enjoying thoughts pondering over holding the blond close to him again. It caused the green-haired teen's face immensely hot, almost like somebody had sudden lit it ablaze. There was a pause of silence as Nathan began to think about the best method to handle this and reached a conclusion.
"... What... um... would you like me to do about that?" Nathan asked in a fluster. "Do... do... you want me to... uh... lay with... you? Cause if it will make you feel better... I would do it..."
Mysterious emotions began to pull Nathan towards the concept of laying beside Tristan, especially since it gave the chance to wrap his arms around the blond again. The very thought caused the blush spreading across the vampire's face to deepen in redness. Slow breaths were shortly taken in a desperate attempt to sooth these skyrocketing emotions that Nathan could not completely understand at the current moment. All the green-haired teen knew is that he desired to be close to his friend.
Tristan looked at Nathan when he looked away, Maybe... I rushed it.... He couldn't help but look away, feeling somewhat sad at the idea that he might have pushed Nathan away again. He couldn't help but glance over when Nathan had asked his question, seeing Nathan's flustered face made his go red again. "It'll to more than make me feel better." Tristan confessed, his face remained flustered as he added, "I'd be super happy as well." He never thought that Nathan would take him up on the offer, considering that Nathan had always pushed him away prior, but he had dreams and this one felt like it right now. He was never one for hiding from his dreams, always going as far as to get his happy ending when he had them. But this wasn't a dream was it? It was really happening right now, that would explain why he felt so flustered instead of brave as he normally had felt in his dreams.
The desire to hold Nathan again was tugging at him, if Nathan wasn't going to come than he would just get out of bed to go get him, or maybe he was just flat out impatient in wanting Nathan nearby, regardless he had tried getting out of bed again to get close to Nathan again. Dream or no dream, I won't give this up. Not yet, not now. He decided to himself, though just like before, rushing to stand up had caused him to feel dizzy and he found himself going from standing from the bed to falling over himself. What is my problem? Can I not stand on my two feet without falling all over the place? Where'd this headache come from? Can stress cause that? Maybe, or maybe I just haven't eaten a healthy meal in a while because I'm always at work with my father... He couldn't help but feel slightly sick at the thought of having to talk with his father later about this, it was likely that he missed phone calls from the man, the man that was supposed to be his father but was much worse than that.
That man gave him nightmares, the word fear was invented by his father, the pain that man gave him when he was supposed to be supportive. "Work..." He started, the words coming out as a mumble when he had managed to say it. "My father is going to be so mad..."
As it currently stood, Nathan was not quite certain why exactly his emotions seemed in disarray currently. There was a settling nervousness and even excitement mixing in with a hint of happiness. Prior to usual, the vampire even felt a little self conscious well he stood in Tristan’s presence. Perhaps his blond friend was sick and it was extremely contagious? Yet, the mysterious invisible threads insisted against the concept; as though some form of magic knew better. In silence, the hunter awaited for Tristan to answer him and while he waited he strangely felt more anxious than those instances prior to battle against terrors. All he desired as it currently stood was to hold close Tristan again; to feel the man’s warmth as he held him in his arms. That was when he heard the answer to his inquiry which caused the blush to deepen and Nathan’s heart rate to increase; it felt as though his heart may beat right out of his chest.
There was hesitation as the vampire began trying to calm himself and lessen the redness of his face. The last thing Nathan wanted to do was make Tristan uncomfortable by blushing too much. Although, the fact that the blond stated that it would make him happy to have Nathan laying beside him. For a moment, the vampire felt lost in these unfamiliar emotions. He was flustered, making bravery scarce for a few moments longer. Though, shortly his courage was found in the thought of being able to hold Tristan close again; he still craved that. Thus, the vampire turn around and upon hearing the sound of movement his heart skipped a beat. When Tristan stood, Nathan was quick to notice his lack of balance and rushed over before the blond could fall back to the cold, unforgiving floor. Instead of letting Tristan fall, the vampire wrapped his arms around his human friend tightly.
“You shouldn't get out of bed, your body is still exhausted I imagine,” Nathan murmured softly. “I was going to come if that is what you were concerned about.”
While Tristan remained near, Nathan’s embrace tightened around him; the vampire did not want to let go. Having his friend this close was sending his heart into a fit, but he was not bothered by the concept. When Tristan was in his arms, it meant that he was safe. The mention of work and the blond’s father being mad caused Nathan to stiffen and make his hug tighter.
“... You are not going to work, not like this. Tristan, you can barely stand without falling. I don't care if your dad gets mad because you can't go in, you should rest…” Nathan began, his voice dripping with worry. “I’ll get a servant to bring your stuff and you can call him. For now… please don't go…”
A quick squeeze was given to his friend in order to emphasize Nathan’s desire for him to stay. Although, he remained clueless to what Tristan’s father did to his son. He merely thought the man would be annoyed that his son suddenly fell ill. Alas, the vampire had no intentions in letting Tristan leave, not well he remained so ill. There was also the matter of the embrace since Nathan found himself unable to release Tristan.
Tristan felt Nathan's arms wrap around him as he started to fall after he lost his balance. It was nice being in his embrace but at the same time he was grateful that he hadn't meet the floor for the second time in a row. Nathan's words were comforting to hear, not only did his friend seem to care about his well being but he had also mentioned how he was going to come to the bed, it was the reason for why he had stood up, so he would have no problem going back into bed so long as Nathan was beside him. Though remembering his reason for fainting in the first place had made him freak out slightly, he was supposed to be at work and he had taken the time in the morning to plan waking Nathan up, seeing as it would take a few hours to prepare and he wanted to make sure it would go off at noon as it had done, the plan was to have a conversation with Nathan, good and bad, then head to work so that his father wouldn't have a reason to be upset with him but he wasn't at work, so his father would likely make him regret it later.
He made his comment, of course he wanted to hold Nathan more but at the same time he would have to see his father sooner or later so the determination to go to work to get it over with hung over his head. Nathan told him that he wasn't going to work and that he needed to rest. If it hadn't been for the fact that Nathan was holding him, he might have tried leaving for work anyway, but instead he melted in Nathan's embrace instead. My father is going to make me regret this..... but for now. I'm going to enjoy this. He heard Nathan's comment but it hadn't yet registered to him that Nathan was going to have a servant get his stuff, if it had, he would have said something to postpone it. Tristan wrapped his arms around Nathan, the comfort of holding his friend was slowly becoming too much for him to contain his excitement but at the same time it helped him feel at ease of not thinking about his father so much.
I hope I don't have any nightmares if I doze off.... He thought to himself, this would be the first time he slept next to his friend and he wasn't interested in mentioning such things as to avoid running the risk of worrying Nathan further. He doesn't need to know dad is abusive, he has enough on his plate as it is.... He was pulled from his thoughts, "So you really will lay with me?" He hoped Nathan meant it, having Nathan's arms wrapped around him brought him comfort.
There was a mild concern when Tristan had yet to melt into Nathan's embrace, before he had quickly. Worry leaked onto the vampire's countenance as he found himself pondering over whether or not the blond still planned to head to work. Standing had proven difficult to Tristan currently, considering both attempts had resulted in a lack of balance. The concept of him heading to work in his current condition made the green-haired teen feel uneasy since he was aware Tristan required rest. Thankfully, the vampire could ease when Tristan melted in his hug, it was reassuring. A long breath was released as Nathan tightened his grip around his friend, gently rubbing his back to keep Tristan calm in hopes he would not attempt to escape the embrace.
"Are you feeling any better?" The vampire asked quietly.
There was concern in the tones and Nathan kept a tight, protective grip on his friend; he did not desire to release Tristan. Something about holding the blond was soothing since Nathan could feel Tristan's warmth, which left him assured of his friend's safety. Although, there were the strange brew of symptoms that sparked from the closeness which consisted of an accelerated heart rate, a slight heat in his cheeks (turning them a faint pink) and then the most peculiar of all being the sudden self-conscious thoughts. Usually, the vampire was arrogant and believed his owns skills to be perfection, but in this scenario he found himself feeling insecure. It consisted of petty concepts like appearance, attitude and oddly enough the amount of time Nathan was holding Tristan; was this too long? An drawn-out embrace could result in awkwardness or perhaps make Tristan think he was weird; or at least those were Nathan's beliefs.
Shortly, the concerns about the extensive hugging were calmed when Tristan wrapped his arms around him which caused Nathan's heart to flutter. There was still the requirement to obtain a servant, but for the time being the vampire wanted to remain in this position. Fetching a servant could wait, since the hunter reminded himself that the servants would seek him out due to the amount of time spent within his room; he could ask then. As it currently stood, a majority of the time wanted to be spent enjoying this surprisingly wonderful occasion. Making his friend feel better was Nathan's requirement and Tristan had begged him to remain beside him which gave him justification to stay. The moment Tristan asked about lying in the same bed, Nathan felt his face increase in heat. Blush painted the bridge of his nose and cheeks a vivid red as he remembered his agreement that he desired to fulfill. A few moments were given to allow the vampire to calm and reorganize his thoughts.
"I... I would be honored to..." The vampire responded.
Instantly, the blush increased tenfold due to Nathan's word choice; the invisible strings once again acting, but instead pulling him towards what words to choose. Once calmed slightly, his heart still rapidly beating and face remaining painted red, Nathan pulled away from the hug to lead Tristan towards the bed.
"You lay down first, I don't want you to fall if I leave you standing alone. I promise I will join you shortly," Nathan said, attempting to reassure his friend. "And... umm... Tristan? Is... is it... uh... alright if I hold you while we lay together?"
The final question escaped the vampire's lips in a bashful manner which caused it to sound awkward. Embarrassment came across Nathan's face, perhaps he should have remained quiet, however, the desire to hold Tristan close remained. He craved it more than the blood that kept his powers functional despite the unknown reasoning. Either way, Nathan still planned to slip in beside his friend and lay with him for what he prayed would be hours of bliss.
Tristan was happy that Nathan was holding him, he never wanted to part ways from him ever again. He wasn't sure how he would handle his father when the time came but he was feeling somewhat scared about facing his father alone. Nathan tightened his grip and Tristan remained melted into his embrace, holding on to Nathan as if Nathan would disappear if he lost it. He found himself in thoughts, being pulled back out to focus on Nathan. "Yes, I am feeling much better." He laid his head against Nathan's chest as he hugged him. Standing in the embrace was great, there is nothing he wanted more than this hug to continue forever, though all good things had to come to an end sooner or later, lucky for him it was an even better enjoyable moment with Nathan. He was happy when Nathan said he'd be honored to join him, it meant they could lay in the bed together and he didn't have to worry about Nathan running off on him. Nathan told him to lay down first, giving a very good reason and Tristan nodded his head in agreement, knowing that if Nathan didn't keep his word he could just get out of bed to go get him, but he believed that his friend meant it.
Tristan got into the bed turning on his side so that he could look at Nathan, blushing to the question Nathan had asked of him. "Yes." This is what he wanted, being able to be wrapped in Nathan's arms, being able to hold him as well. Tristan would wait for Nathan to join him on the bed, rushing to wrap his arms around his friend as if it would be the end of the world if he didn't get the chance. He was once more content, having hearing Nathan's questions it seemed safe to assume that he might be able to relax because Nathan planned on staying nearby after all. His breathing started calming down, forcing himself to not think about his father or what the man would do when he finally got ahold of his son once more. As far as Tristan was concerned he was free from this man, that is until he dozed off anyway. Tristan had found himself standing in his room, it being pit dark because the drapes were closed. He was wearing his pajamas and on the outside of the door, servants were rushing by. His dream had his childhood memories memorized, making it really easily for him to dream up his nightmare of a past.
With that in mind, he never could see the difference unless his father killed him in his dream, but then again his father was abusive in real life too so it almost made him wish that his life would have ended over being tortured for so long. His father opened the door to his room and walked inside, Tristan couldn't help but move away, clearly in fear of the man approaching him. His face appeared in pain as he slept, unaware that he was in a nightmare. His heart rate increased to the anxiety that came with dealing with his father, by dream or in real life. With his father coming closer to him, it took a lot of effort to stand in his place instead of running away from the man. "Your late for work again." His father snapped at him before grabbing Tristan and shoving him against the wall. "How many times do I have to tell you, you must be early and you can't leave until the work is done. If you have the nerve to tell me your sick again I swear to god, I'll really make you feel sick!" His father snapped at him before pulling him by the shirt to throw him against the door.
"Stand up Tristan, stand up right now. You are to get dressed right now." His father snapped at him, Tristan was frozen with fear. His father always did this to him, even before he was old enough to start working for the company his father would yell and attack him. His mother knew exactly what was going on and she didn't do anything to stop it, not that she could if she had tried but the fact that Tristan felt so alone in all of this. The nightmare continued, Tristan was feeling somewhat sweaty from the nightmare, the only way to wake up was to be forced awake as his father had done before in the past or to die in his dream. Too bad for him, his father didn't appear to be on the verge of killing him yet so he would be stuck in this dream until he woke up, one way or another.
Time seemed to tick slower, each passing second of enjoyment in holding Tristan being felt by Nathan. There was a particular nervousness in embracing the blond this tightly, yet, there were mild tones of relaxation in having Tristan melted in his hug. The illusion of time slowing caused the moment to feel spectacular and spark desires of never releasing his friend. Although, as the vampire held Tristan his heart rate continued to feel accelerated, his face still carried an increased warmth and lastly a reddish pigment remained painted across his cheeks to the bridge of his nose. The typical symptoms that had been plaguing the green-haired teen over this period of time and had appeared suddenly after Tristan has awakened from the fainting incident. Despite dwelling in possibilities of where or how these emotions came into creation, Nathan found himself unable to figure it out.
A slight easing transcended over the vampire when Tristan informed him he was feeling a lot better, although, when his blond friend laid his head upon his chest, Nathan had a mental panic. The action caused his heart to begin pacing and his thoughts became apprehensive over the concept of his friend being capable of hearing his heart beat. For a few moments, the hunter remained panicked as he debated a solution to at least sooth his rapidly beating heart. Eventually, he began slowing his breathing which managed to slightly calm his increased heart rate. Once he felt mildly calmed, his gaze trailed downwards towards where Tristan's head rested and lingered there. Staring at his bond friend caused the corners of Nathan's lips to be tugged up into a smile and his arms to hold Tristan as tight as possible without bringing harm to his human friend.
Releasing Tristan soon transformed into the last thing on Nathan's mind since he was concerned that the blond would refuse to allow him to hold him. The vampire craved it immensely as the comfort in embracing his friend seemed to increase the longer it occurred. As Nathan waited for an answer, his breath was bated until being released when Tristan agree to the concept, although, the heat in his face increased alongside the redness. Despite hating the notion of releasing his friend, the vampire's grip gradually loosened to allow him to escape and settle in the bed. Once Tristan was settled, the green-haired teen slipped under the covers and onto the bed, finding his face flushing at the haste of which the blond wrapped his arms around him. The action caused Nathan to feel flustered, yet, happiness intermingled with the other emotion since the action made the vampire feel wanted. Once settled in Tristan's arms, the hunter drew his around his friend and embraced him back which was a comfort.
Being near Tristan was splendid as Nathan found it difficult to keep his eyes from staring at the blond man wrapped in his arms. Watching him doze off being another blessing since the vampire found himself regarding the human in an endearing manner as he carefully tightened his embrace. As he held his friend, he heard a soft rapping at his bedroom door and the creaking of the door opening. Nathan's gaze shifted to witness a servant standing at the threshold, shocked at the sight, but capable of recovering quickly as he inquired the vampire about whether or not he required anything. A simple request of getting Tristan's things was made alongside perhaps getting a water bottle for when his blond friend awakened. Once it was finished, the servant left and Nathan's gaze returned to Tristan where he found himself unsettled by what he saw.
The countenance of pain crossed his friend's face and he appeared a little sweatier than before. Immediately, Nathan's heart skipped a beat while his face lit up with worry. Gently, the vampire's hands moved to Tristan's shoulders to shake him in hopes the gesture would awaken his friend from his nightmarish slumber.
"Tristan?! Tristan?!" Nathan said in a panicked manner. "Tristan, wake up! PLEASE WAKE UP! IT'S OKAY! I'M RIGHT HERE!"
Witnessing his friend's expression was torturous as Nathan found his concern increasing every second that Tristan was not awake and seemed in a horrible position. There was a desire that the vampire held, which was to embrace the blond man the moment he woke and inquire about what had happened. A protectiveness had settled in Nathan's heart when it came to Tristan since the vampire wanted to assure his friend's safety and wanted to hold him close whenever Tristan was upset. He wanted to calm those terrifying thoughts and make his precious friend feel important and cared for immensely; what exactly had come over him? It felt as though viewing Tristan in this instance of pain was tearing away at his heart and making his own worse nightmare a reality, which was definitely a peculiar emotion for the vampire.
Tristan was still on the floor, his father was waiting impatiently for him to stand up and get dressed. He couldn't help but wish that his father would try and kill him so that he could wake up from this hellish of a nightmare but his father was more interested in tormenting him just a little bit longer. His memory reminded him of Nathan but his friend wasn't with him right now, though his father already seemed to know about him and wasn't pleased. "Forget about that boy, you have other things much more important in your life to focus on. If you mention him one more time, I will make you pay dearly for it." His father threatened, still waiting for Tristan to get dressed so that they could go to work. It was hard to listen though, hard to forget Nathan when he could hear the man calling out to him. Wake up? He was clearly confused by the thought and his father had moved over to him as if he were the cause behind Nathan being heard.
"I told you to stop thinking about him boy...." His father reached out to grab his shoulders before shaking him hard. "Stop thinking about him..." He shouted and Tristan couldn't hold back his tears. "What'd I say about crying?" His father shoved Tristan to the ground. "It is a sign of weakness. Until you stop crying I won't stop either." He threatened as he hovered over Tristan, hitting and slapping him. Tristan's face became sore as if the pain were real, it was hard to not cry when your mind thought it was real. Seeing as his father had done this to him in the past, though he didn't remember telling his father about Nathan but he must have since his father knew about him. Tears were forming at his eyes, unaware that Nathan was trying to shake him awake but he could still hear him. The dream went dark and he slowly opened his eyes, tears released as he could see Nathan clearly worried right next to him.
"Nathan...." He started, wanting nothing more than to hug his friend. "Your still here...." He couldn't help but start feeling dumb that he had believed the nightmare to have been real in the first place. He hadn't told his father yet, though he knew his father wouldn't be thrilled if he knew that he had tried his hardest to get Nathan's attention but that could be a conversation for another time. What a horrible, horrible nightmare. It was a bit late but he finally noticed that he had been sweating, thankfully Nathan seemed more concerned about him, seeing as he hadn't done it on purpose.
Watching Tristan suffering through this nightmare was horrible to Nathan considering. Rapidly, the vampire's heart was beating out of fear for the blonde man that laid next to him. The concerned expression on the green-haired teens face remained as he continued to gently shake his friend, voice lost as he grew upset with the circumstances. Every second caused Nathan's heart to ache immensely as both begged for Tristan's eyes to flutter open. The entire occurrence was torturous, almost as though somebody was playing some cruel trick. Gradually, the quivering settled in as the fear intensified from watching the pained expression. There was a desire to mend those troubled emotions that the blond was clearly going through currently, alas, the vampire felt helpless since unless he managed to wake Tristan up there was nothing that could be accomplished to sooth his friend.
"Tristan... it's okay. Please, just wake up," the vampire whimpered quietly.
When the tears began forming in Tristan's eyes, the hunter's heart began aching further. Witnessing the formation of tears in the blond's eyes was heart-breaking and caused the concern to increase. The frown on Nathan's lips deepened and his eyes glossed over with sorrow as he regarded his friend; watching was painful. Merely pondering the torment his friend was going through within the realm a dreams caused the vampire to quiver more in horror for his friend. Then when Tristan's eyes opened, there was a slight relief in seeing that his friend was awake now. In silence, Nathan stared with the concerned expression remaining on his face and he ceased shaking Tristan. Softly, the vampire brought his thumb to one of the tears and carefully wiped it away as he listened to the blond's comment.
"Of course I am still here, why would I leave?" Nathan murmured in response. "But... Tristan, what happened? I can tell by your face it wasn't pleasant, but you have to tell me... because seeing you like that... it hurt so damn much..."
The quivering waned, making it only slight while the vampire stared at Tristan for a few more moment. In a careful manner, Nathan reached out to wrapped his arms around his friend again. There was hope that holding the blond close would coax the concept of informing him about the nightmare, but there was also a desire for comfort on Nathan's part. After witnessing that horrible moment of sleep, the green-haired teen felt holding Tristan was a necessity; both needed to become calm after all. Steadily, Nathan heart rate began to sooth over the mere factor of the blond now being awake and safe from the horrible nightmare that had clearly plagued him.
Tristan couldn't help but stare back at Nathan, wondering why his friend looked so concerned. In fact waking up from the dream had been somewhat surprising, seeing as he couldn't picture Nathan waking him up when he wanted him to rest up but then again his friend's hands were on his shoulders, most likely in that position to possibly wake him up. There was also the reminder that he never woke up from dreams unless he died or somebody woke him up, his nightmare wasn't in process to try and kill him which meant only one thing, Nathan must have made effort to wake him up. He hadn't noticed that he had tears on his face until Nathan had brought a thumb up to wipe one away. Was I, was I crying in my sleep? Sure he had woken up to see red eyes or have wet cheeks but he hadn't expected to cry in Nathan's embrace while he slept. Maybe that was why his father always told him that crying was for the weak, it never crossed his mind that he might do it in his sleep. Maybe he had done it in front of his father when the man had tried waking him up.
Oh boy, now things were starting to add up, his father always seemed to be in a worse mood when he finally did wake up. Nathan's comment gave him comfort, Tristan didn't really want to answer the question. "I'm glad you didn't, I just thought it was real...." He couldn't bring himself into saying the dream was a nightmare, it was strange to have somebody to talk with about the subject. His father for one, never wanted to hear about it. His mother wouldn't really pay attention if he had tried, though she sometimes sounded like she was paying attention before changing the subject. Nathan asked him what happened, he shuttered at having to remember the nightmare. Nathan confirmed that he held the face expression of being in torment. He felt bad, he wanted to tell Nathan all about it but he was having a hard time doing so. How do I tell him that I couldn't stand up to my own father? He'll think I'm such a coward.... in fact if he wants to get rid of me, that will just prove I'm not as brave as I wish I could be. He was pulled from his thoughts when Nathan had wrapped his arms around him again.
Tristan tried calming himself down, though it was true that his nightmare had his father in it. That wasn't to say that his father was abusive in person, so it would be okay to tell Nathan about the dream right? Thinking about his father, reminded him of how that nightmare wouldn't be much of a nightmare when his father finally got a hold of him. Seeing as he was late and depending on what time it was, his father just wasn't a patient man. He was about to open his mouth to tell Nathan about the nightmare when there was a knock on the door, a servant had come with Tristan's things and anything else that Nathan had requested earlier. No sooner had his stuff been placed in the room and the servant leaving that Tristan's cell phone had gone off. It... it... it... is him.... His mouth went dry as it closed, fear was his face expression.
Now that he knew and could hear the phone going off, he knew that he wouldn't be safe from his father for long. He wanted nothing more than to embrace Nathan and hide from his father but that wasn't how the world worked, no, he would have to answer up to the man. He reached out to grab the phone, looking at the caller id as it once more said missed phone call, though in a matter of seconds the phone started ringing again, this time he was quick to answer it. "Hello?" It took a lot of effort to not sound scared on the phone. "By god Tristan, what the hell took so long? I've been trying to call you all day." His father was yelling on the other line. "Get over here right now, we got work to do." Tristan slowly took the phone away from his ear, the yelling was giving him a headache. Of course with his father ranting about him being late and how he still had a job to do, he was still able to hear him perfectly.
Tristan took in a breath, it would be now or never. "I'm not feeling well, so I wasn't going to come in." He confessed, knowing his father would have a field day with his comment. "Sick?" His father yelled, pausing briefly before continuing his rant. "We don't take sick days in this family, you get over here right now!" Just as his father finished talking, Tristan hung up the phone. He knew that he would have to go into work but he really didn't want to leave Nathan. Tristan tossed the phone on the floor, oh what he would give to be able to no longer see that phone or his father ever again but he wouldn't have a place to go and his father promised to disown him if he didn't do as his father pleased. Being brave had been hard, the fear had slowly crept back now that his father wasn't on the phone. He feared that man, but that fear made him obedient so he was forced to comply.
The concern dwelling in Nathan's thoughts when it came to his precious friend felt like vicious stabs towards his mental state. They resulted in the throbbing of his heart and the necessity to keep the blond close. Viewing the entire display of Tristan's countenance during the nightmare had been painful and caused a fierce protectiveness towards his friend to spark. Obtaining the chance to hold Tristan was comforting the vampire, but only to a minor degree. When it was mentioned that the blond thought the nightmare was reality, Nathan's embraced tightened around him in a subtle attempt at comfort; although, the comment about being glad at the vampire's presence caused a heart flutter.
"I wouldn't leave you after seeing your face like that," Nathan began gently. "... You said you wanted me here after all... and... I just feel stupid for trying to push you away now... I'm sorry."
After murmuring the comment, the hunter's embrace became tighter since he lacked the intentions to release Tristan at this moment. There was something pulling him towards the blond and the desire to ignore it was nonexistent. Shortly, Nathan began gently rubbing his friend's back in an attempt to sooth and coax him into informing him about the nightmare; people always stated talking about a horrible dream could insist in calming. Before the information could be relayed, the door opened which caused the vampire to immediately glance back towards the servants at the door. A sigh escaped his mouth, being interrupted at this point was a nuisance. When the phone rang, Nathan's gaze lingered there before trailing back towards Tristan which caused his eyes to widen. The expression on the blond's face made his heart ache since he looked terrified of the phone. Upon witnessing the countenance of Tristan's face, Nathan continued to hug his friend tightly in hopes of warding away the fear.
Silently, the vampire watched as his friend answered the phone and attempted to sound brave; a voice tone Nathan was familiarized with after years of attempting to push him away. In the room's quiet, the hunter was capable of hearing the voice on the other line. There was a furious tone edging on the words of the male who was conversing with Tristan, which made the vampire already feel angry with the stranger. Once his friend claimed to be feeling ill, the hunter thought the fury would cease there, but found himself mistaken when there was an uproar. The man's words made the identity clear since it was his friend's father screaming at his son over being sick; even his parents did not possess that level of insensitivity. Shortly, some pieces clicked as Nathan began to understand why Tristan was incredibly worried about work alongside the wrath of his father; although, he was still unaware of the abuse. For a few moments, the vampire stared softly at his friend while the blond hung up and the phone was given a new temporary home on the floor.
"... What the hell is wrong with him?!" Nathan began, clearly irritated by the attitude of Tristan's father. The embrace was once again tightened. "He has no right to treat you like that! If I ever see him, I am going to kill him! How could he even think about hurting someone as amazing as you?!"
There was a pause as Nathan's face shifted from anger to surprise. The compliment about Tristan being amazing was unintentional, but was already thrown into the conversation. A red tint painted itself across the vampire's face as the embrace was tighten in order to hide his face in his human friend's shoulder. Embarrassment occupied Nathan's thoughts over his own words thrown out in a moment of anger. His heart was pounding in his chest and his face felt immensely hot; almost like it had be roasted in a furnace. Comprehending where the sudden surge of emotions erupted from was an impossible task for the vampire, especially since he was not certain what these emotions were. In response to his own embarrassment, Nathan fell silent for a few moments.
Tristan felt comfort in Nathan's words, embracing Nathan he whispered, "Thank you." He couldn't help but believe that Nathan meant it when he said that he was sorry, he hoped that they would be able to become closer in the near future. Nathan was rubbing his back, it was helping him feel calmer so that he could explain the dream to Nathan, though all good things had to come to an end or at least that is what it felt like when the servant had opened the door and he was able to hear the phone ringing. There were very few people who called him, he would have felt stupid if it turned out to not be his father, seeing as the most common phone calls had come from him. Tristan found himself silent, unable to argue with his father but at the same time he wasn't willing to agree with him either. He hugged Nathan again as he listened to his friend ask his question. There was no answer to explain his father, growing up he always believed his father to be right, though he didn't agree with him, he couldn't bring himself to argue with him either. It was comforting to hear Nathan claim that his father had no right to treat him that way and he couldn't help but pat Nathan on the back.
I hope he isn't serious. There is so much death already, wasting time on my father wouldn't be worth it. He thought to himself, though he wanted nothing more than to have freedom from his father once and for all. "I don't know." It was an answer as if Nathan had expected him to comment in return, a bad habit he picked up when his father asked him questions that he didn't know the answer to, as if saying such a quote would get him out of the question and his father off of his back. As flattering as it was to hear Nathan call him amazing, his father had drilled into his head a long time ago that he was nothing but a son born to become a hard worker, if he wasn't good at that, then he was a good for nothing. A normal boy would have noticed the fact that Nathan had slipped up and complimented him, but he was currently wrapped in his own thoughts that it had taken him a moment to realize that Nathan had made the comment in the first place.
"You really think I'm amazing?" He changed the subject, a slight grin forming on his face as he waited to hear what reply Nathan would give back to him. If I have to face punishment from my father later, than all I must say is that it would be worth it as long as I can stay with you just a little bit longer. He thought to himself, feeling a great need in becoming brave. "I can't promise you won't meet him, but.... If it is okay with you, I don't see a point in rushing home either." He was teasing, waiting to see how Nathan would react to his suggestion of staying longer. He melted into Nathan's arms, still somewhat drained from having to put up with his dreams but hopefully the nightmare wouldn't return right away if he were to doze off again.
Embracing Tristan was a comfort for Nathan; a reassurance of his friend's safety and well-being. The arms wrapped around his precious friend were tight due to the menacing tones that the blond's father had used. There was no possibility that the vampire would release Tristan, almost as though his grasp could protect him from those harsh words. Somebody screaming at his precious friend caused a heartache accompanied by a fierce protectiveness that kept Nathan latched to Tristan while they laid beside each other. Hints of embarrassment remained evident on the hunter's face, but they failed to dismiss the defensive behavior that had been adopted immediately after the phone call. Quietly, the vampire kept his flushed face hidden and maintained a tight grip. A silence was kept when Tristan spoke, Nathan gently rubbing his friend's back when he stated the reason was unknown.
There was a mild feeling of pity over his friend's parental plight, but the feeling did not drive his actions and emotions. Something deeper was pulling the strings, treating his heart like a puppet as it tugged Nathan closer to the blond and caused the consistent palpitations. The exact name of the affliction remained unbeknownst to the vampire, but the thoughts were shoved away for later pondering. Currently, he felt required to provide his friend company in hopes of comforting him from both the phone call and horrible nightmare. Further, the vampire's confidence was bashed when the human inquired about the accidental compliment. The blush deepened in colour, the red tint attempting to conquer the entirely of Nathan's pale complexion as he remained silent. Despite the comment being unintentional, the hunter was genuine about the opinion stated about Tristan by his furious state.
An extensive period of silence fell as the vampire attempted to sort through his opinion and seek the correct wording to convey the thoughts properly. Naturally, his opinion about Tristan was that the blond was incredible because of his immense devotion and capability to handle his constant threatening. The consideration taken towards being a friend were taken in full-force since nowadays, only a singular person remained the vampire's friend which was the blond he held tightly in his arms. His friend's intellect was admirable, his skills in hacking proving the notion. Being in Tristan's presence caused his heart to catch fire, although, that was a recent development that Nathan remained uncertain about.
"... Of course I do. You're devoted, loyal and despite how horribly I treated you... you remained determined to be my friend... Although, I still don't understand why exactly you think I am worth the time," Nathan murmured gently. "Tristan... why did you never find a different friend? Somebody who did not treat you like dirt?"
The vampire desired to gain the knowledge of Tristan's reasoning for maintaining an intense loyalty to him. Comprehending how the green-haired teen had deserved an remarkable person in his life was already beyond his mind. At the mentioning of meeting the blond's father, an annoyed huff escaped Nathan's lips.
"And I can't promise that I won't instantly yell, punch, kick, scream or generally assault him if that happens," he mumbled. "I'm tempted to not allow you to go home. You do not deserve to be yelled at over being sick! Going to work in your condition could land you in the hospital! Your father is an idiot who doesn't know how to raise a child. He is worse than MY parents and that is saying something."
The tiny broach towards the topic of Tristan's father maintained the protective embrace that Nathan had on him and roused the furious emotions that slumbered after the humiliation of accidentally admitting his emotions. There was a grumpy countenance to the vampire's face while he held the blond as he mentally chastised Tristan's father's parenting skills. Although, the hunter relaxed when the blond melted into his embrace again. It resulted in a small smile lighting up the usually gloomy expression that Nathan kept. Holding Tristan was a privilege that the green-haired teen was contented to have from the comforts it provided for himself; the joy accompanied by the feeling of companionship and trust. With the melting came the fluttering of his heart as it displayed its own enjoyment in holding the blond.
Tristan waited patently for Nathan to answer his question, feeling like the blush going deeper on his face had been enough confirmation that he had in fact meant every word. He felt flattered when Nathan spoke, though the grin had fallen from his face when Nathan mentioned not understanding his reason for sticking around him for so long. It was sad to think that Nathan didn't know even after all this time, "I think we can agree that we both had our moments." Tristan tried changing the subject as he hoped the comment alone would cheer Nathan up, he knew he had moments of annoying Nathan on purpose for pure amusement. Though it had hurt him when Nathan tried to push him away, he just believed there was a lonely boy out there that needed a friend and he wasn't interested in having somebody always around him, he wanted somebody that he enjoyed being with and Nathan fit that position perfectly.
"Besides, who wouldn't want to be their hero's friend?" He asked, bringing the subject up once more. He wasn't sure if Nathan wanted to hear more or not but he would tell him if his friend wanted to hear all of his good sides, because Tristan felt like he could see it clearly even if Nathan wasn't able to. Even if he hurt me, I already believed long ago that I had deserved it. Not a single time did he hurt me physically when he was trying to push me away, it was always emotionally and it was just enough to keep me going. I don't know what I would have done if Nathan had started treating me differently just because he felt a need to do so. He closed his eyes before embracing Nathan tighter. His father was the complete opposite. In answer to Nathan, Tristan kept hugging him. He wasn't ready to leave Nathan, not when his father would be waiting to do exactly what Nathan had admitted he'd likely do to his father if he met him.
"I want to stay with you." He mumbled, the fear of being in front of his father once more got him to start shaking slightly. I'm not brave enough... I'm not brave enough to stand in front of that man once more, I always cower in the corner when I know my father is nearby. It took a lot of effort to look brave in front of his father, the last thing he wanted was for his father to hurt him again. He was tired of lying to the nurses and doctors about his recent injuries. I don't know what I'll do.... he will disown me and I won't have a place to go. But I don't know how much more of this I can take. He was stressing himself out, his throat suddenly started feeling dry and he started coughing.
There was little chance in calming the rapid beating caused by Nathan's sudden affliction, although, he was no longer irritated by the notion. The joys in embracing Tristan were conquering the self-conscious feelings surrounding his mind; the comfort it possessed was overwhelming. When it was spoken that they both had their moments, the vampire merely nodded and hugged the blond tighter. It was almost as though by holding his friend close, the green-haired teen hoped to miraculously reverse all those hurtful things he stated. This good fortune could no longer be taken lightly by the hunter, the necessity to make Tristan feel welcomed around him increasing every second, but there were now numerous reasons instead of the meager fainting incident. When the blond was around, everything felt a little better, which was another noticed development that had occurred.
In silence, Nathan kept holding his friend as any desires to release him fled completely; should Tristan attempt to move away, the vampire was bound to cling for a short time. The compliment about being a hero caused a red tint to paint across the green-haired teen's face, his expression shifting from mild calmness to surprise. Nobody considered him a hero and hearing it from somebody who hastily became significant was making his heart flutter. It was impossible for Nathan to comprehend how the blond believed he deserved the prestigious title.
"... You think I am a hero?" Nathan began softly. "But... heroes aren't mean to people... Why would you consider me one? I'm just a jerk who pushes everybody away, who yells at them, torments them with ridicule... How could I possible be a hero in your eyes?"
It was obvious by Nathan higher-pitched voice that guilt remained in the actions he took towards Tristan; there was necessity to hear how it was possible. While the vampire embraced his human friend, his self-conscious thoughts continued to assist against what the blond had openly stated. In Nathan's opinion, there was no possible way that he could ever be considered a hero to anybody; it was a title deserving to the kind, not for those who assaulted people mentally and emotionally. Although, the vampire did not reach the lengths of a villain, he would never consider himself to be anybody's hero with his attitude towards others. The tightening of the embrace on Tristan's end was comforting and caused Nathan's heart rate to elevate from the innocent action. A beat was skipped and a deep blushed painted the vampire's face red when the blond mumbled about desiring to stay with him. Hearing the concept increased the hunter's protective behavior, especially when Tristan started trembling slightly.
In response, Nathan gently rubbed the human's in an attempt to sooth whatever was starting the shaking. The sign of fear was a reminder as the vampire remembered the nightmare that Tristan was unable to inform him about. A concerned countenance shortly crawled onto his face; there was a requirement to know if the nightmare produced the sudden trembling.
"You never told me about the nightmare... Do you still want to talk about it?" Nathan asked softly, tightening his grip around Tristan again.
Shortly, the concern was increased when Tristan started coughing and despite Nathan's desire to hold him tightly, he was forced to loosen his grip. His pale hand reached for the water bottle left on the bedside table, brought due to the vampire's request when the blond had been sleeping. The reaction was instinctive, almost as though his mind already knew the dilemma that caused the sudden coughing. The white cap was twisted off the plastic bottle in a swift and fluent motion before Nathan offered it to Tristan in silence. Worried continued to mark the green-haired teen's face, but the trained hunter inside allowed him to remain calm under the circumstance.
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