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Lich Arklow was many things, a Butler, a Brother, and occasionally an Enemy to himself and others, yet one thing he never wanted anyone to know he was, a Coward. All his life he tried to hide how scared of everything he was, building carefully adjusted masks of politeness and respectfulness. His masks built a web far greater than any other,
well maybe that statement isn't true. Because Seth Twiright, surely has more.
Seth Twiright was many things, a Son, a HER, a Scientist, a Father and many more, the seeds of mischief he planted danced on the Moonlit shore of Held's forest on the dad the story of sin started. Creating many lives to aid his quest of Evil, he was the first and most supreme villain of the story of Evillious, he never had a weakness, he justified his actions and manipulated everyone he came across. In all meanings of the word, he was malice itself.
Once upon a time they met, back in the second period Lich provided him a body for experiments and worked with him. The man couldn't tell what the mask was thinking, no one could, even the greatest of scientists crumbled when it came to Seth. So he took it upon his existence, devout of all meaning, to find the apple of Malice was waiting for him to find.
And he did. Following the mask's plan he fell into his trap. it was surely dangerous and uncharted territory, the enigmatic existence who called itself Malice learned all there is about Lich, ruining all the masks he could wear. No longer the Butler, he wouldn't serve anyone if that mask laid upon his head. No longer the Brother, he would swear to end the last of his family, his only relative would perish by his hands, he would make sure of it. No longer the Enemy, because there would be no one left soon, they will emerge on the top, smirking pridefully like they were not the Cowardly, One's true self became a mask, just as Seth gained a body.
They would find a nice bird, gently nurturing it and caring for it, then one day they would take a stake knife and plunge it into the back and then steal the wings. Finally they'd fly towards a future the true mask dreamt for them, a World made of Malice, where destruction followed everyone. All those ideals were implanted towards the Broken one's mind. Left to pick the pieces, Malice left Lich just like everyone expected, yet the man couldn't help but yearn for more, all those ideals and promises made him feel like he had a choice, an opportunity. The broken one began sewing his new mask,
The HER— The Evil Spirit of the forest.
For hundreds of years, he clung to those ideals, Seth's words became his lullaby, the tune of greatness that would come if he followed the man and became his puppet. One of the strings broke today, hope in the form of his mask breaking, this time instead of utter horror, Lich felt free, the ideals he held so close to his heart once felt like junk and empty words that are so well known and expected from the Malice itself. The wound cured by Gluttony led him towards a new path, he became a thing he thought he never would, a Butler, despite his previous occupation being one of science, he found himself enjoying cleaning along with his childhood best friend. he made peace with his now— sister, he wasn't a enemy to anyone today, slowly but surely the mask who once was HER became his old Cowardly mask, but all those years of acting upon Seth's words changed his behavior, he could admit to being Cowardly now. He just didn't need to.
On the day they met once more, he had a body. The initial introductions were awkward as both sides had their respective questions. After another question slyly avoided by the Snake, Lich burst out. Anger, rage and more, all brightly shine unresolved feelings and questions, why would Seth care so much as not to kill him after he left his body? Why would he come back as Lich was about to close the chapter of pretending and playing this endless dance with himself? He took the corpse of the bird they two once killed together and forced it to rebirth, by asking Malice—
"Why would you crawl back after you gave me imaginary wings, just so you could slowly dissolve them?" An amused grin spread on the Snakes face, Lich's face showed clear anger the likes of which only Eater has bare witness to back in the second period, but the large man wouldn't remember, he was stuck with the only person sharing that whole planets memories being the Snake of Evils Forest.
"I merely showed you what my ideals were, didn't expect you to worship them like I was one of the pillar gods." Cold filed the air, the others quietly left the room at the two glared daggers at one another before a smug smile reappeared on Seth's face, back then when he knew the man as a sentient mask, he would've wondered if he speaks he's always grinning. Nowadays Lich looked at The Snake and groaned, this was gonna be a long and painful existence. his emotions were just as unreliable as anything that came out of Seth's mouth. At one hand he hated the man, but he also longed for him ever since they last saw each other. Their path in the journey though the worlds has been settled and backing out would only show Seth that the bird that once was rebirthed itself as Lich became what he was at the end of the second period. No mask was there to cover him anymore.
Would Seth sew him a new mask? Would he hold it gently like the black box in the centre of the theater? Would he kill birds to find a perfect pair of wings so they could both be the greatest? No he wouldn't. All of Lich knew it. Seth's ideals were dead, but the man himself started intriguing him even more. Lich spoke again.
"We're stuck together, don't make this too painful for either of us" both of us, he wanted to say, he wouldn't let Seth pry open his mind once more to see that Lich still wished for the man. Seth nodded as they both left the room in silence, continuing to prepare to leave this sad, wicked world.
The Theater was still for the night, only the sound of the twins cooking something for Banica were heard. He was cleaning in silence and peace which wouldn't last, the door was opened so harshly it might've just been kicked, the Culprit, Seth, stood there staring at Lich.
"Forgive the entrance, I need to grab you for something." Malice smiled innocently this time, a quick jump made Seth appear right in front of Lich, in prime punch range, just as he was about to extend his arm to deliver a punch to the ribs, he was grabbed and dragged to another small room that was previously filled with boxes. Each one of their encounters ended with either a kick to Seth or a punch. Their surroundings were messy, a horrific smell of bodies decaying was around them, but it probably was just Lich, or Seth to be honest. His protests fall on deaf ears as Seth begins shuffling around the room, and shows him a CD with the words "The Song of the Cowardly Blackbird" plastered upon it.
"What does this have to do with me?" Lich had intended for this question to come off as a statement, Seth turned around to face the man, as if the answer was obvious.
"Don't you think this being here means it is about you? Just look at Arte, who found a CD of her past life." He explained, quickly adding. "I know you better than you know yourself Lich, this song is about you, and it is also true." Seth smiled kindly, almost with concern if one didn't know the Snake's true nature, Lich involuntarily twitched in annoyance.
The following minutes were spent with Lich and his thoughts alone, as Seth hummed along another tune quietly, as he was sitting next to him, with a CD player in hand.
"I would've thought you'd push me already, oh wait— you want me closer, am I right?" Seth asked as if he didn't know the answer, Lich looked at the Snake who helped and ruined his life at the same, the man that he shared ideals with while still being affected by the disease he brought upon him. The slow tune sung by Seth, surely a one learned from the Seth clone who made music boxes, was calming Lich down, that was the only explanation. He felt free yet trapped, the man he currently sat next to with their thighs touching was a walking explosive, manipulative and cunning and many more words, at the same time Malice wouldn't just attack him like some other, he would paint a story in Lich's mind, one that would break him, for that he knew that twice he couldn't share his ideals.
He didn't grace Seth with an answer, his mind was an internal conflict, a fast war, but weren't the sides of said war on the same side? Hate and Love, same sides of one coin, at least to Lich. Just like he once hated everything he now priced the ones around him, they danced together like they were one, Hate and Love. With Malice the case couldn't be the same, Love was a emotion reserved for those that could feel it back, could openly show they care, wouldn't betray him if needed—
Seth was none of those, he was everything Lich could ever hate, everything Lich could ever love.
He didn't know what he was feeling in the end, he wanted Malice to not care about him, because him caring would be worse than death by the hands of the only one that knew him, the only one who he hated, the only one who the loved.
The CD started playing, Lich wasn't necessarily listening, yet the story did resemble his, that much is true. A quiet laugh came to Malice's face as the song ended, apparently the character— Lich, killed himself in the end, just like he did once, he could not remember if it was before or after him and Seth became one. So different they were, so similar too, Lich closed his eyes, too burdened by emotions, he relaxed his muscles and leaned further into the touch him and Seth shared. He let himself smile to the quiet tune of the music playing again, his biggest mistake—
When he opened his eyes, Seth stared at him like he wanted to devour him. Lich had realized.
He lost.
He proved Malice right with wanting this, he let a important piece of information fall into the most wrong hands possible.
A hand grabbed his own and before he had the chance to react Seth kindled his face lightly, just like Lich imagined he would. Instead of saying anything Seth scoffed and let his hand drop onto Lich's lap, just as the man processed everything, Seth has already begun standing up.
Neither of them spoke of it.
The next few days were peaceful, Lich let Seth do his thing and it seemed that that action left Seth frowning, like he expected a reaction.
"Don't you hate Seth?" Arte asked one day.
"I d— I don't." He said, he hated how it sounded so bitterly, like a lie. He also hated how it was the truth.
It may seem like hell to some people, and Seth is probably the most evil mother fucker himself. But maybe hell has begun to feel like his own private heaven.
Another day passes by, even more quiet, without Seth it was empty, he felt like he was high each time he saw the man, it was almost like an addition, but Lich knew better than to seek out the man.
Now there's an occasion where they are alone after the Twins left then alone to do "boring adult stuff", sitting as the mask rambled about something, causal touches that he knew Lich liked, a small giggle in a tone that he couldn't tell if it made his blood boil or heart ache, a gesture towards something he was holding with those hands that killed so many, the hands he'd love to hold or to cut them off.
Seth was within his personal space again, retelling a story of how he found himself in the Hellish Yard once upon a time, Lich was on his high, listening and reacting to the story, yet his mind was empty.
"Gumillia was quite suitable as a body, whenever she'd let me roam, she was so much better at communicating than you too." A clear provocation with their situation, Lich took this opportunity to say—
"If you truly know everything about me, tell me exactly what I feel when you find your way into my mind." And Seth grinned at the opportunity.
"You hate me with every fiber of your existence, yet you cannot exist without me, we are incomplete without each other." He surely misspoke because how would Seth be unable to exist without him? surely he wasn't going through the same dilemma as Lich?
"Am I that important to you as well then?" He decided not to argue with Seth, they both knew he was correct and fighting about it would be a waste of energy.
"Why else would I use my energy to spend time with you?" Seth replied with a smirk on his face, Lich felt warm in his face, the whole room got hot and a bit tense. Seth grabs his hand and holds onto it for a second, like he was asking for him to understand. Lich was left with even more questions as Seth let go and quickly left the room.
"What's the deal with you and Seth?" Carlos asks one day, rummaging through the kitchen supplies to find something exotic.
"What do you mean? We don't like each other" The lie wounds him, due to their shared dislike of Seth, him and Carlos have formed a friendship, and Lich wasn't the type to lie to his dearest ones.
"I can see that whenever you look at him, your expression changes from madly in love to pure hate in seconds. Do you love or hate him? I won't judge." Carlos affirmed staring at Lich and waiting for an answer.
"Love and hate aren't too far off from each other, but I digress." He opts to say, he probably wouldn't have the words to explain what he feels towards the man.
"So you do love him.." He mutters, almost in shock.
"We aren't in love." He shares instead, hoping the man in front of him won't pry on this obvious lie. "Carlos, do you love Banica?" He asks instead.
"Well, yes" The answer to that was obvious, they're madly in love
"We’re not you and her. Lower your expectations.”
And he leaves.
The next time him and Seth spoke alone is almost a month later, he tried to avoid Seth and was doing a pretty good job. Without little pleasantries that make Lich's face turn red with rage, Seth pins Lich to the wall.
"What are you doing." He states, long having learned that questions lead to demise with the man who's holding him in place. Lich could wiggle out and overpower him, but he doesn't.
They both know why.
Lich was never able to tell what Seth is thinking in those moments— or rather he never was able, maybe when they were one he understood him to some degree, but he clearly doesn't, because the next thing Seth does is close the distance between them and pull Lich into an intense new kind of battle. A kiss.
Kissing Seth feels euphoric, both dangerous and safe at the same time. He lets himself chase the high, and shuts his eyes while on the chase. 'Lower your expectations' he remembers saying, but all he expected has been blown out of proportion with this action. How ironic.
Is this love? Or is this hate? When Seth pulls away he fixes his glasses and smirks, cupping Lich's cheeks despite being shorter.
He stands at crossroads, options leading off into the distance.
He knows he would not be able to go back.
But still, he chooses him.
"C'mon don't hide, this felt—" Seth didn't get to finish as then he surges forward, slotting their lips together like the final piece of a puzzle falling into place. Lich has played all his cards, and the only move left is to let any rational thoughts leave his mind and for him to get caught up in the moment. This goes on for a long while before Lich lets Seth go, usually after this they wouldn't speak, it is like them to do that.
"You should really explain what you feel, I am the only one who doesn't know what you and I feel." Lich says, he tried not to pour all of his emotions into those words but fails, Seth smiles ever so warmly, ever so dangerously.
"I already did, you have been hiding from me, not vice versa. And for your information, that was immature." Seth says hugging Lich closer.
He loses the potency of raw energy as Seth’s voice cuts through skin and bone, resting to settle in a place that feels like home entombed in beating muscle. He almost hates it how his heart skips a beat every time the man does as much as laugh, but his heart would stop forever if Seth asked it to.
What were they? a line uncrossed in between them, they couldn't be like Banica and Carlos, it wasn't love, it wasn't lust, what they had were theirs, and oh how Lich longed for more.
They part for today, a quick kiss to the cheek and a promise of more if Lich lets him, but he cannot. Living in a web of lies under the name of love would be just the same as living in a web of his own masks, playing a role which is too much for him, making him break. He cannot handle being with him anymore, his body betrays him and he shivers as Seth breathes down on his ear, leaving him alone in the hallway.
Having this would certainly destroy him, yet he could not stay sane without it.
Later that day Lich retreats to his bedroom. it takes a while, but he settles into his bed with a mission, tomorrow he will ask Seth to keep their illusion of love.
When he does sleep, he has dreams. In his dreams, he walks in the feeling of Seth’s arms around him, in the feeling of Seth’s mouth against his. Aphrodite’s pets fly overhead, snowy doves gliding across the moonlit sky of the forest he hated to call home. When Seth pulls away, the wings of the birds twist into his own, aggressively towards the ground as surely as Lich falls to reality.
How has he survived the whole of the 3rd period without this?
The darkness of the room grounds Lich to the cruel joke of the truth, the blackness of his surroundings remind him of Seth.
Always him.
The next day Lich and Seth are left alone again, this time conveniently everyone else is busy.
He keeps coming back to him. Drawn like a hungry bird to a delicious apple.
They sit at the table in silence, Seth doesn't look bothered by it however and after a hefty moment he says—
"Are you gonna say what's on your mind?" Once again a provocation, this time Lich understood why, because if he didn't say anything, he wouldn't either. 'do you trust me?' is what he could've been saying. And the answer would be the same, 'no'.
But he can’t bring himself to say. Not when Seth is looking at him that way. Like he would travel through hell, walk through a blazing inferno and lose everything he has in a desperate gamble just to have him.
Lich tried to find the words to explain what he felt, yet his vocabulary failed him, he could spend his time in the 3rd period writing all the complexity of his feelings towards the man on paper and he wouldn't be able to capture the man's personality and motivations. He would ask Behemo himself to explain what Seth's deal was if he had the chance, but now they were alone and left alone with the only gods in sight being themselves, Lich stood up and so did Seth.
In the middle of the way to another's seat they met, gazes met as they both grabbed each other and pulled like their life depended on it. He tasted like cigarettes, something he would recognize as champagne and something else, the taste of danger and regret was replaced by all of Seth.
They kept going for a long time, only stopping to breathe and to intensely stare at each other, which ended in Lich scoffing and stealing Seth's breath again. Seth bit down slightly, his canines bruised Lich's lips, causing a bit of blood to draw.
"Mhm, it wasn't too hard right?" He giggled and Lich found himself smiling too, He felt complete, like Seth was destined to end up in his grasp, not out of reach like Lich thought he would, but right there.
They were anchors to each other's reality, and god damn it Lich wouldn't lose him again.
Seth didn't need an answer, because he immediately started kissing Lich again, it felt like they were a couple who were away from each other for a long thousand years (in a sense that was true, he supposes).
Seth mutters more and more sweet words that make Lich's blood boil and give him the urge to kiss the life out of the man. He's falling again, this time he's sure he won't get out of this one.
The ground isn't in sight, but he doesn't mind he knows Seth wouldn't need to catch him, because Lich can surely fly now.