Birb Research and Memories

Selena did all she could to give him comfort, letting Luca know she loved him in her actions and silence as she waited and waited. It was all the woman could do to be here for him and listen when he had ideas. If he didn't...well then that was fine too.

The heavy breath caused her nuzzles to stop, Selena giving him a kiss on the hand before she pushed herself up to stand. Her hand went to his chin, lifting his head up so he'd look at her as she smiled softly. "Why? What do you remember now, my Luca?"

Whatever it was...if he was remembering or just remembering feelings... it must be painful for him. He wasn't composed in the least and she...she was calm and radiating all the soothing she could. Whatever he needed of her, she would do or be there for.

"..." Luca again didn't respond immediately, trying to think further though...in a sense...yes he remembered. Valter...he heavily disliked the man, it didn't matter to him that he had been his father.

Selena was asking why though...

"He... He was my father, but I was not his son...not in the normal sense. I had...been born for nothing more than continuing his work, and then I was to pass such knowledge on myself, and so on. At the time...I held no real interest in such knowledge, but my future was not my choice to make...

I practiced music in secret, though I also kept up my studies and work for him...though it was quite taxing at the time fulfilling both his and my passions. He was heavily against me having such interests, thus my secrecy...

That secrecy did not last; I managed to keep both such duties up for some time, years, over a decade even...but he eventually found out. All of my instruments were taken, broken, and then burned. There was nothing I could have done but watch...and it had...destroyed me...in a sense...

After that...I continued with what he wanted...he and my mother had even arranged a marriage, and such for me as they thought it right to do at my age back then before any of that happened though a...plague...had swept the country... For awhile, we did our best to treat it, but...I eventually fell victim as well... Though...I do not believe I was upset about dying... In fact, I...welcomed it..."

It had taken him time to get all of that out, the memories flowing back to him as his mind lingered on the subject. It wasn't a terribly painful remembrance, and he'd summarized it as best he could, but...that... That had been what had occurred back then.

Nothing...out there, nothing extravagant, nothing special...but that had been what had happened. He assumed afterwards he had been buried or burned along with other victims, but that he could not remember...he did not recall anything from when he'd been a plus.

The story hurt, it hurt her more than expected. The earlier response to the musical books... was explained... Luca's intense dislike and annoyance...was explained. His anger...

He had died from a plague and it pinged a memory she had from reading earlier. The time frame of his death was rather clear now...

Selena turned after he was done, rage written on her features as she kicked the low table that held the remains of the snacks and drinks from earlier. She winced from the pain but it steadied her mind. Then she moved her legs so she could push it aside with them as she began rearranging the area to provide an open space.

There was no reply to his words yet as she moved another large chair to the side too... She was shaking with rage. If she let it out it would explode all over, she...she wanted to throttle that man! Not Luca but the other one...the one long dead...

Pulled from his thoughts after explaining such a past, Luca blinked as Selena began...moving things to the side, mainly the furniture. He...was unsure of her reasoning for this, but she had kicked the table earlier...

"Are you alright...?" He questioned; she had let out a pained wince... "Selena?"

She was...certainly angry, that much was clear by the way she was acting now; the...past was long dead, Luca accepted that...not that he ever wished to relive such a life. He was perfectly fine where he was now, he was able to do both...

Though...this was all entirely new knowledge to Selena, and to him...somewhat considering he'd just gotten such memories back. He was...pushing anything he felt back though, his concern for Selena taking priority now.

"I. Am. Fine! Get up, I am moving that too." Selena grumbled as she turned around, the only item of furniture left in the small area just the divan the books and her lover sat on. Her purple eyes were still lit up with rage though her face was somewhat composed other than the frown.

She did limp a little but it didn't seem to effect her and she crossed her arms as if daring Luca to contradict her orders. Luca was probably upset too...but her rage was too much right now. It was way too much and she couldn't contain it, as someone who burned and burned brightly with their feelings.

...Luca again blinked, his eyes having widened again at her words to him before he composed himself. As...confused as he was, he stood... Selena obviously wanted to...move this furniture so he would stand and allow her to do so.

She was limping some, if she continued to do so he'd need to look at it...

Instead of asking whether or not she was alright again, not having believed her words on being fine, he remained silent and stood as she went about moving the last piece of furniture.

"..." That had...angered her to such an extent...

As Luca stood, the woman lifted the annoying skirts that had only hampered her angry moving somewhat and then with the heel of her foot booted the heavy looking divan back. It slid back and hit a bookshelf where it stopped after having dislodged some dust. She dusted her hands from a job well done and then looked up at the confused man and held out her hands.

"Dance with me Luca. I'll even sing for you to keep the beat." Selena had unshed tears in her eyes but she ignored them. There was no way she was crying over hearing his awful awful father and how much that man had hurt her precious Luca.

None. He wasn't crying and neither would she.

D...Dance? That's why she'd moved the furniture? That was...certainly...rather very unexpected. He had not known what to expect, but...that was certainly not it.

"Alright... If that is what you wish." He had no troubles dancing, knowing the steps, but... She was...truly upset, it was undeniable.

Stepping over to her he took the proper stance, his hands moving to her. If she believed this would help, then he would gladly dance with her.

He said nothing more on his past, not bringing up the age range he now believed he'd been when he'd died, as he believed the number would only upset her further.

"I'm all dressed up like this. It matches you. I might as well dance." Selena muttered, her head shaking as she moved her hands to Luca in the proper arrangement and allowing him to lead as she held her skirts up in one hand. Her body was almost pressed against his, that was how close she decided to be to the man...

Her voice came out soft and a bit strained, but quickly picked up its usual tone and power as she sang a song in time with their movements. Selena laid her head on his chest and danced with him, also attempting to hide her red face with that action.

"I see... I was unsure if you'd want compliments on the dress...since you had been dragged away and presumably forced into it, but...it does look nice on you." Luca finally said now that Selena had brought it up.

As she settled against him, he began the steps and led as she hid her face and began singing in time with their movements. Hopefully this would help... She had a nice singing voice, though he'd said as much the first time she'd sung in front of him...which had her jump in the pool...

Selena nodded against his chest, though whether that was due to his words on not wanting compliments... or agreeing with him that it looked nice... or her accepting his words...all was up in the air until this song finished. She didn't allow him to stop dancing though and while still rather red in the face, she finally replied. "Thanks... I... I am glad you noticed. So you like it?"

Her voice was hopeful, if Luca enjoyed it...she'd take it and any other Beatrice threw at her home. Right now she needed to calm down and the dancing and just talking was helping.

Luca gave a small nod as they moved, even after the song had ended, Selena seemed to not want to stop yet...so they would not.

"I think it looks nice on you..." It wasn't something one would see every day, considering today's typical fashion...but it looked nice. Fitting even...

There had been a tone of hopefulness in her voice, which caused a small smile to appear on his face.

Selena looked up for a moment as Luca spoke his damning words, her mouth open as if to say something before she shut them and turned a deeper red. Her face was pressed against his chest once more after that and she just rubbed it there in a bit of obvious fluster.

Her voice was muffled but it was clear enough to make out what she said though. "...Okay. I can wear it then. I-I mean I'll keep it and wear it for you..."

"Alright... You can wear it whenever you'd like then..." He wanted her to be comfortable above all else, but she...seemed to want to now that he'd given his opinion on it. Still, her comfort was what mattered when it came to how she dressed, so this wasn't something she had to wear all the time...obviously.

She was flustered, though he preferred that much more than her previous anger...it'd seemed she'd calmed some... He was relieved the dancing was helping.

"No. I'll wear it when you want, so you'll have to tell me." Selena demanded, eyes glancing up from his chest as she gave him a look that dared him to contradict her or say no. She was still upset by what had happened to Luca but...

"You have music now though and doctoring, you can do both... you have eternity pretty much now to do so. I don't like speaking badly of the dead but... If I met your father now or if he was still alive, I'd ask Kostya to murder him as brutally as he did my cousin who's genitals are still in a glitter filled preservation jar on my bedroom shelf." Selena declared to Luca, the anger still inside but dampened down enough to be bearable now.

"...I...see, alright then..." He would...attempt to bring himself to speak up on the subject if he wanted to see her in such attire again then. He would attempt to...

He listened to her words, speaking up on how she'd felt on the past he'd shared, and he gave a small nod. "I do have both now, and both are easily manageable for me now as well... It's as you said, anyone from that period...including my father, are all dead now. It's alright..."

There wasn't anything to worry about, it was all in the past and behind him.

He did feel...somewhat happy though due to her words, listening to what she would have done had he still been alive...it was...he could admit amusing.

Selena hoped Luca would tell her...he didn't seem to understand a little discomfort to make him look at her like that was worth it...

She dropped it for now and instead just sighed as she buried her face against him again. They were still dancing luckily, keeping her from thinking about the fact that she'd sung willingly for him and that she was still pissed off... "I know its all right now. But it wasn't then and it hurt you, so I... I am a not nice person, I have my temper and I blow up and I feel everything so strongly... So I want to make what hurt you hurt in return... Worse, a hundred times worse... a thousand..."

"When you play its one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard or see Luca. I can't...imagine someone wanting to stop you from doing that to satisfy their own agendas." She was ignoring the thoughts about the fiance quite strongly for now but they kept popping up and making her a little grumpy. "I think...I would be angry enough to kill them with my own hands. Not even using Kostya."

If Luca didn't have his hands around her for the dancing one would be in her hair right now, attempting to calm her of such negative feelings. The dancing seemed to be helping in its place though...

"It...makes me happy you care that much..." He was unsure of what really to say other than that. She cared a lot for him, and he had realized this quite obviously as time passed, but...it was still nice.

Times were...difficult in the past, and his family had been a strict one... It had hurt, it had hurt more than he could really explained to be kept from his music like that...

Now he had his music though, and could enjoy it as he pleased.

"I do though... I love you so much, so you should be even happier than caring. Now though...you are required by law to always, always play and sing for me. Always. Luca is never allowed to ever not use his musical talents... I demand it." Selena spoke with an imperious tone as she pulled just slightly away from the man, obviously starting to feel better now. She could dance with him properly... it would be fun to dance more.

She smiled up at him, putting aside all her selfish anger on his behalf and instead enjoying his company and dancing. "...What...about that...fiance..."

Well enjoy it other than that small...tiny problem... of that.

"I'll play whenever you wish me to, that is a promise I can easily keep." Selena claimed it was law now, but even if it wasn't...he could easily make it a promise and would he could keep.

They were dancing a bit more properly than before, and it seemed her pain had been eased. Again, he was quite relieved.

...Hn?

"Fiance...ah..." Ah right, that had been something... "We hardly interacted much, we only met on a few occasions. She... Well..." What... What had she looked like again? "Slightly younger than me? A couple of years...?"

Obviously...not everything in his memory was quite clear yet.

"A promise? I said it was law. Laws can not be broken." She was grinning though as she spoke, her tone over the top in its imperious nature. "It is a law Luca must play when I wish him to and when he wants to as well. I will put it in writing and frame it for you, there is no way you can disobey it."

His relief at her pushing away from the unhappy subjects made her happier, thus easing more of the anger away. It was dissolving under the sweetness of what they were doing.

The anger was pushed away more as Selena became smug, trying to hide it and failing as she gave a small little pleased chuckle. "I see. That is acceptable then."

The Fiance had not touched her Luca and thus didn't need the anger~ It was fading more and more and was swiftly being replaced by the normal Selena, the happier Selena... "Do you...wish to keep your last name?"

"It is law then... I swear it is one that will not be broken." Luca gave a small smile. It was a law, one he would not break. He would play whenever she wanted him to.

She was...smug?

He blinked, wondering about that until she spoke. She was smug over him being...unable to really remember much about the woman that had been his fiance in the past. Ah...

Well, there was no concern about that now... She was quite long dead.

His last name...

"I...believe that name died long ago... There is little use in me having it." If anything, it was something he could use for convenience sake, but...he believed there was little point in keeping it.

He was not the same as he'd been back then, not entirely...

That small smile meant the world to her and any remaining anger faded away. Selena's smile was bright again as she stared up at Luca and danced with him. He seemed accepting of her smugness, which was good because she didn't intend to share him... Even with a memory. A memory that she was learning hadn't mattered in the first place.

She never said she wasn't the most selfish person... She was. She couldn't and wouldn't share him with such others.

Luca's words about his last name had her blinking before she blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"...Then use mine. You can keep it, its not like I can't share." Selena looked away at the bookshelves nearby, wondering if she should send more people up to dust because the divan had knocked more down than she had expected. Yes, that was what her focus was on. The dust. "Luca Archiagott sounds nice~"

Use...

Luca gave a polite clear of his throat, an action he gave in place of a polite cough considering his hands were occupied and he would have been unable to cover his mouth, as he turned his head for a short moment.

"I...see, then... I will use it." He would use it... His old name was something that belonged in the past. It was...fine to use Selena's...as she was offering.

"Then from this point on you are now Luca Archiagott." Selena laughed softly in disbelief as her eyes darted back to the man who...was he a bit flustered? That little clearing of his throat was...telling. It wasn't as if she wasn't fighting back her own...

She was... she had in all essence... there was no way to marry, not for them or...even to be together in a normal sense. But now he had a strong tie to her, above everything else. And it had just happened like that.