Nightfall

-1-

Truth be told, Saverio was right. If by some unfortunate accident he were to die, Antonio wouldn't be able to survive by himself for much longer either. Of course, his cousin only said that out of concern and with no intended malice; the artist too would have been worried if the person under his care was so financially dependent on him and showed no sign of taking things seriously.

That didn't mean, however, that Antonio didn't try. It was just his poor luck finding either a decent paying job or a rich patron to support his artistic career. And while Saverio was well-intentioned in his attempts to beat some common sense in him, he didn't really manage to do much outside of making the younger man feel like a failure.

Not that the painter would admit any time soon, but his cousin wasn't exactly the most helpful in many other aspects. Of course, someone as busy as Saverio clearly lacked the time to think about, let alone pursue any romantic relationships, so Antonio asking the man for dating advice was off the table.

He had to ask someone else. Which is why he was at Withered Rose today, pestering another busy person about a problem that wasn't even that high in his priority list.

The restaurant was a small blooming business, although Antonio had rarely seen people coming there to eat. The place was cozy and the prices were accessible, which was one of the main reasons the artist kept coming there to create his artworks. The owner had a reputation for being a shady individual, however, so it wasn't difficult to imagine where his money actually came from. Antonio cared little about rumors in general, especially the ones that didn't affect him in any way or shape. He was too poor and useless for someone like Rafael, thus the man never tried to offer him any overpriced favors. Yet.

"Mr. Jaqar, are you certain I'm the best person to ask for such advice?" The man almost seemed amused that Antonio would ever consider him the type to have any relevant love experience to draw his wisdom from.

Rafael Bellini was a blond man in his early thirties, with some sharp and all-seeing emerald eyes, devoid of any kind of emotion unless he was talking about his coffee being "the best coffee in the whole Southern continent". He was also the type to know even the most insignificant gossip circulating through the city, so Antonio figured in his naivety he might also know a thing or two about courting someone.

Guess I was wrong...

The restaurant owner just stared, as if trying to look right through the painter's very soul. Rafael's eyes were... hypnotizing and Antonio could feel himself wanting to study them closer. From his artistic point of view, he had seen many eyes, but there was a certain charm behind Rafael's. They were haunting, in some sort of twisted beauty that seemed almost inhuman. As an artist, he was fascinated by them and their uncanniness. Perhaps too much for his own good.

"I don't really have anyone else to ask..." said Antonio in a low voice, averting his gaze and focusing on the half empty cup of coffee on the table. He didn't ask Saverio yet, that was true, but he had a feeling he'd get better love advice from a piece of furniture than from his beloved cousin.

The blond sighed and patted the painter's confused head. Then he spoke in a gentle voice, one that Antonio hadn't yet learned he used only when talking with him.

"Are you concerned that our dear Commander will assume you're asking him because he's still single at his age?"

Antonio protested. "He's only twenty-five, I'm sure he has more pressing problems than that."

"That's true. I'm sure Commander Amarante has his hands full at the moment, especially after..." Rafael paused, as if remembering he's not supposed to say something. It made the artist curious, but Bellini changed the subject. "Today surely rains a lot, don't you think?"