It was a curious thing to him, really. A thing as equally endearing as it was unbelievable. Raven so eternally seeming to be in possession of a sort of faith in humanity even Tobias was not entirely as assured he held. She, whom had suffered so much at the hands of others, still desired to be in some fashion accepted by them and yet, more then that- she was willing to so truly seek the best in those around her even despite the world so having attempted to show her over and over it did not exist- or at least, was hard to find. The manner in which she clutched his hand tighter as if he was somehow worth the time and attention of love of a being far more pure then himself was unfathomable. As if he was somehow her rock in this maddening world when he was, in truth, little more than a fractured and flimsy bit of shale that clung like lichen to those around him. How little she realised the truth of it. How little she seemed to know that it was she, above all of them, that was so very much the backbone of their little pack and family. Tetradore had retreated so far into himself he was, sometimes, merely a shadow of who he should have been. Nadya was confused and conflicted and lost within those choices while he.....he himself was the worst of them. He was barely half a man. Indeed he was no more than the fracture pieces of one so stuck together in an attempt to make it whole. Pieces Raven so often seemed determined to hold together when it was to much for himself and his Other and this tortured existence they were damned too. She clung at his hand like she was afraid of what all those others might think of her and oh how it should have been them who feared her judgement. She whom had seen the worst of humanity and survived it. She whom had the courage to allow emotion to still exist within herself and more than that- she whom still searched for the goodness within perhaps even the worst of people- like himself.

That she had so believed he and Tetradore had shopped all those years was almost laughable and yet was it not simply proof of his own deduction? She saw the best, she believed the best, she hoped for the best in everyone. There was a part of him so dreadfully ashamed off that admittance, of what realization she was about to have of him and yet....it was not truly him. No. That other part of him. That part he too was ashamed off more often than not and yet he could no more deny that shade of him existed any more then he could denounce his own shadow and that would be little more than a folly if ever he had heard one. He was not proud. Not tonight. Not of anything he would do and yet more than that he was afraid of just what she would think of him for it and yet, here he was, so caught between himself and the Other. To abandon such a task would b to displease that other part of himself and the risks of that, tonight, so outweighed anything else. Even that shame with which Raven might look at him. A look his Other half hardly seemed to care for and yet one that so afflicted this part of himself far more deeply. Stole. Yes. She was right and yet still....still she had not realised yet the worst of it and yet perhaps it was better that she didn't. At least not yet. The sooner this was over the better and yet- for all his shame at so doing this there was a part of him, a large part really, that grinned devilishly somewhere within at the delight Tetradore would have taken from this. At the fun they would have had. Ah, how his chest ached at even the thought of that.

"Long-term loan, maybe we will call it that."

It didn't really help, but it was something, wasn't it? Raven's nervousness however only seemed to grow with each passing moment, the girl releasing his hand to knot her fingers together nervously. Tobias halting briefly, allowing his gold-hued gaze to turn backwards, eyeing her a moment as any shred of confidence seemed to abandon her entirely. His own features turn quizzical, the man seeming to consider just what it was that seemed to distress her so very much. Did she truly think she didn't....deserve to be with these people? Did she truly think they were better then her somehow? As if she was outclassed.

"Birdie..."

The use of the nickname slips softly between his lips. His voice deeper, holding a rougher, richer tone then it normally did as he regarded her now, his hand reaching out to take her own. His free hand lifted then, tilting her chin upward to meet his gaze, allowing the softest of simpers to trace his lips. The man so displaying a care and gentleness he was so often lacking.

"Why are you so reluctant to believe you are worthy of every beautiful thing in this life? You are no less than any other person before us. You don't see your own value when everyone around you does and it- upsets me."

He pauses, briefly, a sigh of sorts caught upon his lips, one hand running through his inky hair.

"You are a truly rare person and I do not think you will ever realise how rare. Just know, for tonight in the least, that you have every right to be here. Let's get that photo."

Perhaps she would believe him, perhaps she wouldn't. The boy hardly finding he minded if only it restored some confidence to her. Tobias walking forward now with Raven on his arm to take his place in that line. It was only once they reached the centre of that carpet that he paused- as if he had done such a thing a thousand times before, resting one hand atop Ravens, gesturing towards the camera before his features moved into an effortless smile, allowing the photographer several moments to capture a number of those images before the man at the door so asked for his name.

"Tetradore"

It was, after all, under Tetra's name they so often entered. The man consulting his list before nodding, admitting the pair entrance into that enormous warehouse, the inside lavishly decorated, filled with white tables and food, a stage ahead of them, each seat at the table adorned with a place card and a name. Tobias pausing briefly to search for just where they had been seated before he and Raven are handed a flute of champagne each. The space was full of well-dressed men and women in lavish dresses, delicately placed lights illuminating the surface of each table, each placed adorned with genuine linen napkins and an ostentatious menu designed to intimidate. A rather large banner decorating a gift table to the side seeing Tobias direct Ravens attention elsewhere lest she see it. The longer it took her to realise just what this company it was the better.

"Well, what do you think?"

madness, as you know, is like gravity: all it takes is a little push