Desiderius [ Younger Brother ]

Pastor and Desiderius have always had a strained relationship, due to the abuse and neglect of their parents - and the various ways those parents (and the circumstances themselves) have hidden their abuse, and turned them against each other. Pastor believed that Desiderius was the golden child of the family, not having a clue of his younger brother's cruel "upbringing for the throne," and Desiderius was hardly raised to believe that Pastor could talk or think. They resent each other for ultimately unnecessary reasons, but those reasons are so deeply rooted in their minds that it would take a lot of time and maybe a miracle for them to get back in contact with each other as brothers. He would never think to shoulder his burdens with Desiderius, who is surely too pure and blessed for him to trouble.

Arcane [ Mentor/Best Friend ]

Pastor and Arcane's friendship was forged by years of weathering the cruel insanity of the King of the seaside country. Arcane was Pastor's biggest supporter, and while he was appointed as the young prince's tutor, he was merely a couple years older than the prince himself. He has always believed fiercely in Pastor's abilities to live a normal life and function as well as any other adult man out there, which admittedly... Frightened Pastor, who was raised to believe he was utterly inept and helpless. He wasn't 'ready' to grow up on Arcane's timetable, and the pair needed a bit of distance for a while. But the Warlock of the Woods manipulated that tension in their friendship, encouraging Pastor to cut ties with Arcane altogether, painting Arcane as a manipulator himself who only wanted Pastor to pass as a "normal" person for selfish, ignorant reasons. So... Of course, now that Pastor has been discarded, he wouldn't think to reach out to Arcane for support, either.

The Warlock of the Woods [ ... ]

... Pastor found himself by outing and slaying a false god - a demon - who had manipulated an entire community of innocent people living in the woods into becoming his unquestioning congregation. But his troubles did not begin and end with that demon. Truthfully, that demon's mortal familiar was the specter who had forever painted his back with scars. He befriended the Warlock during his time living with the congregation of worshippers, he worked, cooked, did all sorts of things with the Warlock - the demon's 'priest' and 'lover' - and his 'flock'. So, when he finally freed the people from the demon's sway... It looked to the Warlock like an inconceivable betrayal. Pastor destroyed the demon, who was the Warlock's only 'true' companion, the only being who had ever 'listened to him' or 'loved him'.

(The Warlock was very confused, having been groomed by the demon from his teenage years - and now he was a man approaching 30, having recently just lost his 'only purpose in life'.)

The things that the Warlock did as revenge were... Pastor doesn't like to talk about them. He doesn't know how to explain them, and why they scarred him as deeply as they did, and he doesn't think he can take being looked at strangely if he tried and failed to explain in a way that made his feelings of soul-deep - violation, defilement - make sense. But those things have stayed with Pastor for years now, they're in his thoughts when he's awake, in his nightmares when he's asleep... They've never left and Pastor doesn't know if they ever will.

But - eventually, the Warlock realized Pastor was right to do what he did. H-he was sorry. So... Pastor was glad for it, and he had opened his heart again to his friend. His heart had never closed on him. Which might explain how deeply some of the scars have formed. Th-the Warlock finally understood his feelings, so... Everything was. Fine. He introduced the Warlock to his best friend of over a decade, Arcane, but the Warlock didn't like Arcane. The Warlock felt that Arcane was condescending and pretentious, that he was only good for a laugh, and clearly he did not respect or like Pastor. So... Pastor figured between that and the tension they'd always experienced in their relationship, it was best to discard Arcane. Arcane was a 'toxic' friend, who only wanted him to 'pass as normal'. Arcane didn't 'understand' or 'want' what was 'truly best' for Pastor in the way that the Warlock did.

They lived in, um... Happiness for many years. But, little did Pastor know... That the Warlock was only using him and his power to bring the false god back to life. And once he achieved his goal, he fled back to the woods in the demon's arms, weeping all the while about how agonizing it was to pretend to tolerate the beast called 'Pastor' who took everything away from him.

... Now Pastor doesn't have anyone. The Warlock has a name, but... Are you really going to ask him to speak it aloud?