[It's around 10:30 the next day when Dorian's eyes finally drift open. There's a strange feeling of unreality as he lays on his back in bed, organizing his thoughts. What brings everything back all at once are the faintest cracks of sunlight peeking in through the thorough job he'd done on the windows in even the master bedroom. Precautions like these are familiar to him in an achingly painful sort of way, but waking up to it now isn't the same as it has been in the past.
This is something new. That, and a sudden jumping forward in intimacy and trust with someone he met not that long ago. To his absolute surprise as he reflects on it, it's pleasing. An easy sort of trust that he doesn't fully understand, but that feels natural. His thoughts flash back to the memories of Larus tonguing up the blood on his arm, and then the soft displeasure of the other man's expression as he'd shrugged off the existence of the attackers that had almost killed him. Of the gentle way the vampire tended to him and reached out to peel bloodstained clothes from his body.
It all reinforces to him that this is the right decision. There's something here between them: quieter than he's accustomed to, and compelling.
Another moment spent on his back, and then Dorian rolls himself up to a sitting position. He stretches, and prepares to go start his morning routine as he waits for the inevitability of the intense discussion that awaits him in the hours to follow.
Ten minutes later, and he's perching himself on the loveseat in the main sitting room, sipping at a frothy coffee and nibbling at a fruit tart as he idly browses the network on his phone. It's simpler than trying to think ahead to how, exactly, to start the conversation that needs to happen with Larus.]
he'd never really understood that part of himself, how he just knows it's out there, but he can sense it the very moment he opens his eyes, quickly moving from the bed to tug the curtains tightly over the window before retreating to a corner of the room to sit in a chair that had been placed there. having never stayed at dorian's before, he listens to the sounds of the people in the building waking up and then dorian himself, lingering only a little longer than his obvious entrance into the kitchen before emerging.
larus' hair is still a mess, having dried so that some of the wave in his hair falls chaotically, and he'd carefully buttoned the shirt to cover himself while also rolling up the cuffs to free his wrists and hands. but whatever he might look like doesn't matter, feeling much more energized and having healed while he'd slept. if anything remains, it'll be gone by the time the sun goes down. and rather than rush into the main room, he stands in the hallway to watch dorian for a few seconds longer.
he doesn't think he's ready for this conversation, but it needs to be done. ]
How are you feeling? [ it's asked as he crosses the space between them to join him on the loveseat, a bit more at ease than he has been the last few times they've spent time together there. ]
[Dorian puts down his phone and takes another sip of coffee as the vampire joins him on the couch.]
Fresh from sleeping the sleep of the young. No nightmares, surprisingly. [Probably because his brain and body were simply too exhausted to conjure up anything. The portrait can remove physical maladies that alter him, but bone-tired exhaustion has never fallen under its purview, unfortunately.
He searches Larus' face. The bruise on the other man's cheek is almost completely gone.]
You look a lot better. [In every conceivable way, really. All that's missing is color in the cheeks.]
[ he meets his eyes without shying away, offering him some semblance of a smile. ]
Because of you. [ which isn't a reminder he wants to get into, though larus just decides to move right into what's been on his mind since the early hours of the morning. ] And I won't hold anything you said against you if it's not something you really wanted to offer.
[ the contract, he means. living there with him. exhaustion can do a number of things, and if both of them had been tired enough to simply sleep, it's telling as to what could have been brought up in the heat of the moment. ]
[That sleep-disarranged hair has been itching at him since Larus sat down, and as the young man starts to backtrack on last night's discussion emotionally, Dorian reaches out to touch thick, chaotic waves with slow, gentle fingers.
Another beat, and he settles the teacup in his hands down onto the coffee table. ]
I meant every word. [The decision had bubbled up on a whim, but now he's seized on it.] I wouldn't have offered it if I didn't.
[ larus automatically reaches up to take hold of dorian's hand, abruptly caught in a memory of casimir doing the exact same thing after pulling his hair free from the tie he usually keeps it in. that isn't what he wants to think about, so he brings his knuckles to his mouth for a soft kiss. ]
I just want to be sure since I know how you feel about it. [ he sweeps his thumb over the spot he's kissed. ] What is it that you want from all of this?
[He's not sure how to interpret his hand being taken away, but Dorian watches the other man's face as Larus presses lips against his hand. One step back, two steps forward. It's confusingly and unintentionally provocative to him, in the way that he's realizing many of the things that Larus does are.
And, miraculously, he's thought about the answer to the question posed to him. It's probably why, when the moment comes, his reply comes out as smoothly as it does.]
The simplest answer to that question is that I want to make my time in the city to my taste as possible. You mentioned before that you don't consider yourself high maintenance, and I believe you. That's what I want for myself: if I have to follow the rules, it will be on my terms, and with little interruption to my lifestyle.
[Dorian pauses, punctuating his words by reaching to take a short sip of his coffee.]
But I also want to keep you here with me, and for you to be mine. To talk with you and become used to your company. To see your face most days and hear you talk without any flourishes. To have sex with you.
I'm not planning on tying you up and bending you over a couch arm, if that's of any concern, but I won't take it off the table if you'd give me your consent. [Because it would be stirring, not to mention fun.]
That being said, I'm glad to talk about this at whatever length, and to hear out any terms you have.
[ larus has considered it too, in case dorian were to ask, and maybe that's what has him pausing, wondering if his own terms are too simple. because he isn't high-maintenance and wouldn't interrupt anything that dorian was doing – unless it turned out to be stupid or dangerous – without good reason to do so. the rest of it, however, pulls at some other part of him, thoughts drawn back to the night before and the taste of dorian's blood in his mouth.
his lips press thin, briefly staring across the room at the curtains pulled shut and the obvious peak of sunlight through the slightest opening. ]
The only one I have is not having some requirement to bite you. If I ever do, [ he clearly looks as if that will never happen as he says it ] then it will be my choice first. I won't take anything from you unless you give it to me willingly.
[ as for the rest of it, well. ] Whatever else there is, we can discuss it as it happens – even sex. Just – [ the pause is seconds long, his voice softer. ] Be patient with me. I haven't lived with anyone else in years. I'm not used to a lot of things.
[ having someone interested and concerned for him among them. ]
[Dorian shifts, leaning against the arm of the couch as he takes in Larus' terms. They're minimal, and as far as he's concerned, not difficult to follow.]
Done. [He doesn't want to be bitten either (or doesn't anytime soon, at least) so it works.] If it comes up, even in the context of something like what happened last night, we'll find a way around it.
[His brows hike curiously at Larus pushing on to their living situation. There are some things that the other man accepts easily that other people might not, and it's very interesting to him.]
Neither have I, so it's going to be a learning experience for each of us all over again.
[ his expectations, at this point, about this place, are low. it's not that his requests are minimal; he just wants some semblance of normalcy in all of this that doesn't strip him of what little choices he has left. that dorian agrees to it readily makes him feel somewhat more at ease with the decision, enough that he actually settles back in his seat rather than sit just on the edge of the cushion. ]
I can be patient. [ frustratingly so. ] And maybe there's more we should add to it, but I need time to think on it. I don't know if there's much I need or want besides the basics of a normal contract.
[ he really hates the way that sounds, like some business deal. like he's property. ] It's not urgent yet anyway.
[ they can try to figure out more specifics in the next few days rather than rush off to sign something that binds them together. hopefully, it will become more of a partnership as things move forward too. ]
There's something I ought to add to it. [Reflexively, Dorian rubs at his wrist through the sleeve covering the spot that last night had been coated in dried blood.] But I don't think I need to, in your case.
[Which is a strange realization, that he might feel so willing to extend this kind of trust where one of his most deeply-held secrets is concerned. But it feels right.]
People not knowing about this part of my life is a convenience for me-- and it's also a safeguard where some supernatural elements are concerned. I think you understand what I mean by that. [After all, Larus had told him directly that he shouldn't let the city use this part of his life against him.
If only there were a way to be assured it wouldn't.]
Can I trust you with this without putting it down in ink? [With this man, he's finding that he would much rather have it this way than as part of a legal mandate.]
[ it's yet another difference between them, he notices. dorian wanting to keep his secrets or, at the very least, this one, and larus not caring one way or another what people know about him. the personal details of his life are different, but he's not thinking about that. he's remembering the much clearer details of last night, how dorian had sliced open his arm and there's not a single scratch on him. larus would envy that kind of ability – the healing without the need for blood – if he was the jealous type.
there has to be more to it than what he's seen so far though. ]
I told you I wasn't going to use that knowledge against you. [ if he could help it. ] And I'd never betray your trust like that. It will stay with me even if we decide not to keep this contract in the future.
[ such things are important to him, and maybe he needs to work harder to prove that to dorian even as he shifts just that much closer to him so he could touch him. he only takes his hand, soaking up the heat of his skin. it's a liberty he finds that he likes, and that's something else to think about. ]
I want you to trust me, Dorian. I'm giving you one of the few things I have left to offer. I'd rather not throw any of that away.
[That declaration suits Dorian well, and settles the lingering question about his healing. There's nothing more immortal than words on a page, of secrets and stories once they're read by enough people, and the fewer the places any of his own secrets are out on display, the better.]
There's one more thing you need to know, then, for my purposes.
[Purely so Larus takes care around his portrait until he has time to get Grayson over to ward it with his magic.]
In a few days' time a man named Grayson Frost is going to come here to ward the picture in the other room. If you haven't seen it [and he has kept the door shut most of the time and the portrait covered] it's the large one in the other room covered by a sheet.
[A certain sharp seriousness pulls into his features: a flicker of warning.]
Do not move it, touch it, or stand too near to it if it can be at all avoided. It's an item of potent magical power, and beyond being important to me, it is, it can be, and it has, been extremely dangerous in the past.
it's not even about this painting dorian seems to be concerned about, drawing back to put space between them. it's another facet of this man he doesn't really know or even understand, glancing at his face and keeping still so he isn't even remotely tempted to look back towards the direction the picture rests. and anyway, that's not the most concerning thing to question. who is this man he's inviting over? what does dorian know about him? does he even have a right to question that when he'll be in and out most of the time save for the daylight hours? ]
I won't. [ the words are a bit stern. ] I don't know if you think there's something I could gain from anything like that, but there isn't. Those things don't interest me. So, whatever secrets you have and whatever you decide to tell me – they're safe with me.
[ he couldn't be compelled to give them up, not unless sun decided to show his face in the city, but even then, there's no real power the other vampire has over him—which makes it all the more enticing for his maker to want him apparently. larus' expression lightens a little but not enough to be pleasant. ]
I hope you can trust whoever this Grayson Frost is to do the same.
I can't for now, [Dorian admits] but we're coming to a mutually beneficial arrangement bound by some kind of magical contract. It should keep him from talking. [A brief, considering pause.] If the contract allows it, I'll tell you about it when everything's finished.
[He couldn't say why, but he doesn't think there's much need to tell Larus that he's fine with keeping him out of the matter completely. Similarly, any reassurances that he's planning on protecting him seem like they also wouldn't necessarily be appreciated.
But there's also no need to withhold anything about the arrangement that won't be controlled by the pact. Larus is going to be living with him, and the care that's building slowly between them tells him he can let himself believe that they have each other's backs.]
But I do trust you. This is only something that needed underlining because of the magics involved.
It should, but you don't really know that. Is he a witch?
[ he can only see magical contracts as dangerous, something stupid and pointless to get involved in because it never goes the way anyone thinks it will. larus hadn't seen dorian as the type to pursue such endeavors, but then, he doesn't know him that well yet. he's picked up things here and there, has been told more than others he's met (apparently). beyond that? there's so much he needs to figure out, staring at him like he could will it out of him somehow. ]
Either way, [ he continues on before dorian can answer. ] you should always know what kind of person you're dealing with before making that kind of agreement.
[ his mind jumps to their brief discussion of their own contract and has to force his thoughts on that silent. ]
There are dangerous people everywhere, and they'll take everything if they believe they can. [ his own experiences have told him as much. ] But I'm sure you know that just as well as I do.
[This is easily one of the more revealing things he's heard Larus say in the time since they met. ("But you know that just as well as I do.") He's come to know that Larus has a hard edge, but this is something else. Something more. There's a chilly kind of rationalism here that only comes from someone seeing something harsh, or having something harsh done to them.
There's the obvious possibility, but it's something that's hard to guess at easily without it coming from the other man himself.
Dorian frowns, mulling over the thought until Larus distracts him.]
I wasn't being overwhelmed with options for protecting my picture, and Grayson impressed me. [His tone has a note of 'You weren't there, Larus'.] He demonstrated his magic, proved that he could satisfy my needs, and I chose.
I can tell he's hiding something, but... [There's something there, too. His meeting with Grayson had the feeling of being a masked man in the presence of someone wearing something very similar. Someone very comfortable and experienced in the art of hiding the relevant. He's sure he saw more peeking out from beneath more than once. It's a potential warning sign, but not one without attendant charms and intrigue.] I can't say what. [Yet.]
But yes, he's some kind of sorcerer. Probably more.
[ there's a biting reply just on the tip of his tongue, something curt and probably a bit mean, but he chooses to sit on it rather than speak. he clearly doesn't know all the details of this meeting or what had transpired; even if he asked, he wonders if it would paint enough of something to figure out what it is dorian didn't see. doubtful, if he's being realistic, and that tells larus that the only way to know for certain is to find this grayson frost and work it out himself.
it's oddly nostalgic how hard this conversation is hitting him too, having had many similar ones in the past—mostly with casimir. a bargain struck with someone unknown, no information aside from a careless whim. he should think better of people and their ability to take care of themselves, but life has taught him that it's always a work-in-progress. ]
Did you ever stop to consider that having those options wasn't necessary? This city likes to hand out everyone's secrets as gifts, but they're still very particular. No one's allowed in these rooms unless you give them permission either. [ needless to say, that's pointing to the sole fact dorian only has to trust himself with the people he sees and decides to bring back.
larus takes a moment to smooth his fingers over his knee, having felt them curling tight into a fist. he sighs. ] I'm not your keeper, Dorian, so it shouldn't matter what I think. But you should be careful. I hope you know what you're doing.
[ everything about this leaves a bitter taste sitting in the back of his throat. ]
No, [he admits freely. He didn't stop and consider anything besides reaching for the best, and most easily-controllable option that presented itself as soon as possible. Working off no information, he thinks he did as best he could.] But my own experiences with protecting myself have shown me that it's better to be the one to make the first move-- on top of that, we struck a deal.
[There's an angry tone that he's hearing, still understated in the way he's becoming used to from Larus, that feels slightly beyond the scope of what's deserved. The charred aftertaste of having bitten off more than he could chew at some time or another? An expression of concern?
It's not immediately clear, but he will move closer.]
But I'll be careful. [His voice evens out into something more smooth, shifting back towards persuasive.] It goes without saying, too, that I don't have any intention of letting this suite a dangerous place for either of us.
[ even as dorian speaks, larus' thoughts are already elsewhere. there's a directory, he knows, and since he has a name, it should be simple enough to look up information and contact this person. maybe not even talk to him directly for a while, though outright stalking him might come with some problems. his eyes dart towards the other when he moves, interrupted from a spiral that would no doubt keep him busy for a while. ]
I know. [ it's back to softer words, tucking his annoyance away to consider later. ] It's a nice sentiment, even if I'm used to taking care of myself. I'll do what I can though – to help you.
[ because he still hasn't forgotten what dorian did for him, most likely saving his life when he could have left him in a pool of his own blood. the least he could do is return the favor in some way. ]
[ he looks at him. ] Is there anything else I need to know?
[Dorian sees Larus vanish behind a thoughtful look for a moment and stops his forward momentum, watching him curiously.]
Right now? [He slips his hands casually into his pockets.] No. You'll be pleased to hear that I haven't made any other business deals or plans in the time I've been here.
The rest of this is roommate stuff. [It's been a little less than a century since he's had one, and all of them collegiate. At least each of them looks the part.]
As I understand it, there are certain things that you're unable to get for yourself that I'm going to have to buy for you. We can cross food off the list [For obvious reasons, unless they want to try to come to some arrangement with a butcher shop or blood bank. He's done it before.] so the next things would be clothes, and anything you'd like to make this a more comfortable space.
[Creature comforts. From what he's learned of Larus he doubts the other man has many, if any, but if there's anything, it will be tended to.]
You can have anything you want. [He's completely, openly sincere on that point.] Funds allowing, of course.
[ at least this is a much easier conversation to have, though it's a little off-putting to transition his thoughts from some (obviously) reckless endeavor to something simplistic like clothes and material objects. a glance down at the shirt he's wearing, and maybe that offer isn't such a bad idea. (he already misses the jacket that had been disposed of, if only because his things from home are now rather limited.)
larus' expression thins just slightly. ]
There's nothing I want that you can buy me. [ it's a quiet sort of response. ] I'd like to have whatever it is I need from you so I can go where I want without being stopped by the guards, but beyond that... [ a shrug. ] I don't mind keeping things the way you like them in here.
[ maybe, over time, he might come to add some personal touches here and there, but even before he'd died, he'd never really been the type to hold onto such things. there's a brief urge to reach over and touch him, but not while they're talking about any of this. ]
If there's anything I want in the future, I'll tell you.
[That's easy, and now the offer's on the table for if there does come a time when the other man wants to take advantage of it. If Larus wants to give him full control of how he populates their space with things that interest him, then Dorian's pleased to do so.
The true undercurrent to all this is feeling out how much of a home the suite is going to be between them, if at all. Dorian naturally turns those places he spends his time in into spaces with fingerprints of his personality and desires on them. But whether it becomes a truly shared space with Larus will take some time to see and to let develop.
Ideally, he wants Larus to feel comfortable.]
You need my permission, I think, but I don't know if there's a more formal aspect to it than that. Give me a day or so and I'll look into it.
[ he wants to be comfortable there, with him, and though it will take a while, larus also knows it's just a matter of time. there's a connection between them he wants to cultivate, regardless of his feelings for a certain telepath back home, and he needs to try being flexible with dorian, glancing at him directly for a moment before deciding to follow through and reach out to touch him. at first, it's a light graze along his arm. then, almost carefully, he presses his fingers against his wrist.
the thought keeps needling at him—the stain of red along fair skin. ]
I'm not in a hurry. I probably shouldn't visit the Down for at least a few days anyway.
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This is something new. That, and a sudden jumping forward in intimacy and trust with someone he met not that long ago. To his absolute surprise as he reflects on it, it's pleasing. An easy sort of trust that he doesn't fully understand, but that feels natural. His thoughts flash back to the memories of Larus tonguing up the blood on his arm, and then the soft displeasure of the other man's expression as he'd shrugged off the existence of the attackers that had almost killed him. Of the gentle way the vampire tended to him and reached out to peel bloodstained clothes from his body.
It all reinforces to him that this is the right decision. There's something here between them: quieter than he's accustomed to, and compelling.
Another moment spent on his back, and then Dorian rolls himself up to a sitting position. He stretches, and prepares to go start his morning routine as he waits for the inevitability of the intense discussion that awaits him in the hours to follow.
Ten minutes later, and he's perching himself on the loveseat in the main sitting room, sipping at a frothy coffee and nibbling at a fruit tart as he idly browses the network on his phone. It's simpler than trying to think ahead to how, exactly, to start the conversation that needs to happen with Larus.]
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he'd never really understood that part of himself, how he just knows it's out there, but he can sense it the very moment he opens his eyes, quickly moving from the bed to tug the curtains tightly over the window before retreating to a corner of the room to sit in a chair that had been placed there. having never stayed at dorian's before, he listens to the sounds of the people in the building waking up and then dorian himself, lingering only a little longer than his obvious entrance into the kitchen before emerging.
larus' hair is still a mess, having dried so that some of the wave in his hair falls chaotically, and he'd carefully buttoned the shirt to cover himself while also rolling up the cuffs to free his wrists and hands. but whatever he might look like doesn't matter, feeling much more energized and having healed while he'd slept. if anything remains, it'll be gone by the time the sun goes down. and rather than rush into the main room, he stands in the hallway to watch dorian for a few seconds longer.
he doesn't think he's ready for this conversation, but it needs to be done. ]
How are you feeling? [ it's asked as he crosses the space between them to join him on the loveseat, a bit more at ease than he has been the last few times they've spent time together there. ]
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Fresh from sleeping the sleep of the young. No nightmares, surprisingly. [Probably because his brain and body were simply too exhausted to conjure up anything. The portrait can remove physical maladies that alter him, but bone-tired exhaustion has never fallen under its purview, unfortunately.
He searches Larus' face. The bruise on the other man's cheek is almost completely gone.]
You look a lot better. [In every conceivable way, really. All that's missing is color in the cheeks.]
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Because of you. [ which isn't a reminder he wants to get into, though larus just decides to move right into what's been on his mind since the early hours of the morning. ] And I won't hold anything you said against you if it's not something you really wanted to offer.
[ the contract, he means. living there with him. exhaustion can do a number of things, and if both of them had been tired enough to simply sleep, it's telling as to what could have been brought up in the heat of the moment. ]
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Another beat, and he settles the teacup in his hands down onto the coffee table. ]
I meant every word. [The decision had bubbled up on a whim, but now he's seized on it.] I wouldn't have offered it if I didn't.
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I just want to be sure since I know how you feel about it. [ he sweeps his thumb over the spot he's kissed. ] What is it that you want from all of this?
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And, miraculously, he's thought about the answer to the question posed to him. It's probably why, when the moment comes, his reply comes out as smoothly as it does.]
The simplest answer to that question is that I want to make my time in the city to my taste as possible. You mentioned before that you don't consider yourself high maintenance, and I believe you. That's what I want for myself: if I have to follow the rules, it will be on my terms, and with little interruption to my lifestyle.
[Dorian pauses, punctuating his words by reaching to take a short sip of his coffee.]
But I also want to keep you here with me, and for you to be mine. To talk with you and become used to your company. To see your face most days and hear you talk without any flourishes. To have sex with you.
I'm not planning on tying you up and bending you over a couch arm, if that's of any concern, but I won't take it off the table if you'd give me your consent. [Because it would be stirring, not to mention fun.]
That being said, I'm glad to talk about this at whatever length, and to hear out any terms you have.
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his lips press thin, briefly staring across the room at the curtains pulled shut and the obvious peak of sunlight through the slightest opening. ]
The only one I have is not having some requirement to bite you. If I ever do, [ he clearly looks as if that will never happen as he says it ] then it will be my choice first. I won't take anything from you unless you give it to me willingly.
[ as for the rest of it, well. ] Whatever else there is, we can discuss it as it happens – even sex. Just – [ the pause is seconds long, his voice softer. ] Be patient with me. I haven't lived with anyone else in years. I'm not used to a lot of things.
[ having someone interested and concerned for him among them. ]
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Done. [He doesn't want to be bitten either (or doesn't anytime soon, at least) so it works.] If it comes up, even in the context of something like what happened last night, we'll find a way around it.
[His brows hike curiously at Larus pushing on to their living situation. There are some things that the other man accepts easily that other people might not, and it's very interesting to him.]
Neither have I, so it's going to be a learning experience for each of us all over again.
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I can be patient. [ frustratingly so. ] And maybe there's more we should add to it, but I need time to think on it. I don't know if there's much I need or want besides the basics of a normal contract.
[ he really hates the way that sounds, like some business deal. like he's property. ] It's not urgent yet anyway.
[ they can try to figure out more specifics in the next few days rather than rush off to sign something that binds them together. hopefully, it will become more of a partnership as things move forward too. ]
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[Which is a strange realization, that he might feel so willing to extend this kind of trust where one of his most deeply-held secrets is concerned. But it feels right.]
People not knowing about this part of my life is a convenience for me-- and it's also a safeguard where some supernatural elements are concerned. I think you understand what I mean by that. [After all, Larus had told him directly that he shouldn't let the city use this part of his life against him.
If only there were a way to be assured it wouldn't.]
Can I trust you with this without putting it down in ink? [With this man, he's finding that he would much rather have it this way than as part of a legal mandate.]
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there has to be more to it than what he's seen so far though. ]
I told you I wasn't going to use that knowledge against you. [ if he could help it. ] And I'd never betray your trust like that. It will stay with me even if we decide not to keep this contract in the future.
[ such things are important to him, and maybe he needs to work harder to prove that to dorian even as he shifts just that much closer to him so he could touch him. he only takes his hand, soaking up the heat of his skin. it's a liberty he finds that he likes, and that's something else to think about. ]
I want you to trust me, Dorian. I'm giving you one of the few things I have left to offer. I'd rather not throw any of that away.
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There's one more thing you need to know, then, for my purposes.
[Purely so Larus takes care around his portrait until he has time to get Grayson over to ward it with his magic.]
In a few days' time a man named Grayson Frost is going to come here to ward the picture in the other room. If you haven't seen it [and he has kept the door shut most of the time and the portrait covered] it's the large one in the other room covered by a sheet.
[A certain sharp seriousness pulls into his features: a flicker of warning.]
Do not move it, touch it, or stand too near to it if it can be at all avoided. It's an item of potent magical power, and beyond being important to me, it is, it can be, and it has, been extremely dangerous in the past.
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it's not even about this painting dorian seems to be concerned about, drawing back to put space between them. it's another facet of this man he doesn't really know or even understand, glancing at his face and keeping still so he isn't even remotely tempted to look back towards the direction the picture rests. and anyway, that's not the most concerning thing to question. who is this man he's inviting over? what does dorian know about him? does he even have a right to question that when he'll be in and out most of the time save for the daylight hours? ]
I won't. [ the words are a bit stern. ] I don't know if you think there's something I could gain from anything like that, but there isn't. Those things don't interest me. So, whatever secrets you have and whatever you decide to tell me – they're safe with me.
[ he couldn't be compelled to give them up, not unless sun decided to show his face in the city, but even then, there's no real power the other vampire has over him—which makes it all the more enticing for his maker to want him apparently. larus' expression lightens a little but not enough to be pleasant. ]
I hope you can trust whoever this Grayson Frost is to do the same.
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[He couldn't say why, but he doesn't think there's much need to tell Larus that he's fine with keeping him out of the matter completely. Similarly, any reassurances that he's planning on protecting him seem like they also wouldn't necessarily be appreciated.
But there's also no need to withhold anything about the arrangement that won't be controlled by the pact. Larus is going to be living with him, and the care that's building slowly between them tells him he can let himself believe that they have each other's backs.]
But I do trust you. This is only something that needed underlining because of the magics involved.
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[ he can only see magical contracts as dangerous, something stupid and pointless to get involved in because it never goes the way anyone thinks it will. larus hadn't seen dorian as the type to pursue such endeavors, but then, he doesn't know him that well yet. he's picked up things here and there, has been told more than others he's met (apparently). beyond that? there's so much he needs to figure out, staring at him like he could will it out of him somehow. ]
Either way, [ he continues on before dorian can answer. ] you should always know what kind of person you're dealing with before making that kind of agreement.
[ his mind jumps to their brief discussion of their own contract and has to force his thoughts on that silent. ]
There are dangerous people everywhere, and they'll take everything if they believe they can. [ his own experiences have told him as much. ] But I'm sure you know that just as well as I do.
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There's the obvious possibility, but it's something that's hard to guess at easily without it coming from the other man himself.
Dorian frowns, mulling over the thought until Larus distracts him.]
I wasn't being overwhelmed with options for protecting my picture, and Grayson impressed me. [His tone has a note of 'You weren't there, Larus'.] He demonstrated his magic, proved that he could satisfy my needs, and I chose.
I can tell he's hiding something, but... [There's something there, too. His meeting with Grayson had the feeling of being a masked man in the presence of someone wearing something very similar. Someone very comfortable and experienced in the art of hiding the relevant. He's sure he saw more peeking out from beneath more than once. It's a potential warning sign, but not one without attendant charms and intrigue.] I can't say what. [Yet.]
But yes, he's some kind of sorcerer. Probably more.
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it's oddly nostalgic how hard this conversation is hitting him too, having had many similar ones in the past—mostly with casimir. a bargain struck with someone unknown, no information aside from a careless whim. he should think better of people and their ability to take care of themselves, but life has taught him that it's always a work-in-progress. ]
Did you ever stop to consider that having those options wasn't necessary? This city likes to hand out everyone's secrets as gifts, but they're still very particular. No one's allowed in these rooms unless you give them permission either. [ needless to say, that's pointing to the sole fact dorian only has to trust himself with the people he sees and decides to bring back.
larus takes a moment to smooth his fingers over his knee, having felt them curling tight into a fist. he sighs. ] I'm not your keeper, Dorian, so it shouldn't matter what I think. But you should be careful. I hope you know what you're doing.
[ everything about this leaves a bitter taste sitting in the back of his throat. ]
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[There's an angry tone that he's hearing, still understated in the way he's becoming used to from Larus, that feels slightly beyond the scope of what's deserved. The charred aftertaste of having bitten off more than he could chew at some time or another? An expression of concern?
It's not immediately clear, but he will move closer.]
But I'll be careful. [His voice evens out into something more smooth, shifting back towards persuasive.] It goes without saying, too, that I don't have any intention of letting this suite a dangerous place for either of us.
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I know. [ it's back to softer words, tucking his annoyance away to consider later. ] It's a nice sentiment, even if I'm used to taking care of myself. I'll do what I can though – to help you.
[ because he still hasn't forgotten what dorian did for him, most likely saving his life when he could have left him in a pool of his own blood. the least he could do is return the favor in some way. ]
[ he looks at him. ] Is there anything else I need to know?
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Right now? [He slips his hands casually into his pockets.] No. You'll be pleased to hear that I haven't made any other business deals or plans in the time I've been here.
The rest of this is roommate stuff. [It's been a little less than a century since he's had one, and all of them collegiate. At least each of them looks the part.]
As I understand it, there are certain things that you're unable to get for yourself that I'm going to have to buy for you. We can cross food off the list [For obvious reasons, unless they want to try to come to some arrangement with a butcher shop or blood bank. He's done it before.] so the next things would be clothes, and anything you'd like to make this a more comfortable space.
[Creature comforts. From what he's learned of Larus he doubts the other man has many, if any, but if there's anything, it will be tended to.]
You can have anything you want. [He's completely, openly sincere on that point.] Funds allowing, of course.
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larus' expression thins just slightly. ]
There's nothing I want that you can buy me. [ it's a quiet sort of response. ] I'd like to have whatever it is I need from you so I can go where I want without being stopped by the guards, but beyond that... [ a shrug. ] I don't mind keeping things the way you like them in here.
[ maybe, over time, he might come to add some personal touches here and there, but even before he'd died, he'd never really been the type to hold onto such things. there's a brief urge to reach over and touch him, but not while they're talking about any of this. ]
If there's anything I want in the future, I'll tell you.
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The true undercurrent to all this is feeling out how much of a home the suite is going to be between them, if at all. Dorian naturally turns those places he spends his time in into spaces with fingerprints of his personality and desires on them. But whether it becomes a truly shared space with Larus will take some time to see and to let develop.
Ideally, he wants Larus to feel comfortable.]
You need my permission, I think, but I don't know if there's a more formal aspect to it than that. Give me a day or so and I'll look into it.
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the thought keeps needling at him—the stain of red along fair skin. ]
I'm not in a hurry. I probably shouldn't visit the Down for at least a few days anyway.
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A few days? [Dorian's attention is suddenly fixed. Harder.] You're joking, right?
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.... forgot about sunlight woops shhh
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