27 Jun 2010

A Taste of Freedom – Pt 1

Author: eternalmaestro | Filed under: A Taste of Freedom, Story

“Nothing need be discussed.”

I had woken early that evening, something jarring me from my slumber with a disquieting insistence. Blinking my eyes open as I fought the urge to frown, my unease was compounded by the fact that the sun was still bright in the sky. It was a discomfort to be awake during the day because no matter how much of Peter’s blood I have taken I constantly feel sluggish and my senses are dulled. ‘Vampires are not meant to be awake during the daylight hours. Even Peter admits he can feel the difference between night and day, though it is not so drastic as what I experience. Still, I imagine this is as close to feeling human as I have ever experienced in more than four centuries.’

‘So why am I awake?’

The answer manifested easily as I stretched on the bed, a frown still tugging at my expression. When one of my arms crossed the center of the bed I realized I only encountered sheets. Turning my head to the side confirmed the obvious absence. My husband was not in bed.

Pushing myself to sitting, I rubbed my palms over my face in an attempt to become more alert. It did help, albeit marginally, and I swung my legs over the side to came to a stand. Reaching gently for the blood bond humming in the back of my consciousness to get a better sense of why Peter was up and about at this hour, I received a further shock. Peter was still asleep. The frown finally won as I left the bedroom in search of Flynn.

He was sitting at Peter’s desk, writing, when I entered the sitting room. Since he had not heard me approach, I took a moment to study him from the doorway, watching him write. Whatever the topic was, he was troubled. Our bond practically screamed with uncertainty, doubt, resolve, resignation, and a host of other contradictory emotions. In situations like this, Peter refuses to use his abilities to read my thoughts out of deference to my privacy. And in every circumstance that has had him a bit more pensive than usual, I always respected his privacy as well. But I had never felt this level of disquiet from my husband, either. ‘I will ask Flynn’s forgiveness later.’ And with that, I reached out as unobtrusively as I could, and began to listen to my lover’s thoughts.

‘…could be dangerous. But I know what I have to do.’

My eyes widened and I could not entirely suppress my reaction from the bond. Flynn’s head lifted and then turned, as he lined me in his gaze, his own brimming with unshed tears. It shook me to the core, but I’d severed the open connection both in bond and in thought as soon as he’d set down the pen. I regretted prying into his mind and found myself needing to assert, albeit in a subdued tone, “Nothing need be discussed.”

I watched as he rotated the chair, his hands clasping together in his lap as he directed his gaze downward. “To you, and you alone, I would speak my thoughts. I only hesitate because half of them are riddled with confusion.” He frowned. “Not… with regard to how I feel about you, but how I can be so mired in the disposition I find myself.”

Since I hadn’t moved, I simply continued watching him from a few paces away, and nodded slowly. “And what disposition might this be?”

His expression became strained, as though he had to forcibly hold back tears. “I am so inexperienced with sentiment, my lover Victor. I do not know how to allow certain emotions to remain so potent and others not to be so intense. To some degree, I do, but with others, I seem powerless to control them.”

My brow furrowed as I attempted to riddle through his words and the feelings I could sense emanating from him. “You are…sad?”

A pained look crossed his features. “I… cannot stop myself from feeling so empty when I am not with you.” One solitary tear began to trickle down his cheek as testament to the raw emotions flooding through him, and he clenched his eyes shut.

Thoughts began circling through my mind, none of them helpful, all of them selfish. ‘Do you think I don’t miss you as well?’ After a somewhat uncomfortable silence, I realized I needed to say something. “This…” I trailed off, unable to think of anything constructive. “I see.”

His eyes opened and he looked at me. I could see his torment within them. “What does that mean… you see?”

I smiled softly, but it was bitter. “I cannot help you.”

Flynn’s expression hardened and he replied flatly, “I never asked you to help me. I understand this is my problem. Which is why I am remedying it.” His lips pressed together in a tense line.

Staring him down, my thoughts ran rampant. Knowing that anything I might want to say of my own struggles would not help matters prevented me from responding because it was all I could think of. I inhaled slowly, taking a deep breath as I waited for my frustration to pass. It helped, but only marginally, and I found myself letting out the breath even slower as I tried to relax. “And what is this remedy?”

I felt his reaction despite my firm grip on my side of the bond to keep it as closed as possible. He swallowed hard and looked down again, another tear rolling down his cheek. “I wish to do as Peter does. When I am conscious, he is asleep. I no longer wish a part of the dreamworld I have occupied, so I am abandoning it.”

Keeping my expression bland became a struggle, so I looked away. “You have a method of doing so?”

From the corner of my eye, I saw him nod. “I do. I…” He sighed. “…only hesitate to do so because it is somewhat dangerous.”

‘I can’t lose you again.’ My hand trembled and I was forced to clench it into a fist. “You are a capable man, Flynn.” My voice was colder than I intended it to be. “If it is possible to be done, I am certain you can see it through.”

Read the rest of this entry »

22 Jun 2010

Gathering Wool

Author: eternalmaestro | Filed under: Thoughts

This was not something ever put to paper, but was my mentality just a scant few weeks ago. A snapshot, if you will, of the same evening I received the letters from my lovers.

Why can’t I seem to shut my mind off and simply savor the incredible things in my life?

I have a gorgeous, loving, wonderful husband who had given my life so much meaning. I love him completely and could wish for nothing more than to spend eternity at his side.

And yet as I say those words… “nothing more” …I have to wonder if I am a hypocrite.

I would do anything for Peter. Absolutely anything. I would kill for him. I would die for him. And he would be the only reason I needed to live.

With Flynn, things are so new I cannot properly say where his place in my life is. He is far more than just another lover, like Delilah and Robin, and even just making the comparison is entirely unfair to him.

I wonder if I made a mistake.

Flynn returned so suddenly, so unexpectedly, that I was entirely unprepared for anything that transpired. When he did appear, I was determined simply to treat him in the same manner I always had, and was thus even more unprepared when things took the turn they did.

It was one of the few times in my long life where I simply… acted. I had no plan of the future, no notion of anything outside of the wall that he ended up pressed to and the feel of his mouth on mine, my hands on him. I even let him take my blood without any thought to disallowing it. He bit me and it was so natural, feeling him drink. So natural that I did not even think on my vows to Peter, that my blood was his and his alone barring his consent. Delilah is allowed to take my blood because we cannot bond. Robin was allowed once when he was in need of healing. John took it when I turned him. Flynn… Flynn took and Peter was not a thought in my mind.

That frightens me. More than anything else in this entire surreal life I find myself living. That for even a single moment in my encounter with Flynn, at a moment so crucial as the irreversible act of sharing my blood, where my thoughts should have been on my husband, my bonded, and the one being who I have ever given myself to so freely… That I gave to Flynn in precisely the same manner. Freely, without any thought to the consequences or the rights and wrongs or anything that might have deterred me.

Is that… what does that make me? The nuances of vampire relationships are complex at the same time as being simple. Peter and I have never made any bones in regard to sleeping with other people. We both bed our meals whenever the mood strikes us, and even he has been swept up in moments with both Delilah and Robin. And all of us together…

But emotions are different. Blood is different. And regardless of the fact that Peter has since expressed his complete and utter understanding of my relationship with Flynn, I still feel as though I did wrong by him. I know he would never hold it against me, and that he will say he understands, and I certainly don’t wish that he was vexed at me… But I still cannot properly wrap my head around the reality of the situation.

Why did the walls break down so easily?

I have always wanted to love Flynn. Even the times we were squared off against one another, at least after I came to know him better (that first meeting was simply two egos in the same room, though I did catch hints of the man he was…is…in that exchange), I wanted to offer him a hand in friendship and held out hope that one day it might be possible, barely entertaining the thought that there could ever be more though I admit it was always a part of the line of possibilities. You have to understand that I always saw Flynn as a person, as a being with thoughts and feelings and a perfect right to exist. It was cruel to both him and Peter to be trapped in the limbo they were – Peter, running from his past but unable to ever forget it because he carried his sins around with him as a constant presence – Flynn, wanting to enjoy something about his existence (though who knows if he would ever have ceased wanting more) but forced to steal moments of freedom to do so until Peter asserted himself in their joined psyche and took back control of their body. There was no solution to it. Even once Peter accepted his nature, he never trusted Flynn to be anything other than Flynn. “The devil’s promise is only as good as the sin it manufactures,” if I remember the phrase Peter once issued to me in regard to his alter ego. And while Peter might have been able to learn to overlook Flynn’s indulgences in hunting, provided he exercised discretion, he could not even entertain the thought of allowing the assassin moments of freedom because of the fear that Flynn might one day intend me permanent harm. …If I could be honest, I did not think Flynn ever would have killed me unless I gave him specific reason to, but Flynn is… Flynn. He hardly needs a ‘reason’ to any of his actions, and so even I could not assure Peter that something tragic would never come to pass. Thus, the merge made the most sense. Allow them both to live one life since separate lives was such rocky ground. I made my peace with the fact that Flynn as a separate entity would be gone, but I could not help wondering “what if…”.

It seems I have my answer.

Flynn acknowledges that this would not have been possible a year ago. He was set to see me as his rival, the being that was conspiring with the seer to make him entirely unneeded.

It stings me to know that he thought he was unwanted as well. Because, oh how I wanted…

The past cannot be changed and I cannot bring myself to regret it. I think of Flynn now and my relationship with him as a second chance that I never would have thought possible. Especially not with this much… happiness.

He tore my walls down with a single kiss. Not the first one I issued, and not even the first that he reciprocated. No, it was when he turned in my arms, after that first feverish coupling, and one of his hands gripped the back of my neck as he pressed his lips to mine. My thought, in that instant, was, ‘I think I just sold my soul, and it was a good bargain.’

My soul…that belongs to Peter, as all of me belongs to him. How many times have I said the words, “heart, mind, body, and soul,” to him? How many times have I told him that I was his?

How… how can I reconcile this? My mind keeps adding up the scales and finding them impossible to balance. I love Peter with everything that I am and my life is his. I want nothing more than to be his eternal companion.

But then there is Flynn.

That letter today… speaking of wedding bands… dear gods, the thoughts in my mind.

I want them both. They are allowing me both.

And yet the scales don’t balance.

I suppose what I am admitting is this – I love Flynn nearly as heedlessly as I love Peter, and this is merely the beginning of our relationship.

Does this cheapen what I have with Peter? He said in his letter it does not… that it was adding. Adding. And that he has been considering Flynn as a brother.

So why am I not happy? Am I simply waiting for the bubble to burst? Do I sense it ready to burst? Are the scales too easily tipped?

What will become of this?

I detest the thought, ‘I don’t deserve this,’ because it implies that I devalue myself. The truer expression of my thoughts would be that I want to be someone who deserves this, that I never want to let either of them down or disappoint them in any manner.

Flynn, you have no need of worrying if you please me. I loved your poem and it brought me to tears when I read it. It was beautiful.

Afterwards, though… I wondered began to wonder. Can I be enough for you? By loving you and Peter, and I reinflicting the past on you both? Half a lover, half a life with me…

If that is ever the truth, my choice will have to be to give my full life to Peter. I promised him, I vowed to him…

And yet…

There will come a day, soon, where I won’t be able to even entertain that thought. It might already have passed, considering how intensely I feel for Flynn.

And again, Peter was barely a thought while my heart was running wild.

Why is this happening to me? I never want to inflict pain on my husband, and can’t stand the thought that I might have placed us in the position where one day this situation will hurt him.

And then I hear the words again… Flynn saying he needed me. Gods, it is already too late. I can never stop loving him, do not want to stop being with him. Even if he did not have my blood already flowing in copious amounts in his veins.

I asked him to drink from me deeply last night partly in defiance to myself, to embrace what we have found together and to tell my mind to be silent rather than running wild with these possibilities.

But I know if I speak to either of them about this…

I want this. That is the one thing my mind keeps coming back to. For better or worse, I want them both in my life. I will give them anything they want, my love, my reassurance, my music, my soul… But I pray that they can share.

Does it count as half if you both have all of me? Do I even possess the ability to offer it to both of you?

I love you both. Gods… Peter… Flynn…

Please… please… I am terrified.

One moment, I want to stand up tall and shout, “Damn the odds, I want them both.” The next, “Pitfalls and perils… I will hurt them… I will cheapen it… They deserve more.”

And yet I know they both will choose me.

The scales don’t balance and I don’t think they ever will.

You both have me. I don’t know how it works, but it does.

It does.

Someday…if I repeat it often enough…maybe I will believe it.

22 Jun 2010

Pride Goeth Before a Fall

Author: eternalmaestro | Filed under: Story

Author’s note: Victor has always been reluctant to discuss his own turning and the subsequent years that followed. However, a few months ago, when he and Peter were visiting London as part of their honeymoon travels, he did allow me to write out a few snapshots. I had been hoping, but doubt they will ever be made into a fully realized story. Still, I feel they are worth reading in their own right. I enjoyed doing research into the time period to get a better feel for how Victor would have been as a human.

——

Walking through streets familiar and yet not, I have only a very faint sense nostaligia for the city where I grew up as a mortal. I had been born in 1583, before the first English colony was ever established on what would one day be American soil. The world was harsh, cruel, and the city even more so. It was crowded, noisy, and in most places smelled worse than a rotting corpse. But it had been home.

There were quite a few sights that were staples for visits. One was of course the London Bridge, so different now then when I was alive but still a staple of the city. I had resided, like most people, in the part of London north of the river. But on occasion I would venture across the bridge, sparing a glance or two up towards the latest batch of traitor’s heads raised on pikes at the entranceway, past the shops and homes and offices that littered both sides and at points even spanned the width of the bridge, obscuring the sun, crossing the Thames to see a play at the Globe Theatre or to find a woman to entertain for the evening. South Bank was the most dangerous part of the city, rife with pick-pockets, petty thieves, whores, con-artists and nearly any other denizen of the city’s underbelly. But it was a lively place and the food at the pubs was cheap and where the company mostly pleasant, so long as you had a few coins in your purse to spare.

Yes, men had purses in those days. There were no such things as pockets, unless they could be attached to your belt. The intelligent wore their money-pouches inside their clothes but that still did not always deter a determined thief. There were so few jobs then. And barely enough food for the common folk, though the Lords and Princes all had more than enough. Queen Elizabeth did take care of her own, that was for certain.

Which is why I was ever thankful that I had taken up training as a barrister rather than joining my father and older brother in the family line of work. If chance had not intervened, I would have been canny with the money I earned, intending one day to buy my own coat of arms and secure a title. Since I wanted to raise a family, that course of action would have been the best way to provide for them. Which is most of the reason I had not yet married.

Being a bachelor at 21 was not entirely uncommon, but if I had waited much longer to choose a mother for my children I’m certain my peers would have started to wonder on my behalf. I had desired a wife, and a family, but continued holding off a decision to allow myself to be a trifle more selective than merely finding a handsome woman of good breeding. Consider me a romantic, but I had hoped to marry a woman for love.

Of course, all that changed the night I met Alima. To this day I am still not entirely certain why she chose to turn me rather than simply murder me. She did often try to tell me there was something special about me, but as the years passed and I looked back on those early days, I realized that she whispered such things to me because it made me accept my new nature all the more readily. It worked, so I can hardly fault her.

Being able to see the city of my birth four centuries later is one of the many reasons I hold no regret towards what I am today. But it seems no matter where I start off in the evening, my thoughts always turn to my mortal days when I am in London. Read the rest of this entry »

21 Jun 2010

The Immortal Gift – Pt 1.3

Author: eternalmaestro | Filed under: Story, The Immortal Gift

Pt 1.2

“He cannot be here when I bring her home.”

“Are you even certain you should bring her here at all?”

“Were I free to leave, I would disappear as soon as she wakes.”

“Ah. You still owe Martin a favor.”

“You know it is more than that. You also know why I am in his debt.”

“You don’t need to remind me.”

“Are you certain?”

“You really want to do this with me?”

“I am merely restating the point. He cannot be here. I cannot leave. You and Sora owe me at least a few days of peace.”

“What will happen when he returns?”

“I will hope Martin requests my services soon.”

“If he doesn’t?”

“I will continue to hope.”

“You may wish to pray.”

“I highly doubt your God will be listening.”

“He always listens, and he always answers.”

“A pity that the reply always seems to be ‘no’.”

“I prefer to think of it as ‘You must find the way to help yourself by using what has been given to you’.”

“So I have your word that Samuel will not be here?”

“You are far too smug to have ever been properly pious.”

——————————————————

I held her in silence, my mind racing. She had cried herself to sleep in my arms, her head on my chest. I’d stroked her hair out of instinct to soothe her because there was little else I could do. This was not something I could take back.

‘Did I do wrong?’

I rarely questioned myself. Not because I never made mistakes but because before I committed myself to a course of action that was at all significant I would spend a goodly amount of time analyzing the possible outcomes and resolving myself to them before making a final decision. There had been times, certainly, where I wished I might have had longer to give matters consideration, but even those I could acknowledge that whatever I had done, I did it on at least some basis of rational thought.

There had been little in the way of thought prior to turning her, the girl the my arms. I had simply …acted. I had wanted. I had taken. And I had given. And now, she was mine. My child. My first child. One hundred and sixty eight years vampire, a grand total of one hundred and eighty nine years on this earth, and she was my first child in every sense since I also had not fathered as a mortal. I had brought her into a life of blood and eternal night because I had felt compelled to do so. It had been there, in her eyes, before my glamor had closed the windows to her soul with vampiric compulsion. But I remembered those stormy hazel portals that had granted me a single glimpse of her spirit. A single glimpse that had been enough for my own spirit to respond.

So I’d stopped Samuel from taking her back to the nest. He still had his pet, ‘Her sister’, I amended silently as I remembered the harsh words she had been screaming at me not long ago.

‘I don’t even know her name. Willing to risk everything for her and all I can call her is Shatzi …my treasure.’

She stirred in my arms and I tried to prepare myself for what might come. I had watched her rise and assisted her to feed, after which she had enticed me, in the grip of her instincts, and I had coupled with her, and then… Then she had remembered. Her conscious mind returned and she’d recoiled from me. She’d screamed, yelled, and accused me of being the one who’d taken her sister. ‘How do I tell her…’

Her whimper cut off my train of thought. It was followed by her arms wrapping around me and clinging as her face buried against my chest. “Why is it so bright?” Her voice was soft, and contained a note of hysteria. “Ohh, and loud. And… and… I can smell things.” Her head lifted and her eyes met mine. “I can smell you. Why doesn’t that bother me?”

I kept my gaze steady. “Because I am the one who will look after you now.”

She frowned. “I have a husband for that.” I kept my expression neutral at hearing those words. Her eyes grew wide in sudden remembrance. “Oh Gott, did I… did we…” She froze but then forced herself to look down. Immediately, she let go of me and curled into herself, folding her arms across her bare breasts. “Where are my clothes?”

“Would you like me to get them?” I asked softly.

Her nod was the only response she gave. I shifted away from her, bringing my feet underneath me to push myself to a stand. As I gathered up the strewn clothing, I stole glances at her. ‘She seems so delicate, almost fragile,’ I mused, ‘A tiny little thing. But I know what I saw in her eyes. Someday… Someday, she will thank me.’ Task complete, I moved closer again and held out to her the dirt-covered dress she had been wearing, the bodice torn from the force I’d employed to tear it away from her. ‘I will need greater control than that.’ She looked up, startled. “I didn’t hear you come back.”

I raised an eyebrow as our eyes locked for the briefest of moments, but then she looked away again. Standing there in silence, I wondered what she might be thinking until she suddenly reached out and snatched the pieces of clothing from my hand. I let go quickly lest she tear them by accident with her new strength, but that didn’t seem to be what caught her attention. “Mein Gott, how did I…” Staring at her hands, her expression betrayed her disbelief. “I moved… I could barely feel the effort. So quick,” she murmured, and then her eyes darted back up to mine. “You. What is it about you? I want to ask you a hundred things and I know I’ll believe you. I don’t even know your name, but I feel like I know you.”

‘The maker bond. My blood is inside you, Shatzi. And if you feel that close to me, it is a strong connection.’ “Victor.”
Read the rest of this entry »

2 May 2010

…Flynn…

Author: eternalmaestro | Filed under: Story

Author Note: This is somewhat surreal to be posting, but it seems to be needed. This is portions of the chat log conversations between Peter and Victor over the past two days. The first part begin partway into a conversation, but quickly flips to the relevant topic. I should probably take a moment to explain why this is so momentous, so please bear with me.

Up through last August, Peter had a split personality. His alter’s name was Flynn, and he oftentimes gave Peter a great deal of grief. Why, you might ask? Several reasons. One, Flynn was, once upon a time twenty five years ago, the deadliest vampire assassin stalking the streets of Philadelphia. All the vampire covens in the area knew his name and quaked in fear merely to hear it evoked. This was before there was a split personality, and Flynn was the only occupant of the body for five years. In that fifth year, a sorceress named Monica reminded Flynn that he was once Peter, and after several years and many trials, Peter, as a human, came back into the foreground.

At first, Flynn was a distant memory. Then a tragic event in Peter’s life provoked his vampire nature to reassert itself in more ways than just an allergy to sunlight and a set of fangs. Flynn became a fully split personality fifteen years ago and had plagued Peter ever since, taunting him from the background to embrace what he was, to revel in the carnage he could inflict, the fear he could inspire, as a vampire not ashamed of what he was. For fifteen years, Peter lived on banked blood, avoiding any actual hunting so long as he could help it. When he did hunt, Flynn was there, whispering temptation in his ear, to kill and to enjoy it, because Flynn was a vampire of indulgence.

When Victor and Peter became lovers last May, Flynn was a very strong presence constantly in the periphery. Peter worried that Flynn might be the one thing that would drive Victor away from him, and with good reason. Even in their first meeting, Flynn and Victor squared off against one another, neither refusing to blink but both asserting that there was a line drawn in the sand. The animosity waxed and waned over the months, but culminated in one actual, physical confrontation between the two of them. Had Flynn been armed, Victor might not have walked away, but as it was merely a fist fight Victor’s age and advantages of his bloodline allowed him to put the assassin in his place.

Then came another trial. Flynn had been quiet for several weeks, after the fight, but both Peter and Victor were still very much aware of his continued presence in Peter’s psyche. When matters elsewhere fashioned themselves into an inevitable confrontation with another, elder vampire, Victor knew that Peter would not let him walk into danger alone. But Peter had a passenger.

A very skilled passenger, at that. It took some persuasion, but Victor convinced Peter that he wanted to ask Flynn for either his help or his agreement in carrying out the confrontation. What resulted was the first harmonious (or as harmonious as things could be with Flynn in the picture) meeting of the minds between all three men. The battle was won with Flynn’s help, and resulted directly in Peter realizing that with all the changes of the past months in his outlook on life, he was capable of merging his personalities and mending the rift. During the battle itself, the merge was temporary to allow the use of both Flynn’s sword skills and Peter’s seer gifts, but Flynn later agreed to allowing it to be permanent.

In the intervening months, Victor has seen evidence of the merge in many ways. Peter is still very much Peter, but there are moments where that glint of wickedness reminds Victor that Flynn always was and always will be a part of him. And those are moments that Victor has genuinely enjoyed witnessing.

But Flynn is one of those characters who simply can’t be forgotten. He no longer antagonizes Peter, obviously, since in Peter and Victor’s economy Flynn no longer exists as a separate entity …And yet he is still there. Speaking his name still grabs his attention, and he’s been existing without complaint in something of an alternate universe (he is currently living there with a vampiress named Gabrielle – a damaged soul whose mind did not make it through her own turning intact but who revels in her nature in a similar way Flynn does) and he will, rarely, pipe up in Victor and Peter’s chats as something of a third voice.

Over the course of the last two days, though, things took a very unexpected turn. Jules and I are still trying to sort out the “how, when, why” of the situation, but needless to say… It’s worth reading.

So without further ado, this is the transcript from the past few days. In total, it is over 12,000 words (we tend to refer to phenomenons like this as “characters co-opting the writers” because we were both fairly chained to our keyboards yesterday writing the bulk of this) and the beginning part is, as I mentioned at the start of this note, mid-way through a conversation. Usually Victor and Peter’s chats are in the first person, so that is how you will need to look at the beginning part of the transcript. Any bolded text in Peter’s dialogue, up until the break, is his own “emotes” while Flynn’s are denoted merely as text. Hopefully it’s not too confusing, but it does smooth out into the third person for the portion of the exchange written yesterday.

Raw chat logs so this is entirely unedited. Perhaps it will be written out as a separate piece at some point but for now…

Enjoy, and welcome to the surreal.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

*WARNING: explicit content (as though you didn’t already guess) between two male vampires.*

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

V: grins I’m certain it’s a farily common indulgence, but not one that fills the place entirely with smoke, either. raises an eyebrow My handler is now posing me the question whether or not I’ve ever smoked, but I’m informing her that unless it was done to blend in with a human crowd, no, I never had a habit of it. chuckles

P: chuckles, shakes head as i consider you no, i do not see you as the type, lover. unless it was for that purpose. a cigar, maybe, but even that would probably be rare. sighs it was a bad habit of mine from being the assassin. and i picked it up before because of all the night clubs and bars i used to frequent for my meals.

V: chuckles The added draw of the smoker who could offer someone a light. grins Were I discussing it with Flynn, I might wonder if he thought ill of relying on such a crutch to blend in and find a meal.

P: laughs oh heavens. pinches the bridge of my nose and he is offering, as a retort, “it helped me cover up the foul stench of their inebriation.”

V: laughs Smoking as a cover up to the selections at his choice of dining locales. He needed to have better taste. winks

P: laughs he argues taste was lacking in quality where he hunted, so he made do with the finest of what was offered. “those of us not sitting posh in sin city had to select from what our hunting grounds afforded.” sighs at him

V: grins I take it he was not a fan of the adage “you are what you eat”.

P: snickers no, not quite. shakes my head although he is countering with saying, “the last time i checked, i was not slim and blonde with pert breasts and a weak mind.” blinks, perks an eyebrow at him

V: chuckles It’s a shame I can’t honestly say it would be an improvement. grins Though I would offer to double check for him, if he was at all concerned.

P: bursts into laughter he cocks his head in my direction and says, “examine the prototype.”

V: laughs “But I know what the last thing he ate looks like.” grins “And every inch is already well documented.”

P: he grins “i can only imagine what the last thing he ate looks like.”

V: grins “I suppose that depends on your definition of ‘eating’.”

P: laughs “oh, i have been aware for some time of what his regular diet consists of, speaking of documented inches.”

V: raises an eyebrow, grins wickedly “You seem well aware of which inches are his favorites.”

P: bursts into laughter and glances at flynn. sees him light a cigarette “yes, i had to suffer through that for long enough.” he grins wickedly. “how are you enjoying the parts of me now in those inches you document?”

V: chuckles “I have never had any complaints with those inches.” glances him over, up and down, grins “How are you enjoying the knowledge that parts of you quite enjoy reciprocating that documentation?”

P: he exhales a plume of smoke as he huffs a chuckle. “could never have me as a conquest before, so now you must rely on the boy scout’s sentiments to enjoy that. not talented enough to seduce me on your own are you?”

V: raises an eyebrow “Talent was never the question, Flynn. I merely never wanted you that badly.”

P: he hums. “but you surely are enjoying reaping the benefits of it now.”

V: grins “I did say ‘that badly’. A shame I didn’t know then you were so keen on the idea of being seduced.”

P: laughs uproariously at the way he grimaces “merely questioning the expertise of the so-called expert.”

V: smirks at him “Hardly ’so-called’. After all, I simply did not direct my skills toward you. Perhaps you might have learned a trick or two, had I done so.”

P: he huffs a chuckle. “hardly know what you could have taught me. i do not dine on the same fare as the boy scout.”

V: grins “What is the mortal phrase, ‘don’t knock it until you try it’? You are only depriving yourself, Flynn.”

P: he smirks. “that might have worked for the boy scout, but i believe i might be more discerning in my tastes.”

V: laughs “Yes, slim blondes with pert breasts that may or may not reek of alcohol. Much more discerning.”

P: bursts into laughter oh, that one made an impact, lover. he is gritting his teeth right now.

V: chuckles He did offer me that one, you have to admit. winks

P: nods, chuckles yes, i believe if this would have been chess, he allowed you the unsupervised checkmate. because all he can do is mutter, “yes, well that should tell you where you rank on the grand scale of things.”

V: grins broadly “There are certain parts of you that disagree.” hums, chuckles I do somewhat miss bantering with him.

P: chuckles, nods yes, my handler confesses it is a bit of fun for her to watch. you are the only one able to match wits with him. winks

V: chuckles, kisses you We stand on relatively equal footing with each other, which is a distinct advantage compared to anyone else who might even attempt to offer him a challenge. grins

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

((This begins after a brief writer to writer conversation on twitter where it was mentioned that Victor was still dwelling on the conversation from the night before, and Flynn piped back up very quickly. Jules and I would like to add the note that when it comes to writing Flynn and Victor, we have to take our hands off the wheel and just channel the characters. Somehow we don’t think there will be many complaints at the result.))

Victor chuckles. “Nothing to confront, assassin. Or are you looking for a rematch?”

he grins. “ah, there you are. i thought for a moment the boy scout had you too tied up. or am i getting the roles mixed up?”

Victor raises an eyebrow, grins.“We trade as the mood suits us. Concerned that he’s neglecting the parts of you that remain?”

flynn’s grin turns menacing “the boy scout, even with wisps of my personality intertwined, could not hold a candle to me.”

Victor eyes him up and down “From where I’m standing, my encounters with you have been far from comparing to Peter.”

flynn scoffs “oh please. you speak as though you have any experience with any encounter when you lack the intestinal fortitude.”

Victor laughs “If I didn’t know better I would wonder if I’ve left you wanting. Jealous I never tried anything?”

flynn grins and paces away from the wall “no, but i must confess, you have me curious. all this wanting and never taking.”

“Not all of us have the impulse control of an infant, Flynn.” he grins

flynn laughs “what you call the impulse control of an infant, i call having the scrotum with which to take what you want.”

Victor smirks “If I were looking for one last fuck before I die, it would not be in your bed.”

flynn grins in a slow, wicked manner “not up for a game of russian roulette? what a shame you are as emasculated as i thought.”

Victor raises an eyebrow “And here I thought I was saving you the embarrassment of discovering you enjoyed it.”

flynn smirks “you assume you could make me enjoy it. quite a high bar for you, sir, and i doubt your ability to deliver.”

Victor grins “And I doubt that you are worth the risk of Russian roulette.” the grin turns wicked “You would enjoy it.”

flynn mirrors victor’s grin “oh would i? i still remain unconvinced. all talk and bluster from your end of things. i could very easily say the same thing, sir. how would you know?”

Victor crosses his arms, the grin still in place “Perhaps if you ask nicely, I might show you.”


flynn scoffs. slowly he removes his suit jacket and tosses it aside, folding his arms across his chest
“i believe you are the one who should be asking nicely.”

Victor eyes him in an appraising manner “From antagonizing taking to asking. My, but you really are focused on having me.”

flynn scoffs “i said you should be asking me, sir. i never made any requests.” maintains steady eye contact with victor

Victor just watches him for a long moment, then steps forward into Flynn’s personal space, searching for a reaction.

flynn tsks “and you think you could handle me? all reluctance and calculating. i am severely doubting you.”

Victor smirks “You’re simply failing to entice me, Flynn. I’m not convinced it’s worth the trouble.”
flynn scoffs “failing to entice you?” he steps forward one pace and perks an eyebrow “for being so adept at stating a case as you claim to be, i am not very convinced.”

In response, Victor removes his suit jacket without taking his eyes from Flynn, and tosses it aside “You were in the periphery long enough to well know what I am capable of, Flynn.”

flynn grins like the devil “that was the boy scout, sir. i am not so easily placated.” he eyes victor down and then back up “and i do not believe you to be up to the task.”

Victor nods once “And I do not believe I’ve yet heard a reason to try and convince you.”

“come now..” he smirks “that ego of yours does not fancy the notion of me having to eat my words?”

Victor smirks in return “If that was reason enough, I would have had you a long time ago.”

flynn leans close and whispers “i think you are afraid.”

Victor leans closer “I think….” his eyes close, then blink back open “Why, Flynn?”

flynn blinks, somewhat taken aback “why what?”

Victor searches his eyes “Why put the temptation in front of me?”

“hmm…” flynn perks an eyebrow, stepping closer to victor “maybe i like seeing you wriggle. like seeing you squirm. maybe i find myself fascinated by the notion that i get you so fucking hot under the collar. and maybe, just maybe, you have me curious to see if you could put your money where your mouth is.” he stares intently “the ball is in your court, though, as the mortals are oft to say.”

Victor continues regarding him evenly “And if I say no?”

flynn shrugs “if that is your determination, then so be it.” he takes hold of victor’s collar, thusting him up against his chest “first you must look me in the eyes and convince me you do not want me, though.”

Victor blinks, dead silent for a long moment as he just stares blankly at Flynn. After blinking back into focus, he says quietly “I’ve already admitted that I want you. That somewhat precludes being able to convince you otherwise.”

flynn grins, the slightest hint of fangs peeking down “and for just one moment, you would not wish to take a bite of the apple? or are you above the serpant’s wiles?”

His body reacts both to the taunt and the sight of fangs, and being this close he knows Flynn will be able to smell it. Teetering on the edge, Victor’s hands lift and settle onto Flynn’s hips as he presses himself closer, allowing his own fangs to slide down. “See if you can handle the taste then, master assassin.” The next instant, one hand raised behind Flynn’s back, cupping around the base of his neck and pulling him down into a searing kiss that is heedless of fangs as, in the back of his mind, Victor waits to see how Flynn will respond.

flynn growls as victor’s lips meet his in an intense kiss, the taste of blood causing his own fangs to run down fully and scratch into victor’s lips, heedless of the blood exchanged as well. he laughs into the kiss and pushes victor back without letting go of him, walking with him until he forces victor’s back against the wall. he presses his body against victor’s “not bad, but i think you are holding back, sir. i have been kissed more soundly by the fairer sex.”

Victor growls, grabbing Flynn and spinning him to slam his back against this wall. This time his entire body is flush aginst Flynn’s as their lips meet and Victor forces his tongue past Flynn’s lips, spilling more blood from a slice along his fangs, hips pressing solidly against his and grinding for friction.

flynn groans and grins as victor kisses him, feeling victor’s tongue slip into his mouth and tasting the blood offered. he sucks on victor’s tongue until the wound closes and touches victor’s back, pressing their bodies more soundly together and slipping his tongue into victor’s mouth. with a growl, he starts feeling the pangs of lust overwhelming him and slides a hand up victor’s back, ripping his shirt from his pants and touching the bare skin underneath. with a sneer, he pulls from the kiss and murmurs “ah, my back slammed against the wall. an improvement. i wonder what i might provoke if i… without warning, he tugs victor’s tie undone and rips open the first few buttons of victor’s shirt. then he drives his fangs into victor’s neck

Victor calls out loudly, hands clutching at Flynn as his eyes roll back. A growl starts when he feels his blood being taken, and this time his hands are the one ripping buttons on Flynn’s shirt. Hands greedy on bare skin, one dips to the front of Flynn’s pants and cups purposely around the growing bulge even as the nails of his other hand rake down Flynn’s back beneath the loosely hanging shirt

flynn hisses and releases his hold on victor’s neck. his lips meet victor’s again, blood still coating his lips and mouth, in a searing kiss which serves as unspoken encouragement. the buttons of victor’s shirt and vest become forfeit and flynn hastily removes the offending garments from victor’s body. growling again, flynn grinds deliberately into the hold victor’s hand has on his lengthening cock and presses victor flush against him once more

Victor grins into the kiss, renewing it with fervor for a long moment and then ripping his lips away to plunge his fangs into Flynn’s throat. Still stroking through his pants, Victor’s fingers tighten their grip around Flynn’s cock and the movements become more deliberate as he grinds his own cock against Flynn’s body.

flynn moans as victor’s teeth enter his neck and sneers, a look of self-satisfaction on his face as he cups victor’s length and squeezes. his grin turns devilish “i think there are a lot more creative uses of those fangs. do not force me to name you a boy scout as well.” he pushes victor away, heedless of the blood running down his neck and strips off his shirt and his pants, eyeing victor as though daring him to do something about the distance between them. especially when his pants hit the ground

Captivated, barely restraining himself from pouncing back at Flynn, as soon as he sees him beginning to disgard his pants Victor grins wickedly and does the same, pants hitting the ground seconds after Flynn’s. “If you want creativity, you might just need a boy scout.” Moving forward as a blur, Victor kisses him again, hands groping over his body and pushing them roughly together. He shoves Flynn away deliberately, forcing the assassin back against the wall again “I wonder how long it will take me to memorize the sight of you bent over with my cock buried inside you. One fuck? Four?” His hand strokes Flynn’s cock harshly, and he leans forward to lick up the blood coating over his shoulder, raising his lips to Flynn’s ear. “Will you be able to handle it?”

flynn sneers, lowering his hand to cup victor’s balls and tugging on them “if you think me unable to handle a sound fucking then i doubt your ability to administer it. i think the operative question is, can you make me want to come back for more?” the harsh stroking of his cock makes his length rock hard and his body moves despite himself, grinding into the stroking, hips moving while his other hand slides across victor’s back. he deliberately drives his nails into victor’s skin and grins, his mouth hovering above victor’s ear this time“how many fucks will it take for me to be satisfied?”

“Let’s find out.” Scraping his fangs over Flynn’s shoulder, he releases the hold on his cock and grabs him roughly, spinning Flynn to face the wall and pressing his chest against Flynn’s back, pinning him there while his own cock digs into Flynn’s ass. Grinning, hands running down Flynn’s sides and along his hips, one hand lifts and settles onto the back of Flynn’s neck, holding him in place as his other hand is equally purposeful, sliding down to find Flynn’s opening. With no other warning than a probing touch, Victor shoves two fingers inside as deep as he can manage.

flynn hisses, feeling himself pinned and unable to move. the sensation of victor’s fingers entering rough into his opening provokes a groan, and flynn forces back into them as though to prove a point. with a wicked grin he lets victor finger fuck him and laughs, his cock twitching with how good it feels. still, the only evidence he lets on about it is the scent his body gives off and how rigid his cock is “you call that hard? come on, maestro, i thought you were supposed to be able to make the body an instrument…” he grits his teeth, shoving back as hard as possible against victor to provoke him further “let us see what you can do with that cock.”

Victor growls “When I’m good and ready.” He grins, pressing himself close and whispering, “I want to hear a moan, first.” Fingers curling deliberately, he hits Flynn’s prostate with three pointed thrusts.

“_oh holy fuck_…” flynn says, unable to control his response to the pointed thrusts. his eyes roll back and he moans despite himself “fucking hell…” he refuses to say it, but he wants this. his body is practically screaming for it

Humming, smirking, Victor nips at Flynn’s shoulder. “Now you can feel my cock.”Taking his fingers away, he quickly replaces them with the head of his cock pressing against Flynn’s opening. The hand still at the base of Flynn’s neck, other holding his own length in position, Victor thrusts in hard, burying himself half-way with the effort. One brief withdraw and another harsh surge forward, hand shifting to Flynn’s hip, Victor shivers as he holds himself still, fighting back from the edge of climax. He’s wanted this for so long, caution thrown entirely to the winds as he gives into it and begins to move, setting his tempo as Flynn’s body reacts to him and not holding back his strength as his cock pistons in and out at an almost brutal pace

“… fuck… yes…” the brutal pace is exactly what flynn wants, the hard pistoning and erotic pain causing him to dig his nails into the wall in front of him. he allows his body to take in the harshness of the coupling before moving along, forcing back as victor surges forward and not questioning it. especially not as the only thing he becomes aware of is the lust saturating his veins, his movements back against victor snapping much more deliberately until he feels his control starting to slip away “… harder… faster… fucking hell…” flynn moans once and grits his teeth against the urge to climax. but the more he tries to hold back, the tenser his body gets, until a final grunt is all the warning he gives victor that he is about to cum

Both of Victor’s hands are settled onto Flynn’s hips, pulling him back as his cock slams forward, moving with Flynn’s body and meeting the demands both spoken and not. Victor’s eyes lose focus and all he can concentrate on is holding himself back from orgasm, but the more Flynn’s muslces tense, the more difficult it becomes until finally, just after he hears Flynn grunt Victor calls out “fuck” in a shout that was almost more primal than profane. He feels himself spill over, climax rocketing out of him as continues thrusting, eyes clenched shut, one hand no longer on Flynn’s hip but fisted tightly around his length and feeling it swell and pulse in time to his own release

flynn loses himself in the throes of orgasm, allowing each pulse to crash into him and grunting and groaning in something of an animalistic nature as he feels victor’s hand around his length, fisting it while it begins shooting cum. he feels victor release inside him and loses all thought and reason inside the haze of climax, not even realizing when they stop moving, but standing perfectly still at some point and shivering as an aftershock ripples through him. not apt to speak first, he simply holds on to the wall in front of him and shuts his eyes, lingering in the subtle aftershocks as they start gradually waning

Victor shivers, and blinks in an attempt to clear the fog of climax. Bodies still joined, he runs a hand up Flynn’s spine, almost to convince himself that that just happened as though the hum of his body was not proof enough. Parting reluctantly from Flynn, his hands slide around the other man’s stomach, across his chest, pulling them close together so Victor’s chest touches Flynn’s back. His eyes close briefly before murmuring softly “That was…” he hesitates and hums “I trust that it was acceptable.”

flynn nods slowly, remaining in position, but not flinching against the touch “all of my malice aside, i must say i approve.” he turns slightly, enough to line victor in his periphery “i am not one to apologize for my actions or behavior, but i must concede your point to you.” as he turns fully, his hand secures around victor’s neck and pulls him close for a deep, seering kiss. flynn bites at victor’s bottom lip before releasing it “now, was it worth trying to convince me?”

“Yes…” His voice soft with the first concession, it gains volume as he grins, possibly the first genuine grin he’s ever directed toward Flynn. “Yes, it was.” Arms secure around Flynn, Victor kisses him back in a deep, sound manner, licking across his lower lip before pulling away. “And I would never expect you to apologize.”

flynn nods, permitting himself a grin “good because i do not.” perking an eyebrow, he would study victor for a moment, not entirely certain how to react, knowing his body certainly spoke volumes he could not attempt to explain away, nor would he be apt to. instead, his hands touch victor and he turns to pin victor against the wall. he inhales a deep breath “why did you want me?” he asks, looking deliberately at victor

Victor inhales sharply at the question, overly aware of the wall against his back as he meets Flynn’s eyes. “Would you believe me if I said it was your animal magnetism?”

flynn smirks “my animal magnetism?” he presses his body against victor’s “what about it?”

Subconsciously, he presses back against Flynn as much as he is able. “Just being around you. I could hardly help myself.”

“oh really?” flynn grins in a wicked manner, allowing his fangs to run down again. he leans close, kissing victor’s neck before whispering into his ear “tell me… have you ever danced with the devil…”

Shivers at the kiss, his eyes closed and hands pressing against Flynn’s lower back. “I can’t say that I have had the pleasure.”

flynn’s grin turns all the more devilish… his teeth nipping at victor’s ear before he whispers “i never allow somebody else to have the final word. and you should know this by now.”without warning, he drives his fangs into victor’s neck again, knowing the response this shall provoke

Victor moans, one hand sliding down to cup one side of Flynn’s ass as his body reacts. A shiver runs the length of his body, the sensation settling in one area in particular as he becomes aroused again, his cock hardening with each draw Flynn consumes.

the taste of victor’s arousal permeates his blood and flynn becomes more and more aroused the more he draws from victor. ripping his teeth away, he licks the wounds closed and forces victor around, until his stomach touches the wall. slithering up behind victor, flynn grinds his hardening length against victor’s ass “mmm… i am going to enjoy this a great deal as well. i would ask how fucking tight you are, but perhaps i shall… see for myself… what do you think?”

Palms flat against the wall, Victor pants, once, with antipation. Then a wicked grin spreads and he presses himself back against Flynn “Just try not to cum too quickly. I want the full experience of being fucked by you.”

flynn growls, lining his cock up with victor’s opening and beginning to surge forward. in one brutal thrust, he enters most of the way, and withdrawing, sinks himself completely in victor, groaning from the feel of the entry and then smirking “… i think you shall be the one fighting to cum…” withdrawing again, he thrusts forward even harder, then rests a hand on victor’s hip, his fingernails digging into his skin while he begins taking victor in a fast, harsh, animalistic sort of way. his other hand comes to rest on top of one of victor’s hands and he only increases the tempo, grinning devilishly “… one advantage to the fairer sex…” he murmurs “… you are fucking tight and it is delicious…”

Victor groans at the entry, shivers and calls out, “fuck…” when he feels the hand on his hip holding him in place for the way Flynn takes him hard and fast, without apology, from the moment he starts thrusting, but it’s the hand over his, adding that extra hold, that cause his eyes to snap up and stare at that one bit of Flynn he can see even as his body experiences a far more graphic evidence of Flynn’s presence. His eyes roll back at one particularly harsh thrust and he moans, shoving his hips back into Flynn with each subsequent surge, encouraging, even as he claws at his hold on his rapidly building climax. Cock hard, aching, he focuses on the feel of Flynn inside of him. “…oh fuck…yes…more…”

flynn grunts, the scent of their mutual arousal wrapping around them tight like tendrils, and he moans despite himself as he gets wrapped up in the experience. the hands clutching onto victor in different manners tighten their hold all the more as he continues thrusting with reckless abandon. a sharper moan spills past his lips and the hand on victor’s hip shifts to his abdomen, before brushing against victor’s length. feeling the hard cock, flynn answers the subliminal dare to wrap his fingers around victor’s length and stroke in time with the harsh surges away and forward until flynn can barely hold on. he buries himself against victor, hips moving sharp and quick, and finally groans as he feels climax nipping at his heels

“Oh gods yes …” Victor moans loudly when Flynn’s hand finds his cock. The added sensation is pure bliss but rapidly crumbles his control. Shoving back against Flynn’s increasingly sharp thrusts, Victor’s fingers curl and dig into the wall as every muscle in his body snaps taut and he knows he can’t hold on any longer. He calls out without being able to stop himself, “…fuck…yes…Flynn…” each word timed with the next three thrusts as his length swell’s in Flynn’s grasp and finally spills, cum pulsing out in ropes timed to Flynn’s strokes and climax pulls him under

“… oh fuck…” the force of victor’s climax causes him to tense just enough for flynn to lose his slacking hold on restraint. he calls out once, then cums inside victor, continuing to pound with each pulse which rips through him. the orgasm seems to last interminable moments, until finally a final shiver runs up flynn’s spine and he stops moving, remaining pressed against victor, still inside him. he groans once and murmurs…“holy fucking hell.” … before resting his forehead on victor’s shoulder and attempting to wade back into coherence

Victor’s limbs shiver from the force of the orgasm and he indulges in a deep steadying breath that only marginally helps clear the haze. “I think…I can unequivocally say that I rather enjoy dancing with the devil.”

flynn grins in a wicked manner and withdraws from victor slowly. but he stays close, lifting his lips to whisper in his ear “… the devil has quite enjoyed this dance…”

Victor shivers, turns his head to look at Flynn, and then pushes away from the wall enough to fully turn around, hand catching the side of Flynn’s neck and pulling him in for a lingering, harsh, kiss. “And the devil is more than welcome on my dance card.”

flynn returns the kiss, just as harshly and intense, allowing it to linger for a few moments, tongue slipping past victor’s parted lips and dancing with his before finally slipping out again. flynn grins in a slow, wicked manner “be careful of issuing such invitations. devils often take advantage of them.”

Victor chuckles, then looks at Flynn a little more deliberately “So this wasn’t just a fluke of today?” His eyes flick up and down as he grins “Granted that felt like much more than a fluke.”

flynn huffs a chuckle “you had me curious. curious enough i thought to see how far you could be pushed. i shall admit that.” he perks an eyebrow “i was willing to stand the risk of enjoying it myself. i confess there has always been a part of me somewhat intrigued by what the seer sees in you”

Victor looks genuinely surprised, but recovers and chuckles. “I honestly thought you were toying with me, even the moment that I first kissed you. I half expected you to simply shove me away and gloat you’d gotten me to take that leap.”

flynn grins “cannot blame you for thinking that. i have not given you many indications elsewise that i would have allowed anything more.” he looks at victor steadily “i allowed the seer to merge our personalities. why did i allow that, victor?”

Victor’s eyes lock with Flynn’s “I assumed it had more positives than negatives in whatever scale you weighed the options on.”

flynn smirks. he glances down along victor’s body, then looks back into his eyes“yes… more positives than negatives.” the smirk fades enough for him to look at victor more deliberately “everyone else wanted me dead or exploited. you wanted us mended. do not think i have forgotten that.”

Victor issues a soft, half smile “You were always meant to be one being.” the smile widens but remains soft “And I have not forgotten that in some manner you trusted me to look after you both once you were whole.”

flynn nods once “i did. therein lies the answer to the question, does it not? why did i allow it?” he smirks “and you did show me quite a hell of a time to send me off, i must confess.”

Victor grins “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. It was quite the party to watch.” He eyes Flynn a little more deliberately “Still, I knew you trusted me, even if it may have been begrudging at times. This, though,” he glances around at the strewn clothing, then up the length of Flynn’s body “Was still unexpected.”

flynn smirks “i am glad you enjoyed yourself. i do pride myself in being… unexpected.”pulling victor close, he places a deep, intense kiss on victor’s lips and slowly pulls away“consider it an assassin’s ego.”

Victor kisses him back, arms tight around him and the kiss just as intense. He pulls away, nipping at Flynn’s lip, and smirks. “Glad to see the ego is still intact. I don’t think I would recognize you without it.”

flynn huffs a chuckle “devils do not change their ways either readily or easily, as i am certain you know.” he nips back “i do not allow many concessions, especially as far as the boy sc… apologies… the seer is concerned, but i must say if he had to lead us down this path, at least he directed us toward capable hands.” he grins “of course, you know, i would have settled for nothing less.”

Victor grins, his expression slightly coy “And is that why you observed some of our intimate sessions, or was it only the ones where we happened to be hunting, first.”

flynn inhales deep and shakes his head, grinning like the devil “i did mention being curious, did i not?” he perks an eyebrow, still grinning “i believe i recall one hunt in particular where he almost laid you out like a buffet. we had our first ‘chat’ about you there.”

Victor nods, chuckles “He told me well after the fact, though not in detail.” He grins broadly “I think he was far too worried what I would think of him for the mere fact that you existed.”

flynn scoffs “was fucking afraid of his own shadow for so many years. why do you think i only laid in the periphery and taunted? had no bloody reason to wish to switch places. he had carved out quite a hole of dispondancy for himself.” he shrugs “not that i can blame him for being afraid of what i might do. i am an agent of chaos away from his influence. ah, but that chat…” his grin broadens in a wicked manner “… oh i knew i was in trouble then.”

Victor laughs, grinning back at him “It was rather momentous. And for all the warnings Peter and Robin both gave, I can safely assure you that it did not come close to summing you up.”

flynn hums “oh really?” perks an eyebrow “more than could be expected, was i?”

Chuckles. “More so the rather perpetual attitude that accompanied your presence.” Victor grins “You also have to remember I was used to Peter, and could not properly grasp the entirity of the differences between the two of you until I actually met you.”

“ah.” flynn nods, glancing away “he once referred to us as the yin and the yang and that is somewhat fitting.” he looks back at you “two opposing parts interconnected. i am the unapologetic sinner to his saint.”

Victor chuckles, nods “I was very relieved for his sake when he began seeing that there were certain things that were not worth apologizing for.”

flynn nods “granted, i know my form of debauchery proved to be a bit more than he could stomach, still that is one of the other reasons i permitted the merger to take place.” flynn perks an eyebrow, grinning “tell me, though, that we still have those moments of wickedness. i would hardly be satisfied knowing i have become completely reformed.”

Victor grins wickedly “One of the first nights after the merge, he tucked a blade into his attire and used it to taunt his victim and to open a gash in their throat to feed. The occasions are not numerous, but you still very much has those moments.”

flynn hums, a broad grin creeping across his face “splendid. i did so worry about that. part of the reason why i made him fight for the merger even after i had agreed to it.” flynn’s grin turns devious “i wanted to assert there would always be a part of me which lingered.”

Victor shivers, then grins coyly “As much as you made him fight for it, you were definitely what was on the surface after the merge took place.” The grin shifts into a smirk “I did wonder somewhat at the fact that it had seemingly no impact on his sentiments in regard to me, but was more than happy not to question it after seeing it in practice.”

flynn huffs a chuckle “so perhaps i have had my taste of you before now. i trust i equally approved?”

Victor grins “I certainly received no complaints.” Eyes him up and down in a deliberate manner. “In fact, that evening he had a blade on him, I couldn’t resist experimenting a bit myself.”

flynn shivers “ah, a blade. a man after my own black heart.” he smirks and nips at your lips “a pity i do not have a blade on me now. i would be tempted to request a demonstration.”

Victor laughs, then raises an eyebrow “If you did have a blade on you now, I would question how it went unnoticed considering I’ve been acquianted with nearly every inch of you over the course of the last few hours.” nips back at his lips, then kisses him firmly before pulling away with a grin. “But I’ll remember for next time.”

flynn shivers and kisses victor back, a long, decadent kiss which ends with flynn biting victor’s lower lip before he pulls away “asking me out on a date, are you? i am flattered.” smirks

Hums, chuckles, then looks into Flynn’s eyes “You asked me earlier why I wanted you.”he smirks, but then turns more deliberate “You do have a natural draw that I find enticing, but honestly I can control myself well enough that it was not much of a bother.” he raises an eyebrow “Would you like to know the real reason it took me so long to attempt to unwind from even the mere possibility?”

flynn nods and perks an eyebrow “yes, I must confess, now you have me rather intrigued.”

Victor eyes him steadily “Did you ever wonder if I considered myself a hypocrite telling Peter that I loved every part of him?”

flynn furrows his brow in thought and sighs “i know you and i have always been at odds, as much by choice on my part as whatever rivalry it seemed developed between us. however, i have always assumed you found me palatable in my current state of being. that is to say… merged with the seer.” he looks back at you curiously “was i wrong?”

raises an eyebrow “No, I’m very happy that you and Peter are one being, because I always felt that that was how things were meant to be.” he falls quiet, then places a hand on Flynn’s chest, looking at it for a moment before raising his eyes back to Flynn’s “But you were a part of him, a corner of him, that I never touched directly. I harbor no regrets over that, because as you said we did establish ourselves as rivals of a sort. At the very least there was no hope of us being intimate, so I shut it from my mind.” His gaze turns soft. “But that is why the possibility of it got undert my skin.”

“ah.” flynn nods, grinning. he slides one hand around to your back and considers you with an even look “so, me being a part you could never touch, you dismissed the chance and evoking even the thought of it raised your ire.” the corner of his mouth curls upward “i see. and now that you have had your chance?”

Victor searches his eyes, taking a deep breath “Not precisely ire, though I’m at a loss for a better term. Now, though…” He chuckles “Now I am somewhat operating in the surreal. I never thought it would happen, you and I. But since it has…” He focus’s on Flynns lips, hands brushing downwards over Flynn’s back. “I’m not entirely certain what response is best, other than this.” Presses his lips to Flynn’s in a searing kiss.

flynn clutches hold of victor and meets his kiss measure for measure, sinking deep into the embrace and drowning in it. returning it with all its fire and intensity, he pulls victor against his body and continues kissing, until his lips raise and he smirks in a devilish manner, nearly breathless with longing “you do know how to speak my language, i must say.” his grin turns wicked “but you only seem to know how to fuck standing up.”

Victor laughs, kisses him again in a more taunting manner as his hands run down Flynn’s sides, gripping around his hips with his thumbs teasing inward. “Shall we attempt something more horizontal then.” He shoves Flynn backward until his back connects with the door to the bedroom. Nipping the side of his throat as he reaches for the handle, opening the door sends them spilling inside, lips connecting even as they catch themselves and Victor gives Flynn a decisive shove towards the bed, following close.

flynn licks his fangs, grinning, as he stumbles backward toward the bed. grabbing hold of victor, he shoves their bodies together, lips and tongues tangling together while flynn pulls victor onto the bed with him. the moment flynn’s back hits the mattress, he rolls on top of victor and begins kissing down his neck, fangs scratching against skin “ah, so there is a bed in this place.” he grinds decisively against victor “please tell me you know how to use it properly.” his grin turns devious as he licks up victor’s neck

Victor shivers, back arching and hips thrusting into the air. “It’s well broken in, I promise you.” He grins wickedly. “Though I never object to a thorough testing.” Arms wrapped around Flynn, one hand grips his hair and pulls him in for another decadent kiss, tongues sliding against each other the same as their bodies and blood spilling freely from sharp cuts

flynn growls at the taste of blood, kissing victor back just as feverishly, and rolling them to their sides. hooking a leg around victor, he keeps their bodies pinned tightly together, fangs cutting into lips and tongues and a small trickle running down the corner of flynn’s mouth. he shoves hard against victor, pulling away from the kiss, his eyes dark with lust and need “i have a hard time believing this bed has been as broken in as it is about to be.”

Victor’s gaze is half lidded as his hands grope greedily over Flynn’s bare skin, sliding up the thigh hooked around him and around to Flynn’s ass, shoving back against him. “I’ll let you know when we’re done.” Kissing Flynn again, licking up the lingering tastes of blood even as new scratches are inflicted, Victor’s other hand reaches beneath one of the pillows and locates the object hidden there. Flicking off the sheath as he deepens the kiss, he grasps the hilt firmly and rolls on top of Flynn, straddling him, balancing some of his weight on his free hand as his other raises the bare blade into sight and a wicked grin spreads on his lips as he looks down at Flynn. “I did say next time.” Pressing the flat of the blade against Flynn’s shoulder, Victor twists it just enough that the razor edge slices a superficial wound.

flynn hisses when he sees the blade for the first time and his back arches the moment it touches his shoulder. eyes half-lidded, the lust in his eyes nearly turns palpable as he regards victor “mmm… you have had some practice with the blade, i see.”reaching up, he clasps victor’s wrist in his hand and licks his fangs as he directs the blade downward, dragging into his own body with the sharpened edge, but with his eyes never leaving victor “seeing red yet? or should we keep going down to my hip?”

Victor growls, eyes fixed on Flynn’s fangs and the motion of his tongue. His grip shifts on the hilt of the knife and he drags it further downwards, cutting down Flynn’s chest, stopping near level with his nipple. Grinning wickedly, he leans down and licks up the wound, but only after slicing his tongue on the blade to taste their mixed blood and so Flynn can scent that Victor is just as aroused as he is.

flynn arches his back again, his free hand motioning to grip onto victor, nails digging into his arm. he laughs, looking at victor with the same darkened look of lust, waiting for victor’s eyes to be level with his again before he growls. this growl comes out as a very slow, low, sensual sound, though and as he touches victor’s wrist again, he raises it (with the knife still in victor’s grip) toward victor’s neck. the glint in his eyes turns mischievous, his grin wicked. pressing the sharpened edge against victor’s skin, he drags the blade down victor’s neck and then sits up and purses his lips over the wound. his arms wrap around victor and a steady moan punctuates him licking the wound closed

Victor shivers, his free hand digging into Flynn’s shoulder as his hips grind forward.“Fuck…” Raising the knife again, he slices more deliberately, this time the wound running from the base of Flynn’s ribs down the side of his stomach. Pushing Flynn back onto the matress, Victor slides down his body to claim the blood with his tongue. The knife dips lower as he seals the wound, slicing again even further south than Victor’s current position. He slides down further, licking over the parted skin, sparing one devilish glance up at Flynn as he presses the knife flat against his abdomen.

flynn groans, his hips undulating despite himself until he raises his head to see what victor is doing. his already hard cock jumps and he chuckles, heady amounts of desire flashing through him, wafting through the air in his blood “are you going to fuck me with the knife or do i have the pleasure of your mouth?” he hums, raising a leg to press victor’s body against his “or do you intend to bleed me dry? i must warn you, though…” his eyes flick further down before raising to meet victor’s “i have been known to take what i want when it is not given to me.”

Victor hums, a devilish glint in his eyes “I intend to give you many things, Flynn. Namely at least two more climaxes.” He dips his head downward and licks up the length of Flynn’s cock, grinning after flicking his tongue across the tip to capture the bead of moisture there. “I might make you ask nicely next time, but this time I’ll settle for the sound of your voice as I make you cum.” Wrapping his lips around the head of his cock, Victor plunges slowly downward, not stopping until Flynn is deep within his throat. Victor hums again, and lifts upwards, allowing his fangs to scrape lightly as he does.

“oh fuck…” flynn’s head cranes back, his vision going blurry for a moment the first time victor’s mouth wraps around his cock. the sensation rockets up and down his spine and as he lies flat again, he looks down, seeing victor take in every inch and hum before lifting up and scratching his length with his fangs. flynn growls, perking an eyebrow, even as his own body defies him with the scents and twitches of pleasure it makes “… you wish the sound of my voice? you shall have to earn it…” he licks his fangs, waiting for the next time victor descends again and then moaning, his eyes rolling back, as he watches his cock disappear down victor’s throat

Victor would be smirking if he could, but he keeps his attention on his task. Keeping a slow, teasing pace and a nearly constant deep-throated hum, close to a growl, his eyes lift to look at Flynn as Victor brings his hand between Flynn’s legs and begins rolling his balls gently in his palm.

flynn groans, his mouth hanging open at both the feel of victor’s mouth and the hand which starts fondling his balls. one of his hands touches victor’s head, fingers threating in victor’s short hair as flynn thrusts upward once while victor is on a path of descent “oh yes…” he murmurs “yes… that is… perfect. fuck yes… more…” his hips rock despite himself, his jaw clenching as he begins to lose himself in the sensation

Victor shivers, sucking hard on Flynn’s cock the next time his mouth engulfs it completely. He then lets the rocking of Flynn’s hips tell him the pace, plunging up and down more steadily, not relenting, waiting eagerly for it to be too much for Flynn to hold back. Victor tugs gently at Flynn’s balls, adding to the sensations as his tongue flicks over every inch of the cock in his mouth.

flynn growls and hisses, fangs still down and tongue flicking over them again while his head arches back. a deep hum rumbles in the back of his throat as his hips keep rocking and the next time victor sucks on his cock, flynn shivers and moans loudly. it does not take long for the sensations to begin overwhelming him, each rise and fall of victor’s mouth conspiring with victor’s hand to drive flynn to the point of oblivion. his hips start rocking more urgently “… oh fuck… fuck yes… yes… victor…” he hisses again just before his cock swells and within moments, the steady sounds of moans and growls punctuate the climax which takes hold. head thrown back, flynn cums, hips still rocking and voice still calling out guttural noises

Victor’s lips seal over Flynn’s cock, sucking him in and swallowing back everything he has to offer. When Flynn’s hips finally cease rocking, Victor allows his fangs to scrape along his length as he releases it from his mouth. Deliberately licking the remaining taste from his lips, Victor grins in a slow wicked manner as he slides himself up the length of Flynn’s body, hands groping along the way. “You said my name.” He kisses the side of Flynn’s throat.

flynn shivers and nods, hands touching victor’s body as his eyes remain shut, the aftershocks of one climax still rippling through him “yes…” he murmurs distantly “i did…”growling, he opens his eyes and places one hand behind victor’s neck. pulling him close, his lips meet victor’s in a deep, indulgent kiss before slowly pulling away. flynn tugs on victor’s bottom lip with his teeth as he releases it “… must give credit where credit is due, that is one rather talented mouth…”

Victor presses himself against Flynn, grinning. “I’m glad you approve.” Kissing him back, arms tight around him, Victor can’t help rocking his hips in search of friction.

flynn groans into the kiss, rocking against victor in return. the hand splayed on victor’s back slides slowly, teasingly, down to victor’s ass and thrusts their bodies together harshly as flynn nips at victor’s lips with reckless abandon. the kiss turns wild and searching. flynn rolls on top of victor and eyes him in a wicked manner as he straddles victor and continues making eye contact. his eyes do not budge the entire time while he reaches between them and strokes victor’s length. perking an eyebrow at victor, flynn positions himself over victor’s cock and leans close to whisper in victor’s ear “make it hurt. you want to fuck me, then fuck me without apology.” with that he lifts up and presses the tip of victor’s cock against his opening. slowly, he lowers on top of the tip. but he stops when the head of victor’s cock disappears inside him “more?” he grins in a devilish manner

Victor swallows hard, trying to remain still and resist his intitial response of “gods, fuck yes, more…” He stares into Flynn’s eyes and mirror’s his grin after another second.“More.” Grabbing Flynn’s hips, Victor shoves them downward as he thrusts his hips high, impaling Flynn on his cock as it buries completely inside him.

flynn hisses and growls with pleasure… his eyes half-lidded the next time he regards victor. his tongue licks his fangs again as he nods “yes… much, much better…”slowly raising up, he smirks in a devilish way again and then forces downward in a quick, harsh manner “more?”

Victor growls, and pushes himself to sitting. “Much more.” One hand goes to Flynn’s upper back, hand resting on the bas of his neck as Victor kisses him harshly, tongue shoving past his lips and slicing along his fangs. His other arm wraps around Flynn’s waist and holds them tight together as Victor rolls to the side, positioning Flynn underneath him. The kiss breaks and Victor grins wickedly as he withdraws from Flynn and shoves roughly forward. “More?”

flynn growls, looking at victor with the wicked grin still firmly affixed on his face“you want it, then take it…” arms wrapping around victor, he sits up and licks up victor’s neck and whispers in his ear “… we shall see how much you can hold back when i do this…”his fangs drive into victor’s neck and he swallows down one lusty gulp of victor’s blood and then licks the wounds closed

Victors hands bunch in the sheets and he thrusts pointedly, beyond his control.“Fuck…” He shivers, withdrawing again and then surging forward. “Fuck,” he repeats, this one softer, nearly a surrender, than the other. Kissing the side of Flynn’s throat, Victor begins a rhythm of thrusts, slow withdrawls and pointed entries that steadily give way to a much more primal, nearly frantic coupling, his cock slamming deep inside Flynn’s body with every movement. “…fuck…yes…Flynn…gods, yes…”

flynn grits his teeth, meeting victor’s thrusts with a wild look in his eyes. the manic coupling sends shivers up his spine and he grins even as each thrust threatens to send him into oblivion. his nails dig into victor, his body moving frantically to meet the primal way victor takes him “make me scream your name again.” his legs wrap around victor, forcing him as deep inside him as victor can go, his hips and back not relenting in their task to drive victor out of his mind

Victor’s eyes roll back, and his arms slide around Flynn, clutching him firmly as they both fight to work each other into a frenzy. Groaning, Victor feels his control starting to slip as his cock swells. Holding back, desperate, his thrusts sharp and pointed, Victor plunges his fangs into Flynn’s throat and he drinks deeply. The flavor of his blood throws him over the edge, and his next thrust home is acompanied by the first pulse of his orgasm. Fighting not to moan and not even relenting on his draw from Flynn’s neck, Victor’s thrusts become even harsher through the throes of climax.

flynn’s hands tighten around victor. he calls out… “… yes… victor… fuck…” feeling victor swell inside him and release, flynn is unable to hold back himself and a blinding orgasm ripples through him, his cock shooting cum. through each pointed thrust, the pulses of climax only seem to escalate until flynn’s eyes roll back and he completely loses himself in the haze. it takes interminable moments for flynn to manage more than grunts and moans, but victor’s name slips past his lips once more as he starts to descend from the high. his hands and legs remain wrapped around victor, even when the aftershocks start to wane

Victor lazily licks at the wound he inflicted, his hips still rocking gently against Flynn until one final shiver passes over him from head to foot. Arms still around him presed close, and still inside him, Victor kisses him in a deep, harsh, manner. When he pulls away, his words sound nearly breathless. “Holy fuck.”

flynn nods, a shiver running up his spine. kissing victor back, he allows their lips to continue caressing for interminable moments, then pulls away, the corner of his mouth curled upward “there was nothing holy about that fuck, although i think we made the demons scream as we shook hell.”

Victor hums in approval, smirking as his hands roam over Flynn’s body, still not parting from him completely “Perhaps we managed to make a few angels fall while we were at it.”

flynn grins in a wicked manner, kissing victor again “i think i can abide by that thought. good thing they did not land in the bed, i might have had to shoo them away.” his hands trail up victor’s back

Victor chuckles, eyeing Flynn with a half-lidded gaze “It would have taken an act of a much greater being than a mere fallen angel to interrupt my dance with the devil.” He leans close and nips at the side of Flynn’s throat. “I’ve waiting far too long for this.”

flynn nods, his eyes shutting as he continues holding onto victor “had i known, i might not have kept you waiting for so long.” he grins “you have definitely earned high marks for making up for lost time, though.”

Victor grins, nuzzling the point where Flynn’s neck meets his shoulder. He kisses it softly, finally allowing himself to slip from Flynn’s body but not apt to go far, still holding him close. “I’ll look forward to the annual review for once.”

flynn hums “i might need further examination before turning in my final report.” one of his hands raises to touch victor’s chin. tilting his head upward, flynn presses his lips to victor’s and indulges in a deep, probing kiss, his tongue slipping into victor’s mouth and cutting across victor’s fangs. slowly, it withdraws. his eyes open to look at victor “so… is this what it is like to be the seer?”

Victor looks at him steadily, raises an eyebrow. “In a way, I suppose.” His gaze turns searching. “I am enjoying this. Are you?”

flynn grins broadly “if i was not, then you would assuredly know.” his lips meet victor’s again. finally he whispers “yes… i am quite enjoying this. such is why i asked.”

Victor kisses him back firmly, whispers as he pulls away. “This is for you, Flynn. Me being here.”

flynn kisses victor back in the same manner. rolling on top of victor, he places a kiss on victor’s neck, then one closer to his ear and nods “if you wonder if i believe you are thinking about anybody else right now… i know you are not.”

Victor nods, sliding his hands up along Flynn’s back. “Good.” He smiles softly, studying the man on top of him. “I keep expecting to wake up from a dream.”

flynn lifts enough to look at victor, his face hovering over victor’s “what makes you say that?” he asks, speaking softly

Victor takes a deep breath, chuckles “Sometimes lately I don’t know when or where I am. So many things swirling around.” His eyes close briefly, then open again “That’s all.”

flynn raises an eyebrow, leaning close to kiss victor “what things are swirling around?”

Victor kisses him back, rolling them to their sides, threading their legs together, so he can look at Flynn a little more easily. He props up somewhat on his elbow. “Things moving forward, moving backward. Wanting to be in one place some days, somewhere else the next, but always trying to orient to the present. It’s not always easy, this world we exist in.”

flynn nods, swallowing hard as he peers at victor “if i share a secret, would you promise not to be vexed with me?” he perks an eyebrow “it should be telling, me caring whether or not you are.”

Victor raises an eyebow, his eyes searching again “I understand that. And I’m listening.”

flynn considers his words carefully, then nods “have you ever tumbled into a dream and not known whether or not you would wake from it? found yourself guessing between whether the dream was the myth or reality was?” his hand lifts tentatively and settles on victor’s arm. his gaze strays to his fingertips “this is where i have been. with a… rather beautiful companion, i might add, but… not here.” his eyes flick up to meet victor’s “but then you were speaking of me. and although i know i am not supposed to, i wanted to hazard one peek – one slight indulgence – to see why my name would still be on your lips after all this time.”

Victor draws in an unsteady breath, eyes blinking rapidly, until he forces them shut. A thousand responses filter through his mind but he has trouble settling on one. “Did you think you would be so easily forgotten?” He opens his eyes again.

flynn studies the reactions and perks an eyebrow “i did not know what to think, truth be known. i do not say as such to be cutting, merely to be truthful.”

Victor smiles, sighs “Before the merge, after Peter told me you’d agreed to it…” He looks away, then back. “So many things I couldn’t tell Peter, because I didn’t want to give any cause to keeping the rift open. I don’t even know if it would have made a difference to him, but I didn’t want to risk it.” He looks back at Flynn “I never begrudged you being there, you know. Merger or not, it wouldn’t have changed how I felt. And I wondered, briefly, if I was losing the chance to something.” He smiles wanly “But how could I say that to him?”

flynn studies victor for a few moments, then nods “i was jealous of him, you know. picked so many bloody fights with you because i sensed myself slipping away and you were the easiest person to blame. the seer reconnecting with his vampirism. embracing it. oh, i know i made his life hell, but as our fist fight with one another revealed… it was all i had. i thought it best to salute the cosmos and ‘ride off into the sunset’ as the mortals are oft to say.” he would glance away, then look back at you “i had no reason to stay. was gifted my last great battle, which i thank you for, and considered that my parting consolation. it did not change the fact that i was jealous of him, though.”

Victor smiles wanly. “He was getting everything he could have dreamed of.” He sighs, chuckles. “That battle, when everything was said and done and I stole a moment to kiss him before we had to disppear…” A half smile forms. “I thought that was you I was kissing. I didn’t realize he’d formed a temproary merge, until he said something afterwards. Knocked me pretty soundly for a loop, but there was too much going on around us for him to notice it.”

flynn perks an eyebrow “that kiss was meant for me?”

Victor hums, nods “Yes it was. Something I’ll probably never tell him, either.”

flynn studies victor, then raises his hand to the back of victor’s neck. pulling him close, he kisses victor in a deep, meaningful manner, persisting in the embrace for interminable moments until he finally pulls away a slight bit. but he does not stray far “i wish i would have known. i do not know what it might have changed, but…” he opens his eyes to look at you again

Victor takes a deep breath, smiles. “I know. I had to assume I’d missed my chance, or that there was no chance at all. And I kept my silence once the merge was decided.” Drawing Flynn close, Victor kisses him again, a series of short, harsh embraces that roll into one, lingering, meaningful kiss.

flynn holds onto victor throughout the embrace, pressing his lips forcefully against victor’s and continuing to do so for what seems to be interminable moments. as his lips lift, he nods and whispers “am i permitted to visit on occasion? i promise not to disrupt his life, i mean simply…” he looks at you “… to see you. i confess i am rather astonished at myself for feeling as i do right now, knowing these things, yet i cannot help but to ask.”

Victor smiles warmly, kisses him again. “I would like that.” Another kiss, this one a lingering one, until Victor slowly pulls away and chuckles “Which now begs the question of what I might need to tell him.” His eyes connect with Flynn’s, silences stretching for a long moment. “I’m glad you gave into curiosity.”

flynn nods, the corner of his mouth curling in a devious manner “you must confess, i am certain it has been rather mundane without my presence.” he permits himself a wink

Victor laughs, hands running along Flynn’s sides and pulling them close together again, lips hovering, just barely brushing as he speaks. “Best not to let us forget you then.”He winks back, deliberate, then gives in to another deep kiss.

flynn kisses victor back, hands clutching onto victor and lips caressing lips for a few moments before he pulls away slowly. his eyes remain shut “… i deride mortals for the sorts of sentiments i am experiencing right now. emotions are such confusing and contradictory phenomena.” his lids lift slowly. he stares into victor’s eyes “thank you for not forgetting about me.”

Victor nods, his eyes not leaving Flynn’s. Words burn on the tip of his tongue, but he settles for responding with just one. “Never.” He motions forward for a kiss, hesitates, but then whispers. “All of me loves all of you. I’ve always meant that.” He grins. “And I’ve a little while longer to get used to emotions, and they’re still confusing as hell.” Kissing Flynn again, Victor doesn’t care about hearing anything in return, and expects not to. But he had to say it once, since today seemed to be the day for making up for lost chances.

flynn clenches his eyes shut, kissing victor back for all he is worth and tightening his hold on victor. as his lips lift from victor’s, he swallows hard and opens his eyes to regard him. he motions to speak, pauses and then nods and says… “my companion… in the dreams. i never have chance to speak the words to her because they would only confuse her. quite like me in that manner, i suppose.” he shakes his head “i wonder if i invented her to make up for some void i did not know i had. as i said, i cannot be certain precisely what is a dream and what is reality.” he shuts his eyes once, then opens them again and looks at victor “and i love you as well.” he perks an eyebrow “though i suspect this shall not stop me from giving you a hard time about it.” he grins

Victor matches his grin, then laughs, the sound one of both amusement and happiness. “I accept a hard time as part and parcel of being around you, Flynn. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

flynn’s smile turns devilish “good, because i dare say i could be no other way.” he breathes in deep and chuckles “my word. i did not quite expect this when i hazarded out to sate my curiosity.”

Victor chuckles, nods “Neither did I. I didn’t honestly believe it was happening until I felt your fangs in my throat.” His eyes glint mischieviously. “That’s when I knew I was completely in trouble.”

flynn smirks “i might have watched a few times with somewhat rapt attention as to what precisely that does to you.” his grin broadens “although, i do confess, when we got into that scuffle, that was not quite what i was intending. still, i recall a very quick flicker of lust before i pulled away.” his eyes glint with deviousness

Victor nips at his lip, grinning “It’s a fair tactic. I lost my head for a moment and bit you in return without conscious thought.” think back “The moments from there were a haze for a little while, but I remember you kicking me off and I regained most of my senses.”

flynn nods, and perks an eyebrow, still grinning “yes, we came to our feet and at some point thereafter is when the more pointed blows were exchanged.” he tilts his head upward and chuckles “when one is an assassin, they are trained for hand-to-hand combat, but i had never quite had to face one older and stronger than i without so much as a knife.”

Victor nods slowly, a light smirk on his lips “You lose your advantage when you go head to head with another vampire who has a few tricks up their sleeve.” He grins. “I was always careful, never discussing precisely my own strengths and weakness with Peter because I always knew you were lurking.”

flynn hums “clever. calculating.” he grins “i approve.”

Victor grins. “You made life interesting.” He winks.

flynn’s smile turns wicked “i knew it. mundane without my presence. how do you all fill the time?”

Victor hums. “Feeding. Fucking. Quite a lot of fucking actually.” His expression softens.“And I turned John.” He chuckles. “Separate thought.”

flynn smirks “is it a separate thought?” he chuckles, nods “feeding and fucking. quite a party i have missed out on.” his eyes flick away, then return to you “and john. the young man requested to be turned?”

Victor smiles and nods. “He did. For many reasons, and accepting what he would become. He is faring well thus far, though he’s only been awake for little more than a week.”

“oh my. a neophyte.” flynn considers this “a pity i could not see this. but i am glad he is acclimating well.” he pauses, glancing away for a moment “he remembers everything, right? and has not had any difficulties?”

Victor nods “He remembers, and no difficulties as yet. We’re somewhat on the lookout for how his powers will come into play, if at all, since he was already a seer before he was turned. We ensured he had a few swallows directly from Peter’s wrist, to ward off the chance that my blood would strip his powers.”

flynn hums
“ah, so he has already discovered his abilities. yes, then this shall not be quite as jarring for him. or, i imagine not as pointedly as it might have been otherwise. i yet recall the first person whose mind i could read.” he grins, looking back at you “i knew far too much about that woman by the time all was said and done.” as he considers what you said, his smile softens marginally “he is mostly yours then, but there is a sliver of me as well?”

Victor’s eyebrow partially raises, but lowers as he smiles softly and nods
“Yes. More than a sliver, most likely. We knew my blood was rather mixed as it is, but it seemed fitting in more ways than one to add more directly to the mix.” Victor grins. “We’re somewhat waiting to see which bloodline he takes after more, though we’ve already witnessed he has the speed of mine.”

flynn nods “all the better he should take after yours, then. your strength and speed are assets. all the better for the hunt.” he smirks “i quite see why i was not considered much of a role model for the children. i am quite adept at teaching one to kill, but not much else.”

Victor chuckles. “Something that is somewhat under appreciated for us being a family of vampires. Lydia is still a mystery to me, seeming as human as she is while being a fairly settled vampiress.”

flynn grins in something of a devilish manner “as much as i had hoped she would be more settled by now, it is a comfort to know not too much changes.” he would raise the hand with the wedding band and perk an eyebrow, still grinning “… and yet, the surprises add a bit of variety to the experience.”

Victor grins back. “Someone mentioned the other day that since Peter had merged his personalities, I had married you, too. I had to explain that the thought had already occurred to me.”

he nods, still grinning “well… i wish i could recall it, then. i never quite knew i would ever be a married man. still, i cannot argue with the seer’s choice.” he leans close and kisses him

Kisses him back, surprised again, pleased, and pulls him close as the embrace lingers until Victor finally pulls away. “You… have made this quite the day to remember, Flynn.” Victor grins. “And I look forward to repeats.”

17 Apr 2010

Urchin

Author: eternalmaestro | Filed under: Uncategorized
Author's Note: This is a story from many years ago, and is told from the perspective of a mostly non-consequential character. It's mostly a journey through a bit of the larger world that is being developed around Peter and Victor. Enjoy.

Jimmy was going to be in trouble. He was rushing through the busy streets, dodging the denizens of the city including some that stood three times his size, ducking beneath shopkeepers' outdoor tables while ignoring their shouts of protest, and trying not to run through any of the Pa'liri that had had arrived in the city yesterday when the Bruma portal opened to the Winter Realm. There was two reasons he was avoiding the Pa'liri – one, they got very angry if you did run through them because it was considered extremely rude for someone to occupy the same space as their incorporeal bodies, and two, the one time it had happened he'd had terrible nightmares for weeks on top of the fact that it had felt, really, really, creepy. Even creepier than the time he'd accidentally touched that Reaper crystal in Frau Grimmlu's shop.

Thinking of Frau made Jimmy wish he could hurry faster.

"Ek mirn a rec'n pai!" The shouted warning broke Jimmy's concentration and he turned his head to find the source of the call. Unfortunately, it made him miss the fact that a frostwyrl had walked in front of him. He barreled into the small creature and found himself skidding to an ungraceful halt with his cheek burning on the pavement. Loud squawking with a backdrop of laughter assaulted Jimmy's ears and he felt himself blush furiously. "Gomen gomen!" he said as he pushed himself to his feet since it was the only language he knew that was close to something a frostwyrl could understand. 

But it wasn't in the mood to be placated after having been plowed into by the kirin boy. "Ow, ow, stop, damn it, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Jimmy covered his head with his arms and flattened his ears to protect them from the frostwyrl's sharp beak. The thing wasn't really trying to hurt him or Jimmy would really have been in trouble, but it was definitely letting him know it was annoyed. His tail flicked nervously as he waited for the creature to calm down and stop pecking at him. After it did, he watched it saunter off toward the nearest shop's covered awning so it would be out of the way of the crowd while it straightened the feathers of its wings. 

Jimmy's ears twitched as they stood back up and he was thankful the shopkeepers had stopped laughing. He knew most of them and they all knew him since the city of Atoranon had been his home all his young life and every morning since Frau Grimmlu had hired him as a shop hand brought him along this path through the marketplace. Maybe I'll finally beg Frau to let me sleep in the loft over the shop. I know she said it's no place for me but at least then she wouldn't have to worry about me coming to work late.

His eyes went wide at the reminder and he took off once again at a run, chiding himself for dawdling in the market square with all the bustle of activity around him. He made it all the way to Frau's shop with only two more close calls – one with a sulfrak demon who would not have been nearly as kind as the frostwyrl. Sorry, Frau, can't come to work because i'm in the Helior dimension. Somehow Jimmy didn't think Frau would have been all that understanding since she would have had to come get him. Or at least, he hoped she would come.

Pushing aside the ripple of fear spurred by the notion of being left to his own devices in a demon realm, Jimmy ran headlong into someone standing in front of the entrance to Frau Grimmlu's shop. Unlike the frostwyrl, this person didn't even budge when the boy collided with his legs, but the kirin lost his balance and stumbled to the side before sitting down hard with a loud, "oof!" Oh man…

He looked up. And up. But only because he was on the ground and the dark-haired stranger was still standing. Jimmy found himself being regarded with a blank expression, as though the man had no reaction to the small, feline boy who had all but bounced off of him. Realizing that this was probably a customer who would recognize as soon as they both walked into the shop that Jimmy worked there, the boy's heart lurched into his throat as he heard Frau's well remembered voice begin scolding him about his manners. What do I say? I don't know what language he speaks? He's not human, I don't think. What…

The man was suddenly kneeling beside Jimmy. The boy's eyes widened in alarm because his sharp eyes had not observed any movement and the man was now eye level with him. Jimmy, "eeped," in surprise just as the man's fingers swiped at his cheek. The boy watched in facination as the stranger brought his now blood-smeared fingers - Right, the pavement after the frostwyrl. Must not have healed yet. - toward his own face and sniffed in a deliberate manner. After another silent moment during which Jimmy was still unsticking words from his throat, the man licked his finger.

Jimmy watched in horror but the man's expression changed from a blank slate to supressed grimace. He stood just as quickly as he'd knelt, leaving Jimmy bewildered.

"You work here, boy?" He spoke perfect Russian with a hint of an accent that Jimmy couldn't place. It took him a second to realize the stranger was talking to him because the man's eyes had returned to studying the door to the shop.  "Y-yes. Yes. I'm Jimmy. I'm sorry I-" His attempted apology was cut short.

"Tell your mistress I need to be invited in."

Confused, Jimmy began to push himself to his feet. "You don't need no invitation, mister. Anyone can-"

"She will understand."

A slight frown creased Jimmy's features but he shrugged when it was obvious the man wasn't going to go inside. "Suit yourself," he said as he stepped forward to push open the door.

The artificial, amber colored light of the shop washed over him as he moved deeper inside. He glanced back once to see if the stranger had followed him in since he could obviously move faster than Jimmy could see, but even attuning his other senses to the task there was no evidence of the man now being in the shop.

He was definitely still outside but even there Jimmy detected nothing but a void. Which was weird, because any time before this, using his senses, he'd always been able to feel something. This was just a whole lot of nothing.

But there was a presence hidden somewhere in the nothing and it made Jimmy take the man's request seriously for the first time. "Frau! I'm here! And there's a customer!" Crystal chimes jingled as his voice reverberated in the air, filling the room with musical tones in response to the noise.

"Oh?" A paper thin voice drifted down from the top of one of the shelves and Jimmy had to look up to spot the minute shop-keeper. Her gossamer thin wings were as long as she was tall, but she was a lot shorter than even Jimmy. The boy was grateful that he was still growing while Frau was definitely an adult. "I don't see anyone," she stated as she made a show of glancing around the main floor of the shop, her eyes practiced in looking between all the displays that littered the floor, making a general maze out of the shop that most customers had to be careful of navigating.

Something tells me that guy won't have that problem. "Yeah, he's outside. Said he needs to be invited in."

Frau's luminous, cerulean eyes focused onto Jimmy's amythest irises. "Is that so. Did he give his name?"

"Nope," the boy said, quickly looking away and moving towards the main counter of the shop. He ducked underneath so he could get to the employee cupboard where his smock and gloves were. "Just said you would understand."

Frau stared at the door as though trying to see through it while Jimmy slipped the smock over his head and tied the strings around his waist. "He say anything else?" she asked.

"Ah…no…" Jimmy hesitated but quickly decided that he'd take the risk of Frau being upset about him for running through the market again. "I hurt my cheek on the way here 'cause was running and fell and sort of had a disagreement with the pavement. The guy…well…it wasn't healed yet…and he…um…"

Frau saved him from his nervous stumbling. "Did he taste it?"

"Yeah," Jimmy admitted, blowing air out of his mouth in a relieved gust. "Yeah, but he made a face after."

"Well of course he would," Frau said mysteriously. "Alright. Guess I better see what he wants."  She fluttered her wings to propel herself over towards the door. Tapping the crystal that would open it – since she couldn't possibly do it manually – she looked outside into the darkened area outside the shop and gave the stranger an appraising up and down once-over. Jimmy noted he was standing in the exact same spot he'd been in, with the same posture, when the door had shut moments ago. For a second the boy thought Frau wasn't going to ask him in but then he heard her sigh in that resigned manner he'd heard all too often whenever he put something away in the wrong place. 

"Come in, dearie," she said to the figure outside, "I'm Frau Grimmlu, but I think you already knew that, Mister…?"

"Mason. Victor Mason." The mans stepped smoothly into the shop, his movements taking him just inside the doorway and not an inch farther so he could look around with a hungry gaze. Jimmy decided he didn't trust him because the guy was way too eerie, but Frau seemed intent on treating him just like any other customer.

"And what can I do for you today, Mister Mason?"

"Victor, please, Frau Grimmlu. I am grateful that you have allowed me into your crystalarium. You don't recieve patronage from my kind very often, I understand."

Frau smiled her saleswoman smile. "It's been more than a few decades. Jimmy's been here for two and he's never seen one of you before. Don't generally get many in this part of the city."

The visitor smiled and something about it sent a chill up Jimmy's spine but the Frau didn't even bat an eye. Which was saying something because she had four of them.

"Yes, I know. It is unsettling for us to be in this area. By design, I've been told, but I can sustain for a time."

"So I see," Frau inclined her head towards a crystal that was spinning behind it's display case. Jimmy started as he realized it was one for detecting the motion of ru energy.

Lifting an eyebrow, Victor stepped closer to examine the device. "Fascinating." He stared at it for a long minute while the silence stretched into the shop. Frau's wings fluttered in silence and Jimmy's tail twitched nervously, but the stranger didn't move a muscle.  When he spoke again it made Jimmy nearly jump out of his skin. "Send the boy away and I will tell you what I need." The man turned his head and locked Frau's gaze with his own. "I promise I am not wasting your time."

Frau hesitated only briefly before nodding in agreement. She fluttered over to Jimmy and handed him the list of his responsibilities for the day, telling him to take care of all the things that would keep him outside of the shop before coming back.  He suppresed a sigh and nodded, taking the list obediently.

He finished all the errands in record time but the stranger was long gone when Jimmy returned. Frau was troubled but happy because she had been paid handsomely for two rare items that had been among the most expensive ones in her shop.

Later, in an idle moment, Jimmy stared into one of the now-empty display cases and shivered as he recalled the memory of what it had felt like to touch the Reaper crystal that had been inside.

I hope I never see that guy again, he thought to himself resolutely before turning back to his tasks.

Victor Mason left the Jan'Pur area of the city and did not look back. He never had occasion to return.

The little kirin boy was glad he got his wish.

Posted via email from Eternal Maestro’s Posterous

2 Apr 2010

Vamp Till Cue: Cadenza Pt 1.3

Author: eternalmaestro | Filed under: Uncategorized
Despite his personal distaste for Rupert, Victor had to admit that the Duke's manner of visibly displaying his power was rather effective. Both lavish and opulent, a clear indication of the wealth and ego of the elder vampire in question, the mansion Victor arrived at served as both the Duke's private residence and his political seat. Having secured himself a rental vehicle for the drive to the estate on the edge of San Francisco's city limits, he found his attention wandering to the new levels of security that Rupert had acquired since the last time he'd had reason to visit. The guards at the gate had been vampires, as expected, but he would have had to have been a fledgling to miss the unmistakable odor of weres somewhere in the complex.

After being admitted onto the main grounds, Victor drove up the lengthy drive way to the main entrance, pulling between the twin rows of columns holding aloft the large overhang that protected visitors from the elements, had there been any inclement weather. He left the keys in the ignition as he opened the door and stepped out of the car, accepting the valet's stub without bothering to make eye contact with the human boy who was more than used to that sort of treatment from vampires. There was not even a backward glance cast in Victor's direction as he continued strolling through the main doors, which were opened for him by another pair of human eye-candies, and entered the reception area.

More security waited before the next set of double doors leading to the Duke's throne room. Victor glanced around casually, his eyes noting the security cameras that were artfully hidden by hanging plants and decorative plastering. Rupert is getting paranoid. Or is there some other reason he feels the need to keep track of who comes and goes? The presence of two heartbeats in the room also caused him pause since he had been expecting more vampire security, not mortals.


Stepping forward, the guards took the queue to acknowledge him. "Name?" one of them asked gruffly. Victor drew in a breath to answer and reflexively raised an eyebrow. Not humans. Weres. Interesting. "Victor Mason. You should find that Rupert is expecting me."

The casual reference to their employer earned him a scowl but Victor merely grinned, holding the were's gaze until the shifter gave him a pointed look before dropping his eyes to the clipboard in his hands. Locating his name, an affirmative grunt queued his associate to step forward. A more careful breath drawn in through his nose answered the question of what type of shifters he was faced with. Boars. More interesting. The second were motioned for Victor to hold his arms wide from his body and keep his feet apart. Supressing the need to roll his eyes, Victor complied. He was curious at the device the were produced from a pouch strapped around one of his thick legs, the handle well worn enough to mark it a tool of the trade. His discerning brown eyes flicked over the indicator lights set along the edge until recognition hit him. To any mortal it appeared to be one of the devices now commonly encountered at airport security checks, but Victor knew it was much more than that. Metal weapons like guns and knives were potentially lethal to a vampire, but it was supernatural threats that were truly cause for concern. Curious, he asked, "Has the device ever failed to detect a threat? Or mistakenly detected one?"

The were-boar snorted and ignored the questions, passing the device over Victor's oustretched arms, then along his sides, and continued downward over his legs. The lights on the device changed and it made a faint noise at the interval around his left ankle, causing guard to frown. The stocky man shot Victor a suspicious glance and then inspected his scanner, but the lights switched back to the 'all-clear' mode without any adjustment necessary. The were partners exchanged a glance, both tense and seemingly waiting for something to happen, and did not relax until they'd finished their inspection. The device remained neutral for the rest of the duration, and they reluctantly stepped aside and allowed Victor through.

He thanked them in the form of a broad, feral grin.

Directly beyond the reception area was the large audience hall where Rupert held court. The duke was a fan of using modern human perceptions of vampires to properly intimidate the non-vampire creatures that paid him a visit. A century ago that would have meant satanic symbols and a blood-stained altar showcased prominently within the room. Now, though, it meant gothic ambiance accented by deep reds, black, and gray hues, leather garb, and elegant but uncomfortable – if you possessed a pulse – furniture. It had been decorated in that style more than five years ago and was more amusing than anything else, but Victor could have done without the noise that was coming over the speaker system placed around the room. Whatever it might have been, to him it did not qualify as music. 

Victor stepped into the room and began scanning the immediate area. He saw and scented humans and vampires, but no weres, which he took as a positive sign. Spying Rupert's Master of Ceremonies on his second pass through the room, Victor moved through the crowd until he stood before the other vampire, and then greeted him.

"Good evening, Barret. How does the night find you?"

Barret was a thin, hawkish looking man with long, pale blond hair that brushed his shoulders and dark pigmented eyes that appeared nearly black. He had sworn loyalty to Rupert more than a century ago, having proven to possess the ability to remember nearly any face that he ever encountered. It was a useful trait for a Master of Ceremonies and since Barret lacked any real ambition of his own, the position more than suited him. "Victor Mason," he intoned with a distinct lack of emotion in both his voice and expression. "Last visited July twenty-first of the year two-thousand and four. Year of rebirth, 1605. Rank Rocheim, Primael. Servant of King Reginald of Nevada. Currently empowered by King Derrick of California to survey our esteemed Duke Rupert's dominion for the purposes of evaluating the local were population. An honor, sir." Barret punctuated his litany with a nod of his head, keeping his chin tucked close for a moment in acknowledgement of Victor's rank. Victor nodded back, and both straighted simultaneously.

"Perfect and succinct as ever," Victor replied with a grin. "Tell me, is this a formal night or an informal one?"

"Informal, sir. His Lordship is taking visitors as they approach." Barret hesitated, then asked, "Shall I inform him you are here? I will find you when he is ready to address you."

Victor smiled tightly. "I am a busy man the same as the Duke, but if I have assurances from the Master of Ceremonies that my rank will be shown due deference even on a night of informality, I would gladly wait for a summons."

A flicker of annoyance crossed Barret's features, but he issued a curt nod before stepping away to approach his master's throne. With that reassurance, Victor stepped back into the crowd, avoiding Rupert's gaze as the Master of Ceremonies whispered into his ear.

Having a few moments to himself, Victor surveyed the crowd with a bit more attention to details. He did not recognize any of the humans, but he'd expected that. Few ever stood out in his memory unless he'd desired them, but the bulk of the humans here belonged to one vampire or another and were generally untouchable in such a manner unless their master or mistress allowed it. Most lived fewer than a handful of years, anyway, so there really were none to recognize. You did not become a concubine pet of a vampire without certain realities imposed on you, the key one being that once you accepted the first bite, you could be claimed by the vampire and they could do what they pleased with you. Familiars were a different story, since those humans are kept around for a specific service or occupational consideration, but they were rarely brought to gatherings like this. Here, vampires showed off what they possessed, dressed themselves in the latest or currently accepted fashions, and flaunted precious jewels or other miscellaneous valuables. On more formal occasions, they truly out did themselves in the hopes of currying favor and earning recognition. Not all aristocrats and royals ran their courts in such a manner, but it was just as common as it was not. Rupert found it amusing to watch the games unfold around him so he encouraged it.

Still, for all the gaudiness, Rupert was a ruthless, cunning individual who had earned his rank as much as one could earn it in this country. It was the vampires of Europe that were the true power in world stage since the American kingdoms and queendoms were far too new to warrant any overwhelming level of respect, and Victor knew the attitude well because he had been involved in politics since well before coming to this country. But the vampires here were often just as old, some older, than their European brethren. Having been turned in 1605 while the current calender year was 2009 was something Victor himself was alway conscious of.

Especially in the court of a duke who was more than twice his age.

Victor's eyes listlessly roamed the room, cataloging the vampires he recognized, stretching his recollection to count the ones he remembered being sworn to Rupert but were currently absent, and noting the new ones who either were freshly turned, visiting, or had recently taken residence in the Duke's dominion. It was when he moved his gaze past one of the new faces that Victor was startled back into his thoughts by a pair of eyes connecting with his. A quick assessment revealed she was mortal, evidenced by the steady rise and fall of her chest. That fact intrigued him as he wondered whoe had claim to her. Any human who knew of vampires should also know that meeting their eyes was dangerous, yet she maintained eye contact steadily enough that Victor could have glamored her from across the room.

Raising an eyebrow, Victor felt compelled to study the being whose cobalt blue eyes pierced his own with an intensity that he'd rarely encountered from such a fragile creature. Her hair was a rich chocolate brown that cascaded in soft waves down to her slender waist, prompting his gaze to descend further. Long legs were spaced apart in a stance as wide as her shoulders, the posture fairly shouting that she was no subservient pet. At least not yet. Her jeans clung to her hips in a way that he could well appreciate, and he had no doubt that if she turned around they would reveal a near perfect, heart shaped bottom. A simple black blouse covered her upper body, the color matched by her calf-hugging boots. Meeting her eyes again after his inspection, he dismissed the notion that she seemed to be almost daring him to take issue with her for not lowering her gaze. 

If she were anything other than human Victor might have considered her dangerous.

Barret's voice called out over the murmur of music and conversation, stating Victor's name and rank in a slightly more formal summons then the rest of the evening had contained. Setting me up for attention, Rupert?

Disengaging his eyes from the mortal woman's, Victor stepped through the crowd to the open area of the floor in front of the raised dais where Rupert sat surrounded by his own human pets. Dressed in a pair of leather pants and an burgundy red button down shirt that was only fastened shut from half-way down, the Duke's skin was tawnier than most vampires because he himself was Hispanic in origin. Each one of his pets, male and female alike, were dressed in a filmy, black robe that draped delicately around them. Their bodies were all displayed in youthful perfection beneath the see-through material, the women's supple firmness and the men's toned forms taunting every vampire eye in the room. Satin ribbons were their only other adornments, a single strand of color that decorated the women's hair and the men's right shoulders, and Victor knew it was the only effort that would ever be made to distinguish them from one another despite any other physical differences. Blonde, brunette, red-headed, even one woman who had dyed her hair a ridiculous, unnatural blue made up the count of seven humans that were used for nothing more than their blood and their bodies, one for each day of the week. And each and every one had fresh, or barely faded fang marks displayed as prominently as their figures, Rupert's mark of ownership. Several of them had a vacant, dreamy expression that indicated their master had near complete control over them.

Standing just a few meters away from the throne, Victor met Rupert's eyes. Neither showed any reaction to the other and for them the seconds passing were tense ones. Before a stir could start at the lack of respect being shown, Victor bowed, one arm crossed in front of his waist as he bent forward and lowered his eyes.

When he straighted Rupert was grinning. "Sir Victor," the Duke began after a short silence, "It's been a few years since you graced my halls with your presence. How are things in Nevada?"

Victor smiled, the expression carefully devoid of any guile or cunning. "As comfortable as ever, your grace. I count myself fortunate that I may call it home."

"Your King is fortunate to have your loyalty. As is mine, since I have been informed that you are here with my liege's royal writ."

"California is always more than generous when he treats with my sovereign. I was humbled that I might be of service to reciprocate such good will."

"An admirable endeavor for one such as you. How long might we expect to boast your presence?"

"Until the King sees fit to dismiss me or request my expertise elsewhere in his borders."

"You shall have to inform me if I may be of any assistance in your tasks, or if there is any information you might require"

"A thousand thanks, your grace. Should the need arise, I shall certainly ask."

"See that you do," the duke replied, his eyes suddenly cold. "I look forward to your reports, Sir Victor." Rupert's voice held a clear note of dismissal.

"I thank the Duke for his time and his notice," Victor said, bowing once more though this time he did not lower his eyes. He straightened and turned on his heel, walking back into the crowd. A familiar face had been amongst the vampires here and Victor angled straight toward him, though he noted this was hardly a gathering either of them could relax in.

Will leaned against the back wall, arms crossed over his chest. "That went well," he offered as Victor approached, "considering you got here late."

"I did not wish to rush my meal," Victor offered in reply, refraining from glancing around in response to the eyes he could feel lingering on him from around the room. "Do you have a business here tonight, or are you merely paying your respects?"

"I already talked to Rupert, so Jackie and I are free to leave."

Victor raised an eyebrow. "She's here?"

Will grinned, and raised his chin as he looked past Victor's left shoulder. "Come on over, sweetheart."

Turning to his left, Victor spotted the wisp of a girl that he'd walked by without a second glance. She held her arms across her body, hugging herself more that affecting any sort of posture. Her pale green eyes glanced in his direction, then flicked around her, and finally lingered on Will as she stepped close to him. Will instinctively draped an arm around her shoulders but it only seemed to make her even more tense. 

Still, Will beamed. "Victor, this is Jackie Adaire. Jackie, this my friend Victor Mason."

Victor smiled his disarmingly charming smile and nodded at her in greeting. "Good evening, Miss Jackie."

The corners of her mouth quirked upward slightly, but that was all she could manage in reply. Will made a quiet comment about her being shy in the crowd, and it perhaps being a good idea to take their leave. Victor agreed, and they subtly intimated meeting at Will's home. The antebellum vampire departed first with his Child after the valets retrieved the familiar BMW. Victor watched them drive away as he waited for his rented red Mustang to be brought up.

His thoughts spun through the possibilities of what might be going on in Rupert's duchy, the reason behind the were's, the want to keep tabs on what Victor might be doing while he was here, and how Felix Chekhov tied into everything. Were's and vampires had not had any physical contentions in years, decades, in this corner of the world. Something about all the shifter's activities and interests struck him in a very odd manner, though he could not precisely say why apart from the obvious. Lack of physical contention did not often lead to alliances, and though Rupert's were presence was visibly small, Victor knew what he was smelling and what his gift was telling him.

The engine of the car purred invitingly as the valet pulled up a second time, and Victor was quickly inside as soon as the boy vacated the seat. Keeping his gift muted, he risked a quick peek at the life traces around the estate. Vampires, were's, and a one trace in particular that nearly made him forget he was trying not to set off any of Rupert's alarms for detecting the supernatural.

Closing down his gift, he shifted the car into drive and began the trip to Will's home as he wondered what cobalt blue eyes might have to do with the mystery of a vampire duke and a were-bear mobster.

Posted via email from Eternal Maestro’s Posterous

29 Mar 2010

Poet of my Heart

Author: eternalmaestro | Filed under: Poetry

I reach out across the sheets,
love, instinct, need,
guiding me to touch, to caress,
my last thought before dreaming,
that I may know you are real.

Memories are never enough.
I have to taste you, feel you,
merge and move with you,
each night, every night
because I need you.

You are the keeper of my heart,
the mate of my soul,
my match, my better, my equal.
All that I am not, or wish I was,
I see in you.

I am your strength.
You are my hope.
Happiness I dared not imagine,
until you loved me,
and there was poetry in my world.

I reach out across the sheets,
love, instinct, need,
guiding my touch, my caress,
to my first thought upon waking,
that I may show you I am real.

11 Mar 2010

Changes on the Wind – Uncertainty

Author: eternalmaestro | Filed under: Story
Author’s note: This takes place in the month of May, 2009. Jules and I are still working out the amended dates to everything but, since this turned out pretty well, we thought we’d give everyone a more concrete teaser to how Peter and Victor came together. *grins wickedly* Enjoy.

___________________________________

“Did I…”

Peter looked at me, though I only noted it in the periphery as I willed myself to keep my attention on the road. “Did you what?”

‘Did I do something that made you uncomfortable?’

I kept my face expressionless but shook my head. “Nothing, brother. I don’t wish to pry.”

He fell silent again and I couldn’t begin to guess what was going through his mind. We had hunted tonight, like we had on many nights prior, but this had been distinctly different. I’d needed to feed and had been of the mind for taking more than just blood, realizing I’d been neglecting my needs overly much recently. ‘It’s been since Trisha left. While I still enjoy sex simply to have it, she showed me the difference between fucking and making love. The two simply don’t compare, and seduction has lost its appeal to me. At least in part.’ So I had planned to venture out to indulge myself, intending to pick up a meal to sample both their body and their blood and lose myself in being a vampire in more than just name. I’d gotten as far as slipping my coat on until I paused to wonder, ‘Man or woman tonight?’

An involuntary shiver had passed over me. ‘Not a man. I know whose face I would be looking for.’ But the thought lingered.

Peter and I had been spending an inordinate amount of time together. When he had first arrived back in San Fransisco, I had wondered if even the haven of Nocturnal Embers would be denied me if he still felt at odds with me over what had happened with Keira. The first time I saw him there, just a few days after Amy had told me he was back and had asked after me, I all but ignored him as I took up residence at the bar and ordered a glass of blood. While I watched Tony prepare it, heating it to 98.6 degrees or as close as the contraption known as a microwave could achieve, I reflected on my new habit. Not for the first time, I acknowledged it was a pitiful state of affairs that I was avoiding hunting. But with Trisha so fresh in my mind and the ghost of memory of the final taste of her blood still clinging to my tongue, I didn’t want fresh, meaningless, encounters to replace it. Hers had been the last blood I’d consumed from a live source, and so long as I could cling to that reminder of her, I intended to do so. Even if it make seeking my sustenance in packets rather than pulses.

I’d been sipping at the blood and half listening to the conversations around me when he approached. Only Peter wore wing-tipped shoes and they made a distinctive noise as he walked across the hardwood floor, so I did not need to turn around to know it was him. ‘Perhaps he’s only ordering himself a drink…’

He settled onto the bar stool next to mine.

I sighed inwardly, resigning myself to whatever the conversation would hold. “Good evening, Master Poet.”

“Good evening, Victor.” He answered Tony’s silent question with a nod and the bartender moved to leave us to our conversation while he prepared a fresh drink for Peter. “I heard about Trisha,” he said, his voice soft. “I’m sorry.”

‘Being sincere, Peter?’ “It was just last week,” I responded vaguely, uncertain what else to say.

He nodded as he procured his wallet and slipped Tony a money note to pay for his drink. They engaged in a short exchange and then Tony moved off again. Peter sipped from his scotch and I took another draw from my glass of blood. He glanced at me in something of an deciphering manner as his hand lowered back to the counter. “How have you been faring?”

I forced myself to stay relaxed, keeping my eyes on my drink, and tried not to question his motivations for the inquiry. “I’m maintaining.”

Peter frowned slightly and turned his attention to the amber liquid in front of him. I found myself evaluating him, still uncertain what he was hoping to gain out of this conversation, when it finally dawned on me that the man I called Poet might not have ulterior motives. My expression softened. “What brings you back to San Fransisco?” Read the rest of this entry »

27 Feb 2010

Vamp Till Cue: Cadenza Pt 1.2

Author: eternalmaestro | Filed under: Story, Vamp Till Cue

It was much darker in the side street but Victor’s eyes adjusted rapidly like the hunter he was. He glanced at Sam and gave the stoic bouncer a nod before a faint whistle sounded from down the block, prompting Victor’s gaze to turn in that direction. Will beckoned him over with a sideways tilt of his head and it took only a second for Victor to be standing beside him.

Will grinned, amused at the display of speed. “Enjoying your old age?”

Victor chuckled. “There are several perks to the accumulating years.”

Nodding, Will turned to walk at a leisurely pace towards a more populated street, moving away from the supernaturally tinged area into a part of the city that was overrun by humanity. Thankfully with it being March and not precisely weather for being outdoors, there were not many people on the sidewalks. Victor casually strolled alongside but kept his senses on alert since it was possible that Felix would be foolish enough to consider retaliating. At the moment, though, there was no hint of any were scents on the wind.

Will broke the silence by producing a keyless entry remote to a silver BMW parked along the street. Victor looked over it both in admiration for the simple luxury and amusement at his friend’s practicality. “Honestly, Will, would it hurt you to indulge a little now and again?”

“I don’t have anything to compensate for by driving around in a flashy Mustang like some people I know,” he replied with humor in his voice, opening the driver’s door.

Victor obligingly moved around to the passenger side and smoothly slid into the car as Will did the same. The doors swung shut. “Matty says hello.”

The younger vampire sighed. “You remember her?”

“Yes and no. I remember you telling me you’d hired her but I never met her.” He glanced at his friend. “She seemed disappointed you had left.”

Will turned the keys in the ignition and distracted himself from answering until he’d pulled out into traffic. At the first red light he said, “I made the mistake of feeding from her and had to let her go.”

Victor raised an eyebrow. “She’s human.”

The car started moving again and Will’s eyes remained fixed ahead on the road, navigating the city streets. “It’s more complicated than that.”

Victor settled back into the passenger seat, relaxing. “In all the years I’ve known you, Will, I never thought you would be one to go native.”

Will snorted derisively. “I know what I am, thank-you-very-much. Haven’t forgotten, wouldn’t want it to change.” He fell silent for a moment. “It’s different here. Rupert has a good thing going, letting that bar exist.”

“I never understood it,” Victor confessed with a hint of disapproval.

“Well of course you wouldn’t.”

A raised eyebrow was directed toward Will in response.

Will gave his friend an evaluating look, shifting gears and speeding up quickly as he navigated the car onto the highway. “You don’t respect humans.”

Victor laughed, genuine amusement rippling through him until he noticed that Will was maintaining a sober look. Curious, he quieted and thought on what his friend had said. “I see no need to, at least not on the whole. Most are worthless beyond their value as a meal.”

“Is that really true?” Will challenged, the car speeding up again as he passed a slower moving vehicle. “If they’re only food, why is it that a place like Nocturnal Embers brings them in and lets them get to know our faces? Why are they capable of looking at us as people?”

Hesitating in his response, Victor waited just long enough to ensure Will’s question was serious. “They believe a fantasy if that is how they think of us.”

“Are we nothing but beasts then?”

Turning in his seat to square Will in his sights, Victor replied, “No. But tell me, Will, rather than engaging in this ridiculous back and forth, what is that has your panties in a twist? You seem to have dubbed me a spokesman for vampire kind and I would like to know why.”

The agitation in Victor’s tone prompted Will’s abrupt, terse, and unexpected answer to fly from his lips. “I turned someone.”

The elder vampire blinked, replaying the phrase in his mind until he was certain he had heard it correctly. “The woman you’re taking me to meet?” Read the rest of this entry »

20 Feb 2010

Vamp Till Cue: Cadenza

Author: eternalmaestro | Filed under: Story, Vamp Till Cue

A handful of stars peeked through the night sky bright enough to penetrate the permanent glow of the cityscape of San Francisco. The moon was easily noticeable, though, being a few days shy of full illumination. With all the ambient light shadows were nearly as pronounced at night as they were during the day, especially if you were familiar with looking for them. Abandoned buildings. Dark alleys. The shade of a rooftop stairway entrance.

A chance glance up at the shadow in question might have revealed a pair of eyes observing the entrance of a building across the street, but the owner would have wanted to be noticed if even that mere glimpse was allowed. Cunning brown irises marked one of the more notable features of the observer in question, as well as a confident posture, impeccable business attire complete with a pocket handkerchief, close-cut hair that was nearly as dark as the shadow he stood in, and a generally unreadable expression. Both hands were currently tucked into the pockets of his fine linen pants while his gaze remained intently fixed in place. No matter how much time passed, the figure hardly seemed to blink and only moved to duck away from the rare person who looked up toward his position. His tailored, hunter green, three-piece suit was ideal for blending in with shadows but caused his pale complexion to be even more of a stark contrast than it might have been otherwise.

Seeing movement up the street, his eyes flicked in that direction, away from where the bouncer stood at the entrance to the establishment of interest. A raised eyebrow marked his most pointed reaction to any of the people that had been seen coming to or from the building since taking up his post.

A couple strolled down the street, the woman practically draped under the arm of a man dressed almost as immaculately as our observer aside from the lack of a vest and tie. She, on the other hand, was attired like a walking Frederick’s of Hollywood advertisement, complete with knee-high boots and a barely there skirt that showed off her legs to more than a good advantage. The gentleman walked with a measured pace of one who was used to being mindful of appearing casual to observers and there was a distinct air of awareness that accompanied the demeanor, but at the moment most of his attention was focused on his hip-attachment. Both were equally attractive, the woman possessing a voluptuous but trim figure and an open, innocent face that appeared even more so paired with the weathered features of her companion. Had all three been at ground level there would have been a handful of inches difference in favor of the approaching man though the woman would have been just about eye level with the rooftop watcher, with her shoes.

A gust of wind caught the edge of the stroller’s black jacket and sharp brown eyes took note of the glint of neon light on steel. Our observer’s expression sobered and his gaze became even more intense while the pair halted as the gentleman on the ground nodded to the bouncer in a familiar manner.

Sam nodded back in his customarily terse manner. “Back again I see.”

“Just let us in, Sam,” said the woman, who spared just enough time to shoot the burly man a look of annoyed impatience before turning her hungry gaze back to her escort. “We’re here to have fun.” Read the rest of this entry »

29 Jan 2010

Another Child

Author: eternalmaestro | Filed under: Story

Peter and I have been back in in the US for more than a month now. We arrived in Philadelphia on the 10th of December, just one day past John’s nineteenth birthday. We had originally planned to return to San Francisco where Robin had been residing with both of Peter’s children, John and Lydia, my immortal child, Delilah, and his own immortal child, Katerina. It was going to be a very busy house but one that we were eager to visit. We had been globe trotting since our wedding, which had taken place in early October, and thought it would be relaxing to return home for the holidays.

Needless to say, plans changed. A young man named Zachary Taylor dropped onto Robin’s doorstep on December 2nd and brought following along behind him, as Katerina has termed it, “the big bad wolf”. The Order.

Perhaps I should explain. My bonded husband is a seer. An irony of sorts because seers are vampire hunters. Supernaturally gifted with an array of powers that vary depending on what Fate has planned for them, every seer that has existed since the Order was founded has been a human male. Mortal. They are born just like everyone else and their powers lay in dormancy until they have need of them. They can be brought forth earlier than their predestined time by a sorceress or other gifted spellcaster, but it is rare because there is no way to recognize a seer from a normal human until their powers manifest. With one exception. The single trait that that can give away a potential seer, for those who know to look for it, is also entirely dependent on how powerful they are destined to become. Their eyes.

All seers have eyes of an emerald green hue that nearly appear to glow with an inner light. Their eyes change color when they gain their powers but beforehand, when they are still just an average, everyday being, the rare ones will have eyes of a glacial ice blue.

John’s eyes no doubt look very similar to what Peter’s did prior to gaining his mantle. Read the rest of this entry »

5 Jan 2010

The Immortal Gift – Pt 1.2

Author: eternalmaestro | Filed under: Story, The Immortal Gift

Pt 1.1

——–

For reader clarification: I realize that posting this on my blog alone might distort the character perspective a bit. The initial part of this piece of the tale is told by Delilah before switching to my view. Consider this a first attempt at working on a collaborative first person narrative.

——–

“Damn it, Victor. What were you thinking?”

“He was going to kill her.”

“I don’t care if he was going to rip out her guts and use them to skip rope. This only makes a bad situation worse, and you know it.”

“I take it you do not approve of my choice for my first immortal child, Nathan.”

“This isn’t about you, Victor. This is Samuel. You know he isn’t going to let this go.”

“Wait until you meet her, Nathan. You’ll understand.”

“This is so completely unlike you I have to wonder if you did it just to piss him off.”

“I assure you that was the farthest thought from my mind.”

“Bullshit. I know you too damn well, Victor. You never do something without thinking it through.”

“And I tell you, when you meet her, you’ll understand. I could not allow him to kill her.”

“Sure, so you fucking turned her. Drained her and gave her your blood and buried her and…fuck.”

“It was better than the alternative.”

“You enjoy making my life interesting, don’t you?”

—————–

The first thing I knew when I woke up was that it felt like I was being smothered. When I inhaled there was a weight on my chest that prevented me from breathing in deeply. But when I tried to raise my hands, I realized that the weight was pressing down my entire body. Panic gripped me but quickly faded just as quickly. There was something oddly comforting about the predicament I found myself in. Like I was somewhere safe and protected.

Except that I was awake and really wanted to get out.

Rotating my wrists, I tried to push upwards with my palms. It was pitch black so I had no idea what I might have been shoving against but it didn’t seem all that solid. In fact, I could feel it crumbling away the more I tried to move so I began curling and flexing my fingers to make it fall away even more.

Somewhere in the back of my mind I realized that the lack of light should bother me. But it didn’t and I really needed to get out first before worrying about anything else.

Why did I need to get out? I was comfortable, I felt safe… Oh. Right. I was hungry. There was a gnawing emptiness in my body that was getting worse with each passing moment and it was setting my mouth on fire. I wanted to taste something warm. Something fresh. Something…

My thoughts turned hazy the more I tried to think about eating so I stopped. Had to get out before I could find food, after all. So I kept flexing my fingers, digging through the stuff that was covering me, and somehow settled into a methodical pattern that actually made some real progress. I kicked my feet, shimmied my shoulders, twisted my hips, and slowly but surely made my way upwards by working on some instinct that I only half realized I even had. I wasn’t even sure how I knew that the right was to go was up.

Finally the resistance lightened to a point where I was actually able to push the weight off of me rather than dig through it.

I sat up, forced myself to stand, and turned around to take in my surroundings. Trees surrounded me on all sides and the only light was the glow of the moon, which gave everything a silvery sheen. Belatedly, I looked back down and saw the freshly turned earth beneath my feet.

I had just dug myself out of the dirt. Read the rest of this entry »

31 Dec 2009

New Years Reflection: The Moon Is Full Again

Author: eternalmaestro | Filed under: Lover's Nest, Story

I opened the heavy curtains tonight to find the moon full once more. No matter how many times I witness the cycle, waxing, waning, it’s silvery light has been the one constant piece of my world since that fateful eve over four hundred years ago where I was made into what I am. Vampire. Lamiae. Nosferatu. There are a host of names for those of my kind, sometimes given when humans confuse us for the other creatures that inhabit the same world that we do. And who knows. Perhaps there is a bloodline for each of their nightmares. Perhaps it is their fears that created the first of us.

My bloodline does not know our origins, or if we do, it is a closely guarded secret among the oldest of us. And for all my years, four centuries of night lit by a changing moon, I am still a teenager in the eyes of immortals of my kind. For Peter’s bloodline, though, I am actually rather old. It is an amusing disconnect to witness. Ever since our wedding night, we have been traveling the globe purely in pursuit of some time solely to ourselves. Even creatures with a lifespan of infinity can still be selfish in that regard, especially when we have made a discovery that has changed our entire perception of the world around us.

The moon tonight is what finally settled my thoughts enough to sit down and put words to paper that have been circling in my mind like vultures since we arrived home last Sunday. So much is changing…

But that is not what I want to speak of. The world will have to wait for my consideration a few hours longer tonight because there are changes much closer to home that I wish to enumerate tonight.

A year ago I did not know what love truly was. Not even in my days as a mortal, those twenty-one years that cannot compare to the four hundred and four I have spent in my permanent guise. Always to lust, never to love, that was my existence prior to now, from 1605 to 2008. I choose not to include my mortal years in that count because mortal lust is nothing compared to the lust experienced by a vampire. Mortal bodies and mortal hearts know desire, and the fortunate of them might learn what it means to desire with your soul, to want something so viscerally that you would give all of yourself to achieve even the hope of sating it. For a vampire, lust is ten fold stronger than anything I ever experienced as a human. To want, to know precisely what you want, and that not only do you want it but you need it is a desire, a lust, that cannot be rivaled by anything in mortal experience. I have experienced true bloodlust, that gut wrenching, soul wrenching, absolute, dire need that cannot be sated by anything other than the crimson flow of the elixir that is human life being greedily sucked into the well of emptiness within us that seems as though it can never truly be filled. We can be sated, for a time, but we will always want more.

This year was also an indulgent one. I have killed far more in this twelve month span than I have in the last five years combined, possibly longer. I am a cautious vampire, one who is ever mindful of the fact that while I have been gifted immortality, it is still something I need to guard with a jealous heart. Perhaps that is why this year I have not been as mindful as years prior. I have learned that this heart, this silent, dead, unbeating heart, can love. And with that newness, that barest whisper of something more being blown back into these bones, it seemed as though I had been born again. Not as man, but as a vampire. The man that once called himself Victor Mason is long dead. He would have been driven mad by even a fraction of the things I have witnessed, and would have been shattered by the things I have experienced. But this vampire heart is exulting to discover the depths of sentiments that go beyond affection, beyond devotion, and culminate in that word that is the simplest and yet most apt one to describe the notion, love. Read the rest of this entry »

22 Nov 2009

Loving Peter

Author: eternalmaestro | Filed under: Story

_____________

Content warning: This piece contains an explicit sexual encounter between two male vampires.

_____________

Both of us were already incensed with lust when we returned to the flat we were occupying while in the city. Tonight we had gone out to a local, old fashioned – by modern standards – establishment that featured a live band and a cleared area covered with smooth topped linoleum panels that served as a dance floor. Neither of us cared to even give the mortals a thought as Peter took my hand and pulled me to a stand when the band shifted from performing light, airy, waltzing music to the rhythmic, more seductive notes of a Latin piece.

I especially did not care when Peter slid his hand down my chest, fingers running over the silk of my tie and the buttons underneath before his arm wrapped securely around my back and pulled me to him in a demanding manner. My free hand lifted to his waist, to rest on top of the fine linen of his suit jacket while we stared in each other’s eyes, emerald green locked on chestnut brown. I love the fact that I have to look up at him.

The music shifted out of the introductory phrases that informed the educated listener of what was about to play and into the notes that commanded movement. Peter stepped with precision and I followed his lead willingly, both of us grinning like the devils we are as we gave our movements over to the music. I still remember the first time he surprised me by sweeping me into a dance, and my continued amazement as he confessed that his time spent in Toronto at Ophelia’s coven had been partially spent in learning the nuances of being a modern gentleman in every sense of the word. The first time we had listened to a song similar to this one, I had laughed in delight when he’d taken me through the opening steps, proving that he knew how to put his knowledge to use.

There is nothing like dancing a tango with Peter.

He led and I followed, our surroundings disappearing into a meaningless blur as he moved us across the floor. The only thing that mattered aside from his body next to mine was the song that compelled us to do everything short of fuck one another then and there.

He dipped me back, leaning over my body with his and delivered a playful nip at the side of my neck just above where my collar stopped and my skin began. There was no time for me to even shiver before he was pulling me back upright and pressing us together again. I had to fight against my fangs descending as I saw the heat in his gaze while the dance continued. Our shoes tapped out the cadence along with the percussion, the pairs of gleaming leather perhaps appreciated by one of the forgotten patrons around us.

Let them be jealous, I thought, It only makes having him all the sweeter. His eyes on mine, still we moved, locked with each other as the music built to a frenzy. Now the steps were more complicated but still he led me flawlessly, challenging me to keep up in a silent dare. I did, and his eyes told me a thousand things in response. Read the rest of this entry »