Moving On Up

[Malkavian Riddler]

Ash Rivers had finally finished moving into and decorating his penthouse apartment.  It had taken three days and nights, with him impatiently yelling down the phone whenever he found a deviation from his original ideas (especially if he\'d made a written note which was for some reason ignored) and calling up Kerr\'s contacts, ensuring he behaved himself and let them know it was because of Kerr he was spending all this money with them.  The automatic roller-shutter people said over the phone they would send Kerr a thank-you basket for his recommendation, and Ash\'s eyebrows had raised at that, wondering what kind of goodies would fill a basket for a vampire.  They had to know what he was, surely.  A few sentences down the conversation and he knew without a doubt that they knew both his and Kerr\'s delicate condition regarding the sun.  Okay, good.  It was bad business sense to burn your clients to a crisp, and he was glad they were aware of it.

He was dressed casually but neatly tonight, in jeans and a white lightly pin-striped button-up shirt, with a necklace that ended in an Native American leathercraft.  Because he was hopping into the elevator for a short ride down one floor, he hadn\'t bothered putting on shoes or socks, and was curling his toes on the carpeted floor of the lift before stepping out and sauntering up to Kerr\'s door.  His vampiric sense informed him that the Irishman was at home, and he knew his mentally seeking tendrils were likely felt.  He knocked, quickly, before Kerr could answer the door before he could do so, and show him up.

"Come on up and have a look," he said as soon as the door started to open, not bothering to wait and see who\'d answered it.  "You\'ll be envious," he said, and grinned.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr laughed aloud, his tongue tip nudging against one of his fangs as he looked Ash up and down with deliberate slowness.  "Will I?" he drawled, sounding thoroughly unconvinced that he would be, but there was a lilt to his words that implied he\'d be willing to take a look.

"I guess I can\'t refuse, after such a polite invitation," he chuckled sarcastically, reaching back towards the kitchen bench (without moving his own bare feet from their position to the side of the doorway) and grabbing his keys.  He wasn\'t dressed as nicely as Ash - his jeans were baggy, with holes picked into them and threads fraying from each around each slit and he was only wearing a dark green turtleneck (but it was cashmere) - but he didn\'t think it would matter.  They seemed to have the same taste in footwear.

"You know, I was considering complaining to management, about all the banging and the racket that was going on upstairs," he said conversationally as he stepped into the lift beside Ash and leaned his ass against the back of it.  He tucked his fingers into his jeans pockets and looked deliberately at the numbers - as they ascended one floor.  "Decided against it," he sniffed imperiously.

[Malkavian Riddler]

When the lift doors opened, bonging to announce their arrival, Ash gave Kerr a little sideways smile.

"Management doesn\'t listen to complaints of the riff raff from the lower floors," he said, moving to the front doors and pressing his thumb against the reader beside the door.  It chirped electronically before the doors clicked open and he pushed them inward with one hand, while his other remained tucked with his thumb in his jeans pocket.  "That\'s what makes this place so great," he added, looking at the statue before him and trying to see it through Kerr\'s eyes.  He looked back for the expression.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr\'s eyebrows merely raised at being referred to as \'riff raff\' but he held his tongue as he watched Ash \'beep\' them into his apartment.  He had to admit, it was damn fancy and the statue combined with the water effect certainly captivated his attention - and his imagination.

He whistled appreciatively as he stepped closer to it, looking it up and down closely.  "Well, I\'m no art aficionado," he began, experiencing a familiar pang (what was it with being around Ash and feeling pangs?!) as he thought of his limited art understandings and the woman who\'d been responsible for the totality of his modern education in the field, Mandy, "But I\'d say that\'s... beautiful," he smiled, dropping his critical act and smiling at Ash, his hand falling away from pinching his chin so that he could rub the two of them together.

"What else have you got to dazzle me with?"

[Malkavian Riddler]

He was pleased with and approved of the way Kerr admired the statue.  The projected water had been Ash\'s personal idea, and he thought it lit up the statue in entirely a higher level than simple spotlights would\'ve.

"Beyond my smile," Ash said, showing his very white, very straight Hollywood teeth (and not so gauche as to present his fangs), "if it\'s my art you like, I have it scattered about the place."

He started moving left, in order to take Kerr past the kitchen and dining rooms and to lead him into the first room down the corridor - which held the billiard table that he\'d promised to put in.  They could have a game or two either during or after the tour.

He already knew he had a friend in Kerr, and was pleased about the easy friendship they\'d settled into.  It was nice having his own friends and being himself instead of tagging along after his sire.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr made appreciative noises as they walked through new rooms and there were new sights to behold.  He liked most of it, though it was far flashier than he\'d been even at his least inspired; he could see Ash hosting a grand party with a lot of strangers in the place and he made a comment to that effect just before they got to the billiard room.  Then he became pretty close to speechless.

"Oh... wow... " he said as he walked up and touched the felt.  A brand new table; it would have cost a fortune.  Still resting a hand on the table, he looked directly into the other vampire\'s eyes.  "Okay, now you\'ve got me.  I am envious of this," he admitted, deadpan.  The rest of it didn\'t ring his bells or blow his whistles but he did love the look of this table.

[Malkavian Riddler]

A crooked smile on Ash\'s face belied how pleased he was with Kerr\'s reaction.

The deep red carpet beneath his toes was plush and cosy to walk on, and he knew that Kerr was feeling the same thing. There was something about them both being barefoot that thrilled him just that little bit more. He felt like he could relate to Kerr, despite the other\'s old eyes in a young face.

"Rack up a game?" he asked, gesturing to the stand that held many cues and sets of balls, both standard pool as well as billiards. Above, hooked on the low light, was a triangle. He was already reaching for it before Kerr gave his answer.

[Existentially Odd]

"Psh, yeah!" Kerr scoffed, as if it was a foregone conclusion that he had more interest in dropping the tour and playing a game than in continuing it \'til he\'d seen every crevice of the place.  He walked to the rack and set about selecting a cue.  "Fine, straight instruments you have here," he chuckled, as he selected one based on its light weight but bottom end bias.

He turned back to look at the table, watching Ash with interest.  "So... am I the first visitor?" he enquired, rather hoping he was.  It meant something, to be the first and immediate invitation to a place that, in turn, meant something to Ash.

[Malkavian Riddler]

"Yeah," Ash said, not thinking about the importance of visitor placement in the queue, because he was too busy setting up the balls correctly within the triangle. He swapped a few of them over, looked at it with an accusing glare, then removed the triangle in order to hook it over the light again. He headed for the cue stand to select one for himself as he spoke.

"Finished the place yesterday, officially, but I brought in a few last bits and pieces earlier tonight." He\'d actually gone downstairs to invite Kerr up the other night, but he\'d sensed the other wasn\'t in his apartment. He figured Kerr was out working at his political job - something that Ash wasn\'t keen on hearing about and so he hadn\'t asked. He\'d shopped for a few more pieces to bring to his new home, spending time and money selecting whatever caught his eye and then finding places for them to sit. Most of it was artwork, but there were some tidbits that he thought finished the place off better. He\'d arranged for some towels, sheet sets and blankets to be brought to the penthouse tonight which he\'d purchased the night before, arriving the next night due to the fact they\'d had to order them in.

"I think it\'s about right now," he said, musing. "It\'s a bit cramped here, but I could get used to it. Nothing like your place," he said mysteriously, trying to imply an insult and hoping to get a rise.

[Existentially Odd]

Again, Kerr\'s jaw dropped slyly and his tongue tip prodded a canine as he considered Ash, taking the bait hook, line and sinker.  "Cramped," he grunted, his mind whirring as he contemplated how he could get his friend back for the insult.  The notion of taking him to the five storey beach house did occur, but he was happy to keep it on Capital terms for the time being.

"Well," he shrugged, his brown eyes lighting up as he sauntered towards the D end of the pool table, like he believed it was his right to break, "I guess I\'m just used to squashing things into tight spaces; it\'s a habit I had to learn early on and a skill I\'ve perfected through the years," he said airily, transferring his cue to his right hand and reaching out to fondle the white on the table, flipping it around on the spot as he looked expectantly at Ash.

"I don\'t have anything to compensate for, so I don\'t really need a place this big.  It\'s good that you\'re comfortable here, though," he said condescendingly, his expression one of mocking comfort.  "My break?" he finished brightly, finally positioning the white ball, hefting his cue and looking ready to go ahead with the game all in one smooth movement.  He wondered if he should be wagering something on this game... their rivalry was only growing, the more time they spent together.  He relished it.

[Malkavian Riddler]

Ash laughed at the first remark, then grinned as Kerr supplied him an insult in return - something he could use.  "Size does matter, and I know use it," he said drolly, tipping his pool cue over so he could chalk the tip.  The tips and chalk were white instead of the usual blue; an extravagant choice and only done so because it was an option that would make everything that much harder to get, but also that much more individual.  "I don\'t suppose you\'ve had a chance to learn about finesse, when you\'re simply cramming what you have into what you\'ve got," he reflected, then gestured for Kerr to go right on ahead.  "Guests break, house rules," he said, tagging it on the end as though he\'d only just finished discussing the weather.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr blinked and waited until he\'d broken before he responded, straightening up and looking at Ash steadily when he sank two off the break - both striped balls, thankfully.  "I\'d wager I know more about finesse than you do," he challenged, not discussing terms until he found out whether Ash was interested in a wager or not.

[Malkavian Riddler]

"I\'d take you up on that, old man," he replied quickly, jibing Kerr about his age once more because he\'d got a nice rise out of him the first time around.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr\'s jaw set, his right molars tapping upon one another in irritation as he glared at his opponent.  He transferred the pool cue to his left hand while he stared, and rested his right arm across it - although it wasn\'t particularly comfortable, it was a coolly thoughtful pose.

"Right then.  How about we wager... a week spent in each others\' living quarters then, hrmm?  Should you lose, that is - I live here and you cope with my cramped quarters, deal?  Now if I lose... uh..." he fell short, trying to think of a suitable punishment for himself, should he lose this wager.

[Malkavian Riddler]

Ash\'s eyebrows lifted quite obviously as Kerr suggested that he give up his place on a bet.  It was a serious wager, as far as wagers went, and he\'d only just got and decorated this damn place to risk losing it now.

Thing was, he would be putting his money where his mouth was, and he had no problems betting on his charisma.  He was Ash Rivers, movie star, after all (regardless of the fact he really wasn\'t recognised by too many folk, there was at least enough about him that seduced them all the same).

"You have nothing I want, unless you\'ve got some other fabulous place tucked away somewhere," he said, for he\'d always liked the fact Isaac had many holiday homes scattered around the world and could whisk Ash away to them at a moment\'s notice.  He was pretty sure Kerr might have something like that, especially if he was centuries old.