Kerr VS Lazarus

[Trillian]

He\'d meant to choose the beach themed room, which called itself \'Tropicana\' according to the plaque screwed onto the door, but once he reached the corridor of doorways (most of which were closed), he found that the beach room had been taken.

Fuck.

He didn\'t know the other rooms so entered one at random, barely noticing that it was titled \'Dragon\'s Cave\' and found himself in a cave-like gem-filled room with a projected mural of a dragon on one wall.  The light in the room shimmered from green hues to blue and then to red, making everything seem ethereal.

It was even better than the beach room, which had an off-putting projection of a sunlit island beach.  He wanted Kerr to be uncomfortable, and this room was certainly bizarre enough to take him out of his comfort zone (or so Lazarus believed).

Lazarus flopped backwards onto the very low bed, almost inset into the floor, and on the way down he hoped it would be nice and soft, otherwise he wasn\'t going to have a comfortable landing.  It was indeed soft, and he wanted to display the confidence of one who\'d been here many times.  He didn\'t know if Kerr knew he\'d only come back last night, so he had to behave as though he knew this room intimately.

"Love, it\'s so nice to have you personally welcome me," Lazarus began, adjusting his position on the mattress so he looked super sexy, "but won\'t your children be jealous?"

It had been a nasty surprise to discover Ichabod was vampire, and that he must\'ve been sired by Kerr - why else would Ben be running around the club with him, holding his hand?  He hadn\'t been close enough to smell the blood of his sire on him, but Lazarus could put two and two together neatly enough.

[Existentially Odd]

He wanted to argue that Ben and Cub weren\'t children in the strictest sense, that Lazarus was deliberately playing on words to annoy him, but what would be the point? It was obvious that that was the man was doing and Kerr was loathe to state the obvious - especially if it gave the blonde any sort of satisfaction.
 
No, he bit his tongue instead and looked around the dark room, finding the colour shifts off-putting and Lazarus\' sprawl distasteful. After a moment\'s surveyance, he dragged the stone bench nearer the foot of the bed and sat on it, his feet placed sqaurely, shoulder-width apart, and his hands balled upon his knees like a schoolboy having his photograph taken; stiff and awkward as he gazed disdainfully down at Lazarus.
 
The room seemed, to Kerr, a deliberate choice and it grated heavily on his nerves. What better room to show the Luminary to, than a room fit for a dragon? It seemed the height of mockery, of grandiose nose-thumbery to Kerr\'s current station, the tattoo on his neck and, especially, the man who had created the position before him (whom Lazarus knew - but Kerr only suspected - had been a true dragon). It was exactly Lazarus\' cock-like style and it only convinced Kerr that the ancient had been in the city far longer than he\'d known about.
 
Brianna and her spies would likely bear his ire this night. Once the torture of conversing with this fuckhead was over.
 
"I want to know why you\'re back here," Kerr stated plainly, staring at Lazarus without blinking so that the asshole might better appreciate the magnitude of his trespass. He wasn\'t welcome in a city he\'d twice brought to its knees, and it had been a very pleasant couple of years without the fucker\'s presence, thank you all the same. Kerr\'s braced posture and cool gaze conveyed that perfectly (though he expected it to be ignored, for it wouldn\'t be Lazarus without a grab and a fondle before the dance truly got underway).

[Trillian]

"Kerr, love, this is my home!" he declared grandly, gesturing majestically around himself, meaning a place far greater than the walls of this room.  He hadn\'t thought about the irony of being in a dragon-themed room, about the many underlying contexts it held, though if he knew Kerr\'s great discomfort that stemmed from it, he\'d have been delighted and played with their conversation in order to revolve around the theme of dragons, slayers and takeover bids.

At the moment, he was far too self-absorbed to see the bigger picture.

"Surely the Luminary isn\'t threatened by a single vampire?" he smiled with a hint of sneer.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr\'s lips pursed in a mocking smile and his eyes narrowed at the blonde, hating that he would have to admit his angst but hoping it would work in his favour.  Precious little else would in this conversation.

"Humble isn\'t in your vocabulary and it certainly doesn\'t sit well about your shoulders, Lazarus, so you can let that scuttle off into the night," the Irishman advised with a disdainful flick of his right hand, before it rested back in its former position atop his knee.  His expression also calmed into one much more serious.

"You\'re more than a single vampire and definitely someone to be wary of.  We both know it.  You\'ve proven time and again that you lust after control of the city, so I think it only fair to state that I would not do you the dishonour of underestimating you.  I would, however, like to know if you plan to make trouble for the city... or for me and mine... or whether you\'re simply returning to...

the only place that will stomach your presence

your home?" he asked mildly.

[Trillian]

To tell Lazarus he wasn\'t to be underestimated and a threat worthy of an entire organisation being wary of, was to stroke his ego with large caresses.  He preened as the compliment took form, his sneering smile turning into one of satisfaction, eyeing Kerr like a cat who\'d just had his fill of cream.

"I\'ve had this city twice, in two different ways, so I don\'t need it to devote itself to me again," he said honestly, the sexual deviance of his chosen words likely not lost on the vampire before him - not if he knew Lazarus well.  "If you get the chance to live as long as I have, you might understand that every now and then a place will call to you as home.  Most of the time you don\'t get that luxury, and I intend to bathe in it when I can."

It was the most straightforward answer he\'d ever supplied Kerr, without ulterior motive or meaning.  This city really did feel like home to him, and Risk in particular - even with it\'s bizarre changes - still felt the same.  The same faces frequented this place, after all.  Not that much had changed in the two years he\'d been away.

"I see you\'ve made Ichabod a fledge," he said without preamble.  "How\'s that working out for you?"

Much to his chagrin, he found he didn\'t dare bring up Ben\'s name.  He not only felt like he\'d be pushing his luck with Kerr in that regard, but he also felt like that ship had sailed.  Even though the young vampire had looked back and there was an opening for Lazarus to take, the Ancient simply didn\'t feel like messing with him anymore.  He supposed they were even, now.

Well.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr began to gnaw on the stud in his tongue as Lazarus\' demeanour changed; he was pleased to see that his gamble had paid off and was therefore open to accepting the ancient\'s following words as the truth.  It sounded genuine - his satisfaction at raping the city twice came off as smug, certainly, but believable.  The Irishman wasn\'t sure that he should believe a word the blonde asshole said... but it seemed right to trust his head over his screaming, thrice-burned instincts this time.

The insinuation that Kerr might meet his end before the millenium mark had his spine stiffening once more, but he clenched his fists and chose not to respond.  The Ichabod reference had his nostrils flaring and he was very suddenly more than willing to take Lazarus\' words as gospel, so that he didn\'t have to partake in this part of the conversation.

"Fine," he said through gritted teeth, although it wasn\'t.  The tension between Cub and Ben still grated after all this time, and he\'d believed it would be less of a chore to be stuck between them by now.  He supposed that that was what he got for siring an ex-lover, someone he\'d been highly attracted to - who still effused feelings for him that he daren\'t act on, even if they were stifled beneath the formality of the relationship he very strictly maintained - while he worked his ass off to get back into the good graces of the one who\'d held his heart.  Did hold his heart.

Frankly, his home situation was often as much work as his actual work and the only escape he seemed able to find was with Jenna, who came with her own baggage but was so much easier to be with.  Except for the lust and love he felt for her, of course.  But that was a burden he shouldered silently and not even Ben would be able to reach the deep place he buried his thoughts of her.

None of this was anything he\'d tell Lazarus and since he\'d got his answers (or accepted that he had, anyway), he stood up, preparing to make his leave.

"Thank you for your time," he said formally, inclining his head somewhat jerkily - whether it was because the Ancient had stirred up his thoughts and emotions or whether he begrudged acknowledging the man he still wanted to prostrate himself before wasn\'t clear even to him, but he certainly wasn\'t feeling as teflon and confident as he had walking into this space with the blonde.  Oddly, this time it wasn\'t even really Lazarus\' fault.  "I\'ll, uh, leave you to it."

[Trillian]

Lazarus looked at Kerr sharply.

"Thank me for my time?" he scoffed, bouncing himself off the bed in a manner that was sexually inappropriate, thrusting his hips upward and pushing with his long legs in order to scuttle forward and then ooze himself off the covers to a standing position.  "You mean to say you brought me to this private room in order to ask me why I came back, and that\'s it?"  He stalked over to Kerr, who looked suddenly tense, and the atmosphere thickened exponentially.

Lazarus took advantage of Kerr\'s tension in order to stand before him, not wanting to push Kerr to the point that he would call for his mimicking minions.  The last thing Lazarus wanted right now was a graceless exit.  His arms folded in front of his chest, which was both an intimidating stance as well as a non-threatening gesture (see? my hands have been put away, there\'s no choke hold coming for you here).  Lifting his chin, he regarded the Irish vampire, who despite his young age, made Lazarus feel foolish and wanting.

"No threats to not get myself close to you and yours?  No warnings to back off?  No implication of dire consequences to my health if I don\'t behave?"  He lost his expression of impudence in order to waggle his brows at Kerr at the last spoken word.  Grinning, Lazarus continued, forgetting his imposing stance in order to reach out for Kerr in a friendly manner - hoping to place an arm around his shoulders so he could lean in and croon sweet somethings in his ear.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr came to a stop as Lazarus appeared in front of him, that unnatural speed surprising him out of his distraction and stiffening his spine immediately. Involuntarily, his head swayed slightly to the side, as if he was expecting to deflect a punch, but he straightened and met Lazarus\' gaze when the blonde merely folded his arms, holding the space between them hostage in a typical manner.

In response, the Irishman slid his hands into his hip pockets (where they immediately clenched into fists).  Again, his teeth pressed into each other as he fought the urge to buckle before the Ancient vampire, his knees lusting for the carpet so that he could spread himself before a being his heart wanted to spit upon.  The conflict in him was dynamic and palpable, his gaze flicking between the taller man\'s sculpted jaw and enigmatic eyes even as an arm was woven about his shoulders.  He wanted to feel like a rock, able to deflect everything the elements threw at him, but that arm melted his insides as surely as a hot knife could cut through butter.

He swallowed before he answered and when he did, his voice was thick and heavily accented due to the amount of concentration he was having to put into remaining upright and talking at the same time.  Fucking Ancient auras; he hated this weakness in himself!

"There are no threats and implications.  I take you at your word that you\'ve returned to the city that calls to you as home and understand that you\'re here for those reasons.  If you... misbehave... you\'ll be shown no mercy.  You know it as well as I do.  As for my family, if you have designs on them, more fool you.  You\'ve seduced both of them before and if you can do it again... well, then I suppose they\'re not the men I believe them to be and I deserve to know that sooner rather than later," he stated diplomatically, putting a great deal of effort into shrugging beneath the weight of Lazarus\' arm and his aura - the latter being the greater challenge.

Summoning the last shred of his mutinous feelings, Kerr looked the Ancient in the eye as steadily as he was able.  It probably sounded like a threat - telling Lazarus he\'d be a fool to have designs on his fledglings - but something secretive and weary in him threw it down as a challenge.  The blonde wouldn\'t be a fool to approach Ben and Cub because there was an army of Mimics about them every night, nor because Oligarchy spies trailed their every move; he\'d be a fool because the pair were a quarry of trouble together and Kerr often felt like wading into the space around them was a trial, not a reward.  He\'d bet Lazarus would get tired of their civil antagonism towards each other within about ten minutes and walk away, counting himself a lucky man for the narrow escape.

Kerr was obviously not in his right frame of mind, to find the thought amusing.  He also really didn\'t want the Ancient cocksucker anywhere near his boys, but his proximity to said being made it hard for him to feel anything but resigned.  If they wanted to get at each other, they would, whether he liked it or not.  It had happened before, it could happen again... he shied away from dwelling too long on the fact that he and Lazarus had bedded both men and therefore shared far more than he wanted to acknowledge.

[Trillian]

More fool Kerr, for Lazarus played right into his trap.  (And who had he trapped, indeed?)

"That sounds like a challenge!" Lazarus declared grandly, squeezing Kerr\'s shoulders in a manner that only best buddies could deign to do.  "I\'ll find out quickly which of them isn\'t pure of heart.  How appropriate that you should ask my help in testing their loyalties!"

He took a step aside, if only to look upon Kerr and acknowledge his superior standing, with a cocky grin on his face he deeply bowed, bending at the hips, gesturing out with his arm in a manner that was befitting a stage comedy, the jester prostrating himself before the king.  Upon standing, his grin had turned into something a little less lecherous and more cautious.

"I take it that you won\'t find my conversing with them to be a part of misbehaving, in that case?"

[Existentially Odd]

Despite his cavalier thoughts, Kerr was still horrified that his dark ponderings were pounced upon so gleefully by Lazarus.  Did the vampire have no interests in his life beyond fucking with him?

"Converse with them if you must," he said quickly, making it clear that he didn\'t really want that to happen via his urgent tone and widened eyes, "but I\'m not issuing you a challenge to test their loyalty!  I\'m definitely. Not. Asking for your help," he asserted, his hand rhythmically slicing the air between them as if he was trying to cut such a horrid notion away.

"In fact, Ben and I are doing just fine without your interference, thank you very much, and Cub-uh-Ichabod doesn\'t need you screwing with his mind, either.  Haven\'t you got something more interesting to do with yourself, now you\'re back?" the Irishman finished hopefully, unwilling to back away from the fact that he\'d more or less invited Lazarus into their lives but hoping to dissuade him from actually doing it.

[Trillian]

Lazarus pondered his reply, as quickly as he was able.  He was lucky to possess a quick-witted mind, for lack of any of his mental talents, but when there were many options and clear paths that could be taken, even Lazarus had to pause somewhat.

There was the obvious option of \'fucking with Kerr\'s family\', as Kerr himself had put it.  To engage with Ichabod and Ben again brought both a cheery and sour note to Lazarus.  Bittersweet?  Not so, and it was because of this sour turn within his thoughts of the two youths that he decided not to pursue that path.  There was also another couple of options, thanks to Kerr\'s questioning what Lazarus wished to do with himself.  He could misrepresent Kerr\'s words once again, or dictate to the Luminary what further plans he had.  Since he had none of the latter, he was left with one last option - to inject himself into Kerr\'s business.

Kerr would likely know he had given Lazarus something to think about, though the Ancient replied much sooner than the Irishman was able to interrupt and hastily make his leave.

"Well, thank you for clarifying the matter," he replied, stalling for time as he wondered how best to phrase himself.  "As for keeping myself amused, I haven\'t yet found anything worthy of my time."  He inspected his nails while he said this, then peered through his lashes at Kerr.  "Don\'t beat about the bush though, Kerr.  You don\'t need to be so polite when inquiring about whether I\'m busy or not.  Always so congenial, love.  If ever you need to ask me a favour, I\'d be happy to extend myself to you."

He was positively dripping with compliments, though none of them were sycophantic.  Mostly the ingenuine nature of his comments could be felt, rather than heard, for his voice was warm and sincere, his expression certainly was not.  The smile on his face was fixed, and his eyes wary and cold.

[Existentially Odd]

Unexpectedly, Kerr was offered a bone and then slapped on the hand for reaching for it.  Well, that was how it felt, anyway.  Like all this time Lazarus had been steering him somewhere by playing on his predictable protective instinct and that he was now being herded into something he couldn\'t fathom.

Why the fuck wasn\'t the guy insisting on taunting Ben and Cub?

Kerr definitely felt unbalanced and couldn\'t help but frown at Lazarus in confusion.  "Ask you a favour?" he repeated, entirely nonplussed.  "What sort of favour could I possibly need to ask of you?"  He searched the Ancient\'s face sincerely, as if the answer to all his confusion might be there... somewhere.  Because he was responding so genuinely, he also didn\'t check the derision in his tone, that announced his belief that Lazarus had absolutely nothing he\'d ever want.

[Trillian]

Lazarus looked positively gleeful.

"Come, now," he chided, "You feign ignorance at requiring my superior knowledge of this city\'s... behaviours." He\'d struggled for an appropriate word and found one that answered most of his intentions.  He clapped a hand to his chest in mock surprise.  "Are you honestly telling me you\'d prefer me to focus on your fledge\'s loyalties rather than those of your subjects?"

Kerr would have to be rather forceful and insistent to reject both of Lazarus\' ideas for the passing of his time.  Lazarus had considered that Kerr would be so grateful when he agreed to back off from his fledges and his political allies that the idea of Lazarus haunting and hunting the city\'s anonymous mortals would seem trite by comparison.  He simply needed Kerr to forcefully object and then he would \'concede\' by declaring to mess with the non-supernatural portion of the population.

Fuck, mortals were more fun.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr blinked, his expression declaring that he believed the Ancient to be speaking in tongues - none of which he could understand.

"Are... are you offering to spy for me?  For the Oligarchy?" he queried, his voice reaching a higher octave than was attractive in his confusion.  Was Lazarus trying to con a job out of him?

[Trillian]

(ooc: check my other post, I edited narrative while you replied, but don\'t think it changes anything)

Lazarus blinked.  The question was unexpected when he\'d anticipated a hearty refusal.

"Is that the favour you were wishing to ask of me?" he stalled, hoping the conversation would once again turn to an outright refusal.

Spying?  For Kerr?  And they would believe what he told them?

Seriously?

If that was going to be the end result of this strange conversation, then that might be fun too.