Author Topic: Curiosity and Satisfaction  (Read 5347 times)

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Offline Trillian

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Curiosity and Satisfaction
« on: October 21, 2012, 09:29:00 PM »
HELIO WAS LYING ON THE carpeted floor of his apartment living area - a place he didn't normally know on such an intimate level, but he'd purchased a new jigsaw puzzle recently, and was putting it together on the floor near the huge plate glass windows.  There was no need for a light, because the city provided a sufficient amount of it, even for mortal eyes, but he had it on anyway, because he now had a mortal living with him (and would continue to live with him until Helio decided one way or the other about whether he was suitable as a permanent ticket).

He'd found all of the edges and had a border to his puzzle, and now was looking for the picture within.  He'd placed a few pieces, but jigsaws were something that his vampire talents really couldn't help him with.  He found them a beguiling mixture of frustration and relaxation.  Finn was much the same way.  They'd come back from their nightly visit to the gym, and Helio had purchased this after discovering that he didn't have to watch Finn constantly when he was working out anymore.  He supposed he shouldn't have renewed his interest in jigsaw puzzles with a 10,000 piece marathon, but the picture of a scottish ivy-covered castle had appealed.

He heard Finn enter the room but mostly ignored him, until he was addressed.
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Re: Curiosity and Satisfaction
« Reply #1 on: October 22, 2012, 04:00:01 PM »
Finn watched the vampire for a while, silent and unmoving except for the steady rise and fall of his chest. Weeks ago, he might've started in with a snarky comment about how pointless puzzles were (especially given that they were usually taken apart after they'd been put together), but so soon after his workout, all he felt was relaxed and happy. At first, he'd been exhausted and testy after their trips to the gym, but now that his body had started acclimating to the physical activity, he had developed an appreciation for the endorphines it released. Their effect was long-lasting - even longer than a lot of the drugs he'd sampled in the past - and the harder he pushed himself during training, the better he felt.

He also experienced a strong sense of accomplishment after working out, because combined with eating regularly, he'd started bulking up. It was both shocking and encouraging that he was now able to focus on something other than his scars when he looked in the mirror. His chest and arms had grown enough already that he'd had to transition to larger sized shirts (the one he changed into when they got back had once been intolerably baggy, but fit perfectly now), and he was certain that his abs were becoming more defined. If he kept it up, and maybe got a tan, he'd look like most the other guys he'd seen strutting around at the beach house.

Not that it was his goal or anything. He'd looked just fine the way he had, after all.

Finn brushed aside curls still damp from a recent shower to scratch at his hairline, and then padded to the love seat nearest the windows. He sat on the edge, tucking one leg beneath him, and swiveled his upper body so he could continue watching Helio's progress. The puzzle was way more than his brain could handle and would've frustrated him if he'd been told to put it together, but it was weirdly calming to watch the vampire sort through the pieces and attach them within the border he'd established.

"Why a castle?" he asked, eyeing the box that showed what the finished product would be.

Offline Trillian

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Re: Curiosity and Satisfaction
« Reply #2 on: October 22, 2012, 04:23:35 PM »
Helio glanced up momentarily, then back down at his puzzle, twisting the piece he held upside down before deciding that no, it was the right way up but simply didn't fit where he wanted it to.  He set it aside with the others and scanned for another grey piece with a bit of green on the corner.

"I like them," he said simply.  "And it was better than a field of daisies," he added.  There were more than just daisy photographs, it was just that particular one had been picked up and set aside in order for Helio to reach the boxed jigsaw beneath it, the one he was presently working on.  Finn had been with Helio and seen his enthusiasm for the picture, but there was no personal story behind them.  Helio didn't keep the puzzles he solved once they'd been solved.  He merely broke them all up again, put them back in the box, taped it up and then donated it into a charity bin.  If Finn had seen Helio's past puzzles, he would've seen the repeating pictures of castles from all over Europe.

He looked back at Finn now, his gaze raking the youth's figure.  "The next party's on Friday," he said, and turned back to his jigsaw.
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Re: Curiosity and Satisfaction
« Reply #3 on: October 23, 2012, 02:15:37 PM »
It was unnerving, how the vampire sometimes looked at him, but Finn set his jaw stubbornly and made himself remain still until Helio turned away. Only when he felt the vampire couldn't see did his face grow dark.

"And?" he asked, his tone betraying his nasty expression, all snarled lips and narrowed eyes. "You said I'd get food for a month. It's been a month. You gonna toss me out on my ass after this go or what? I do good there and you'll keep me around for another month?"

So much for the power of endorphines.

Offline Trillian

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Re: Curiosity and Satisfaction
« Reply #4 on: October 23, 2012, 04:45:03 PM »
Helio turned and looked back at Finn with little emotion as the mortal's acid was spat in his direction.

"Got it in one.  You think I'm doing this for you out of the kindness of my heart?  I found you on the street, asshole.  Anytime you want to go back, there's the door."  He pointed vaguely towards it, because he didn't break eye contact with the human.  "I don't want to live with a human stinking up my place, so after this party, depending on how you go, you're either in your own apartment or back on the street.  Your choice."

After this eye-opening and nasty explanation, Helio turned back to his jigsaw, as though he hadn't just verbally smacked Finn down.
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Re: Curiosity and Satisfaction
« Reply #5 on: October 24, 2012, 02:00:16 PM »
"Fuck you, man," Finn retorted eloquently. "I'm just trying to figure shit out. You ain't been giving me much to go on. Picked me up off the streets then threw me to the goddamned wolves." He withdrew his leg from beneath him and rearranged himself so he was sitting properly with both feet planted on the ground, facing the entrance hallway - though after a moment of silence, he huffed and turned his head towards Helio again.

"So yeah, I'm human. Not worth the time you've spent on me already. I get it. Trust me, I get it. But you were human once too, weren't you? Maybe you remember what it's like to... I don't know. Not fucking be immortal? Cut me a fucking break! Give me some tips, hints, something. What do the other... humans do there that makes you happy?"

Offline Trillian

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Re: Curiosity and Satisfaction
« Reply #6 on: October 24, 2012, 03:01:23 PM »
Helio sat up and then sat back, leaning on his palms slightly behind him and one of his legs splayed to the left of the jigsaw, the other tucked in, otherwise he'd either be doing the splits or laying his leg across the pieces he'd strewn around half in order.  He stared at Finn, perusing his form once again, a great deal more satisfied with his ticket now than he'd been when he'd first 'thrown Finn to the wolves'.  He'd expected the idiot to embarrass him, but had ended up intriguing him.  After spending a month with him, Helio was no longer intrigued, but he was also no longer disappointed with what he had to work with, either.

"I might still be alive as a grumpy old man, if I hadn't been sired," Helio said seriously, then grinned like this was the funniest thing he could ever have to say.  He'd used this line a few times already, on various people, and it had always earned him a smile, and sometimes even a chortle (if the other was trying to impress him).  When Finn did nothing more than to change his expression into something Helio viewed negatively, he lost his smile and continued on, a little more hostile.  "The only thing you're allowed to refuse are drugs or alcohol.  If you refuse anything else, it comes back to me," Helio stated, not liking the idea of Finn being in control of this much.  If the human wanted to be a bastard, he had that power at the party, but once that night was over, he'd be fucking sorry.  "You did okay at the last party," he said, softening the blow a little after essentially telling Finn he'd have to be a whore for the night.  "If something happens you don't like, you can come find me, too," he offered, while watching the youth closely.
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Re: Curiosity and Satisfaction
« Reply #7 on: October 24, 2012, 03:15:53 PM »
"And you'll what? Put on a sword and shield and come defend my honor?" He snorted disbelievingly, but there was also a hint of smile as he imagined Helio doing just that. Though ineffectively, because that amused him more than the likely reality, where the vampire could lift the items with ease.

Offline Trillian

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Re: Curiosity and Satisfaction
« Reply #8 on: October 24, 2012, 03:21:08 PM »
Helio looked at Finn, noting the joke and appreciating the humour, because it was a nice change to see it on Finn's face.  So far the mortal had presented a rather limited range; from surly to inquisitive, with a little bit of movement in between.

"I can decide whether or not you'll have to do it again," he countered, and waited for Finn to get the implications of such a thing.  Perhaps he would miss the subtlety of the declaration.  After he spoke, a soft bleep sounded from his front jeans pocket, and he shifted in order to dig it out, thrusting up his hips and forced to move his bent leg to retrieve it.  When he saw who'd sent him the text, he pulled a face that looked a lot like a mental 'huh' to Finn's eyes, and then shoved it back in again.  It was the first of many texts he would get that night, as he did every night.
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Re: Curiosity and Satisfaction
« Reply #9 on: November 03, 2012, 01:03:18 PM »
"You'll decide whether or not I'll have to do it again," he repeated, sitting back with a weird feeling of disconnect - of numbness - as he considered Helio's answer. If some asshole tied him up and beat him, he could complain to Helio afterwards, but there'd be no avoiding it again unless his... what, pimp? said so. "That's fucked up," he muttered, pushing his knuckles into the soft leather of the cushion he sat upon.

His scarred face took on a contemplative twist, with his eyebrows drawn and his mouth working back and forth as he chewed on the inside of his bottom lip. He looked over at the vampire shortly after Helio returned his phone to his pocket, but had nothing to say about it. There were more important things to establish, like, "What kind of apartment, and you gonna keep taking care of all my other shit too? Food, clothes, phone... all that?"

He'd be Helio's whore, but only if the payment was good enough.


Offline Trillian

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Re: Curiosity and Satisfaction
« Reply #10 on: November 03, 2012, 01:19:44 PM »
He watched as Finn contemplated it, and knew he hadn't established many things that vampires couldn't do with other people's tickets on the night.  He wondered what Finn was imagining for himself, and scanned his mind gently for surface thoughts.  He caught the 'tied up and beaten' thing, but didn't argue it just yet because it hadn't been spoken aloud.  Finn couldn't oppose being tied up, but everyone would oppose his being beaten - it was the quickest way to get yourself uninvited to the parties.  As far as Helio knew, there had been no violence at the party house, but a closed door was a closed door, so who knew what went on behind those?  He doubted Soph would allow too many closed doors anyway, it was all about sharing, after all.

"There are a few available apartments like mine in this building," Helio said, acknowledging that Finn would likely be separated from him but not too far away.  A different floor would be a good idea, though, because Helio liked his space, also.  "And all that, yes," Helio replied, pulling a face and shaking his head to imply such things weren't bothersome.  "You'll get an allowance."

There was another bleep and he pulled out his phone again, smiling at the message he saw and quickly texting back before waggling the phone at Finn.

"I've just been invited to see an old friend."  His eyes raked Finn's casual clothing.  "Put some shoes on, we'll leave in ten minutes."
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Re: Curiosity and Satisfaction
« Reply #11 on: November 03, 2012, 02:14:14 PM »
Although Helio had told him only that he needed to put shoes on before leaving, Finn went ahead and changed into jeans and grabbed a black fleece pullover before doing so. The weather was turning, and he didn't know how far away the old friend lived (nor did he ask, because he was too wrapped up in thoughts of having a place all to himself, and wondering what that'd be like). A quick hand through his recently trimmed curls and then he made his way to the living room, where he took a seat and waited for Helio. He knew he'd easily be waiting half an hour, not ten minutes like promised. But not even ten minutes later and the vampire came out of his bathroom, in a fresh shirt and looking as together as he normally did.

Finn made a soft noise of surprise and went into the entrance hallway after Helio. "Old, old friend?" he asked, wanting to know if it was a vampire they were visiting.

Offline Trillian

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Re: Curiosity and Satisfaction
« Reply #12 on: November 03, 2012, 02:20:43 PM »
Helio gave him an approving look when he saw what Finn had changed into, but then his eyebrows did a little dance at the question.

"Never ask a woman her age," he said, knowing he hadn't answered what Finn wanted to know.  He opened the door and locked it after themselves, after switching off every light except the entrance hall light.  They went to the elevators, where his phone bleeped again and Helio took it out to read and send more quick texts, pocketing it and looking at Finn to see if there would be more questions about either Helio's friend or Finn's future state after this coming party.
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Re: Curiosity and Satisfaction
« Reply #13 on: November 03, 2012, 03:11:48 PM »
He rolled his eyes at Helio, but didn't ask anything more about the woman they were visiting - the vampire had made it clear it'd be pointless to pursue that line of questioning. Instead, Finn made an effort to bring the conversation back to him. "So let's say I do good like you want me to at this next party, and you hook me up with an apartment-"

A ding signaled the arrival of an elevator, and after a quick glance to ensure it was on its way down, they boarded the empty car. "-Can I do whatever I want, long as I'm there when you need me?"

Offline Trillian

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Re: Curiosity and Satisfaction
« Reply #14 on: November 04, 2012, 06:45:34 AM »
As they were gently lowered to the carpark level, Helio regarded Finn and the question asked of him.  There were rules, though they were few and weren't so restrictive, he thought.  Finn might think differently.  He considered the wisdom of telling Finn now or afterwards, if he'd performed well at the party.  If Finn didn't like the rules, he might not do so well this coming Friday.  If he didn't know them and did well on Friday, he might leave afterward, or break some of them.  Before the lift arrived at its destination, he listed off the rules he expected Finn to follow.

"No drugs - you can get them at the house, that's enough.  No blood giving - you should keep yourself strong.  You can have whatever relationships you like, I don't care who you fuck in your spare time.  I don't care if you don't spend time with me, but I'll be checking in with you now and then."

They arrived at the basement, where Helio's car was parked, and they headed to the red Alfa Romeo together.  Helio was waiting for Finn to agree, protest or ask more questions.
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