PARALLEL: Hunter

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr's smile was charmingly honest; he was pleased by the success of his negotiation, even if Ben seemed to resent agreeing. Or maybe he was so pleased because of Ben's regret.

"So. How often do you need to drink blood and how often do you actually drink it? I'm wondering if I have enough," he admitted, smiling above his poised pen, ready to take notes.

[Trillian]

Ben doubted Kerr would like the answer, but he figured he might as well give him the truth because it gave him nothing much.

"I haven't had cravings since I was a first made fledge because I drink two or three times a night, every night."

He eyed the psychology title and pointed to it. "I'll have the yellow book, thanks." Then he smiled.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr ignored the power of that smile as he looked at the pile of books, got the one Ben nominated out... and placed it on top. He gave his prisoner a reprimanding look.

"Take a guess, then. I know you're well over a hundred, so I assume you won't need a lot. If you're not being gluttonous, will one bag of blood a night be enough? Too much? It's in your best interests to answer me, you know," he advised.

[Trillian]

"I didn't realise that guessing was an appropriate response. Fine. One donor a night," Ben said flippantly. He really didn't know, but he had skipped nights once or twice without a donor and hadn't suffered - but he also trained vigorously and without his sire's input, so there was no telling how much he needed. He always thirsted more after using his abilities, so it made sense to him to keep his strength up. "Give me the yellow book now, because I did what you wanted and if you're going to reward me with fuck all, I'm going to tell you fuck all."

He glared at Kerr.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr obediently proffered the book Ben had requested, using the black tongs. Holding Ben’s penetrating gaze was even more difficult up this close and Kerr pondered the wisdom of his decision. When each look went so deep inside him that it was like a physical touch - a welcome physical touch - he was putting himself directly in temptation’s way.

“How did you end up sired by Lazarus? Where’d you two meet?” He asked next.

[Trillian]

Ben took the book and slid it away from the bars, towards his cot. At the next question he thought about the night he and Lazarus had got together. It had been a rushed negotiation and had required a lot of sacrifices and proving. But it had paid off in the end. He didn't really want to tell Kerr the whole truth.

"I was a dogsbody at a tavern, sweeping up and serving drinks, that kind of thing," he lied smoothly. "He was in there, hunting. I caught his eye but he already had a man with him, about the same age as him. I mean he looked the same age," Ben corrected. "I didn't know any better." This part was true enough, though he was glossing over a lot of necessary details. "Lazarus had paid for a room upstairs and wanted me to... uh... clean it up." He realised he'd stumbled over the lie, so justified it. "He didn't really want to, I just thought it at the time." Yes, play poor sweet innocent Ben going to tidy up the scary vampire's room. "That night I found out what he was and pleaded for my life. I was willing to do more for him than the other guy, so he swapped us out."

Ben smiled slyly at Kerr. "He took every advantage. If he'd been in your place, he'd have taken me to bed before locking me in here. More fool you. Cost me a good time, too," he added with regret. "I felt how big you are at the club. Such a shame you don't want to use it on me."

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr's hand stilled momentarily, his notes about Ben's beginnings halted as the vampire's final comments registered. He didn't look up but Ben would no doubt be able to tell he was blushing because even the tops of his ears felt hot. He cleared his throat subtly, trying to sound nonchalant as he threw an offhanded comment at Ben.

"Yeah well, lot of good it does me," he muttered, trying to deflect the conversation away from what he might have experienced with Ben. He might have actually felt what it was like to bury himself inside someone for once, instead of taking things sooo slowly he almost fell asleep before he got anywhere and being careful only to put his tip in - or, if he was really lucky, to go in as far as was comfortable for his partner. Most men, when it got right down to it, were scared of his cock; he rarely got to be on top and he never got to let loose. His size was a curse more often than a blessing.

A vampire might've been different, might've allowed him to relax enough to enjoy himself fully, might've healed any damage he did before it even became an issue so they'd have both had a fantastic time for once in his life. It wasn't right to want sex with a vampire, it made his skin crawl at the perversion even as his heart fluttered with the thrill of doing something so wrong but... ah fuck. He needed to stop thinking like this. It wasn't enough that Ben had to keep teasing him, now he was joining in and torturing himself with 'might've's and thoughts of how good fucking an aberration could be? He was sick to even like the idea of it.

Kerr took a breath and squared his shoulders, looking at what he'd written.
- tavern boy
- Lazarus travelling through
- cleaned the room
- found out he was a vampire
- willing to do more, got swapped out?

"So you were willing to become a vampire?" he guessed, deliberately choosing a version of Ben's words that wasn't filthy in nature. Even if he was wrong, at least his guess wouldn't lead to more embarrassment on his part.

[Trillian]

"Not at first, but Lazarus wasn't so willing to make me one, not when I was so much fun to drink from." He gave Kerr a curious look. "I was like you, initially. I saw him as a monster. Drinking blood, forcing his desire on others, hearing and seeing what normal people couldn't. He was a demon. I thought he was some kind of a sex demon, he had an unnatural stamina for it. Over time I realised it was just a facet of fun for him, a thrill that he wasn't yet bored of. It didn't take long for me to figure out he loved a power-struggle. I was unpredictable. Sometimes I denied him, sometimes I begged him for it. He's smart, too. You don't get to be two... uh... too old without being smart," Ben finished, annoyed at himself for the slip and hoping Kerr hadn't realised which 'two' he'd meant.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr nodded as he wrote, not noticing the slip because he was too busy imagining what life with Lazarus the sex demon was like for a mortal. Terrifying was his first guess, but Ben seemed exhilarated in the telling of it - he’d obviously always been someone who played games to his own advantage. He seemed to relish the role of power-hungry fledgeling. Was that still their relationship? Ker held his questions off log enough to offer Ben another book of his choosing but then he got back on track with growing enthusiasm for the tale.

It occurred to him that everything out of Ben’s mouth could be a lie but he seemed fairly genuine so Kerr was taking it all as a fast growing story. What choice did he have? It wasn’t necessarily giving him anything he could use in his pursuit of Lazarus yet - particularly if Ben was lying to him - but it was entertaining!

“So where were you born? How old were you when you met Lazarus? How long did it take before he decided to fledge you? When did you stop seeing him as a monster - when you started mimicking him and killed someone?” Kerr hazarded. Questions and conclusions were coming to him so fast he was forced to ask before he lost his train of thought.

[Trillian]

Ben was pleased that Kerr seemed oblivious, scribbling his notes and barely looking up.

Ben opened his mouth to answer where he was born but Kerr rode over the top of it and he closed it again. He listened, paying attention to each question and logging what he would or wouldn't answer - he would answer them all without giving specific vampire ages - but then the final question came and his expression shuttered.

He moved to his feet, glaring at Kerr before moving to his yellow book. When he picked it up, he made a statement.

"I'm done. This book is all I want," he lied, sounding as hostile as he looked. Ben moved to his bed and sat on it, staring at the cover for a long moment and then opening it up to stare at the half-title page for an even longer time, his thoughts going inward.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr blinked at Ben, realising a couple of things simultaneously. The first was that Ben was a very smooth liar, because Kerr believed him when he said that he didn’t want any more books - and he’d watched the vampire salivate over the pile he’d brought, so he knew it was a lie. Damn. The second was that he’d hit a nerve but he wasn’t sure why. Was it calling his sire a monster? Insinuating he was the same?

“I insulted you,” Kerr hazarded. “I’m sorry.” He watched Ben carefully, wondering if the monotone apology would do anything to change the situation.

[Trillian]

Ben, who didn't get to hear apologies often and usually not unless Lazarus wanted something from him, turned his head to look at Kerr. A hollow expression on his face, he gave a brief nod and went back to staring at his book. Kerr's apology woke him up enough to turn the pages a few times until he got to a table of contents. He looked them over as he spoke again.

"I was sixteen when we met. Nineteen when he finally gave in and fledged me." Ben turned the page and pressed it down when it was at the first chapter. "He was using me as bait to attract someone to drink from. I got jumped on and attacked by a group of men whose sensibilities I offended." Ben flapped a hand. "Lazarus made short work of them but I'd been vulnerable. When he found a knife on one of them, he realised he could've lost me."

[Existentially Odd]

"Did he love you then? Is he capable of love?" Kerr asked, fascinated by the way the simple words painted such a graphic picture in his mind. He shouldn't have been surprised by the power of Ben's words, he supposed, they'd been affecting him the whole time.

Still, the notion that Lazarus had been using a nineteen year old as bait - because he couldn't be bothered doing the work to lure a bunch of hooligans himself? Because he wasn't good at it back then? Surely not - offended him on Ben's behalf. It was a stupid idea, as far as Kerr was concerned. Ben didn't strike him as the type to lure willingly and the phrase 'whose sensibilities I offended' just proved that.

[Trillian]

Love. Lazarus certainly used the term a lot, but not as Kerr imagined.

"He doesn't say it, but we've been together a long time. I know he loves me," Ben said, but even he could hear that he was trying to convince himself. "I love him," Ben shrugged. "He can be refined, but he's also really primal. I guess I like his unpredictability as much as he likes mine."

Sometimes, though, Lazarus' propensity for violence just got too much and Ben would put a great deal of effort into throwing one of his infamous orgy parties. They only happened once every decade or two, but they tended to satisfy Lazarus' hunger in other ways. They were starting to get bigger and weirder, as more and more vampires would attend them from around the world.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr did his best to stop his eyebrows climbing into his hairline, wanting to keep his face as impassive as possible, even though he was completely surprised by Ben's words. He knew Lazarus loved him? He liked his unpredictability? The vampire sounded like a jilted teenager doing his best to get the attention of his crush but Kerr was loathe to reveal this unfavourable impression.

"His reputation is certainly about how primal he is," Kerr agreed. "He's left a lot of bodies in his wake, through the years." Instead of asking a question, Kerr let the statement hang, wondering if Ben would respond better to such prompts.