brushoff | ic contact

You'd make a great demon, Mr. Dorian Gray. How many people have you killed?

At least five? Maybe more like nine, does driving someone to suicide count as killing? [ It's obvious that Dorian's having a hard time remembering everything. A hundred years'll do that to you, buddy. ]

[He whistles.] Apparently you're the wicked one.

[ griiiiiiin ] I never said I was a saint.

I guess that angelic face of yours fooled me.

[ He slides around the semi-circular booth, grabbing a menu from the table. A flimsy excuse to move beside him - there's more than one menu to use - but of course he has to hold just one of them open so that they can both read it. ]

What will Saint Dorian be having?

[ As Abduxel moved beside him, Dorian couldn't help but take the opportunity to scoot closer to the man, cuddling up to him in the process, ostensibly to read the menu but really because Dorian's ridiculous and loves physical contact. ]

Can't go wrong with straight whiskey. And yourself?

[Well he notices. He not-so-subtly slips an arm around Dorian's. Looks over at him.]

I'm a fan of tequila, myself. They call it the Devil's drink.

Now you're buying into a stereotype, [ said with a small laugh. ]

[He smirks, moving that arm to around Dorian's body now.] I'm just embracing my nature.

[He waves staff over, places the order.]

[ He finds himself leaning more into the demon, really just enjoying this and his company. ] Funny, I think I've used that excuse plenty of times.

[Pleased that he's being well-received, he keeps his arm tucked around the other man, cuddled up quite close.]

Is it really an excuse if it's the simple truth? God set out a path for us, didn't he? Of course we should follow it.

[ He couldn't help but scrunch up his nose a bit at the idea of 'God.' ] You know, I used to believe there wasn't a god. But now that I'm getting drinks with actual demon Matthew Lin...it makes one wonder.

You can call me Abduxel. That's my real name.

[He pulls Dorian against himself, essentially joking that he's protecting him with that strong arm, complete with a sly little grin.] Does it scare you to think there might be a god?

All of them are real. I haven't met him - not the Christian one. He's shy. But I've met others, some lesser gods. And, of course, the Devil himself. [...] Should have gotten his autograph.

Abduxel... [ He says the name slowly, enjoying every syllable. But as for the question, ] Nothing scares me. I've seen things you wouldn't believe, been through ordeals you can't imagine. Besides, I'm already damned. If there is a god, I know my fate.

[Abduxel's reaction when Dorian says his name is too obvious not to notice, especially considering how much they've leaned up against each other; the hairs on his neck and arms stand, and he bristles with a shiver down the spine. When it's done, he talks like it didn't happen.]

You traded your soul much like I did, but for smarter terms. Maybe you'll end up like me, if they ever manage to kill you. I'm sorry to inform you, though, that Hell really is a drag. [Shrug.] It's such a dreary, dark and boring place. And my god the heat. But, you know what? It really could have been worse. Eternal torture, for example? Never seen any evidence of that.

I died once before though, and I didn't end up in anything like hell. [ Normally, he wouldn't talk about this, but with Abduxel? This might be a bit different. And he knew the demon might be interested in that. ]

[That gives him pause. For a moment he just looks at Dorian.]

Do you know for sure that you were really dead? Maybe because you're immortal, Hell didn't open for you. Maybe that painting would need to be destroyed, too.

But I don't know. If you aren't going to become a demon, then... Even I don't know where the dead really go. As far as I can tell, every God from every religion exists... but they can't all be right, since they all make claims about the same things.

[...]

Do you remember anything? From when you were dead.

[ There's a pause before Dorian talks. It's obvious that talking about this is HARDER THAN HE EXPECTED. ]

I thought it was a good decision. I sacrificed myself so a lost soul could finally find peace. [ He can't help but laugh at that, a short bitter laugh. ] She didn't deserve that peace and yet there I was, being the good Samaritan, so beaten down after being confronted by my demons that it was the only way out.

[ Another pause as Dorian steadied himself. ] I was trapped in my portrait, just me and my mistakes, looking back on all the people I had hurt, all the things that I've done. It was awful.

[He listens, fascinated, quiet when Dorian needs to pause. He gives him a squeeze, comforting.]

That... Sounds worse than hell.

How'd you escape it?

A convoluted means of escape that I don't want to talk about when our waitress is in earshot, [ he said, as the waitress returned with the drinks, sliding them on the table. ]

Get me alone and then you'll find out.

Well, here's to getting Dorian Gray alone by the end of the night.

[He raises his shot glass in a cheers. After they knock them back,]

Were you stuck that way long?

[ Getting Abduxel alone by the end of the night is right on top of Dorian's priorities right now.

Raising his glass in cheers, Dorian knocks back some of the drink as well. ]

It felt like an eternity. When I got out, imagine my shock that it had only been two years.

[He shakes his head at that idea. How awful.]

In hell I was only ever tortured a couple weeks at a time, and only when I got out of line.

[what a great date topic torture was.]

If you die again, maybe I'll be able to put in a good word for you downstairs.

Who was the lost soul you were trying to help out, anyway?

Constance Harker.

[ Constance "walking trigger warning" Harker. and wow, Dorian sure is getting a bit shifty just at the thought of her. ]

Someone you'd rather not talk about? Is she in the book?

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phone tagging at a party woops

a+ on the html tho, i fuck that up whenever i phone tag

thanks I tried really hard