duplicity ic contact

[brushoff]

"You've reached the inbox of one Dorian Gray. Don't forget to leave me a message. If you're interesting, I'll get back to you."

voice, video, text, action

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un: rafa

[mordacita]

dorian
we need to talk

[brushoff]

I have a sneaky suspicion I know what this is about.

[ it's the Elias thing, isn't it. It's totally the Elias thing. ]

[mordacita]

where are you?

[ It is completely about that. ]

[brushoff]

At the moment? A home furnishing store. They don't have what I want so I can meet you wherever.

[mordacita]

somewhere private
can you come to my house

[ The address he sends him is notably not Samguinem Domus where he lives, but another building in another street. When he says privacy, he means it. ]

[brushoff]

I'll be there soon.

[ And so, Dorian starts to make his way to Rafa's place. ]

[mordacita]

[ Rafa waits for him, and opens the door when he sees him approaching. ]

Thank you. Come in, please.

[brushoff]

I don't think I've ever been to this place of yours before.

[ Dorian enters. And, knowing full well that this conversation isn't going to go well, he starts off by leaning in to try and give Rafa a little kiss on the cheek.]

[mordacita]

[ Rafa not only lets him, but pulls him into his arms. He kisses him back. ]

I mostly use it for sparring, and for privacy. Come through.

[ He moves back to take Dorian's hand and draw him into the sitting room. Unlike the lounge in Ignacio's house, this one is decorated with cool, clean colours and minimalist furniture. It's very modern. It does have a lit fire, though, despite the summer heat. It's never warm enough for Rafa. He gestures for Dorian to sit. ]

Jon told me you signed a contract with Elias.

[ He's not going to dance around it. ]

[brushoff]

[ Dorian takes a moment to look through the house, eyes flitting over various features and decor as they walk to the sitting room. At Rafa's gesture, Dorian takes a seat...and then instantly wrinkles his nose when he learns what the subject is. ]

Yes, I did. If he came complaining to you about it, you should know that I gave him plenty of time to renew our contract.

[mordacita]

He mentioned it. His main worries were something else.

[ There are always new worries for Jon. They always escalate. They are increasingly impossible to do anything about.

No, Jon had mentioned Dorian only in passing. It's Rafa who's worried about him.

He comes to sit beside him. ]

Why Elias, Dorian? There are hundreds of other Dominants, known of whom have done what you know that man has.

[brushoff]

Because he's interesting, [ Dorian says. There's a sparkle of excitement in his eyes as he continues talking. ]

There's so much about this man that's downright enticing. I want to figure out how he works.

[mordacita]

And if he hurts you?

[ Rafa looks worried, and Dorian's answer does nothing to diminish that. ]

He's responsible for Jon's apocalypse. He already holds another submissive in a contract against her will, and he is constantly seeking more power. I know your body heals, Dorian, but that is not all he might harm.

[brushoff]

What else are you worried he would harm? My mind? My soul? For the first, I plan to stay friends with him and for the second, it's already in possession by someone else. He can't touch me.

[mordacita]

I am worried you are not so invincible as you think. I have seen that already. Dorian, he has destroyed an entire world.

You truly think he is no risk to you?

[brushoff]

I do. Besides, even if he did try to start something, I suspect I'd be much more useful as a free agent than a pawn in a chess game.

[mordacita]

[ Rafa shakes his head. ]

From what Jon says, he does not see peers. We are all pawns to him,

Dorian, if he does you some harm...

[ He reaches to touch his hand. ]

You do not understand. He could do it only to hurt Jon, and for no other reason.

[brushoff]

[ Dorian reaches over to place his hand on top of Rafa's, giving it a small squeeze. ]

I think it's obvious that Jon has a tendency to...blow things out of proportion. He thinks I'm some sort of horrible monster when we both know it's different.

[mordacita]

[ Rafa sighs. He slides closer to Dorian on the couch. None of that is actually untrue. ]

I know that. And you are not, of course. But in this case...it is difficult to exaggerate the end of the world. I do not want hell on earth. Do you?

[brushoff]

Rafa, [ Dorian starts, ] I mean this in the kindest way, but you have got to stop taking Jon at face value when it comes to these sort of things. It may be difficult to exaggerate the end of the world, but if doing so would cast aspersions on me or Elias, Jon would exaggerate the hell out of it.

[mordacita]

[ Rafa shakes his head. ]

I would take your point if Jon were the only one saying these things. There is Martin as well, and he is not prone to exaggeration. And there is the woman who is his submissive by coercion, who cannot escape from him. They are not all lying.

[brushoff]

[ There's a pause as Dorian finds another way to spin this. Because honestly? Not his world, not his problems. Though he knows that's an answer Rafa is not going to like. ]

So why exactly are you telling me all this? I've already made a contract with Elias. I can't take it back even if I wanted to. Afraid he's going to end the world here as well? Because I guarantee you, the moment he attempts to breathe in Jon's direction, that man will watch his every move. Jon's obsessed.

[mordacita]

Contracts end. I want you to find someone else when it renews. Anyone else.

[ That's possibly the straightest answer Rafa's ever given anyone when they've asked him what he wants. It's rare for him to ask anything of anyone at all.

He tightly squeezes Dorian's hand. ]

I don't know what he wants here. Neither does Jon. I know that he has hurt countless millions in his own world, and is manipulating his way into control over Jon. I know that he is holding one woman hostage already. I don't want someone I-- [ He breaks, considers his words. ] --someone I care for as much as you to be anywhere near him. I do not want you caught in the crossfire of whatever it is he is doing here.

[brushoff]

[ ..............cool, so Dorian is 100% going to straight-up lie to Rafa and not tell him that not only are he and Elias in a permanent contract (it'll cut through the bullshit! No more searching for Dominants! Fuck you, Archivist!) but they're also living together.

He gives Rafa a sweet smile, squeezing Rafa's hand as well, externally giving the vampire a grin while inwardly thinking 'fuuuuuuuck'. ]

Let's not talk about the part where you're worried about me and focus on the part where you admitted to caring about me instead. [ pause. ] I'm teasing, of course. I suspect I'll get caught in the crossfire no matter what thanks to my association with the Archivist, but I'll try to stay out of it as much as I can. For your sake, of course.

[mordacita]

[ Rafa sighs. ]

You know that I do.

[ He reaches to touch his cheek. ]

You think yourself untouchable, where none of us are. Not here.

[ But he's talking to someone who'd already made a deal with the devil, of course. He doesn't think he's getting through. Why couldn't Jon have just kept that contract! Rafa still believes this wouldn't have happened if not for that. ]