gachabox | Vampire AU Shenanigans

You sure that's a vampire thing? [Claude chuckles, openly curious when Sylvain stops them in front of another door.

Portraits of people he knew a thousand years ago... yeah, Claude is definitely interested. Is this going to explain the whole "you look like and have the same name as someone I know" thing?]

Wait... don't tell me all those famously missing paintings from the Unification War are all in your basement.

No, that's just a me thing.

[Sylvain laughs again, shaking his head a little. Still as clever as ever, even in a whole different life.]

All right then, I won't tell you.

[He will just show you, by finally turning the knob and opening the door. It's what may once have been a meeting room, or a trophy room. There's still a long, ornate table with several chairs along the sides. At the head of the table, at the far end of the room, is a painting of Dimitri. All along the sides of the room are the paintings of his friends, officers and allies. Felix and Ingrid closest to the king, then the rest, even some members of the Leicester Alliance... including one nonofficial portrait of the Duke Riegan and his white wyvern.]

[Well, that's one historical mystery solved... not that Claude is going to tell anyone, even if he wouldn't be taken for an absolutely insane person were he to try to.

For as absolutely fascinating as the room with the paintings is, it's also-- sad. There's a desperate loneliness to it and it's all too easy to picture Sylvain sitting at this table he's set up all alone, surrounded by portraits of those he knew. Naturally Claude is drawn to the head of the table first, easily recognizing the portrait of the Savior King, as well as two of his generals.

It's not the famous lost artworks that give him pause, though. It's the one of the man and the wyvern. To start with, the tone of it is very different from the more official, stately portraits. Rather than facing the viewer or at a three-quarters view, the man is entirely focused on the wyvern, face captured mid-laugh as he pets her neck. When he looks closer, though, Claude freezes. The man looks eerily like him. His coloring, his facial features-- the hair is a little bit different but only in style.

Duke Riegan is a historical figure largely forgotten among the heroes of the Unification War; only natural for the guy who stays neutral for most of it and then dies, he supposes. But when Claude's crest had manifested, he'd done a little bit of research into his namesake. No portraits of Duke Riegan survived into modern day, though. Or... so it was thought.

He lets out a breath in a whoosh of air.] Well, that's... Something. I, uh... I can see the confusion.

[It is exeedingly vulnerable, to be showing someone this room. It makes Sylvain's skin itch, and he wants to scream and crawl under the table, but he stands still and calm, face impassive.

There is a notable missing face among the represented generals: Margrave Gautier. Maybe it means nothing, but maybe it means everything.

By the time Claude reacts, Sylvain is sitting, elbows on the table and fingers steepled in front of him. He nods.]

Claude von Riegan. The histories don't talk much about him, but he was a friend of mine. We liked to challenge each other- he was one of the few people who saw past my playboy persona. He taught me about his homeland. We played chess.

[A part of Sylvain was hoping against hope that this would trigger something in Claude. Recognition, a memory, something, but he realizes with every passing moment how stupid that was. Of course he won't remember. This isn't his Claude.

Goddess, this was a big mistake.]

[Well, if he's really who he says he is, and at this point even Claude is hard-pressed to disbelieve it, the missing general makes sense. Especially in a room that holds all the solemn remembrance of a family graveyard.

Claude stares up at the portrait of his ancestor and namesake while Sylvain speaks, a quiet and thoughtful look on his usually smiling face.

No wonder Sylvain had gotten so caught up in the chess board thing.]

I, uh... I was named after him. He's like, my great great great uncle or-- something like that.

[He turns back around towards Sylvain, one hand rubbing at the back of his neck.]

So, you've been around for a long-ass time... have you ever seen any proof of like... reincarnation or anything like that? [He smiles wryly, plopping down in a chair next to Sylvain's.] I feel ridiculous even asking but this is getting beyond a coincidence. I'm named after him, I have his crest, and apparently we could be identical twins.

You're being rather cavalier about it.

[Sylvain smiles at the very vague joke, to himself, as he turns a bit in his chair to face... well, that too-familiar face.]

I've been around too long. In honesty, I slept through some of the time, but it's still a strange thing, to outlive not only the people you knew, but also your culture, your relevance...

[He shakes his head, banishing the malaise.]

I've read about supposed instances of it. There's very little in the way of proof, of course. For a while, I had hoped for it, as stupid as that sounds. I always thought seeing a familiar face would... go differently. Or I guess I had hoped it would.

[He rests his curled fingers against a temple.]

You ever have any dreams you can't explain, or strange instances of de ja vu?

Oh, I'm saving up the existential crisis for later when I'm lying in bed unable to sleep.

[Claude waves it off casually, but like... for real though. Gods, he can't even imagine what that must have been like... Sylvain seems to have taken it pretty well, though, all things considered. Or, more likely, he's just good at faking it.

Claude watches him, a part of him absolutely burning with a million different questions, but he manages to hold that back. For now, anyway.]

Don't suppose you remember where you read about it? I'll probably do some digging myself, but it'd be good to know where I can start. [The mention of dreams gives him pause.] Something like that, yeah. [Very intense dreams he only vaguely remembers in the morning have been a staple throughout his life-- and what he does remember of them he can make a sort of linear progression out of. They'd become more frequent when he started hanging out with Hilda and the others, but he's never really talked about them with anyone before. He didn't see the point in doing so.]

[Sylvain laughs back, bitter but compassionate.]

A man after my own heart.

[A man much like how his namesake was, so long ago. Hope rises painfully in Sylvain all over again, and he holds back a snarl against it. You've gotten prickly with age, Sylvain he tells himself. He closes his eyes and breathes.]

You have? [His eyes snap open again.] Don't pull my leg, Modern Claude.

[He stands, gesturing for Claude to follow him, back into the pseudo-library. He speaks with his back to the man, to make it easier to police his expression.]

It isn't kind to give an old man false hope, you know.

[An instinctive shiver runs down his spine at that brief hint of bitter fury from Sylvain, a last-ditch effort from the primal part of his brain to remind him that he is in fact in the presence of a creature that preys on squishy humans like himself. Claude holds up his hands in a harmless gesture, his brow furrowing even as he smiles disarmingly.]

Hey, no, I wouldn't do that. That would just be cruel.

[He stands too, following after the vampire. Okay admittedly, he'd totally lie his ass off just to get the chance to poke through this little library of his, but-- he's not lying. Claude is a skeptic, but he can still admit that there are things out there that haven't yet been explained by modern science. Investigating those things is where he makes his living. This just has a far more personal element.]

So... what's it like when you bite someone? [A vague and open-ended question, interpret it as you will.]

[Sylvain glances over his shoulder at Claude with a sharp little smile.]

Yes you would. [His eyes soften.] But you're not this time, I know.

[Or he hopes, rather. It's hard to be fully confident of his ability to read a man he hasn't seen in 900 years, especially when this isn't necessarily that man. Not that Sylvain is all able to convince himself of that.

He approaches a shelf and pulls a couple of books down as he scans the spines. He chuckles.]

In what way? For them, or for me? [He doesn't wait for an answer just yet.] For victims it depends on how lucid they are. Whether they'll remember or not.

[Alright, it's a bit unnerving, the Knowing in Sylvain's eyes and tone. Claude isn't used to anyone being able to read him like that; Hilda comes close, but she at least has the courtesy not to call him out on it most of the time, if only so he doesn't return the favor.

Claude peers around Sylvain's shoulder, openly curious about the texts. Definitely not the sort of things you'd be able to find scans of online. Oh, color him very intrigued.]

I was wondering about both, honestly. [He grins, unrepentant in his curiosity.] So, what's it like when they're lucid?

[Sylvain feels a prickle along his skin as Claude gets in close, peering over his shoulder. That familiar barely-hidden excitement at the other's presence. That stupid fluttering crush. He hasn't had to deal with that in a long time. It's proof, as much as proof exists, of the shared soul, but Sylvain sure isn't about to share. Not yet.

He opens the tome carefully, flipping with gentle hands to a relevant chapter, setting the book in a stand so the spine won't crack. The question makes him chuckle, shaking his head. Curiosity killed the Claude.]

You really want to know, don't you? [Of course he does.] Well, speaking for myself, it's an extremely erotic experience. Maybe that's so the victims won't scream for help if they're not hypnotized first, I don't know, but it feels good. I've heard of voluntary thralls who get addicted to being bitten, can't reach sexual gratification without it.

[As much as Claude can't wait to get his hands on that book, it can definitely wait for when there isn't a real-ass fucking vampire willing to indulge all of his questions. He spares an interested glance for it, but his attention is swiftly returned back to Sylvain, a dusting of pink growing on his cheeks as he explains. Apparently vampires really do work like a trashy romance novel, at least in that way.]

Makes sense, in a way... that's one way to make sure you don't starve. [Claude huffs a laugh, eyeing Sylvain speculatively.] Is it like that on the vampire end of it too?

You worried about reciprocity?

[He teases. The slight blush on Claude's face does funny things to Sylvain's insides, and he has to glance away to keep his cool. Goddess, but he is so out of practice keeping a handle on himself. He takes a brief moment to compose his face before looking back.]

It is, or it can be. I don't lose myself to it the same way I did as a thrall. Or I try not to, because that's an easy way to go overboard and kill someone.

[Which he... has definitely done. Getting used to being a vampire was hard, okay?]

Holding back doesn't mean I don't get saucy, though.

Hey, it's not every day a guy gets to ask an actual vampire about this stuff, I'm curious! [Claude laughs, the flush on his face darkening despite his protest. The indication that Sylvain has definitely killed people should-- probably pull up a bigger red flag than it does, but if he's really the Margrave Gautier from the Unification War, he'd have killed people then too.

Besides, he's not going to want to kill Claude, not while he thinks he might be the reincarnation of his friend. Some (Lorenz comes to mind) would call him near-suicidally reckless, but every risk Claude takes is calculated, and this is no different.]

So... again, just because I'm curious, and really, thanks for indulging me on all these questions... how often do you need to take blood from people, if you're being careful about it?

Should I be waiting for you to take notes?

[The humor comes easily, the back and forth of teasing banter. It's been so long... and Sylvain's heart feels full for it, even next to the ache of knowing that no matter how like his Claude this one is, he still doesn't remember.

Sylvain turns around fully, leaning his butt back against the table and crossing his arms thoughtfully as he looks at Claude. Dangerously curious, but hasn't he always been? Sylvain thinks he remembers Claude being more careful, but... different circumstances. Less to fear. Well, until he ended up in the basement of a lonely vampire.

That recklessness might be contagious, because Sylvain feels a whim hit him, and the desire to follow through with it is nearly overwhelming. He pretends to be considering, like he's making a calculation in his head, as he uncurls his arms. All at once he moves with inhuman speed, stepping rest of the way into Claude's space and lifting his chin with a finger. His voice is a sultry purr, but there's no glamor to it, not this time.]

I'm actually about due for a top-up. Are you volunteering?

[Claude was not expecting the sudden movement, and his surprise is undoubtedly obvious to the vampire who can hear his heart rate picking up speed in response. He almost expects to be whammied by vampire powers again, but he isn't, which is... a relief.

He smirks, far too confident for a man in his position. If he weren't so certain Sylvain didn't want to actually hurt him, he wouldn't be doing this. He's almost tempted to ask if he'd ever taken a drink from the Claude of the past, but he has a feeling that might kill the mood. As curious as he is about all this reincarnation stuff, he'd rather Sylvain get to know him as he is now.]

I might be.

[He revels in the sound of that heartbeat, picking up from fear... and, it seems, maybe a little arousal. Sylvain can smell it on Claude, and it makes his body thrum.

Questions swirl around in his mind, foremost of them: would it ever have been this easy? Truly? Could Sylvain have danced around things for so long for nothing?

No. Everything was more complicated back then. Still, it has Sylvain dizzy to think that this might be some kind of proof that his feelings were reciprocated. Maybe backing off would be the healthy choice. Maybe playing replacement goldfish with this reincarnation isn't fair, to either of them.

Sylvain's never been good at self-control, though.]

Aren't you cheeky?

[The finger on Claude's chin curls, and he lightly traces the backs of his knuckle down Claude's windpipe. He leans in, letting his cheek brush against Claude's, lips lightly touching the shell of his ear, and asks:]

Neck or wrist?

[He can see something conflicted and complicated in Sylvain's eyes, just for a moment. He's starting to wonder what Von Riegan's relationship with him was really like, if there was something more there that he's not admitting to.

Claude shivers, just a little, at the brush of Sylvain's knuckles against his throat. He tries to laugh off the wave of lust, but it comes out a bit breathy.]

You're gonna have to at least buy me dinner first if you wanna bite my neck. [He draws back with a wink, raising one hand to teasingly brush some of Sylvain's hair out of his face.] But the wrist is fine.

[Despite all his claims of knowing Claude so well, Sylvain somehow didn't quite see that one coming. Such a tease, as always- maybe even more so when it comes to flirting. Sylvain never got to find out.

He at least enjoys the way Claude reacts to the touch, the little breathiness to his laugh, the way his heart beats faster. He hums thoughtfully at that wink, letting himself enjoy the thrill of it as he catches Claude's lifted hand. He cradles it in his own hand, pulling the palm towards his lips. He keeps eye contact with Claude as he kisses it, gently, mouth closed, then slowly over the heel of the palm to the wrist.]

You are dinner tonight, though.

[He smirks against the skin, fang showing very clearly between his lips. Last chance to pussy out, Claude.]

[Claude catches the corner of his bottom lip between his teeth as Sylvain trails kisses over the tender skin of his wrist. Alright, he definitely hadn't expected that to be so potent an erogenous spot.]

Dinner for you, yeah. [He raises an eyebrow, still obviously teasing. And definitely making no move to pussy out.] Although I'd say I'm more of a snack. [Another wink, and a shit-eating grin.]

[Sylvain grins wider, flashing both fangs at Claude's pretty face. Fine, no attempt to escape, he's moving in.

Though he sputters with a slight laugh first, shaking his head just a little as he presses his lips right to Claude's pulse. Hunger and pleasure take hold of him, and he moans quietly against skin. He takes his time, flicking his tongue out against the vein as he opens his mouth.

The bite is swift, a neat little breaking of the skin, and for a moment it will hurt. That pain will give way to pleasure, though, pulsing back through Claude with every heartbeat. Sylvain is gentle, sucking lightly as if he were simply kissing a mark into the skin.]

[The pain is brief and mild, no worse than getting a medical shot. And then very quickly it's something else entirely, a pleasure so unexpected and intense that Claude's knees feel a bit wobbly with it. He can't keep himself from moaning, from swaying slightly into Sylvain's hold as the waves of sensation start to overwhelm him.]

Gods-- [Claude groans, green eyes growing hazy as his head spins with pleasure. It's all too easy now to see why people would get addicted to this.]

[Sylvain feels Claude start to sway. He was prepared for that. He continues cradling Claude's wrist with one hand, and wraps the other around his waist, supporting his weak-kneed victim. He doesn't relent right away, though, opening an eye to watch Claude's face turn to pleasure as he suckles the last few sips.

With a low groan, he stops himself, licking gently at the puncture wounds until they close over, little traces of blood still caught on his lips and the tip of a fang. A final, parting kiss is pressed to the skin there before Sylvain leans back, leaving the two of them rather in a position like they're dancing. His eyes are bright and there's a flush in his cheeks. His tongue peeks out to gather the last traces of blood stick around his mouth, enjoying the view almost as much as the taste.]

[Under normal circumstances, he'd be pretty damn embarrassed about basically swooning into another man's arms, but there's definitely something otherworldly in the intense pleasure, and he's willing to give himself some slack in the face of that. And that was just from being bitten on the wrist. He can't help but wonder if the effect is different or more powerful if bitten elsewhere on the body.

Sylvain looks, for lack of a better word, so much more alive now. Claude is struck with the powerful and stupid urge to kiss him, despite him literally licking Claude's own blood from his lips.]

You definitely weren't lying about how that felt. [The comment comes out a bit more rough and husky than intended. He clears his throat, face still flushed, and tries to set himself to rights again.]

(no subject)

ruinedsky - 2019-12-16 02:44 (UTC) - Expand