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[ The day of their promised duel finally draws close, after so many distractions and delays, and so much as he expects Eridanus to provide only the most meager of challenges, Lucius nonetheless has found his thoughts preoccupied with it over the last few days. Impatient energy floods his limbs down to the very tips of his fingers, and with each day, each hour, each minute that brings him closer to the date and time, that energy only grows stronger. He's sure as much isn't lost on Eridanus, either; whether in company or absence, he certainly hasn't hidden the bolstering of his mood.

He imagines the flurry of their blades. He recalls threats Eridanus had made during their heated conversation, of flaying and quartering and binding Lucius' limbs to make him accept his fate. He replays every hungry word that had passed between them then and has passed between them since, revisiting old conversation again and again within his mind, giddy laughter welling in his lungs whenever he is reminded of the innocence of those first moments of budding obsession.

All that to say that it isn't precisely odd, the immediacy with which Lucius greets Eridanus upon his return from work. He presses well nearer than is polite, but doesn't touch, those excruciating inches left between them pulling a grin to Lucius' face as he circles, at once the prowling predator and the doting housepet. ]

Eridanus, [ he says, the name a purr on his tongue, ] come out with me tonight.

[ Already, to demand attention and company out of boredom is a commonplace thing between them. However, the cadence of his words makes plain a motivation unlike anything so idle. Mischief gilts each syllable, and the furred stinger that crowns his overlong tail brushes its harmless face against Eridanus' ankle, bobbing and weaving inches from the floor with restless energy. ]

[The shorter commute home would have been reason enough for Eridanus' chipper mood, but with the date of their duel drawing closer, it's hard not to consider the obvious. The jaunt he makes up the dilapidated path is practically a skip, as he fishes his keys from his trouser pocket to insert into the door.

As the lock turns her can hear the quiet, nimble footsteps that come down the hallway, and by the time he's through the threshold, Lucius is before him. It's a sight he knows well enough, ever since Mirage had been disbanded, Lucius has been idle and often greeted him the moment he came home. Still, it never fails to pull an affectionate smile across his face.

The way Lucius paces about him tickles a different sort of excitement up his spine though, his mind jumping to conclusions it seems to have been trained to. As his fingers find the buttons of his jacket, his head pivots to keep his gaze locked with golden cat-eyes.]

Out? [He repeats the word, surprise in his guttural voice as what he had been expecting is thwarted. While he'd never reject the opportunity to go about town with Lucius, it was still rare when he was included on one of the man's prowls. A sheepish smile replaces his initial surprise, and he peels himself out of his coat.]

Where do you plan to take me, then? You never include me on your hunts.

Oh, but you'll want to be a part of this one. [ His lips curl with self-satisfaction, and never more has he been the image of a cat in cream. A swift step, and suddenly, Lucius stands at Eridanus' front again—and this time, he doesn't bother to keep his hands to himself, fingers coming up to tug at the knot of Eridanus' tie for no reason but to toy with the man in front of him. ] When we first spoke of crossing blades, you sighed so wistfully over the thought of the moment preserved in paint. Now, the hour draws near. Shouldn't we find an artist worthy of the task before it's upon us?

[Eridanus' breath catches in his throat as Lucius settles before him. There's still a lightness that seems to keep the man barely off the balls of his feet, as if he's ready to simply sweep Eridanus out the door without any explanation. Instead, those clawed fingers find and loosen the knot of his tie.

He exhales a shaking breath, as color rises to his pale visage. His brows lift at the mention of a painter, and suddenly excitement heats the blood in his veins. His serrated smile splits wider, and he reaches an opaline gauntlet to take Lucius' hand.]

Yes, we should... to have our clashing of souls immortalized in such a way, would bring me no greater joy than to taste your blade itself. [Eridanus brings Lucius' fingertips to his lips, placing a short-lived chaste kiss to the pads before the point of his lesser tusk drags against skin.] Have you one in mind? No, do not tell me... take me to them.

[ The flush that rises to Eridanus' skin is that of a flattered lover, and it makes heat sting within Lucius' veins in kind. The warmth of it comes to coil low in the pit of his stomach—but, for once, he resists the hungry urge, instead letting the sight sit within his mind and savor, fuel to cast over the fire later. ]

And where would be the joy in choosing without you? [ The tease of a claw along Eridanus' lip matches that question's tone. ] I haven't been completely idle in your absence, [ by which he means he has taken the time to find out at least the names and residences of local artists ] but even so — won't it be more fun, to decide together who should receive the honor?

[ Frankly, Lucius doubts Eridanus' taste in painters will be very different than his own. And yet, it pleases him to give Eridanus this indulgence. After all, he had said so himself: this is a hunt. ]

[The claw at his lip is enough to shiver anticipation up Eridanus' spine, his body's reaction to promises of the event yet to come. Those words are sweet, and for a moment, Eridanus allows infatuation to well through his chest. He knows he should not feel so flattered over simply being considered, yet he can't help it. Lucius is an elusive creature in his own ways, selfish and single-minded, even he knew this. Yet here the cat before him was, giving his honeyed invitation for exhilarating chase.

Eridanus catches Lucius' hand once more, holding it firmly within his own as his ardent eyes widen with excitement.] Yes, I believe it shall. [The quickness in which he takes a step closer to Lucius, their bodies almost slotting against one another, betrays the evenness of his guttural voice. For a moment, it seems as if excitement would overflow, and he would come to embrace Lucius.

Then, without warning Eridanus turns away from him. He snags the knitted cardigan that hung from the coat rack hung against the wall, and offers it.] Do you knew their addresses already? I can hardly wait!

[Like a kid in a candy store.]

[ Laughter wafts from Lucius with that excited question, and the absence of cruelty in the sound likely speaks more of his fondness than any word ever could. ]

Of course. Names and addresses, and enough to know which ones are worth pursuing — though I suppose we'll have to ask nicely for a late night showing of their work, won't we? [ He laughs again, and this time, the sound is meaner. The hunt, and the chance for needless intimidation, is nearly as tantalizing to him as the end goal of this romp, and his tongue passes across his teeth like a hungry animal salivating at the suggestion of dinner.

Before Eridanus has even had the chance to answer that question, Lucius steps forward and takes the cardigan from his hands. He's already out the door before he has finished shrugging it on. It's only then that he stops and turns back, waiting beyond the threshold for Eridanus to come and lock the door behind them with an expectancy that can only come from knowing that his Archmage will follow wherever he leads. ]

[As many times as he has heard it, Eridanus never tires of the way laughter swells from Lucius. The sound is enough to tighten his chest, a lovesick smile softening his features as he gazes down at his Eternal.

And just as surely as Lucius turns to lead the way, barely shrugging his cardigan on, Eridanus follows. He doesn't bother putting his suit jacket back on, reasoning that whatever hunt they would be going on would lead to his clothes eventually being dirtied—that, and unlike Lucius, he doesn't seem to mind the sudden drop in temperature as autumn claims the peninsula.]

Are they local? [Eridanus asks, his stride pulling him up to Lucius' side effortlessly. Perhaps by habit, he's near enough to Lucius that their arms almost brush, and the closeness is enough to sway his tail happily through the air.] Remember, we cannot kill any humans in Djavulenstad. I quite like my job, and I know you like my memories in my head.

Aren't they all?

[ The answer is automatic, and it takes him a moment to realize that Eridanus is speaking in the scale of cities and towns rather than planets. Behind them, his tail twitches in a small, irritable motion, and his eyes reflexively glance upward to the sky above—but he drops his gaze again a second later, pushing the thought from his mind. ]

Ah, but that word means something different for me than it does for you, I imagine. Not to worry — I haven't forgotten that unfortunate rule. [ Truly, the one thing that mars this otherwise pleasant home they've found. It rankles, but it isn't worth complaining about, so he continues, ] No, we'll range a bit farther for our hunt tonight. I'm in no mood to be collared by civility.

[ Not that he ever is. Again, he leads—but not without a coy, sidelong glance spared to Eridanus as he goes. ]

You'll put on a good show for me tonight, won't you?

[It's hard not to notice the way Lucius' gaze raises skyward, and for a moment, a knot of guilt twists its way through Eridanus' belly. Guilt not for his own wish to go home but for the quiet if not fleeting desire that lingers within him; an itch that claws at his mind to get his magic back, so that they can return to Lucius' home. Eridanus shoves the thought from mind, but his clawed gauntlets ball into fists at his sides.]

I see, a walk to get the blood flowing. [He chuckles dryly, his gaze shifting from Lucius, forwards. At the request though, Eridanus feels heat flood his body as eagerness to please wells within him. His long, tufted ears peel back with a shiver of delight down his spine.]

Anything you wish for, my Eternal. [He whispers that promise, and the meaning behind it is easily savored. The scenery changes around them quickly, as they reach the gates of Djavulenstad. Another, quiet moment passes between them before Eridanus speaks up once more.]

Our duel, in a few days. Are you ready for it? [A silly question, which he quickly catches himself from,] I mean—rather—are you excited for it to finally be upon us?

[ Like some unheard echo, warmth unfurls in Lucius' breast and floods his veins with heat. This time, though, it isn't the lust for domination or the pleasure of being served; instead, what spices his blood is the allure of potential yet unshaped. Lucius remembers Eridanus telling him he would take no pleasure in tearing apart a man besides him, and he wonders now what face he might make as he embraces a darkness that had seemed beyond him mere weeks ago. The thought that he might find out tonight shudders delight down the length of his spine.

His steps come a little faster, after that.

South Vandare is nearer, and though he has some Bavanite names tucked within the back of his mind in case they find none to their liking, for now he begins to lead them down the coastline instead. The question, as clumsy as it is, teases a laugh from Lucius, and once more the sound is freighted with the affection of an indulgent lover. ]

If I weren't, do you believe we'd be on this hunt at all? [ No, that he'd recalled that infatuated wish with enough fondness to make good on it says it all—and so, likewise, his tone suggests this is merely a matter of course. ]

[Once more that sound rings within Eridanus' ears, captivating, intoxicating, and almost unbelievable that it can even come from that needle-toothed mouth in the first place. It's a sound far softer, far more sweet and loving than would be expected of Lucius the Eternal. And perhaps it is because Eridanus knows just what exquisite tortures this man is capable of, that the significance of the sound floods his limbs with delight; a weightlessness that reaches all the way to the tips of his fingers, and keeps him light on the balls of his feet.

Eridanus manages to keep his eyes forward, scanning the shoreline that they follow, rather than indulging in the urge to gaze upon Lucius' smiling face. Despite it being an expression he has been graced with many times, it is still one he never tires of seeing.]

You are right and yet — girlish desire begs to hear the words directly from your lips. [He chuckles, the sound sheepish rather than coy.

His own pace picks up, taking a few long, graceful steps ahead of Lucius before finally turning in his stride to face him. His steps are a sweeping backwards dance, with his arms tucked artfully behind his back, as a broad smile splits his monstrous visage.]

I feel as if I'll sprout wings and fly at any moment, with how light my body feels with excitement! I just hope I am able to control myself — it would not do to kill our selected artiste. Perhaps just a bit of flaying, hm?

Edited 2020-10-07 06:55 (UTC)

Oh? Perhaps next time I'll withhold the assurance you so crave, then. [ A low chuckle bubbles from his throat with the thought, and if Eridanus' feelings are girlish, Lucius' pair perfectly: the childish cruelty of a boy who wants to see the object of his infatuation squirm. ] I wonder what color your face will turn? I'd love to see you so flustered you start to turn purple.

[ And yet, even as he says so, he looks on Eridanus with an unbearably fond expression as he comes to walk before him. It is gratifying, to see a man appreciate the generosity of his affections so. ]

What's one painter? [ His manner sharpens with the words, voice and smile alike. ] I'm certain we'll be able to find a suitable second choice, and I wouldn't want to see you curb your excitement. Flay as many as you please, dearest beast; there will always be more left to sate your appetite.

[Eridanus inhales those wicked words that promise delicious cruelty as if it were a bouquet of sweet flowers, his flushed countenance already softening with the doting fondness of a lover. His verdant gaze half-lids at Lucius, gracing him with a look of adulation from beneath flattered lashes.

He's partially distracted by the way Lucius' mouth spreads far too wide to bare those needle-teeth in a charmingly deadly smile, admiring the way they catch the light of dusk; but when his sharpened words catch in Eridanus' ears, any fawning expression he had worn is gone.

As if the words uttered were an offense to him, his visage sours with anger and pain in kind, where his mouth pinches with ire behind his opaline maw.] You dare insult me by suggesting I settle for second best? [His own words are a poisonous hiss as he suddenly stops in his stride.]

I want nothing less than the best for our duel, a second-rate artist will only spoil the occasion. [Irritation prickles across his skin, but then, as quickly as it came with a thought—it's gone with another. Eridanus' brows lift as he comes to his own solution to this predicament, and a smile spreads across his face once more.]

I know... we find whichever artist we seek, and then, we torture and kill the others before him. That way he knows what lay in store for him should he decide to sneak away from his obligation — the perfect plan, no?

[ Lucius laughs, and the sound is filled with delight. It still rings through the twilight air as he clears the space left between them in a single bounding step; he has avoided touching Eridanus tonight, knowing well enough how easy they've found it to fall into debauchery at the littlest brush, but now he does so, hands threading their clawed fingers into his ashen hair with the urgency of his upwelling pride. ]

You've bloomed so beautifully, Eridanus. [ His words drip with adoration for the sight of a caterpillar transformed, and the pads of his fingertips begin to wind themselves down the column of Eridanus' neck as if admiring the work of the finest sculptor. They trace his shoulders, his arms, until they come at last to the backs of his hands; Lucius' touch traces of the dagger-tipped fingers there as he breathes, ] I can hardly wait to see what wonders and horrors you'll wreak tonight, with the power of these hands alone.

[ And then, Lucius is gone again, flowing around the broader shape of Eridanus' body with the speed and fluidity befitting the Eternal. Now he takes the lead in their walk, lengthy tail swinging pleasantly in the space he's placed between them. ]

I was suggesting you do as pleases you, dear Archmage. [ Gone is the hushed and intimate tone of a moment ago. What is left is something easy and self-assured as his voice rings clearly through the darkening air. ] If it doesn't please you to carry out your passions on your favored artist, then don't. My only wish is to see you satisfied, after all.

[Such praise only serves to flush Eridanus' pale skin further, the honeyed affection held within them unfurling pleasant adoration through his breast. As those golden claws caress his nape, loosing tresses of well kept ashen hair from his plait, the only thought that whirls through his mind is not of the splendid terror they are soon to indulge in, but that he never wishes for that touch to leave—and for a moment, it doesn't.

It finds the curve of his strong musculature, traces the ridges between soft flesh and the newly birthed opal stones that line his shoulders. It teases down the back of his firm triceps, sending shivers of delight up his spine, before tickling over the sensitive skin of his forearms and wrists—flesh unguarded by the opal gauntlets that have encased the front of them. Heat pools in Eridanus' belly, thick and intoxicating as that gentle touch, reserved for a lover, finds the palms of his hands. His thoughts race: of crushing Lucius' hands within his own superior grip, and of gouging his flesh to claim it once more as his.

But then that touch is gone just as quickly as it came, like a playful whisper on the wind. Eridanus exhales a hot breath, unaware he had held it for so long within his aching lungs. He turns, his gaze unfettering as it watches the toned muscles of Lucius' back as he dances away like the coy beast he is. Eridanus feels it now—the ache of hunger.

He chases after Lucius, his steps less graceful than a moment ago, but he stays himself from the animalistic urge to pounce like predator upon prey. Instead he folds his claws within each other, behind his back, as a means of shackling his desire. This is a hunt for something else tonight, not each other.]

Following you until the stars grow cold and the universe decays into dust would be the only thing to truly satisfy me. [He sucks in a cold breath, hoping the salty tang of the air could quell his racing thoughts and thundering heart.] To hunt for your amusement — my pleasure. I know you have only selected the best for us to enjoy tonight. Others do not see your need for perfection the way I do...

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action | a day or two before their duel

what a cute cat, I love

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cw: slight gore mention?

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cw: slightly romantic gore ideation?

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, ERIDANUS SUNGAZER. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 099.23.886.00 * Archmage has joined 099.23.886.00 <Archmage> Hello, this is Eridanus Sungazer. <Archmage> In the event I am currently unavailable, please leave a message. <Archmage>** I will answer back, promptly. If I feel you are worth the trouble.