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[conflictresolution]

"Leave a missive, but be brief about it."

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[conflictresolution]

[People expected that he was not a physical person, that because he sat at a desk most of the day or was seen mostly inert. They didn't expect that he could physically dominate a situation when he chose to, though Richard could still overcome him in most situations. This was designed to take to limit the potential of that and showcase that he could be a physical person when it mattered to him.

His hands remained under Richard's thighs, supporting his lover's weight and appreciating the hold of those long muscled legs around his weight and the grip on his shoulder. He ground further against his lover, teasing to work up the mood again before he tilted his head so he could watch Richard with his blue eye as the younger man froze up and pulled away. There wasn't a lot of options on where Richard could go, and yet he hummed at the press of Richard's face to his shoulder, grimacing as there was a small ripple of pain from the injury to his neck on the opposite side.

His fingers dug into the younger man's thighs, and pulled Richard off of the wall, taking three careful steps to the left so he could move them off of the wall to press Richard against the window instead. There would be a shadow viewed but because of Richard's dress, there was only a tease of what might be happening and with whom.] Oh I was planning to regardless...

[As if to prove his point, he did cease the teasing and pressed himself into his lover's moist entrance with a single smooth thrust. He adjusted his grip and nestled his nose into the hair behind Richard's ear.] Don't make me do all the work then... [He would, but it would engage better for them both to be into this, to apply all that pent up energy into this. He withdrew and thrust back in, starting a slow teasing rhythm to try to draw Richard back into the moment.]

[traumaticus]

[The confession had forced its way out of Richard, ripping at the edges of his old wounds. The sheer strength of it left him feel shaken and almost lightheaded. If it wasn't for the fingers gently caressing the sensitive spot on his neck he would have bolted from his seat and put some distance between them. But as things were he stayed still, closing his eyes as his lover continued stroking his pale neck.

The gesture is affectionate and soothing, making Silco's words sound almost romantic. A promise to stand next to him. No matter what.. Richard almost wanted to believe those words. In another life he even might]

... There was once someone I looked at in search of love and acceptance. [He says as he opens his eyes and slowly turns to face the older man. His amber eye peeking underneath the dark locks. The suffocated pain hidden behind his expression yet so evident in his distant voice.] And yet he failed at both. All because of what lies in that book.

[it was utterly unfair to compare Silco to someone like Henry. One was from the darkness when other one was light. But the wound is open now and Richard can't stop his fears and the pain of the past bleeding out. He had frozen his heart and locked away his desires once before. He could bury them with another lover if push really came to shove. He really could do it.. He would do it, just like Silco had said.

But that didn't mean he wanted to.] Don't read it. You've said it yourself. You have no use for the light.

[conflictresolution]

[Another? That didn't sound like Richard's kingmaker given the infatuation that normally came with such mentions. No this was someone else, someone who had turned their back on Richard. Was it truly due to the contents of the book he had in his jacket pocket or some other reason? Perhaps another male liaison? Richard continually blamed that cursed body, so he could fathom rejection hitting hard especially if this was an experience from younger Richard.

His fingers lightly closed on the sides of his lover's neck, offering a small massage for the confession. He made a point of shifting, moving his body closer rather than away so that their sides pressed together. He could not believe that he who had done so much others would consider vile would be suddenly turned by a holy book. Quite the opposite, which may be part of the fear too.

Yet, something stood out in thr confession and of course he was curious enough to pursue it regardless of potential discomfort.] Tell me, is that what you are truly searching for, Richard? Love and acceptance?

[He considered the urging to not read the book, his fingers still massaging the back of his lover's neck.] No I have no use of the light for myself, but that doesn't mean that it isn't an advantage to understand. There is power in knowledge. What if I promised you that if I felt tempted by this book, I would immediately stop reading it and bring it to you? You are my source expert on this religion after all. We can seap ourselves in darkness to cleanse me of such temptation?

[traumaticus]

No. [The answer is hasty, erupting from him almost immediately. Henry had been nothing more than illusion. A false king shining down a false light, the warm and secure arms only spreading death and misery. Richard had sworn that he would no longer chase after such fragmented, transient light -- no matter how Joan protested, shifting his words and blurring the lines between truth and lies.] I do not search for something that is not there. [Not anymore.] There is only one light that I am after.

[Yes. The ultimate source of power and light - an access to any delight and pleasure in the world. Escape from the sadness and fear for good. Maybe even the memory of Henry would not have such hold over him anymore. The crown was the only thing that truly mattered, and something that Richard could truly touch and possess in his hands. And Silco knew this as they had been over this time after time.

That is what he is searching for, yes. The demon could only gain light and acceptance by stealing. And yet... Witch's words keep echoing in his mind. You can't help but want it.

He can feel the warmth radiating from his lover's body against him as their knees brushed against each other. And he wants nothing more than to lean against the touch, rest his head on the other man's shoulder and allow himself to soothed into comfort. He was so tired. From the separation, Christmas, Joan and the conversation. All of it felt like a force pressing on his skull.

But instead of accepting the rest he reached to grab the fingers massaging his neck. His own hand curls around the digits as he pulls them away.] If going against my request is what you want then so shall be it. But know this, the moment your heart wavers I will baptize you again with your own blood. [Stick to what you know as they say. And for Richard that was threat of lingering violence. But just like always, his words were hardly empty sounds let run loose on the church ceiling. No, he was fully serious. Betrayal of any kind was not to be tolerated.]

[conflictresolution]

[A bit too quick to be fully believed as far as Silco was concerned. He wondered if Richard was actually convinced of that pseudotruth, or if the younger man had simply told himself this mantra over and over again enough that it was the only truth he would haze himself in.] You don't believe that love can be found in the darkness? [He made a point of making a soft noise as if he were considering his own question.] Unfortunate for you that I accept you as you are, and we exist in the dark as you say.

[He knew what light that Richard was chasing, something that he knew all too well. The chase was always more to the point than the end itself. He had found that the end was disappointing when he had reached it, but yet there was more work to be done so he couldn't stop long.]

Do you believe the light inside of that crown and position will bring you happiness?

[Silco was equally tired by their separation, even if it hadn't been abrupt. They had talked about it, and he had accepted it as a necessary reality but being close again, letting some of his guard down reminded him of why he and Richard found each other so often in the past. He could close his eye and rest his temple on Richard's and simply sit quietly with the younger man regardless of the ridiculous decorations of the church.

He sat up again when his fingers were seized and pulled away, and he huffed noisily at Richard's usual theatrics when it came to going against his lover's wishes. It was just a book. He'd read plenty of provocative works of writing in the past and aside from thinking a time on it, little had moved him from his path.] My heart will not waver. [His other hand rose to stroke over the mostly healed scab on his neck where he had been 'baptized' in the past.] Third time is a charm then. Alright, if you see weakness growing in me, make me bleed.

[traumaticus]

['---don't you believe that love can be found in the darkness?

There is a tightening in Richard's chest as the weight of the question fills in the air. He can feel the weight of it press down at him, the thorns prickling through his leather and sinking deep into his flesh. And Silco's words that followed the initial question only twists his stomach further and allows the discomfort to seep into his open, bleeding wound.

Did Richard believe that? Maybe. He did not know. Who knows, maybe the wretched of the earth living the cursed life while covered in the infectious boils and what not could find light and feel love? Maybe thieves and other miscreants hiding in the shadows could do it? Sinners and heretics? Who knows. But what about men like him and Silco -- those who would devour lives and destroy those around them just to satisfy their dark ambitions? The reason in him says no. People like them can not possess something human like love, not without destroying each other.

That had been the reason why Richard had felt like he could give in his own desires and lean into this relationship. They were kin, in a sense at least, able to lick each other wounds and find comfort in their shared cage. But at the same time he didn't doubt that they would turn their fangs against each other given the opportunity. Wasn't that what their constant warnings for betrayal were all about?

His thoughts take him briefly back to the man that was not in this world. The one who owned half of his soul and had pledged himself to him in body and mind. Buckingham was like Silco, seeking to steal and claim whatever he wished for all while scoffing at the idea of God and Fate. Both of his lovers truly were similar in more ways than one. Could Buckingham love him? Again, he's not sure. Their bond was merely built around the common goal and the only reason they shared bed was to strengthen their resolve -- to prove that they were willing to face the flames of hell together. Nothing more... Correct.

The visible dark eye follows the movement of Silco's free hand as he reaches to touch his neck. The scar had healed nicely, the red cut having turned into barely visible dusty pink and dry line. A proof of the promise behind their bond. There is a small tug in Richard's chest as a familiar feeling stirred within him. It was the damned hope that had awoken during their first meeting all those months ago, raising its persistent head and pushing though the despair.

Inhaling deep, Richard lets go off Silco's hand and slouches forward, resting his elbows against his knees as he crossed his hands, eyes looking down at the floor at their feet. There is a brief and yet heavy silence as he chewed over his own previous outburst.]

Have you felt it, then? Love towards another human being that is not your daughter.

[conflictresolution]

[He wondered which of the questions had sent Richard into complete internalized self-reflection, and he supposed that he could guess. There was one subject that they both seemed to keep at arm's length, and yet, they proposed it now and again to see what the other would do. The slow knife tapping against the armour that they wrapped themselves in, seeking a weakness in the frame so that the blade could slip in and find the soft sensitive flesh beneath, to bleed, to hurt, to remember.

Humanity and most sentient creatures all needed the same thing: connection. It may be life-long or fleeting, but in togetherness, they found a comfort that isolation tore away and ground to dust. Could love be found in the darkness? He actually believed it was possible, but it would be hot like a forge - uncomfortable - and cold like frozen steel. It would be sharp, painful, made on broken and repaired frames, teetering with jealousy, possessiveness, desperation. It was tainted and ugly like them, a shattered cracked mirror with a kaleidoscope of tiny broken moments.

Love was an unbearable weakness when found in the dark. It was deadly.

His hand followed Richard once it was dropped, settling on the small of his lover's back and stroking affectionately up to between shoulder then back down again. He dug his fingers in lightly through the fabric of Richard's clothing, absently repeating the gesture over and over again. The question paused his fingers for a moment before they returned to their affectionate stroking up and down Richard's back.]

When I was a weak man, yes. [He could admit that much.] It blinded me, softened my spine and left me open for betrayal. [Vander, Felicia. He had loved them both in very different ways, her like a sister, the life of a party who danced and laughed freely, challenged him to fulfill the dream. And him who he had loved strong enough it took his breath away and... well, they were dead now. He'd outlived them all. He reached up and softly drew his fingers down the left side of his face.] The one I loved gave me this. Then love turned to hatred but then... if he hadn't softened and remained weak, I wouldn't have had to kill him.

[A soft sigh as issued from between his lips. A part of him never stopped loving that man, his brother, his rock, his betrayer...]

[traumaticus]

[Richard had been sexually active for a very brief. He had spent majority of his life hiding and trying to blend in with the rest of society, performing and fulfilling his role as a duke and as the part of royal family. Such tight and suffocating frames with all the prejudices simply didn't leave him any room to consider himself outside of the self-loath and disgust. However the more he had engaged in the intimacy, the more gained increasing appetite for another one's touch and and warmth. And he had come to find out that he indeed did find it the scenarios where he was more active and in control to be the most enjoyable.

There was nothing quite as pleasing as using this cursed body of his to make another person to submit. But then again. There were times when it was just fine to melt in another one's embrace and let them to break him apart and mold him a new. Just like right now.

A quick flash of panicked fear made his heart skip a beat when Silco moved them and pressed him against the window. But the moment was over before it could even properly start. It was alright, even if one were to look up they would have to be lucky to see anything more than a dark figure. Everything was alright.

Out of reflex he let go of his lover's neck and bend his hand back to grasp on the metallic frames to gain some support as he stretched his neck to meet the glass. It was jarring how cool the new surface felt compared to the wall, clashing against the heat of his body. But he doesn't have long to focus on it as his entire attention was quickly stolen away when the blunt end pressed against his entrance and pushed inside, forcing his walls to part and make room for the intrusion.

It had been sometime since the last time they had done this. But it seemed like his body remembered Silco, his touch and shape. So the uncomfortable stretch and pressure do not last long, fading quickly as his lover began to move and thrust his hips into him. The burn remained, of course. But it was not enough, staying only as quiet spark rather than building up into a blazing flame.

Richard tried to move himself along with Silco, but the position where he had only so much support for his body so his movements were awkward and jerking, lacking the usual smooth grace he carried himself with. So, he pushed his upper body to lean back against Silco's again, arms wrapping around his lover.]

Silco. It's not enough.. [The words are spokenwith airy and husky tone. He then cranes his neck forward and bites down on the man's earlobe, pulling the soft flesh with his teeth before continuing with:] Make it burn more.

[traumaticus]

[Richard turned his head subtly to the side as he listened to his lover's answer. The golden-amber eye continued to stay hidden under his ebony hair, but the shift in his expression was still distinct enough. He could feel Silco's words to resonate with him and he immediately knew who this loved one was. The older man had before spoken of someone he had thought as a brother. A man who he had trusted and built plans for future with. Someone who were to betray and mutilate both his face and soul forever. Now, he was not privy to the details that had gone between them, but he could still see the picture before him clearly. Because he had gone through the same.

The blinding love, one that left you weak and desperate. Clinging on the smallest crumbs of the hope while begging for agony to both end and continue at the same time. He had felt the same. His foolish love for another man had driven him crazy. Was still driving him crazy.

But in Silco's words he hears the one true thing that he need to hear. "When I was a weak man." Silco was not that person anymore and he had, just like Richard, recognized the weakness and pain that such bond would bring. They might be lovers but there would not be love between them. Silco's embrace would never kill him.

He turned his gaze away from Silco and looked at the candlelit altar again. Though this time he was looking for something else, something that was not there. The true light.]

I killed the person I loved the most in a place very similar to this. And I would do it again and again. Until his soul is untethered and torn like a pathetic piece of rug, unrecognizable from what it before was. And I would do it with a joy.

[Just like Silco, Richard also killed the previous himself. He had died along with Henry, leaving behind only the demon. They truly were similar like that. Except no... He might have actually died a long time ago. In that forest where his mother had left him. The realization brings back the confidence to his body language, chasing away the wavering uncertainty and calming down the storm of emotions within him. This time it was not Joan's curses he heard, but the guiding and comforting words of his father. There is solace in solitude. ]

Inside the crown there is a golden circle of light. And within that circle there is the true paradise. The kind what poets and story tellers could only dream of. No need for sadness nor for fear. [He repeats the mantra, answering to Silco's earlier question. Yes. He believed that the crown would bring him happiness. After all, a king could have anything he ever wanted. He would be freed of the demons of the past.] The world is nothing but hell on Earth until the crown is placed on this head.

[conflictresolution]

[He knew it was pushing the letter to Richard's secrecy to take his lover against a window, but he had planned it well. The window was supported with metal works, and it was the reason that he hadn't fully undressed his lover in the first place. The momentary panic as worth Richard slowly relaxing again when it was apparent that there was nothing to be seen on the street below. It could be anything, anyone just leaning back against the window of his office, and, given how secret their relationship was, he doubted anyone would expect him of all people would show open pleasure and affection for anyone.

That warm heat was inviting, drawing him in with a little effort on his part, and he shuddered down his spine in response. He leaned back to balance his own motions even as his hands remained fixed around the back of Richard's thighs as he used the leverage to work himself in and out of his lover in a set rhythm, wanting to provide Richard the opportunity to find a comfortable position.

He stepped in a small step when his lover's arms wrapped around him again, a momentary hitch to his rhythm as he adjusted to the change to his balance.] Wrap your legs around my waist. Use them to lift... [He trailed off, his brain momentary static of pleasure to the bite on his earlobe, and the thought was lost. He punctuated the thought with a harder thrust, digging his nails into Richard's thighs

Of course, who was he to deny such a request when it was for the benefit of them both? He angled his hips in and under Richard for a better angle, and his rhythm of thrusting increased with speed and force now that they had been warmed up.] Kiss me like you are going to war....

[conflictresolution]

[Their similar stories despite the eras and classes that they grew up in was part of what attracted him to Richard. The younger man had overcome so much, fought so hard, sought after a seemingly impossible dream. Just like him. They had both been born in the darkness, though his own had come with little fanfare but it remained a truth that it was shocking both of them had survived infancy and childhood given the environment. They had been weak, supported by stronger men through and then learned the hard way to find their own feet.

It was a fact that neither one of them could entirely trust again. There was too much background, too many slights and betrayals, so they had to focus forward on their goals. In this way, Silco had always felt a connection to Richard that he hadn't felt with anyone else, not even his own daughter.

Yet his gaze moved from watching the back of Richard's head to look across the altar with all its little decorations and candles bathing the place in light. His fingers dragged over the spot between his lover's shoulder blades, and he considered the tale being woven for him. It was more details that he supposed he had given about his own lover.]

What betrayal did this person do against your person to provoke such a response? This is supposed to be a holy place according to you, and you killed a man under the eye of your God. That's... bold.

[He knew what it was like though, to wish to repeat that moment over and over again, to claim the victory and prove everyone who thought they could be redeemed or brought to heel wrong. He had drive the knife into Vander's back and then front, had looked into those gray eyes and felt a momentary heat when he knew that he had won, that he had overcome a greater enemy and completed his transformation to something more. No longer would he be that dirty little thing of the undercity.

Yet, he sighed from his nose as the same old tale was spoken of. He'd seen the crown and hadn't thought much of it, but he could tell that Richard was drive to achieve that.] And will you bring about a Hell to those that prevented and stood in your path from achieving this golden light? It seems to me that the higher in the political world one ventures, the more inherent dangers there are, but these knives are cloaked behind smiles and ambition. It seems you might be happy but walking into a larger fight at the same time.

voicemail; earlier today!!

[opheliac]

[ silco is such a busy, busy man!!! soo busy, being a man, and a working man, and a scheming man. just so damn busy that there's a voicemail waiting for him. that's what happens when you own almost all of aldrip. anyhow, whenever he gets a chance to obey the robotic lady for him to press one to listen to his message, he will discover that it's his beloved daughter, jinx!

on her end, there's a lot of clanking of cups and dishes, machinery purring, muted music of whatever is currently playing through the café speakers (opera, probably), and stifled voices of customers and her workers conversing. sounds like a busy day on her side, too. ]

Hey, hey, Mr. Busy bee! Calling to let ya know I'll be a little late for dinner. I'm so swamped. Everyone's REALLY into my hot chocolate bombs. They're cleaning me out, ha ha!!

[ a beat. ]

But don't worry, I'll totally still be there. Nothing is gonna keep me away from your famous fish and chips!

[ then all of a sudden, she states the next bit of information extremely fast:]

Oh, and also Ekko asked me out on a date and I said yes, and have no idea when we're going, but I just thought I should let you know, because, uh. Ya know. — ANYWAY!! See you when I get home, Love you, BYE!

[ click. ]

action;

[conflictresolution]

[A voice mail? He had left his device on his desk while he dealt with a supply matter in the kitchens, and when he had noticed the flashing little light indicating a message upon his return, he did listen to it. The corner of his lip twitched in a smile at the sounds in the background; her café was seemingly a success and that would keep her focused.

Finally, his daughter was tapping into her workaholic potential on matters that he could encourage and relate to. He leaned back in his chair, enjoying himself. He had no issue moving dinner time back; it wasn't as if he enjoyed eating in the first place and did it to survive as a point.

Then the subject shifted, and any relish he had evaporated in her quick information dump. That boy! It was always that ridiculous freedom fighter encroaching on what was his! Silco spent the rest of the work day in a foul mood, snapping at his employees, sequestering himself away and throwing a little temper tantrum in his office as he worked through paperwork. He fumed and worked up his temper over the next several hours and instead of calling her back, he decided to nurse the fury in his guts as he returned to their shared home.

He prepped dinner and went to the couch and wait for his daughter, continuing to read this Bible and fuming. His body language was all tense and sharp and displeasure radiated off him.]

action;

[opheliac]

[unlike her father, jinx is in an amazing mood. her café took off, she recruited a new employee who isn't her local jinxers, the coffee machine she created was a success, and her secondary repair shop in the basement is being put together in a timely manner. and of course, last by not least, being asked out on a date! not only it will be her first real date with ekko, but her very first date ever. even quentin didn't take her out on one, despite questioning the broadcast where to take her (and calling out her father).

so there is a bit of a pep in her step and a song in her heart as she makes her way home. even the chilled weather (that jinx isn't too particularly fond of) can't damper her spirits right now, as she fishes in her pockets for the keys. once in, his daughter announces herself, as per usual: ]

I'm home! — Time to shove everything in my mouth and not leave anything for the mice.

action;

[conflictresolution]

[Her enthusiasm and energy was apparent the moment that she banged open the front door and bustled into the house. It seemed that her day had gone swimmingly, which only irritated him further as his mind played over the voice mail again and again, trying and failing to pick up on every single nuance in that message. Internally he was fighting an internal war between wanting her happiness and his deep-seeded fear of losing her. Everyone tried to take his daughter away; he would sooner burn the world and the next down before he let that happen.

He should have kidnapped the boy the moment he became aware of Ekko, locking the boy up and not killing him. Removing the obstacle without providing it opportunity to cause trouble for him and his. There were a list of people he should do that with apparently. He was slacking while playing 'nice' in this place; perhaps it was long passed time to return to form.

He turned the page of his book blindly, having read and re-read the words without processing them. He closed his eye and forced himself to take a breath to hold in his lungs. This daughter of his would be the death of him again in no time.]

Worked up an appetite, did you? I'll finish the meal then.

[He snapped his book closed, his voice tight but controlled as he pushed himself from the couch and headed for the kitchen.]

action;

[opheliac]

[ her smile droops fairly quickly, immediately picking up the aura clouding their atmosphere. it's hard to tell if this is about the very quick message she left about ekko, if something greater happened in his day, or a collaboration of several events wrapped into one. regardless, jinx toes off her boots and shrugs off her coat to hang before pacing behind him. ]

Rough day?

[ she figures to go ahead and go for the kill, instead of beating around the bush about it. and as silco completes their dinner, she scuttles off to the cabinets for the dishwares; setting the table. ]

[traumaticus]

[Inhaling deep between his lips Richard complies with Silco's instructions and quickly lifts his legs higher, climbing up the man further. While it does make moving easier it still is physically taxing position. He could feel the droplets of sweat form and fall along his thighs, back neck and chest as he bounced himself up and down along the rhythm his lover sets up for them.

The gravity helps, of course, and each time he comes down to meet Silco's hips it feels like the older man manages to push just further in, filling him to the brink. Each thrust was like a force pushing inside, trying to reach up deep his body. And each of the snap of hips was met with a high pitched cry and moan from Richard.

While the events of this encounter had not gone exactly as Richard planned, with them having taking a rather unfortunate detour to murky waters, they had still ended up right where he had intended them to. It had been in his plans to land himself on top of Silco and drain him and take everything out of him. And here he was, pushed up against the window while having the older man pour his everything into him. The frustration, anger, pain and lust. All of them were present here and pouring roughly into Richard, burning him just as he wanted. He could feel the familiar hot and wet pleasure to begin to pool inside him.

And for that, he saw no reason to deny Silco his own request. He leaned in to capture Silco's lips with his own, pulling him into a deep and heated kiss. It was more messier and uncoordinated than what it would normally be, nipping and sucking on his lips, tongue and teeth -- as if he was trying to devour the other man. So lost he was in the passion of their kiss.

The room was filled with wet and lascivious sounds. Skin slapping against skin, lips sucking lips and mouths panting and moaning as they moved together. Then, there was one thrust that brushed less than an inch differently against his walls, rubbing briefly against the bundle of nerves that made his body jerk and stars appear behind his eyes. His own cock, that was still hidden underneath the pooled fabric, twitched in response with some precum leaking out.]

action; cw: descriptions of knife violence, unlawful containment

[conflictresolution]

[He made little effort to hide his sour mood. He never had in the Undercity, and he certainly never bothered all that much here. Besides, he expected that Jinx had sent that voicemail specifically to provide him opportunity to mull it over and decide which direction his mood would go. No doubt the longer he had to think on it, the easier it would be for her to navigate his displeasure. She was smart that way.

Except he thought she might underestimate his low burning emotional response to the progress of that relationship. It seemed time to invest in bunkers under all of his businesses, and properly outfit each one with the means to contain his enemies. The boy would break in the first. Silco would break his knees first so there would be less chance of running away.

He set the fish to the cooktop, keenly aware of Jinx's movements even as he fantasized about murdering that boy. Maybe cut him to pieces. Well, cut him a little each day so he didn't die.]

Oh it was meandering as it normally does from start to finish. There was a small interruption in the form of a questionable voicemail, of course.

action;

[opheliac]

[ she freezes, her body stiffening at his brief mention of her voicemail for a second or two before returning to setting the final dish onto the table. jinx wanted to be hopeful that her announcing the news wouldn't be the cause of her father's bitter mood, but... dreams are dreams. already predicting a tense dinner, she makes her way to the refrigerator, seizing a bottle of wine for silco to nurse while they feast (although, he might seek for something stronger). ]

Oh! Uh... [ the words crash together inside her throat, fighting their way to form sentences or... something worthwhile. ] — Ahem, at least it was small, eh? Nothing big to fuss about. I'd ignore it if I were you!

[ she settles the bottle on his side of the table next to his glass, then trails back to hers, but watching him cook for a moment. ]

Table's done. Need an extra hand? I promise my metal finger won't gunk up the taste of the fish.

action;

[conflictresolution]

[He kept his back to her, not because if he was excluding her but because cooking was an activity he did because he had to rather than because he wanted to. What sort of parent would he be if he couldn't provide everything for his daughter? It meant he had to concentrate, and also did have the benefit of requiring his back to be towards the rest of the room.]

If it was important enough to require a voice mail in the first place, I won't ignore the contents of it.

[He flipped the battered fish in the pan to fry the other side of it, tension across his shoulders. He knew why she was leaving such messages after their last discussion on the subject. If anything, it didn't feel long enough time between then and now.]

It will only be a few minutes.

[He returned to silence for half a minute before he couldn't help himself. It didn't help his case that he was fuming.]

I don't approve of the amount of time you spend with that boy. And a date? No, no that is too friendly.

[He will currently ignore the fact that he knows they are sleeping together. It's this being the problem.]

action;

[opheliac]

[ if he wasn't at the stove, she would approach closer and link her arms around his torso and give him the biggest of bear hugs. because despite silco obviously furious about her upcoming engagement with ekko, the remark he makes jinx finds rather comical. he can't see it, but her lips curl into a smirk as she nods slowly to an understanding. ]

Sooooo swapping saliva and sleeping with him is a-go then. Cool, glad we're on the same page, 'cause I'm way ahead of you on that.

[ she stretches out for her chair and takes a seat incorrectly, the back side of it pressing against her front with her arms draping over. ]

[traumaticus]

[There was no denying the similarities between their stories. Silco might as well be the one person he shares the most common ground with. They were both power hungry and ruthless, stopping at nothing to achieve their goals and resist the destiny. They were the wolf in sheep clothing, hiding in plain sight under shepherd's nose.

Even their journey's followed a similar path. A life overshadowed by oppressive power, choking them out and forcing them in the quiet and resigned role determined for them by nation. They both had found a dream -- which only was stolen away by a betrayal, leaving behind only a husk, a shadow of their former selves.

And now Silco was asking the story behind the betrayal that happened all those years ago, the event that had killed his previous, weak self. Richard eyes were focused on the altar, mind revisiting that evening. But strangely enough, he felt nothing. No panic, fear or pain -- just a distant recollection.]

..He called me a demon. [He answers after a brief silence. That's right, Henry had seen him for who he was and failed to love him. He had murdered his heart and Richard took his life. It had been inevitable.

Richard then turned his head to look into his lover's eyes, his own expression now confident and unwavering. ] The politics are nothing but another battleground. And just like with war the stakes are high, life or death. And that is exactly why men like us do what we do. We fight, Silco. The moment we stop we enter to our graves.

action;

[conflictresolution]

[If he were in a better mood, he might make the attempt to appreciate her humor on the matter. Did she not realize that he was keenly aware of the writing on the wall, and that he had pondered his options just murdering the boy over and over? Or worse, mutilate him? He wondered if she had any idea that her previous little sparks of interest just disappeared?]

I'm aware of your dalliances with him. You make little, if any, secret of it.

[He kept himself 'busy' at the stovetop longer than strictly necessary, needing something to occupy his hands that wasn't a cigar or a drink.]

He arrived back and, as usual, meddled in affairs not his own.

[Why yes, it was all Ekko's fault. He considered and then immediately discounted the notion that it was some deep mutual attraction. No, that was something he couldn't allow himself to accept; it meant he was another step closer to losing her.]

action;

[opheliac]

[ in her typical dramatic teenager manner, she exclaims an exaggerating groan with her head tossing back so far, it's amazing she didn't accidentally knock herself out cold
by hitting the table. ]

Uuuuuuggggh, Siiilllcooooo! — Come on, already! He hasn't done a single thing. And I mean physically.

[ roll her head back, she folds her arms over the top railing of the chair, with her chin resting along them. ]

Tell ya what: when I go out on a date with him, use that time to go on one with Richard. A win-win for everyone. Maybe go down to bone city with him or however you two, you know, do it. Don't give me the details, don't wanna know. Keep my innocent brain innocent.

[conflictresolution]

[He considered for a long moment, though the explanation needed limited thought. He could understand the the sentiment; taking on a title that others deemed repulsive, wrapping oneself in that identity so that it became armour rather than weakness. It seemed they both readily came to a point in their lives where the embraced the choice that would set them free to choose their own paths towards the golden light that Richard was so fond of seeking as a salvation.

In order to thrive, they had to kill the weakness inside of themselves, to make that decision to keep fighting no matter the cost. And this man, this Henry who had once been King, had given that life-altering choice that he had once faced with him. Die under the weight, or fight for something worth believing, worth striving for.]

And you embraced what he called you on his corpse. Those of us who wish to be more have to step beyond the titles laid over us to become something more.

[He met Richard's gaze evenly, and the corner of his lips twitched at the truthful words. A war of words and ambition was as dangerous as a war of ones fists or weapons.] We all wage our own wars for our own ambition and perhaps... [He reached out and ran the back of his knuckles against Richard's smooth cheek.] to prove them all that those titles bestowed on us like a curse are little more than motivation to put a boot on their throats. The fear of death should never stop us from accomplishing what we need to.