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

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[Silco wondered if Richard would eventually take issue with his prodding at this so called God, or if the younger man was constrained by the old fears of that kind of society. After all, Richard called himself a demon, and it seemed a term that had been thrown around for most of the younger man's life. That didn't sound like any manner of God he would bother to follow or listen to.]

I would say that a God is worthy of belief if they put in the effort instead of continually making demands on the mere mortals. That one sounds as arrogant as the others, looking for worship over circumstantial substance. [He shrugged his shoulders.] Everyone is weak to temptation. Why resist it? Temptation can be very enjoyable.

[He'd was here, so there was no much further for his soul to fall to. He wasn't about to change either, so this was who he was. He didn't care if anyone liked him or hated him; he was who he was so get in line or get out of the way while he did what he chose to excel at.

Yet, Silco was left with much to consider about this 'light' and the true nature of this bond with the other lover.] I don't understand the light reference, but if he'd so easily find another to replace you, he wasn't deserving of your attention in the first place. You could find better.

[He had a feeling that he wouldn't like this Buckingham all that much. Loyalty was too important to him, and he had a strange inkling that Richard may be a means to an end. That was partially Richard's fault, of course, but who could blame someone who had been shunned so much over the course of their life? It made the younger man ripe to be captured if the belief was a similar goal and acceptance.

He continued to roll the strawberry in his palm.] If he eats my strawberries, I'll give him a reason to squeal.

[Well, out of anyone from his world Richard might as well be the safest person to criticize god to. Aside from Buckingham, of course, who wholeheartedly spoke against the divine entity. Whether their god was good or bad, Richard didn't know and he didn't feel it to be in his place to question it either. It was just something that was -- a power that he would defy and obtain for himself.]

We mortals are foolish, flawed and blind compared to God. It is our duty to prove ourselves worthy of His love by repenting and resisting the temptations that devil will put in front of you. Unless we wish our souls to be lost in the eternal damnation once we leave the bodily world.

[Now, how did this world play into that divine play? Was it supposed to be part of his punishment for his transgressions? Or another temptation he ought to overcome? Well, if it was latter Richard definitely already failed the test. Not that he cared much for penance or begging forgiveness from source which would never grant it.

However, while he might not care about questioning the validity of God the critique towards his other half is not tolerated as much. Richard's eyes narrow and lips press together into a disapproving line. Well.. He supposes it is no wonder that Silco would not understand the true depths and nature of his relationship to the other duke.]

And you're saying that you wouldn't do the same for your own cause? Would you not also sacrifice everything there is to see your dreams to become reality. [Richard had already spilled so much blood for the sake of the crown. From both enemies and friends. There is nothing too sacred. Surely Silco would understand the necessity of it? And agree that there is no point in clinging on the dead weight.

A small chuckle escaped from his lips at the vague threat towards his companion.] Make sure to give him a good run, then. [He hums back, eating the last strawberry from his palm. Of course, Richard cherishes Whitey far too much to ever allow any real harm to come him. And he trusts Silco to realize that.]

Oh please, gods are just as foolish, flawed and blind. If they demand so much, it sounds like a toxic relationship to begin with. No wonder your devil has an easy way into people's hearts.

[It seemed a moot point to him, and this was exactly why he didn't believe in gods. Oh he had crossed paths with one, but it was fleeting and not worth mentioning. That one had a specific purpose, and he had served it with shock but no complaint. His only gripe about the encounter was he hadn't taken the damn sister with him. If it wouldn't send Jinx into a tailspin, he'd off her here just for the fun of it over and over.

However, it was interesting to mark the difference between arguing about God and making a comment about this other Duke. Richard's baring completely changed and that expression was as close to a warning as he was likely to receive on the matter. Undeterred, he shrugged his shoulder at the question. It sounded to him to be as toxic as the one with God honestly.

Yet, he felt he had to moderate his reply because at one time, his answer would have been a straight yes and he would sacrifice everything. Now... that water was muddied.] I thought I would. I was willing to sacrifice everything and everyone necessary for the change that my people needed. But there was one person I wouldn't sacrifice even when given the opportunity. [He looked at Richard.] So I simply planned on gaining independence and keeping her safe and by my side. Sometimes plans are better with someone else worthwhile in it.

[He thought Richard might understand in the end, perhaps if that person ever showed up. He doubted it was this Duke if so readily to be tossing Richard aside, and it would be Richard's own downfall to let that happen.]

Oh, I will. I see he sleeps in the bed with increasing frequency....

[There is a small, approving smile on Richard's lips. While Silco might not be aware of the severity of the anguish that is eternal torment of the hell's flames, he still appreciated the bold words. It was the defiance against the holy and good that had caught Richard's attention the first time they met. And it was no doubt the reason why he could also see beauty in Richard, making the man able to embrace him.

Richard listens carefully to Silco's words, allowing a brief and thoughtful silence fall between them. He knows immediately who that "someone" was to Silco. There was no one else it could be than his daughter. In theory, he could definitely understand the want to protect family. After all, an heir was essential for a king. Without a legacy he'd be nothing but a forgettable smudge on the pages of history. But at the same time.. Had he not already sacrificed the royal blood for the sake of the crown? If the situation was dire enough, would he be able to protect the boy he had claimed as his own? Or would he also throw him to the altar like he had done with George...]

Do you not believe in solitude then? [Quite interesting contrast, considering how he had talked about love before.

Richard takes a step closer to Silco, reaching out to place his hand on top of the wrist that is holding the strawberry. ]

Yes. Of course he is. [He says, voice light as if he was stating the obvious. Of course Whitey was welcomed to his bed. Then, he cranes his neck down and brings Silco's palm closer so that he can pick up the fruit with his teeth.]

[Silco knew anguish, and he cared little to avoid temptation for those around him. They had a right to indulge in their own desires at will, especially with life being as cruel and painful as it normally was. His own indulgences were subtler, but he was no more or less able to escape them as anyone else.

He looked at Richard, the corner of his lip twitching at the question. He had believed in solitude for a long time - since Vander - and he had been content to focus on his life goal forever. He had the focus and the cruelty to see it done, building his little drug empire deep below and then striking when Vander was weakest to wrestle control. He had done all that on his own, in relative solitude. The Jinx came into his life, and she had weaseled her way in beyond his defenses. He had been... okay with that, even as things went off the rails and both of them lost control of the situation. Even with one hand on the wheel, he could steer when she was off on the limb. Then he found a piece in his world he wouldn't be willing to give up and the dream of independence momentarily put on pause.]

One can be in solitude and still be surrounded by people. [He met Richard's step with one of his own, as if using physical closeness as part of his point.] Don't you it would be better to rule over all your aspirations with someone else who shares your grit and determination? Someone who knows all your dark secrets and embraces you still, pushes you up to the necessary highs only for you to turn and pull them up with you to bask in that success? [He leaned his face closer to Richard's.] Someone to watch your back and you theirs? Someone you'd burn the world down for?

[He rolled his eyes and turned his face aside, not minding the pig in the bed. Whitey was important to Richard.] I accidentally spooned him the other night searching for you in the bed. [Normally he didn't have to search far for Richard who latched on like a barnacle. His thoughts ground to a halt at Richard's antics, and he turned the strawberry over in his fingers to allow easier access to the fruit.] I think you like being a tease....

[What Silco paints in front of him with his words is a perfect, ideal picture. There is no use denying that the scenario described to him isn't exactly what Richard has earned for his entire life. Someone to love and accept him, unconditionally with his darkness and all while still shining their own light to his path.

It is the exactly the dynamic that his heart hoped to share with Buckingham. The man who had truly seen right through his defenses since the day one, speaking to his suffocated desires and never stopping until Richard was free from the thorns that tied him down -- pushing him to reach and grab the light that had always been denied of him. The man had become a demon with him and laid with him... So surely...

But then again. It was all for the crown. And without the crown in sight Richard was once again left alone with the harsh reality.]

It matters not what I want. I am a demon. [Who would stand by his side if they knew the truth? He and Silco might have found solace and comfort from each other, but they both knew that any union beyond this point would be impossible. You do not lock two monsters in same cage and expect both to live for long.

But the thought of Silco cuddling with Whitey, accident or not, brought a smile on his lips. The boar must have enjoyed it.

Richard traces the faint trail of which the fruit had moved on Silco's palm with his tongue, briefly licking all leftover juices before raising his head to look at Silco. His fingers curled around the man's wrist.]

Do you feel the temptation?

[There was no mistaking the longing for the picture that he pained, the scenario that perhaps men of their ilk wanted but never expected to have. After all, why would people like them deserve to find a kindred spirit that would stand with them and burn together with them? He expected that before they ever reached that point that one or both of them burn to the ground, and any familiar feelings would burn with that betrayal.

For a fleeting period of time, he thought he had had something like what he described with Vander. How many men had he watched Vander beat to death? How many times had he skittered up walls and balconies to allow for entrance to his accomplice? How many passionate conversations had they had had and equally furious arguments about how to go about their freedom, to break their chains and prove to their worlds and people that they were capable. Oh he had dreamed back then, settled into a loyalty that was betrayed on a single rainy night when he had gone expecting a completely different scenario.]

I disagree. Demons and monsters want things for themselves, perhaps more than they should. They can covet, and dream and scheme and take just like everyone else. [The looming threat of Richard's true suitor remained like a sliver in his brain, a reminder at how fleeting this tryst was. A part of him wanted to grab it in both hands and refuse to let go, to force Richard to consider enduring...

...but then it would be little more than another trip to the river, wouldn't it? He'd go with an hope and expectation and then drown, only to rise with life-changing scars. So he said nothing to try to convince them both off of that path. Instead:] I suppose we'll enjoy it until your Duke comes.

[He shook his head as sensation traveled along his palm and up his arm at Richard's antics. He didn't fight the hold on his wrist.] It would be lying to say that I didn't. You have a knack for stirring reactions.

I do not hope anymore.

[Hope was a dangerous thing. It was a might that moved people, allowed them to push through the despair towards the light. However, it was also a chain, keeping one tied down in the anguish as they waited in the darkness for the salvation that would never come. 'Once you stop placing hope in others you'll be able to find it from yourself.' Yet another lesson given to him by Buckingham. No one will want to stand by a demon. Stop hoping for a miracle to happen. Seize it and be the miracle yourself, even if it damns those around him.

But yet... Here he was. Finding himself filled with that maddening yearning and hope that made his chest swell and ache under the pressure. 'Until your Duke comes.'

The corners of Richard's lips curl up, the smile transforming to a knowing and satisfied grin. He then moves Silco's hand up to his face, pressing the palm against his cheek.]

Why resist it, then? I heard that temptation can be enjoyable. [He purrs, mimicking Silco's own words back to him]

Then you're little more than a dead man walking, and you don't come across to me as someone in complete despair.

[Hope was a necessary motivator, providing a push to step forward into the light and take it for themselves. They had to believe they could, that everything they were as individuals would be enough to fill that space, to achieve their goals. Silco did not put his hope in other people generally; people were liable to fail and betray, but himself? He knew what he could do with the strength of his character and will, and that was where his hope resided. A free nation of Zaun. Now perhaps a controlled Aldrip.

He did not resist his hand being moved, even going so far as to step in closer despite the oppressive heat of the greenhouse. His other hand dropped the greenery of the strawberry to the planter nearby so he could wrap his other arm around Richard's waist to pull the younger man against him. He leaned his face down as if to whisper a tightly guarded secret.] Until then, I will fill the void of your Duke for as long as you'll have me there. We can endure hope a little together.

[He snorted at the mimicry, amused and softened to Richard's antics.] Why would I bother to resist? Though, perhaps my office would be a better choice for exploring the temptation, hmmm? [His fingers stroked Richard's cheek, and he did not actually release his grip to let them move somewhere else. No, he'd enjoy temptation right here for longer.]

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