thedevamper | (no subject)

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"I've been alive for over a century, you're not the first person who has said that to me and then thrown up all over my shoes. I like these shoes," Nikola replied, placing a cork in the wine and carrying the bottle. Why let it go to waste when Nikola could drink it later? Quality never really came into it when you drank by the cellar-full and not bottle-full. Though Nikola had always preferred drinking Helen's finer wines before starting on the cheap swill. "And why wouldn't you be entitled to a second chance? If this place will give it to Jack the Ripper, ha even me well then I'm sure they'll give it to you."

Nikola beckoned Guy, sliding his jacket back on and glancing at the party. He still preferred the earlier suits, back before the cravat had gone out of stile but there was still something to be said about the fine tailoring of the forties. "You're not that bad, terrible choice in friends except me of course but still not that bad."

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Right, so walking out of the party was not the best idea he'd ever had, but as it wasn't England, and it wasn't cold, he managed to keep walking straight and not throw up.

"Not that sort of a second chance," he assured. "Just... something different. Something that isn't the future." He didn't care if he didn't make sense to the other. It was perfectly clear in his mind.

Pushing his hands into his pockets, Nikola glanced at Guy waiting for him a moment before walking beside him. Any sign of danger to his shoes then Nikola was going to do what Nikola did best; preserve himself.

"Something that isn't you drinking yourself into an early grave? Well, that doesn't sound too terrible," Nikola replied, following the path to his hut and not Alcuin's for a change. Alcuin didn't need to see Guy drunk, might as well try and keep this as secret as they could. Nikola's home wasn't as finished or as polished as Alcuin's, he was still midway through his renovations but the living quarters were at least complete even if his lab wasn't. "If you want a drink I'll give it to you, if you want something else then I'm sure your other friends, not that little shit, would probably be happier if I gave you that instead."

"Be careful, dear. You almost sound as if you worry," Guy replied, mockingly, as he made himself at home on an available chair. It was a living room, it had places to sit. That was all Guy cared about interior design and decoration. His own room - a mess of clothes and styles - was evidence of this. "You also sound as if you're offering sex."

Removing his jacket, Nikola undid his cufflinks slowly before replying to Guy with his familiar well, loved smirk. Dropping his cufflinks into a bowl, Nikola rolled his sleeves up before taking two glasses.

"As if I would do that, caring only leads to trouble." Nikola replied before loosening his tie, dropping a glass in front of Guy as he made himself at home. "Do I?"

Nikola raised an eyebrow before turning to go and get them both a drink. "Wine or vodka then if you are so insistent that you're going to drink. You shouldn't but well, who am I to judge?"

"No one has ever commented on my drinking before. Tonight no one can seem to stop. I'm fine," he assured again. "I'll have the vodka, please."

"Yes, well that was before you told people you had a problem. Once you say those magic words people tend to be concerned or judgemental and sometimes both. Most people don't usually actively try to get you to jump off the wagon," Nikola replied, opening one of the nicer pieces in the room before dusting off his one decent bottles of alcohol. Definitely not island made. "Aren't you glad I don't like that awful flavoured stuff?"

Nikola poured them both a generous helping before sliding into a chair and kicking back his feet.

Guy smiled, genuinely. "I could kiss you."

"I told people I stopped drinking. Tonight I drink. It's not more complicated than that," he took his glass with a grateful nod. "Toast to something. Something cheerful."

"Mmm, could you? Well then, it's a shame..." Nikola said voice trailing off as he swirled the vodka round in his own glass. Smirking against the lip of his glass, Nikola necked a mouthful back and winced at the burning. He didn't cough, his father had taught him better than that. "How about to my future on the council? Well, at least my proposed future on the council."

"I shudder to think about it," Guy joked, as he toasted to it nd downed a big gulp of vodka. It burned delightfully. "Oh, I have missed this."

Jokes aside, he was glad, in reality, that someone with a good brain was trying to join the council.

"Funny you should want to be in Council, though," he pondered into his glass. "Doing something for the community... sounds almost human. As if you... care." He teased, making a face at the word.

Nikola laughed, his smile much more honest for once as they toasted his future together. Nikola smiled against the glass, pressing his teeth against it before knocking another mouthful back.

"Me? No, I just want to rule." Nikola said, smirking as he held his glass out stretching a little in his chair. "A council is one way of doing it, of making my ideas and presence known."

The fact that he was searching for a cure for radiation poisoning or helping a boy in a wheelchair... it didn't mean he cared. Ridiculous. "Drink, if you're going to drink. Then I plan to drink you under the table."

Alcuin for once had not actually attended the party, though Nikola had mentioned that he would be back home after. When Alcuin began to feel a bit restless by himself, and had expected Nikola back by then, he thought he might seek him out at the party - but decided to stop by his house as first to see if he had gone there instead. It certainly wasn't unusual for either of them to drop by unannounced in either home.

He was, however, rather surprised to walk in and find that Nikola was not alone. He'd come in the front door and was already calling out, "Nikola, did you decide to - " when he saw Guy there and froze, startled.

"Oh. Hello."

Guy laughed. "Think you can?"

It was then that Alcuin walked in. Alcuin could always bring a smile to his lips, despite the fact that he seemed uneasily startled to see him. "Alcuin. Come join us," he beckoned.

"Rule or drink you under the table? Both, I've been drinking since before you were even a twinkle in your father's eye. And you forget I'm Serbian," Nikola replied, taking another mouthful before refilling his own glass. He hesitated before he held out the bottle to Guy. "Yes, do. You know where the glasses are, come take a seat and join us."

"I see you've found your own celebration," Alcuin said. He hesitated, and then crossed the room to pick up another glass.

"It is nice to see you, Guy." He bent and kissed Guy's cheek before settling on the ground in front of them.

"We have indeed," Guy replied, kissing Alcuin in return. "There is decent vodka and Nikola is running for Council. Well, he's running for world domination, but one step at the time, right?" Causes for celebration, surely.

"Why settle at the world?" Nikola replied lightly, the smile on his lips light and carefree hiding as always his truer intentions. He did so wish to rule, he didn't understand why anyone wouldn't to. What was wrong with a world that celebrated science and discovery? A world led by him. Well, he could dream. "You kiss each other and not me? Shame on both of you for your lack of taste."

Nikola covered Alcuin's class with his hand, tapping slightly before withdrawing his hand to fill the glass.

While Nikola filled his glass, Alcuin rose so that he could reach him more easily, and leaned on to kiss him softly on the mouth, nearly as chaste as the kiss to Guy's cheek.

"You are running yourself this time instead of me?" he questioned lightly. Not that it surprised him - he was pretty sure that his political ambitions, weak as they were, had been snuffed out for the most part by admitting to the entire island that his previous career has been in prostitution.

Guy stood up at the same time as Alcuin and when the other had kissed him on the lips, kissed him on the cheek.
"Of course he is. He feels it his duty as human being," he assured, jokingly, patting the seated Nikola on the shoulder.

"Hm, not quite what I meant. Yes, well attempting to if my nomination gets its required signatures, I just don't see what's wrong with cheating." Nikola replied turning his head slightly when Guy kissed his cheek. Raising an eyebrow at the kiss, Nikola grinned wolfishly at the pair before groaning at the comparison. "Don't remind me of my mortality, that does make me want to drink."

"I think that the pair of you have made a fair start on the drinking already," Alcuin pointed out. Rather than settling back down on the floor, he perched on the arm of Nikola's chair. He took a sip from his glass and made a little face. He knew, at least, that it would not take much time for him to catch up if he wasn't careful. Alcuin was not exactly an experienced drinker.

"And I see what's wrong with cheating," he added.

"In the world of politics, everyone cheats. It's compulsory, almost. The way to get on." Guy didn't sit back down either, leaning on the table instead. "As lowly human being," he added for dramatic purposes. "With all faults and desires."

"Well, someone has to show Guy how to drink seeing as someone decided to nudge him of the sobriety wagon." Nikola replied, not adding childishly that Guy had started it even if he had. He was over a century, petty childishness should have been behind him by now. "See, someone who understands. No one here cheats, it's politics what are they expecting?"

Nikola leaned back in his chair, arm sliding behind Alcuin before he stretched his foot out to nudge Guy's table. "Yes and your human desire made you weak and susceptible to a mere pretty boy tempting you. You could have at least given in to someone more... anything. Smarter, maturer, superior, anyone else."

Edited 2012-11-13 11:04 (UTC)

Alcuin's attention immediately focused on Guy, concern on his face. "What happened?" He immediately felt badly - he hadn't known. Had he been neglecting his friendship with Guy? He couldn't deny that there was more space between them now than when they'd been lovers, and it saddened him. He also hadn't known that Guy hadn't been drinking, which made his current state even more worrying.

"Oh, don't you start," Guy waved off. "It's fine. He was pretty, isn't that all that matters? And I was thirsty." And that was the greater truth. He hadn't known how thirsty he had been until that first sip. "Well, I'm here now," he remarked to Nikola, and grinned. Tempted by someone, well, smarter and maturer than the boy, certainly.

"Is it? I thought you were doing quite well, not enough to convert me but I could at least appreciate the effort from a distance." Nikola said, sliding his hand up Alcuin's back and casually appreciating him before turning his attention to Guy and the grin. Turning his head, he narrowed his eyes slightly before smirking back at him. "No, I never find shallow beauty has ever mattered. I prefer and always have preferred intelligence like Alcuin's... like yours. Yes, you certainly are here aren't you? Come on Alcuin, drink up."