|
Post by Alerick Brenthor on Sept 25, 2011 20:49:53 GMT -5
"Oooh, so he told you that he wouldn't. Obviously the absolute best thing for him to do if he was planning on murdering you is tell you ahead of time." How stupid was this vampire? Pah! Not even worth his time. He looked less amused now about Ashemir's continued naivety when he decided to throw in another petty insult again. "And I'd watch your step," he said, beginning to turn away. "Or you'll find yourself somewhere that you'd rather not be."
|
|
|
Post by Ashemir Draemis on Sept 25, 2011 21:07:17 GMT -5
Ashemir rolled his eyes. How long had Brenthor known Valmar? Well, whatever. Ashemir knew that he was doing fine, and if any problem began to present itself, he would react accordingly. And right now, Brenthor was a problem. A very large problem. No vampire might give him trouble now, but with Brenthor around, he was sure that the fat man would plant some seed of reason to harass him. "Is that a threat? I think you're the only one concerned with power here."
|
|
|
Post by Alerick Brenthor on Sept 25, 2011 21:19:18 GMT -5
That made Brenthor pause, genuine disbelief crossing his face. "Are you- are you stupid?" He hated that he had just stammered, but really. He turned toward him again, just staring at him for a few moments. "You really, really don't get it. The vampires aren't struggling just to survive any more. Do you really think they'll be content to just laze around, taking orders from Seriah? Of course not. You must really think lowly of the other vampires if you think they would have no ambitions of their own. Do you think them to be unthinking, walking corpses? That you're untouchable? Just- Are you just that arrogant or just that naive?"
|
|
|
Post by Ashemir Draemis on Sept 25, 2011 21:36:34 GMT -5
"You're playing a much different game now, Brenthor. The basics are the same, but in this world, in the world of vampires, only the strong, the ruthless, the cunning, and the lucky survive. And the older you are, the stronger you are. Does Valmar stand a chance? Perhaps. But all these other ragtag 'politicians' that Seriah will appoint just to fill the positions? You're assuming that our warlord is stupid, and frankly, that in itself is confusing to me." He spread his arms, "The question is, Brenthor, are you just that arrogant and naive? I think I'll take much delight in seeing your ideas glanced over at each meeting, if not outright mocked. That is, if you'll even show up."
|
|
|
Post by Alerick Brenthor on Sept 25, 2011 21:45:47 GMT -5
Brenthor was silent for a moment before a muffled sound escaped him. Then he didn't hold back anymore, laughing openly. "So you really are that thick. I had thought that maybe you were just playing games but..." He had to put a hand over his mouth to get himself under control, shaking his head before his expression blanked again. "Vampires were once men, their minds work the same way. It doesn't matter how strong you are physically. Truly it doesn't. Even the strong can fall to the weak if there's enough of them. Besides, the true politics don't happen in your petty little meetings. No, I don't give a damn if those in charge like my ideas. What matters is the ones below them. The ones searching for a way to climb higher in life- the ones that the older, stronger vampires would see fit to keep down simply because of their age. Eventually the weak will band together and overthrow the strong. It's a history that's repeated itself over and over again. Don't think yourselves above it."
|
|
|
Post by Ashemir Draemis on Sept 25, 2011 22:34:59 GMT -5
Ashemir giggled, raising his hand to cover his mouth again, "Fledglings are so cute when they haven't had the shit beaten out of them yet...." Or had no clue about the system they were blundering into. "Of course people of any race will cause an uprising if a leader is doing poorly, but we aren't talking about that. We're talking about sole individuals succeeding one another. Vampires are vampires. They follow the leader, because if they don't, they're punished."
"The strongest leads, but if any one of them acts out of line, he will destroy them, because he has the right friends, he is powerful, and he is ruthless when he wants to be. Can he be overthrown? Of course. Is it common for a strong leader to be overthrown? No.... And if any of what you say is true, then why has the Garnidell family stayed in power for so long? I'm sure there were uprisings, but they must have been crushed. And why were they crushed? Because their leader, even as a mere human, was powerful."
"You're talking out of your ass again, and my patience for it is wearing thin. We can talk all we want about how things are with men, but with vampires, it's different, and it would be best if you got that through your thick skull before I decide to crack it. By the way, that's a threat. Because I don't think you realize your place, you're younger than me, and you're starting to piss me off. And that's how the hierarchy of vampires works," he added the last sweetly.
Ashemir resisted the urge to snort, as it would be unlady-like, and against Brenthor's perceptions of him, "And if you don't care what others think about your ideas, then why are you even here? It sounds to me as if you're to purposefully cause an uprising to overthrow Seriah."
|
|
|
Post by Alerick Brenthor on Sept 26, 2011 7:39:10 GMT -5
So it was arrogance. What a bloody fool. He'd make sure that Seriah fell to Valmar. What's more he'd make sure that Valmar fell to someone else. Dammit, he'd make sure that the whole bloody race waas torn to shreds by the werecreatures. Except himself of course.
"The Gardinells had heirs, successors when one of them were assassinated. Seriah has nothing like that. It's just himself. No sons or daughters."
Oh boohoo. He was starting to tick the doll-face off. He stared at him with no expression for a few moments. "I'm not sure if you'd want to do that. Touching me and getting on Valmar's bad side. Say what you will about the vampire hierarchy, but being in someone's favor is still being in someone's favor."
The last point had his scowling before he could stop himself. "Why am I here? Why am I HERE? Where else can I be? I'm a bloody monster, for the love of God. What do you suppose I can just go to my estate bordering Naulus? There aren't exactly many options." He hadn't asked to be a vampire. In fact, he still detested it. He just didn't want to show fear in front of Valmar when he decided to turn him. He hadn't even killed a person yet; the last thing he had eaten was a goat, but somehow that wasn't satisfying at all. Bloody monsters. Why the hell would they need to drink human blood anyway?
|
|
|
Post by Ashemir Draemis on Sept 26, 2011 15:01:43 GMT -5
"Since when do sons and daughters protect a man? As if the prince could have defended his father even against another human. If anything, heirs only make things more unstable. The next king must grow his own roots every time the throne passes hands, where with one man for eternity, his roots can grow far and deep."
Even though Ashemir didn't want to admit it, Brenthor had a point about Valmar. He had hoped that Brenthor would be ignorant of that piece of vampire politics and take the blonde's bravado, since he seemed so clueless about the other bits. However, at the mention of being in Valmar's favor, his lips twitched in amusement, "In his favor? No, Brenthor. He OWNS you. He would punish me for striking you only because doing so would be a challenge to his capability of protecting his possessions." But giving Valmar a reason to punish Brenthor himself? Now there was an idea.
When Brenthor used the word 'monster', his brows narrowed slightly. Monster.... He had the feeling that Valmar had let someone terrible into their ranks. "Then go kill yourself if you're so unsatisfied, or go live in the mountain," Ashemir said without sympathy. "Maybe living in an environment that's less cushy will make you less of a prick."
|
|
|
Post by Alerick Brenthor on Sept 26, 2011 16:44:18 GMT -5
"It doesn't protect the man, it protects the name," Brenthor replied. "For a true coupe d'etat to take place, it would taking the entire royal family. It is not as easy a feet as you'd imagine. Isn't that why you still seek Prince Lorin? Because with him alive, there's still a chance that the Gardinell family will rule again?"
He waved his hand at Ashemir's claim that Valmar "owned" him. "Semantics. Either way, it would be a bad idea for you to act on your threat- although I suspect that it was empty."
"Because obviously that worked so well for you," he stated dryly. What an annoyance this Ashemir was. Why was he even still talking to him? What a waste of time...
|
|
|
Post by Ashemir Draemis on Sept 26, 2011 17:41:16 GMT -5
Ashemir shook his head, "You still don't get it, do you? You're not talking about a coupe d'etat when you're talking about other individual vampires succeeding Seriah. They can't just slip poison into his drink. They'd have to actually fight him, and he's the older, more powerful one." Good God, was Brenthor that thick? Oh wait, he was. All his fat must be clogging the arteries to his brain. "I'm not worried about vampires being hungry for power now when things are still disorganized. To do so is folly. You can call me a stupid slut all you like, even though I can tell you a story's worth of information that I found in the prince's room just be smelling and looking alone, and that I'm tighter than a soldier's grip on his weapon, but I'm sure you'll be choking on those words soon enough, so you know what? I don't even fucking care. I know what I know, and I know that I have a good eye, so even though you feel like 'helping', fuck off, you little freak." In fact, Ashemir had no idea what the hell Brenthor was trying to do. Just fucking with him....
"I have to wonder why Valmar even turned you in the first place. Likely for his own amusement. Or Seriah's." Ashemir wondered just how Valmar would punish him if he did attack Brenthor, or tore his heart out. You can't argue against self-defense or hearing a traitorous plot if the other person was dead.
"The mountain worked perfectly for me," Ashemir huffed. No one bothered him, and there were no annoying little fat men running their mouths about what he should be worried about and how terrible their life was.
|
|
|
Post by Alerick Brenthor on Sept 28, 2011 13:10:09 GMT -5
Oh of course you wouldn't have to worry about it now but in the future when things got more organized... How many vampires could Seriah fight off at once? If they ganged up on him and then within that group fought for who would be in control, then... But he didn't voice any of that. Instead he just studied Ashemir with his cold, calculating gaze, wondering. If Ashemir reported him to Seriah on suspicion that he was going to start something... Well it wouldn't be good. Seriah was more powerful than Valmar after all. He had better not give too much away then. "Perhaps," he said at last.
Why did Valmar turn him? Not even he knew. He said it was to help overthrow Seriah, but saying that to Ashemir probably wasn't the best idea. Not when he thought that the vampire warlord was untouchable. It would be best if he had his guard down. He just stared at the other vampire blankly before stating dryly. "Maybe I just didn't taste well enough to finish off."
"Perhaps you should go back to that mountain then, if it was so successful."
|
|
|
Post by Ashemir Draemis on Sept 30, 2011 2:44:10 GMT -5
Well, Brenthor had best be keeping his mouth shut, because Ashemir was already rather suspicious of him. For a politician, he sure was quick to show his true colors, if they weren't already picked up on from the other side of the room. Or maybe he just thought little of Ashemir, which would be his own folly. The blonde met the other man's gaze with an impassive stare, with a loose stance and his hip cocked slightly. Then his hooded eyes cooled, and a smile graced his lips, "Perhaps I should get you a silly hat, and a sash of bells. And they can all jingle as you waddle down the halls, and everyone could share in the amusement," he said, placing his downward fist on his other flat palm where he tilted it back and forth, as a visual simile to Brenthor's walk, which was accented by the jingling of his own chains. At Brenthor's comment on his taste, Ashemir had to lift his hand to cover his laugh again, this time more amused than derisive.
Going back to the mountain was a tempting prospect, but the longer he spent outside of it, the more difficult it would be to re-immerse himself in a recluse's life. Then again, if he gave up now and left, no one would really see a point in seeking him out, when harming or killing him would gain them nothing save for several days lost. "I don't know. A taste of the outside world is intoxicating, and gaining allies, rivals, friends, and enemies is exhilarating." There was no greater feeling of being alive than after almost being made sport of and killed, and all just because he dallied about outside.
|
|
|
Post by Alerick Brenthor on Oct 1, 2011 10:35:08 GMT -5
This vampire would be the first he destroyed. He would be sure of it. Brenthor did not react to the taunt, his expression revealing nothing. Let the little whore talk. After a moment he allowed himself, "But you seem to be doing quite the job as court jester yourself? Why deprive you of the chance to showcase your one talent?" What was with this fool thinking he was so clever for making fun of his weight? Had he never seen a fat person before?
Damn, he supposed he couldn't get rid of Ashemir so easily. "Tch. Well I suppose we'll just wait and see how long you feel that way. It can become tiresome after awhile." Especially in a place like this where these brutes didn't like to play the game correctly.
|
|
|
Post by Ashemir Draemis on Oct 2, 2011 1:32:29 GMT -5
Ashemir smiled at Brenthor's guarded expression, obviously enjoying himself greatly. Even at the ex-ambassador's jab. "I believe the term you're looking for is 'courtesan', which frees the court jester slot up for you quite nicely. After all, just a single look at you is humorous; everyone would have to somehow open my legs to find me amusing."
"Perhaps...." he shrugged. "I'm still confused as to why a group of vampires would overthrow Seriah. It's not as though all of them can take his position, not to mention that very little would have the power to keep it for any amount of time that would make it worth it. I suppose I just don't understand stupid ideas."
Ashemir took a deep breath, although unnecessary, and placed his hands on his hips. "You know.... I'm not lying when I saw that I've denied Seriah's every advance so far. So now I'm wondering.... Should I just fuck him tonight?" he asked Brenthor, in a genuine tone, although he was pretty far from it. "After all, everyone thinks I am anyway..." he added thoughtfully. "May as well feel some satisfaction for it."
|
|
|
Post by Alerick Brenthor on Oct 3, 2011 12:35:05 GMT -5
"Oh I don't know," Brenthor replied evenly. "You seem to think yourself to be quite funny. You might as well serve in both positions."
He shrugged as Ashemir claimed not to understand. "If you don't understand such a elementary element in human nature, I'm not going to waste my time explaining it to you. Or, not human nature, but you know what I mean." Obviously they couldn't all hold the power, or even keep it that long, but it didn't matter what reality was. It just mattered what they thought reality was.
His nose wrinkled in disgust as Ashemir posed his question. "I don't give a damn what you do. Keep what you're up to in bed to yourself."
|
|