#Corv: 002

[naga-raja-suresh]

The tension in the room spiked as Corvinus came back to himself. Anger. An imprecise emotion. Pervasive. Now that Corvinus was holding one of his vials Suresh figured he would feel more secure. Even if Suresh was holding the coat with the other two. And so the threat came. The threat itself wasn't unexpected. Silly. But unexpected. An eyebrow arched up at the vitriol in the witch's voice. He didn't have to imagine how horrible it must have been, to be at someone's mercy for the first time in who knows how long. And now Corvinus knew that Suresh could break into his mind and emotions... well, he knew some of it. There were things Suresh had not shown the witch. Let him guess how much more was hidden. "Vivid imagery." Suresh replied coolly. He could tell that Corvinus would absolutely try and do it. "I hope I don't ever have to do that again."

He'd seen them, just as glimpse but he saw the scars. It hadn't been his original intention but the necklace had to be removed. And Suresh thought about the red hair, the two children, and how they hadn't been enough to stop him from his quest for immortality. And what was immortality than power? He hadn't expected to come out of this with more empathy for the witch. He had been prepared to make sure that the witch couldn't walk away. But if Suresh didn't feel something for this man, who would? Who could even come close to understanding what it costs? He smirked at the curse. He liked this rougher, angrier version of the witch. It was closer to the bone. Truth. Suresh pointed through the door to the room Corvinus' had been in the last time they were together. "I do. And I know it will fit you. Can I get it for you without worrying about you bolting for the door?"

Scales moved silently on the carpet. He got the black button down and hung it on the door frame, moving back to the chair. Giving the witch lots of space. What he'd done would have consequences. Suresh knew that. It's why most people that he used his powers on he either altered their memories enough for them to not remember or he killed them. Suresh listened as the witch took control back over his body and his emotions. But the Naga would not forget what he'd seen. The room was silent but it was not still for Suresh. He could still feel the witch. Darkness in the eyes that wasn't there before as Corvinus finally looked at him again. Suresh's smiled sadly at the comment about Corvinus' body. But let it pass. The bell could not be unrung. "I would have liked that. But yes, I do believe that I have ruined that for us..." He kept his distance from the witch, pulling out the chair he was holding and sat, his tail curled around it. The witch's coat folded on his lap. "Let us be ourselves with each other then. Something I think neither of us often is fully with anyone. A few things... I didn't have to let you go. But I did. I was told about your healing so if I had really wanted to be cruel I could have bitten you... But I didn't." He opened the hand that was holding the vial of Naga blood, holding it between two taloned fingers delicately before closing his hand around it again. He looked at the witch, "I understand that you are upset about the violation, just as I was upset about you having this blood, a different type of violation. I don't expect you to understand it but the closest thing I can think of is asking what would you do to someone who had taken the blood or bones of your children. And maybe you can see that my response was actually rather measured all things considered." Golden eyes stayed on Corvinus, "How many people have you let go when you didn't have to?"

He would equate it more like choking, that desperation he could feel that was, for once, not his own. It was a spot he was familiar with, though he had never turned to any deity for their aid and always took matters in to his own hands. Brief glimpses of others he didn't recognise, a mind too clouded to truly realise what he was seeing. That would come later when he had time to process the events of the night. For now, he could truly care less about the images as a part of him tried to claw its way back to the surface rather than feeling drowned in the memories of another, of a bygone era even he had not been a part of.

And then he was snapping back to reality, the pressure off his body as the tail unwound from around him. He startled slightly as he came crashing back down with a soft gasp and a slight feeling of nausea from it all. World spinning, his first thought back to his own vial of blood that had been discarded. Eyes found it, thankfully unbroken on the floor and with a wave of his hand, it found itself back in his grasp. Safe and secure, his own weapon in the moment if need be. And with how tightly his fingers curled around the glass, he was clearly all too prepared to shatter it to access the blood inside if any moves were made. Corvinus may as well be holding a grenade with how it sat in his hand. "If you do that ever again...I will rip you apart and hang every bloody organ of yours on display like an art museum," he hissed between his teeth and vengeance so tempting in the aftermath. Invading his own mind, his own feelings...that was a line crossed.

There wasn't a mark on him though as he leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees, he also didn't move like a man that had likely just had multiple bones frozen. No bruising from the skin visible though the movement to lean forward was a deliberate on to cast his chest more in shadow. To hide the deep scars that peeked through the gaps due to those fucking talons. To be so perfectly frozen in time also meant the scars of his past lingered. Unhealing, a constant reminder of a once mortal man. Corvinus didn't even respond to the eyes taking in his form, still trying to shake off the last webs in his head that still felt entangled. "And unless you have a shirt right fucking now to replace it, it won't do me any good, will it?"

Deep breaths; now was not the time to become unraveled. That would come later. He lifted up his free hand to momentarily cover his face as he forced himself to relax. There was a deafening silence in the room as he put himself back together. Piece by piece, correcting his image into that charming man rather than the vengeful blood witch he could turn into with ease. He still had another vial, still held the cards, still touted knowledge of the Nameless. The game wasn't over just yet and he'd be fool to fold so early. Slowly, his hand ran down his face before falling away once more and the anger was gone from his face though the amusement had yet to return. In his eyes, it was a violation of any sort of trust that could be built. Just because he had his own secrets didn't mean he'd force his way into someone's mind so deliberately, so directly.

His eyes found Suresh, taking in his own form now that it wasn't crushing him. A thousand times prettier than the near-corpse he had found or the one that fled and he barely had a look at. "A mutilated body like this is hardly extraordinary," he said dismissively though it was a subtle compliment towards the other's form. Pushing aside his own, he just was no longer in the mood for charm. And no point in pretending his scarring hadn't been on display though still mostly covered, thankfully. A sigh as he looked around the room. "And to think I came here to enjoy a night with you and give you information you probably wanted. And here I was playing nice. I guess that's out the window."

[naga-raja-suresh]

The joke did more to calm the Naga than anything else the witch could have said. It showed his strength, his truth and Suresh found himself softening to that piece. It changed nothing but it was enough to make Suresh chuckle and say, "Terrible of me. Apologies..." Even as he slowly dug his metaphorical claws into the witch's brain. It was difficult, but his victory was inevitable. And the Naga felt a sense of pride and gratitude to his god. Even this formidable witch he could subdue. He would never have this opportunity again. But if there was a next time. It would be fangs and Suresh would be far less caring about the mental damage he did. And he would have the blood and remove that avenue from the witch as well.

The problem with having a connection so wide open to the witch meant that Suresh felt what Corvinus felt. He'd thrown off the stops to dig his way in but things could pass through the holes he'd made in those defenses both ways. And Suresh suddenly found himself plunged into memories. Red hair. Children laughing. Earth and air. Love. Death. Loss. Stale blank spaces and bitterness. A need to hide from reminders. To hide away the aching emptiness at losses that could never been filled. He'd gotten what he desired and lost everything he'd had. Roads not taken. -so very long ago.-

Buried. Forgotten. Fill the void. A deep shiver of revulsion from the intensity of the familiar loneliness. Like looking into a mirror in the dark. "That's always the price isn't it?"

Suresh had forgotten too. Flashes of his own losses, some still had names, some still had faces... A long parade of loss. A gnawing need. Pain. Pain. A sacrifice not understood until it was too late. An ancient, hungry thing that had accepted Suresh's pleas for help. Help him save the people he loved and himself. The heat of a jungle and the smell of stones and blood. An endlessly hungry emptiness. Suresh's breath caught on a pained gasp. And then something ripped inside of the Naga's mind and a darkness spilled out, covering everything like oil. Snuffing out the pictures into that blank and empty void. A ripcord to stop whatever was happening. And he surfaced out of the thick oil back into his body, which had gone on moving and speaking, away from whatever shared liminal place he'd been in with Corvinus.

Suresh heard the witch speak and nearly snorted at the cockiness of bringing the blood to this meeting. But it made sense why he'd removed his coat now. The comment about the coat made him chuckle, "Of course. I'm not a monster..." The last words meant to to be ironic. Suresh released them both, moving in that liquid like speed as he unwound himself. Snapping the connection shut as he removed his hands. Between one breath and the next his whole body was off the couch and back at the table. He held the jacket, body between Corvinus and the door more on accident than on purpose, his fingers finding the tear and fishing out the vial, he opened it just to be sure. And it was. He held it tightly in his palm and nodded his head. Good.

He didn't bother with his glamour. What was their to hide now? Instead he looked at Corvinus curiously. Holding the witches coat slung over one forearm, his other hand holding the back of a chair nonchalantly. His tail and body slowly coiling in around himself. Gold eyes took in the witch slowly. Clothing a little rumpled. But only the ripped shirts, where he'd torn the necklace off, tattered strips where his talons had cut through, showed that anything had happened to the witch at all. Suresh couldn't help but whisper, "Extraordinary..." The next words were back to normal, "I'll be happy to replace the shirts I ruined." Like he'd accidentally spilled a drink on them. It hadn't been more than twenty minutes since Corvinus had first stepped into the room. As time reoriented itself to this new shared reality. What had Suresh said they would be... friends?

Ill omens, as if Corvinus believed any of that shit. No, that was Callum and his fucking forms and his fucking beliefs. Corvinus had never been one to be afraid of superstitions or the taboo; if he was, he certainly never would have gained the immortality he now held. "Don't confuse the Irish and Scottish now. Practically an...practically an insult." The words were getting harder to say, slurring with every subtle push. There was a thought that perhaps most would have buckled under the weight of the powers by now but Corvinus had thankfully built up some resistance after centuries alive. That, and likely the blood of the naga helped a bit as well, but one could only hold out so much under the influence of a literal deity, even someone like Corvinus.

What did he pay? He still had dreams of them, the past coming to haunt him in his most vulnerable moments. He could recall walking behind her, her red hair bouncing with ever step, their fingers intertwined even as she insisted she move first. The scent of flowers and freshly tilled soil, laughter ringing in the air. He could recall standing on the front steps of that little cottage, seeing the two young children playing in the gardens full of magical herbs they had planted. The two crouched down, the dark haired boy holding up some frog he had found to his red-haired younger sister. The spitting image of both parents. Yet he never saw their faces, not anymore. If he were honest with himself, it was likely because the memory of their faces had faded away into nothing, any paintings locked away in his manor to avoid being reminded. There was a bitter smile on his face, eyes glazed over with the memories. "Everything," he replied in a whisper as the smile died away. "The payment was...everything. I lost it all." For a moment, he had been a better man. He had been content to give up his status, to settle down in obscurity and live a normal life. There had even been a period he had sought mortality again.

But that was so long ago, a different life entirely lived by a man of another name that Corvinus had long since forgotten. It wasn't anything he sought any longer, a hope crushed and a mere flicker of joy in a life spent trying to fill a void with more and more power. "But that was...so very long ago." His own story, locked away and somewhat of a sobering one at that.

He was only vaguely listening to Suresh at that point, his mind still entangled on red curls and the sound of children laughing. But then the mention of blood and Corvinus forced the smile on his face again. He wanted one of the vials...Corvinus's head turned, eyes finding the jacket he had discarded earlier. "There's a rip in the seam of the inner lining. Just around the edge. It's in there. I soaked the bottle in perfume to hide the scent." Cocky in all ways, dipping back into his own ego despite the drunken haze of the power pressing into his mind. "Di, um....Do be careful not to tear it further. It's quite...expensive to fix."

[naga-raja-suresh]

Suresh could feel the snap of bones shifting back into their rightful spots as he gave them room to fix themselves. An astonishing healing ability. Not simply accelerated since they were moving back to their correct positions rather than healing in the wrong ones. Almost a need to move back to statis. Suresh wondered if there would be any bruising once he let go. Curiosity filled the Naga for the unique witch and the limits to this gift of his. But still, Suresh held Corvinus fast.

His magic seeped into the witch, slow spread, he could have pushed harder but there was a cruel streak in the Naga that wanted Corvinus to feel what was happening to him. And the two of them were long past subtly now. Suresh smiled softly at the drunken laugh, "Europeans and your ill omens." He'd tried to tell Callum that the tide of the world could be seen. And places of upcoming tragedies or great events had their own pull and signs if you knew what to look for. "Is he?" Suresh could feel the slowing down, the break down of the witch's defenses. His voice a soft whisper, "What did you pay?"

Ah, so it was a him. That was useful to know. Suresh wondered about the kind of magic needed to hide from all three of the gangs and yet let Corvinus find the Leader of the Nameless. He slowed his influence down just a little, a soft creep through Corvinus' mind like a silence, steady fog bank, "Why wouldn't you just run to him for protection?" Suresh chuckled again at being told what he had to do. His cool, dry fingers still holding Corvinus' face, "What I'm doing? This is just a taste of it... Would you like to know a secret?" Suresh closed his eyes, breaking the gaze but leaving his god's power pressing gently through Corvinus' mind. He tilted his head to the side and whispered, "I don't have to look at you or touch you to do it either... I can make you feel anything I want... I can make you want anything I say..." Not exactly true but how was Corvinus going to know that? He let out a soft sigh and looked at the witch again, but his eyes were only his eyes. "Let's start small shall we? Bring me your vial of naga blood. As a show of good faith... If you don't I'll know you're a liar and if I can't kill you I will run you out of my city or make you wish you were dead. If you do, we will be friends. And then we can discuss you delivering the Leader of the Nameless to me... Say yes and I'll let you go just like you ask, body and soul." And Suresh would, he was many things but he was a creature of his word.

As the grip around his body began to loosen, it allowed just enough room for bones to snap back into place. Painfully with several cracks from where they had been crushed. But pain was a powerful wake up call, just enough to keep him barely hanging on, reaching for that single thread of his true self, of his goals. Each bone pushing back into place, bruising, then healing in the matter of seconds but it was all he needed to keep hold of some form of clarity despite how sluggish his mind had become. Still holding on to that thread so desperately as the words to rest pushed in to his mind. His rest had been over a thousand years ago and a time long since passed. No rest for the wicked.

An ill omen, he recognised those words. It was enough to make him laugh though it sounded breathy and more like the laugh of a drunken man. "A stain on this world, an ill omen that brings nothing but death for the sake of bloodshed and gain...I would say a hound is more of an omen, no?" Who else would tell Suresh to bury him in a box, to know enough to give warning? Who else knew of his history to show up before major bloodshed? Not that it was hard to know, Corvinus merely kept up with the news to know when tensions were growing too high in an area. "He's...he's paranoid. Said I should pay for my sins. But I already did. Long, long...long ago." The words were getting so hard to say now.

But he caught his attention. Good. As interesting as it was to be the one left vulnerable for once, it wasn't a role he preferred to take on. "I could get him to you. Lure him in...bring him straight to you..." It was getting harder to focus, he had to keep that hold over his own mind despite the situation. "But...you have to let me go. Right now. With your tail and....whatever the hell you're doing." He recalled briefly their first encounter, when Suresh had let a small glimpse of his powers show before Corvinus had immediately halted him. So this was the might of the naga, nothing in comparison to the one he had stumbled across. The one that had been hunted by fucking pathetic poachers.

[naga-raja-suresh]

There were few things that could rile up the ancient Naga. Suresh prized and valued the unique and the rare. The world was so full now. So much more full than it had ever been but he had watched the destruction of the truly rare. Paved over, cut into pieces and forgotten. Corvinus was one of these things. Sui generis. The pull was strong to just exist with another that could maybe understand just a little. The tragedy of it was that before Mathias had told him about the blood Suresh had every intention of just enjoying the time spent with the witch, and keeping an eye on him. But the blood needed to be answered for.

The air was thick with magic, taste of metal, the smell of rain and lightning. Even displayed completely he hadn't called on any of the powers of his god. Not yet. It was Naga business and a Naga would see it done. Not the avatar of the god of desire. He could feel the witch's body pinned tightly in his coils. What he was, had been enough to drive human's into gibbering states of terror or religious ecstasy. But not with this immortal witch. His own face a mask of anger staring down into one of.... fascination. Even here, when was the last time someone had reacted in such a way to him? But Suresh could recognize that Corvinus had not been afraid in a very, very long time. One forgets how to be afraid after a while.

The laugh was unexpected and did nothing to relax the Naga's anger. Sneering Suresh tightened his coils until he felt something pop and crack in the witch's chest, a few ribs probably. With the witches response it was Suresh's turn to smile and chuckle, "And you thought they would keep it shut? When you met them in one of my clubs? Adorable." Let the witch think anything of that encounter.

Then the explanation came and Suresh's face morphed back into one of anger. All humor gone. But the didn't tear the witch's throat out. Taloned fingers twitched against the bobbing adam's apple. "You are hoping that telling me that you are what? Not a poacher just an opportunistic thief of the dying is going to calm me down?" Suresh jaw stretched open, a little too far and a drop of venom dripped down next to Corvinus' face. "No, I didn't ask and you didn't offer. You kept it to yourself. Strategic. But a mistake." He squeezed a little tighter feeling bones and veins strain under the pressure he exerted. Pain. "Mercy? Do you want me to thank you for mercifully snuffing out a fifth or fourth of my entire species?" Suresh tightened his vice millimeters at a time, wanting to cause pain, cause it to be difficult to breathe, to slow the flow of blood through his body. His golden eyes fixed on Corvinus and a flicker of something like sadness flitted across his face, "You really don't think you did anything wrong... It tastes like the truth. But you withhold too much. Lies of omission. Careful half-truths. I have heard so many things about you... And honestly, they make me like you more... But I wish I had heard them from you."

The resistance Suresh felt to his sight was frustrating. A soft but strong wall against his influence. But just as his body held the witch so did Suresh's gaze hold Corvinus eyes. Suresh listened to the soft words and again it caused a strange deep chuckle from the Naga. "Such a generous offer from the trapped man. Adults?" The soft laugh rippling through his fangs, "Speaking to me like I have ever been human..." His voice drew down like his gaze, soft words suddenly full of honey, "Yes, I can feel you fighting it... Let me in..." Suresh moved his hands, tossing the necklace away so he could cradle Corvinus' head, the hand on the witch's throat lifted, keeping their gazes uninterrupted as he cradled the witches face in now both of his hands, the physical contact adding to their connection as his mesmeric gaze bored into the other. A soft exhale as Suresh finally let go and used the power his god had given him, reaching into the witch and finding that fascination he'd seen Suresh pressed into it and increased it, molding it into infatuation. Feeding that small spark into something bigger, something that could be manipulated and break down the resistance from the inside while he continued to push from the outside. "Let me in Corvinus...It'll all be alright... We could still be friends... Wouldn't you like that? Think of all the things I could give you... All you have to do is let me in..." The words breathed into the witch's mind, rubbing the inside of his skull like velvet. Suresh was committed now, and they would see what the witch could give him.

One moment, there was calm. A peaceful serenity stretching into the room. If he were honest, it wasn't something he got to experience often. There was always some game, some plot to be had. He hadn't intended on arriving for any sort of underhandedness. The mere interest and pull towards someone that might actually understand what it was like to live so long. A deep breath, his muscles uncoiling slightly...up until all hell broke loose. The sudden rush of magic in the air caused him to visibly flinch, a hand raising to his head to try and soothe the sudden pounding; he'd always been sensitive to the power of others. But his hand didn't even make it that far as he felt it pulled back to pin to his side. The leather cord ripped off his neck and talons at his throat. His eyes finally found Suresh's face, seeing the beauty of the Naga in all its glory. There wasn't terror in his eyes but a fascination. There wasn't that much that he feared anymore and to see a creature in all its terror, well, that was a rarity he found delight in. For a moment, his eyes moved away from Suresh's face, instead down the form of the other. Blue scales shining, the talons on his fingers. It wasn't a sight often seen so he would revel in it that much more and take it all in while he had the chance.

Blood. Poacher. Now that caused a laugh from him as his gaze returned to meet Suresh's. It wasn't the smartest thing to do by far but is that really what Suresh believed? That he was just some ordinary poacher? "Your spies told you that? If I recall, there's only one person I've told." The boy, the fucking pathetic mortal. But that wasn't what Suresh was interested in. "I'm not a poacher. I told you as much. I came across a naga that was dying. Unfortunately, healing isn't in my capability." When one is immortal, they don't often bother learning the art of healing. It never interested him save for one time but it was far too late by then to learn. "You never asked if I collected anything. I made sure the death was quicker than what they would have left it as but yes, I took a bit. They were dying already and nothing could be done." Better than letting it suffer further. Better than letting it go to waste. "I gave them mercy. Would you rather I leave them to die slowly? Painfully? And people would think that I'm the cruel one."

He wouldn't lie and deny it. He had even made sure to use some of it before arriving to gain some resistance and he could feel the Naga now. Pushing against him, an almost inviting feeling that was so tempting to give in. But he could resist. "I can feel you, you know. Honestly, if you wanted to tie me up, there are better ways to go about it. How about you put the talons away and we talk like adults? I promise not to retaliate."

[naga-raja-suresh]

Corvinus tasted different tonight. Something that felt like actual care and a little breath of true want. Suresh could not read thoughts his type of awareness was far more imprecise. But it was a skill that he honed carefully. With someone so ancient though it was most likely that what was offered was not the whole truth. The powerful and the very skilled could keep Suresh from knowing what they felt. But that would have been an antagonistic thing to do in Suresh's home. Only liars hid their desires from him.

Suresh smiled as Corvinus' fingers wrapped around his wrist once again. Golden eyes bright with amusement, "Of course I'm still curious. But no, I just wanted to touch you and feel your heartbeat." And see about that necklace he had noticed before. The witch had generously removed his coat without Suresh's prompting two vials that were going to be very much out of reach. And again he made no show of any of the supernatural strength he had, letting the witch move him. His eyes glued to Corvinus' lips and where they pressed to Suresh's wrist. Oh so very, very charming. He let his hand fall with a soft chime of bracelets, metal and glass. He lifted his drink and took a sip, grinning slyly over the rim at the remarks about flings. He let out a soft sound of incredulity, "Bah, replace you." Suresh reached up and ran a finger along Corvinus' jaw but removed his hand, "You don't need me to tell you that you're special." But he also didn't respond to more flings or trysts. Of course he did. But that wasn't for Corvinus to know the details of.

When the offer was refused, Suresh let out a long, disappointed sigh, "You make being a good host very difficult. It doesn't have to be alcoholic. We have just about anything you could want..." Suresh turned his head artfully downing the rest of his drink, before he put the glass down on the table at let Corvinus guide him back towards the couch. "I got some disappointing news. That's all." Truth. Suresh looked down at Corvinus on the couch, the witch gesturing like it was Suresh who was the guest. He stood arms and hand folded elegantly across his open shirt, delicate fingers holding opposite elbows. And Corvinus was right. Their timeline was different. "Everything is always so pressing for them isn't it? Everything has to be so immediate." The them clearly meaning everyone not in this room. He finally sank down gracefully onto the couch beside the witch, arms uncrossing as he looked at the witch and reached a hand out to brush along Corvinus' wrist and arm. His voice taking on a dreamy tone but unable to hide a little of the surprise he felt, "You would do it too. Try and make me comfortable." He smiled and nodded, "Slow is actually my favorite type of seduction. The soft unravelling of a soul, one thread at a time." His fingers brushing along Corvinus' knuckles as he spoke, "Tell me about your time so far. Experiencing my city through the eyes of tourist is always a balm. I'd tell you about what I've been doing but it's nothing but work... You'd think I would have been smart enough to retire to somewhere like Capri ages ago."

His lips pulled upwards into a smile that was more gentle this time. Before, he had been hunting prey, the Naga just a target to sneak into and wrap around his finger. This time was different; he wasn't there for and deity but for himself, giving in to that desire that radiated off Suresh in addicting waves but it was a conscious desire rather than being lured in. Corvinus liked to believe that he was smarter than to fall for a trap. Seeing him now, knowing there was another on his level...well, he had met plenty of other old beings before but not like this. None that he would take caution with. In fact, some had met their demise due to Corvinus. Suresh would not be so easy to deal with and part of him didn't want to.

A hand wrapped around Suresh's wrist, pulling it away from his chest with a soft grip. "You're not still curious about that, are you? You're missing nothing." Rather than release the hand right away, he brought it up, placing his lips on Suresh's wrist for a lingering moment before letting go. "Don't tell me you've found another fling to replace me with already. And here I thought I was a special one. I can't imagine any other reason you wouldn't miss me."

At the offer of a drink, Corvinus shook his head, still determined to keep his wits about him. Instead, he gestured to the couch Suresh had been on moments before, his hand finding the small of Suresh's back to guide him back to it. "I don't think I'm the one that needs to relax tonight. Something's clearly disturbed you." Corvinus moved his hand away again, instead taking his own seat and gesturing beside him. "We don't have to rush into things, darling. I'm all about my lover's comforts and we're immortals. It means we have all the time in the world to play. Perhaps you'd like a massage? Something more calm than...well, what we did before?"

[naga-raja-suresh]

This was the piece that Suresh had tried to explain to both Mathias and Callum, and even Fior. But there was no way for any of them to truly comprehend the pull of a shared understanding that existed between the truly ancient and functionally immortal. The beauty and the horror of being in the presence of someone where you truly didn't know who would come out on top in a fight. Exhilarating in a way that was impossible to describe. Suresh knew about draw and desire. And that was why he'd known it was just a matter of time before Corvinus found his way back, if only once more.

Whatever the two others did. Whatever the Nameless would do. As soon as Suresh got the call from security Suresh knew what he would do. He would get his answers, hell or high water. Let them call him complacent, a whore, old. Suresh was the chosen of his god. Blessed by Desire and imbued with powers that even after two thousand years he did not know the limits of. One of the last remaining Nagas; semi-divine water spirits and guardians of treasure with immense magical powers. "Bring him up. And then leave us alone." The simple reply.

Suresh sat on a low couch, black slacks, an open green silk shirt, his arms resting on oversized pillows covered in bracelets, holding a drink. The picture of what he was, besides the still human legs. But he hadn't bothered with making his glamour as tight as he usually wore it. Letting his magic leak gently through the space. His golden eyes focused on Corvinus the moment that he entered the room. The other's frown spoke of an awareness that impressed Suresh. The soft sound of the door clicking closed as he smiled and stood up to greet his guest, the bracelets making a soft chiming sound as he glided toward the other. He laughed at the question and shook his head, "No, not at all." A lie. Because a part of him had missed this little taste of something neither of them often got. He let Corvinus take off his jacket and placed his hand on the witches chest. "She is very fascinating. You sound like you've been busy." His eyes drifted over the witch's face, "Will you let me make you a drink this time?"

@naga-raja-suresh

Of course he had to come back at some point. With the others, he didn't have much care to return, at least not yet. But with so few of their kind in the world, it was something that drew him in. Someone that could relate, someone that could understand. And the most fun part being someone that could actually likely injure him. That was the most thrilling aspect. Perhaps he was pushing his luck, it would simply be better to fade away once again until the time was right to strike. But where was the fun in that? Corvinus often lived his life based on where he might gain powers...or where he might have the most enjoyment. Right now, Suresh provided both of those options.

He had given his name as Suresh as told him, led back into that familiar room. Past the crowds of people, back int the solitude where he could just be himself. Not the weakling little blood witch and with a familiar face. And yet, when he entered, there was a strange feeling in the room. Something...different. Something off. His brows furrowed as the door shut behind him, eyes finding the Naga with ease as he started to shrug off his jacket just for comfort.

"Did you miss me?" he asked, choosing for the moment to dismiss the strange sensation in the area, folding the jacket to set over the edge of a chair. "You know, this city is quite fascinating. So many people, so many sights..."