#convo | suresh | 01

[silveredlies]

who: @naga-raja-suresh where: Club O

Well, it certainly wouldn't be the most graceful of meetings but that was the point. Play the role of some Irish tourist, catch the attention of the owner in someway while flying under the radar. Tourists, in his experience of his own lovely country, often were the loud and unapologetic sort as much as he disliked them. Most didn't notice him anyways and in a crowd, who was going to keep track of who had actually been drinking and who hadn't even so much as visited the bar. Keeping more to the walls of the club, out of sight of most, getting a good feel for the surroundings and keeping away from the views of most others.

Really all it took were some carefully laid plans. 'Accidentally' running into some actually drunk idiot, purposely slurred words, and a decisive shove of the other man that had started to grow heated. Just enough to draw the eyes of security and, if he played his cards right, perhaps the attention of another.

"Will you bloody get off me?" he shouted over the music at one of the guards. Hands found the chest of the other, shoving back with impressive strength though not enough to actually hurt. The last thing he needed was the leader pissed off that one of his had been hurt. Keep things rather...tame for the moment. "Trust me, I know very well when I've had enough and the night's still young.

[covertenforcer]

@suresh-lal

It wasn't a place he'd normally pay attention to. In fact, he often just walked right past it. But something about the person just outside had caused a double take. Dimitri paused, eyebrows furrowing, keeping his hands in his pockets. Generally speaking, he kept away from the Syndicate. They weren't, his target, weren't part of his assignment. One little run-in with one of their members, but he had simply been collateral damage. Enemy of my enemy, though he by no means liked the idea of their little organization. Just more criminals, all of them ruining the lives of the common people.

"I don't think it's open yet if you're hoping to eat here." He had turned around, now approaching the other man. "Though, I'm sure there are plenty of other Italian places to eat." Play the part, simply act as though he was ensuring the territory lines were clean.

[bloodybusiness]

Nick gave a small scoff at the mention of hunting down the perpetrator. Truth be told, he hadn't cared so much to look further into it. His own fault for leaving the bottle out, someone likely had several drinks then tried to hide it; he should have known better given the people they were surrounded by. In the world of crime, it was a petty matter. Though the idea of Suresh hunting anyone down over such a small offense was almost laughable had Nick been in the mood. "And do what, exactly? Thank them? Give them their own bottle?" It wasn't exactly some secret how Suresh felt about his drinking habits.

Not that he was always drunk, there were still moments of stone cold sobriety. And always the first thing he'd point to if anyone mentioned it. That and his high tolerance.

Calder? Well, he supposed he'd make sure no one intervened and heaven help whoever did. One of the people Nick didn't care to oversee given the nature of that business. "Laissez les bons temps rouler, eh, bête?" A ghost of a smile as he got comfortable in his seat once more to resume work. A ghost of his usual self when he wasn't seething. Likely it would last for the next day or two though the man was usually careful to not let it snap on those not involved. "See if you can get me a keychain over there. I'll pay you back."

Suresh had seen Nick at his lowest. This was not that. Exhausted and angry. But not at the end of his tether. Lucky for the book keeper. Suresh's desire for efficiency and finesse almost boded better for the man than other possible options. An execution style shooting over a the side of a boat somewhere. Or into some newly poured foundation. The man would survive the mistake so far. Again lucky.

Keeping a very cool head had been how Suresh had made it through his turbulent family. Through school. How he had made it through prison. It was so ingrained he didn't know how to do anything else. Living his life as like he was in the third-person. A safe distance from his own emotions and the emotions of others. Occasionally feelings broke through or he allowed himself to feel the whole thing.

At the correction he gave a small bow of his head, another small release of tension. "I know." Suresh met the pointed look and cracked a small unapologetic smile. The comment about the watered down booze made Suresh mutter something about Nick's liver in French. "When I come back I'll hunt down the person that watered down your booze." And give them a bonus. He said nothing about the lack of food probably also assisting how angry Nick had gotten. He knew better.

His hand was at the door when the question came. He turned his head, "Calder." He was efficient and suitably imposing. He paused and then said, "Four days and I'll have this sorted. But I'll keep you updated." It didn't occur to him to say anything so trite as 'I'll be fine.'

[envyscaled]

On any normal day, Liliana would have been fine with luring in those that approached her. It was why she did well at her job, why she was requested. Drawing people in to bring in clients or...anything else she might need. But she shook her head at Suresh, shoulders rising and falling in a shrug. "Oh, they've tried. I just told them I'm not interested. Tonight isn't the night for that, you know?" When they had approached, Liliana had simply shooed them away without much thought. There would be plenty of other nights for flirtation, there was no point in wasting time with those she had no interest in allowing them to pursue her.

But the thought of others was quickly dashed. Her eyes flicked to his outstretched hand before moving back up to his face. "Well, I simply couldn't say no to my boss, now could I?" Liliana only took a moment to set the glass she had been holding down on a nearby table before taking his hand. Immediately, she was pulling him with her with a laugh, onto the dance floor and past the others crowding on it. "And if you can't dance, don't worry. I can still make you look good."

He smiled at the kisses, enjoying the affectionate touch. Liliana was always a galvanizing force when he was feeling a little down. Breath of fresh air or a hurricane it depends on the day. Suresh had been happy to help her gain a sense of freedom from a life that had been stifling to her. Even if it had caused a few issues with her family. But Suresh sat secure in his power and position, being able to weather a little upset. But he wouldn't let anything truly bad happen to Lili. Working in one of his clubs came with certain protection perks. "I could never argue with you." Not true but a touch of flattery. He gestured to her dress, "This is much more you. And you wear it well."

He smiled at the little twirl. Gold eyes drifting along the lines that were made to be looked at. "You can't tell me you've had no devotees come to offer those hearts tonight?" Suresh offered her his hand, "I only dance in pairs. So if you want to see you'll have to join me."

[silveredlies]

"I'm a deplorable man, what can I say?" Through and through, centuries of bloodshed soaked his hands and left a trail of countless corpses in his wake. He would never claim to be a good man, at least not when he was being any version of his actual self. Aliases and false identities, those were totally different. "But I daresay that you're no angel. I'm just lucky enough to have charmed you." Sure, there were possibly some ancient creatures that were innocent for the most part, but to gain power? Oh, that often required heavy sacrifices of the moral variety and he had simply become numb to the atrocities committed over the centuries.

It wasn't the first territory he had crossed in to where it was held by another entity. Often times, he went unannounced and slipped in and out with little trouble. In a crowd of thousands, what was one face? Had Corvinus not approached Suresh, he could have likely slipped by for ages...but that wouldn't be very productive. Not when he could get closer and learn more. His eyes moved to the tie and reached out to take it though the silky fabric didn't slip through Suresh's grasp so easily. He raised a brow, meeting the other's gaze. "Oh, I don't plan on my visit being that long. As for three hundred years, I had far more interesting places to visit." The only reason he was there now was due to the deal with a certain god or else he might have still found no interest in the city.

Bayou. Deathrunners. Cemeteries. Lightless. Kind of him to warn him of territories though he was sure those weren't the only reasons Suresh advised so. Pulling his tie free and beginning to finish dressing, Corvinus gave a shrug. "Bayou...not my style. And I have no dead to visit here." Jacket, where was his- oh, there it was. Corvinus found it discarded on the floor, quick to slip it back on. "I'm sure I can find some time to come back again soon. Do I need a security pass for next time?"

Suresh understood the minefield that the past could become. He discouraged his people from asking questions about it. Shut down questions. His was for a different reason that Corvinus. His was to hide the fact that much of his specific memories were a vague blank. Something that made him uncomfortable. The mention of erasing names from history and the little smirk made the Naga smile. Another little glimpse behind the charming face. Dark in the eyes. But how would any of them not have masks and layers? Anything as old as they were layers of armor over layers of armor. A pearl formed around a grain of sand. Beautiful and hard. He wondered how many atrocities over the history of the world could the Blood Witch would take credit for? How many more would he be able to claim before the stars burned out? But Suresh would leave the topic, he'd gotten more of an answer than he'd expected anyway.

Suresh finally rolled out of bed, slipping a long, thin silk robe on. He looked up from tying the belt to glance back over at the witch, letting out a incredulous but charmed laugh. "I'd call you a liar but it doesn't taste like a lie... That almost makes up for all that deplorable teasing you were just doing." A small disclosure of some of his own abilities. But it was far from infallible. There were always ways to sound truthful. He walked softly, nearly a glide, comfortable in his space. He walked across the room to where he'd tossed Corvinus' tie, picking it up and sliding it through his fingers thoughtfully. He offered the tie to the witch. "Over three hundred years is still a considerable time to wait to come visit. But I appreciate the consideration. If you are still here for Mardi Gras I'll show you a few of the best spots. " He let the tie pull tight for just a second then released it slowly so Corvinus could take it through his fingers. His eyes on the others face, still flirting without saying anything. Suresh couldn't help himself. "There is a lot of magic here. And a lot of creatures that make New Orleans their home. I'm certain me telling you to be careful is not necessary. A few pieces of friendly advice? Stay out of the bayou at night. And if you visit any of the cemeteries be... reverent."

[silveredlies]

The world had indeed been a harsh one for any age and children were no exception. Plagues, scarce resources, wars, fearful humans...even their own families. Those of the modern world only knew history in the form of stories but they had lived through it, experienced it first hand. There was some envy towards them but Corvinus wouldn't ever admit such a thing. "I'm quite the survivor. And these are the last reminders of the last people that managed to hurt me. Trust me, they're better left forgotten. After all, I ensured their names were erased from history." Corvinus gave a hint of a smirk, a definite implication towards something dark and there was a quiet storm behind his eyes; a warning to not push the topic farther as that would be the only pieces Suresh would gain as thanks for being such a gracious host. It wasn't as if that would last. It was a tiny glimpse into the man he could be, once was, before the monster came in to play.

He could come up with a million stories as to why he was in the city now, but Corvinus had found long ago that the best lies were often mixed with the truth. There wasn't a panic to come up with something and it made it that more believable. Happy at a different topic, his smile grew just a little more as he paused his search for his clothing. "Don't let it go to your head but it is because of you. Well, partly." Back at it, gathering the remnants of his clothes before he started to get dressed again. Corvinus ensured each piece was perfectly placed, going out the same way he came in. "Partially, anyways. I've always loved traveling but have avoided this place because of you. But I couldn't stay away forever. Eventually, I'd have to see what was so fascinating and the history of magic is so rich here."

There was a strange comfort in the repartee. A sense of understanding that they both knew these dance steps. It was easy to predict how many people would respond after so long in the world. Fighting back the tedium was fundamental to survival. What was a compliment from someone that had no context? Admiration and praise were a part of Suresh's daily life. He wouldn't have tolerated the goading tease from his inferiors. But he didn't think Corvinus was an inferior. From him it had landed where it was meant. Suresh grinned at the correction and being called darling. Gold ophidian eyes glittered with mirth as he nodded his head, "Oh I can only imagine. You should hear some of the things I've been called, many languages... very creative." His chuckle brushing along his next words, "And most of them were true. At least in the moment."

Suresh ignored the eyeroll, Corvinus hadn't said he couldn't touch. But when the hand took his wrist he stilled and let the witch draw his hand away. He blinked in the low light, watching the others face and feeling the truth of the words. He nodded at the admission. Magic could do many a grand thing. "The world we were born into was very harsh. There is no shame in the proof of your ability to survive." Suresh tilted his head to the side, "Now you just hold the passage of time inside. Like I do." He'd always been fascinated and a little enamoured by the marks of life and time on others. Scars, grey hairs, wrinkles. Suresh liked laugh lines and crows feet the most. He almost asked how far back Corvinus remembered. If he could recall being a child. But he didn't. Suresh had surrendered so many memories to become the avatar of his god. He hadn't known that would be a price. Too late to take it back once it was done. The emptiness that came with knowing you have forgotten more than some people would ever know...

Suresh moved himself up on the bed. In no rush to dress himself or get up. Just watching the witch gather his own clothing. "Complicated, how so?" He asked the question curiously. But then an addition and he nodded. He understood the monotony that things could take on. "What drew you here in the first place then? And please, don't say me. There is a lot to experience in New Orleans that is singular to here."

[silveredlies]

If it weren't for his position, for his little mission, Corvinus would feel more at ease there than he had in centuries. Of course he received compliments from many lovers but their words often held little meaning. It wasn't exactly a secret that he viewed most mortals as beneath him. He even gave a little chuckle at Suresh's words. "I believe the term is 'cunt', darling. Though I've been called all manner of things over the years." Most curses when he did eventually leave or made an enemy out of someone. It was just a natural habit after so long. Even lying there, Corvinus was well aware the peace wouldn't last long. There would be blood, the very essence he thrived on. Their current situation, that was Suresh's domain. The pleasure and desire...but his own time would come. When blood ran freely. When he felt actual pain again, the last time being on the receiving end of another certain leader around eighty years ago. "As for what it was, well, you'll simply have to wait and see. Next time. If there is one." Something to keep him hanging.

The eyeroll was obvious as Suresh's hand over his chest, feeling the raised flesh beneath the shirt. He allowed it for a moment before reaching up, a hand wrapping around the smaller wrist to pull it away from his chest. "Remnants of a mortal man is all. Unfortunately immortality does not cure the wounds left behind from before it." An indicator that he was not always this way nor did Corvinus ever pretend to be. He had been mortal once and had razed entire villages in his pursuit of avoiding death.

It was a time he wished to forget and almost had. When he had been weak and vulnerable even to his own family. When he had the fear of dying without accomplishing anything...as well as the need to surpass his family name and leave them as dust. Even his own family line didn't know the names of those before him, even though he was now nothing more than a family myth, a ghost lingering in the shadows.

"It's...complicated," he started, finally moving to get up and roll out of the bed, beginning to grab his clothes. "I'm not entirely sure what I want to see if I'm honest. Cities and nightlife, they all become the same after a while."

Sex, lust and desire were part of his life. A fundamental corner of it. Suresh had done a lot of things over the last few thousand years to try not to be completely jaded by the act itself. So it had to be something more than the physical pleasure of it. Always. He hadn't had someone with the same understanding of what time wore away to speak to about it. The permissiveness of the current time was something that Suresh enjoyed and fostered in his territory. Come as you are. Love as you wish. But Corvinus wasn't someone coming to worship at the altar of Suresh or his god. Not in the way others would. Laying next to each other in tangled sheets were two creatures with a living memory that spanned across civilizations. Suresh wondered if he could wrap the witch in his coils and mesmerize him like any other. Strip his mind bare and lay to waste all that promised hidden power by whittling the witch down to nerve endings and need and then erase what he'd done? Tempting. To truly know if he was stronger. But again he took his hosting as a sacred duty, not a suggestion. So the witch was safe.

Suresh's eyes glittered with amusement at the response. Casual cruelty in the dismissiveness of it. A little more of the picture of the witch. Suresh could taste the truth of it though. A cold streak. Suresh had one too. Though he was very careful to hide his until the strike would be positively devastating. He was a vain demi-god and couldn't let the comment pass without his own. But he wouldn't asked the obvious question right away. No, instead he laughed and shook his head, his tone teasing, "Oh come now. Is that really all you are going to say? So bitchy." He sat up further and shifting his part of the sheet as he moved Suresh straddled the witches legs above the sheet. Low enough that the other could move if he wanted. Suresh just wanted to look at the other's face. And he had no sense of shame or modesty about his body. It was just a body. "Fine. I'll bite. Then what part did you enjoy, my oh-so jaded Witch?"

The comment about not wanting to see him made Suresh tilt his head curiously. He took the cigarette back and took another drag. Blowing the smoke away from their faces. Reaching out he placed a hand on the other's chest, sliding over the shirt slowly and then up to the other's shoulder as he looked at Corvinus. He felt nothing beyond some scarring. "I have enjoyed the view. But there is nothing under that shirt that would detract from what I've already seen." Suresh smirked at the comment about the glamour and this not being his best. "From the waist up it's pretty much the same. But you also said no powers. And without the glamour that would be very difficult for me. So you get this until you're ready for the both of us to stop hiding." Naga's leaked magic. It made them easy to track. But he didn't elaborate. At the noncommittal response Suresh sighed and rolled off the other, stretching out on his back on the bed again. He brought his cigarette to his lips again. "You've been alone too long. Come see me again. Or don't. But the invitation is extended and genuinely meant." Suresh looked at Corvinus shifting to the next topic, "What tourist sights are you planning to visit? Tourism has been my speciality for a long time... If you'd like some advice from a local."

[silveredlies]

Sex was...well, hardly anything special to him. Despite not having been in a relationship for a thousand years, he'd had plenty of short time loves. Just fun as they would put it. Secret affairs, hidden away for the sake of their modesty usually. The modern era sought to smash all those stereotypes and he found it quite enjoyable. But there was an addiction in the power dynamics at play, the possibility and risk of death The knowledge that he was with someone that was, for once, the closest thing to being his equal. Corvinus' pride wouldn't allow him to call Suresh a true equal but close enough. Someone that knew time mattered little and had seen empires rise and fall in their very long life.

There was no question at the cigarette offered, a hand automatically taking it between his fingers. The perks of immortality: he didn't have to worry about his health. "Sex is sex. If I needed it, I could get it from most anyone. That wasn't the part I enjoyed." Rather than go into detail, he instead brought the cigarette to his lips, taking a drag and letting his lungs fill of smoke. Something to bring him down from the metaphorical high as Suresh had been gracious enough to resist using his abilities. Maybe he wanted Suresh to suffer, just a little bit, so he let his explanation end there. A tease, a torment, they were essentially the same thing to Corvinus and would keep most interested later.

He was fully aware that this wasn't a ruse he could hold up for long. The passing tourist facade that would fade away into his position as the Nameless's leader. It was a small victory, one he would fully take for granted while he still could, and he was also fully aware that there may be repercussions later on. Suresh would simply be the latest in a long list of those that might harbour resentment towards him. Corvinus could simply have the enjoyment while he still could.

"Trust me, you don't want to see all of me," he said with a chuckle, passing the cigarette back to the other. "Why not enjoy the view you have? It's the best part. Though hardly fair that I share my best features and you...well, hide behind whatever it is. I think I detect glamour. Or some other sort of illusion? Either way, doubt it's your best right now. But I wouldn't be opposed to a next time if I get the time. So many things to do, sights to see. Have to make the most of my time as a tourist, you know. "

The shirt had been an unforseen request but in the end Suresh had moved past it. Obviously the witch had a reason. But the question was quickly pushed to the back of his mind in favor of more immediate and enjoyable things. To focus in on this lovely and rare ancient and allow himself an enjoyment in a comradere Suresh didn't often get. And there had been just a moment that he had felt the witch fall and give over just as he had done. And that was where Suresh's god waited. In the fulfillment of the desire. Out past any thought of good or evil. All his god asked for was a surrender, large or small. To experience the fleeting sense that everything you could ever want could be yours. No magic was used on his part. But it was the price Suresh paid for who he was, Tantalean punishment. A small sasiation to his own endless need.

They were both dangerous creatures. Nothing lived so long without being so. But the draw had been strong. And there was no need to make an enemy right away. You could learn a lot about someone by the way they had sex. The things they enjoyed. Suresh lay on his stomach, the blue scales down his back a soft shimmery pattern in the low light. His head turned to the side and propped under his arms so he could look at the witch, feeling the other's hand on his skin. Drawing formless shapes against him.

Suresh shifted when Corvinus spoke. The words giving him a better understanding of where the witch's mind was. "I hope it was as good for you as it was for me. But be careful how you answer my ego is actually very fragile." Suresh said as he chuckled and he turned himself over, sitting up. Reaching out and lighting a cigarette. Offering it to the witch. He rarely killed lovers right after sex. At least not on purpose. But he hadn't worried as much about that possibility since the witch was immortal.

At the accusation that he hadn't allowed Corvinus enough fun by playing the drunk the Naga grinned. "I could have. But there is nothing interesting about a drunk man starting a fight in a club... There is something very interesting about a man pretending to be drunk starting a fight in a club though." He reached out and brushed the fingers of his empty hand long the edge of the undershirt and Corvinus' shoulder. "Ah, are we talking about next time? We can add some more roleplay next time. And maybe I'll let you see all of me... if I get to see all of you."

[silveredlies]

He'd only made the same insistence he always did: leave the shirt on. Hide away the warped and twisted flesh that were only signs of weakness. But he'd allowed himself to fall into the one tied to desire. The other leaders didn't concern him much but this one, oh this one could bring him endless misery and what Corvinus would class as his greatest threat. That just made it all the more desirable, all the more tempting. To have something he should never have, that put him at immense risk even if he couldn't just be killed. It was like an addiction to danger and to the power of another drawing him in.

It was after as he lay there, partially sitting up, one hand tracing small patterns around the flesh of the Naga in thought. Honestly, it hadn't been planned. He had hoped he could pass as the drunk fool but when he had been so quickly called out, the plans had changed. There was the brief thought that he could try now. Grab the sharpest thing and try to jab it into Suresh's neck. But both of them were vulnerable in the moment and Corvinus knew better than to push his luck. He should be so glad Suresh hadn't felt threatened by his arrival and had not lashed out against another ancient being.

"I daresay that most wouldn't get to indulge in something like that." Not just the sex, that was...fine. But the feeling of both doom and enjoyment. Knowing that at any moment, the dynamics could shift and that there would be a struggle on their hands. Laying twisted in the sheets, there was still that feeling lingering though now he was more in his own mind, primed to defend if need be. "Though you could have at least let me have my fun a little longer by playing along when I was drunk. I do so enjoy a good game of pretend. Next time, I'll be sure to wear more cologne so you can't tell." His lips pulled into a soft smirk, teasing his little host of the moment.

He liked having more Eastern or Middle Eastern influences in his semi-private spaces. Touchstones to places and times long lost to him but still remembered. Though this was not his most private living space. That was indeed even further back, behind yet another door. Just as the actual headquarters were located down under the club. Layers on layers on layers. Everything was the truth. But not the whole picture. Shadowy reflections and nostalgia. Suresh gave Corvinus time to look around. No need to rush now. Golden eyes still bright with curiosity and quiet anticipation. He let his glamour fade slightly, the scent of rain, iron and a faint touch of something floral more noticeable than it had been. That press and impression of the truth of what he was. And yet he still kept his human form. It was his way with human lovers (witches, humans, vampires, etc) to keep the form closest to their own.

He smiled and tilted his head, leaning into the touch. His laughter was low and rich, chimes in the star splashed room. Suresh had given Corvinus his hospitality for the night and he would follow through, rituals and traditions that helped keep him sane and grounded. "And do you know so much about my paramours? I was merely trying to be a good host... It's something I take very seriously. But as you like it. Let us give each other our unadulterated attention." Suresh's fingers reached up for Corvinus' tie, slipping clever fingers into the knot and slowly pulling it loose. Perhaps there was some trepidation from the other at allowing the Naga to make a drink for him, but Suresh wouldn't find fault with the caution. This was still very much a part of a longer more intricate dance for them both.

The soft sound of the tie being pulled around and off the shirt was clearly audible, Suresh tossed it behind him, letting it fall onto a couch. Those sharp pretty teeth of the witch pulling his focus. Desire was a complicated thing, multilayered. His fingers reached up again and deftly undid two buttons on Corvinus' shirt before pausing. The Naga's face full of amusement at the tease about his sight. "Oh yes, that was rather clear..." He purred out, moving forward and pressing his hands on Corvinus' chest, slowly moving up to slide under the jacket and push it down and off the witch's shoulders and arms. The jacket went the same way as the tie. Suresh's focus completely on the other. The sound of his heart beat, his breathing, the scent of him. Suresh's voice was soft and designed to make them both feel like everything they said from here on out was a secret. "But that is also a rather expansive request for one night. So many places to start... Or are you in a rush to see how good I look beneath you?" But he stilled as the warm pad of the witches thumb pressed against his lower lip. He let out a soft exhale of pure desire at the words. "A very rare thing--" He could taste the desire that surrounded the other but he could feel the control of the other as well. This was not a surrender for either of them. But there was a pull towards this ancient, someone that could understand what it took to maintain for so long. And this would be a good night for the both of them.

Suresh smiled as he watched Corvinus pull wide, feeling where his lips would touch the moment before they did. He leaned his neck to the side as he let his hands run up the sides of the witches neck, one hand curling around the witches neck as the other slipped into the hair on the back of Corvinus' head. He sighed and closed his eyes, smiling as he tilted his head to the side and gave the witch's earlobe a playful lick before he pressed their bodies together and whispered, "Then enjoy me. I know I'm going to enjoy you."

[silveredlies]

Well at least they had an understanding to keep their powers to themselves, even if it was likely their hands wouldn't be. He did still enjoy the brief showing off, wondering how much it had caught the Naga off guard. He was, after all, over a thousand years old so of course he had gained power along the way. It wasn't like he had stayed cooped up inside his manor or even stayed within Ireland all those years.

There was an appreciation for the style Suresh had chosen for his private rooms. A gaze followed around the room in quiet and subtle admiration as he took it all in. Corvinus had become partial to more gothic or even Victorian styles when it came to architecture or furnishings. Bit dated but never out of style, much like himself. Simple colours where this one let them shine through in its own way. A whole other culture nestled away for Suresh's own comfort whereas his own home back in Ireland was anything but subtle. A large manor that he had renovated many times over so that it barely resembled his ancestorial home on acres of private land. New Orleans, however, did not have so much room for grandeur accommodations

Suresh's voice was quick to draw his attention again and any light in his eyes quietly dimmed as they were drawn back to the other male. He let out a small chuckle, completely withdrawing his hand only to raise it up and run along the other's jawline. "Quite unlike many of your little paramours, I don't need to help of any liquid courage. And I would much rather keep my wits about me in order to give you my full attention." And, perhaps, he was slightly distrusting towards anything straight out of a snake's lair that might be offered to drink. While Corvinus might liken himself to a snake in terms of his actions, he didn't exactly possess the venom of one like Suresh would.

There was that smile again, pulling back to reveal pearly whites and sharp canines. He wanted a great many things at any given moment. Power, influence, the likes. "And here I thought I made my 'desires' quite clear for you. I suppose it's true what they say about snakes having poor sight." His thumb moved, resting on Suresh's lower lip as he leaned in. "It's not often two beings like us get to be so close. It would be quite remiss of me to not enjoy the moment. To enjoy you." Rather than lean closer to his face, Corvinus changed his path slightly. Leaning in, leaning down slightly for his lips to find Suresh's neck with gentle kisses.

To have power over a thing you needed the ability to destroy a thing. Suresh was very familiar with blood witches. But Corvinus was something else, something different and Suresh wanted to understand him. Equal measures of caution and curiosity. He didn't believe that all he saw was all there was. But there was an unspoken kinship between ancient things that few others could ever fathom.

Suresh smiled at the explanation of the chosen cologne, it showed that the other paid attention to everything. Even the smallest of details. A tricky witch for sure. But it only increased the Naga's curiosity. The witch had gone to great lengths to make himself amenable and interesting. He smiled his soft chuckle as Corvinus said that Suresh was the only reason he was there travelling across the other's skin like velvet. It was deliberately charming and flattering and Suresh was at times a vain little demigod. But it took more than some compliments to make truly him drop his guard.

Unlike many others that wanted distance to feel safe Suresh felt more secure the closer he could get to someone. In his true form his size, speed and strength were advantages when in close quarters. His talons, his gaze and his fangs could do the rest. And that was without engaging his magic or powers. Pleasure or pain Suresh could deliver both. Desire was many things but sex was easy and fun. And for the Naga is was an act of worship. It was an intimate thing to do with another but true intimacy for Suresh was something else. He did hope that the privacy would encourage Corvinus to show more of himself. A game of careful movements, this was a dance, and Suresh was enjoying each change of steps.

The way the other reacted to the whispers of his power tugged a ghost of a smile up on his lips. A brush against the others mind just to see what Corvinus might do. He'd been speaking lowly to the security when the hair on the back of his neck stood up as the witch's power pressed back. His eyes widened in surprise for just a moment but he quickly fixed his face and kept his body calm but oh what a feeling. Dangerous.

By the time Suresh was looking at the witch again the air was clear. His eyes were sharp and very intent on Corvinus. The Naga closed his hand gently around the other man's. He tilted his head curiously to the side and nodded with a gracious smirk, "Agreed. I don't think we'll need them tonight will we?"

Suresh led Corvinus out of the office and behind the bar to a nondescript door. More security both magical and not led up to his private apartments. But even that had layers. This first room had a large table with comfortable chairs and a full bar. A wall of one way windows overlooked the main dance floor. But he continued on through a curtain and into the next room, set up in a Moroccan style. Large low furniture, decadent pillows, deep colours and rich fabrics. Lamps of hammered precious metals covered in colored glass and little mirrors catching and reflecting the low light tossed across the room like small stars. He released Corvinus' hand, letting his fingers linger across the other's as he turned to look at the witch now that they were completely alone. Standing nearly chest to chest his voice liquid velvet as his gaze drifted between Corvinus' eyes and then down to his lips. "Why don't you tell me what I can make you to drink?" He drew in a soft breath, speaking on the exhale, "And what it is that you desire tonight?"

[silveredlies]

They both knew there wouldn't be anyone more interesting out there tonight. Corvinus would argue that was true for most of the city. Even the other little beings couldn't hold his attention so well, no matter their abilities. He had become disinterested in most things...save for the rare. And this was most certainly a rare being just as he was. It made the game that more dangerous...and all the more fun for him to play. Risking a life that couldn't be lost was simply a way to pass the time and what better way that deceiving a Naga? And a powerful one at that. "I settled once before. Believe me, this isn't that." Of course that had been a whole other type of settling but that was a joke for himself.

Most everything that Corvinus did was with intention. When it came to ties that he chose, to what route he took, even down to the scent he chose for the day. Today had been no exception and how he loved symbolism. "Of course I kept it subtle for you. That's the only reason I'm here tonight and what sort of guest would I be if I didn't take into consideration my host?" Play into his ego subtlety. His city. He was the host. "It's Sand Dance. Part of the Stéphane Humber Lucas serpent collection." High end enough to show he had means but also precision with what he owned. Something just for Suresh.

Perhaps after tonight, he should add snake charmer to his resume. If he had one. And here he thought he might be rejected by the ancient being, stepping into territory that wasn't his own. Yet. Sex, that was nothing but it was a chance to draw closer. Private quarters, hushed voices, a vulnerability he often saw in others though Corvinus wasn't under the illusion it would happen with Suresh. No other being as old as they weren't wasn't worth their salt if they didn't know how to hold their cards to their chest.

And then he felt it. Creeping in to the corners of his mind, like a beckoning. Corvinus cleared his throat, rolling his neck in an attempt to shake it off. He didn't even seem to notice Suresh standing for a moment, disentangling his mind from the feeling. Then something else pushed back. A glimpse behind the curtain, the mask of any other blood witch. A power pulsing within him, creeping out like smoke with a suffocating grip. Raw magic so very old, an aura that emanated from him.

And then it was gone and Corvinus was finally rising from his seat as if nothing had happened. It was a threat, a warning ringing through the air without a word spoken. The smile still on his face, hand reaching out to take Suresh's. "I would be delighted to join you. Though perhaps we keep our powers to ourselves, hm?" The tone came out more as a tease than any sort of scolding. His message was clear enough: don't. There was no need to reject or become improper now because of a miscommunication.

As far back as he could really remember now Suresh's whole existence had been about charm and desire. To find ways to be what someone needed, or thought they needed. He hadn't gotten to be this old by being overly reckless or complacent. But Suresh felt secure in his power and the fact that he was the spider sitting in the center of his web. Suresh flexed the true strength of his powers very rarely. Never wanting anyone to know what he really could do. However, it had been a long while since he had done this dance with someone possibly as old as he was. They were both anomalies and that was intriguing enough to take a calculated risk on.

Suresh smiled as Corvinus chuckled at him. The witches statement about turning other's heads and the implied idea that someone out there was more interesting than Suresh made the Naga grin. He shook his head, "Oh no, please be yourself. And I'm sure many others took notice of you tonight..." His golden eyes glittered with mirth as he gestured towards the door, "If you promise to not start another fight you are welcome to do another lap. I'd hate for you to feel like you had to settle."

The change in the other's face at the mention of blood was interesting. He shook his head, "You're carrying something with blood in it. It's barely noticeable." The smile was back, "You were thinking of my comfort while putting on your cologne tonight? Now that's very flattering." He drew in a breath through his nose and let it out softly, "I like it. What is it?"

Suresh was fine with speaking in double entendre. He smiled and nodded at the addition of the word hypothetical. "Of course."

It twisted back onto the fact that Suresh hadn't fully decided how much of a threat this witch was. He wasn't acting like a threat at the moment and that was good. He was patient and cautious when it came to finding things out about others. And Corvinus was too interesting and possibly very powerful. It would be smarter to try and make a friend than an enemy if possible. Last thing he needed was an ancient insulted witch causing trouble when he had to deal with so many other things right now. The Lightless, The Deathrunners and The Nameless.

Suresh didn't think that Corvinus knew what he was getting himself into really. Very few did. The feel of the warm hand on his leg tightening. Suresh's gold eyes traced the witch's smile like a finger. His lips parting at the statement as the Naga's smile took on an edge as he let out a genuinely delighted laugh. "Oh, I like you." He relaxed some of the hold he kept on the powers given to him by his god Desire. It wasn't exactly magic, it was chemical, elemental. The whispers of a lover in the dark, the heat of lips and hands, the breath before the kiss, a promise of so much more. Suresh's voice was honey on the tongue, "Come upstairs for a drink? We'll see how much farther you get tonight." He stood up and spoke to his bodyguards who glanced at Corvinus over their shoulders, eyes hidden behind sunglasses and expressions stoic. Suresh turned and glanced back at the witch, offering a hand, "Coming?"

[bloodybusiness]

It was a thread ready to snap, a fine line to walk. And even with perhaps the brutal nature of the punishment, Nick didn't think he'd snapped just yet. Not unless he got directly involved. Knowing that Suresh would handle it all was enough to soothe him for the moment. Fucking moron just couldn't own up to the mistake when it was more than fixable. In Nick's experience, desperation was one of the most powerful teachers and the man would surely be left desperate to make up for the mistake once Suresh was done. An eyepatch or a fake eye was nothing compared to what might have been done had the lie continued further. If nothing else, it was a damn mercy so long as nothing was missing. Though he was quick to note the balance between them. While he showed anger, there was a composed form to Suresh. A hot and cold anger. If it weren't for the long night, he probably wouldn't have been so quick to lose it.

Nick was content to leave it there, to let Suresh just walk out with the promise that it would all be handled. Up until he heard the French, a common language between them with only a slight barrier. The prim and proper versus the messy patois. "Nick," he was quick to correct; he never did care for how his name sounded in French nor much the full name of 'Nicholas'. And then mention of a doctor's orders and he resisted the urge to roll his eyes, giving the other only a pointed look. "I've got a bottle somewhere that I'm pretty sure someone watered down. It'll count enough." Surely at least some water would balance it out or at least that was what Nick would tell himself.

Before Suresh could depart, however, a thought occurred to him. "Who's going with you?" As much faith as he had in Suresh's capabilities, he'd rather some sort of back up if there was an asshole customs agent. Or if merchandise was stolen to lend him a hand. Better two than one.

That was what Suresh was for. Another buffer between the business and the blood. To ensure that some hands stayed clean. Existing in the liminal space between. But he took great pride in his work. Each piece of it. This was a lesson to learn from. To ensure that it and similar things will not happen again. To make sure that Nick's orders were carried out to the letter. His eyes watched the book and the papers move across the desk. Looking up as Nick's anger etched itself across the older man's face. He could handle anger. It was understandable.

He listened to the orders silently, dark eyes on Nick's face. He would do it. Just as told. He nodded. But then Nick began speaking of hammer blows and knee caps. An injury he knew that Nick was familiar with. And he felt a small release of tension in his shoulders. Suresh was not a sadistic person. But he was angry. He just refused to let his anger show. So solving the issue first and then teaching a lesson after appealed to him. At the comment about when he could take an eye Suresh almost smiled, a microexpression. He'd have the man up at a desk the next morning. "I'll make sure it is all done as you say."

If they had left it there it would have been a simple thing. Only business. But the last sentence finally cracked the careful facade of Suresh's face. What he had done for him. Suresh's personal feelings on the matter were irrelevant. But he hated coming up short to the bosses and it stung worse because he considered Nick a friend. Someone that he trusted that could trust him. He looked down trying to empty his gaze back to the thoughtful blank remove any trace of pain. He cleared his throat as he nodded his head speaking in French to underline the weight of the words, "Je suis navré, Nicolás. It will not happen again." He lifted his head, expression placid once again. Cold, efficient. He stood up, "Is there anything else? I don't want to be late for my flight." He paused before adding, "You should have some water and eat something. Doctors orders." Suresh had not been a doctor in a long time, they both knew that and yet he still said it.

[silveredlies]

It was a dance he had enjoyed many times over the thousand plus years he had been alive. Using the charm to lure others in, knowing full well how far a handsome face could get him without an ounce of magic. Granted, none of them had had any meaningful connection but there was always something to gain. That and Corvinus simply enjoyed the idea of being a serpent hiding in a rose garden. All beauty and peace with venomous fangs ready to strike. There was a certain irony not lost on him that now he was facing someone far more physically serpentine than himself. And yet it was someone who thought he held all the cards, had every advantage, without knowing the whole truths of Corvinus or why he was there, whether there be suspicion or not.

Corvinus gave a soft chuckle at the others; there was no need to act humble. As if he wasn't aware of his own attractiveness. "Would you prefer if I acted modest? You're probably not the first head I've turned tonight, just...the most interesting one so far." Implying that others might be more interesting still. But the mention of smelling like a blood witch, well...it caused his nose to wrinkle in slight distaste. Corvinus suspected it was likely due to the vials he kept on him, the one hanging around his neck beneath his clothing seemed to weigh a bit heavier. "Oh, don't tell me I smell like blood now. I did use a nice cologne. Subtle to not...overwhelm you. I'm certainly not squeamish around it but the smell leaves much to be desired." Truthfully Corvinus was more appalled at the idea of smelling like blood than any concern on being called out for what he was.

He had named Suresh, turnabout was fair play.

The other seemed content enough to at least pretend there was another Corvinus out there. He let out a hum of thought, giving a shrug. "How should I know? Though, if I were a very old witch in Ireland, I don't think I would have minded a snake washing ashore. There is plenty of Ireland besides my property and it used to be much larger." A moment of silence, a brief glance away before his eyes returned to Suresh. "Hypothetically speaking, of course."

Good, perfect, Suresh wouldn't be too territorial. At least not so long as he thought Corvinus was just a visitor. That would probably change at some point. His eyes wandered down, looking Suresh over as much as he could see with the table between them. "Well, I'm quite enjoying the view so far so I'm certainly in no rush to leave. Although..." The corner of his lips tugged into a smirk, his touch to the other's knee gripping just a bit tighter as he felt the caress of a hand on his, "I think I would appreciate the view even better beneath me"

It was the rare creature that truly had the stamina for immortality. To watch entropy and then see things rebuilt only to know that it would all become dust again. And then having to wait. Always so much waiting. For anything to grab attention. Suresh had endured in New Orleans with the Lotus Eaters. Built an empire that was probably just as doomed as every other one but still, it was his. And it had endured so far. Something to keep him focused and part of the world. An oddity for his kind. Suresh's cocked an eyebrow up curiously as Corvinus explained the circumstances of his previous run ins with Suresh's species. He made a graceful but dismissive gesture with one hand. "Most of them have a distrust for humans and witches... With reason." He didn't include himself in the statement, a marked omission. Because Suresh knew he was more than just a Naga and had been for ages now. He had stopped behaving much like his own species a long time ago and he knew it. But few others in the world did.

Suresh kept momentos that helped him remember people, dates, places. Things that connected him to something. But even with the physical reminders the memories grew dim and the objects would decay. Such was life. It was not so much rot as just a lack of room. Like human children often had very few memories before they were three. So his own would turn over with time. But he was still as sharp, deadly and desirable as ever. He watched the other man appraise his appearance, completely at ease under the scrutiny. The comment about his glamour hiding his grey hairs made him smile and laugh. "If I ever do get a grey hair I plan to wear it with pride. The glamour is more for others, less for me."

Again the man met his gaze. And the urge to try and mesmerize the other was there. A desire to try and pull him in. But not yet. This little game was far too fun. The comment about being related made the Naga smirk. Suresh made a soft click with his tongue, "You compliment yourself before I can offer you the same comment. But since you have left me only one trite response I will take it anyway and agree. You do look impressively well... for your age." Suresh's tongue ran along his lower lip, scenting the air in the small room. "Oh you didn't say it. But I can smell it on you..." Suresh nodded his head, "Was Corvinus more amiable to snakes then?"

A few weeks was allowable. And Suresh was indeed interested by the stranger. The Naga thought about replying to the boredom comment but instead stayed silent as the witch leaned forward. A warm hand placed on his human feeling knee made Suresh's eyes glitter at the blatant flirtation. The faintest creep of power drifted into his leg, warming his own skin under Corvinus' hand. Electric desire reaching out for the contact. And Suresh wondered how Corvinus would react to the power inside him as it brushed against the witches skin. But he made no attempt to influence the other's pheromones or chemicals. "We can see if you can hold mine." Suresh leaned his body forward, closing the distance little by little over the small table, his own fingers brushing along the top of the hand on his knee. "You made such an effort to get my attention..." The longer they stayed in contact the silkier Suresh's voice became, the room beginning to smell like rain and thunder, "It would be a shame to send you away so soon..." When it came to lust, flirtation and desire Suresh would not be the first to blink.

[bloodybusiness]

Normally, Nick wasn't in the business of bloodshed. It was usually a simple 'get it done' sort of atmosphere and he trusted his people to know what he meant. One of the few exceptions had involved a certain driver, but sometimes Nick needed to be the one to give the orders. Time like these, when he was so pissed that he could go on a rampage. The potential idea of blackmail or theft did not sit well with him. "No," were his initial words, shaking his head. Pushing the book back, he turned in the chair to face Suresh. Every line on his face seemed deeper, doing everything he could to hold himself back.

"No, what's going to happen is you're going to go to the container, get it squared away, then break the seal to open it and check the contents. If anything is missing, you report it to me immediately. Then for every fucking week he hid it, I want a hammer taken to his knees. Four weeks, four hits" He didn't need to walk for a good while if he was just the bookkeeper. Wheel him to the damn desk then let him stay there until everything was done. Nick knew the pain of damage to the bone, he dealt with it after the accident and still had the occasional tremors in his arm. "And it isn't until after then that you take the fucking cornea but I want it done with the utmost case so that he's back to work."

It wasn't a fucking vacation he was going to get. He could be back in less than a week with a fucked knee, albeit in pain. But he had only brought it on himself by not only screwing up but then hiding it in the first place. Nick took another breath; he'd need much bourbon after all of this. One moment of silence, then another, until Nick had managed to steady his voice. "As much as I appreciate what you've done for me, Suresh, do not let this happen again."

The anger in the room tasted like cold iron. Thunderclouds. O-zone. The flare like a burst of lightning against the ground. He didn't move. Letting the anger swirl around him in the office. A rock in a river. Cold, pragmatic, covered in his professional mask. Swallowing his own annoyance and anger over the situation. It was an unacceptable series of events that could continue to have repercussions long after the act. Which was why Suresh was going to handle it in person. But still he tried to mitigate this level of stress for Nick and usually did a good job. But even at his best there were still these moments. This was why he had brought it as quickly as possible to the two people that needed to know. He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. His eyes moving back up to settle on Nick's face.

"He's currently being watched in one of our safe-houses. Probably shitting himself in fear. I was -unhappy- when I found out. And I didn't want him trying to run." Suresh paused listening and nodded his head, "Of course." Another pause and then he added, "I could get close to $19,000 for one of his corneas. That would serve both purposes. He pays back the money he cost us with interest. And it delivers a very strong message about lying." Speaking about cutting a man's eye out with the same cool tone as he had been using earlier. "But it's up to you."

[bloodybusiness]

A mistake was one thing. They could be handled in a timely manner, dealt with accordingly, and ensure it never happened again. More processes put into place, extra sets of eyes, there were a million things to help mitigate damage to their jobs. If it had been a simple fuck up, Nick would ensure the consequences so that it wouldn't happen again as well as implement the necessary steps. Cut and dry. But when Suresh mentioned the bookkeeper hiding it, that was an entirely different ballgame. His grip on the pen tightened, eyes narrowing at the sheets of paper before him. If it weren't such a hardy plastic, the pen would have likely snapped from his grip.

"He hid it?" There was no need to question it, it was rhetorical. Containers didn't simply get stuck without notice. Four weeks was plenty of time for anyone at the exam site to break into the container, grab what they wanted, and resell it or even use it as blackmail against them. Next thing they knew, they were being threatened or their goods were falling into the hands of a competitor that would gain all of their profits. Mistakes were one thing, outright lying and denying them was something entirely different.

Nick took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. Suresh was being upfront about the situation, he didn't need to feel the full weight of Nick's anger though he could likely sense the sudden shift. When the older man continued, his words were slow and deliberate, albeit a bit shaky as he reigned himself in. "I don't want that fils-putain to see a fucking cent of money until he pays back what he cost us. Any income he gets from this business goes straight back into recuperating our losses." However long that took, it wasn't as if he could simply go find other work. And if he tried, Nick would simply burn those job opportunities. "I'll figure out what else to do with him, but first, we need this shit cleaned up. Then we deal with the message that lying will not be tolerated."

The air shifted and Suresh straightened his shoulders. All business. It was the armor that the other wore and Suresh would follow suit. Business was always easier anyway. Even when it was discussing a problem. These types of problems always had solutions, resolutions. He sat, waiting to be addressed and knowing that the questions would be coming. Accepting his responsibility in the problem. He hated the feeling of disappointing Nick but that was his own issue. One he would manage alone after he took steps to ensure it was fixed.

He took out his phone and logged into the secured network. "It's all on the drive but I am sending you all of that now." The purpose of him going to Sicily would be to pay off whatever needed to be paid off and remove anyone that needed to be removed. That was why he wasn't going alone.

Dark eyes met Nick's lighter ones. Gaze unwavering as he nodded, "Yes." His responsibility. His mistake. Something that very rarely happened. "The customer reached out to me via the appropriate channels. I have that under control. The bookkeeper originally overlooked it and then hid the mistake from the lead book keeper. Which was how it was hidden from me. Until I got the call from the customer. And then the book keeper brought it to me. It won't happen again." No equivocation. No attempts to shirk his own part in this. He crossed his arms over his chest, fingers drumming on his arm, a sign of his own deep frustration with the situation but he kept it off his face and out of his voice.

[silveredlies]

Most things were boring to Corvinus in his old age. Watching civilizations turn to complete dust, knowing he would outlive most any creature, and time ticked by so slowly. While many marveled at how far civilization as a whole had come, it had been at such a slow rate for himself that he found himself disinterested. Rare creatures could equally be boring. Fascinating the first time and then any interest faded away. "One was quick to flee. The other...well, basically a corpse when I stumbled across it. I'm afraid creatures that are cowardly or the dead don't hold my attention much." Perhaps it was a slight dig at the Naga. Either being hunted or avoiding contact, Corvinus didn't know but there were few things that could draw him out out of sheer interest.

For the moment, Suresh was one of those things. A unique creature that, rather than being hunted by the humans as so many were back in the day, rose above them. Corvinus had in his own way but his own disgust for most often led him to keep away out of choice. He had never been a large believe in keeping territory and a reason he felt no concerns clearly waltzing into Suresh's. Even Ireland, a place some knew as being his own, he would much rather just claim the large property he owned and be done with it. Venture where he liked when he liked.

Journals was how he kept track over the millennia he had spent alive. After the first couple of hundred, he had found himself losing track and had started writing it down. Back home in the old manor he called home, there was a library full of his handwriting. "Well, you see it all the time in humans and I've run across the undead from time to time. If the body doesn't rot, the mind is bound to." Corvinus took the chance to break his gaze away only for eyes to travel over the form of Suresh. "And, may I say, your body has certainly not rotted. Or perhaps your glamour is simply hiding your grey hairs." Of course, he could feel that small tingle of magic in the air. He'd experienced varying degrees of magic over the years, enough to be in tune with the level of deceitful magic.

Ah, but he recognised the name. His smirk returned as eyes shot back to the Naga's face. Corvnius tipped his head to the side slightly with amusement shining in his gaze. "Have you now? Perhaps we're related. An usual name and I'm clearly Irish. But we both know witches don't live that long in comparison to most. Not looking as well as we both know I do." It was an obvious lie, his expression alone giving him away. "I also don't recall stating I'm a blood witch. As for Ireland, well...I believe it was Saint Patrick that drove out the snakes according to myth. Not a man named Corvinus."

He was moving closer. Good. That either meant he didn't feel threatened or he was interested, both of which Corvinus wanted to achieve. "Oh, a few weeks perhaps. Until I've grown bored," he replied with a sigh, giving a small shrug. Once again he leaned forward, one hand moving under the table until it came to rest on the other's knee. "Unless, of course, you want me longer. Or you keep me, interested.

Suresh grinned, a flair for the dramatic, he had it as well. Perhaps it was a by product of being old. Of needing things to feel bold to break of the monotony of the long parade of days. But the Naga didn't miss the last little equivocation. And he did hope that the Witch could help it. "Your attempts will be appreciated."

There was a push pull in most truly ancient creatures. Both a longing and a hate to be around another immortal. Power and knowledge was always attractive. Especially to their kind. Inevitably it became a competition, but sometimes, for a short time, it was nice to be around another that could understand the endurance and resiliency required to continue to exist. Suresh's face showed the open curiosity that he felt at the replies. One or two. A staggeringly high number to most people if Suresh was the third. "Boring?" The one word that held the most meaning. But he also understood it. Everything could become boring when you lived for millennia. It was an active force to not become completely jaded.

He had traveled for a long time. Avoided poachers, avoided stronger creatures, looking for something that could be his. Settled for a long time before that civilization was destroyed. Roaming again until he'd found New Orleans. He had established himself, become famous in his own way, and that fame in the human world afforded him protection. He brought in tourist dollars for the city, paid taxes. Suresh's position in the city was an anomaly among his kind. He always believed that he was not the only one left, that he would somehow feel it if he was. This witch was an intriguing little mystery.

People that met his stare that knew what he was were either very powerful, very brave or very stupid. Suresh didn't think this witch was stupid. The words sounded very, very certain that it was up for debate. Which meant the witch was also staggeringly old. The simple statement of him not knowing made Suresh smile and a golden laugh trickled from him and filled the room. Suresh had been taken by his god two thousand years ago. Most memories before that were now vague and blurry. But he'd knew he had been old enough then to survive what had been done. Suresh was still smiling as the Witch spoke. "A beautiful way to say that everyone becomes forgetful the longer they're alive." The Naga nodded his head, "Which is very true. As far as who is older, does it really matter?"

Corvinus... Suresh frowned at the name. "I heard of a Corvinus. A blood witch if memory serves. But that was a very, very long time ago. One of the reasons why I avoided Ireland... That and historically less welcoming to snakes."

Suresh smiled at the 'your city' comment and finally moved further into the room, sitting down across from the other man. "A tourist with a flair for the dramatic. But I do appreciate you making yourself known to me. How long are you planning on staying in my city?"