#taliesin1

[adrasian]

closed starter for @taliesin-mistry

Privacy, always, was the real rarity in a place like the Undercroft. What windows of opportunity there were were brief and had to be seized quickly -- Adrasia, it seemed, was not the only one attempting to take advantage this time. He had succeeded first in the showers, scrubbing away the lingering malaise of his transfer until his skin would have pinkened, had he been human. His clothes he wrestled into while the room was still thick with humidity, then slipped down the hall like a shadow. Just within the door of the dormitory though, the celestial halted.

Someone else was already inside: only one, alone, tucked far from the door.

They were crying.

Adrasia took one automatic step forward, then stopped, his lips parting around words he hadn't even chosen yet, his hair still hanging in damp curls around his face. The sound was a wretched, painful thing -- this was the first time the celestial had heard it in this place, but he knew suddenly with a dreadful intuition it would not be the last. When he moved again he approached not-so-quietly, so not to scare the other before he spoke, soft and encouraging: "We're alone, it's alright." Adrasia stopped a bed away, not wanting to corner the other in such a state. "May I sit? You may pretend I'm not even here, if you like."

[gwyndolence]

for @taliesin-mistry

"I don't think they should be too high. You've worn heels before, haven't you, darling?"

Gwyn squinted down at the contents of the makeup bag he'd dumped over his bed, posing the question casually over his shoulder as he rifled through the phenomenal amount of eyeshadow pots he'd totally forgotten he owned. Taliesin had been banished to the bathroom almost as soon as the guards had delivered him to try on his costume before the sith got his hands dirty doing the pretty human's makeup. Dair would be joining the party eventually, but seeing as his costume involved little more than a shiny pair of gold shorts and his own good looks, Gwyn had thought it all the better to pat the nephilim on the ass and give him the early evening to himself.

For now, they had the suite to themselves and Gwyn could properly appreciate the sight of Taliesin wiggled into the skimpy pink one-piece he'd be wearing for the night, grinning and giving him a wolf whistle as he patted the bed beside him. "What do you think? Leave the shoes off for now, actually, let me make you gorgeous first."

[councillor-roland]

Taliesin was clearly rather worn out and Roland was pleased. He always liked his partners to leave him satisfied whether they were slave, staff, or another master. He smiled at the agreement and stroked his fingers through the slave's hair. "I would certainly hope so." The vampire glanced at the clock and nodded when Taliesin suggested he go down to the Undercroft. "Gather your clothes and take a shower first. Then I'll have a guard escort you back down. This won't be the last time though, petit prince. I'll see you again." He very much intended to rent him again since they'd both enjoyed themselves.

After Taliesin left, Roland had one of the household staff strip the bed and replace the sheets then took a shower himself, slipping on one of his robes afterwards. There seemed little point in getting fully dressed again since he didn't intend to leave his suite for the evening. It was good to know there was a fun new slave to entertain him. Roland always had appreciated novelty and Taliesin was novel, at least for the moment, and had a wickedly talented mouth besides. Roland would certainly be making good use of that in the future.

END

Tiredness hit Taliesin like a truck. It probably didn't help that he was eating so little and two orgasms had taken it out of him. He nestled into Roland's side, then slipped even further down, his head resting in Roland's lap. "Oui, c'est possible," he giggled, wrinkling his nose. Roland was fun to be around, made him feel comfortable, safe. Perhaps it was that his attitude and mannerisms reminded him so much of boarding school.

He yawned, covering his mouth with his arm as he did so. He wasn't used to being the person with inferior stamina, but he was only human in a castle full of vampires and such, who were infinitely more robust. "I can go back downstairs, if you want to be alone."

[lustcovetdesire]

Frank Lloyd Wright, Taliesin 1. Crafted from a single sheet of plywood and reimagined by @cassina in limited edition petrol green, midnight blue and burgundy tinted cherry veneer and leather. #LCDloves #ihavethisthingwithchairs #franklloydwright #cassina #taliesin1 https://www.instagram.com/p/BubizuNgKd6/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1e6she88v0db0

[ravisurendra]

It was a bit surreal, just sitting there and watching Taliesin put the pieces together. Maybe Soren should've been explicit, cut right the quick and made things easy. "Not my passport..." Was what he actually said, low and cautious, eyes fixed on Taliesin's face. He got there in the end. Soren sat through the tirade that came and this time he did actually wince, knowing he probably deserved it. It wasn't like Taliesin wasn't saying anything he hadn't thought himself already: that this was monumentally stupid and he was insanely out of his depth and couldn't even fully conceive of the many awful, inevitable ways it could go wrong.

"Listen," Soren started, cut-off by Taliesin's next flood of admonishments, hovering forward with his mouth open to try and get a word in edge-wise as the other's gestures got more and more erratic. The spill was a bit inevitable. "Taliesin!" Soren shot up to take the dripping mug from him, "Listen to me." It went quickly to the coffee table, Soren's hands going to Taliesin's shoulders, fingers bunching in the loose fabric of his own hoodie. He scooted closer, steadfastly ignoring the churning in his gut as his brother's self-loathing words still rang in his ears, "I know it's dangerous. I didn't have a choice. It was this or pretend like all of it never happened and I wasn't going to hate myself every time I remembered you for the rest of my life." He nearly came out and said it, that it had felt impossible to go back to walking in Viraj's footsteps again. The anger was too big, all the built-up resentment that wasn't even totally about what had been done to Taliesin but that their father's betrayal had so neatly unearthed anyway.

Soren took a deep breath, squeezing Taliesin tightly as he studied his tear-crusted face, all Soren's nervous adrenaline trying desperately to go somewhere. The fact that this was a conversation they were having now felt too late. Years too late. "Don't say that. They aren't your consequences to face. He was - it was cowardly, alright? Dad was a coward." It felt phenomenally good to say it out loud, heavy and final, "He agreed to just get rid of you to fix his own fuck up and I knew I would never respect him again for as long as he lived. Never."

Taliesin paused and took a big gulp of his tea, trying to calm himself down. He'd always found English tea calming, soothing, like a hug in a mug. Now that the possibilities were narrowed down, it was a little easier for Taliesin to think, to read between the lines of what Soren was saying. Soren had come by himself, was doing something unrelated to the business, to their parents, who he was calling by their first names, suddenly. No one knew about him being in Krovs. He was living in an apartment that was well beneath his means, and usual taste.

"People will know you're here. You flew didn't you? With your passport." There were people at Krovs that kept a meticulous track of who came in and out. Exactly who they were, where they came from, what their business was - like several of the Councilmen, and the head of security. The only way that they wouldn't know Soren was here was if... Taliesin narrowed his eyes, a sudden rush of anger across his face. "You lied to get here?! You have to leave. This is so stupid. This is so dangerous. Do you have any idea what a squashy little human you are? What they do to people for entertainment?"

More gears clicked into place. He'd been abandoned, by everyone except Soren and Soren had come on a suicide mission. "Go home. Go home right now. This is my fault. I fucked up, I wasn't good enough. I was an embarrassment who never made anything of himself and now I am living with the consequences. You are throwing your entire life away on something so monumentally stupid." Taliesin sloshed his tea over the arm of Soren's sofa, still uncoordinated from the molly, and was angry enough that he didn't seem to notice.

[councillor-roland]

Far from being distant, as seemed to happen to Taliesin, Roland liked to be very much present during sex. One of his favourite things was to drown in all the pleasurable sensations, focus on what was happening between him and his partner, and get lost in it though in a way that still kept him very much tethered to the moment. One of Roland's skills was being able to focus on the now and live very much in the moment and he often used it to his advantage.

It didn't take long for Taliesin to finish and Roland stopped when he did, kissing him until Taliesin pulled back. He smiled a little at the gratitude and trailed his lips over the slave's cheek. "You're quite welcome." He took his head off him though stayed close otherwise to retrieve the cloth again, cleaning them up, then tossing it away and just settling with him, wrapping an arm around him. "Better than the Undercroft, non?" His tone was amused. Roland was a little curious about that whole distance thing but since he'd fixed the problem, at least this time, he saw no reason to delve into it. The reason was likely nothing good and he didn't feel he needed to get into it. Perhaps during another rental.

Kissing very much helped keep Taliesin present. He always started to feel fuzzy and out of alignment when he was being used, his mouth, his ass, when he stopped thinking of himself as a person and started thinking of himself as a body. A mouth on him was an exchange, an appreciation of him. Maybe that was why he didn't like blowjobs so much. It was too intense, kept him too in focus. Taliesin liked to be blurry at the edges, get out of his head for a while.

He moaned, high-pitched, like a whine into Roland's mouth. For someone who had been barely aware he was hard a minute ago, it didn't take much to bring him over the edge. It wasn't the most spectacular orgasm of his life, something soft and small and mewling. He spilled over Roland's hand, a gentle little spurt of cum. He twitched, over-sensitive now, but not daring to bat Roland's hand away until he wanted to take it back. He broke the kiss, pressed his face into Roland's shoulder, a soft, mumbled thank you disappearing into Roland's skin.

[councillor-roland]

The slave seemed rather more upset than he should be over what was really just a small slip up. It wasn't as though they'd discussed what names they liked to be called so Taliesin couldn't have known. Roland wasn't in the least bit angry so he shook his head at the apology. "It's quite all right." He soothed, though at least Taliesin seemed to be a little more present because of it. That's what Roland was going for, after all, so if being upset over an inconsequential mistake helped then he would take it.

Still, there was some work to be done as it seemed to take Taliesin time to realise how and where Roland was touching him. All the better that he'd stopped for the moment, then. Finally, Taliesin looked at him like he was really seeing him again and Roland smiled, not minding that his voice was too loud. He slid his thumb over his chin gently and nodded. "Hand it is." Roland started stroking him again, slowly at first, watching him closely for a moment before he pulled him into a kiss. He wasn't sure what the trigger was for him to disappear so he wanted to keep an eye on it while still making it pleasurable for him.

Taliesin wrinkled his nose. He'd made a mistake. He hated making a mistake, especially like this, in the bedroom, where he thought he was so good - needed to be good. "I'm sorry," he mumbled into the cloth. The shame of it brought him back towards focus. He blinked up at Roland, eyes a little wet, a wobble in his lip, genuinely upset with himself. He avoided Roland's gaze until he was held, commanded to look. Taliesin looked back as if he expected punishment, nervous, twitchy.

He'd barely registered that Roland was stroking him. He blinked, had to look down to see where Roland touched him. Taliesin made a confused little moaning sound, then looked back at Roland like he was just coming back to the room. "Hand," he said, perhaps a bit too loud, uncertain of what volume he was coming in at. Taliesin didn't actually like receiving blowjobs, which he knew was unusual, made people look at him like he'd grown a second head. "Please, your hand."

[councillor-roland]

Taliesin pulled back and Roland hardly minded since he finished anyway, taking a moment or two to ride out the aftershocks before he settled back, looking down at the slave. It seemed to be happening again that...distance. Taliesin looked dazed but not blissed out from pleasure, seemed distant again like before. Roland frowned a little and made a slight face at the name. "Roland." He corrected, gently, stroking his fingers through his hair again. "And yes, you are. Very good." The slave was clearly hard but he didn't seem at all concerned with getting off and that was a little disconcerting.

Stroking his hair with one hand lightly, Roland reached for the cloth they'd used before and cleaned off Taliesin's face, tossing it away again when it was done then pulling him up beside him. "It looks like you could use some help..." He mused, turning so he was facing him and sliding his hand down Taliesin's body, wrapping his fingers around his cock and stroking him slowly. Roland was hoping to get more than those dazed reactions, to bring him back from that strange distance he seemed to always get partway through pleasure or at least by the end of it. His other hand cupped Taliesin's face and he held his gaze. "Look at me." It was gentle but still a command. "Do you want my hand or my mouth?" His stroking stopped though he left his hand on Taliesin's cock, waiting for an answer. If he was barely there it hardly seemed right to keep going. Perhaps the question would bring him back.

By the time Roland was properly fucking his face, Taliesin wasn't exactly in his body anymore. This was why he liked it so much. It took him somewhere fuzzy, half-aware, breathing exclusively through muscle memory. He let Roland move him as he liked, his hands bunched in the blankets, hips rutting thoughtlessly against the mattress. It was like he was being pulled a little to the left of reality. Roland's words glanced off him, except for the ever present good boy, which got a deep moan out of Taliesin, pulled from somewhere deep inside him.

And then Roland was pulling back. Taliesin made a whimpering noise as he was released, pulled his head back on autopilot, the way Karl had always wanted, letting Roland's cum fall on his cheeks, his lips. He looked up at Roland with huge, watery eyes, a dazed expression, most of the way to fucked-out. His cock was still hard, a flash of it visible, caught between his stomach and the bed. "I'm a good boy, Daddy?" He asked, softly, settling his head on Roland's thigh, completely unconcerned with his own pleasure.

[councillor-roland]

The confirmation and the way Taliesin looked at him clearly indicated that he could and wanted to do that. The way he started to move and a change in his scent also indicated that the slave was getting turned on again which pleased Roland. As did the rest of it, really, hitting the back of Taliesin's throat had him groaning with how good it felt even if it was brief. Surprisingly, the slave stayed down longer than Roland held him there for, like he was trying to prove something though the vampire was hardly about to complain.

He let out a breath when Taliesin pulled back, watching him, somewhat amused by the blush and his seeming embarrassment, noticing that his eyes watered slightly but he was clearly more than willing and Roland was going to do it properly this time and give him what he wanted, what they both wanted, really. The vampire stroked his fingers through Taliesin's hair gently when he opened his mouth again then took a firmer grip and forced his head down again, this time holding him there while he bucked into his mouth more than just a few times. He moaned, his head falling back against the headboard again, the other hand clenching in the sheets as the pleasure of it started to build. "You take it so well, petit prince, while I use your mouth and throat as I please. I can tell how much you like it, too. Such a good boy for me..." He trailed off with a groan, being rougher now, but still conscious of Taliesin's need to breathe. He stopped to let him take quick breaths at regular intervals but otherwise fucked his throat fairly hard, making his pleasure and appreciation known with the sounds he made. Roland kept it up until he was close. "Nearly there." He followed the warning with a French curse, loosening his grip on Taliesin's hair so he could pull off if he wanted. Either way, it wasn't much longer before his hips bucked erratically and he came hard with a sharp cry.

"Mhmm," was about as much as Taliesin could manage with his mouth around Roland's cock. He let his expression do the talking for him, eyes turned up to look at Roland as long as he could manage before Roland was pushing him all the way down. Taliesin exhaled through his nose, relaxed his throat. There was something about Roland's gentle, encouraging tone that reminded him of the first time he'd ever done this: Karl's fingers in his hair, strands of it catching on his signet ring, his whispering accent while he told Taliesin what a good boy he was being. Taliesin whimpered, his hips shifting against the mattress, his cock hardening again.

Sure enough, Roland's cock hit the back of his throat. As long as Taliesin concentrated on keeping his throat open, didn't panic, he could keep it up for quite a while. His nose bumped against Roland's pubic bone. The noise Taliesin made was perhaps a little undignified, wet, but if he wanted his face fucked, he did have to let go of his pride just a little bit. It hurt, just a little, Roland's hand fisted tight in his hair, the burn in his throat, but Taliesin wanted it, felt heat uncurling in his groin. Even when Roland let go, Taliesin determinedly held himself down a few more moments before he pulled back and gulped in some air.

A thin string of saliva connected his mouth to Roland's cock. It made Taliesin blush, wipe his mouth with the back of his hand as he looked up at Roland again, his eyes a little wet. Then he opened his mouth again, presenting his open throat to Roland for more, no further comments or teasing.

[councillor-roland]

Roland could tell Taliesin enjoyed what he was doing and that pleased him. It was both flattering and satisfying. He did have a very talented mouth, though the slave clearly thought answering his questions was important. Roland disagreed but was also vaguely amused at the interruption. If he was going to tease him Roland certainly wouldn't complain. "Good to know." He murmured, tightening his grip in Taliesin's hair and giving an experimental tug just to test that statement. He inhaled slightly at the teasing kiss and smiled at the trust he'd apparently already won. "I won't." He assured him. Roland prided himself on being an attentive lover and that included making sure all involved continued to enjoy whatever they were doing. He shivered at the lick and huffed a laugh at the compliment. "Mmm, so glad you like it."

Roland's head fell back against the headboard with a moan as Taliesin bobbed his head again. He took a little more control, grip tight in the slave's hair, pushing his head down as he bucked up to get a little deeper. It was the bare beginnings of a facefuck, really, and Roland let him pull back to breathe more deeply and make his comment. "I want to feel it hit the back of your throat. Can you do that for me?" He purred, watching him with half lidded eyes and admiring the sight for a moment longer as he gave Taliesin that moment to catch his breath. Then Roland forced his head down more roughly than he had before, rocking his hips up hard aiming to do as he said. He groaned when he did, his eyes falling shut for a moment and thrusting a few more times before he loosened his grip so Taliesin could pull back if he wanted. As good as it felt, it was like a test to see if the other man really wanted him to be rough like that or not.

Taliesin could really lose himself in giving head. It was almost meditative for him with the way it forced him to think about his breathing, find himself within his own body. If they offered therapy that involved going down on the therapist, maybe Taleisin would have been inclined to sign up.

He pulled back, let his lips linger briefly on the head of Roland's cock while he answered his questions. "I do. And I like having my hair pulled." He pressed a teasing kiss against the tip. "I don't think you'll take it too far." There were always men that took it too far, seemed to want to make their sexual partners suffer, wanted to make every act truly, disgustingly degrading. Taliesin had already decided that Roland wasn't the type. He licked another stripe up the shaft. "You have a very pretty cock." He winked.

Then without any verbal warning, he went back down, swallowing Roland all the way to the hilt, his hands curled around Roland's thighs. Quickly, Taliesin settled into a rhythm with the movement of his head, bobbing and swallowing eagerly as his mouth slid back and forth along Roland's shaft, exhaling through his nose, his breath warm against the skin that was revealed when he pulled back to take a deeper breath. "Nice and smooth on my tongue." He let Roland's cock sit on his tongue in his open mouth to prove his point.

[councillor-roland]

Roland tended to come up with nicknames for the slaves, though they were always vaguely condescending since they were always 'little this' or 'little that'. It seemed fitting to him and it wasn't like it mattered if they protested. He gave them quite a bit of a choice compared to the other masters but in this he decided and didn't care whether or not they liked it. It amused him and that was what mattered. Taliesin, however, made no protest and that was for the best, really.

The vampire huffed dismissively at the accurate assessment. "Oui, but what's the fun in that? Having so many different options is rendered useless if they expect them all to act the same. I like variety and uniqueness." It helped keep Roland from getting bored which could happen easily. The fact that all the slaves were different was half the fun in renting them since he got to discover those differences.

The kiss was fairly brief but Roland didn't mind the little affectionate nuzzle afterwards or the smile. Taliesin had a nice smile. Clearly he was focused on something else though, intent on proving just how talented his tongue was, apparently. Roland leaned back and lazily undid and opened his robe as the slave kissed his way down, watching him languidly. His eyes hadn't really left him so their gazes met quickly when Taliesin glanced back up at him and Roland's eyebrows rose just slightly. He made a soft pleased sound when he saw and felt the other man's tongue, shivering slightly at the almost teasing passes. He threaded his fingers through Taliesin's hair, not to control his movements, at least not yet, just to touch him. "Can I?" Roland mused, pleased with the permission regardless. "Like a good facefuck, do you?" His breath hitched on the last word as Taliesin swallowed him down, making a much louder pleased sound as he tightened his grip in Taliesin's hair and rocked his hips up into the tight wet heat. Roland didn't hold his head down yet though, wanting to see what else the slave would do left to his own devices given how well he'd started.

Petit Prince. Taliesin considered the pet name. He'd had more than a few over the years, was picking even more up now, most of them patronising and, often, feminising. He preferred this to Princess, which cropped up time and time again, instinctively, out of the mouths of people who desired him. This let him retain some identity, individuality. He couldn't see Roland using it on someone else. That pleased him.

"I appreciate that you like me as I am. I get the impression that most people here would like a slave to be a blank slate for them." Or to break said slave, until they were a blank slate. It confused Taliesin endlessly. Charisma was, to him, nine-tenths of all attractiveness. If you wanted someone boring, well that was what dating apps were for.

He could taste the bloodwine in Roland's mouth. It was strange, the iron, rust-like flavour of it, but familiar. Who could say they didn't know what blood tasted like? Who'd never put a papercut in their mouth, instinctively, to stem the bleeding? It wasn't as terrible a taste as people made out. He smiled, pulled back and pressed his nose against Roland's briefly, before kissing down his stomach and turning his attention to Roland's cock, like he'd promised.

For a moment, Taliesin just nuzzled against him, looking up to check he had Roland's undivided attention. Only when he'd caught Roland's eye did he open his mouth, showing Roland a flash of his tongue before he licked him, tongue flicking over the head before travelling down to the root. God, Taliesin loved sucking cock. "You can be rough with me, if you like." He settled himself into a comfortable position, then got to work properly, opening his mouth obscenely and swallowing Roland down.

[councillor-roland]

Roland laughed at the admission. "I'll bet you have. How delightfully naughty of you, petit prince." He teased, clearly more pleased by the information than anything else. The nickname seemed fitting, given how accustomed Taliesin clearly was to luxury. The vampire's expression soured a little at the mention of a council meeting and he took another sip of his wine. "There are no slaves in the council chamber as yet, though I wouldn't be surprised if it changed. It might make things more endurable in there." His tone was decidedly bitter but he shoved that away. Roland was trying to enjoy himself, after all. "It's a constant trial." There, his tone was sweeter again, more playful. He'd much rather discuss how distracting everyone in the castle was than the council.

The vampire tossed his hair back playfully as he was rightfully called an exhibitionist. "You've caught me though I don't see why I shouldn't be when I have so much to show off..." He appreciated the touch and finally finished his drink, setting the glass aside and pulling Taliesin smoothly onto his lap. "You shouldn't but some like to be more coy or are too afraid to admire openly. I like that you're bold." He slid an arm around the slave's waist and slid his fingers over his jaw, pulling him in for another kiss, smiling as he tasted the bourbon on Taliesin's tongue.

"Mhmm. I've sat in on a number of important business meetings from under a desk." That was Taliesin's dogged pursuit of powerful, older men that got him into that kind of trouble. Once the man's wife had even been in the meeting. Taliesin liked to live dangerously in that department, had ruined more than his fair share of marriages. "I suppose eventually it'll be one of your council meetings. How you get anything done all day with so many pretty boys to distract you is beyond my understanding."

Taliesin wasn't sure what he would do if the positions were reversed, if it was him wandering around Krovs with unfettered access to an entire catalogue of beautiful slaves. He suspected he'd still be throwing himself at the feet of older, more powerful vampires. Vanity, however, it seemed that he and Roland were alike in. Taliesin liked to feel an appreciative eye sliding over him, wasn't so bratty as to withhold it when he found someone worthy of his own gaze. He trusted they wouldn't mind, would be delighted to have his attention, and most always he was correct. "Exhibitionist," Taliesin chuckled, idly stroking a hand over Roland's bicep. "Why wouldn't I be, if something is deserving of them?"

[councillor-roland]

The idea of being spoiled clearly pleased Taliesin though he didn't harp on it too much. That was to his credit. Even if he was used to being demanding in his life before it was likely best to be more subdued given that he was a slave now. In spite of the oddness after their first round, Roland was finding Taliesin rather amusing and he would likely rent him again. He'd been just what Roland needed and wanted to keep himself occupied for a while.

"Non? I'm looking forward to it then." Clearly Taliesin thought much of his skill which was amusing since he was only human. Roland had slept with most known species, some of which were specifically designed to be supernaturally talented in the bedroom. Still, perhaps Taliesin did have as skilled a tongue as he seemed to think. While the slave finished his drink quickly and set to admiring him, Roland lingered over his. Unless he was trying to get drunk for a specific reason, he didn't tend to drink too fast, though he took another elegant sip as Taliesin drank him in. Roland didn't mind in the least, of course, he rather enjoyed it. He leaned back against the headboard a little more deliberately, showing himself off, inviting Taliesin to look at him all he wanted, though he had put the robe on. He'd leave it for now, it would likely come off again soon. "You're very straightforward in your admiration." Roland noted, smirking. "I like that you obviously like looking at me." Some slaves were shy and stole glances but Roland enjoyed boldness, like Taliesin was displaying.

Taliesin wasn't so crass as to labour his point about being spoiled. He knew that, usually, the more he pushed, the less he got. Instead he smirked into his glass, a hint of colour in his cheeks, pleased with his own teasing and mischief. At his best, Taliesin was congenial, charming, playful and Roland had certainly brought it out in him. How he'd been taught to cultivate that in himself was perhaps not as delightful a tale.

"You have no idea." Taliesin knew he had a devious tongue. He'd heard it from the lips of every man that tumbled into his bed. Plenty of them had become obsessed with it, desperate for more, angered, crying, when Taliesin inevitably turned them away. He finished his drink, his eyebrows raised, a giggle caught in his throat. He wondered if he could make Roland scream, strip away all those manners, that propriety. Taliesin loved to take a man apart like that. He settled his glass on the side-table, propped himself up on his elbow and let himself look at Roland. Very pretty. Taliesin would have been pleased with himself over him, before he came to Krovs.

[councillor-roland]

Roland didn't really normally take slaves anywhere but his suite, normally, or sometimes the music room or a playroom. Perhaps he'd make an exception, if Taliesin proved interesting enough. The Clair de Lune was Roland's type of place, high class and sophisticated, though he didn't eat food, of course. It also held a special place in his heart because it was there that he and Rhys had had their first real conversation and it had lead to their first night together. It would be strange to take a slave there but he just wouldn't take him out onto the rooftop patio, where he and Rhys had met, if he decided to take him there at all. "Do you? Somehow I'm not surprised." Roland smiled at the eyelash fluttering. "I'll have to see what I can do about that."

He raised his glass at the toast and took a sip, watching Taliesin and smirking at the cherry stem trick. "Bravo. Clearly you have a very talented tongue. I'll have to put it to good use after we finish our drinks."

If Taliesin were totally honest, he found high class restaurants rather boring, or at least he had done, when he'd had his freedom. Plenty of men had taken him out for exceedingly expensive dinners, hoping to woo him with a great display of wealth like Taliesin hadn't been perfectly capable of paying his own way. Truth be told, Taliesin had enjoyed seeking out arty spaces, strange little coffee shops that only eccentrics visited, quieter, less well-renowned art galleries, clubs with genuinely interesting clientele, creating the vibes not eating them like... Well, vampires he supposed. Still, he chuckled in response to Roland. "Oh I do like to be spoiled." He fluttered his eyelashes jokingly.

"À la vôtre." He raised his glass, now sitting propped up against the headboard and took a sip. Roland certainly knew how to make a good drink. He took the cherry garnish into his mouth. This was his party trick, knowing how to tie a knot in the stem with his tongue. He'd spent an afternoon figuring out how to do it, bored at university and putting off exam revision. After a moment, he showed the tied stem to Roland, perched on his tongue, before putting the inedible remnants of the cherry in the ash tray.

[councillor-roland]

The response pulled a laugh from Roland. Ah yes, he'd briefly forgotten he was dealing with a slave who, before coming here, had been accustomed to silk sheets. "It is but it has its uses." It was mostly slaves that were the dancers, though staff members worked the bar. The waiters didn't wear much, of course, as it was all catered towards what the masters wanted. "I suppose you'd prefer the high class French restaurant on the roof, oui? They also have alcohol. Perhaps we'll go there instead." If they were going to Clair de Lune at some point, Roland would have to take him to the salon and get him cleaned up with a haircut and some better clothes. It wasn't truly necessary but Roland felt like it was.

Everything seemed to be fine now, given how Taliesin touched him at the kiss and kissed back. Roland scoffed, mock offended, at the question. "Of course." He indulged in another kiss, less brief, arms wound around him for a moment before he pulled back slowly. "Drinks." He mused, teasingly, then disentangled himself so he could make them. He threw on a robe and left the room, walking to the bar for the drinks. A glass of bloodwine for him, the Old Fashioned for Taliesin. He carried them back to the room and climbed onto the bed again, handing Taliesin his drink which was in a proper glass, complete with orange slice and cherry garnihes. "Voila."

"Strip club? How gauche," Taliesin chuckled. The extravagance of this place, to have all the pretty boys they wanted imprisoned downstairs and still to require more titillation. He'd never really understood strip clubs, himself. He wanted all eyes on him, not on someone else on a stage. "But I suppose if that's where the bar is, I'll happily go."

Roland managed to surprise Taliesin with the kiss. His instinct was to giggle into Roland's mouth, his hands tracing over Roland's shoulders, stroking down his chest. Taliesin was the kind of man who was happy to wile away a day in bed, fucking intermittently. He pressed a kiss of his own to the hollow of Roland's collarbone. "I suppose you know how to make an Old Fashioned then?"

[councillor-roland]

Although Taliesin claimed he didn't know, the way he shook his head and closed his eyes hinted that perhaps he did. It was none of Roland's business, of course, but clearly something had happened to the slave to make him act this way. So long as Roland hadn't caused it or frightened him the vampire supposed he didn't have to care, could let it go. Everyone had a past and this was starting to seem like the effect of something from Taliesin's. "D'accord." There wasn't much more to say than that, was there?

Roland nodded when the offer of a drink was accepted. He'd get him something in a moment, after he finished his cigarette, maybe. The somewhat more lighthearted comment, the touch and the compliment all worked to soothe his minor exasperation and he turned to him again, softened. "True, but there is one in the Castle, at the strip club. Perhaps I'll take you for drinks some time." He finished his cigarette and stubbed it out. "Old world manners. What would you like? My bar is well stocked so I have just about everything." He leaned over and stole a brief kiss before Taliesin could answer, pulling back with a smile.

"...I don't know..." Taliesin watched as his hands stopped shaking entirely. Was it something that always happened? Maybe it was the side-effects of being bitten like that, not that he hadn't thoroughly enjoyed it, once he stopped being nervous. His thoughts drifted idly in the direction of the first time he'd ever had sex. He supposed he had trembled then, but that was to be expected. Karl had been a generous lover, at least at first. No. He closed his eyes, shook his head for a second. He didn't want to think about Karl.

"Yes, thank you, actually. I could do with a drink." It had been even longer since he'd a drink than he'd been waiting for a cigarette. The last time had been whiskey, in his house- his parents' house, he supposed- waiting for someone to come and collect him. He'd gone quietly, all things considered. Tears, but no running. "Sadly they don't have a functioning bar down in the Undercroft." He stubbed the end of his cigarette out and let his hand curl around Roland's bicep, almost affectionately. "You take good care of your guests."