saturnia pavonia

perseus
Original poster
DONATING MEMBER
LURKER MEMBER
MYTHICAL MEMBER
Invitation Status
  1. Looking for partners
Posting Speed
  1. Speed of Light
  2. Multiple posts per day
  3. 1-3 posts per day
  4. One post per day
  5. Multiple posts per week
Online Availability
12 pm-10:30 pm (with some exceptions)
Writing Levels
  1. Give-No-Fucks
  2. Beginner
  3. Elementary
  4. Intermediate
  5. Adaptable
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Primarily Prefer Male
  2. No Preferences
Genres
Fantasy, Mystery, Scifi, Romance, Yaoi, Yuri, Horror
It was never a good sign to hear only a single pair of heels echo through the hall It could mean only two things; either Brutus had arrived or his father. While many of the human workers anticipated Brutus simply due to his more forgiving nature, it was no surprise that the secretaries at the front of the lavish establishment all obediently bowed their heads upon the arrival of the elite vampire.

Donned in his usual dramatic attire, donning his mask to hide his face, he stared down at the handful of humans intimidatingly. His height was already rather tall compared to the unhealthy humans but the heels only emphasized his dominance. His pheromones were unbearable to say the least as he neatly held his cane under his arm and while he scanned the humans, his eyes immediately landed on Koda. While humans didn't have names when working, he only knew the man as 'Unit 6'. Tilting his head curiously at the group, he simply held his gloved hand out expectantly with a huff.

"Unit 6, may I have your attention?" He questioned curiously, his voice holding the same intimidating tone as it always did, though his head did tilt a tad, his eyes sparkling a little in curiosity. "Bring this month's report with you. I want to discuss your possible reward," he explained slowly before locking eyes with the others with narrowed eyes. "Now. Make a good example for your... friends here, yes?"

Setting his hand down beside his side, he didn't need to say much else. Why should he? All he needed to really do was simply wave his hand and a human should follow... but Brutus wasn't an idiot. He had taken note of just how different Unit 6 was, down to the frowns he made while the other humans were emotionless, how his hesitance to do as told. With a slow smile under his mask, he waited patiently for the other to gather the paperwork before quickly heading to his office.

"I do hope that the report is positive or I might have to cull some of you and replace you," he admitted casually as he continued down the hall expectantly. "I'm sure that would be disappointing."
 
Many humans would probably love an opportunity to do the work Koda was chosen to do. Compared to the hard manual work he had done in his younger years, and the work many people in the slums he was brought up in still performed, working behind a desk all day in a warm building was almost a luxury. Hell, he had more rations and a home to live in, which he would never have if he hadn't been chosen for the secretarial work.

However, Koda hated every single second of it, purely because of the proximity he often had with vampires - and not just any old one either. Often, he had to deal with Brutus' presence, though thus far, he had managed to avoid personal contact with him. He naively assumed he had flown under the radar, in fact. He thought he had seamlessly blended in with the humans around him - he behaved like them whenever a vampire came around, and he did what was asked of him without complaint. He didn't realise that he didn't do it quickly enough; that he frowned and hesitated before switching to unquestioning subservience.

The moment Brutus' footsteps were heard, Koda couldn't help himself scowling at the papers he was skimming through. He didn't like Brutus (unsurprisingly) and just being in the same room as the vampire made Koda want to damage his own eardrums, just so he didn't hear the other's childish whines. His plan was to simply keep his head low and eyes locked on his report, deciding that he could avoid the risk of showing how he really felt by keeping his eyes anyway else. That plan hardly lasted long, his head shooting up the moment 'Unit 6' was said aloud. In one way, he was happy the vampires didn't use his real name; it was too personal. That said, being known as Unit 6 wasn't that fun either.

Hiding the hatred when he glanced over in Brutus' direction, he quickly nodded and gathered his report obediently. Being called personally by Brutus was slightly worrying, but the emphasis on the report was able to relax him a little. If he was going to be killed, he doubted there'd be so much mention of the report he had written up.

"...It'd be very disappointing, sir. I hope it doesn't come to that," he responded in a neutral drawl, keeping as much emotion from his voice as was humanly possible as he trailed behind the equally tall man, glaring at his back whenever the opportunity came along. "...The report is positive, I assure you..."
 
"Yes, well, I'll be the judge of that, hm?" He replied slowly as he walked slowly down the large hallway, humans absently bowing immediately as they passed Brutus. Growing surprisingly silent, he walked without a word to his large office. Slipping inside, he moved immediately to his large desk with a soft hum, dusted off the seat and flopped down in a far more characteristically childish action of the vampire. Once settled with his hands crossed, he peered up at Koda with sparkling eyes.

"Close the door behind you, Unit 6." He ordered quietly as he rested his chin on his folded hands neatly. Once the doors were closed, he immediately removed the mask to expose a toothy grin that emphasized his fangs. With intent eyes, he watched the human walk back over before taking the paperwork... only to toss it to the side with a grunt.

"I've been meaning to talk to you for awhile," he admitted, keeping his tone low and slow. "I'm not an idiot, you know, and you're a dreadful actor. Now come here," he demanded, all the while watching the other critically. Without other humans serving example, it wasn't very subtle when Koda seemed to be completely oblivious to the pheromones he was emitting. "You're... special, aren't you? You know that, don't you?"
 
Koda, essentially, had two options: he could either feign ignorance and continue to pretend he was like the others, or he could confirm what Brutus suspected. The former was probably the option that, on the surface, seemed the wisest. He didn't want to be killed because he had immunity from the pheromones, which is what he assumed would happen if that truth was confirmed by him. Therefore, lying and continuing to be like any other human seemed to be the best choice... until he realised that that would probably get him killed even quicker. There was clearly an air of curiosity from Brutus concerning his immunity, and that could keep him alive. Lying to his face when he clearly knew the truth was a recipe for disaster. Besides, a small part of him felt relieved that he didn't need to fake the neutrality any longer, letting his lips dip into a natural frown now the truth, apparently, was out.

"...I wouldn't say special. I think I'd rather be like the others," he replied calmly, approaching as ordered. He could completely ignore the order, having no natural, instant inclination to obey it, but wisely, he obeyed it out of choice anyway. Brutus was someone he really couldn't stand and he wanted nothing more than to unleash a vehement tirade at him, but he also wanted to keep his life. He had come to terms with the fact he would probably die earlier than he would like, but at 21, he wasn't really ready yet.

"Is that what you want to talk about? How special I am? I... have work to do. I spent ages on that report," he added, glancing at the papers with another frown at seeing it tossed so carelessly to the side. He didn't expect anyone to actually appreciate his work, but it didn't mean it didn't piss him off to see it disregarded with ease. "...Nor would I say I'm a dreadful actor. Maybe you're just smarter than the other vampires, because they've all fallen for it."
 
"I appreciate the flattery," he replied with a smirk before leaning back once his assumption was right. "Really, I do. Anyone who tells you that it gets you nowhere is either lying or an idiot. That being said, if you're doing this for me to raise your rations then you're sorely mistaken," he explained with a drawl with a roll of his eyes at the mention of the paperwork. While he fully intended on taking his father's role, that didn't mean he wanted to spend hours reading the report at that very moment.

"You don't understand how important this is, do you?" He began with a laugh as he absently tapped his nails on the desk while taking in 'Unit 6's body curiously. "You're... not normal. Now I have every right to have you sent off to be killed or perhaps tell my father and have you poked at but I won't. That being said, I do want to really... figure you out for myself," he explained with a laugh. "This whole job - this whole 'aristocracy' thing - can be so boring, Unit 6! I'm sure you'll never understand but to find something as unique as you? That's... hm. I know you aren't smart enough to understand the severity of the situation so don't worry, I'll do all the work for you," he cooed affectionately.

"You're very dangerous, in fact," he added quietly. "How you singlehandedly defeated a vampire's main source of defense is beyond me but I don't think I can let you just wander around anymore with that fact in mind. I'd be doing my friends a disservice if I did, hm?" He offered with a snort. "I'm sure you're ecstatic to hear that I want to get to know you, you... thing."
 
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Even though he didn't have to pretend to be affected by the other now he knew the truth, Koda was doing his absolute best to keep his face deadpan. It was incredibly tempting to scowl at the vampire and make his real feelings known, but he didn't want to bring any punishment on himself, even if Brutus seemed eager to keep him around to investigate him a little more. That said, having his intelligence openly insulted and being told that he was going to have Brutus get to know him wasn't easy to ignore, particularly the former. He was used to being insulted, but he did pride himself on his intelligence. He knew he wasn't a genius, but he thought he was somewhat clever for evading notice from vampires for so many years. That was clearly impressive, so Brutus' casual disregard was infuriating.

"...It must suck for you to be the heir of this whole company and the whole territory. Must be dreadful for you. I really sympathise. I can imagine most people think you're a spoilt brat, but they don't see how hard your life is, right? I mean, reading a report I spent hours on is more difficult than people realise," he sarcastically responded, a smile growing on his face to at least give the impression he was being complimentary and polite... even if the complete opposite was true. He was hardly being unsubtle with his critiques, but Brutus brought it out of him. To say he disliked the boy was an understatement. "Picking up the report might chip your nail, I wouildn't want you putting yourself through that stress. God, I really do sympathise with your struggles, sir, you have it real tough."
 
“You should be glad that you can read at all, Unit 6. I don’t appreciate your snarky attitude. I may be willing to treat you better than the other humans but don’t forget that I have the full ability to kill you. I would take this opportunity and treat me with respect. You may be an anomaly but you’re still a pathetic human whose life has no affect on me as a whole,” he reminded, his serious tone far more fitting of his position kicking in as he sat up, his smile dropping.

“If I really wanted to be cruel, I could ship you to the West Territory and sell you for a far smarter human while they cut into you, couldn’t I? I won’t, of course, because I’m far kinder than other vampires,” he bragged subtly, his smile slowly returning before he neatly crossed his legs and shimmied off his fur coat. “As for my nails, you’d understand their worth if you realized just how much they cost. Now I recommend that you do as told - I can’t use my pheromones but I can use brute force,” he explained slowly. “I will speak to your advisor, I have a more important role for you, I think. There’s a gala tonight for the families of the different Territories and I think I’d like to show you off. Sure, you aren’t as pretty as the other humans they often keep by their side but you’re special,” He cooed, the backhanded compliment being far nicer than he could have been. “We’ll get you prettied up.”
 
"I don't think you're that much kinder. I just think you're more curious than other vampires. That says more about you than you realise. You clearly don't have much entertainment going for you in life if you're taking such an interest in me, just saying. I should shut up, but you're not going to kill me, right? Even if you do, it's probably a blessing for me-- but you won't. You'll keep me around to 'study' me. Sounds boring, but maybe you need something to keep you busy. You said it yourself, the aristocracy thing is boring," he drawled back at him, manipulating his voice into a childish whine to mimic the other, even though he made a great effort into mocking the vampire by sounding more high-pitched and whiny than he actually was.

It was either brave or stupid to openly mock a vampire, let alone one with such a high standing, but he figured that he suddenly had a great freedom to act as he wanted and say what he had wanted to say ever since meeting Brutus. He was either going to be killed, which wasn't that horrifying a prospect (even if he didn't want to die this young), or he could be punished with a beating. However painful it would be, mocking Brutus to his face was worth a dozen punishments; the expression on his face would be etched into Koda's memory for years to come, and that was priceless and well worth a beating if that was the result of his outspoken remarks.

"...Get me prettied up, do what you want with me. I don't have a say in it, do I?"
 
“Of course you don’t. Nothing you do is you’d choice, remember that,” he sternly replied as a slow grimace grew on his lips. If there was one thing that irked him more than anything, it was being made fun of. It rarely happened, of course, but it cut deep on the rare occasions that he was taunted. As a result, it was no surprise that he gripped at the human’s throat tightly, squeezing.

While pheromones were a vampire’s main defense, it didn’t mean that they weren’t incredibly strong. For someone so seemingly weak in appearance, Brutus could easily snap Koda’s neck. He eventually stopped and let the human go though, exhaling hard at his own sudden spike in anger. He was smart enough to know this was an opportunity worth more than just letting out his anger for a temporary fix.

“”Yes, I will have you sent to get nice for tonight at the end of your shift. Now get back to work, understood?” He commanded before sliding the paperwork back from the side to read, his grimace still holding stubbornly.
 
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Just because he had been expecting the attack, and even braced himself in preparation for it, didn't mean that he could fight it. Even the strongest human out there wouldn't be able to force off the full brunt of a vampire's attack and, just for a brief second, Koda genuinely feared that he had been too cocky and that his mocking had ended his life. When he was realised, his first reaction was to gasp for breath and enjoy the fact he was still breathing, having very briefly come to terms with his own death. Nevertheless, it wasn't going to stop him from airing how he felt. If anything, this was evidence that he could be open with his words (to an extent) and be spared for it because of the curiosity that surrounded him.

"You're an asshole," he spat in retort, clutching his throat in discomfort. He had no doubt that the marks would seen deepen to bruises, but that was the least of his worries. Being dragged along to a ball, in a room full of creatures he detested, was the only thing he was worried about. He didn't want to go along to be put in that situation, but, without freedom of choice, it was out of his hands. He knew that confiding to other humans about his situation would only provoke them into appealing to him. There had always been hope for long-desired equality, and Koda's introduction to the ball would only spur his friends into offering advice aimed to further their cause. He knew equality was ridiculous, but his friends would inevitably discover where he was headed. It was just another headache he didn't want to deal with, but inevitably had to.

"...What time is this thing on anyway? So I know how long I have before I'm forced to ruin my day with this."
 
"At the end of your shift." He answered flatly as he nervously tapped his nails on his desk. Sure, he found violence towards humans amusing just like the next guy but he was never one to lash out as he did, nor did he intend to do it again. Instead, he offered a slow smile and a wave. "You'll be called back here and I will make sure you're worth presenting because, to be honest, the uniform you and your human buddies wear is atrocious. Why my father picked dull grey for you all to wear is beyond me. Now if you tell a soul about this I will snap your neck and place your head on a stake for everyone to see, understood? This is between you and me only - though it isn't like any of your friends would believe you. It's the principle of things, though," he explained before neatly folding his hands into an A.

"Begone, then. Get back to work, organize the vouchers better. Be prepared for the one and only time in your life that you'll be more than just a play-thing or a nice drink," he reminded with a growing grin as he motioned him to leave before sighing to return to work. "Be prepared or I''ll have to make you suffer the consequences."
 
The fact he was also prohibited from talking to his friends about it was just another reason upon several dozen to dislike Brutus and, more generally, the arrogance his kind tended to display. Sure, Koda wasn't too thrilled about potentially telling his friends about his situation, given their inevitable reaction, but hiding things from them only made him feel worse. They were like his family, inevitably growing close to them as a result of their shared miserable existence. Heading off to a ball alongside Brutus of all people was something he desperately wanted to seek advice for, and it only made him uncomfortable knowing he couldn't utter a word of it.

Well, he could, but it would only leave him beheaded, if Brutus' threats were genuine. Too nervous to even risk it, Koda went about his day without a single word uttered to his closest friends, returning home briefly to grab something to eat. His rations were far more plentiful than those who didn't have the job he did, but they were still undesirable in many aspects. The food was often tasteless and bland, and portions weren't the largest - but beggars couldn't be choosers. After taking a (cold) shower and cleaning himself up, he returned to his workplace to meet Brutus, fully anticipating the vampire to critique his appearance. He had changed into the desired outfit and made the effort that was expected of him, but he assumed nothing would ever reach Brutus' standard. If if did, the vampire was hardly going to praise or compliment him for it.

"...Are you going to say anything, sir? You can go on about how ugly I am, I've already braced myself for that. How long will this last? I have a bed to get back to and sleep to catch up on, so..."
 
Brutus could be found lounging back in his chair with a book in hand, enjoying a simple luxury most humans couldn’t have. Once hearing Koda and a few guards walk to his office, he glanced up briefly before reluctantly standing up to wander over to the human, inspecting every inch.

This was one of the most important gatherings of the year and like hell was he going to be made a fool of by some human. Him saying something stupid was inevitable since he wasn’t under his control but he could at least control his appearance... and he was going to be as meticulous as he could be, starting off by pulling off his chest.

“You could definitely have improvements made. Your hair is atrocious , but I appreciate you taking a shower at the least. As for your appearance, a lot of your flaws can’t be helped by me,” he admitted simply before stepping back with a frown. “It’ll have to do.”
 
"My hair is atrocious... You haven't seen yours lately, have you? I thought you had loads of friends? Clearly they can't be real friends or they'd tell you how laughable you look most the time. Just being honest. If my hair is atrocious, I don't even know how to define yours-- but I'm a naive, stupid human, I don't know any better. Maybe you just have a fashionable style I couldn't possibly understand," he retorted easily, folding his arms over his chest in an effort to hold himself together. Snapping back at the vampire wasn't something he planned to do much of, given the potentially dangerous consequences that came with it, but there was only so much he could take. He had spent his whole life being obedient to the vampires, constantly accepting punishment, whether it be physical or verbal, without even attempting to fight back.

He had gone through a genuine effort to look as good as he could, not wanting to draw anger from Brutus for refusing to even try. He didn't want to make an effort for him, but he at least gave it a go, so to be criticised so openly only pissed him off. If anything, Brutus got off lightly with his insult; Koda knew he could say a lot worse than just insulting his appearance.

"...Whatever. Strangle me again, get your childish temper tantrum out the way and then we can get this over with."
 
“I’m sure you would enjoy that, wouldn’t you?” He calmly replied despite his beetroot face. “Your attempts at riling me up are useless, you understand that, right? You’re just wasting your breath. As for my critiques, they’re nothing but advice for the future. Must you be so defensive over everything?”

With that, he tugged on his large fur coat with his cane and slipped on his usual mask before turning to Koda. Motioning to stay still, he pulled out a similar fur coat just for the human, both to keep him warm and to expose his wealth through the human. “Now don’t you look handsome~?”
 
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"This is disgusting, I hate it," he declared petulantly, deciding that if Brutus could be childish (as he'd seen him act countless times over the last few months), then equally, he could act like a spoilt child and turn his nose up at the garment. Not that he really thought it was disgusting. Having warm clothing was a genuine rarity for him, so he appreciated the coat on that side of things. Perhaps more than that, he genuinely quite liked it. He didn't give a shit about the connotations of wearing an expensive coat; he just liked how comfortable it was to wear. Not that he was going to admit it to Brutus, obviously.

"How about you stop insulting me? You know I could just slit my throat and end this little experiment you've got going on, don't you? Hell, I could ruin tonight and embarrass you in front of all your friends. If I'm going to die, might as well go out with a bang. I don't want to die, obviously, but you're sort of pushing me to that, Brutus. You make me want to die," he drawled with an unsubtle roll of his eyes, adjusting the coat with a frown. "...Can we just go now?"
 
“If you kill yourself I’ll be disappointed, sure, but there’s nothing else I could do,” he replied simply as he walked down the large hallway, simply nodding to the human workers who passed who, in turn, bowed obediently. Even without using his pheromones did they know to respect the vampire, what with their lives meaning very little to him.

His smile was hidden by his mask as he carefully stepped into the golden carriage, humming softly once neatly inside. While he was less than impressed with Koda’s appearance, he was at least proud that his seamstress was able to make him look presentable. “Now you don’t have to do much but smile and be pretty unless I say otherwise. Do that, let some of my colleagues take a look at you and you’ll be home in no time.”
 
Even though he wanted to get the evening over with as quickly as possible, he still found himself hesitating and wasting seconds the moment he approached the carriage. He had no reason to use transport to get anywhere, given he really didn't have many places to venture. If he did need to go somewhere, like travelling to and from work and visiting people back at the slums he had grown up in, he had no other option but to walk, regardless how sore and cut up it made his feet, his shoes not really being the best quality. He definitely had had no chance of riding a carriage like this, and never really envisioned it happening. Hell, he never even contemplated the idea, so approaching it and being expected to climb in after the vampire was a surprisingly difficult experience for him. It was so surreal that he momentarily paused, only to jolt back into action and act like he hadn't had a little freak-out.

"...I've got it, I'm not an idiot, regardless what you seem to think," he retorted, settling himself in with his hands rigidly sat on his lap, too afraid to touch anything in case he left a mark. He was perfectly clean and well-groomed, but the luxury of the carriage was intimidating, so much so that he preferred to sit upright with each muscle tensed just so he didn't make any mark or rip the fabric of the cushioned seat below him. Only when a few minutes passed, after the carriage set off, did he let a long breath leave his body, relaxing just enough to be able to move and glance back at the vampire opposite him.

"Do you want me to act as if your colleagues' pheromones affect me? You haven't really briefed me about any of this, Brutus. I need to know how you want me to act, hm? Or I'll embarrass you in front of all those pretentious folks and that'll be mortifying for you, seeing as you care so much about what people think of you, yeah?"
 
“Pretend at first,” he decided after a pause, completely ignoring the critique. His eyes sparkled as he sat up and turned to face the human, not needing to show his face for someone to know he was smiling wide. While Brutus could be childish when it come to getting tantrums, he also had some childlike wonder in him, even as an adult. Lightly grabbing Koda’s arm, he shook him eagerly.

“Oh, that’ll be so cool!” He gushed eagerly. “It’ll be like a party trick. All of them have these pretty humans that hang to them like accessories but you don’t need to look pretty, you’re amazing!” He gushed before laughing. “Oh, yes. Just behave and I’ll tell you when you can drop the act.”
 
The childlike glee was something he had seen a few times during the few months he had worked directly for Brutus and his father's company, so that curiosity and evident delight wasn't so shocking. The fact that he held onto him and shook him was, urgently trying to pull his arm away with a deep grimace. He didn't trust vampires, especially not aristocratic ones like Brutus, so the physical touch only alerted him into thinking something bad was going to happen. These creatures lived off his blood, after all. He was perfectly reasonable for thinking that that could happen at any given moment, so trying to worm away from Brutus was a normal reaction.

It didn't really help matters when he didn't even like the boy. He would have been just as desperate to move away from him had he been human. Even when he was offering compliments, like calling him amazing, there was always a little dig aimed at Koda too, ones that he couldn't really overlook and ignore.

He wasn't one to really proclaim he was the most handsomest man ever to have lived, but it still hurt when he was blatantly described as not being 'pretty' and compared to other humans at the ball who would be. It did sting, it made him self-conscious and, above all else, it just made him angry. So angry, in fact, that he considered ruining the whole event; a plan that lasted all of ten seconds in his head, eventually abandoning the idea when realising it would end in his immediate death. But he could still hold onto the anger, which was hardly disappearing anytime soon.

"Why don't you shut the fuck up so I don't have to hear your pathetic little whines, Brutus? You're giving me a migraine-- just shut your goddamn mouth," he spat before really realising what he had said, growing quiet the instant the outburst left him. He didn't regret any of the words, but he knew they shouldn't have left his mouth in the furious tone they had, though apologising was out of the question.