Power Play

"Cut your tongue out? Isn't that exactly what I told you I would do? What, are you less intimidated by me?" He questioned in genuine surprise and eventual disappointment. His whole job as a vampire was to be intimidating and, while he could act childish on his own, he was definitely seen with respect by the other higher vampires. For a human to imply he wasn't as strong as the others was disheartening.

"Hm... well, just be obedient and you'll be fine. You were obedient up until this point, weren't you? I don't see why it would be so difficult for you to do now," he commented flatly. "Just admit that you're being overly rude and I'll admit that I'm heartless. I think it's an even trade-off, don't you?"
 
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"You don't scare me that much. Why would you? You don't strike me as scary. You've got this whole cute thing going on, it's more enjoyable than frightening" he shrugged, too distracted by the vampires roaming past to really notice and acknowledge his remark. If he was pushed to admit, he would openly state that Brutus was cute; of course he would. He didn't like him, but it would be idiocy to pretend that he wasn't completely attractive. He wasn't happy to admit it, but his distracted state of mind all but did that for him.

"Maybe I'm rude," he shrugged again, turning around to at least avoid the eyes staring at him from behind their masks, that being an image he wasn't all that comfortable with. "And maybe you're heartless, but I've got a reason to be rude-- you don't need to be a dick to me because I'm human, that's just too predictable and boring. I'd be more scared of you if you were nice to me-- like, genuinely nice. I'd find that fucking terrifying."
 
Brutus couldn't help but have a soft blush come to his cheeks at the compliment, though he brought no attention to it as he simply dipped the blood instead. It was a good way to keep himself quiet as he tried to figure out how to respond. After all, he had been given plenty of compliments but he had never been told he was 'cute'.

"Yes, well, too late I suppose. I know you're giving me compliments in an attempt to change my mind, aren't you? I highly doubt your words are genuine," he snorted as he watched other humans walk pass, their slim and dainty appearances contrasting the clear strength and power their vampire masters radiated. Hell, the East Territory's leader was a near foot and a half taller than his Doll, that of whom cling to the man's side right.
 
"...What compliment-- Oh. Right. Are you attractive? Sure, I meant that. I'm not stupid enough to think complimenting you would save my ass, Brutus. If I thought that, I'd be on my knees, gushing about how fantastic you are. You are cute, I'm not going to pretend you're not, even though I'm apparently the ugliest human ever to exist, according to you and your jumped-up friends," he muttered, leaning on the bar with a quiet glance at the other, observing the blush with a growing grin. It wasn't going to make him like the vampire, but it was a moment that he found sincere and genuine, and that was something he could at least admire and appreciate.

"I prefer you to Matthias," he admitted after a moment, offering another smile across without necessarily meaning to. The fact Brutus wasn't criticising him made him less likely to critique him in return. "...I mean, I never thought I'd say that because you've been awful, but he's... he's weird and I get weird vibes from him. You're at least... interesting to me? Like, you're awful sometimes, but then you're kinda... like a big kid, and I know I insulted you for that, but it's... not that bad. I like that more than I like the whole superiority bullshit."
 
The more the other spoke, the more his cheeks grew beetroot and the more he was desperate to ignore it. He was a tough and ruthless vampire for the next in line for the control of an entire Territory and he was being called 'cute'? It wasn't the sort of compliment he would expect.

"He definitely is... strange," he agreed after a moment of thought. "Marcia is fine, I'd say she's the closest to a friend I have here, but Matthias has always been a bit odd. He isn't an aristocrat, he was just some vampire in the slums that she took a liking to, but yet here's here rubbing elbows with everyone else. He isn't mean, just... strange."
 
"I think he's mean. He threatened to cut my tongue out. I know you did that too, but I... believe that he'd do that. You wouldn't, you'd miss me insulting you too much. You can get annoyed with me, but what other human is going to call you out? I'm sure you'd miss me if I was gone," he pointed out slowly, refusing to look at him in the fear that he'd just end up smirking, and that playfulness, whilst it clearly existed, wasn't something he was comfortable with. He was growing less disgusted with Brutus as the seconds ticked by, and he didn't want to warm up to him like that. This was someone who treated him like shit and looked down his nose at him; who took joy in threatening him.

Growing to like him, however small that affection was, wasn't something he wanted, nor needed. But he also couldn't deny that, after comparing Brutus to the other vampires in the room, he was becoming far more likeable.

"...I'd rather stay with you. I... don't like it, but I have my own home and... friends. I don't want to leave them-- do you want to see me cry, is that it? To beg you?"
 
"A little, yeah," he admitted as he leaned against the bar himself, his own eyes avoiding Koda's to instead observe the other vampires. "It would boost my ego and, right now, you've made me feel like proper shit. I think it's the least you could do for being so disrespectful for me. I want you to know that I don't enjoy you talking back, I just find it interesting," he insisted before pushing off the bar to fill his glass once again.

"This is a business venture as well, so I'm going to talk around. I suggest you follow me so no other vampire comes in and swoops you up. I may be incredibly frustrated by you and would like nothing more than to see you cry and beg but I also need to work on getting my Territory more popular," he admitted before tilting his head to motion the other to follow. "Come on, then."
 
Biting back a remark, just to try and continue the relatively good mood between them, Koda spent most of the night on his best behaviour. He didn't want to accept any critiques of himself without any attempt to defend himself, but he also didn't want to be handed off to Matthias and spend the rest of his life dealing with torture, which is what he expected what happen if it all became a reality. If he had to act good and speak when prompted to by Brutus, as though he was little more than his personal toy, then so be it. A small part of him even enjoyed the shock that came on the faces of the aristocrats when he was able to speak out, but it was a slither of enjoyment in an otherwise horrendous evening.

And it didn't look to be salvaged when Matthias strolled back up to them at the end of the night, fully expecting to be given the human after they had agreed on such.

"Marcia's really very grateful to you for this, she says it's a lovely gift. Maybe even nicer than the jewels I bought her. Your human's priceless, after all," he smiled, tapping his fingers against his leg contemplatively, only breaking the intense focus to smile over at his wife. "...I'm sure you can find yourself a pretty Doll to take along to the next ball, Brutus."
 
"I don't think I should give you him," Brutus admitted, his tone sas. It was fabricated, but you wouldn't be able to tell. "It seems he's gotten ill, I wouldn't want to give you a Doll that's so sick as him, nor would I want Marcia to get sick because I gave her a bad human, yeah? I wouldn't want you to assume I did that intentionally," he insisted. He had explained the plan to Koda quickly once they were alone again and he glanced down at him to confirm the claims.

"I wasn't expecting this, to be honest. In fact, I'm disappointed in him. I promise I'll get him nice and healthy not long after your anniversary," he reassured calmly, a smile on his lips underneath his mask. "Please accept my apology, Matthias."
 
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Matthias had always been an expert at hiding how he truly felt. The only exception was his wife, of course, but she was an exception to almost all things in his life; he would never dream of deserting her or stabbing her in the back like he would do with most people. However, it was difficult to hide just how irritated he was in that moment, his lips pulling into a tight scowl in disgust at the turn of events. When he had been promised something, he expected to get it, rather to be told that the situation had changed. That was hardly fair.

"...That's not going to work for me. If he's sick, we'll make sure he gets better whilst keeping our distance from him. He doesn't look all that sick, Brutus, so it can't be too serious. I'm sure we'll manage-- or are you going to go back on your word? Marcia won't be happy, I thought you'd hate to disappoint her. This... human disrespects you, I thought you'd love to be shot of him."
 
"Well,I will speak to her personally and explain the situation if you're afraid she'd be upset. This Doll is my responsibility and, as I said, I'd feel horrible if I gave him to you and I caused you to get ill," Brutus insisted, bowing a tad for emphasis before locking his eyes on Matthias' firmly.

"I don't want to disappoint her, I'm not lying on that. I care about Marcia greatly, you of all people should know that I was close to her long before you two even met. I will make sure to offer him to you two when I get him a bit more healthy and in shape," he reassured softly despite his sharp eyes. Sure, he saw Marcia almost like a mother to him but that didn't mean he had to like this former pauper.
 
"Of course she's going to be upset, and disappointed-- In fact, I'm sure she'll replace the fondness she had for you in some other aristocrat. I doubt you'll be her favourite after a betray of this magnitude, because your lies are so transparent that it's pathetic. He isn't sick; he seems to be in perfect health. I'm calling bullshit, Brutus, and Marcia isn't going to be happy that you lied to me. You might not like me, but she does. You offending me -no, offending us- isn't going to go down very well," the other aristocrat mumbled, trying to maintain an element of composure, despite wanting to rant and rave about how unfair and wrong it was for someone to go back on a deal he had already gushed to his wife about. It wasn't right, and he hated the fact he couldn't communicate that as loudly as he really wanted to.

"...You should tell her yourself and deal with the inevitable consequences of her disappointment. I won't pass on the message and let you worm yourself out of it, that isn't going to happen. Come and tell her how misleading you are to her face; be a man for once."
 
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