bsumone | ❝ Masquerade ❞

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❝ Masquerade ❞

{ seething shadows breathing lies }

Traditional thing that Iseul is, he made a point of sending out invitations to every monster and supernatural being with whom he's acquainted the day after telling Damian of his masked ball. Each is written in a large, looping hand and reads:

My Dear Friend,

You are cordially invited to a most exclusive masquerade ball to be held at my estate on the next new moon. The attire is formal with a theme of silver and gold. My doors will open promptly at 8:00pm. Dinner will be served with music, dance, and festivities to follow.

I do so look forward to your attendance.

Kindest Regards,
Your Host

Iseul's calling card is included for those who may not recognize his handwriting. It also happens to have his address on it, as well.

Guests will find the house dark and sprawling, positively goth in decor and style. For those who know or know of Iseul, this won't be a surprise. There's a running joke in the community that the Fae is truly meant to be a vampire... more so than his long-standing vampire rival. Those in attendance will be shown to the parlor, the pocket doors thrown wide to the adjoining suite to make it something of a small ballroom. Musicians sit off to the corner playing with few breaks throughout the night.

The dining room boasts a long table with a veritable banquet. Though, one must be careful about eating Faerie food. Never fear, dear guests, for none of this food was prepared or even harvested by Fae hands. Outside, the grounds are covered with sprawling flower gardens, topiaries, and even a small maze of hedges. Lanterns light the paths since there's no moon for light. Both in and out, the house has many dark nooks and crannies and unoccupied to rooms to disappear into. All guests are welcome to stay if, for any reason, they are unable to leave at first light.

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Yes, yes. Every word Damian uttered made sense in Iseul heart. It didn’t matter that his body felt weak, that his legs were boneless and he could only stay upright thanks to the tree behind him and Damian pressed against him. It didn’t matter that his mind still felt foggy, that he was drunk on his desire. He knew with all the certainty that the sun would rise, that the moon would wax and wane, that he wanted to spend his eternity with Damian. Loving Damian, not locked in some silly battle of wills.

One arm slipped from the vampire’s shoulders so Iseul could trace the curve of his cheek. His skin felt warmer now, perhaps a combination of the fresh blood and exertion? Iseul couldn’t know. Some of the haze cleared from Iseul’s eyes and his focus sharpened before he nodded.

“Always, my unholy angel.”

Always. His unholy angel.

The words wrapped around him like a warm blanket and Damian leaned in to press a kiss to his lips as he sighed softly. Then he smiled a little and he nodded. He didn't need to hesitate or think on this further. He knew what he wanted and what would feel right. And it felt so good to have that confidence in his answer.

"Yes. I will. Please let me share a bed with you as well when we rest. So I'll know you're close."

Iseul leaned into Damian’s kiss, still able to taste his blood lingering there. Why, he wondered, did they wait so long to give in to these feelings? They’ve so clearly been just under the surface for so long… And now they’re both caught up in the current of those feelings rushing through the broken dam. Drowning in them.

“Of course,” he sighed, content with Damian’s answer. He’ll have to make sure at least some part of the house was completely safe for Damian’s days. It wouldn’t be hard given Iseul’s fondness for heavy window treatments, but he refused to take risks. “You’ll be safe here.”

"I believe you."

He pressed his forehead to Iseul's then closed his eyes. A fleeting thought from earlier came to mind and he hesitated a moment before shaking his head. No. This was definitely what he wanted. He wanted to do this now.

"Iseul...I want to give you my real name."

He knew it would mean that the fae would have power over him whenever he wished to. But it was a risk he was willing to take. To be closer to the man that he loved.

Iseul’s eyes fell closed and he nuzzled Damian subtly until the vampire shook his head. Then he pried his eyes open, staring at him – gaping at what he said. Those soft lips parted in surprise and dark eyes widened by degrees.

He shouldn’t… He’s already consumed Fae blood. But Iseul wanted it almost as badly as he wanted Damian himself. The thought of having it made his mouth water and left him suddenly breathless all over again.

“Tell me,” he barely managed to whisper.

He'd gotten this far. He could back out now. However he wasn't going to. No, Damian refused to now that he'd made the offer. This was dangerous but he wasn't going to stop.

"My name is Hwang Haru," he said, giving the fae the ability to have power over him for the first time in their relationship.

“Hwang Haru,” he breathed out reverently. What a gift his vampire has given him. First himself, then his name. Iseul felt boneless and leaned back heavily against the oak tree. Reaching out with both hands, he cupped Damian’s face, running his thumbs over the vampire’s cheeks.

“My name is Chandrian.”

He gasped softly when he heard the name. It was not something he'd been expecting to get at all. Eyes wide, he stared at him for a moment before he breathed out the name that he'd just been given. "Chandrian..."

The fae had just offered him power over him in return. That was not lost on him. The meaning behind that was... It was so intense.

Damian gazed so fondly and lovingly at his new lover. "I'll keep it safe. I swear it."

He swore it. Iseul breathed out and closed the space between them to seal their oath with a kiss. They could keep each other safe. They would keep each other’s names and secrets safe. Now and always.

“I trust only you with this gift,” Iseul murmured.

Pushing his fingers through that dark hair, he rested their foreheads together. A beautiful vow that didn't require a contract to be written up. He knew that they would keep this one without question. Closing his eyes, he smiled then let out a soft laugh. Pulling back again, he gazed into those beautiful eyes.

"My things aren't going to match yours at all."

For a few seconds, Iseul just stared at him. Then he huffed out a dry laugh.

“What a way to ruin the mood.”

"I think I've kept the mood alive. I like the idea of no one knowing what things belong to who!"

Damian giggled a little then nuzzled his nose with his own. "How are your legs doing? Do you need more support?"

“No one could possibly mistake our things.” A fact they were both very aware of. But he had several unused rooms he’d happily let Damian claim for himself and his pastel aesthetic. The last thing he wanted was for Damian to be uncomfortable in his own home.

The nuzzle earned a soft sigh, but the vampire’s question was cause for a subtle pout. “No,” he grumbled. No, he didn’t need more support. “But I don’t want to move apart from you just yet.”

"It's alright. I wasn't going to move apart from you."

Instead, he suddenly swept Iseul up into his arms so he could reverse their positions. Sinking down to the ground, he sat down with his lover on his lap. All to keep him from getting more than his feet dirty. Nuzzling into him, he sighed as he tucked him close against him.

"I just wanted to make sure you wouldn't fall during the brief moment I had to change my hold to do that..."

Iseul gasped at the sudden shift, clinging tightly to the vampire until they were settled on the ground. Even as he nestled closer, he made a weak protest.

“You’ll get dirty…”

Damian could have at least sat on some of their clothes! Ah, but it was so nice to snuggle up with him like this, completely naked under the stars with the scents of his garden all around them. Incredibly romantic, in fact. Iseul was nothing if not a romantic.

Surely the party would continue without need for him… if only just a little longer so he could bask in the comfort of this intimacy with his vampire. Peering at him curiously, Iseul finally asked, “What do I taste like, Damian?”

"You'll have to clean me up very well later then."

Because Damian was very happy to sit here like this holding Iseul. Smiling at him, he tilted his head. Then he hummed as he considered the question and how to put it into words.

"You taste like...warmth mixed with the sweetness of magic. When I taste you it's like my entire body tingles and fills with life in a way it never has before. I don't think I could ever taste another and it would satisfy me. Not after having partaken in you now. I can still feel the magic moving through me."

Iseul shifted an arm from around Damian’s shoulders to trace his fingers over the curve his cheek. The touch was so light and reverent, as if the Fae couldn’t believe he was actually real, actually holding him.

“Ah,” he sighed out. “If only you could subsist on me and only me.” Iseul was sure it wasn’t possible. At least, not without causing great harm to himself. They would have to settle for little sips here and there. It surprised him just how pleasurable Damian’s bite was: the slight prick of pain followed by a heady sort of delight that made him feel high.

"I likely can. I don't need to feed very often and your blood is far stronger than what I usually drink." He was old enough now that he mostly just drank every night because he felt like it. He could easily go a couple weeks or perhaps longer if he wished to. And he would do so gladly just for the chance to only ever drink from his lover from now on. After all no one else could ever satisfy him now.

"I would prefer to only subsist on you if you would allow it. I have no desire to drink from another ever again at this point."

“I will allow it,” Iseul began. “But you must promise me that you will not suffer for it. It would not sit well with me if you starved on my account. Swear it to me, my angel.”

Iseul was deadly serious as he peered at the vampire. Yes, he would accept Damian feeding only from him. But he would not knowingly cause him any suffering.

"I swear it to you. If I need more blood than just yours you will be the first to know."

Damian leaned in to kiss him to seal his words, to let Iseul know that he truly meant them. He would not break his vow on this. That was a promise. "Luckily I plan to avoid things that would mean I'd have to change that."

A subtle smile curled Iseul’s lips and he nodded to acknowledge Damian’s oath. When the vampire kissed him, he let his lips linger, savoring the unique flavor of his lover along with the lingering taste of his own blood.

He lets his hand fall away from Damian’s face, fingers instead brushing over the spot where he’d been bitten. A quiet sigh slips from his and his lashes flutter before coming rest against his cheeks.

“I’ve never felt anything like this before,” he admitted very softly. Like the bite? Like making love with Damian? All of the above. That spontaneous passion of it all was just… He still felt a little dizzy from it.

"I haven't either." And he was honestly glad that this was his first time experiencing it because he wasn't sure he wanted to have ever known it with anyone other than this man here. He smiled and kissed him one more time.

"You know, you do own my house. We could just make both places ours entirely. Let this one be for your parties and the other when we want to just be alone..."

Splitting their time seemed like a good idea. Damian’s house was very nice and getting rid of one of them seemed like a waste; especially after Iseul went and bought Damian’s house specifically for him to continue living in a place he liked.

Iseul wrinkled his nose slightly, though. “My studio is here. Have you room for it?”

"Of course. We can redesign the entire upper level to be your studio."

He hardly ever used it anyway. It would be good to see it put to use. And by someone he cared about with such talent at his fingertips. He smiled at him and gave him a little kiss.

"You'll love it. I know it."

Iseul sighed, content to remain curled up with his precious vampire under the stars and the swaying leaves of the oak tree. He did feel a bit of sting where the tree’s bark bit into his back, but it would heal soon enough. For now, it was merely a pleasant reminder of what they’d just done.

He reached up to press his palm against Damian’s cheek. “Of course I will. I will be with you.”

This time when he sighed, it was with a hint of sadness. “Would that I can spend the rest of the night here with you, my angel. But we must return soon.”

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