beallandendall: (04)

[personal profile] beallandendall 2024-05-03 04:15 am (UTC)(link)
It was a trait of the young to muster a blush on their skin. It was a reminder that significant age and experience spanned between them, but her words, concepts and thoughts were beyond her current years. It was a rather enlightening mixture, and it kept him on his toes as well, which was an admitted rarity these days. It was easy to think he had seen most that there was to see.

"It is a rare thing for something to slip passed my guard these days, but..." he turned his red eyes on her delicate hands as she reset the chess board. He swirled his wine as if he might even drink it all tonight. "There are some that have accomplished such a feat. You just might be one of them," he admitted softly. "But an enemy, that is unlikely so you will be protected while under my roof."

He gestured with a hand at the board as it was set up, not particularly interested in a game tonight but willing to entertain it if it meant stealing an hour or so more of her time. "Do you fancy a game, or shall we enjoy our wine in peace?"
beallandendall: (02)

[personal profile] beallandendall 2024-05-04 02:47 am (UTC)(link)
Ah, it had been some time since he had caught her off guard, and he allowed himself a momentary victory to the surprise on her face. Had she not realized that his normal reclusiveness was much worse when she wasn't around? He had sought out moments of conversation knowing that she would bring a perspective that he may not have considered in some time or at all.

The questions paraded across her expression even as she finished setting up the board, but then he noted that she seemed to refrain from too much more. He was curious about what she was thinking about and if it was more than the implication of temptation. He knew her well enough to know what she craved after all.

He wondered if she had considered his own abilities to manipulate a situation for his own gain. The sister queens could be problematic, and securing one of them - their 'weak' link - allowed an easy win into their coalition. He had no interest in such things, but Lenore was smart and capable. She might have a dangerous past but so did he, long ago that it may be.

He raised an eyebrow at her careful question, not surprised by it but intrigued that she decided to set upon that path. He half expected her to take time to consider, to ponder the possibilities. He bought himself a few seconds of ponderance by setting down his wine glass next to the chess board and turned in his seat so that he was half facing her.

"Does the endless possibilities of what could be behind polite interest excite you?" He could show her many things beyond what he already had, but the crux of it was how much of themselves were they potentially willing to give into vulnerability? "As for who I am, that is a layered question. Perhaps you'll find a monster. Perhaps you'll find a gentleman. Perhaps nothing more than a man. Or all those and more. Just, as I expect, is the same as you."
beallandendall: (03)

[personal profile] beallandendall 2024-05-04 05:08 pm (UTC)(link)
It had been a very long time indeed since he can considered a courtship of any kind. It was easy to fill the void of loneliness and absent love with all of his studies, his interests and the reminders of his dead wife that had put him on this path in the first place. Vampires were capable of love no matter what any of them would claim otherwise; it was easier to lean into the monstrous nature but vampirism only enhanced ones base urges.

With their long-lived bodies, courtships could take a very long time, but often they were far too eager to indulge in the thrills of an old life. Most jumped in with both feet to feed their egos and their primal urges. Once the ball was set in motion, vampires tended to lean right in. He was not above that either, though he had learned over the years to be cautious with his reasoning to why he did so.

He moved his arms out of the way as she came over to his chair, guessing correctly on what she might do. As she slid into his lap, he curled an arm loosely around her middle to stabilize her perch and then reached out with his other arm to curl around her knees in order to draw her legs up and also keep her dress hem politely over her ankles so she could rest her feet on the arm of his chair if she wished.

"And I will be a monster again, just as I will be a gentleman," he said simply. They were all many things, and to deny that was to disillusion oneself. There was a rare thrill to be close to someone like this and not be about to make an example of them; he and Lenore had had moments of being physically close as they leaned over an experiment and he explained the finer details of it. This was completely different. "I have no interest stopping you from being who you are, Lenore. The parts you hide or don't feel you can show others are what I find fascinating about you most."

Her enthusiasm for dissecting situations. Her word vomit on histories and other cultures was endearing. She was cautious of him - smart - but it didn't stop her from engaging.

"The question is: what are you hoping to find beyond my guard?"
beallandendall: (04)

[personal profile] beallandendall 2024-05-04 06:33 pm (UTC)(link)
Who would dare snuggling into his broad chest and make themselves so comfortable? He expected anyone that might be on that list were long dead, and his brief flings were a good century or more old. They were incapable of producing their own body heat unless they made an active sacrifice to do so, but the weight of her body against his own was oddly welcome.

As he thought, she didn't push either, didn't take a risk to see what it was that he could offer now that he had let her in his physical space like this. She was as polite as he expected her to be, and he appreciated that; his tolerance for blatant hunger and frantic expressions of lust were admittedly low. This slow coming together was something he enjoyed. It showed him a respect that he always hoped to show her in return. She was not flesh to satisfy but an intellect to engage with on multiple levels.

He did not urge her with any gesture or noise for an answer. That she took her time to consider earned more of his respect. Lenore was a romantic at heart; he knew that. She had explicitly told him that her sisters didn't take her seriously on such topics, but he found the innocent want to be cared for to be valid. Was she taking her time to formulate an answer that expressed some of those vulnerabilities again?

And her eventual answer didn't displease him. That she felt she could be honest meant that they had built a trust. He had considered that she could be manipulating him, but he expected that she had already considered that. "There will be times when I am consumed by my interests, but it would be entirely unintentional. It has been well over a century since I considered entertaining a courtship," he remarked truthfully. That's what this was, wasn't it? A courtship.

He made a noise in his throat at her last word, amused and not unkindly. He moved his hand from cupping her ankles lightly to taking one of her hand so he could bring the back of it to his lips for a gentlemanly kiss. "There is no one living who would call me sweet. Perhaps you shall have that opportunity."

He looked at her over the curve of her own wrist. "Will you accept a courtship, Lenore?" He was asking to respect her right to choose as a women if this was what she wanted, but also to remind them both of the risk it would be. Politically and emotionally.
beallandendall: (09)

[personal profile] beallandendall 2024-05-04 11:04 pm (UTC)(link)
Vlad also was obligated to consider the implications of possible favourtism among those who were in his court. It would be the first or the last vampire union, but there could be ramifications for other vampire lords and ladies to feel threatened or intrigued or disgusted. He cared little for the gossip of it, aware it would keep tongues wagging long into the nights and even some days.

He found his need to consider the sister queens. They were not a coalition to trifle with for most, and he had no doubt that Carmilla would attempt to take advantage of the increase of status that his favour brought. Morana and Striga would be far more tactical, likely expecting that this matter would be short-lived; they would likely keep to themselves given the rumours of their own romantic attachments to each other.

His clawed fingers closed around her fingers in a return gesture. He continued to watch from as he added a second kiss to the back of her hand. "Then it seems we are in agreement on such a matter. Do you wish secrecy or would it suit you to allow others to know either as they come by the information or witness us together?" Her answer would change how he treated her during court gatherings of course, and it also meant he may or may not need to silence maidservants.
beallandendall: (10)

[personal profile] beallandendall 2024-05-05 02:00 am (UTC)(link)
He nodded his head, accepting the answer without protest. He had no reason for such secrets himself, but she was the negotiator in many political situations and it was unclear how her association with him might alter outcomes. "Very well, we have no reason to hide such a courtship, and so we will not. It will give others something to gossip about for some time anyway. It's been some time since I stirred gossip circles that I'm aware of." And he frankly did not care for the opinions of most; it was just important to respect him or fear him.

Thankfully, there were very few that would openly move again him or anyone under his protection. He offered a small squeeze of her hand and lightly stroked her back with his other hand. "I shall arrange for a special meal to treat you with, shall I?"
beallandendall: (10)

[personal profile] beallandendall 2024-05-05 08:28 pm (UTC)(link)
He nodded his head, and he already had a meal in mind that they could share that both would surely enjoy. It would have to remain a surprise for now, of course. Strategizing - even for meals - could bring him pleasure when he decided it was worth the consideration, and given the tilt of their relationship, he considered it a worthwhile endeavor. Courtship was meant to be a romantic affair after all; they had no reason to use it for strengthening alliances like humans of course.

He wasn't surprised by the kiss to his cheek, but he had to admit that he was unexpectedly pleasant. He could be charming and charismatic after all, and he also recognized that Lenore could rival him potentially in that. Her affection filled a tiny bit of the old repressed loneliness. The corner of his lips pulled in a smile at her question. "You may call me as you like. Vlad, Dracula, my lord... as it suits you," he replied truthfully. "In this courtship and whatever else may come, we are equals."
beallandendall: (04)

[personal profile] beallandendall 2024-05-18 02:45 am (UTC)(link)
He relaxed into his large chair when she settled in against him, and he was pleased when she rested her head to his shoulder. One hand moved from her leg to cup her dainty feet, stroking the top with a thumb as he enjoyed her company. His arm tightened around her shoulders to hold her close against him where they were cuddling. He could sit with her in silence or in conversation for many hours.

He made a soft noise at her request, tipping his head back against the chair as he considered the numerous theories he had in the works that he was trying to validate with evidence. He had shown her a few experiments, and she had been politely interested in what he worked on and how he set up his projects.

"I'm currently continuing my work with fungi and their medical implications. Drying out their fruiting bodies and boiling or breathing the fumes is the most current curative methods, but I suspect that there are other methods that can extract their properties." He dropped his head so that his chin rested on the top of her head. "Distill? Mix with certain herbs? I haven't found the correct combination for afflictions."

He then took a moment to launch in the details of each of his current experiments, laying each out and walking through how he had come up with the theory and which elements were successes or which were not the providing evidence to his theory. All the while, he stroked the top of her feet with his thumb.
beallandendall: (07)

[personal profile] beallandendall 2024-05-26 02:24 pm (UTC)(link)
He continued to explain to the most minute detail the current experience, including the pH of the water, the microelements as he was aware of them and the application of heat or humidity over all. He was aware of her relaxing against him further, and he knew the moment that she fell asleep against his shoulder. That she was tucked against his body and all the danger that he could be and fell asleep was telling.

For a few minutes, he simply kept talking, but his red eyes dropped to study her sleeping face. His fingers continued to stroke her foot through the fabric of her dress, and he let his head lean back against his chair for a moment of consideration. How long had it been since someone slept on or near him? Longer than he cared to admit.

Slowly, his voice trailed off to silence, only the crackling of the fire providing background noise. After watching her sleep for some minutes, he made the decision and leaned in to press a soft kiss to her forehead, lingering against that soft pale skin for half a minute before he gathered her up carefully in his arms and rose from his chair to take her to her bed chambers.
beallandendall: (07)

[personal profile] beallandendall 2024-06-02 07:58 pm (UTC)(link)
While standing, he waited for her to settle into his arms or potentially wake. When she remained peacefully asleep and even nestled her face to his shoulder, he tightened his grip on her as he turned to ease from the room. He abandoned games, wine and the hearth to travel through the castle depths to the guest quarters where he had intended Lenore and her waiting staff to have plenty of room and privacy for their own business.

Of course, making the journey with her in his arms, it did seem a rather long distance to travel. He didn't consider it terribly though as it allowed him to continue to hold her, monopolizing time he might otherwise lose on a hand off with the maid servants. In fact, he made a concerted effort in the corridors to avoid them.

He arrived to her bed chambers. It would be considered rude to admit himself to a lady's chambers without invitation first. Yet, he shouldered in knowing he could be breaking her confidence and trust, all so he could be the one to set her gently upon her bedding. He did so slowly in an attempt to not disturb her sleep, even going so far as to use his index finger to move some of her red hair back to be behind her pointed ear.

"Sleep well, my dear," he whispered softly.