Time: The evening after Lacroix's visit, Oct. 25
Fingering back his long dark blonde hair, Thorne Severan nods to Daedalus who lets him into the mansion. It is the evening following the nearly disasterous encounter here with Lucien Lacroix. "The prince is expecting me," Thorne murmurs. When the Nosferatu gestures, he crosses to the study and knocks.
"Enter," comes Julian's voice from the other side of the door.
Thorne comes in, closing the door behind him, and immediately moves to stand before the prince. "My lord..." he breathes as he approaches.
"Thorne, you came quickly," Julian says, standing to meet the Tremere. "Good. I wanted to talk with you more about the other night." Julian is dressed a little less formally, still in the suit pants and a dark blue shirt, but there is no tie and it's loosened at the collar.
That Thorne feels emotionally like he has been to hell and back does not show on his face at all, perhaps only a bit of the weariness he let become visible last night.
"Let's dispense with the formalities," Julian starts, noticing that Thorne is waiting. "Sit down and let's just talk."
A bit discomfited... touching the prince was something he had been looking forward to, Thorne pauses then moves to the chair opposite Julian's, waiting for the prince to be seated first. He lifts his eyes, and takes a deep breath. "My prince, I have some explaining to do."
Julian sits down, lightly slumping. The toll of last night's encounter is still having its effects. "Yes, Thorne, about what?" He brushes through his hair, which is more down on his forehead this morning.
The less than pristine condition of the prince... hair awry, collar open... has an arousing effect on the Tremere magus, but he has to get past some things first before he can allow himself to even fantasize about... "The night that you would have received the letters of recommendation from my second, several of the magus and myself engaged in Ritual and experienced something of a spirit vision... on the spirit plane that I mentioned last night."
Julian's body language is completely open. He settles into the chair, resting his hands on the armrests. He is relishing this private time with Thorne, a few moments without everyone watching his every move. "What kind of vision?" He knows he will have to speak of the mortals Ellison and Sandburg sometime, that he cannot keep it from the wizard too much longer.
Thorne sits back in his chair, purportedly to relax, but hopefully that will come later. He must get this out. "When we met, I told you of this vision that we had had... of silver-eyed wolves, a Raven, wolves with green-gold eyes, and another lone wolf and a black jaguar, observing."
"I remember that. We talked about the symbolism," Julian starts, remembering how he had carefully avoided addressing certain elements. "What does that have to do with last night?"
The magus looks deep into the eyes of the prince, and recalls, "I walked on the spirit plane again last night, Julian. Was drawn to it, flowing outward on the stream of energies I mentioned last night. There, in the jungle setting of the vision, by a Temple, the wolves were clashing again. I know who the golden-eyed wolves were." A hardness comes into his eyes and he glances away from the prince. "They were the vampires, Lacroix and his family." A flash of pain crosses through his features.
"Thorne," Julian interjects, reaching out to touch the magus's arm, "what significance does the vision have? Can you tell?"
Thorne starts at the touch from the prince, his gaze snapping back to the other's. "Two mortals were drawn into the vision, Julian. They saw the anger of the wolves and were afraid. I sent them home. I believe... I think they know of the Kindred...?" He raises his eyebrows as if asking Julian to confirm this. "You must know them. They mostly watched you, that is, your wolf image."
[The time has come, the walrus said ....] Julian laughs silently at the image that pops into his head. Almost unconsciously, he lets his fingertips trail down Thorne's arm as he pulls his hand back. "Yes, I know them. It's a long and convoluted story."
"One is a Shaman," Thorne blurts out with more excitement than he intended. "A true one, such a rarity. The other is called a Sentinel, but I do not know what that means. Julian, I believe these two to be some sort of nexus to the spirit plane, and perhaps it is a sign that some major confrontation is coming. I do not know yet." He adds in his mind to himself, [But you can touch me all you like...]
"I think it's time I shared some things with you," Julian starts. [Why do I feel so comfortable around you? It's like we've slipped into some long-time friendship.] "You're right on several counts. The shaman is Dr. Blair Sandburg, an anthropologist; the Sentinel is Detective James Ellison. I don't know what that is, either, but Cash says there's some monograph in the library that explains it. They're mortals who happened onto us by accident, through their special powers. I've put them under my protection until I can sort things out."
Thorne leans forward suddenly, his lips parting. "I knew it... and I'm guessing that this Ellison is a psychic or something? A detective from Washington?" Without being aware of it, Thorne reaches and touches Julian on the arm in the same fashion as he was touched.
Julian moves forward on his chair, a pleasant sensation running through his body at the touch. He smiles in affectionate delight at Thorne's realization. "Yes, a detective ... from somewhere in Washington. Psychic is a good word for it. Although he can't read my mind." [Like you can.] Julian enjoys this game, this new playmate.
"Julian..." Thorne breathes the name, almost like a prayer, "The Shaman... I would like to meet him... both of them, actually. I would like..." He stops, his lips still parted, staring into the other's eyes, realizing what he was about to say. The attraction that he is just now fully realizing... is probably mutual.
"I think that could be arranged ... provided it's agreeable to them. They'd both make excellent Kindred, but they're just getting used to the idea of us," Julian explains, stopping as his eyes catch the other's. It's dawning on him just how attracted he is to this wild unknown. "You'd like what?" he provokes.
Before Thorne is aware of what he's doing, he has plunged forward to capture Julian's mouth with his, sliding off his chair and ending up on his knees as he pulls the prince to himself with a forearm around his neck. The ordeal of the night before, his collapse on the rocks in the Bay, his restoration due to the ministrations of his clansmen, and now... facing Julian again... all center in this kiss, this burst of passion for the one person of power he believes he can trust, his prince.
Julian is startled, pleasantly, by the move and falls forward off his chair, coming to his knees next to Thorne. His hands move instinctively to the Tremere's waist, pulling him closer.
[Julian... my prince... ] Thorne whispers into the prince's mind as his fingers thread up into the dark hair.
[Now I know why Cash likes that so much.] Julian leans back into Thorne's hands as much as he can without breaking the kiss.
Thorne, now that he's gotten past the first advance, relaxes into exploring Julian's mouth avidly, his normal sensual passions free to take over. He'd desired Julian from the moment he'd met the magnetic Prince, and now was amazingly allowed to have something of a way with him.
Julian's lips part willingly, a passion of old coming to the surface, as his tongue flutters against the Tremere's. Even in his initial suspicion of the Tremere, he was drawn to Thorne Severan, attracted by the dark magickal quality, the unknown quantity. He wonders now how far to take it, where to go. His hands start a search-and-destroy mission of their own, seeking their way under the layers of clothes, wanting to touch the unseen.
The other hand of the magus slides into the front of the prince's open jacket, brushing up his chest to the buttons on his shirt, starting to undo them, wanting to *feel* the prince, touch the vessel of power itself. Despite his own power, he has always been attracted to those who wielded same over him. But Julian... so different, his values regarding the Masquerade so like his own. It's a rush.
Julian pulls back, breaking the kiss, only to move his lips to Thorne's neck, tasting the flesh with his tongue, as he trails kisses down to the lion's head amulet at his throat. He exudes such power ... equal to, surpassing mine ... but doesn't come to threaten me. His hands make their way under the black tunic to touch bare skin. So cold, so arousing.
Sighing deeply, Thorne exerts pressure on Julian's head as he tastes the magus's throat, slipping the other hand inside the silk shirt to caress the firm pectorals, the strong neck. "My prince," he breathes again, "touch me, accept me... I need this..."
Julian pushes into the caress, pulling Thorne closer with a firm hand at his back.. "Need you ..." Julian murmurs as he kisses the amulet. "Your prince accepts you."
The kiss to his private sign of personal power, the amulet of the lion's head given to him by his sire, is symbolic of Julian's acceptance of Thorne's magus side which separates him and the Tremere from most of all the other Kindred in the Camarilla. Their "rituals" are why this clan is usually mistrusted, misunderstood. For his prince to accept that... the relief Thorne feels floods his heart with warmth, so sorely needed after... after... He groans with desire, caressing the prince back with a growing urgency.
"Julian accepts you," the Prince whispers, clamping down on the urge to taste more deeply of Thorne, instead lifting his head to kiss the magus's lips once again.
Thorne kisses back like a starving man, his fingers still laid reverently against the prince's throat. He has never told Julian the full story of his torturing at Lacroix's hands, but that horror - and that he asked for it - recedes for a time under the shared desire.
Julian matches Thorne's passion, breath for breath. He's ready to push Thorne backward and move on to the next level. "Brrnnngg, brrrrnnnngg" the phone rings in the background. [Not now, damn it.] He ignores it, blocks it out, and pulls his hands across Thorne's back to his sides.
The magus freezes for a moment, but as Julian seems to ignore the phone ringing, he isn't about to push the prince away, loving his mouth and hands on him.
The phone stops in mid-ring. [Good, *somebody* answered the damned thing.] Julian refocuses on Thorne, returning to his oral ministrations.
A finger gets down to circle a nipple just as Thorne sighs, sucking contentedly on Julian's lower lip.
In the hall, Cash picks up the phone, it is the private number. "Cash."
"Cash, it's Sonny, I need to see Julian right away."
"Sonny, he's rather.....occupied at the moment."
"This is urgent, Cash." The Ventrue primogen's voice is stern.
[Okay, on your head be it, then, oh prince's childe.] "I'll tell him, have him call you back on your cell phone number."
Julian moans at the sensual gratification he's experiencing at Thorne's touch. [Yes ... exquisite ... ahhh.] Julian is nearly incoherent with lust at this point.
Cash hangs up the phone and goes to knock on the study door. "My Lord?"
Thorne freezes, releasing Julian's mouth, but otherwise staying exactly as he is. He takes the opportunity to inhale Julian's scent deeply, loving his personal musk.
[Oh, shit. I'm the prince of the fucking city and I'm busy. Why now!?] He reluctantly breaks off the kiss, but doesn't release his grip on Thorne. "What is it, Cash?" he asks, just a twinge of anxiety in his voice.
"Sonny asks that you call him on his cell phone ASAP. He says it is urgent." The Gangrel's voice echoes through the heavy wood of the door. [Julian, I tried to put him off.]
"All right, thank you." [I know, little one. It's okay.] Julian would like nothing better than to forget the phone call and go back to playing with the Tremere, but he knows Sonny doesn't call often, and not frivolously. "Thorne, I really have to deal with this. Sonny wouldn't say it's urgent unless it really was." [And, so help me, if it isn't urgent, I'm going to have one very sorry childe.]
Catching the mere edge of both the edge of that private thought and the frustrated passion that underlies it, Cash backs away from the door, shaking his head.
Thorne smiles, brushes the prince's lips with his a last time, sighs. "I understand, Julian." Then he puts his lips to the prince's ear, whispers in his most seductive tones, "Another time... my prince." He begins to button up the prince's shirt for him.
"Yes, another time," the prince echoes. "This is far from finished." When Thorne is finished with the buttons, he stands up, extending a hand to help the Tremere up.
Gracefully Thorne takes the hand and rises, but he keeps the hand for a moment and does what he didn't get to do when he came in here. Quickly he lifts Julian's hand to his lips, kissing his ring. "My prince..." He smiles, pleased they have taken this step.
The End
