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Uh...huh.

Quietly, he slid from his spot on the bench and sniffed at the vitae. He considered it for a second, before looking up to Bailey.

Where'd this come from?

A second sniff. Thus far, Nines had no reason to trust either of them. But despite this, it was a good as he would get. Leaning forward, he began quietly sipping away from the bowl. After a few gulps, he paused, looking back up to the two of them.

So, go on, then. What's this stone supposed to be?

I can see that your PR needs work. So lets say the rock decides to split. Then what?

Nines continued to sip from the basin, taking in small bits of vitae at a time and managing his words in between gulps.

And now to the crux of the matter. As much as you would like...I would like to go back to what I was doing. Disappearing and working freelance. I don't sign binding contracts for a good reason, and as good as your offer may be, I can't. Literally can not do an exclusive contract. This isn't meant as an angry middle finger, just a statement of fact.

Nines was opening up a little. He still didn't trust Ice, and that did color his willingness to work slightly, but it was something a bit more deep seated that drove him to issue his declaration.

I do appreciate the offer of safe housing, and respect the resources you can bring to bear. But you're asking something I literally cannot do.

You're coming across exactly like every single previous binding contract I've worked. Sure, the offer is good. Certainly plenty of benefits, and the work is straightforward and good. But it never stays that way. Lines get crossed, things slip. Then when that happens, when it's all too much, you try to get out, but the employer says no. You get burned if you push, but if you don't more lines get crossed, ones you can't afford to let slide. If it had just been once, then maybe. But repeatedly this has happened. Blood or no blood, I cannot and will not lock myself into that same situation again, knowing I will get burned, whether you intend to or not.

Nines had responded to Ice in kind: he was being straightforward and honest. Now the problem came. He suspected he was already too deep in, and the burn notice had just been signed as soon as he said he wasn't willing to go along for the ride. It all boded very ill.

Repeated near death is a personal reason enough. If it's not good enough for you, I'm sorry, but the statement stands.

Thus far, Nines could see the burn coming. He could see it coming a mile away. And worse still, he knew he couldn't do much about it. The most he could do was grit his teeth and wait for it.

Two hours saw a slightly perturbed, and very worried Bailey standing on a balcony looking down into a large workroom below.

This was the workshop of the strange creature known as Ice. There had been a real name once... Bailey remembered it. He remembered his own too, but Ice... he didn't.
Ice didn't even know what gender he had started out, and it was something Bailey chose not to share. It had been so very many years now since...

It wasn't worth dwelling on. Neither Ice's original looks, gender and name, nor his own, nor the fact he blamed himself for the fact the pair of them had joined the undead, and thus in turn for the debilitating amnesia Ice woke with, and lived with to the present day mattered anymore.

Watching Ice move about the workshop below though, that certain set to his lips and glint in his eyes, Bailey again told himself it had been for the best. He knew well enough his own sense of guilt over what had happened had both made him hold his tongue, and cave to the rather... sadistic.. tastes of initially their Sire, and then, in turn, his brother. His enjoyment was no longer a façade and hadn't been for longer than he cared to remember.

"You're brooding."
"...did I disturb you? My apologies."
"Not outright, but it's not like you can sneak up on me. If you;re going to pout, go somewhere else. I'm working."
"I assume there is a reason you have given that... interesting... amalgam of flesh the face of our young guest?"
"Take a flying guess."
"I had wondered why you were being so... gentle... with him."

Moving away from the balcony, Bailey went back into the corridor and descended a set of steps into the workshop, coming to stand at Ice's side and look up at what he was working on.
Ice stood at 7ft in his preffered form, Bailey at another half foot on top of that when he properly straightened his spine. And yet the... creature... was taller than him.
A mass of different bodies fused together, still living, it bore three faces, all of which appeared to be Nines. Flesh like melted candlewax showed the thing was far from finished, but the rents and gashes of open work space indicated Ice wasn't working on it in order of priority, but rather picking on painful sections out of a need for stress relief. Clearly, being borderline reasonable with Nines was taking its toll.

Knowing his kin as well as he did, Bailey had been beyond suprised when Ice had chosen JUST to talk so far, and hadn't even gone too far towards twisting hsi own words around. It was unlikely to last, but the fact Ice had bothered at all...

"I told you, if you're going to brood, go away."
"Just thinking about..."
"...the kid. I know. I can FEEL it, Bailey."
"The link can be wearing, I know."
"I'm always dreaming someone elses dreams. I dont want to sleep. The itch never goes away... just under my skin, hot enough to burn."
"You feel it around him?"
"Worse than usual. Hot enough I feel like my skin will blister and pop. Just like on the damned woman, but, y'know..."
"Masculine. It was expected.... Ego wont try to stop you, you know... he's noisy but he isn't stupid. You have the ability to destroy any one of us."
"I know. Only four can directly stand against me, but..."
"What? It isnt like you to hold back."
"He isn't the one. I'm growing tired of looking."
"That matters?"
"Only when I sleep. And fire makes me sleep. If he'd attacked me with ANYthing else I could have sorted it without sleeping, but instead..."
"Dreams are just that."
"Not when they are someone elses. If I touched him earlier, I would have killed him. He believes his little trick burned, but it is nothing to the fire under my skin... and the need... He would not have survived, and I would not have wanted him to."
"Prehaps that's for the best. He is hardly pliable or useful to us as is."
"True as that is... if he fails me, if he does not comply... he will not be awarded the pleasure of it being quick. Did you not find him comely?"
"Very Edwardian.... but you know I don't even look at them like that, not any of them. And have not for centuries."
"My faithful brother..."

As the two spoke, Ice had had to fight to stop power from leaking into his voice and gaze. His age was unknown to nearly everyone save his brother, and was merely listed as 'bloody old'. He, like Bailey, creaked with power if he didn't keep an eye on himself, his vitae potent enough, particularly in the cavern, to initiate abilities and traits with just an idle thought, never mind actively trying.
Lines of icy blue raced under the pale fauns skin as they continued to talk, until the end of their conversation. The lines of blue turned inky, all flowing upwards, seeming to disappear behind those soft red eyes as he turned to look at Bailey properly, and stopped dipping the odd finger into the pulsating mound of flesh bearing Nines' face.

"I swore to follow you always, and protect you and your interests. It hasn't changed, Ice."
"Will tonight finally see you tell me why?"
"...no. I cannot."
"Hall of masks, ten minutes."
"As you wish."

Turning to leave, Bailey bore no smile, but the faint trace of goosebumps up his arms belied some form of anticipation at least... and no small amount of trepidation. Ice was always far far worse any day following one of the infrequent times he slept.

"Bailey?"
"Mm?"
"Regardless of why you feel obligated... why stick to only me?"
"Nothing is taboo, we were both taught that. When everything is permitted, why would I not chose to love a monster, and accept wholeheartedly that for me, there will never be a need to search."
"It will not ever be reciprocated."
"I know. Such is my weight to bear, and my choice."
"Do you want me to feel guilty?"
"Heh... you, guilty? Please. You get off on my pain just as anyone elses. What I want neither matters, nor concerns you. If you suddenly cared for my mental well being... it would not be you."
"You're as sick as I am. Remember that."
"Always. Ten minutes... I'll be waiting."

Leaving the room, Bailey knew hr would not see the final result of whatever happened between Ice and Nines... he would be too wounded for some time to come to even think about attending.

As for Ice, he patched the creature up to the point it was stable, and set about finding a few items he would take with him to the hall of masks. Gripping the chin of the nearest Nines' face, nails biting into it, he snarled at the creature as if it were Nines himself.

"As for you... you better be ready to play ball when I get back to you, otherwise I stop playing nice. Stubborn boys fight best of all and I WILL enjoy it if given incentive enough to keep you for myself..."

A cold white fire burnt under his skin, prickling across his entire body, demanding sustenance to keep itself burning, threatening to swallow him whole if he did not appease it....
But it was ok. Bailey was waiting, and after, he would see Nines, more than ready for a second course to his meal if the stubborn fledgeling played him up. Dusk till dawn meant nothing here, save eternity, and there was no escape when Ice set his mind to his specialities.

Light in the workshop dimmed as he left, and within twenty minutes, the entire chasm would ring with ear piercing agonised screams, among other noises, for at least three hours.