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Subject: Is that an offer? Author: Cas [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] Date Posted: 08:40:18 05/13/02 Mon Cas was totally unprepared for Eremis sudden assault. He hit the floor hard, a strangled curse flying out of his mouth as his friend pounced on top of him, knocking the wind out of his lungs. His arms felt all weak and stupid for some reason, and he kept giggling instead of laughing. Although Eremis was ever so slightly heavier than him, he was still pretty sure he could whip the pansy healer’s little ass. Part of the fun in having a cool new friend like Eremis was being able to tease him about being a wimp—and being able to back his mouth up. He stuck his tongue out at the healer when he pinned his wrists above his head somehow. Cas had a hard time figuring out how he’d managed to do THAT, but his thoughts kinda froze when he felt Eremis digging around in one of his pants pockets. Whoops—he got a little bit (okay, a lot) turned on when the healer’s hand probed some of his more sensitive areas before he found the pack of cigarettes and pulled them out. Just drugs and liquor, that’s all, he thought, rolling his eyes as he sat up and faked a glare at Eremis. It was pretty lame to let a friend get you all hot and bothered, at least in his book. Best to leave that sorta thing for mere acquaintances and even strangers, if they were willing to pay. His glare turned real when he noticed Kisa lighting up one of the cigarettes before passing it to Eremis. What the hell? Here he was, doing his damnedest to help a sorry ass excuse for a healer kick his drug habit, and here was the lousy bitch who started it all in the first place, ruining everything he was trying to prevent! He opened his mouth to say something nasty to her, but before the words made it off the tip of his tongue, he was interrupted by her long, appreciative whistle. He blushed again when he saw what she was staring at, though he didn’t know why he should feel even a little embarrassed. Wasn’t like his body was all that private a thing in the first place! He could admit to himself, he was in good shape, was apparently nice looking enough (minus the horns, of course), so for private requests, he usually charged a fairly steep price. He chuckled a little; maybe it would be good for business to carry around a naked drawing of himself like that, especially if THAT was the type of reaction he could expect to get! “Well,” Kisa continued, glancing significantly at Eremis, “That’s something I never would have guessed. Now I understand why you keep him around. I don’t think I’d say no to that late at night when it’s cold out.” Cas’s eyebrows shot to the roots of his spiky hair when he heard that. What the hell was she implying, anyway? Cassius Incubus wasn’t nobody’s kept boy, that was for sure! Eremis was cute and friendly, but Cas preferred to think they were hanging out together so much because they got along so well. The last thing he wanted to do was share his bed with him. He felt pretty strongly about that for some reason, and so was more than a little irritated by Kisa’s none too subtle innuendo. Of course, he was also kinda wondering what about that picture made her whistle like that. What exactly would she have never guessed, anyway? He tried really hard to remember just HOW detailed Eremis’ sketch was. He hoped he hadn’t, ah, exaggerated anything. Not “too much,” anyway. “Hey kid,” she added, interrupting his thoughts again, “are all demon boys built like you? Because I think I might just have to forget the regular ones and look for one of my own kind to settle down with…” Huh? His jaw almost dropped, but he caught it just in time. Was she coming on to him or something? Immediately, a smile spread on to his face. Well shit, if she liked what she saw that much, all she had to do was ask. He would even drop his price a bit, since she was a friend of Eremis’ and all. Wasn’t like it’d be some awful trick to pull, anyway; she was obviously built like a fox. Of course, as soon as he thought of her as a client, though, all her sex appeal kind of went out the window. That’s how it was for someone who’d been in the business for as long as he’d been. That, and the disturbing fact that she really did still kinda reminded him of his mother. He shuddered. Maybe he’d up his price a little bit after all. “Hell, lady, I ain’t ever met any other demons but you,” he chirped. His smile grew a bit crooked, and his green eyes seemed to sparkle a little more than usual. “But just for the record, I ain’t fucking Eremis, and he sure as hell ain’t fucking me. We’re just friends right now, and we both got too much respect for each other to pull that kinda shit.” He glanced proudly at the healer, his smile softening somewhat—but it immediately hardened when he saw the cigarette poking out of his friend’s mouth. He lunged forward rather quickly, yanking it out away from a fairly surprised Eremis. The healer pouted at him, obviously distressed at not being able to smoke anymore. “It’s for your own good, man,” Cas explained patiently, though he was starting to feel a touch annoyed. He turned to Kisa, tossing the cigarette into the fire after taking a quick last drag from it. “Gimme that,” he ordered, yanking the pack back out of her hands and stuffing it into his deep pockets again. “He ain’t sposed to be taking any a this shit for the rest of the night, you hear? It’s BAD for him. No friend a mine’s gonna fry his brains out as long as I got anything to say about it!” His look turned to one of intense disgust then, the sort of look he usually reserved for those who considered themselves above him and his kind. "Specially since you're the one who got him hooked in the first place," he said in a lower tone of voice. "Lost your memories, huh? Shit! Don't look like you changed one bit." He paused for a second, his irritable expression dropping after a while. “Oh yeah. So what, you like what you see there, huh?” He grinned when her eyes dropped to examine the sketch appreciatively once again. “How much?” Her look turned a bit blank then, as she glanced up to stare quizzically at him. “How much?” he repeated. “I’m cheaper than Remy and his pals at the brothel, you know, but I’m no street hustler. I can take…” he shrugged lightly, “…half of what your buddy Eric’s ex-boyfriend charges.” He smiled when she continued to just stare at him. “Well, whatever. Just let me know what you want and when you want it.” Eremis shot him a look which was easily readable, even in the healer’s current state. “Oh yeah.” He turned back to Kisa. “Not here, though. No clients at home. That’s the rules around here.” [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

[> Subject: Getting some air Author: Eremis [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 13:08:33 05/13/02 Mon Eremis accepted the lit cigarette from Kisa then grinned when she whistled at the sketch he did of Cas. His friend had a great body that he was easily able to capture with his drawing, and obviously Kisa appreciated what she saw. He cocked his head at the redhead while blowing smoke out of his lungs. What did she mean by saying that Cas needed him to help keep him warm at night? That was the silliest thing he had ever heard, especially since they now had a new heavy blanket for the bed. Anyways, Cas don't need anybody. All he's really interested in is money and that's the only reason he keeps me around. He bit his lip then shook his head at that thought. Although, at first he was positive that Cas would dump him real quick if he stopped getting such good tips from his customers, he wasn't so sure about that anymore. The street toughened youth really did seem to like him, and was the only one that treated him like a real person instead of just a sex object. When the room went completely dark for a moment after he took another drag from the cigarette, he realized he had lost consciousness briefly. He glanced down and picked up the cigarette that had fallen from his hand then laughed at the distorted faces of his companions. Suddenly, he felt extremely warm, and wondered if he had a fever. He reached over for the shirt he discarded earlier and wiped beads of sweat from his forehead and bare chest. “But just for the record, I ain’t fucking Eremis, and he sure as hell ain’t fucking me," Cas told Kisa. "We’re just friends right now, and we both got too much respect for each other to pull that kinda shit.” The healer smiled at his friend when he turned to look at him, but frowned when he swiped the cigarette from his hand. He was about to remind Cas that HE had paid for those damned cigarettes but held his tongue since that might only start an argument and he really didn't want to argue with his friend. When Cas asked Kisa how much she would pay him to bed her, Eremis sighed. Why did everything always have to be about sex? He reached over and snatched the sketchpad from her hand then grabbed his wine bottle and got to his feet. Once the room stopped spinning, a few wobbly steps took him to the couch, where he found the charcoal. "It's too damned hot," he muttered, before trying to focus on Cas. "You two can fuck your brains out right here if you want because I need to go out for some air anyways." He staggered to the window, slipped behind the curtain and gingerly made his way across the plank to the flat roof beyond. The cool night air on his sweaty, uncovered chest made goose bumps stand up on his arms. He sat down and looked out at the nearly full moon that hung over the panorama of buildings in the distance. It really felt great to be outside since he was cooped up so much lately. After drawing in a deep breath, he gulped down a little more wine then set the pad in his lap and began to sketch the rooftops that stared back at him under the moonlight. His thoughts flew back to the many nights he had spent in the barn on Jaob's farm, sketching the animals as they slept. Since he was pretty sentimental he kept all his drawings in a trunk in his bedroom, reviewing them often as the years went by. Jaob probably burned them all once he discovered that his apprentice had run away. When his vision swam, he rubbed his eyes, smudging charcoal all over his eyelids. He glanced at the curtained window to his apartment, and wondered if Kisa and Cas were enjoying themselves. He wasn't about to go back inside until he was certain that they were done having sex. Maybe I should just sleep out here tonight. It was a beautiful evening with a clear sky and a gentle breeze. He chuckled softly when he realized how awful his sketch was. It was virtually impossible for him to draw a straight line at the moment since he had gone way beyond high after that last cigarette. Eremis took another swig of wine then turned the page on the pad and stared at the picture of Cas. "You're a good friend, even if you did take all my fun stuff away," he whispered. He glanced up at the magnificent, star filled sky and felt really bad that Cas wasn't sitting beside him to share in its beauty.

[> [> Subject: To Tease or not to tease Author: Kisa [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 20:11:03 05/13/02 Mon “I’m cheaper than Remy and his pals at the brothel, you know, but I’m no street hustler. I can take…half of what your buddy Eric’s ex-boyfriend charges.” Kisa stared at Cas wondering just how far she should push her little game. It wasn’t that she was feeling particularly nasty or even really contemplating actually dragging the kid into bed, but it was something to do. Sex, although she couldn’t remember from actual experience, just her instincts--was a great time killer, and if it was anything she’d realized, it she had lots of time to kill. Since waking up alone in Eric’s house she’d been looking for something to occupy the time. Days were long when you didn’t have anyone to talk to. Eremis and Cas were as good as anyone, and only Sebastian actually talked to her decently, so she would have felt badly if she was cruel with him. Cas on the other hand… well, he could take it, and he certainly had a mouth on him that could dish out just as much. “Well, whatever. Just let me know what you want and when you want it. Oh yeah.” He continued, “Not here, though. No clients at home. That’s the rules around here.” Kisa opened her mouth to say something in reply, the perfect sarcastic words forming on her tongue, but she lost them when Eremis interrupted, standing up suddenly and pulling the sketchpad out of her hands. She pouted slightly and looked at him, about to complain. Even if she hadn’t really been serious about falling into bed with Cas, she at least want to look through the rest of the book to see what else he had drawn. Any chance to do that, however, was quickly taken away. "It's too damned hot," Eremis muttered. Kisa was about to agree and say something to turn the comment into more of an innuendo then it had been, but Eremis continued talking, effectively cutting her off. "You two can fuck your brains out right here if you want because I need to go out for some air anyways." Kisa glanced at Eremis, raising one red eyebrow and then drawing her knees up to her chest while she smoked the last of her cigarette before flicking it into the fire, watching as he crawled out of the room and out onto the rooftops. She might have lit another one if Cas hadn’t taken them and put them into his pocket. “hmm. Looks like you’re not too cute enough that your little sex bunny wont be making you sleep on the couch tonight.” she said, giving him a grin and watching as Eremis crawled out the window out of the corner of her eye. The grin lasted only a moment however. Just long enough to tease Cas before she narrowed her eyes, looking at the window that Eremis had crawled out of. She wasn’t especially fond of the idea of a high and drunken Eremis out on the roof. She had noticed the sweat on him, and was fairly sure that wasn’t too hot in here. He just hadn’t looked very well, and Cas had probably been right to take away the cigarette to keep him from getting any more intoxicated. In his drunk and high state Kisa was a touch worried that he might fall off the side of the building. She didn’t think a fall would kill him, but landing there in the alley couldn’t be good. At the very least she would have to explain to Sebastian why one of his whores was all banged up. Well, I was leading Cas on you see, and Eremis fell off a building while he was high. Cas and I were too busy inside the apartment exchanging witty banter… She somehow didn’t think that she would win too many points with Sebastian for that. Eric might approve and even chuckle. But she wasn’t much a fan of Eric, or cared about what he thought. Kisa stood up from where she was sitting by the fire and walked over to the open window and leaned up against the windowsill, picking Eremis’ shape off in the distance, but just barely. It was a dark night out, and it seemed later outside then it felt. “Maybe you should go check on him. Make sure he doesn’t fall off the side of the roof and hurt himself…or something”

[> [> [> Subject: Talking to Eremis Author: Cas [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 16:47:40 05/15/02 Wed While Cas waited for Kisa’s answer to his offer, he watched Eremis grab his sketchpad and make his shaky way back to the couch, where he retrieved the charcoal pencil. “It’s too damned hot,” he blurted out, his voice unnaturally slow and slurring as he tried to speak around the drugs and alcohol coursing through his system. “You two can fuck your brains out right here if you want because I need to go out for some air anyways.” Cas opened his mouth to object but then closed it with a sigh. He had to admit that if Kisa offered him enough money and demanded they do it here and now, he’d say okay. Somehow, though, this would feel like less of a home if he were turning tricks in it. He really wished Eremis hadn’t given him permission to do so; his friend’s disapproval would really have been the only thing holding him back, since he couldn’t say no to gold when it was flashed under his nose enough. He watched the healer stumble toward the window and crawl out, the late night breeze ruffling his long blonde hair back behind his bare shoulders. Raking idiot, he thought, his mouth twitching into a frown. The dumb-ass is dripping wet in his own sweat, so he goes to sit outside. If he catches a raking fever I’ll kill him! Not only would they not have enough money to pay a real healer, but Cas didn’t want to have to sit by the bedside of his feverish friend. He liked Eremis more and more each day, and knew he’d be worried sick himself if the silly healer became dangerously ill. Maybe that was part of the reason for why he was trying so hard to wean him off the drugs. Sure, the shit cost an arm and a leg—but it was just plain bad for Eremis to keep doing them, no matter how you looked at it. “Hmm,” Kisa spoke up, drawing his attention again. “Looks like you’re not too cute enough that your little sex bunny won’t be making you sleep on the couch tonight.” Cas frowned again, trying to figure out what the hell she was saying. And why was she calling Eremis his little sex bunny? She WAS talking about Eremis, right? He rolled his eyes, then, suddenly realizing something. Crazy redheaded lady—she was dead drunk! It was the only obvious conclusion, since he’d already told he that he and Eremis were just friends. Plus, she hadn’t responded to his offer yet, either. The silly grin on her face gave him the impression that she was trying to be teasing, or coy, or something, but he really wasn’t sure quite what. Why the hell would she be trying to tease him? HE was the one trying to attract her, right? Well, maybe she wasn’t drunk. Maybe…maybe it had suddenly dawned on her that she didn’t have enough money to afford him! A wicked grin curved onto his face, making him look more than a little devilish, especially with the two small horns on his head. That was just too damned bad for her, then. He wasn’t no dockside sailor’s boy; he was upper-class, all the way. Whenever he was working on his own, he never charged less than fifty, which was just under half of Sebastian’s rate, if he remembered right. Sure, he’d do the odd blowjob for less than cheap when he was feeling desperate, but these weren’t exactly desperate times. He had to pause to wonder why the hell he’d been so desperate to get their landlord to rent him this room, but nothing came immediately to mind. Oh well. They had a place to stay now, and that’s all that mattered. When Kisa moved to stand by the windowsill, he watched her carefully, trying to tell if she were drunk or high. In the end, he decided she either hid it well, or really was just seriously broke. He honestly didn’t think she was stupid enough to come on to him, and then expect him to accept—for free! Cas hardly ever had sex for free. There was just no reason to, unless it was with another whore. And lately he wasn’t even sure if he could be persuaded to make it with one of his own, either. “Maybe you should go check on him,” Kisa was saying, her eyes focused on Eremis’ shadowy figure. “Make sure he doesn’t fall off the side of the roof and hurt himself…or something.” Cas stood up, feeling a tad shaky himself, and moved to stand beside her. “Right,” he said, giving her a crooked grin. “And, uh, why don’t you go ahead and have a bite to eat yourself. Make a cup of java, too, while you’re at it. Ain’t nice to come over to somebody’s house and get wasted without making sleeping arrangements first, ya know.” He shook his head at her and crawled out the window himself, balancing his way across the wooden plank as if it were second nature for him. He padded over to Eremis, his bare feet making hardly any noise at all on the stoney rooftop. Another grin stretched over his face when he saw that the healer was sitting down, the sketchpad in his lap opened to the drawing he’d made earlier. “Trying to find some inspiration or something?” he asked teasingly, nodding at the picture as he sat down beside his friend. He drew his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them while turning his head to regard Eremis curiously. “You know, I really do think you’re something. You’re a regular artist, Eremis, you really are. Maybe tomorrow I’ll buy you some oil paints and an easel, then you can really get serious about this kinda stuff. What do ya think? Would you like that?” He paused as if to wait for a reply, but just as the healer opened his mouth, he went on. “Matter of fact, I think I kinda liked having my picture done. I’d probably be the only model that’d work for free!” He laughed, because for some reason that was absolutely hilarious at the moment. “Anyway, them nobles pay lots a money for shit like that. Maybe you could start turning that talent of yours into profit, if you had a mind to.” There was silence, then, for at least a couple seconds, but Cas broke it once again. “And maybe if you didn’t really wanna go public, you could, you know,” he shrugged and smiled, “Just draw some for fun. Hell, that ugly ass apartment of ours needs decorating anyway.” The wind picked up a bit, ruffling even his short, spiky hair, and he shivered a little. “Hey,” he added, his tone of voice a touch gentler, “It’s a little chilly out here. You wanna go inside now, huh, Eremis? I guess if you want, I can go get your shirt for you and maybe a blanket. It’s just…probably not a good idea to hang out here like this while you’re…you know, not yourself.”

[> [> [> [> Subject: From laughter to depression Author: Eremis [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 16:50:32 05/15/02 Wed Eremis lowered the wine bottle from his lips and smiled at Cas when he sat down beside him. His very glazed eyes moved to the sketchpad when his friend asked him if he was trying to find some inspiration. A few days ago, he might have been embarrassed to be caught staring at a naked picture of another male, but now such a thing didn't even faze him. During the past week he had seen dozens of naked bodies and had even been a part of many strange sexual acts. Any innocence he might have once had was completely lost along with all the dreams he once harbored. He smirked when he realized that he seemed to be stuck in a downhill spiral, and wondered how long it would take before he crashed into complete oblivion. Knowing that no one would give a damn if he ceased to exist made him feel intensely sad. The world would probably be a better place without losers like me in it anyway. Cas pulled him from his depressing thoughts when he called him a real artist and asked if he would like to work with oil paints and an easel. Before he could say anything, his friend rattled on about how much money nobles dished out for good artwork. It's always about sex, money, or power, isn't it? He turned his eyes back to the star filled sky then lifted the bottle to his lips again. Obviously, no one in Bizmar appreciated the simpler things in life, like true love or the breathtaking beauty of nature. He shrugged when Cas mentioned how chilly it was because he couldn't feel the cold; his body was on fire from all the drugs and alcohol in his bloodstream. After the demon boy suggested that they go inside he nodded then got to his feet, gripping the bottle in one hand and the sketchpad and charcoal in the other. Cas had to help him walk across the plank because he couldn't see straight anymore and almost lost his balance a couple of times. Once they were back inside the apartment, Eremis glanced at Kisa then headed directly to the bed and plopped down on the new mattress. He leaned back against the headboard and drained the rest of the wine before tossing the bottle onto the floor along with the sketchpad and charcoal. When his eyes fell upon Cas again, he wondered if Kisa had paid him to have sex with her. "Whys it always got to be about money with you, Cas?" he muttered while easing his body down until he was lying on his back, staring up at the paint that was peeling on the ceiling. Briefly he thought about moving to the couch to let Kisa have his spot on the bed if she was spending the night, but he shrugged off the idea since he was just too damned tired to move at the moment. He rubbed his eyes, smearing more black charcoal from his sweaty palms across his face in the process. After a yawn he rolled onto his side, his hair covering his entire face like a blanket. He didn't think about pulling the cover over him since it was so stifling hot in the room, he could barely breath. A hint of a grin crossed his lips when he remembered that he didn’t have to work at the brothel in the morning, but when he caught sight of Cas sitting down on the bed, he frowned. "I bet you're pissed at me for taking the day off tomorrow because of all the money I'll be missing out on, right? Since I know where Belald lives I guess I can pay him a visit and charge him a bundle to let him fuck me at his house if that'll make you feel better."

[> [> [> [> [> Subject: Setting some things straight Author: Cas [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 17:48:09 05/15/02 Wed Cas breathed a silent sigh of relief when Eremis didn’t put up a fight about going back inside. He had to keep both hands clamped down on the healer’s sweaty shoulders as he walked him over the plank, soft curses tumbling out of his mouth every time his friend wobbled a bit too much. Fortunately, Eremis only needed a slight push to get over the windowsill, then Cas crawled in nimbly after him. His own eyes were still a bit blurry as he watched the healer stumble toward the bed before falling back exhausted against the mattress. Cas frowned at him when he mumbled something about it always having to be about money with him. He didn’t think that was really all that true. Well…he scowled, for once feeling a bit irritated with himself. Yeah, so he needed money to survive, and that happened to make it a big priority for him. So what? Wasn’t nothing to be ashamed of, at least not in his book. “Hey you, lady,” he said, glancing up at Kisa, “You can crash on the couch if you like, or else lock the door on your way out. ‘S up to you.” He grabbed a fruit from the table to munch on since he was kinda thirsty and didn’t feel like making java—nor did he think it’d be a good idea to finish off that other wine bottle. He was already pretty sure he’d have a headache just from the few glasses he’d already had. So sue him if he couldn’t afford to indulge in mass quantities of liquor on a regular basis, at least not enough to make him immune to the stuff. Sheesh, there was that damn raking money issue again! Eremis HAD to be living in a la-la land to remain so fucking naïve! Cas sighed and rubbed his eyes, yawning a couple times as he too stumbled toward the bed. He wasn’t really mad at Eremis for saying that about him. Actually, it really just kinda hurt his feelings somewhat. Here he was, pretty much quitting his old jobs and taking on a new, more dangerous one, just so he could room with his new friend. If it really were ALL about the money, Cas would never have wasted it on this stupid apartment in the first place! He could have saved hundreds by just renting a bed at one of the large rooms other street rats and beggars slept in. As if he knew he were thinking about him, Eremis turned and looked up at him as he moved to sit down on the bed beside him. “I bet you're pissed at me for taking the day off tomorrow,” he said, frowning, “because of all the money I'll be missing out on, right? Since I know where Belald lives I guess I can pay him a visit and charge him a bundle to let him fuck me at his house if that'll make you feel better.” Instead of getting mad, like he thought he would, Cas’s expression only softened slightly. “Hell, I ain’t pissed at you,” he said, a crooked smile coming to his face. “And you got the day off tomorrow, so quit yacking about turning tricks for fancy-shmancy no-good bastard mercenaries while you’re on holiday, okay?” He cocked his head, feeling a little bit better inside when the somewhat happy, relieved look washed over the healer’s face. “Hey,” he said a bit more softly, “You know you got shit all over your face, right?” He moved closer to Eremis and, licking the tip of one finger, proceeded to rub at the dirty smudges around his eyes. The healer made a face at first, then he started laughing while trying to push the other youth’s hand away. Soon they were both laughing together, and Cas hopped off the bed to grab the wet rag from the barrel of water to do the job properly. “I think I have an idea,” he continued, as he scooted back onto the mattress and began to clean the charcoal away from the healer’s face, “About what to do tomorrow. I heard a couple urchins today say there’s another faire in town. We can go down there, maybe get something to eat if you like. You can even do some face painting if you want to. For FREE if that makes you feel better.” He grinned down at his friend and tossed the rag over the side of the bed. “Because, you know,” he added, moving to lie down beside him. He crossed his arms up behind his head and joined the healer in staring at the ceiling, “It ain’t all about money with me. I just wanna be friends with you Eremis, but I can’t help it if you can’t deal with that.” He rolled over on his side, curling one arm up under his cheek, a more dreamy smile alighting on his face. “Cause I think you’re really cool, you know that? I mean I really like you. There’s something different about you that I ain’t ever seen in nobody else around here, least not as far as I can remember.” He yawned again a couple times and then sighed. “We just gotta get you off those drugs. You hafta promise that you won’t take too much at that party tomorrow. And if any a them people does something to you that you don’t like, you just come tell me and I’ll take care of it for you, okay?”