pleasuretoburn (pleasuretoburn) wrote in birthrightrpg, @ 2020-10-07 17:06:00 |
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Entry tags: | noah restic, ~roman skye |
Symbiosis
Who: Roman/Noah
What: Revelations
Where: Henderson
When: Present
Ratings/Warnings: Reference to violence, death
Twin beams of light shone against the front of the dark house as the car idled in the long, paved driveway. The house was large, blocky, peach-colored. There was plenty of space between it and its neighbors. Noah cut the engine on the Audi S4. He turned to look at Roman in the passenger seat next to him.
The vacation rental had been presented as a surprise, something to break up the monotony of the pyrokinetic’s apartment. It had been rented through an associate using cash. If anyone dug any deeper, there would be no trail. Clean. The home itself afforded plenty of privacy. “What do you think?”
A break from work was well needed.
While Roman hated leaving Frou Frou by himself, he knew more time was needed to further vet Noah’s intentions so that one day they could meet. This was not a bad start to that process, though. A resort style getaway that was more like a staycation. The idea had been accepted fairly quickly which even he felt surprised about.
So that Audi cruised into the driveway. Those lights shone upon the pristine, posh entryway. He always appreciated a clean, white driveway.
“It’s beautiful.” A breath of satisfaction escaped and his face nearly hurt from grinning. This was the style he was used to and sharing it with Noah felt good. He didn’t care about the paper trail, that was the furthest thing from his mind.
“You’re getting the luggage, yes?” And then he was out of the vehicle, approaching the house with pride.
Noah’s gaze lingered darkly on Roman’s back as he popped the handle and exited the vehicle, moving around the back of the sedan. He zipped open the lawyer’s bag and removed a small orange bottle, slipping it into his pocket before closing it back up and lifting it from the trunk. Keys went into the front door, and soon they were in the massive entryway of the home.
“Let’s go out to the pool,” he said. “I have a ‘96 Dom.” He set Roman’s bag down lazily and led the way through the sliding glass doors to the lit up patio. The reflected light from the pool rippled, the sound of the waterfall clear.
Waiting patiently for Noah, they went to the door together. The entryway didn’t disappoint. If that was any indication as to what lay ahead he knew they were in for a great few days. Across the threshold and he marveled at the foyer. “I’m impressed.”
And at the suggestion the lawyer nodded. He was eager to see the rest of the place, experience the grand tour. But that could wait. “Of course.”
Roman followed Noah out back, already craving the illuminated water. It nearly reminded him of home. “Where did you find this place? It’s like a dream.” He paused at the edge of the pool closest to the outdoor seating where the water was deep but not enough to converse from.
“A friend of a friend,” Noah answered vaguely. The bottle of champagne was sitting in a galvanized bucket of ice on an outdoor bar. He turned his back to Roman, grabbing two stemmed glasses. A hand hovered as if to reach inside his pocket for the orange bottle, and he hesitated. After a moment of silent deliberation, he popped open the alcohol and let the bubbles subside before filling the two flutes.
The pyrokinetic turned around and handed one to Roman. “It’s very well-stocked. More like this where it came from.”
Another few moments would be taken to marvel at the outdoor space. He’d seen many like this - furnished and comfortable for entertaining, hosting, or even just lounging. Had he a home with the same set up it would’ve looked much similar to this. The best part was having Noah to share the comfort and luxury with.
The flute was accepted. Roman offered a grin. “Thank you.” The glass would be lifted in a little toast. “To you, my dear.”
Noah smirked and lifted his glass, too. “This is all about you, Roman,” he corrected. He glanced back at the pool, particularly the deep end. John Schram would be waiting eagerly for a text from an alternate number of the pyrokinetic’s.
“Let’s sit over here,” he directed, grabbing the bucket and leading the lawyer over to the patio set.
A casual shrug would come as the reply. So far, like a tugboat tethered to a ship, the lawyer had padded along after the pyrokinetic. And such was the case again. Every step brought him closer to the pool. A stolen sip of champagne when Noah wasn’t looking.
The liquid had an odd taste, the bubbles danced and twirled in the bright ebb and flow.
One of the chairs would be pulled out for Noah, and Roman did the same for himself though he eased into the seat with the intent to relax. Thankfully the water was close and a small breeze fluttered across, bringing the coolness up and across his skin.
He watched Roman closely, the light from the water reflected over his face. It was quiet except for the gentle burbling of the waterfall, the barely audible fizz from their glasses. “I want to play a game,” Noah said finally, leaning forward to set the champagne flute down on the table that sat between them.
“You get to ask me one question, and I have to answer truthfully. In return, I get one question to ask you. Does that sound fair?” The pyrokinetic’s lips quirked at the corners.
Another sip would be captured from the glass. While supposedly a high-class symbol, Roman didn’t care much for champagne. It always tasted odd to him. But he drank it anyway more to satisfy the company. The flute would be set aside, though, in favor of the proposition.
“Alright, I’m game,” the lawyer purred, lips twisting into a grin. He supposed the rules were fair between them even though Noah didn’t outright state that Roman had to be truthful.
A moment was taken to consider what he wanted to ask. Begin with the easy things, or go straight for the jugular? “What’s your favorite way to spend a day?”
The question was almost disappointingly mundane. That surprised Noah. He was sure the lawyer would use it as a chance to dig deeper. “Each day is a challenge to get through,” he admitted quietly. “Looking for anything that will make the time pass. That will feel good.” His hands rested lightly over the arms of the chair.
“I don’t feel anything, really, unless I’m using my power. And then it goes away, and I’m the same as everybody else. Chipping away at the same 24 hours.” The pyrokinetic reached for his glass and took a bracing drink of the bubbly liquid. “The only thing that begins to compare is when I find someone interesting, but it’s so rare. You’re one of them.”
Roman noticed the bit of shock slipping into Noah’s face. He’d chosen the tamer question because if the other man was truly to be honest, a small detail could be useful, something personal and off topic. While the inquiry may have seemed general, it was deeper than he felt Noah may have realized.
That compliment had Roman grinning. “Well, I appreciate being so rare,” he chuckled. “But you should know, Noah, that you aren’t like everybody else. I wish that you could see yourself through my eyes, and truly know how precious and unique you really are. The world can be an unkind place - especially for someone with your skill. But anyone who casts you aside is a fool. There’s so much more to you than your power, even if you don’t believe it.”
While he couldn’t entirely sympathize, he did know what it was like to be overshadowed, overlooked. It was why he worked so hard to stand out, now.
“I believe it’s your question.”
It was then that Noah realized he could have Roman in the palm of his hand, if he wanted to, if the lawyer was being sincere. It was good information to have. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he remarked.
The pyrokinetic leaned back against the cushioned back of his chair, contemplative. “My question is...have you, or have you ever been tempted to, look into my past?” The corners of his lips turned up. “Be honest now. It’s important.”
Roman nodded. “I have, actually. It’s part of my job to know things, and I also like to have information on who I am working with or alongside.” He wasn’t going to lie to Noah considering it was common knowledge. “What I do with that information, though, depends on the person. If you’re curious as to whether or not you risk exposure, I can assure you that you won’t have to worry. I didn’t dig deeply, just glanced at a few things for a bit of general knowledge.”
“Getting to know you is half of the fun, after all. Why ruin the surprise?” He was also giving Noah the chance to tell him what he wanted known, which was why he’d briefly glanced at the context of information.
Any good lawyer who dipped into the shadier realms needed to know who was on their side or who could potentially be, and also if anyone would flip if the chips were down.
Noah nodded appreciatively. Roman was being truthful, he had done as the pyrokinetic had asked. That was the last test he needed to make his final decision. “Your partner John Schram decided to look into me, too,” he said conversationally, leaning forward to refill his own champagne glass and taking a drink.
“He sent me to a hotel suite using the information he found as a lure. And then he proceeded to blackmail me into killing you.” Noah’s tone was matter of fact as he met Roman’s gaze steadily.
At the confession about John, Roman’s eyebrows arched up a bit. “Is that so? No wonder he was so chipper when I told him I was going to be leaving with you and coming here. Of course, I didn’t disclose that we would be doing anything more than business.”
John had been his old self, desperate to be fun and found funny. He’d come at Roman with so much positivity, the same level Roman had experienced in the first few months after joining the firm as a partner.
“What do you propose we should do about this problem, darling?” Roman inquired, grin turning playful. “I assume if you wanted to kill me, you wouldn’t have waited so long to do it.” It was a good sign. There was trust there. Perhaps that was the next question in their little game of get to know you: what are we doing about John’s betrayal?
“Well, that depends,” Noah said slowly, his smile growing. “We have two options that I can see. You can report him, and he gives up the information he has on me. You’d garner a lot of sympathy within the firm, of course, and I’d be...well, I’d have to leave Vegas, for obvious reasons.” He paused before detailing the second option, letting that information sink in for Roman.
“Option two. I kill John. He’s out of your way forever, and it solves both of our problems. But you would have to accept the fact that you helped orchestrate a murder. Could you handle that?” The pyrokinetic knew that Roman didn’t walk the straight and narrow, but this was an entirely different matter. Some people thought they were ready to end a life, and ended up being completely consumed by guilt and self-loathing afterward. Noah was lucky, that had never been an issue for him.
As the options were laid out in front of him, Roman didn’t find himself surprised by them necessarily. “Either way, you and I are in this together no matter the outcome.” He’d been given the power to choose and while he liked that in most circumstances, this arrangement put him in a predicament either way.
Losing Noah had many implications and knowing the bit of information that he did about the fire starter, Roman knew he wouldn’t leave quietly. Or stay quiet even if it was a silent retreat. In his experience, those scorned and cast out rose again with grudges.
“Nobody would ever know I had any instrumental value in the second option other than you, myself, and anyone who may be able to read our minds. John is a good man, but he continues to make bad decisions. His audacity to blackmail you, first of all, isn’t the beginning. And I didn’t realize he had any experience in handling those types of circumstances.” Amused, Roman leaned back into the pool chair and found comfort.
His hand lifted, “Whatever decision you make, I will support and you don’t have to give me the details. I can cover it up easily. John has no family, and only a single close friend who would mourn him.”
That also surprised Noah, the fact that Roman was leaving the choice in his hands. He knew immediately what he would choose. Had, in fact, chosen it the moment John stupidly let the pyrokinetic know that only he possessed the information of his background and past.
“I can make it airtight,” he assured the lawyer breezily. “Sad, pathetic man realizes he can’t hack it next to his superstar partner, realizes he has nothing else except his career. The narrative pretty much writes itself. I think a company-wide e-mail sent from John’s encrypted account apologizing weepily should seal the deal.”
For all of his pitfalls, at the end of the day, Roman was simply human. Like Noah, he craved attention, the want to be adored and appreciated. So why not give when the other man needed, and take only when the moment was right? It could blossom into something beautiful, deadly, and unstoppable. He would become so much more than Cecilia ever could and that idea made his stomach twist with need.
Only a fool would declare the investment aloud of the want of a death of another. Roman didn’t have to declare it, Noah could pick up on it without the words being stated. That was one of the quirks he’d mentioned before during their back and forth game.
“Pity for him, he could’ve gone on to do great things. Too bad, really.” Roman offered Noah a smile. “Fortunately for you, his passwords are common knowledge around the office. He’s rather predictable, and I suspect that whatever evidence he has on you is stored there on his computer, easy to get rid of.”
“Oh, I bet,” Noah remarked quietly. “Since this place is being rented out courtesy of one of John’s credit cards, we should make the most of it,” he added. “It wasn’t cheap.” There was a sense of relief that the pyrokinetic felt, that he wouldn’t have to leave what he had established in Vegas. He could, if he had to, he was beyond adaptable, but it wasn’t ideal. He possessed many contacts in the area, had favors owed to him. It would be a shame to have to vacate.
That morsel had Roman laughing softly. “Sly. I like it.” He picked up the flute of champagne and took a sip. This was an intriguing beginning to what was looking to be a promising few days between them. And even if Noah did get caught, Roman doubted he could be charged or would be indicted for anything. At least, not with Roman in his corner.
“I’ll have to thank John when I see him again, even if it is in spirit.”
“Maybe you can send a fruit basket or flower arrangement to his best friend,” Noah offered, amusement clear in his voice. Then, he sighed.
“Of course, you’ll have to rally the troops. Boost morale in the office.” Bringing the glass to his mouth, Noah grinned around it. “Graciously and selflessly offer to take over John’s accounts.”
That wasn’t a bad idea at all. Be there to support Bert in his time of mourning, send condolences and flowers. Maybe even say a few nice words at the memorial service. Oh but there was time to plan. “I’ll see what happens after it’s done. Until then, I’d rather enjoy our time here.”
Of course the rest would fall into place. He was a natural leader, after all. Being selfless for selfishness was the price to pay.
“Why don’t we go explore the house? I haven’t seen the inside. Perhaps we might find an area that looks comfortable.”
Noah could almost see the wheels turning in Roman’s head, and he enjoyed it immensely. He knew that each of them thought they were mastering the art of manipulating the other. It was a symbiosis that attracted the pyrokinetic.
He set down the champagne and stood, his shadow passing over the lawyer briefly. “Let’s.”