InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Whatever you say!"

Duke (ducere) wrote in flippedrpg,
@ 2013-03-22 07:04:00

Entry tags:

ch: can: evan rosier, ch: heir: kirley duke, p: lisa ii, p: trish

Who: Duke^heir, Evan^colour
What: Saving or something, someone's bleeding everywhere
When: Thursday night
Where: Bathroom! Pie block
Status/Warnings: In Progress / Mentions of violence

There weren't any good reasons for Duke to care and he realized that. By now, everyone expected him to be selfish and egocentric because, frankly, that summed him up rather well. But either they missed or just haven't witnessed the overly caring side of him. As much as Duke could remember, the opportunity hadn't really come up yet. No one close to him had suffered enough damage to require actual nursing and so far he'd managed to not settle into any relationships. In the meantime, he was content trying to lead people in other ways, like teaching kids how to play guitar, trying to get Regina to open up, and even be a kind-of father figure to Amie. While he couldn't always explain the people he ended up tending to more, he figure it was a result of his tendency for affection and how much he liked being wanted and needed.

After making sure the pack of cigarettes were still in his pocket, he selected a strong bottle of liquor. It wasn't his best, but it was practically the roughest, meaning it would be able to handle the job of numbing and cleaning. His wand sat snugly in a back pocket; years of brawls in pubs eventually motivated a few of the Sisters to learn some basic healing spells, even though Duke had always been shit with magic. Really, it had more to do with the fact that he didn't give a single fuck about the things they tried to teach him at Hogwarts. All of it sounded useless and like it was setting him up for something besides playing in a band. Sure, the dream took several years to manifest, but Duke pretty much started out as a lazy student. Only when he was interested and really put in the effort could he actually succeed.

Imagining only minor damage, the rockstar swaggered through the compound like any drunken stroll he might take in the middle of the night. And while there may not have been good reasons for him to care, he could think of a few to list in general. Evan reminded him more of Marek than he did Evangeline. Cocky, sassy, a Death Eater who's not afraid of getting messy. It was that punk all over again; the original was still around, but he continually grew more quiet as time passed, showing less and less interest in anything fun - and Duke. He didn't think about it much. The more boring Marek seemed, the less he cared about losing him or whatever the fuck was happening. Not that they had been particularly close to begin with.

Apparently younger bad boys were becoming a thing for him. Similar to his attraction to the teenaged girls, he supposed, since the boys who go for boys have always been bad in his experience. Trying to stop his head from filling with too serious thoughts, Duke started humming random notes until a melody formed. The distraction was enough to get him to Pie block and soon after he made his way into the bathroom. "Christ, you're a fucking sight."

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rakish
2013-03-22 11:57 am UTC (link)

Evan didn't know Kirley Duke from Adam. He didn't know anything about him except that he seemed to be friendly, and that he'd need all of the friends in the coming days as they rolled out. As much as he wanted to huff and puff and call Regulus a fucking liar, he knew in the pit of his belly that his old comrade was right. There would be retribution for this. There weren't many purists in the compound, and even fewer loyal Death Eaters. He was vastly outnumbered and probably in danger. And yet it was hard to give a shit about that right now, not with the way his brain pounded away in miniature to the throb of his attacker's fists. It wasn't entirely his fault, was it? Sirius had provoked him first. All he'd done was agree to it. You should've seen the other guy. Sirius did look like shit when he'd left him. He'd used one of Severus' curses against him, leaving the bloke's face a mangled mess.

A queer sense of pleasure unfurled in his belly at the thought of that. Yes, at least he'd gotten his own back. If this all did go to hell and the do-gooders of the compound organised a lynch mob, at least it wouldn't be in vain. Ian was going to kick his arse, though. He groaned and took the bottle of liquor in two shaking hands, bringing it to his lips without hesitation. The burn was unpleasant on the way down, but he swallowed it all with a grimace, giving Duke a light-hearted scowl. "The fuck is this shit?" Evan murmured, turning the bottle to look at the label through bleary eyes. He couldn't make it out. "Are you trying to poison me with detergent?"

He sighed despite himself when the hand found his hair, and he pushed his face into it as he took another swig. He was confused when he saw blood about the rim of the bottle, and then he remembered his battered lips. He shrugged idly. "Black wanted to go. So, we went." He held up his fists and showed Duke the bruises. "He kneed me in the cock, I split his face open with my wand. Not much more to it, really." He snapped his teeth on the edge of the cigarette, and gave him an almost playful but cold grin. "So, why'd you come?"

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ducere
2013-03-22 12:24 pm UTC (link)

Another laugh barreled out before Duke could stop it. Even he had trouble swallowing that breed, so he could only imagine how it went down for Evan. "It'll take the edge off, maybe a little more." The brattiness rarely got to him. For some reason, he actually liked it more when someone acted snobby, or even better, like they could run the place. Once the bottle was free, Duke took a turn. Maybe it was going to be a long night. If the bottle went fast, probably not, but either way it went along with just about every other night and day of his life.

He couldn't exactly judge the situation, or the reason. There were plenty of fights he'd been involved in over nothing, most of which he wasn't likely to remember anyway. Duke caught the closest arm to him, grabbing on to Evan's wrist, and pulled it closer to look over his knuckles. That part was at least easier to deal with than his face and he wouldn't need to splash any of the 'poison' on them since they were relatively clean. "Why not?" He threw the question back with a shrug. "Anyone else gonna clean you up?" The answer to a question like that almost never seemed to matter in the grand scheme of things. It always made him question sayings like 'grand scheme'.

Bandages or wand? In the middle of making the decision, his eyes wandered down and caught sight of his Mark. It wasn't a surprise, he knew about that much, but they'd never really talked about it. At least, not his own affiliation. People came and went so much that Duke didn't know who knew about his old Mark or even remembered that he once owned up to his past. "I used to have one of those," he said casually, offering up a topic for when he started to at least attempt a decent recovery.

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rakish
2013-03-22 12:48 pm UTC (link)

"It tasted like something brewed in a house elf's arse," Evan complained, but there was a lightness to his words and a small grin that showed that he was joking. He was bratty, but how could he not be? He'd just gone what felt like ten rounds with a brick wall. He watched Duke through heavy-lidded, curious eyes, and he bit his swollen lip thoughtfully as the other man raised the bottle to his lips. Curious that one could be so friendly. It would've been almost off-putting had it been some Cindy-Sunshine-Gryffindor, but Duke had been right about one thing: there was a darkness in both of them, and it was easily recognised. He licked his lips and leaned his head against the sink. "The edge or the whole bloody thing, eh?"

Evan didn't resist as much as he wanted to. His body was aching, too sore to move, but it didn't stop him from flinching when Duke's fingers tugged on his sleeve and revealed his Mark. Its dark hue had faded over the near week he had been here, but the ink still shifted on his skin as if it were new, the serpent twisting down from the crook of his elbow and extending far across his forearm. He rubbed the serpent's face with his thumb, his face a picture of thoughtfulness. "Probably not," he admitted, after a mouth of reflection, pulling his arm into his lap to shift the Mark from view. "Ian would, but I don't want him to see me like this." He bit the inside of his cheek. "I've put him through enough here already."

And that revelation was an unexpected one. His eyebrows almost drew into his hairline and his eyes widened, but his expression was one of vague skepticism. "They aren't the sort of things you just give back, you know," Evan said, glancing at Duke's unblemished forearm. His own felt itchy and hot. He looked away. "You come from after my time. You told me the night we met. You were only a child when I died. What happened to your Mark? Who did you betray?"

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ducere
2013-03-22 01:07 pm UTC (link)

"Next time bring your own damn drink, then," Duke rolled his eyes dramatically, because even if it didn't get on his nerves, it was fun to pretend. Most of what he did felt like pretending sometimes, just because he was good at misdirecting people, answering questions with more puzzling questions, or hiding the truth beneath layers of metaphors. In the end, there were so many meanings to what he said that no one could find the intended thought behind it all. Honestly, people didn't take as well to boring honesty, stories without embellishments, or being talked to like a regular person. There was a flirty aspect to Duke at all times, trying to make his company smile and blush with embarrassment. Of course he usually hoped the charm could sweep them off their feet, if only for a night. "Please, try and tell me you don't like it."

His eyebrows scrunched when Evan pulled his arm back. What was the point in hiding it if there weren't any secrets left? Duke went through months of trying to keep his covered; it was worse when he had to show it. "Huh, well I didn't guess you'd be so up-front about it." Right there, Duke would have immediately covered the truth with some half-truth that may or may not have worked at some point in time. But it gave him questions. Who was Ian, for starters, and what was the deal with that? What had Evan already 'put him through'? They were curiosities, things to remember if he could (it was always hit or miss with him).

Duke took in his shock with some surprise of his own. He hadn't gone into the full story for some time, definitely not with such a supporter. It was kind of funny, though, the way Duke expected everyone else to be putting on a facade to save their ass or fit in or something stupid. He didn't think much about the ones who really believed it. "I didn't betray anyone, I came here and somewhere down the line I got this special talent that lets me remove those Marks."

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rakish
2013-03-22 01:25 pm UTC (link)

"If there's a next time, I should hope it kills me," Evan laughed, and then winced. The pain in his head was finally starting to numb down, but each sudden movement he made brought it back with a vengeance. He hoped another swig of the liquor would kill it altogether, but it only made his mouth oily and numb. He licked his lips and rubbed his hands together, forcing warmth into their aching joints. The bleeding had stopped on most of his cuts, but it was becoming harder and harder to see. He gestured for a nearby wash cloth for his eye. "Otherwise I'm going to be a right ugly mutt." He rolled his eyes and smiled. "It'll do." Evan wasn't easily charmed by anyone, he was usually the charmer. He was naturally suspicious of everyone and everything. He wasn't a nut that cracked easily under pressure, that was for sure, and he'd definitely had his fair share of it these past couple of years.

And now here he was, on some sort of space station in the middle of Merlin-knows-where. He didn't want to think about it because it brought his headache back in full force, the thought of the unknown being nothing more than a terror he didn't need. "What is there to lie about, Duke?" Evan's tone was cool and calm, as if he were speaking to no one in particular. "The Mark? My involvement with the Dark Lord?" He raised an eyebrow, his mouth quirking into a wry twist. "Shall I tell you this is my Halloween prank, a joke? I think you, and everyone else here, knows exactly who I am." He folded his arms. "Or do you mean the fact that I have no allies here? I am aware of as much. I've made a few dozen enemies tonight alone. I don't care. These people mean nothing to me. None of this means anything." After all, he was already dead.

"A special talent," Evan echoed, but his tone was doubtful. Had Duke ever really had a Mark at all? He plucked a cigarette from the packet at last, lighting it with the tip of his wand, and at last inhaled the pure unadulterated bliss that was fresh nicotine in the lungs. He closed his eyes and sighed happily, smoke spilling from his cracked lips like the breath of a dragon. He flicked the ash on the floor beside his thigh and took another drag, returning his gaze to Duke after a moment. "That's interesting. I would have chosen flying."

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ducere
2013-03-22 02:12 pm UTC (link)

"So dramatic," a sigh slipped from his lips, completely forced and overdone. It added to the light mood, despite the dark situation, a form of cynical humor. The liquor probably helped loads for Evan, given his state and all. Duke followed the gesture to the washcloth and didn't hesitate to go ahead and soak it in warm water. He stood up to do it proper and turned back slowly, keeping it out of Evan's reach as his other hand slipped beneath his chin, tilting his head back so he could see better. His hips ended at the same level as his hands, now pressing the cloth tenderly around his eye, letting the water drip over it first. Duke kept a straight face for a good while, until the corner of his mouth twitched into a grin.

That speech really quirked Duke's brows. "Maybe I've had you all wrong." It wasn't too troubling of an idea and in fact, he felt rather indifferent about the whole thing. "Doesn't matter," he shook his head gently, "we do know who you are but if Toma fucking Riddle can convince these people she's changed, then who knows what the bleeding fuck is waitin' for the rest of us. You're here now," Duke squeezed his chin a bit, "so you might as well stop pouting 'cause that's not going to get you far." Whether or not it would get him far with Duke was a different story. He was a sucker for pouting and honestly, could be very easily controlled if worked the right way. It was only a matter of someone wanting to and figuring out how, if they hadn't already.

"It's what I wanted." And he never apologized for that. "If you want the full story, I don't mind sharing." A more content smile took over his lips as he watched Evan smoke. He could tell how good it was and how much he was enjoying it, the way one enjoys a cigarette they're reallyreally need and then it hits the fucking spot. Smoking had always been attractive to him and he was brave in the way he never took his eyes off him.

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rakish
2013-03-22 02:41 pm UTC (link)

"You know what I think?" Evan said, his voice barely above a murmur as Duke settled above him with that wash cloth in hand. "I think you like that I'm dramatic. I think you like it rather a lot, because even after I went psycho-birthday-girl on you, you're still willing to help me. You're soft, all marshmallowy and sweet on the inside. It's going to get you destroyed one day, monsieur Duke." He hissed again as the warmth touch his eye and it was all he could do not to writhe and twist away. It hurt more than he'd been anticipating, and his body went stiff as he tried not to jump or move. Duke's touch was tender enough that it took him by surprise, and he bit even harder on the inside of his cheek to quell the sting of pain that rose in his skin. His breath was shallow as he exhaled, and he closed his eyes. "I think my hand is broken, too. Are you any good at healing charms?"

This reminded him a lot of the first time he met The Dark Lord. He had been under the Cruciatus for almost five minutes. That was pure torture, that had been agony. All other things were child's play in comparison. It still fucking hurt, though, but it was lessening now with each dab of the cloth. "Maybe you shouldn't assume to know someone before you've known them," Evan purred, looking up at Duke through his lashes now. The name Toma Riddle was unfamiliar to him. Tom Riddle would have been, too. He only knew him as The Dark Lord. Lord Voldemort. He Who Shall Not Be Named. He was to be respected and feared. "Do you think I should play nicely, then? Break bread with Black? Let my blood traitor cousin borrow my things? Renounce all that I do, that I care for?"

Evan didn't pout, but sucked in his lower lip in an equal act of petulant defiance. He pulled his head away and gave a begrudging 'thanks' as he wiped the water residue from his face with the corner of his sleeve. At least he could see through both of his eyes now, at least. "You've changed," Evan noted, "It's as if you were expecting something else of me. Were you? I cannot help being who I am, what I have chosen, what I believe." He took another drag and returned Duke's piercing gaze in full, unwavering in the heat of his eyes on the other man's face. He was incredibly handsome in a classical way, like something out of a painting. He looked like Dorian Gray, eternally graceful and full of poignant beauty, but roughed up in a way that suggested no amount of repair could fix it. It was curious.

"I'd like to hear the story," Evan said, after a long pause wherein he simply stared at Duke as if the answer to everything could be found in his gaze. "Given that you offered."

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ducere
2013-03-22 03:26 pm UTC (link)

Duke closed his eyes like he was going to blink, but it took far longer than usual for him to open them again. It was only long in comparison and by the end his lips had stretched into a much fuller grin across his face. "I might surprise you," he replied. "I'm not saying I don't like it - it's just that most people bore me very quickly and then I'm done with them. The more dramatic, the longer they last." It was bittersweet. He could put his entire passion into someone, their time together running steaming hot. There's always been a point where things turn cold without warning and he loses complete interest. It's never on purpose, and he'd prefer it not to happen, but he used to telling that part straight. Usually it cushions the fall. Some people just don't believe it, or think they can change it. "I can do little things. One of the few areas I had to learn."

"Can you ever really know someone?" He posed to be taken as an actual question or a rhetorical one. The expression he made was far from serious, so he hardly expected an honest answer. "No," a snort sounded in the back of his throat. "You're still you, we've all got our affairs, just…enjoy what you've got. There's almost nothing to worry about here." If you wanted it to be that way. The worlds and scientists with their experiments had a habit of getting in the way, but otherwise, it was like being a permanent bum, having all the free time in the world.

"Changed how?" Duke tossed the washcloth into an empty sink and wiped the remaining dampness on his jeans. Rather than sit down again, he leaned back against, half sitting on the edge of another sink, his long legs allowing his feet to plant firmly on the ground. "What do you think I was expecting?" When he thought about it, Duke just couldn't answer it. What did he expect? Anything? More fun? Less? He wanted to know what Evan thought he was thinking and as it all ran through his head, he started chewing on his lower lip with a confused expression.

"Alright," he gave a nod and crossed his arms loosely over his chest. "In my world, Voldemort has an heir, Harry Potter, and he basically gains all this power and starts taking over. Me? I had nothing to do with any of it. I'm in a band called The Weird Sisters, we're amazingly popular in the whole Wizarding world," even though Duke had just crossed his arms, he set them free to gesture, talking with his hands as much as with his mouth. "But then they started cutting songs and words, forcing bands out and sticking their bloody noses when they didn't belong. Then this company came in, Muse Corp they call themselves, and they start talking about needing people and propaganda and 'positive messages'. They started writing the songs for us, making sure The Dark Lord was well received and whatnot. Not long after, they wanted a little more. Celebrities with Marks to show them off to all the young, impressionable minds. … Thing is, my mother and my sister are famous, Quidditch players, and then there's the rest of my band. So when they asked, it wasn't really asking, and I knew what I had to do to keep them all safe. Ended up going further than a bit of propaganda, had to prove myself along the road, and well, then I ended up here." Duke shrugged because that was it, more or less.

"My turn for a question," his eyes lit up with excitement after a slight pause. "Did you want me to come?"

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rakish
2013-03-22 03:57 pm UTC (link)

"Nobody surprises me," Evan shrugged, readjusting his arms so that they lay at his sides. He was beginning to feel loose, like a big bag of jiggling jelly that had been left out in the sun all day. He wriggled and wobbled and he couldn't remember where he'd put his cigarette. Sleepily, he blinked and looked down at the tile floor where the filter had burned down yellow, and now it was surrounded by a pile of ash. He didn't realise it, didn't even consider the possibility, but it was very likely that he was concussed. His lips parted in a silent yawn and then he shrugged again. "And who's to say I'm interested in entertaining anyone? You are very selfish, Duke. And I mean that in the kindest way." He licked his lips and smiled. "But that is only an observation, I could be wrong. But I think we're all selfish in our own ways, some more than others, but all of us…"

Evan was no one's conquest, or idle fancy. He simply had no interest in it. He tilted his head to one side and tried to focus on Duke's face, on the slight changes of his expression or the way his body swayed when he spoke. "I know myself," he murmured, and I know Ian. He didn't say that part, though. He couldn't, as much as he wanted to, because he honestly wasn't sure anymore. They were only friends. Only friends. Nothing more. They could never be more. Evan frowned and looked down at the dry blood spot on his shirt. "I have a fiancé. I'm supposed to get married. I have everything to worry about because it's not real. I'm only here until I'm not, and it'll all have been for nothing."

"I think you thought I'd be more than I am," he said cryptically, and let go a small laugh. Was it the alcohol, or the bump forming on his head that made him feel so woozy right now? His head fell against the sink with a small thunk and found his eyes focused on the ceiling. The lights were bright. He didn't enjoy the idea of being something that burned hot and bright and then faded. What a miserable existence. He opened his mouth and closed it again when Duke began to speak, and he absorbed the words as he said them, his frown deepening as he considered it. A band. Marks. Positive messages. It sounded unreal, and if it had been Duke's intention to make the experience sound miserable, it didn't have quite that effect on Evan. It made his heart hurt. That was how their world was supposed to be. That was the way it should have gone. Evan wanted to be a hero.

He was silent for what felt like a very long time. He blinked slowly, mouthing words as that came to mind, and then he finally looked at Duke again. "Yes," Evan said, simply and honestly. "You fascinate me. You're like a puppy with pretty fur and a lovely face, but you can bite… and you bite so hard it turns septic. Poisonous." He took a final swig of sour alcohol. "So, why do I want to know the feel of your teeth?"

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ducere
2013-03-24 12:13 pm UTC (link)

"Think you can figure people out that easily?" The ones who were really good at it were rare, and Duke hadn't figured out if he liked them or not. It could be amusing to watch them pick apart other people but when it was directed at him, it was kind of boring and always seemed to carry a tint of judgment. Duke had always had enough friends to not have to waste him time on the people he didn't want around. His eyes narrowed at Evan, watching him get the same look that drunks and druggies get when they can't tell what's going on. "Alright there, mate?" He honestly hadn't done the best job in the way of cleaning him up and healing the worst of his injuries. Then again, at his age, he probably would have hobbled to the hospital the next morning with a raging hangover. "You like attention," Duke made an observation back at him. "I don't think anything's selfless, but you're not wrong. Everyone knows I am." There wasn't anything he could do but try to be less selfish, and he was honestly working on it. That didn't mean he couldn't have a little fun, though.

"So what when it's months down the road and you've spent all that time worrying about home and the fiancé that's not here and the life you no longer have?" There was no point, in Duke's opinion, to keeping oneself miserable over such things. If he could be happy, he would. He did what he wanted just to fulfill that basic desire, which was part of the reason he was so selfish in the first place. Yes, he had his moments of misery when things went bad, meaning not his way, but he wasn't one to sit around and purposefully mope just to have something to whine about. Bitching got annoying real fast.

"Huh," Duke clicked his tongue and his eyes fell back down on Evan, studying the way the light hit his face. Bruises had already begun to blossom on the skin like artwork. There were cracks and dried blood, a patchwork of misery on display. "Do you think so little of yourself under all that arrogance or did you just think I have high expectations?" He would bet it was a mixture of both because the first wouldn't surprise him and the second was true. Duke always expected people to completely blow him away because he so desperately wanted them to. However, the disappointment that came when they fell short wasn't significant. He was good at getting over it and accepting the lows as well as the highs. Even when his interest waned, he liked to stay pleasurable friends.

The silence that stretched on wasn't hard to get through. There were a lot of thoughts, jumbled as they were, floating around his head and clouding it all up even more than it was on its own. A spark of interest flared up as Evan started talking again. Duke's voice dropped in volume, somewhere between ominous and seductive. "Must be a death wish." Bending his legs, he lowered himself until he was sitting next to Evan, an oh too cocky grin on his mouth that exposed a good number of teeth, emphasizing the idea of his bite, something he already enjoyed too much on both ends. "Just say the word."

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