Another One!
Nov. 14th, 2003 09:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
maderrYes, it took me way to long to write it. Bite me.
Aggravated Neil tossed the journal aside, to join the growing pile of discarded books behind him on the floor. "Stupid relatives. Did any of them do anything besides smoke up? I wish they were all still alive so I could kill them." He reached for the next book on the stack in front of him, a collection of journals, research books and other miscellany collected and frequently composed by his multitude of ancestors - even a few of his living relatives. "The old man used to yell at me for being an embarrassment to the family name, but honestly I can't compete with this." He trailed off as he lost himself in the latest book.
Long minutes passed, adding to the two or three hours he'd already spent in the basement of the family mansion. The basement was huge, running the entirety of the house above it. Most of it had been converted to a large library, with chairs, tables and the like scattered generously throughout it. Wall to wall shelving, free-floating shelves. The remaining space served as a workshop for the maintenance and repair of the expensive books lining the numerous shelves.
Neil was currently seated on the floor in front of the fireplace centered against the back wall. Sighing, he attempted to focus on the book in his lap. Words glared up at him, hand written babbling that was a headache to read. But the word "Carnelian" had flashed up at him the moment he turned the page, and so he forced himself to continue reading. Several minutes later he tossed it behind him, disgusted. "Don't any of these morons actually know anything. 'I think this' and 'I dreamed that' but no one ever does actual research. Jeez, what a pain. Those older journals are completely beyond me, I'm not even sure what they're writing is English."
Falling onto his back, Neil groaned in frustration. He rolled over onto this stomach, burrowing into the soft fur stretched out in front of the fireplace. It was one of the few spots in the house he actually liked, the reason he'd opted to sit there while he poured over the collection of journals and books. Burrowing as deeply into the thick fur as possible, Neil allowed his eyes to fall shut. "Just a few minutes…"
Moments later he was fast asleep, breaths slow and soft in the near silence of the massive basement library. The fire crackled and snapped, warming Neil as he slept.
The faint swishing of cloth broke the still atmosphere, as soundless feet appeared on the basement stairs, loose, flowing black fabric swirling around dark ankles. As the feet descended, the rest of the figure appeared, turning so both of his hands clutched the wooden banister.
Hesitant, Kasimir paused halfway down the stairs and looked out over the room. His eyes widened in appreciation at what he saw, drinking in the sight of seemingly endless rows of books. Shaking his head, he continued looking around the room, eyes finally alighting on the sleeping form in front of the fireplace. Slowly he continued his way down the stairs, pausing again at the bottom. He looked back up, uncertainty and determination battling for dominance on his face. Glancing down he pulled back the end of one long sleeve, twisting his arm so the light caught in the jewels on his wrist and made them sparkle. Determination won out and resolutely Kasimir crossed the room to the fireplace rug.
Standing over Neil, he looked thoughtfully down at the sleeping man. Glancing up, he examined the fire before looking around the room. Finding what he sought, he crossed over to a nearby couch and lifted an afghan folded neatly over the back of it. Carrying it over, he knelt to drape the blanket over the oblivious Neil. Rising, he half nodded to himself before strolling over to the stacks of books.
Slowly he began to neaten the pile of discarded journals, carrying them back over to the still tidy stack of unread volumes. After resorting them, he picked several and carried them to the couch, curling up in his flowing clothes to begin reading.
~*~*~*~
"Mmmm…" Blearily Neil opened one eye, immediately shutting it again at the sight of the fire just a few feet from him. Groggily he put his hands beneath him and pushed himself up to sit up with his feet underneath him. Rubbing his eyes, he then dropped his hands - frowning at the feel of something that wasn't fur. Looking down, he noticed the blanket. Surprised, he looked around the room. His eyes landed on the black-clothed figure on the couch, and he said nothing.
Kasimir glanced up as he finished the page he'd been reading, "It's about time you woke up. I really thought you were going to be there all day."
Neil raised a brow, "What time is it?"
"Early evening, about. You slept the rest of the morning and afternoon away. It's no wonder, the way you run around like a bird that's just lost it's head."
"That a lovely image to have after just waking up, thanks. I'm going to ask you about that comment on my running around right after I go find something caffeinated." He half walked, half stumbled to the stairs, where he paused, "This is probably a dumb question, but do you want anything?"
"No." Kasimir didn't look up from his book.
"That's what I figured." Gripping the banister Neil dragged himself up the stairs.
Several minutes later he reappeared, a soda in hand and looking remarkably more awake. He strode back to the carpet and settled down on it, eyeing the figure still seated on the couch. Neil opened his mouth, then closed it again. Finally gathering his thoughts, he tried again, "Thanks for the blanket."
Kasimir said nothing, merely turning the page and continuing to read.
Neil shook his head, "What are you doing down here anyway? I was pretty sure you wanted no part of this."
Kasimir didn't look up as he replied, "I figured I may as well help. You have no idea what you're doing, and the sooner we get this done the sooner I get to go back to sleep."
"You keep saying that - about going back to sleep I mean. It can't be that great sleeping all the time. I mean, I wish I got more of it, but I wouldn't want to do it as often as you must between jobs."
"Che. For a long time I didn't get much rest at all. It was only when one of my owner's fell ill that I caught a break. The doctor's took off all her jewelry and no one else ever wore the earring until this woman found me. Then after her it was back to sleep again."
"Woman? You don't mean the woman that drew all those gorgeous pictures in that sketchbook?"
"You saw the sketchbook? That would be her - I don't recall the name. I only ever called her Mistress."
"Huh," Neil looked both annoyed and amused, "Who would have ever thought Rosemary had a genie in the family. I wonder if she knows about it, she seemed awfully excited when I found this stupid thing," he flicked the earring lightly.
"That depends," Kasimir's voice was dry, "Is she related to Gareth Cole?"
"Cole? I think that was her mother's maiden name. Don't even ask me how I know that - I think she was ranting one day about it in that creepy store she owns. Her mother hated all the junk her husband collected and instead of just trashing it opened some weird antique shop, claiming all the junk was magical in some way, shape or fashion as a gimmick."
"Well then, I’m sure she knows about me." Kasimir looked disgusted, finally glancing up from his book. "The question is, why did she stick me with you?"
"No, the question is why does everyone seem to know about all this crap except me? Because if Rosemary knows something then my conniving sister knows it too. Those two are inseparable. So the real question is: what are they up to?"
Kasimir snapped his book shut, "That depends. If this Rosemary knows about me, and told your sister about me, then chances are they both know how I got here. Which makes things even stranger." He rose from his seat, carrying the small stack of books he'd piled beside the couch to the main stack on the opposite side of the sitting area. Replacing them, he selected a few more.
Neil looked at him, completely lost. "What are you talking about?" Reaching out, he latched onto Kasimir's slender wrist as the genie passed by him. Yanking firmly, he brought the genie tumbling down next to him.
A faint cry escaped Kasimir's lips, as he fell to the thick fur amidst a small pile of books. Sprawled out, he glared over at the other man. "What was that for? I'm trying not to be a "spoiled brat" and you're tripping me?"
Neil struggled not to laugh, "Sorry, I didn't mean for you to fall like that. Really, I just wanted you to stop." He still had a grip on the genie's wrist, noticing idly that it felt odd. Curious, he shifted his grip and pushed back the trailing sleeve. His eyes widened as he took in the bracelet encircling Kasimir's wrist. "Wow, that's quite the piece you've got there. Where'd you get something like this?"
"I didn't steal it, if that's what you're wondering." Kasimir jerked his arm free, pulling it close as he pulled the sleeve back down.
Neil glared, "Don't get snippy again - I just wondered. It's awfully flashy compared to the rest of your ensemble. I didn't think you'd stolen it, so knock it off."
"…It was a gift. From Nomolos."
Neil whistled, "Really? Wow, I didn't realize demons gave such expensive presents to their servants."
Kasimir smirked, "He doesn't give them to servants. He gives them to his slaves."
Red hair shone in the firelight as Neil shook his head, "That makes even less sense, Kasimir. No one ever gave jewels like that to a slave."
The genie's smirk only brightened as he shifted closer. "You're a bit dense. Of course he wouldn't waste jewels on a normal slave. But he would lavish them on his favorite pleasure slave."
Neil's eyes widened, "What? You're kidding me! That's ridiculous. You're trying to tell me you were a concubine?" He started laughing.
Kasimir's dark violet eyes narrowed as he watched the snickering red head. "I didn't think it was funny," he muttered to himself. His narrowed eyes glittered as a mischievous look replaced his frown. Shifting his position, he moved closer to the laughing man, sitting in front of him. He paused, waiting until Neil's laughter slowed enough that the man noticed him again.
"Kasi-"
The genie cut him off, reaching out to drag the other man close and angling Neil's head down to his own. The other man's protests were cut off as Kasimir kissed him, wrapping his arms around Neil's neck to draw him close and trap him in place. Kasimir ate at his lips, swallowing Neil's surprised gasps and using the opportunity to deepen the kiss. Slowly he drew the other man into it, smiling at Neil's clumsy, awkward attempts.
Finally he broke away, loosening his arms and falling back against soft fur as Neil scrambled away.
"What the hell did you do that for? What's your problem?"
Kasimir was laughing, arms spread above his head and legs stretched out, just brushing against a panicked looking Neil. "That'll teach you to make fun of Lord Nomolos' favorite slave. Still think I'm joking?"
"Shut up. That wasn't even remotely funny, genie."
Kasimir smirked, "I liked it more when you called me 'Kasi,' and unless I'm mistaken you weren't exactly hating my little prank. He started laughing again.
Neil's cheeks went red, and he pushed himself to his feet. A second later he was pounding up the stairs, vanishing from sight.
The genie watched him go then dragged his hands up to cover his face. A moment later he pulled them away, pushing himself slowly to a sitting position. "That was a really stupid thing for me to do."
Stiffly he rose, gathering the books he'd dropped when Neil first knocked him down. Slowly he made his way back to the couch, curling up to resume his reading. He lay there the rest of evening, with only the crackling of the fire and turning of pages to break the silence.
Aggravated Neil tossed the journal aside, to join the growing pile of discarded books behind him on the floor. "Stupid relatives. Did any of them do anything besides smoke up? I wish they were all still alive so I could kill them." He reached for the next book on the stack in front of him, a collection of journals, research books and other miscellany collected and frequently composed by his multitude of ancestors - even a few of his living relatives. "The old man used to yell at me for being an embarrassment to the family name, but honestly I can't compete with this." He trailed off as he lost himself in the latest book.
Long minutes passed, adding to the two or three hours he'd already spent in the basement of the family mansion. The basement was huge, running the entirety of the house above it. Most of it had been converted to a large library, with chairs, tables and the like scattered generously throughout it. Wall to wall shelving, free-floating shelves. The remaining space served as a workshop for the maintenance and repair of the expensive books lining the numerous shelves.
Neil was currently seated on the floor in front of the fireplace centered against the back wall. Sighing, he attempted to focus on the book in his lap. Words glared up at him, hand written babbling that was a headache to read. But the word "Carnelian" had flashed up at him the moment he turned the page, and so he forced himself to continue reading. Several minutes later he tossed it behind him, disgusted. "Don't any of these morons actually know anything. 'I think this' and 'I dreamed that' but no one ever does actual research. Jeez, what a pain. Those older journals are completely beyond me, I'm not even sure what they're writing is English."
Falling onto his back, Neil groaned in frustration. He rolled over onto this stomach, burrowing into the soft fur stretched out in front of the fireplace. It was one of the few spots in the house he actually liked, the reason he'd opted to sit there while he poured over the collection of journals and books. Burrowing as deeply into the thick fur as possible, Neil allowed his eyes to fall shut. "Just a few minutes…"
Moments later he was fast asleep, breaths slow and soft in the near silence of the massive basement library. The fire crackled and snapped, warming Neil as he slept.
The faint swishing of cloth broke the still atmosphere, as soundless feet appeared on the basement stairs, loose, flowing black fabric swirling around dark ankles. As the feet descended, the rest of the figure appeared, turning so both of his hands clutched the wooden banister.
Hesitant, Kasimir paused halfway down the stairs and looked out over the room. His eyes widened in appreciation at what he saw, drinking in the sight of seemingly endless rows of books. Shaking his head, he continued looking around the room, eyes finally alighting on the sleeping form in front of the fireplace. Slowly he continued his way down the stairs, pausing again at the bottom. He looked back up, uncertainty and determination battling for dominance on his face. Glancing down he pulled back the end of one long sleeve, twisting his arm so the light caught in the jewels on his wrist and made them sparkle. Determination won out and resolutely Kasimir crossed the room to the fireplace rug.
Standing over Neil, he looked thoughtfully down at the sleeping man. Glancing up, he examined the fire before looking around the room. Finding what he sought, he crossed over to a nearby couch and lifted an afghan folded neatly over the back of it. Carrying it over, he knelt to drape the blanket over the oblivious Neil. Rising, he half nodded to himself before strolling over to the stacks of books.
Slowly he began to neaten the pile of discarded journals, carrying them back over to the still tidy stack of unread volumes. After resorting them, he picked several and carried them to the couch, curling up in his flowing clothes to begin reading.
~*~*~*~
"Mmmm…" Blearily Neil opened one eye, immediately shutting it again at the sight of the fire just a few feet from him. Groggily he put his hands beneath him and pushed himself up to sit up with his feet underneath him. Rubbing his eyes, he then dropped his hands - frowning at the feel of something that wasn't fur. Looking down, he noticed the blanket. Surprised, he looked around the room. His eyes landed on the black-clothed figure on the couch, and he said nothing.
Kasimir glanced up as he finished the page he'd been reading, "It's about time you woke up. I really thought you were going to be there all day."
Neil raised a brow, "What time is it?"
"Early evening, about. You slept the rest of the morning and afternoon away. It's no wonder, the way you run around like a bird that's just lost it's head."
"That a lovely image to have after just waking up, thanks. I'm going to ask you about that comment on my running around right after I go find something caffeinated." He half walked, half stumbled to the stairs, where he paused, "This is probably a dumb question, but do you want anything?"
"No." Kasimir didn't look up from his book.
"That's what I figured." Gripping the banister Neil dragged himself up the stairs.
Several minutes later he reappeared, a soda in hand and looking remarkably more awake. He strode back to the carpet and settled down on it, eyeing the figure still seated on the couch. Neil opened his mouth, then closed it again. Finally gathering his thoughts, he tried again, "Thanks for the blanket."
Kasimir said nothing, merely turning the page and continuing to read.
Neil shook his head, "What are you doing down here anyway? I was pretty sure you wanted no part of this."
Kasimir didn't look up as he replied, "I figured I may as well help. You have no idea what you're doing, and the sooner we get this done the sooner I get to go back to sleep."
"You keep saying that - about going back to sleep I mean. It can't be that great sleeping all the time. I mean, I wish I got more of it, but I wouldn't want to do it as often as you must between jobs."
"Che. For a long time I didn't get much rest at all. It was only when one of my owner's fell ill that I caught a break. The doctor's took off all her jewelry and no one else ever wore the earring until this woman found me. Then after her it was back to sleep again."
"Woman? You don't mean the woman that drew all those gorgeous pictures in that sketchbook?"
"You saw the sketchbook? That would be her - I don't recall the name. I only ever called her Mistress."
"Huh," Neil looked both annoyed and amused, "Who would have ever thought Rosemary had a genie in the family. I wonder if she knows about it, she seemed awfully excited when I found this stupid thing," he flicked the earring lightly.
"That depends," Kasimir's voice was dry, "Is she related to Gareth Cole?"
"Cole? I think that was her mother's maiden name. Don't even ask me how I know that - I think she was ranting one day about it in that creepy store she owns. Her mother hated all the junk her husband collected and instead of just trashing it opened some weird antique shop, claiming all the junk was magical in some way, shape or fashion as a gimmick."
"Well then, I’m sure she knows about me." Kasimir looked disgusted, finally glancing up from his book. "The question is, why did she stick me with you?"
"No, the question is why does everyone seem to know about all this crap except me? Because if Rosemary knows something then my conniving sister knows it too. Those two are inseparable. So the real question is: what are they up to?"
Kasimir snapped his book shut, "That depends. If this Rosemary knows about me, and told your sister about me, then chances are they both know how I got here. Which makes things even stranger." He rose from his seat, carrying the small stack of books he'd piled beside the couch to the main stack on the opposite side of the sitting area. Replacing them, he selected a few more.
Neil looked at him, completely lost. "What are you talking about?" Reaching out, he latched onto Kasimir's slender wrist as the genie passed by him. Yanking firmly, he brought the genie tumbling down next to him.
A faint cry escaped Kasimir's lips, as he fell to the thick fur amidst a small pile of books. Sprawled out, he glared over at the other man. "What was that for? I'm trying not to be a "spoiled brat" and you're tripping me?"
Neil struggled not to laugh, "Sorry, I didn't mean for you to fall like that. Really, I just wanted you to stop." He still had a grip on the genie's wrist, noticing idly that it felt odd. Curious, he shifted his grip and pushed back the trailing sleeve. His eyes widened as he took in the bracelet encircling Kasimir's wrist. "Wow, that's quite the piece you've got there. Where'd you get something like this?"
"I didn't steal it, if that's what you're wondering." Kasimir jerked his arm free, pulling it close as he pulled the sleeve back down.
Neil glared, "Don't get snippy again - I just wondered. It's awfully flashy compared to the rest of your ensemble. I didn't think you'd stolen it, so knock it off."
"…It was a gift. From Nomolos."
Neil whistled, "Really? Wow, I didn't realize demons gave such expensive presents to their servants."
Kasimir smirked, "He doesn't give them to servants. He gives them to his slaves."
Red hair shone in the firelight as Neil shook his head, "That makes even less sense, Kasimir. No one ever gave jewels like that to a slave."
The genie's smirk only brightened as he shifted closer. "You're a bit dense. Of course he wouldn't waste jewels on a normal slave. But he would lavish them on his favorite pleasure slave."
Neil's eyes widened, "What? You're kidding me! That's ridiculous. You're trying to tell me you were a concubine?" He started laughing.
Kasimir's dark violet eyes narrowed as he watched the snickering red head. "I didn't think it was funny," he muttered to himself. His narrowed eyes glittered as a mischievous look replaced his frown. Shifting his position, he moved closer to the laughing man, sitting in front of him. He paused, waiting until Neil's laughter slowed enough that the man noticed him again.
"Kasi-"
The genie cut him off, reaching out to drag the other man close and angling Neil's head down to his own. The other man's protests were cut off as Kasimir kissed him, wrapping his arms around Neil's neck to draw him close and trap him in place. Kasimir ate at his lips, swallowing Neil's surprised gasps and using the opportunity to deepen the kiss. Slowly he drew the other man into it, smiling at Neil's clumsy, awkward attempts.
Finally he broke away, loosening his arms and falling back against soft fur as Neil scrambled away.
"What the hell did you do that for? What's your problem?"
Kasimir was laughing, arms spread above his head and legs stretched out, just brushing against a panicked looking Neil. "That'll teach you to make fun of Lord Nomolos' favorite slave. Still think I'm joking?"
"Shut up. That wasn't even remotely funny, genie."
Kasimir smirked, "I liked it more when you called me 'Kasi,' and unless I'm mistaken you weren't exactly hating my little prank. He started laughing again.
Neil's cheeks went red, and he pushed himself to his feet. A second later he was pounding up the stairs, vanishing from sight.
The genie watched him go then dragged his hands up to cover his face. A moment later he pulled them away, pushing himself slowly to a sitting position. "That was a really stupid thing for me to do."
Stiffly he rose, gathering the books he'd dropped when Neil first knocked him down. Slowly he made his way back to the couch, curling up to resume his reading. He lay there the rest of evening, with only the crackling of the fire and turning of pages to break the silence.
