[And that has Trevor scratching under his skin absently.]
Yeah, that's -- part of the reason I'm not all that worried about taking them both on. They're not going to need much help from me, honestly, other than on paper.
[Or that's the assumption.]
You're contracted then too, one assumes.
[They haven't actually talked much about each other ... at all.]
[An understandable one, all things considered. But then Trevor makes his second comment and Julian laughs again, only a touch self-consciously.]
And one assumes correctly. It was ah, that is to say, I was somewhat impulsive in that regard myself. I um, may have agreed to a contract just a matter of hours after he and I met.
You know, I don't know if that's any less impulsive than contracting Submissives in an alcohol-fueled haze.
[But he's eyeing Julian with a bit more scrutiny, suddenly, because -- yes, he knows what the other man is into, he barely knows him, but that doesn't mean he can tamp down his stupid fucking hero complex. It's gotten worse here, the more sober he gets.]
Perhaps you're right. I'll admit that I may tend to act without thinking, on occasion.
[He admits, and that touch of self-consciousness remains. But he smiles his debonair smile, shakes his head, sending auburn curls tumbling down into his face.]
And whilst your concern is touching, I am all right with the contract. It's going rather better than I imagined it would, actually. I uh, I do like him. Quite a bit.
So neither of us are going to learn our lessons any time soon, then.
[Which is -- funny, really. He finishes his glass with a chuckle, setting his drink down and looking over to Julian. The alcohol is doing its job, keeping him warm and helping his mind stay in the present.]
That's a pity. About your previous home, I mean. Who likes predictability, after all?
[Not Julian, evidently.]
This place is strange and sometimes unpleasant but one has to admit it is interesting. And anywhere can be unpleasant, can't it? I've experienced awful things all over the place. This ah, unusual island doesn't exactly have a monopoly on it.
When that predictability comes in the form of hordes of demons, at least it's -- consistent?
[He turns his head to the side to crack his neck, considering Julian's words.]
Maybe it doesn't, but the scale of it -- that's the worrisome part. It's not just this island, if Veracity was anything to go by. It's this whole damned world, which will be --
[Harder to change and overthrow. It's a depressing thought.]
[But Julian only shrugs-- changing the status quo here, it's not something he's especially interested in. He'd like things to be different, for better options to be made for the people here, better provisions for Submissives without Dominants, a choice of which societal position they take when they come through that door perhaps, or at least an attempt to align one's personality with the position they're afforded.
But the basic structure, submission and dominance-- the truth is he's all for it. Feels more at home here, in many ways, than he ever has anywhere else.]
Perhaps its only truly worrisome when one looks at it with outside eyes. How many things about our own worlds do you think the people born here would question, and disagree with, if they were able to see it? It's ah, well don't get me wrong. This place has deep and enduring problems. There's much here that could be improved, and dramatically so. But so does any system or rule, doesn't it? Or any system at all.
[That's somewhere that the two of them differ, then -- because Trevor is all about free choice in society, especially when the dominant group is so oppressive. He snorts.]
Well, yes. And just like at home, I'm not just going to sit down and watch the rest of the world go to shit because it might not directly effect me.
[He'd -- tried that, all right, and it turned out that had just gotten him a nasty drinking habit and a young-adulthood of deep-seated guilt.]
[Julian nods, slowly. Takes another sip of his drink, daintier this time.]
Well, that's admirable, I suppose. For myself I uh, well I'm not unhappy with the position I've been relegated to. It suits me well enough. Though it's complicated, isn't it? When not every Submissive here is as content to accept their role as I. But um, my work at the clinic. Providing free health care to those who need it most-- that's something I can do, at least.
[And he is going to end up involving himself in finding a vaccine for the SLUT drugs, his form of vigilantism just happens to be the subtle kind.]
[Trevor's not sure how he managed to miss that one, but he supposes it's not impossible. It's not like he's actually there all that much, other than when he passes by to check on Neria.]
And -- no, that's exactly it. It's the lack of choice that makes it the most problematic. People are free to do -- whatever it is they like, but nobody's made a choice. It's been made for them, no matter what position they're in now.
[He nods again, just once. And to be fair to Trevor he's a fairly new addition, has only begun working there since returning from Fort Harmony, and he's just the kind of workaholic to get so stuck into the books, or the tending of patients, that he rarely emerges from his practice room.]
And no, you're quite right. That is the problem. The lack of consent...it is abhorrent.
[He's not sure what it says about him, honestly, that he could live like this quite contentedly.]
[Oblivious to whatever issue Trevor has with his colleague, Julian only hears his words, makes a wry face in the wake of them.]
Doubtful. They're probably hoping we'll consider ourselves lucky now we've seen how much worse we could have it. One has to wonder if that was, in fact, the point.
[He slides his glass closer to the Dominant man, accepts the refill quite gladly.]
Were you involved in all that?
[The question should make it clear that he wasn't-- a number of individuals had conspired to keep a certain self-sacrificing foll busy elsewhere during the skirmish.]
We did get a fair number of wounded walk-ins at the clinic that day.
Hah, well. You certainly weren't alone in that regard.
[he says, knocking back a slug of his freshly-poured drink, feels the pleasant warmth of inebriation begin to come up on him, steady and slow. Infinitesimally, the hard line of his broad shoulders loosens.]
And that's fair, I suppose. Not everyone's favourite place. Negative associations and all that. But look, in future, if you are wounded and need assistance but would prefer to keep away from a clinic, you know how to find me. I'd come to you, if you need it.
Yeah, I'll -- keep that in mind. I don't know that it'd be much other than my own stubbornness keeping me from going in there, but -- well, I'm a very stubborn man.
[The offer comes from a genuine desire to help, and he has more to say on the matter...but then Trevor makes that response. It's a response that has him flashing his wily smile, eyebrow raised in overt suggestion.]
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Yeah, that's -- part of the reason I'm not all that worried about taking them both on. They're not going to need much help from me, honestly, other than on paper.
[Or that's the assumption.]
You're contracted then too, one assumes.
[They haven't actually talked much about each other ... at all.]
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[An understandable one, all things considered. But then Trevor makes his second comment and Julian laughs again, only a touch self-consciously.]
And one assumes correctly. It was ah, that is to say, I was somewhat impulsive in that regard myself. I um, may have agreed to a contract just a matter of hours after he and I met.
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[But he's eyeing Julian with a bit more scrutiny, suddenly, because -- yes, he knows what the other man is into, he barely knows him, but that doesn't mean he can tamp down his stupid fucking hero complex. It's gotten worse here, the more sober he gets.]
But you're all right with the contract?
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[He admits, and that touch of self-consciousness remains. But he smiles his debonair smile, shakes his head, sending auburn curls tumbling down into his face.]
And whilst your concern is touching, I am all right with the contract. It's going rather better than I imagined it would, actually. I uh, I do like him. Quite a bit.
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[Which is -- funny, really. He finishes his glass with a chuckle, setting his drink down and looking over to Julian. The alcohol is doing its job, keeping him warm and helping his mind stay in the present.]
It's probably more fun this way, anyway.
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Oh, definitely more fun. Trouble is always fun, even if it does lead one in some strange directions at times.
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[Getting in trouble in Wallachia inevitably just meant fist fights. Here -- it could be more and less interesting.]
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[Not Julian, evidently.]
This place is strange and sometimes unpleasant but one has to admit it is interesting. And anywhere can be unpleasant, can't it? I've experienced awful things all over the place. This ah, unusual island doesn't exactly have a monopoly on it.
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[He turns his head to the side to crack his neck, considering Julian's words.]
Maybe it doesn't, but the scale of it -- that's the worrisome part. It's not just this island, if Veracity was anything to go by. It's this whole damned world, which will be --
[Harder to change and overthrow. It's a depressing thought.]
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But the basic structure, submission and dominance-- the truth is he's all for it. Feels more at home here, in many ways, than he ever has anywhere else.]
Perhaps its only truly worrisome when one looks at it with outside eyes. How many things about our own worlds do you think the people born here would question, and disagree with, if they were able to see it? It's ah, well don't get me wrong. This place has deep and enduring problems. There's much here that could be improved, and dramatically so. But so does any system or rule, doesn't it? Or any system at all.
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Well, yes. And just like at home, I'm not just going to sit down and watch the rest of the world go to shit because it might not directly effect me.
[He'd -- tried that, all right, and it turned out that had just gotten him a nasty drinking habit and a young-adulthood of deep-seated guilt.]
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Well, that's admirable, I suppose. For myself I uh, well I'm not unhappy with the position I've been relegated to. It suits me well enough. Though it's complicated, isn't it? When not every Submissive here is as content to accept their role as I. But um, my work at the clinic. Providing free health care to those who need it most-- that's something I can do, at least.
[And he is going to end up involving himself in finding a vaccine for the SLUT drugs, his form of vigilantism just happens to be the subtle kind.]
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[Trevor's not sure how he managed to miss that one, but he supposes it's not impossible. It's not like he's actually there all that much, other than when he passes by to check on Neria.]
And -- no, that's exactly it. It's the lack of choice that makes it the most problematic. People are free to do -- whatever it is they like, but nobody's made a choice. It's been made for them, no matter what position they're in now.
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[He nods again, just once. And to be fair to Trevor he's a fairly new addition, has only begun working there since returning from Fort Harmony, and he's just the kind of workaholic to get so stuck into the books, or the tending of patients, that he rarely emerges from his practice room.]
And no, you're quite right. That is the problem. The lack of consent...it is abhorrent.
[He's not sure what it says about him, honestly, that he could live like this quite contentedly.]
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Heh.]
Well. Maybe there'll finally be someone listening to us about things after everything that happened with Veracity.
[He doubted it, but -- well, a man could dream.]
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Doubtful. They're probably hoping we'll consider ourselves lucky now we've seen how much worse we could have it. One has to wonder if that was, in fact, the point.
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[He pours himself another drink and offers the same out to Julian.]
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Were you involved in all that?
[The question should make it clear that he wasn't-- a number of individuals had conspired to keep a certain self-sacrificing foll busy elsewhere during the skirmish.]
We did get a fair number of wounded walk-ins at the clinic that day.
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[He and Adrian had certainly had their fun -- and if it had helped the people of Veracity in turn, all the better.
Trevor just smirks.]
I'm not a fan of clinics unless I've lost a -- lot of blood or a limb, probably.
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[he says, knocking back a slug of his freshly-poured drink, feels the pleasant warmth of inebriation begin to come up on him, steady and slow. Infinitesimally, the hard line of his broad shoulders loosens.]
And that's fair, I suppose. Not everyone's favourite place. Negative associations and all that. But look, in future, if you are wounded and need assistance but would prefer to keep away from a clinic, you know how to find me. I'd come to you, if you need it.
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Yeah, I'll -- keep that in mind. I don't know that it'd be much other than my own stubbornness keeping me from going in there, but -- well, I'm a very stubborn man.
[So having the alternative is a good thing.]
You're just full of all sorts of uses, Julian.
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Oh, I certainly am.
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--Well. I'll drink to that.
[And then probably not remember a whole lot of the rest of the night...]