Spice and Sparkles ((Closed RP- Baron Harkonnen, Jasper, and the Raptor))

[i-am-harkonnen.livejournal.com]

((Many thanks to A-mun for coming up with the thread title. It is my area of extreme FAIL.))

Although he couldn't claim to be satisfied, the Baron had finally gotten his rooms in order. He was still irritated that rooms was really one large room, with a closet and a semi-acceptable bathroom, but didn't plan to put up with it forever. What he'd managed was tolerable for now, and, he'd managed to improve on his wardrobe and the sheets.

And so he was sitting in his room, attempting to enjoy a quiet afternoon and finding it rather impossible. Practicing basic spells in secret was interesting, but, it wasn't enough to occupy an entire day. He required actual diversion, in the form of company. He didn't feel like wandering around the castle, as he'd already had an exhausting last few days, his joints were aching, and he seemed to keep ending up places without chairs. But, he didn't feel like being by himself anymore, and, his mind kept drifting back to his meeting with Jasper.

He did say he'd come visit, and it seemed like he was settled in enough. And so, he decided to see if he'd been getting his hopes up for nothing, or not. Pleasant company was always an excellent diversion, although he didn't expect it would end up quite so pleasant a time as he'd like. And so, managing to summon a piece of paper and a pen from across the room after a couple tries, he penned a short note.

To Jasper Hale,

I've finally made some rooms acceptable for now, and it would be a pleasure if you were to visit me this evening, as we recently chatted about. I shall be looking forward to your response or your arrival,  and shall be hoping for the latter.

Regards,
Baron Vladimir Harkonnen

After folding the note meticulously, he put his head out the door and shouted for a house elf- at least they were appearing instantaneously now, having learned he'd be calling them on a very regular basis. When it appeared, he told it to deliver the note as swiftly as possible, and then to have food brought. He returned to his sofa, practicing more object levitation and summoning, and waiting for either a response, or the evening.

Comments

[j-whitlock.livejournal.com]

He certainly agreed about Hogwarts needing the organisational effort—during his rather illuminating conversation with the woman from Divination, Maddie Magellan, he'd also started to deliberate taking on a leadership role. Not as a professor, but in forming something like a students' union, a group equipped and willing to deal with the miscellaneous murderers and rapists who viewed the school as their playground, its inhabitants their sport. The old order of the school was very obviously no longer being upheld by anyone else, especially not the faculty, so it really fell to the students to take control and look out for one another.

"Seeing as there are only two classes being actively offered, you may have your choice of subjects. But I believe there are more than two professors still here, who may not take kindly to a newcomer invading their unused turf, as it were." He was smiling thinly, his cynicism apparent. "But if you're better suited for the job—and you'd have to be, if you're actually willing to do the job—hopefully you'll be accepted. I've had similar thoughts of helping with organisation here, though not in a professorial capacity. It was actually inspired by learning of A's disturbing past."

He continued running his fingers along the raptor's scales once he'd calmed down, helping to soothe him back to sleep. And Jasper definitely was grateful there wasn't any embarrassing crotch snuffling going on, thank you very much. He murmured to the raptor in an undertone, meaningless words meant to comfort, and trailed off as he listened to the Baron describe his ailments. The implication that he'd allow Jasper to administer the massage wasn't entirely subtle, nor was it so blatant he'd have to feel awkward about it, which he appreciated.

He eyed the Baron for a moment with a thoughtful expression. His physical contact with humans had been drastically limited ever since he'd gone on his 'diet'—even his contact with Bella, a human he loved as a sister and trusted, was carefully restricted to the point of being nonexistent. Safer that way, for both of them.

"Well, I don't know how much help I'd be—I mean, I'd likely do more damage than good since massage is hardly my forte, but, if you want..." His uncertainty had more to do with the fact he could crush Vladimir's bones with less effort than it took a human to crumple paper, and less with worrying about Vladimir enjoying the massage in an inappropriate manner. There was also his thirst to consider. Being that close to a human again might be agonising. Vladimir's seeming command gave him pause even with the obvious affection behind it, but it was only a moment before he moved to comply. It wasn't as though he minded helping.

"Oh, it isn't about how exciting wine is or isn't," he said, pulling his wand from his sleeve, where it had been held in place by being slipped through the crest on his wrist. Using wandless magic would just be showing off. He summoned the corkscrew and bottle to his hand. "I don't have a terribly... sophisticated palate. I can't tell the difference between qualities." Which wasn't even a lie. "Maybe you could educate me," he said, trying not to look too amused. Vladimir already had, in abundance, exactly the thing he'd prefer, but he wasn't going to say as much. Intimating one would like to dine on their host was plain bad manners, and could too easily be misinterpreted. He levitated the opened bottle, cork, and corkscrew back to the table.

"I haven't delved too far into magical theory and philosophy yet," he admitted, looking maybe a touch embarrassed. Philosophy of any sort had always interested him, so it was unusual for him to bypass it in favour of more 'exciting' aspects of magical education. "Maybe you would share your insight once I do? I guess I've been lazy... Memorisation is really the easiest part, and I suppose it helps to know Latin. Although, I have been noticing patterns that are perhaps similar to what you mean. It's hard not to feel the patterns of magic after performing so many spells, and that's actually the foundation of wandless magic—recalling those patterns in your mind, and focusing them on your own, without aid of a conduit such as a wand. The user's own focus is the conduit."

[i-am-harkonnen.livejournal.com]

"If you're interested in helping without teaching, I could appoint you as my personal assistant once I find a job." He grinned at Jasper, and although sounding slightly teasing, he was part serious. "You would be good at it. You've already touched on a point I wanted to discuss." Bereft of a mentat, Vladimir had decided to bring up a few topics with Jasper, hoping he might prove helpful in a similar capacity.

"That point's A. He's an intelligent young man, with admirable focus. But, it appears someone's gotten to him and good. I'm curious as to your thoughts on it- he has potential, but, he's damaged by previous events. From what hints I've aquired, these are serious, involving some manner of intense conditioning. Possibly over most of his lifetime, as that's usually needed for complex conditioning." These were known in the Imperium- Suk doctors and Mentat-Assassins were two commonly-known products of conditioning procedures. "I was curious as to your thoughts. It's good to discuss information and theories with somebody else, as, they may pick up errors, and two minds are likely to come up with more productive data than one."

Vladimir couldn't suppress another affectionate smile at Jasper when he rather shyly and hesitantly implied that he would be willing to give him a massage. Even if it wasn't his forte, surely there was no way those lovely hands could do anything but improve the situation. "I'm sure you wouldn't do too much damage, Jasper, I'm not too easy to break. And I'm already feeling miserable, so, it couldn't do anything but help." He knew it wasn't likely to progress into anything too interesting, but he'd be grateful for even the limited physical contact even if it didn't assist much. He'd not had any in too long, and would be pleased with what good fortune might allow.

He watched Jasper's neatly-performed magical demonstration appreciatively. "And thank you very much." He smiled gratefully and leaned forward to fill the glasses, trying to ignore the sharper pain this reawakened in his back. He indicated to Jasper to select his desired cup before taking his own. "I'd of course be pleased to educate you, but, I'm not sure how educational I could be on Earth wines of the ancient era. Not without some more experience. Some of what I've tried taste familiar, but others less familiar, and some sorts don't exist at all. Like spice wine."

He smiled slightly as he reached into his robe to pull out a small, tightly-sealed canister of ornate design and twisted it open to sprinkle a few grains of cinnamon-scented substance into his glass. "And a bit of the spice can sometimes improve the flavor. Not always, but it does work very well with reds. I am not sure if you would be interested in it? It can have rather strong effects on some people, but promotes health in small amounts."

He swirled his glass slightly to assist the grains of spice in dissolving, and took a deep drink. The spice did not go too badly with it, and it was not a bad vintage, if slightly dry. "Memorization's probably the best way to gain practical knowledge quickly. I just have not been in a hurry, and so have been trying to learn in a way that will speed up the process in the long-run. Again, you reveal just why I do need to hire you as my personal assistant." He chuckled, but, he still wasn't entirely joking. "I think there's a great deal more in the focus, and less in the words and the wands than the books immediately suggest. There's no logical reason why a piece of wood with a bit of mythological creature in it should be the one thing that dictates the ability to do or not to magic. But, the belief that it can be done appears to be a strong component. So I wonder if this is the wand's most important purpose."

[j-whitlock.livejournal.com]

"Conditioning sounds about right. A and another boy, B, were being raised together as possible replacements for a detective of considerable renown in their world, someone called Ryuuzaki—better known as L. I've been told those who oversaw their training allowed B to repeatedly rape A without intervening." There he paused, his expression darkening, as clearly that was the aspect of A's past he found most disturbing. "I'm unsure why they thought abuse of that kind would be conducive to their experiment. Here, at Hogwarts, A was offered the chance to retaliate, and relieved B of his index fingers."

He'd been absently fingering his wand, and, realising so, tucked it back into its place in his sleeve. "For what my thoughts are worth, I suspect aspects of that trauma may always be with him, as deeply ingrained in his psyche as it seems to be," he said. Which he knew mostly through careful observance of A's emotional state, but he also knew he could be wrong. "Whatever his original potential was is now lost, but, in overcoming his trauma, his potential may become even greater, depending on what you mean by potential. To be well-adjusted and grow as a person? To learn? The former would be of greater use to him right now."

Since the Baron hadn't indicated he wanted the massage right that minute, Jasper summoned his chosen glass slowly to his hand, without bothering to pull his wand back out. He tentatively sipped the wine, found the flavour slightly less acetic than expected. Not good, but not completely repugnant either. He watched with interest when Vladimir produced the canister, already able to smell the spice before it was opened—cinnamon-like, but very obviously something different, something... more. Something he felt compelled to taste. Gently shifting the raptor, he leant forward and held his glass out toward the Baron. "I'm curious to try some. A smaller amount than is usual would probably be best, as I've never had any before. Once you've had time to enjoy your wine, we'll see about your massage. You could stay where you are and just lean forward if that would be most comfortable." Anything was fine as long as clothing stayed very much on.

Vladimir repeating his half-serious offer earned him a smile. Jasper had been mildly flattered before, taking it as simply a form of praise, but now wondered just how earnest the Baron was being. The offer wasn't unappealing. It would give him something interesting to do, presumably without monopolising his time—he did have other obligations and desires, most notably pertaining to Alice and Satou, as well as seeing to his own magical education.

"Belief does seem to be a very large part of the magic here. As I understand it: Without belief that the spell can be done, focus would be as pointless as flipping a switch and expecting light when there's no light bulb in the socket. Um, assuming you can follow that metaphor." He had no idea what energy sources might be like in the Baron's time. Perhaps they weren't dependent on electricity. "And what would being your personal assistant entail?" he asked with a chuckle.

[i-am-harkonnen.livejournal.com]

"So, it was conditioning." It was hard to keep his eyes from wandering to Jasper's hand as he fingered his wand, naturally wondering just what those lovely hands would feel like, but he had a disciplined focus and managed to stick to the subject. "What the hell kind of conditioning is that? I'm not sure how that would be conducive to training a detective. Perhaps they rationalized it as experimenting." The distasteful way he said the word suggested he didn't approve of it if so. It sounded wasteful,and reminded him of Piter and Tleilax. Even though everyone in the Imperium purchased their products, they weren't popular.

Some might argue that Vladimir was being hypocritical with this view. He'd repeatedly had his way with many slaves, not always with their enthusiasm. But, Vladimir was from a different culture, and they were slaves. A disposable commodity, like livestock. His mentat was twisted by Tleilaxu conditioning, but he was a ghola, a genetic duplicate of a dead man pre-inclined to take the conditioning properly. Piter had probably enjoyed it.

"I'm surprised A is doing as well as he is, and hope B is gone for good. He's likely hold a grudge, A should have finished it or waited till he could." He frowned as he realized that A was a letter, and not a very short name. A deserved better. "He should select an actual name, I doubt he called himself a letter. He is doing remarkably well despite this all, and appears to want to succeed. With a new environment and proper encouragement, I'd agree with your assessment. His potential may be greater for it in the long run, if he learns confidence in himself as an individual."

He smiled slightly at Jasper, adding, "I'm not sure why I find myself specifically interested in his future. He's been helpful, shows potential, and such shouldn't be wasted. Teaching is not an entirely unappealing career change, even if inflicted by exile. There's less productive things to do than trying to improve a school."

Vladimir felt genuine delight at Jasper's interest in the spice. It wasn't that he thought the substance might reduce his inhibitions, or anything underhanded. Despite its value, it seemed a small gift for a creature this rare, but it was something he could offer. "In small doses, it has a mild effect. It may produce a feeling of alert relaxation and well-being, but it may also stimulate the mind and senses." He carefully tapped a few tiny grains of the substance into Jasper's glass. "It's something like cinnamon, but never exactly the same twice. Spice is the greatest treasure of the Imperium, and I hope you will enjoy it."

Taking a drink of his wine, an affectionate smile played on lips as he anticipated the promised massage. There wasn't a point to rushing it. He was savoring this company. "I think you're exactly right about the belief aspect to magic. The first time it worked it took tossing aside the disbelief for a moment, accepting that I wouldn't be holding a wand and watching others others perform it if it wasn't possible. It didn't work right, but something worked. After that, it's been much easier."

He looked fondly at Jasper, adding, "I am actually serious about the assistant idea. You're already doing it perfectly. The occasional massage could never go amiss, but mainly it would just consist of conversation." He sounded more serious about the conversation, but there was no doubt he was looking forward to the attention. "I like to have someone to discuss things with, it often leads to a deeper understanding and better choices. I'm not sure what adequate compensation for the job would be, but, I expect I could come up with something you'd be pleased with."

Perhaps Jasper wasn't a mentat, but, he was doing things perfectly anyway. Vladimir knew that his need to replace Piter was just a good rationalization for spending time with him. It was important to have one of these. He wasn't about to say that mainly he wanted to spend time with him, that Jasper made him feel uniquely alive in a way he'd long forgotten. He found that with Jasper's attention, he was content to be exiled to this absurd castle. To go admitting such would reveal an exploitable weakness. He didn't know Jasper could read it anyway.

[j-whitlock.livejournal.com]

((I really can't guess how spice would affect something like a vampire, so... Jasper gets a nice trip and perhaps this is a glimpse of what will happen if he ever tries to eat Vlad. XD Wow, I keep hitting the character limit and have to delete paragraphs and edit everything. Argh.))

He nodded solemnly in response to Vladirmir's conjecturing that it was nothing more than an experiment for whatever vile organisation had been training A, presumably since birth. "As I understand it, L was a highly specialised sort of detective in their world, requiring anyone in his position to be extraordinarily intelligent and possess abilities normally thought to be beyond human capacity. I can't imagine anyone being forcefully trained to replace him would have had a very enjoyable life, even without the physical abuse."

And again it was a small mercy Jasper had no way of knowing how the Baron viewed the practise of slavery, nor how he'd treated his own. Jasper had always tried to be a very tolerant, considerate person, but even he had his limits. And he had lived through the despicable period in human history when slavery had been both legal and commonplace; he'd be dismayed to know humanity was more or less doomed to endlessly repeat its follies rather than ever learning from them.

"Choosing a real name for himself may also help distance him from his past," he said thoughtfully. "I would think any of the people he's known here for a while might have already suggested as much to him, but I can't be sure. I suspect he might only consider the idea if someone who's very close to him brings it up." And he, too, had an interest in A's overall well being and future, though more in a protective older brother way than the quasi-paternal form Vladimir's was taking on. Which was maybe a little unusual, since he was older than Vladimir and A both—but people had always related to him as though he were a 20 year old young man, so he'd rarely had the opportunity to foster the mindset of a much older person.

"Thank you." He raised his glass in a toasting gesture, then settled back against the sofa cushions and pulled the slumbering dinosaur's head more fully into his lap again. It was oddly comforting, having the raptor trusting him and seeming so at ease with him physically.

There was no real blending of flavours for him when he tried the spice-seasoned wine. There was the wine, and then there was the trace of something almost delicious, comparable to the hint of cloying sweetness in the scent of rotting things. The spice was that deceptive sweetness, the wine was the rot. As he drank more, the spice was indeed having a noticeable effect, likely amplified by his being a vampire. While his vision was normally acute to the point of being distracting if he allowed himself to get lost in simply looking at things, his vision with that tiny amount of spice was something else. He could perceive unusually bright haloes of light and colour around everything, especially the raptor and the Baron.

He realised the Baron had been speaking to him, and struggled to pull his gaze away from the fascinating tangle of glimmering colour—a vein?—in the man's temple. "I'm happy to speak with you without having a title attached, or being paid to," he said with a soft laugh. "But if you'd prefer it in a more formal capacity, like helping prepare the curriculum for your future classes, I'm willing to do that too." Combined with the startling effects of the spice, the emotions he could perceive from Vladimir had his senses swimming for a moment; akin to sensory overload. Perhaps the spice had been a bad idea. Still... it was a pretty interesting experience. He slowly smiled as he added, "Though I am very curious as to what kind of compensation you'd come up with."

[i-am-harkonnen.livejournal.com]

((Sorry to be a bit slow on the tag back here. Yeah, the comment length limit's been a challenge with this thread. I've had to play editing a lot too. But it's been a great thread. =D Yay for the wrongness!))

The Baron nodded agreement with Jasper's further assessments of A. He was determined that A would recover from his past incidents, but, it wasn't the sort of thing that could be rushed to succeed. It was still very confusing to be cultivating a paternal sort of interest in someone for no specific reasons, but, for some reason Hogwarts seemed to be bringing out Vladimir's better traits. He was the sort of individual who reacted to situations as necessitated by the situations themselves. Although he'd spent most of his career focusing on the heavy-handed side of politics and mastering the art of cruelty, he was no longer in the same situation. It was true that he missed his position, and his home, and his family, but, he knew this wouldn't make any difference to the situation. And so he was trying to view it with an open mind.

Basically, he could see no specific reason to behave like a bastard, and found himself playing a more benevolent role of the sort he'd been planning to push Feyd into. It was the choice of advantage, but, he found he didn't mind it so much- it was easier than making new enemies, those happened anyway, and enabled him to find some pleasure in the reduced stress. He of course had his own comfort in mind, but, he was a natural hedonist, and insisted on enjoying the exile to some degree. The main frustration was becoming that lack of physical contact. Preferably with lovely young men, a far too perfect example of which was sitting a mere few feet away.

So it was probably good that Hogwarts was awakening Vladimir's better aspects, as, it was impossible for him to watch Jasper and his pet without wishing he was in its place. He took a deep drink of his wine, enjoying the familiar sensations as the spice moved through his system. Such a lucky creature, I do hope he appreciates the privilege. When the spice-altered attention of those beautiful golden eyes turned to him, seeming to watch him in a way that was hard to interpret, he of course had a momentary flicker of wonder. Was this gorgeous young man actually interested in what he was? Surely that couldn't be right?

Vladimir was certain there had to be some bizarre unknown attached to this entire situation, as it seemed far too perfect, but it wasn't this that kept him from attempting to haul Jasper off to the bedroom despite his aching joints. Nor was the fact that breaking an apparent social taboo might make people angry and prove a disadvantage to his goals. He wanted Jasper, true, but he found he had no desire to upset Jasper, or cause him to feel uncomfortable. It was unusual and a bit troublesome to be feeling this way, more concerned for Jasper than himself, but, Jasper made him feel so unnaturally good. Vladimir found himself wanting Jasper to feel good as well.

His spice-edged consciousness added an extra resonance to Jasper's voice. It was lovely just to listen to him speak, especially when they were such pleasing words. "I'd hate to ruin a new friendship with imposing too many formalities on it, of course, but, I would be flattered to call you my assistant. Or anything else you'd prefer." Jasper's smile couldn't help but summon one of his own, and Vladimir felt that rather unfamiliar surge of the emotion that had to be happiness again, as well as genuine affection. The comment about compensation actually caused him to flush slightly, but he felt rather sure that it wouldn't be wise to respond to the perceived flirtation with an example of what he'd like to offer. "And as I have found your company to be one of the best points of Hogwarts, I'll have to make sure to come up with something good. It may require some creativity, having come here with nothing more than myself and some spice. How are you enjoying it?" It's probably good I've met him here, and not at home. He'd be able to bankrupt me with that smile. There was of course no way for Vladimir to know that the most interesting commodity he possessed was in his own veins.

[j-whitlock.livejournal.com]

((It has been a lot of fun. :D I just obviously need to cut down on some of the more tedious TL;DR. The narrative seems choppy to me upon rereading my comments because of all my editing.))

"You may call me what you wish," he assented, and though he was still smiling, his manner had become markedly more somber. He had allowed himself to become distracted and far too comfortable, between the effects of the spice and more notably the Baron's exceedingly pleasant presence, and he'd somehow forgotten one very important factor. He was not human, would never be human again. He could play at being mortal all he liked, but it wouldn't change anything; it would only deceive others. Once Vladimir knew this truth, Jasper rather doubted his kind offer would still stand—and he wouldn't blame the Baron, any more than he'd blame the stag for fleeing before the wolf. It was simply the natural, logical reaction. No human would ever be truly safe around Jasper. What Vladimir was proposing was just inviting disaster. Much like rooming with Satou. Like attending a school full of humans. Especially like offering a massage to one.

Assistant, a position presumably for someone the Baron saw as an inferior, a subordinate... So there could have been a collar, just of a different sort than Jasper had originally expected. He might have enjoyed it. But he didn't feel too bad about things—Vladimir would undoubtedly find someone more suitable for the role in time, someone who wasn't at risk of ripping him apart and lapping up his blood like a mindless animal the first time he got a paper cut. Perhaps A would volunteer. It would really be an ideal solution, he thought.

"I've enjoyed your company as well," he said, a curious note of finality behind his words. "And also the wine, the spice. It's as remarkable as you'd said it would be. Thank you again." The specifics of just how remarkable it was to him he'd keep to himself, at least for the moment. But this praise was obviously honest, given he'd already drained his glass by then. He levitated it onto the coffee table, far enough away from Vladimir that he wouldn't think he had to offer more.

Jasper had delayed the inevitable long enough. He sighed inwardly as he gently shifted the sleeping raptor once more, letting the creature have his place on the sofa as he slid out from underneath him and stood up. He needlessly straightened his robes before stepping around the couches and moving to menacingly loom stand behind where the Baron was seated.

"What would you like me to do?"

[i-am-harkonnen.livejournal.com]

((Yeah, trying to cram a bit less in at once would probably lead to less editing- but whatever's necessary is necessary, and I'm enjoying it all. =) ))

"If I may call you what I wish, I'd prefer to call you Jasper." He was feeling relaxed, and pleasant with the slight edge of spice, and the exceptionally enjoyable company. It was of course not in his nature to admit Really, I'd just like to keep you close, and enjoy your amazing company. And to call you a friend, and perhaps a very good friend, eventually. Had he known the truth about Jasper, this in fact may have been easier to admit, as bizarre as that was- at the moment, he was seeing himself as the wolf, and Jasper as the stag. Had he known that they were both more like the wolf, he'd have been somewhat more comfortable with the strange developing feelings he appeared to be forming for Jasper. As it was, he couldn't quite explain his fascination, beyond an inexplicable liking that somehow went beyond simple lust.

And so, when Jasper's mood subtly altered, he found himself concerned. Things like this were the sort of thing that the Baron paid attention to, as it was a necessity in politics. Subtle changes often held a great deal of meaning. Had he said something wrong? Had he ended up making Jasper uncomfortable despite his efforts not to? Why the strange finality?

He shifted slightly and managed to turn himself so that he could look up at Jasper, still smiling, but the concern tinted his voice as he replied, "I'd like you to do only what you would like to, as there is no rush unless it's one I don't know about. But I sense that there is something wrong?" Although he very much wanted Jasper's lovely hands on him, he found that he really did not want to feel like Jasper was being coerced in any way- part of why he was so intriguing was that thus far, Vladimir hadn't felt like he'd had to coerce him for attention at all. The strange hint of finality he had spoken with was unsettling- he wasn't sure what was going on, or what he might find out, but he certainly did not want this to be the last time that he saw this lovely creature.

Of course, it didn't completely slip his mind that Jasper might have been up to something, and this finality might somehow apply to him, and whatever Jasper had planned was potentially going to occur. But, the Baron had not gotten where he was by being easily afraid, or surrounding himself with nothing but safety. He took risks, and, they often played out to great advantage. Whatever Jasper was, be it some inexplicable piece of divine providence, or a brilliantly dangerous mastermind of some sort, both would be equally interesting. It was this mysterious edge to Jasper, that quality that reminded him of a laza tiger, that added the extra spice that made him so much more appealing, after all.

[j-whitlock.livejournal.com]

((Hope you don't mind the liberties I took with the 'massage'... XD))

"So you've changed your mind about wanting an assistant?" He smiled faintly. "And I wouldn't have offered if I didn't want to," he lightly pointed out, and, though it remained unspoken, the rest of his thought was clear enough: Nor could you force me. Vladimir's answer hadn't been particularly helpful, but he didn't mind; it hadn't escaped his notice, both heard and felt, that the Baron had also perceived some essence of his mood and was concerned.

It was increasingly strange, this little meeting with Vladimir—fear would have been much more rational than concern. He didn't even appear to mind that Jasper had him in a fairly vulnerable position. Perhaps one day he would look back on his encounters with Jasper and realise exactly the sort of risk he'd taken inviting such a being into his private quarters, and even allowing the vampire to touch him. Not death, obviously—but the potential of experiencing a pain so excruciating death would have been a great kindness by comparison.

And Jasper did intend to touch him. He contemplated using a warming charm on his hands first, but ultimately dismissed the idea. It would only be a further deception, when the entire purpose of this 'exercise' was to offer Vladimir the truth. Let him do with it what he would.

"Is something wrong?" he asked vaguely. "I suppose I'll let you be the judge of that. And please tell me if this hurts." Though he tried his best to be as gentle as possible when he slid his hands onto the Baron's shoulders and very lightly gripped them, turning the man so he was fully facing away, it most likely felt like being handled by vises. And that wasn't the part Jasper had been worried about being painful. That came a moment later, when he started at the back of Vladimir's neck and worked his way outward and downward—working the muscles, attempting to ease the tension and knots from them, and pressing his thumbs along either side of Vladimir's spine. He did take the utmost care in doing this, but it was by no means gentle by human standards. He murmured an apology when he heard a rather alarming crack, as of a joint popping, or, possibly, cartilage breaking. He rather hoped he hadn't just inadvertently snapped the man's spine. Since physical contact amplified Jasper's empathic influence, at least the Baron would be feeling inexplicably relaxed despite any pain.

[i-am-harkonnen.livejournal.com]

((Not at all. *g* And now it's time for things to start getting even weirder. XD Sorry about length again =/ .))

"Not at all- but I do think 'assistant' sounds rather mundane for one like yourself. Advisor, perhaps, would be closer, if still imperfect. I can't say that there would be a lot of actual work, which I hope wouldn't disappoint. You've already been more helpful than you realize, I think." He wasn't sure why he was being less guarded, and almost admitting that 'assistant' meant 'a good excuse to see you more frequently'. But it didn't seem like the wrong choice. The fact that Jasper seemed to be acting according to his own will pleased him- it was partly this that made him so magical. Even exiled tyrants liked to feel wanted. And Jasper almost made him feel wanted in the way he'd most prefer.

If he'd been modern, he should have felt fear, but, Vladimir was the product of thousands of years of a complicated breeding program which discouraged an inclination towards the emotion. He already kept a deadly creature around at home, Piter. He also knew if he kept Piter around a day longer than he was necessary, he'd regret it, and didn't plan to. And so he managed him very carefully- and without fear. Fear would have given the advantage to the twisted mentat.

Vladimir was convinced fear wasn't the right approach here, either. There was something odd about Jasper- the fresh spice in his blood added an edge to his already perceptive observation, and insisted on it. Observing people to a point where he could almost play mind reader was a specialty, but all he could discern was a vague sense of an unknown. But not necessary a malevolent unknown. Jasper's curious return of the question, asking him if something was wrong, was interesting. Was it directed at him, or, was Jasper actually asking it in regards to himself? It seemed almost as if he expected disappointment or anger to be directed at him, and was not looking forward to it.

So, he wasn't unprepared for the unexpected- he was just rather surprised when it turned out to be what seemed like absurd strength from the slender young man. In fact, it was downright painful when he turned him- which was a very revealing thing. He shouldn't have been able to do that, as, Vladimir's suspensors were on a very low setting. Vladimir, however, was of a rather unique mentality- the Harkonnen line was known for a few very strange traits.

Jasper had discovered one- although he had to forcibly strangle several gasps, and did think that Jasper could probably break his spine if he got too enthusiastic, each shot of pain only left greater pleasure in its wake. He didn't say a word at first, immersed in sensation, but a detail was growing clear despite his overwhelmed senses. Jasper had the coldest hands he'd ever felt, almost like metal. What was he? Amazing, but he couldn't be human. He didseem to be using care, which kept Vladimir calm despite the force which probably would have seriously injured anyone who wasn't as heavily padded, and still might have had Jasper been careless.

He did let out a gasp after the crack, although a curiously mixed one. The aftermath of the initial stab was intoxicating, in fact arousing due to his crossed wires. He decided he should say something. He was rather sure that Jasper did not want to injure him. But he had to know one thing. "Just one moment, if you would, Jasper- but I don't mean stop if you're not tired of it. You're. . .remarkable. Just a pause. That one I do need to recover from a moment." He found that he was actually feeling less stiff as he turned towards Jasper, although it might have been the endorphin high. Before this went any further, he needed to know if his building suspicions were true.

"Jasper, are you a thinking machine?" The first trace of fear that Vladimir had felt came with this question. Not with the thoughts leading up to it. It was the answer that worried him, given the history behind the Butlerian Jihad. It was not a fear of Jasper precisely, more the fear that he wouldn't be turned off despite the knowledge of an impending apocalypse.

[j-whitlock.livejournal.com]

((No worries. And oh dear. XD There is something very amusing about a vampire being more freaked out by a human than vice versa.))

"Assistant, advisor, friend. I'll leave the choice of title up to you." He had no doubt he would be referred to in different manners depending on whom the Baron may mention him to, and assuming the Baron would still want to remain in contact at all once he knew the truth. It mattered remarkably little to Jasper what he was called, so long as he was treated with respect and not as a servant. "I do like to keep myself occupied, my mind busy. With things that interest me, not necessarily the work of others," he said with some amusement. No, he wouldn't mind not having much actual work to do.

He couldn't know that he was hurting the Baron, and the fact he seemed to be enjoying the massage only convinced Jasper he was somehow doing it right. When it eventually became enjoyment of a different variety he flinched and struggled not to pull his hands away. This wasn't entirely unexpected, but it was still unpleasant. Inappropriate. And it wouldn't have even mattered to him that the Baron evidently got off on pain—some of his own preferences were hardly vanilla, after all—only that he was the cause of such feelings.

When he'd been newly born to the life of a vampire, experiencing others' emotions as though they were his own had been deeply confusing. But he'd quickly learnt how to differentiate between his own emotions and the echo of others', and to not be so affected by outside emotional influences, which did certainly serve him well at present.

Then Vladimir requested a pause, so he gladly complied, his hands stilling. He was fairly sure he was being asked if he was some kind of robot, which caused him to suddenly laugh despite how grim the question seemed. Was the Baron actually afraid now? Of the possibility of him being a robot? "No, not a machine. Not at all." He moved his hands up to rest on the Baron's shoulders, considering something. As he withdrew his hands altogether (to hopefully lessen any chance of Vladimir feeling threatened), he slowly leant a little closer, all traces of mirth gone as he murmured, "I was once human."

He would have thought his dead pallor and unnatural gold eyes alone were a bit of a giveaway in that regard—clearly marking him as not-quite-human. Perhaps the Baron had simply chosen to be blind to his peculiarities until forced to acknowledge them, as was how the vast majority of humans reacted. It was interesting, if nothing else, to see how his vampirism could affect humans like that.

[i-am-harkonnen.livejournal.com]

Oddly, even with the realization that Jasper was definitely not human in any typical sense of the word, his unusual eyes and pallor still hadn't formed any sign for Vladimir that he should be anything else. He was familiar with a wide range of drugs that that had physically altering affects, such as the orange tint of elacca, or the blue-in-blue eyes of spice addiction, or the no-longer-human mutations of the Spacing Guild who hid within spice tanks and were never seen by anyone outside of the Guild. And there the Facedancers of the Tleilaxu, who had obviously started as something human, but were now a race that was definitely not human in any normal terms. These were creatures who could mimic any other person, take on any shape and mentality. And despite this ability, they were used most commonly for entertainment. Which said a great deal about Vladimir's civilization- it had outgrown a great deal of fear. Probably thanks to the Bene Gesserit breeding programs, an influence which had in fact caused some alteration in the exact definition of 'human'.

His civilization still hold a strict prohibition against thinking machines, due an incident ten thousand years prior where the thinking machines had nearly exterminated the human race. This was why it was the thought of robotics caused trepidation, whereas the more typical sources of it weren't having an affect. So, Jasper's laugh at the question was a relief, and not an offense, as, surely a thinking machine wouldn't have laughed at the question. So he had to be something else, and something else was preferable, whatever it was.

He'd actually found Jasper's hands remaining on his shoulders to be comforting, whereas removing them peaked his alertness slightly. He'd known where they were before- but he was still not afraid. More, he was slightly disappointed that Jasper had finished, as, it really was helping, just very forcefully and in a way it took a unique mentality to appreciate. If Jasper had wanted to cause him harm, he'd had plenty of chances to attempt it already. But he sensed that Jasper thought that he was not going to react well to the discover of his not-quite-humanity. This was likely the source of the altered mood. And so, he did not flinch at Jasper's admission that he was once human, and implication that he no longer was. The source of the fascinating strangeness that coloured Jasper so interestingly had to become evident, eventually. It was a good of a time as any.

Vladimir smiled slightly, replying, "I believe that you still may be human, but, not necessarily in the same respect as most of the race. My people would have been likely to classify you as such, as I feel that I've been speaking with a human." This was in fact a meaningful sort of thing to say in the Imperium, a statement of respect. "There is certainly something very unique about you, Jasper, and it's not just your massage technique. Which, by the way, is remarkable, if unusual. I am starting to feel significantly improved. But, I think you may want to tell me what exactly you are?" He made sure to color his words in a way that would hopefully cause Jasper to feel comfortable about whatever the admission would be- he was really quite open-minded.

[j-whitlock.livejournal.com]

"Did I hurt you?" he asked, his concerned dismay apparent. "I'm sorry. I have no experience with... touching humans like that." Touching them without the intent to kill, he was going to say, but knew it would be better to explain everything first lest Vladimir get the wrong ideas. "Before I tell you, it's important that you know I haven't forced you to do or say anything. Although I do confess to influencing your mood, in order to help you relax. But I promise that was all."

This was a conversation better had comfortably face to face, without him looming over Vladimir, and so he returned to the gold sofa, sitting beside the raptor rather than disturbing him yet again by moving him. Despite his growing anxiety he had no obvious nervous tics, made no fidgeting gestures. He simply laid a hand on the raptor's snout, as much to comfort himself as anything. For the moment he actually forgot to continue making even those occasional small movements, to shift positions, blink, and breathe as a human would, instead remaining entirely too still for the first time in Vladimir's presence. No longer playing at being human.

"Do you remember what I said about Hufflepuff being the House for vampires?" he asked, smiling slightly, without humour. He really should have admitted the truth then instead of letting things go on. But at least they were clearing the air now, for better or worse. "I haven't meant to intentionally deceive you. Do you even know what vampires are? If the myths from today have survived into your time, then they are probably still similarly inaccurate, aside from our... dietary requirements. But, I don't prey on humans. In fact no one in my family does. This makes us very unusual even among our own kind... We are natural predators of humans, you see," he admitted, not seeming particularly thrilled by this fact. It took considerable effort to not look away from the Baron's face as he spoke, to not stare at the floor in shame.

Jasper paused then, waiting and watching for the Baron's reaction, for any sign of his disbelief or condemnation. He knew his explanation hadn't been eloquent in the least, but it had covered the pertinent basics, everything Vladimir should know in order to make an informed decision—either he'd want Jasper to leave now, or he may want more details. It was hard to guess which way it would go, even with what he already knew about Vladimir.

[i-am-harkonnen.livejournal.com]

His slight smile turned reassuring. "It would depend upon one's definition of hurt, I suppose- I would not suggest practicing on less substantial humans. There was some pain, yes, but, there was a great deal more pleasure, especially since it's been effective. Of course, now I'll be wanting another one soon."

It wasn't all too surprising of news that Jasper had some sort of telepathically calming influence. The pet was a pretty loud beacon, and, he'd been aware of his own inexplicable pleasure in the man's company. This influence did seem to be causing an inclination towards honesty with him, but, he wasn't actually doing anything that he didn't want to. If anything, this influence was actually very helpful, as a relaxed mood did lead to better decisions most of the time. And thus far, things were not going badly in his opinion. Jasper hadn't run off yet.

And whatever he was, it was already clear that he didn't seem to be plotting malevolently at Vladimir. So, Vladimir didn't feel angry, and rather, interested in exactly what Jasper was, and how he accomplished this useful skill. He could not miss the added hesitation marked by Jasper returning to the sofa- that he felt this was very important was evident. With Jasper's lapse of memory he was able to notice the obvious markers of his lack of humanity, or what Jasper perceived as one. The lack of breathing was fascinating.

Vladimir's culture did remember a great deal of ancient legends, but very little thought was given to most of them. So vampires weren't alien, but, things like vampires weren't of much interest or sensation to a civilization that did have the walking dead living amongst it, ghola. They weren't the same as vampires, but, this sort of thing did tend to take a great deal of the fear element from the concept of 'undeath'. Only superstitious people like Fremen were frightened of ghola for that reason. It was understandable why some people would fear some ghola, especially twisted mentat assassins. If they decided you were going to be dead, you'd be dead. Vladimir had never seen this as a reason to be afraid of Piter, however. It was just a reason to know Piter better than he knew himself. And Jasper did not appear to be twisted like Piter, and so even if he did happen to prey on humans, it wouldn't be particularly disturbing. It was just the right of a successful predator.

He listened to Jasper's confession receptively, showing no fear at all, only curiosity. When Jasper began to explain how he didn't feed off humans, probably to try and reassure him, he actually felt a sudden compassion for him. This lovely creature had apparently been convinced that there was something wrong with what he was, and felt he needed to tack on these reassurances despite the fact that he'd already had plenty of chances to attack him had he desired to.

"Unless I'm completely confused, and I do not believe I am, vampires are a myth of ancient times involving the living dead, who were said to feed on the blood of the living. And, I've seen enough here to realize you're telling the truth, although, that would be evident with or without the magic school." He was ice cold and not breathing, after all. "Did you think that this would make me angry, Jasper? I am not sure why it would. In the future, the 'living dead' are relatively commonplace, although I am not aware of any who have to drink blood." The operative phrase for Piter was 'have to'. It didn't mean he wouldn't, and probably did when he got the chance.

"I expect that this is something you would prefer that I keep to myself, and I will. As I do see how some could perceive it as a problem, and make things unpleasant for you, and, we cannot be having that." He only showed a sign of actual dismay when he recalled one of the details about the old children's stories, that might have frightened a Fremen, but not any Imperial noble. "Does this mean that you can't go out in the sunlight, then?" He did hope this would prove to be false, as, the idea of Jasper being instantly destroyed by a little ray of sunlight was upsetting.

[j-whitlock.livejournal.com]

Vladimir's reaction to everything very much astonished him, and he stared with a neutral expression for several long moments, considering how this could be. He wasn't sure he could trust such an easy acceptance of what he was, even if the future apparently did count the living dead as viable members of society. It was just so deeply ingrained in him, that humans were the enemy even as they were also like cattle to his kind—there were many perfectly valid reasons why vampires of his sort were normally forbidden from revealing themselves to humans. And to form ongoing friendships with any? Unfathomable. Brief liaisons of the sexual variety weren't entirely unheard of, which was how the succubus and incubus myths evidently got their start, at least in his world, but the human partners were never privy to the truth. Better to think they'd been seduced by imaginary demons than to realise factual vampires were living among them.

"In the world I come from, there's a powerful organisation of other vampires like myself, tasked with enforcing the one law we're all expected to abide by. And that's to never reveal what we are to humans, upon penalty of death for all parties involved. Their reach doesn't yet extend to the wizarding world, but some caution couldn't hurt, and I do truly appreciate it."

Again he couldn't help but marvel at how well the Baron was taking this information. Jasper would certainly be capable of sensing any deception where emotions were concerned, but there was none. There seemed only to be curiosity, understanding. Even compassion, which seemed almost to reverberate as a palpable substance to his spice-enhanced senses. He would have a difficult time putting into words how something incorporeal could have such a marked taste and texture to him.

"Direct sunlight reveals us for what we are, but does no physical damage at all," he explained, reminded of his embarrassing slip up with A in his garden. He masked his discomfort easily enough. "Garlic, religious artifacts, blessed water, rice, stakes through the heart are all likewise useless against my kind. There's little in this world that can even pierce our hard skin, much less our hearts. We have no traditional weaknesses. Save one, perhaps."

It was there that he finally looked away from Vladimir, crossing his arms over his chest, seeming almost to withdraw into himself. It was a gesture more suited to someone like A, and was at odds with how Jasper usually presented himself; there were shades of insecurity. "The smell of human blood," he said, elaborating. "Most other vampires don't perceive it as a weakness, but I do. If it's too strong..." He set his jaw. "I'm not known for my self control," he muttered. "It's a large part of why I behaved—very strangely—when we met. It's difficult," he said, determinedly not looking at the Baron, "to be even this close to you. The smell of your blood... It's unusual. More appealing to me than human blood normally is." He risked a brief glance toward the Baron, wondering how he'd react to being told that he was indeed an almost irresistible temptation, just not in any way he'd probably hoped for. "I did expect you to be far more upset about all of this. Though I'd never consciously try to harm you, I've put you at considerable risk simply by being here."

[i-am-harkonnen.livejournal.com]

((Although a lot of Bene Gesserit knowledge was secret, I'm sure that enough mothers have screamed at their children to behave like humans and not animals for the philosophy to integrate itself into general culture. It was things like prana-bindu that they kept secret, and they used philosophy to groom the human race. I'm presuming Vlad ascribes to the human-status theory like everyone else.))

Vladimir listened quietly to the lovely young dead man, which he did realize was much more dead than a ghola, which were technically 'alive' as any typical human. Due to this, and other weirdnesses of the Imperium like facedancers and Navigators, Jasper remained within the realm of normality to Vladimir, just, better, apparently. He wondered how old Jasper was, although, considering the packaging it didn't matter that much. But being older than he appeared could explain a portion of why the Baron felt so compelled towards his intellect.

He felt a growing interest and affection as Jasper explained further, and was relieved to know that he wasn't as destructible as the children's stories might have such a creature appear. That would have been terribly inconvenient. The thing that was fascinating him most was that although Jasper had claimed he wasn't human any more, he was behaving in such a remarkably human manner and apparently not noticing it.

The Baron was not offended by Jasper's admission that his blood was exceptionally appealing- in fact, it was unusually flattering in some bizarre way. Surely it was a compliment of some sort, as Jasper must get some pleasure out of being near him, or he wouldn't have come. The greater compliment was that he came despite considering this temptation a weakness, so obviously Jasper did want to interact with him. Considering it a weakness seemed silly, as it would be strengthening to develop such a discipline, but it was very human. When Jasper glanced back at Vladimir, he was apparently relaxed, and had a strangely warm and compassionate smile that someone of another time and temperament wouldn't be likely to wear when faced with a specimen of the blood-drinking undead. Vladimir found his insecurity strangely touching, and hoped he could console him somehow.

The only sense in which he wasn't relaxed was that increase of Jasper's magnetism. Vladimir knew he was dangerous, but, he wasn't worried about the physical danger. Attachment was far more worrying. Jasper's admission had gone and brought the two to a more similar level, enhancing the potential of actual friendship with another intelligent creature. Vladimir was rather strange about this himself, in light of his profession. Perhaps they weren't predators in the same sense, but, Vladimir was still a predatory being, and, knew very well that his own death toll was probably a thousand times Jasper's or more. Just, he used delegation- his most frequent deathstroke was merely a pen to paper. Empires lived on blood.

"You don't have to continue to reassure me, Jasper- I'm aware that you do not wish to harm me, your actions reveal that. But I'm pleased you've told me this, as, it is important to consider if say, we were to take an afternoon walk in the city. But I do believe that you underestimate yourself." He shifted his bulk on the sofa to bring himself closer to Jasper, as if to emphasize that he wasn't concerned about Jasper's deadly capabilities. "You say that you're not human, but, according my culture, you're exceptionally human. You've already said so, and are displaying it right now. As the human race evolved, it appears the definition of human has became more refined- a man can bear a human shape, and still be an animal. The difference is in the ability to act against instinct and to confront situations in a rational manner. According to Imperial standards, you have probably killed more animals than humans, regardless of shape, if it is a consolation. So do forgive me if I must consider you human, and, that this news doesn't make me want to toss you out of the room. I don't think that's what you want me to do anyway, or I don't think you'd be here." Vladimir's smile lingered, and he hoped that Jasper would realize that he liked him very much, regardless of blood-drinking tendencies.

[j-whitlock.livejournal.com]

((Haha works for me. The whole human-status stuff in Dune was a bit confusing.))

"You're not afraid," he said quietly, and it wasn't quite a question, though he did sound uncertain. "I can tell. Some of us have extra... abilities," he explained as he regarded the Baron curiously, "traits which I believe in most cases already existed when we were human—alive, and becoming a vampire magnifies them. I am an empath, as you've probably already guessed." Perhaps ironically, that utter lack of fear in the Baron, of discomfort, of anything but those pleasant emotions, was close to unnerving Jasper. Bella displayed a similar lack of fear around him and his family, but, then, she also happened to be in love with one of them, so naturally she'd be biased. Foolishly so, sometimes, but that was love for you. It was seldom very logical.

The Baron had no such emotional attachment to him that should cause him to behave so illogically. His equanimity in the face of learning the truth about Jasper still largely baffled and amazed the vampire.

He did seem heartened by Vladimir insisting that he was very much human, since it sounded like Vladimir's culture possibly defined 'people' by their humanity. Something he'd struggled to reclaim and hold onto after half a century of living as little more than an animal able to follow and carry out orders. "I'm not always capable of acting against my instincts," he admitted, slowly looking away from the Baron to focus on some point on the wall across from him—making an effort not to duck his head in shame, at least, as he really wanted to. "Nor am I always able to behave rationally. But I do try. I try very hard."

He knew trying wasn't really enough, but it was all he could do. He still hoped there would come a day when it didn't have to be such a conscientious effort, that he could one day enjoy being around humans like Alice and Edward did—or at least better tolerate it, without the constant undercurrent of bloodlust that always, always plagued him. Would he never become desensitised to the smell of human blood?

"No, I don't want you to tell me to leave," he agreed, smiling despite himself. "But I would understand and wouldn't hold it against you if you did kick me out. You've been far more accepting and kind about this than I really deserve." It was clear he did appreciate it, despite struggling to come to terms with Vladimir not fearing what he was. Some of his prior somberness returned as he relaxed somewhat, uncrossing his arms and staring down at his hands in his lap. "But accidents happen." He idly traced a collection of old scars on one of his wrists with his fingers, frowning. "All it would take is you getting a small cut when near me. A pinprick, a papercut. Something seemingly insignificant. And I... know from experience I wouldn't be able to stop myself." It was incredibly gruesome to even think about, but it was also the reality of what he was. Vladimir certainly deserved fair warning, especially if he wasn't going to rescind his offer to let Jasper play personal assistant.

[i-am-harkonnen.livejournal.com]

"Do you think that I should be afraid?" He smiled kindly, and posed the question as rhetorical. "I believe that fear clouds judgment, and leads to bad decisions. So I haven't made a habit of it. Technically, people are always living with the threat of death, which is a random, indiscriminate thing. People give it too much credit- it's final, but it's very common. To go around in fear of the most commonplace of things, which seems an all too frequent habit for people, is a very self-defeating approaching, wouldn't you think? If not for the magic here, I could die right now of a thousand random causes, so it would be pointless to fear another potential source of death. Everyone and everything could be one somehow."

He leaned against the arm of the couch as he spoke to enchanting young vampire, who probably didn't need to be bothering with his empathic abilities on him- if it had been necessary, he might have felt somewhat upset by it. As it is, Jasper just helped him think better, aside from that irritating emotional pull that was far more dangerous than a vampire. At least it was becoming more explainable. Jasper appeared to expect about as much acceptance in 'normal' society as Vladimir would. Only, he still had some conscience about his far more literally predatory nature. Consciences were a liability in the Imperium.

"Now, I'll admit this little revelation is somewhat surprising, as it wasn't exactly what I'd expected. But again, that's another of those commonplace things. Surprises aren't surprising, they happen all the time, this one's just very unique. It's merely new facts to go on, Jasper, and I do appreciate that you told me. But, I do think you underestimate yourself. Although it's better than overestimation, it's always when people believe they are invincible that that knife comes flashing out of the shadows."

He continued, calmly, explaining, "Everyone's capable of being dangerous, but many are just not aware of it. You know you're dangerous, and put your mind into honing your discipline. I think that many from my time would react to you without fear, Jasper, and rather accept and respect the fact for what it is. In my day, there are quite a few humans who are equally deadly- mentat assassins, for example. Every Great House requires one, because they all have them- you know how the cycle goes, you served a military role." He eyed the scars at Jasper's wrist curiously for a moment, presuming them relics of some aspect of this. "I can't say I find you any more frightening than my mentat, but you're far more pleasant."

Considering no one could be killed at Hogwarts anyway, it seemed like it was rather unnecessary to make it a major point at all, but, Vladimir sensed that this issue went deeper than any simple concern about killing people on Jasper's part. He felt that strange emotion again, that tug of compassion. Again he smiled at Jasper, hoping he might feel somewhat more comfortable. His distress was actually rather upsetting, as, he was far too lovely to be feeling that way. "As for what you deserve, well, I do believe that in this circumstance, that's my decision, yes? You'll just have to forgive me if I think you're only worthy of my gratitude for such exceptional company, and for being honest with me. I'll just have to avoid papercuts, apparently, so that I don't cause you any undue angst."

Even in a worst case scenario, there was that magic, and Vladimir did have a very abundant amount of blood, so he figured it would work out somehow. But, given Jasper's distress and temperament, he thought any overly troublesome incidents to be unlikely anyway. He'd probably be far less dangerous than someone of his unique nature who was entirely confident with it- he had focus.

[j-whitlock.livejournal.com]

((Technically Vlad wouldn't be able to see the scars, unless the spice enhanced his eyesight enough to. ;) And if that's the case, Jasper's literally covered in them, enough to perhaps be alarming. Or maybe not, to someone like Vlad.))

"I'm not too worried about inadvertently killing you... You wouldn't die, not here. For which I'm very grateful." By the same token, Vladimir—and any other potential victims—also wouldn't become vampires, thankfully, since dying was an integral part of the process. It was only a small consolation at the moment. "But you might wish to," he murmured solemnly, shaking his head as he looked at the Baron. "The venom is like a debilitating poison, burning you alive from the inside for days on end. It's in every vampire's bite." And vampires like Jasper didn't possess elongated fangs. Their bites were anything but elegant or neat. "It's also the only thing that can scar us."

The proof of which was evident all over his body in the form of bite marks, even on the areas not usually concealed by clothing: above his eyes, disappearing into his hairline, thick all across his throat, the backs of his hands, his wrists. They were concentrated in areas the newborn vampires he'd fought and killed had erroneously considered weak points—places with arteries. But vampires did not bleed. Not blood, anyway. These scars were normally invisible to dim human sight, but with the way Vladimir had glanced at his hands, he wondered if the spice possibly allowed him to see. If it did, the man had given no indication of being repulsed, which was fairly surprising.

This was all becoming quite morbid, and he figured it best not to dwell on the what ifs. He did think Vladimir shouldn't trust him, but he'd been adequately warned by this point. He was free to react however he chose to. If things ever got to the point where he thought Vladimir wasn't being cautious enough, Jasper could of course force him to be afraid for both their sakes (a trick he often had to employ back home, to keep people away from him), but he did hope it never reached that point. He just couldn't be sure. Vladimir seemed to genuinely like him in a way he'd obviously never anticipated—in a way perhaps neither of them had anticipated; the truth had not driven Vladimir away, but had seemed almost to draw him in...

"Don't get me wrong. I'm glad you don't fear me, and I don't mean to seem like I want you to. I'm just unaccustomed to it." To say the least. Especially with a human. "This will take some getting used to," he admitted with a wry smile, and couldn't help a slightly dour chuckle at the comment about undue angst. It certainly wouldn't be amusing if Vladimir ever experienced any of what Jasper had described to him, but with the proper precautions on both their parts and why does that sound like safe sex?, he'd ideally never have to.

It was strange, how charismatic Vladimir himself was. He made Jasper feel both reassured and confident that nothing would go amiss; Jasper was also noticeably more at ease, enough to even lightly tease: "When we first met, if you'd have leant any closer I'm afraid I might have tried to eat you. I was thinking about it. I'm sure you noticed." He was still smiling, but sobered somewhat as he asked, "What is a mentat? Besides the obvious—someone employed to kill others. Or are they not all assassins?"

[i-am-harkonnen.livejournal.com]

((We'll just say it's the spice, and Vlad's getting some subtle impression of them rather than a glaring one. XD))

Vladimir found it interesting that the body of a vampire was modified to produce toxins. He was surprised he'd never heard of Tleilaxu trying that, as it would become all the rage in the Imperium. The Imperium was a bit obsessed with its poisons, to the point where noble houses had overhead poison snoopers mounted everywhere because it was a necessity. He wondered if Jasper would produce a positive result on his portable snooper, but felt this was one of those questions best left for another day. As was the question about what exactly it does, how it does it, and what it feels like.

"It appears the old stories are very inaccurate, and the truth's more intriguing. But you'll still have to put up with me thinking of you as a very remarkable human, Jasper, as, I still can't figure out a reason why you wouldn't qualify. I don't think that being dead makes one bit of difference in this instance." He smiled at Jasper with more affection that he'd usually spare for anyone. His spice-altered vision yielded a few more glimpses of Jasper's scarring, subtle patterns appearing as if glimpsed in the right light. It wasn't ugly or repulsive- it was a token of experience, enhancing Vladimir's intellectual attraction. Jasper might bear the form of a perfect young man, but the strange scars suggested he'd seen action beyond his age. It really was a damnably perfect package, and Vladimir too realized that this could take some getting used to. Simple lust was easy. He wasn't sure what this was at all, but it wasn't a matter he was experienced with. 'Making friends' hadn't been on the political agenda.

But here, he didn't have a real agenda. It was all going to be a game to some degree, even if he did manage to teach a few useful things if fortunate enough to find a position. The only thing that there was any actual point to here was attempting to get some sort of pleasure out of the experience. Whatever this was, it was pleasurable, if bizarre and slightly uncomfortable due to strangeness. It wasn't that Jasper was the walking dead. It was that he could feel such a bizarre empathy for his situation. Although ruling a Great House required exceptional exercise in behaving like a human, it didn't much encourage living like one. They were both inexperienced in this arena. "It shall take a little getting used to for myself, as, well. I'm not used to having the opportunity to enjoy the company of somebody else simply because I do. And I do feel certain that we'll manage despite your little uniqueness."

He had to smile and even color slightly at Jasper's little jest, delivered as it was. He was pleased to see Jasper seeming to feel somewhat better, and it did sound as if vampires must get a great deal of enjoyment out of their meals, if they were so hard to resist. And apparently he was good enough to not want to 'eat' despite an above-average desire to. This seemed like a component that might assist in preventing any accidents. He'd love to have Jasper too, in his much less destructive way. But if there was a chance he wouldn't be around anymore afterward, he'd have been discouraged from the idea. Vladimir figured this worked both ways, somehow. He replied in the same light tone, "So that's what that was. No wonder you reminded me of a laza tiger. That and the eyes." He was slightly embarrassed to find himself flirting rather openly and very deliberately focused on the mentat question.

He tried to summarize mentats in a way Jasper would be likely to understand. "Mentat is a mental school, and the title of those who specialize in it. In the Imperium, we have a prohibition against thinking machines, due to a past revolt. The easiest way to describe a mentat is as a person trained to think like a thinking machine. They can perform equations and organize facts at the same or perhaps a superior rate. Only individuals of pre-inclined physiology are able to become full mentats, typically with the aid of the drug sappho. The mentat assassin is a further specialization- every Great House has a master of assassins, and, if they can afford it, this is a mentat assassin."

[j-whitlock.livejournal.com]

"Well, I'm not like some of the demons and other humanoids here. You won't offend me by calling me human," he said, a corner of his mouth quirking up in a half smile. "That's actually a sort of compliment, I guess." Even though he was technically another species now, by the modern world's understanding of what made a human, human. So sex with a vampire could count as bestiality. Or an irredeemable monster, if one went by Edward's definition. Jasper's own view of himself and of vampires in general was a bit more complicated, and not something he was comfortable discussing with anyone he didn't know well. Calling it his 'uniqueness' was as apt a description as any.

The tiger comment made him laugh, a genuinely amused sound with no edge of mockery to it. He didn't want to embarrass the Baron further, even though that hint of blood moving closer to the surface of his skin did smell quite appealing. "A tiger? So they still exist in the distant future you're from? I'd have thought mankind would have forced them into extinction by then. Statistically speaking, three species of plants and animals go extinct on Earth every hour as things stand now." He caught himself before he rambled on about things Vladimir would probably find tedious. He did have to wonder if vampires (still?) existed in Vladimir's time and universe, and if they simply kept very low profiles so no one was aware of their existence. Perhaps out of fear. Being exterminated and/or exploited by the human governments of the present day was a valid concern for vampires like Jasper. From the sounds of it, the exploitation possibilities would only rise in the future, assuming he and the Baron were from the same world, just at different points in time.

He had the sudden urge to ask Vladimir to look him up in the future when and if he ever returned there. Short of being killed or possibly dying of ennui like some ancient vampires seemed to, it was quite likely Jasper would survive into Vladimir's time. And what an interesting reunion that would be.

"The gold colour is from feeding on animal blood," he said by way of explanation about his eyes. "If I were to ingest human blood, they'd become more of a bright burgundy. It's usually harder to blend in then. In the world I'm from, I mean." Not that sparklepires ever truly blended in anywhere, even at Hogwarts, but still. "You also might recognise my wife and brother by their eyes, if you ever run into either here," he added with a smile. All the same shade of gold, which he'd as of yet not encountered in anyone else at Hogwarts. Jasper's eyes were generally just lighter than his wife's and brother's due to more frequent feeding. Since their eye colours apparently doubled as fuel gauges.

The Baron meeting Edward was a scary thought.

"When you say thinking machines, do you mean computers? Or more advanced things like sentient robots, androids, something possessing artificial intelligence?" He couldn't help thinking mentats did sound remarkably similar to vampires of his sort, just much more specialised. It seemed plausible any vampires in the future could be exploited for exactly that kind of service, particularly if they'd also be expected to be masterful assassins. The 'pay' could be the blood of their victims... He rubbed the back of his neck. That thought hit a little too close to home. "Mentats sound interesting. Strange coincidence that you compared me to yours—they do kind of sound like vampires, intellectually, to me. We all seem to develop an intelligence much greater than—" That of humans, he'd wanted to say, but rephrased without missing a beat: "What we possessed when we were alive. An almost innate understanding of things. It's hard to describe. We learn very easily, very fast. Those who choose to, anyway. What was your mentat like? What did he do for you? If you don't mind my asking."

[i-am-harkonnen.livejournal.com]

((Please forgive the slow reply! Got caught up with a RL project and time got away from me. ))

He agreed- Jasper was not like 'other humanoids' here, he was special. Not because of what he was. What seemed more intriguing was who he was. What he was played in, but, he'd have still been intriguing even if he was not a legendary 'monster'. He may have had unusual talents, but it wasn't these that had Vladimir's heart pounding faster whenever that smile appeared. It was just so unusual and invigorating to have someone appearing to truly enjoy his company.

He listened to Jasper's explanation about his eyes with interest, finding his (which were a bit odd, being black, but still in the realm of human potential) drawn to Jasper's, wondering just what they'd look like in burgundy. Surely it would look quite striking, especially against that porcelain skin. So distracted was he for a moment that he almost didn't register the mention of a wife. Almost. It pleased him that Jasper did not linger on the subject. The topic was one that irritated him oddly. It wasn't jealousy. Why be jealous of a wife?

Vladimir's culture was a patriarchy. Wives were property and for politics. Concubines were for affection. The band Jasper wore, almost like a noble insignia, made him wonder if he'd married into the vampire equivalent of a noble family. That thought got him reflecting on the Imperium. Vladimir's culture only appeared to be a patriarchy. In reality, the Bene Gesserit sisterhood were a power in the Imperium, and they had their hands in each and every noble House. But Harkonnen, while Vladimir could do anything about it. He'd avoided the wives, he'd avoided the concubines, not hard with his inclinations- but the political pressure was a challenge. Still, he held up. So they used guile to get what they wanted. They'd got him once, damnit, they did their things to him, she made him do what she wanted, he didn't want to, he couldn't, not if they hadn't used whatever that thing they did was. He could only hope that they got nothing. . .

Vladimir forced himself off the topic before the rage and humiliation, due to horrible flashbacks of evil Bene Gesserit date rape, grew strong. He didn't want to upset Jasper, as he might not enjoy those feelings much. Fortunately, it was not hard to push them away, as Jasper was so distracting- he seemed so genuinely interested in speaking with him, and hearing the answers to questions. An unanticipated surge of actual gratitude welled up in him, brushing aside the unpleasant emotions. This one was so alien he couldn't get rid of it. Jasper made him feel like he was still himself, still someone, rather than the nobody that he technically was, here.

"I don't know if laza tigers are the same as Earth tigers- I'd have to see one." He couldn't resist a slightly playful smile at Jasper as he added, "The real ones, that is." He considered more seriously, thinking about the amount of familiarity there was here. "I think we've preserved a decent amount. Most of the native plants and animals here aren't that strange, some are identical to ours, others similar." He wasn't sure how this was managed, but, it probably had something to do with the overall size of the Imperium. They could afford to devastate some planets, as, there were others, and they could just move things there, and did. "I think it's an issue of scale. I expect parts of this world are used for industry? We select planets instead."

"Computers were a type of thinking machine, but I speak of artificial intelligence. We moved to the mentats because they still possess emotion. And I do believe you'd have the mental inclinations to the training- although you might find it a bit dull." He smiled at Jasper. He could think of so many better things for him to do. Like giving him more massages. "Hrm. . .how to explain Piter. As to what he was like- distasteful. And what he did for me- drove me crazy." He smirked. "I was not fond of him. With distance, I realize just how much I didn't like him. Piter was a very good mentat assassin, which means abhorrent. I'm sure you'd be a better 'assistant'." He said this lightly- it was evident he meant friend or companion.

[j-whitlock.livejournal.com]

((I tried not to make the end seem forced. Since their conversation could really carry on indefinitely if we let it, I think it best to end it soon. XD Sorry for my epic slowness. In the future I'll definitely try to keep my novel length tags down so I'm not stalling our threads for quite so long.))

Even as brief and mild as it was, Jasper caught that flicker of vague irritation from Vladimir at the mention of Alice and Edward, and his eyes narrowed ever so slightly. This gave him a sort of focused curious look, rather than being an expression of suspicion, which was very deliberate. He'd learnt to keep his own real emotions from showing when it was necessary to—as it so often was when attending human schools, and being in a constant state of pain due to his thirst. Staring at his teachers and 'peers' as though he'd like nothing more than to leap over his desk and eat them on the spot was never received well. Except in the case of the teachers being older women, who seemed to find that unsettling vampiric nature of Jasper's flattering.

He could guess that the Baron was becoming lost in his own thoughts simply by the very subtle shifting of emotion, then the more alarming change his anger brought, but had no way of knowing what those thoughts might be. Perhaps the Baron was also married, and wasn't particularly fond of his wife the way Jasper was of his. But, then, any marriage the Baron might be involved in would presumably be of the political variety, since he was a planetary ruler from a seemingly almost medieval future. The inexplicable gratitude caused Jasper to smile as one would at a verbal or physical cue—something he didn't normally do, since it gave him away so blatantly. But he was allowing himself that much, with Vladimir, since he knew the truth about him now. Emotions were fair game and Vladimir would do well to remember that.

He nodded thoughtfully to Vladimir's comment about tigers. "I could probably transfigure something in here to be an Earth tiger—and there's actually a few varieties of them—but," he paused as he glanced around the room, "it would be better to do it elsewhere, sometime. I wouldn't want it destroying your room." And he also wouldn't want to accidentally injure it if he had to restrain it.

"More of this planet is becoming industrialised each year. Mankind's really done a number on it. It's on a steady decline... slowly dying." Which was why it hadn't surprised him to find out multiple planets had been colonised in the future the Baron was from. He was sure he'd see the pressing need for it arise in his own lifetime.

"I am flattered you don't find me similar to your mentat, then," he said seriously, deciding it may be best not to inquire further about Piter at this point. "But I am still willing to help you in whatever capacity, if you'd like me to." He chuckled quietly. It sounded a little forced. "Not killing people for you, of course. Too much blood on my hands already. But you know what I mean." And it couldn't hurt to make his meaning clear. The raptor was by then stirring, likely sensing Jasper's faint but growing restlessness. It had little to do with their conversation, and everything to do with the smell of the Baron's blood. It would be better for both of them if Jasper excused himself to get some fresh air soon. He gradually sat up from his slouch against the cushions, giving the raptor a fond pat on the snout as he also sat up, already alert despite his prior unconsciousness.

[i-am-harkonnen.livejournal.com]

((No worries at all on slow- I have the same lengthy habit and should try the same. *g*))

It didn't escape Vladimir that his flash of anger seemed to cause a shift in Jasper, but he was pleased when its fading reversed it, that too-lovely smile appearing again. The Baron supposed sensitivity to emotions was a frequently frustrating thing- he wouldn't want to be assaulted with feelings all the time, unless they were pleasant ones to experience. He realized he'd have to make an effort to manifest positive emotions as much as possible around Jasper. At least it would be easy. That smile was enchanting, and Vladimir found he didn't want Jasper to suffer.

He did like Jasper's idea about transfigured tigers. That would be interesting to see, and a good excuse to spend an afternoon outside with him. . .well, probably an evening, given Jasper's remarkable trait. The subject of animals caused him to wonder if Jasper might want to accompany him on an owl-buying excursion, which presumably would involve a trip to Diagon Alley.

"I'd agree it's better not to transfigure the furniture- it seems like something for out-of-doors. But, I would like to see that, and perhaps we could venture out to the grounds some evening, although probably best we don't transfigure anything in A's garden, either." A worked hard on it, and, it would be a shame to ruin his efforts. He supported the cooking at Hogwarts with his spices, and so they seemed very important to Vladimir. "The air here's remarkably good, it apparently hasn't been put through as much as some worlds. Giedi Prime, the world I am from, is not good for sightseeing. Unless you like volcanoes, as we do have some very impressive ones. According to our histories, it did have more greenery at some point, but, never in my lifetime. We deal in industrial materials there, metals, oil, fabrication. It's a good world for that. Lankiveil, another holding, is in better shape, mostly water, but very cold." So cold the whales had fur, which happened to be a luxury commodity in the Imperium.

The fact that Jasper didn't seem to want to hear more about Piter came as a relief-. Separation from Piter was one part of his anomalous exile he couldn't regret. The only part he missed was his mentat services. Jasper really did seem better for such, here. He didn't need assassinations or incredibly complex equations run (both of which he could probably do well anyway), he just needed someone to listen to his thoughts, correct the mistakes, and to help polish his ideas. Which probably wouldn't be important here, but, he intended to treat the professor idea seriously anyway.

Vladimir couldn't help but have a flush of excitement that he quickly tried to tame at Jasper's confirming he was willing to help in 'whatever capacity'. It couldn't mean what he hoped, he was sure, but he still enjoyed the possibly unintentional innuendo. Although he hadn't missed that Jasper would probably make a brilliant assassin, that wasn't what Vlad wanted from him, so it was very easy to give Jasper an affectionate smile, and to reply lightly, "Yes, of course- I fear my requests would be far more dull." He still wasn't sure why the hell it was so easy to feel affection for Jasper. "I expect I'll just need you to come by to chat with me, perhaps every couple evenings? I certainly can't go taking all of yours." Just as many as he could manage, of course, being naturally inclined to possessiveness even when he did have the best of intentions. "And I'm sure that I'll want more of those truly remarkable massages. It really has done wonders." He noticed the raptor stirring, and Jasper looking a bit restless, and realized how much time had passed, suddenly noticing his own weariness.

"I believe it's time for bed- I hope I've not kept you too long. It's been the most pleasant evening I've had thus far at Hogwarts, and, I do appreciate it." His smile lingered as he meant this, and he added half-jestingly, "Of course, if you wanted to stay, you'd be welcome, but, I think you and your pet would find it boring." He really might have felt slightly better to have a vampire and a carnivorous dinosaur nearby while he slept- it was kind of like guards.

[j-whitlock.livejournal.com]

"An evening walk would be nice," Jasper readily agreed. Nevermind that the Baron didn't walk. Semantics weren't important there. "You could expound on your homeworld, and those which you have a tyrannical hold over," he said lightly (and yet with clear interest), so that the Baron would perceive it as a jest, though Jasper was also quite serious. Regardless of Vladimir's unusually pleasant behaviour with him, he had little doubt that the man was very different in his own time, his own universe. He briefly reflected on the Baron's prior trace of anger, again wondering at its cause. Perhaps he'd ask, one day.

Vladimir's excitement, even as quickly tamped down as it had been, was still enough to have Jasper grinning slightly. He couldn't help his amusement—and continued astonishment at Vladimir's apparently genuine enjoyment of his company. It was... unexpected.

"Forgive me if I seem rude," he said, his smile turning a little awkward. He clearly wasn't used to explaining this to anyone; normally he'd just leave, with or without offering excuses. "But I'm afraid I'll be behaving even more rudely if I stay very much longer." The Baron should be able to guess why, so would hopefully understand. And if he chose to take any of it as innuendo, well, he was free to.

"And I don't sleep," he replied in a similarly jesting tone, though what he said was true. More accurately, he couldn't sleep. And he did rather miss the ability to dream, but wasn't sure he'd want to experience dreaming after everything he'd done in his unlife. "But thank you for the offer all the same. And especially for inviting me over—I've enjoyed our conversation." He stood, nodding politely to Vladimir before ushering the raptor toward the door. "I'll come by every so often," he said over his shoulder, "just send a note when you feel like chatting, if you don't mind, so I can be sure I'm never interrupting anything." The combination of spice, the almost overpowering scent of blood, and Vladimir's emotions still had him feeling vaguely intoxicated, and he smiled to himself as he added, "A jealous vampire is not a pretty sight..." He was hardly serious, of course, but figured the Baron would appreciate the sentiment. Just the right touch of possessiveness could be flattering.

[i-am-harkonnen.livejournal.com]

"We'll have to call a little stroll on the grounds a plan, then. I expect that the summer nights are lovely. It's a great deal more scenic than my homeworld, although it does have it's impressive bits of scenery." Namely volcanoes. Giedi Prime wasn't a 'nice' place at all. He smiled at Jasper, unable to dampen the affection welling up for him. To realize that this perfect creature wanted to spend further time in his company was just so flattering, somehow enhanced by the knowledge that Jasper was apparently fantasizing about him too, just in a much different way. But was it that different? Possibly not from the vampire perspective. True or not, he thought that was an unusually provocative thought.

And then came that almost painfully charming smile of slight awkwardness. It added just the right touch to his apology, and so of course the Baron did interpret it as an exceptionally delightful bit of innuendo. Jasper really was a gem, and was swiftly securing a firm position of favorite in the Baron's mind- it was difficult to imagine anyone could be more entrancing. Needless to say, the Baron was finding himself unusually happy, the emotion unfamiliar, as the Imperium didn't give that many chances for it, but, still pleasureable. And here, it didn't seem such a risk. Without the political games of the Imperium, Vladimir was finding that the environment would allow for a much wider range of behavior. Which could possibly include some level of affection for someone? It was a good enough rationale, at least- Jasper really was far too lovely for it to require too much.

He of course didn't expect Jasper to be staying the night, and so didn't experience anything but a small twinge of disappointment, easily brushed away by Jasper's easy concession to visit him whenever. And entirely eliminated by by Jasper's little statement about interruptions and jealousy. Vladimir certainly did appreciate the sentiment, and probably appeared to literally radiate his pleasure at it, to Jasper's empathic senses. Oh, what a gem indeed.

Vladimir smiled fondly at the departing vampire, and suddenly remembered something that he thought Jasper should be aware of. He really didn't want his new favorite harassed by what he was beginning to worry was some sort of stalker. "Oh, and do be warned, Jasper, there's been this. . . well, he's a raving albino with a sword, and, he's been lurking in my hallway sometimes. I've found that if you you ignore him, he eventually stops hollering." He sounded apologetic, and was, as he was pretty sure that it was specifically him that the albino was stalking on the occasions he was in the corridor. "However, I'm sure you'd be more than a match for him. I'll send you a note very soon- thank you for a lovely evening." His affectionate smile lingered, and the sentiment carried into his words- he really did think that Jasper could deal with the albino fine. Which was saying something- the albino had managed to concern Vladimir somewhat, which wasn't easy. Respect. . . that was one of the strangest parts of this unfamiliar feeling that he seemed to be unavoidably cultivating for Jasper.

Of course, this respect didn't prevent him from only halfheartedly practicing a few spells after Jasper left, and he was unable to really focus on that particular subject for long before floating off to the bedroom, where he found himself seriously resenting Hogwarts' lack of decent slaves. He wasn't supposed to have to manage this himself, but under the circumstances, there wasn't really an alternative.

((At least Jasper was well away from his room by then. XD I figured it was time to close this one, lest we find a way to make it stretch even further. *g* It's been way too fun.))