The Corinthian still didn't know why he had actually stayed. Being spirited away from home in the middle of the night was irritating enough as it was. Waking up next to his own personal doppelganger in a Europe that had suddenly slipped back several decades should have had him scuttling back to the Dreaming and swearing off alcohol for the next few years. Should have, but didn't.
Curiosity was at fault here. That was it. If this really was his predecessor--none of this place was anywhere in any of those damn second-hand memories, but this had to be his predecessor--the chance to learn a little more about himself was too good to pass up. The things he could do, how to really get a grasp on his inherited abilities....nothing that would disappoint Dream, of course, but if he wanted to do his job as well as possible
( ... )
The Corinthian paused with his twin, and watched the men going at it with a more curious expression. This was a scene he knew, something he was on much firmer ground with. He hadn't had the chance to watch human violence yet. Not really. Not with his outside of dreams, and with his own eyes, as it happened
"....they could have been seeing one of us tonight," he mused absently. If there had been a "them" in the Dreaming to do so, maybe.
(( I still wanted to do at least one more virus thread with them, too, if you don't mind this taking a while at this rate. >_>; Bonding shenanigans by day and....maybe more sexy shenanigans by night. If you want to? ))
"They could have," Stefan said dismissively, "but even this is more satisfying...only a bit...I have no intention of returning to the Dreaming."
On some distant level he was aware of his successors curiosity, the interest in the scene unfolding. It was like observing some interesting, microscopic find inside of a petri dish. It was interesting, and for Stefan it was more interesting than those liquid dreams, even if he wasn't really apart of it as he wanted to be. The petty violence he could care less about, he just wanted to be more lingering more monstrous and what was more monstrous than a man, more fascinating and simple, "I don't know if you wonder about your existence...sometimes we leave lasting impressions on those dreams we haunt...but most times we're forgotten by morning. It seems kind of pointless."
((I don't mind if it takes a while lol it's a busy time of year, but they can bond in all the ways that count, I'm totally up for it!))
While he hummed softly in response, he said nothing to the first comment, already knowing that part of the story. Or so he thought, at least. But when his predecessor continued he finally glanced over at him.
"It doesn't matter if we're sometimes forgotten," he replied, casting a small frown at the other. "We were made for a purpose, weren't we? If we don't fulfill it...." ....well, that would make them fairly useless to Dream, wouldn't it? A disappointment....
(( \o/ Hopefully things will slow down for me before the week is out. They have to give us this next weekend off. ))
"If we don't fulfill it...what is it that we do that any man couldn't do with more efficiency...reflect things that humans cannot confront?" He couldn't help snorting a laugh, he felt the whole black mirror thing thing was a load of crap and as time went on it seemed to mean less and less to him, "what purpose...it's not as though we change anything...I've been around long enough to know that humans remain fundamentally unchanged over the years. We don't effect a single thing...so what is the point of our existence....to do Dream's bidding? I think that's what I'm here to find out...well part of it."
((I hope things start slowing down here a bit as well, it looks like the momentum is only picking up though XD))
"We have to change some of them...." It was a murmured response, petering off as the older nightmare laughed. He didn't stop the frown from deepening further, but he did bite down his own thoughts on the matter.
"You let me know when you find out, then." And it was time to start walking again, heading down the street again without waiting for his twin to follow. "I'll be with our lord in the meantime." Where they were supposed to be.
(( /fails at this forever Hopefully things will slow down for both of us, then! XD;;; The boat we're working on should be leaving drydock on Wednesday. I'LL HAVE FREE TIME AGAIN! ))
Dream really was the last thing he wanted to talk about and it's not that he couldn't understand the unwavering loyalty, because he definitely could. He felt like he was reliving a part of his existence he'd much sooner forget, wanting to get past his own limitations. Oddly enough he wasn't so quick in dismissing his successor, even if he knew they weren't going to see eye-to-eye in terms of their ideals. Why should he let it ruin a good time? After letting the younger Nightmare get a few steps on him he caught up, walking beside him in a very relaxed manner, "in the meantime...you're here right now though and you're walking these streets with me. How does it feel?"
[/is just as bad!
And when classes start up, which should be in a couple of days, my schedule won't be so hectic. I feel like I'm running around like a headless chicken trying to get everything with my school in order.]
Whereas hearing Dream being brushed off so blatantly got the Corinthian's hackles raised, and he didn't slow when the older nightmare easily matched his pace. But he rarely stayed annoyed for long, and sure enough he eventually relaxed himself, distracted once again by the sights of the city.
He did spare his twin a glance at the question.
"....strange, I suppose." There was a small shrug. "You're not quite what I expected."
((/fail twins unite!
Gah! I wish you the best of luck, because start of the quarter chaos always suuuucked. DX ))
He was about as indifferent to his companion's annoyance as he was to the subject of Dream and the place where they came from. He was also used to the agitation that he inspired in people and part of him enjoyed it. It was one of the few methods that allowed him to explore the nature of people. To torment them and that was satisfying.
"What exactly were you expecting?" Stefan was more interested in this than in Dream or the Dreaming. True enough he spoke very casually about his companion's lord, and though he wouldn't say it he considered Dream a father.
(/Powers Activate!
Thanks and good luck to you too! Yes it is suck, it is the big suck.)
"I think I was expecting a little less Hannibal Lector and a little more Elm Street, from the way everyone else seems to talk about you." He knew his twin wouldn't understand a single part of that answer. And that was fine. Maybe leaving the older nightmare to wonder about it for a while would be mildly entertaining.
"I'm not so sure I get your metaphor," it's obvious by the look on his face that he doesn't really get it since he's still so limited by the first half of the twentieth century. He gave the other Nightmare a perplexed look before stuffing his hands in his pockets and walking on. Of course this also presented another nagging question and one he didn't hesitate to get off his chest, "not being what you expected, is that good or bad or does it simply come as a mild surprise?"
The Corinthian chuckled quietly to himself and gave the other a small grin. The sort of grin that said don't worry, he'd have plenty of time to work that one out himself.
"If it was "bad", I don't think I'd still be here." He shrugged nonchalantly. "It was just surprising."
Stefan forgot all about the riddle at hand in favor of his companion's coy attempt to get under his skin. He wasn't so easily taken in, or rather there were other things that agitated him, but it seemed no matter what this creature did he could only be fascinated.
"I surprise most people...how is this sort of surprise different?" Yes, he certainly wanted to know what it was that held the Corinthian here with him instead of being in the Dreaming with his master like the good little monster he kept telling Stefan that he was.
"I don't know." He surprised even himself with how honest the answer was. He frowned, but it was quickly shrugged off.
"I suppose....I just thought I might be able to learn something." About myself, but that part was never voiced out loud. That would probably only lead to questions that would make the whole situation stickier than it already was, and....he had to admit, he was enjoying himself. Why ruin a good thing?
"I'm not sure what you were hoping to learn...I can tell you that you and I aren't too dissimilar and I'm not talking about all of the obvious stuff either...I just have more years on you," it's almost as though he was reading his companion's mind, but Stefan couldn't think of anything else he'd want to learn about unless he wanted to know what Europe was like in the latter half of the nineteenth century, "ah...but that's depressing, it's morning in the city, why don't I treat you to a meal."
"Yeah, that sounds nice," he agreed after a moment. One good side to this whole thing, he supposed; no one was here to complain about that.
Except it wasn't long until he glanced up again, needing to ask before it bothered him for too much longer. "But now I'm curious. Why offer to let me stay? Or do anything at all?"
Curiosity was at fault here. That was it. If this really was his predecessor--none of this place was anywhere in any of those damn second-hand memories, but this had to be his predecessor--the chance to learn a little more about himself was too good to pass up. The things he could do, how to really get a grasp on his inherited abilities....nothing that would disappoint Dream, of course, but if he wanted to do his job as well as possible ( ... )
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"....they could have been seeing one of us tonight," he mused absently. If there had been a "them" in the Dreaming to do so, maybe.
(( I still wanted to do at least one more virus thread with them, too, if you don't mind this taking a while at this rate. >_>; Bonding shenanigans by day and....maybe more sexy shenanigans by night. If you want to? ))
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On some distant level he was aware of his successors curiosity, the interest in the scene unfolding. It was like observing some interesting, microscopic find inside of a petri dish. It was interesting, and for Stefan it was more interesting than those liquid dreams, even if he wasn't really apart of it as he wanted to be. The petty violence he could care less about, he just wanted to be more lingering more monstrous and what was more monstrous than a man, more fascinating and simple, "I don't know if you wonder about your existence...sometimes we leave lasting impressions on those dreams we haunt...but most times we're forgotten by morning. It seems kind of pointless."
((I don't mind if it takes a while lol it's a busy time of year, but they can bond in all the ways that count, I'm totally up for it!))
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"It doesn't matter if we're sometimes forgotten," he replied, casting a small frown at the other. "We were made for a purpose, weren't we? If we don't fulfill it...." ....well, that would make them fairly useless to Dream, wouldn't it? A disappointment....
(( \o/ Hopefully things will slow down for me before the week is out. They have to give us this next weekend off. ))
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((I hope things start slowing down here a bit as well, it looks like the momentum is only picking up though XD))
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"You let me know when you find out, then." And it was time to start walking again, heading down the street again without waiting for his twin to follow. "I'll be with our lord in the meantime." Where they were supposed to be.
(( /fails at this forever
Hopefully things will slow down for both of us, then! XD;;; The boat we're working on should be leaving drydock on Wednesday. I'LL HAVE FREE TIME AGAIN! ))
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[/is just as bad!
And when classes start up, which should be in a couple of days, my schedule won't be so hectic. I feel like I'm running around like a headless chicken trying to get everything with my school in order.]
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He did spare his twin a glance at the question.
"....strange, I suppose." There was a small shrug. "You're not quite what I expected."
((/fail twins unite!
Gah! I wish you the best of luck, because start of the quarter chaos always suuuucked. DX ))
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"What exactly were you expecting?" Stefan was more interested in this than in Dream or the Dreaming. True enough he spoke very casually about his companion's lord, and though he wouldn't say it he considered Dream a father.
(/Powers Activate!
Thanks and good luck to you too! Yes it is suck, it is the big suck.)
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"If it was "bad", I don't think I'd still be here." He shrugged nonchalantly. "It was just surprising."
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"I surprise most people...how is this sort of surprise different?" Yes, he certainly wanted to know what it was that held the Corinthian here with him instead of being in the Dreaming with his master like the good little monster he kept telling Stefan that he was.
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"I suppose....I just thought I might be able to learn something." About myself, but that part was never voiced out loud. That would probably only lead to questions that would make the whole situation stickier than it already was, and....he had to admit, he was enjoying himself. Why ruin a good thing?
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Except it wasn't long until he glanced up again, needing to ask before it bothered him for too much longer. "But now I'm curious. Why offer to let me stay? Or do anything at all?"
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