vampire trash? me?

[falsify]

[It's been on his mind a lot over the last few weeks, the idea of becoming a vampire. Partially because he's looking older than Arthur these days, and if he lets that go on too long it's going to get pretty weird, but moreover he just feels ready]

[Anxious as fuck, but ready.]

[The idea of it is terrifying — he'd gone to Mal for an explanation of the finer details rather than worry Arthur with his questions, seeing as she's actually done it before and Arthur hasn't — the idea that he could just... Die. It's not one that sits easy with Eames. He rather likes being alive, in fact half the point of becoming a vampire is to keep being alive, for a stretch on the word, forever.]

[So he's been dealing with that a lot, pretending otherwise whenever Arthur notices him being distant or pensive so he can work out his feelings on this without any outside influence. He knows Arthur wouldn't be mad if he changed his mind, it's a huge change to undertake, but it's not that he might not want this so much as wondering if the risks are really worth it.]

[They are.]

[But now they need to talk about it, so Eames is psyching himself up to do exactly that. Offered to stay in and make dinner while Arthur's off doing his errands to give himself some time alone to think about it. Maybe making some significant progress on a bottle of wine to calm his nerves, maybe it'll slow him down enough Arthur won't realise how keyed up he is the second he gets home.]

Comments

[falsify]

[Eames puts an arm around Arthur andsighs happily.]

We should double check the curtains before we go to bed though.

[He's just picking up from a minute ago, it's fine.]

I might get up for a snack during the day.

[specifiercity]

Yeah.

[Arthur doesn't sound like he's committing much either way, prioritizing comfort right now rather than other things like thinking.]

[falsify]

[Eames hums and lifts his hand to comb his fingers through Arthur's hair. He has a lot of stuff on his mind generally, but it doesn't seem like Arthur's in the mind for it. Nor is Eames even sure he'd share if he was.]

[specifiercity]

[Arthur hums happily and rubs Eames' chest.]

Maybe we should go back to the bar in a couple days. I don't think she's there every night.

[falsify]

Yeah.

[He sighs softly.]

Maybe I won't get the urge to fight you for it next time.

[He means for it to come out like a joke, but he's upset and annoyed about it still and it shows.]

[specifiercity]

We're working up to that.

[It's a little jokey and a little reassuring back. Arthur knows it's hard, even if he doesn't always show a ton of sympathy, and he wants to help Eames get through this relatively unscathed.]

[falsify]

What if we don't?

[Eames frowns and shakes his head, talking as if it's some hypothetical instead of a reality that could be forever.]

You and I both know some vampires just can't seem to control themselves. What if that's how I am?

[Intellectually he knows it's early to worry, but that doesn't change anything.]

[specifiercity]

[Arthur sighs, frowning as he picks his head up to look at Eames.]

They don't try to control themselves. They starve themselves because they refuse to drink the stuff from the bloodbags and then they break as soon as they smell fresh blood.

[He reaches up to touch Eames' cheek.]

Those kinds of vampires didn't have any strength while they were alive either. You aren't like that.

[falsify]

[Eames doesn't know how to articulate this particular worry, (or maybe he just doesn't want to,) or the way it's started gnawing at him. It's not just the new instincts, the way he'll suddenly be alert when somebody passes their door, or the way he thinks about how good it would feel to sink his teeth into every other human he's seen these past few days. It's things about him and the person he's always been. He's rarely felt the need to hold back when he wants something, never really cared much about other people.]

[What Arthur's describing doesn't sound like him, but Eames still sighs softly, not at all convinced. He looks down and away, frowning, but he nods in apparent acceptance. It's not something he can really argue, but that doesn't mean he believes it.]

[specifiercity]

[Arthur cranes his neck to give Eames a kiss on the cheek before laying his head back down as he speaks.]

There's always a choice. You need to practice controlling yourself for a little while, get to know your limits as to how much blood you need and how long you can go, but after that it'll always be a conscious decision.

[falsify]

Ueah.

[Eames still isn't convinced, but he's not going to sit here and argue about it. Only time can tell really, and just because he's worried doesn't mean he'll stop working at this.]

[How about a change of topic.]

How much did today cost anyway?

[specifiercity]

[Arthur’s nonchalant about this. He might lie if he thought Eames would believe him, but that’s unlikely and it’s not like Eames is never going to figure out how much it costs for this kind of thing.]

Somewhere around four thousand dollars.

[falsify]

[Eames whistles at the cost, that's a lot for two glasses but he figures it's a premium product in limited supply. It's not like it's an expense they can't handle, Arthur significantly moreso, but it's still a lot to drop in one go.]

That's a decent business she's got going.

[specifiercity]

I don’t know how much she keeps, but I do know those humans barely have to work.

[He sounds less annoyed now than he did at the bar.]

One person can only give a that much blood every couple months, and even that’s more than doctors tend to recommend, so I guess it has to be steep if she wants to support them like that.

[falsify]

[He wouldn't entirely be surprised if she made enough to support them entirely if she wanted, based on on what Arthur said she doesn't sound like the most giving of people.]

She probably makes more than they know. It's hardly a fun, family business where everybody's equal.

[specifiercity]

No.

[He feels the same protective instinct that he used to feel whenever he was with Eames and another vampire, and he has to remind himself quickly that Eames isn’t appealing that way to them anymore.]

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve talked with her about loose ends, but she assures me they’ll never talk. I don’t know how she does it, but I can’t imagine it’s always nice.

[falsify]

Money and fear are both pretty effective ways to keep somebody's mouth shut. Worst comes to worst, corpses don't talk either.

[Eames puffs out a breath, considering.]

Personally I'd be more worried about the clientele.

[specifiercity]

Why’s that?

[Arthur shifts a little on Eames’ chest, feeling the tug of a nap.]

[falsify]

She only really has control over the people who work for her. All it takes is some customer getting a little too free and easy with their information in a bar to collapse the whole thing.

[He looka down at Arthur, he can see he's ready for a nap and combs his fingers through his hair.]

Always a risk with any product.

[specifiercity]

Well then they’d have me to deal with.

[It comes out half a joke, muffled a little in Eames’ chest.]

[falsify]

[Eames lets out a soft laugh, though he knows Arthur's a force to be reckoned with, and lazily wraps his arm around Arthur's shoulders.]

We should go to bed if you're planning to sleep.

[specifiercity]

[Arthur groans softly in protest.]

You wore me out.

[falsify]

[Eames laughs again and shakes his shoulder gently.]

Well then obviously you need to rest more comfortably than this.

[specifiercity]

[Arthur groans again and pushes himself up.]

Can you check the curtains?

[falsify]

[Eames nods and leans over to kiss Arthur's cheek before he gets up.]

Back in a minute.