Sympathy In The Form Of You Crawling Into Bed With Me [Raf]

[Tamiel]

[googlefont="Amatic SC"][googlefont="Loved by the King"]

i can squeeze, you can shake me
i can feel when you break me

logan holloway

~~~~~~~~~~

New York wasn't exactly the optimal place for a demon, sure, but since he'd gotten in the Council's relatively good graces, Tamiel had been enjoying the benefits of not feeling out of place or unwanted. There were a good deal of places he'd never been that he had felt like visiting, and he'd picked up some writing inspiration along the way.

But he still hadn't gotten laid, and that was irritating him.

Currently he was just walking down the street, wandering aimlessly to try to find something (or someone) to do. It was the middle of the night, which was bustling as always for the Big Apple, and he felt... a draw toward someone. He couldn't tell who it was, but someone among the many in his general vicinity was miserable. He wasn't sure how to explain his sudden urge to find this person and make them happy (and, should they be male, that would be easier in some ways than others) but it was there and he found it very difficult to ignore.

Not to mention he was pretty sure he'd lost his hotel and wouldn't be finding his way back for a long while.

A night in someone else's bed sounded awfully nice right now.

So Tamiel stepped forward, moving deftly among the people on the street to try to find whoever was setting off his "sadness detector." He hoped it was one of the many vampires. He'd never had a night with a vampire and he'd always desperately wanted to try it. But beggars and demons couldn't be choosers. He wasn't going to get picky all of a sudden, especially not with how bad his sex drive had gotten lately. Practically unbearable. He sighed, clearing the thoughts from his mind, and resolved to help whoever it was that needed help... begrudgingly, also resolving to do so whether or not it resulted in what he wanted.

"Are you okay?" he asked when he finally found the one in question, and blinked to make sure it was the situation he was thinking it was. "Do we know one another? If we don't, I'm sorry--you just seemed sad, I just... I swear we've met."

~~~~~~~~~~

word count :: 364 ::
notes :: none ::
tagged :: Rafael Ramón de Leon ::
outfit :: here ::
mood :: surprised a little ::

[Rafael Ramón de Leon]

WORD COUNT [ 586 ] MOOD [ surprised more than a little ] OUTFIT [ click! ] MUSIC [ Welcome to Night Vale ] TAG [ Tamiel ] NOTES [ sorry it took so long! ]

Rafael was... well, to put it quite simply, Rafael was lonely. He had stopped minding the chair a long time ago. He'd had it since the mid-nineteen twenties, after all, and though it had taken some doing, he'd eventually resigned himself to the idea of it. But ever since his accident – what he would call the shooting until the day he met the true death, despite the fact that it had been done to him completely on purpose – he had found himself rather... friendless. His thralls had been a source of companionship since he'd become a vampire, but they'd all died off one by one, and they had never been particularly closer than they absolutely had to be. Aleena, his current thrall, was the only exception to that rule. But she was... He was just all too sure that she was going to end up hating him, as well. Rafael Ramón Hernandez de Leon was not a friendly man. He was not even a gentle man – he was blunt and sarcastic and was far too smart for his own good. His personality drove people away, but try as he might, it was hard to soften himself. After years and years of working in the businesses he had, with the people that he had, he'd had to stay hard to keep himself both alive and successful. That didn't make friendship with him the easiest thing. In fact, it made it rather difficult for anyone to get close. Perhaps that was a good thing. That didn't make it hurt any less. That was why he found himself going to dinner on his own. Aleena had taken the night off to be with a man she claimed was a god, which Rafael was not going to dispute, both for fear of repercussion and because he knew he gave her too much work, sometimes. He liked the girl, even if he had trouble showing it. She deserved a night with a close friend, instead of pushing him around. Rafael rolled himself down the sidewalk towards the restaurant he was going to dine at, the crowd making way for him as if they knew he was someone important – and they did know. Vampires in wheelchairs were something rare, and he was famous. It was in their best interests to just assume every vampire in a wheelchair was him. He was stopped, about to turn, when someone spoke to him. "Are you okay? Do we know one another? If we don't, I'm sorry--you just seemed sad, I just... I swear we've met." The Cuban was more than a bit taken aback. Most people in New York didn't speak to you out of the blue. They mostly just averted their eyes, pretending you didn't exist unless they were stepping aside to give you room. Asking if you were sad was almost completely out of the question, and yet, this man had. After looking up at him, brow furrowed, Rafael recognized him. He straightened his back, nodding. “Ah, yes, I am... I am Rafael Ramón Hernandez de Leon, of the vampire council. You are Charlotte's friend, are you not? The fallen angel?” The vampire straightened his tie, almost awkwardly. “Or am I mistaken? I believe we were in the same room as one another, but... we didn't speak.” He bit his lip, glancing away. “I... I'm fine, really. I'm just unused to being without my thrall. That's all.” It was half true, at the very least. post template by Tony

[Tamiel]

[googlefont="Amatic SC"][googlefont="Loved by the King"]

i can squeeze, you can shake me
i can feel when you break me

logan holloway

~~~~~~~~~~

Tamiel had been acquainted with the Council not too long ago, introduced as a potential asset. Charlotte had been informed of his existence, and he'd made himself seem as useful as he could. He'd offered up his resources, but compared to many of the Council they were meager. He'd offered himself and his abilities, and they'd seemed interested in having a shapeshifter on their side, at least. That and he was good at getting information because he never stopped talking, but he doubted that they wanted him for what he knew. They wanted him on call for what he could do instead.

He hadn't spoken with many of the members of the Council, and Rafael had been among those that he hadn't. The man had seemed scrutinizing and distant and he hadn't felt like the sort of person Tamiel had originally wanted to get involved with in a non-professional manner. He hadn't seemed bad, per se, but he did give off a bit of a utilitarian vibe, and Tamiel wasn't particularly fond of being used.

But even as Rafael denied it, the demon could feel it in the air. This vampire was Sad, and the particular brand of Sad seemed to be a sort of off-color melancholy resignation. He was alone, he'd said, without his thrall. Tamiel decided not to press the not-quite-truth and instead decided to make an offer.

"Would you like some company?" he asked, giving the Councilman a small smile. "I don't have anything else to do, I've been looking for someone to talk to, and if I'm honest, you look like you could use someone to talk to, if you're missing your thrall." He then added, his voice hardly more than a whisper, "I'm terribly lonely as well, and I've been told I make good conversation." His tone picked up again as he continued. "I know we don't know each other very well if at all, but... I think that changing that might be in both of our best interests."

Tamiel lied a lot, but what he'd said had been true. He could always use another ally in a high place, and... Rafael was rather good looking. He bit his lip. No. This man was probably only into women, much like most men. He had to stop himself from doing that.

"So if you'd like to turn me down, I'll understand, but I just... I think it'd be better for the both of us if we went somewhere and enjoyed one another's companionship for a bit." He pushed slightly on the word companionship, not enough to set off a possible "no homo" trigger but just enough to hint that he might have meant more than just talking. "If you're interested."

~~~~~~~~~~

word count :: 454 ::
notes :: it's cool!! ::
tagged :: Rafael Ramón de Leon ::
outfit :: here ::
mood :: conflicted, OH NO HE'S HOT ::

[Rafael Ramón de Leon]

WORD COUNT [ 558 ] MOOD [ flustered but pleased ] OUTFIT [ click! ] MUSIC [ Class from Chicago Soundtrack ] TAG [ Tamiel ] NOTES [ OH NO HE'S HOT ]

Truth be told, Rafael had not given much thought to the angel-turned-demon that Charlotte had chosen to make the council's friend. He did not find him untrustworthy – that Charlotte, as small and cute as she was, was a ruthless and cunning little thing, and he would put his faith in anyone that she did. Not completely without question, of course, but the point still stood. So Tamiel's motives and personality had not really crossed his mind, not even when they'd been in the same room as one another. One thing that had crossed his mind, though, was the fallen angel's... form. That was the politest term he could could up with for it. Rafael was not one to give himself over to pleasure, not even when he desperately needed a little bit of time off, but Tamiel was an attractive man, and imagining things didn't hurt or take up any of his time. He never thought of anything heavy, just... mostly his Adam's apple. Sometimes his hands. Sometimes his tongue and– fuck. He needed to stop. It was one thing to imagine that sort of thing in a crowded council room when no one was looking at you. It was quite another to do so when the person you were thinking about was standing right in front of you and had just posed a question. Luckily for Rafael, he had long ago mastered the art of keeping his face a stone mask. He was only fucked if Tamiel had, he didn't know, empathy or something of the like. But hell, the man was offering him some company. Perhaps the Cuban could even pretend it was some sort of a date for a few minutes when the other man went to the bathroom, just so he could feel a little less pathetic and a little more successful in the ways he'd used to measure success when he was young. The vampire smiled; it was small, hard to see, but it was there. “I'd like that, I think,” he said after a moment of appearing to think on it, propping his jaw up on his fist. “My apologies if I'm not much of a talker, though, I've heard that I waver between too quiet and too verbally blunt, so you can understand why I'd prefer to stay on the quiet side.” He shrugged a shoulder. “You can talk all you like, though, I don't mind it. That's what Aleena does.” Observant as he was, he noticed the inflection in the other man's words. He couldn't quite tell, however, if it meant what he thought it did. He couldn't quite remember Tamiel's orientation – he didn't think he'd ever been told. And it was always safer to assume that... Well, maybe that was the 1920's talking to him again. Then again... Who would want a man like him, even if they did find themselves pulled towards men? Or, again, maybe that was the 1920's talking. Rafael realized he had been staring at the other man's lips, tore his eyes away, then waved towards the restaurant. “After you, dear.” Fuck. No. Stop that. To his credit, he didn't visibly act like he'd done anything embarrassing. But fuck. No. He was worse at this than he'd thought. Maybe that was why he hadn't had anyone since his wife. post template by Tony

[Tamiel]

[googlefont="Amatic SC"][googlefont="Loved by the King"]

i'm one part saint and two parts sinner
and the last part is still on the line

logan holloway

~~~~~~~~~~

The misery vanished as quickly as it had come. It didn't take Tamiel all that long to figure out what had taken its place--after all, he'd had many centuries of experience noticing the dilation of pupils and slight differences in focus. Rafael's expression stayed neutral and stony, but his eyes told Tamiel everything he needed to know.

Good.

A number of devious thoughts crossed his mind before he dismissed them. He was attractive to a great many men, but that didn't mean that they wanted to sleep with him, necessarily. He'd just have to... create a series of tests that he was already carefully designing to melt Rafael's glacial mask from the inside so that he could figure out what this attractive vampire wanted. Step one. Switch tone to one clearly more of interest without changing subjects. Step two. Instigate physical touch that makes sense in the conversation but is clearly tonally dissonant. Steps three and on could come later.

"Well," Tamiel started, his voice a bit lower in pitch than it had been in the conversation previous, "I talk enough for two people, so if you prefer to stay quiet, that's alright with me. Though I would like to get to know you a little better." The words were innocent enough, but his tone had changed to one that he intended to be enchanting and maybe bordering on salacious. He took a step forward, letting the natural fluidity of his walk shine through in a single step. "Now, I know you're fully capable of getting yourself there, and it's completely fine if you want to, but... I can push, if you'd like." Tamiel's eyes eyes flicked to the handles of the wheelchair before returning to Rafael's face. His eyes were intense and beautiful even with their pupils blown wider than they should have been--maybe moreso. "It's not too much for me, and I'd like you to be able to give those arms a rest." As he said this, he reached forward and trailed his fingers gently over Rafael's bicep as he let his lips curl into an easy, slightly scandalous smile. Okay. So he hadn't been as subtle as he would've liked, and he was currently trying to ignore how good the brief contact had felt with the sinew traced under the classy outfit, but he didn't care. Tamiel was fairly certain he'd made it clear as day that he was incredibly into men, and he hoped that the Councilman's physical reaction meant the same. At least for him specifically.

"Of course, if you'd rather lead, I'm also quite good at following. Just say the word and we'll be off."

Okay. He was going a little too far, but that was okay. Things were still going how Tamiel had planned, at least to some degree. He hoped he'd keep things under control. Or, that if he didn't, that he'd at least be conceding it to the man he was now about to have dinner with.

~~~~~~~~~~

word count :: 496 ::
notes :: tamiel is a tease ::
tagged :: Rafael Ramón de Leon ::
outfit :: here ::
mood :: pushing to get raf's cool countenance down ::

[Rafael Ramón de Leon]

WORD COUNT [ 518 ] MOOD [ HHHHHHHHHHHH ] OUTFIT [ click! ] MUSIC [ Wild by POE ] TAG [ Tamiel ] NOTES [ the only thing making a guest appearance is rafael's paranoia. also, his dick. ]

The sudden shift in Tamiel's demeanor was not lost on the Cuban vampire. The fallen angel – demon? Was that the proper term, or did fallen angel still work? – had gone from cordial, polite, and somewhat concerned, to seemingly trying to get into Rafael's pants right there on the sidewalk. The vampire wasn't sure if Tamiel had meant to be subtle about it (and, to the casual observer, Rafael was sure it was more subtle than it was to him), but every single signal he was receiving, from Tamiel's expression to the way he spoke, was sending decidedly sexual signals Rafael's way. Rafael was, first, wary. He was, secondly, more aroused than he had been to begin with, and found himself glad that his lap and legs were always covered with a blanket – the situation was bad enough without anything making a guest appearance. Fantasizing was one thing, of course, but once the opportunity was actually offered... it turned into something completely different. He wasn't sure if he should snatch it like he truly, badly wanted to, if the vulnerability the situation would impose on him was enough of a danger to keep him on the cautious side. It didn't help that he hadn't rolled in the sheets since before his “accident” – he didn't even know how he would go about that sort of thing, or if he even really could. And he'd never actually been with another man. He watched Tamiel's movements, unable to help his shudder as the other man's fingers brushed his arm. He decided, just from that, to allow himself dinner, at the very least. Tamiel would be good company, even if they could never take the step into “bed partner”. “Thank you, for the offer,” he said. Rafael swallowed, then allowed himself to relax; a low purr started slowly rumbling in his chest, only audible if you were close or had very good hearing. It was clear, now that Tamiel was being more forward, that Rafael's throat was starting to dry. “However, I... I do prefer to move myself. I only ever let Aleena push me. I hope that doesn't offend you.” He licked his lips. “Come. Walk beside me, then.” Rafael began to roll himself forwards without waiting for a response. It was somewhat rude, and he realized it as soon as he did it, but he couldn't exactly think straight at that moment. He took the brief moment of silence and near-lonesomeness to clear his head. So... He was attracted to a demon. The demon, it appeared, was attracted to him. He was a man. The demon was a man. Charlotte trusted the demon, so Rafael should trust him as well... It was just hard, almost, with the way he'd been raised, and with the businesses he'd been a part of. When someone changed games like that so suddenly, it was hardly ever good news. His purring stopped as suddenly as it had started. Christ, this was why he never got dates. He was so convinced that everything was out to murder him. post template by Tony

[Tamiel]

[googlefont="Amatic SC"][googlefont="Loved by the King"]

i'm one part saint and two parts sinner
and the last part is still on the line

logan holloway

~~~~~~~~~~

The fallen angel noticed Rafael's slight shift in demeanor as well as he became more cautious, and Tamiel did not think it boded well for his chances of getting the vampire into bed. His face fell, completely missing the signs that Rafael was definitely still aroused in favor of allowing his doubt to get the better of him. Though he might not have been straight, he definitely didn't seem interested in getting between the sheets with Tamiel.

"No," he said, trying not to sound disappointed, "I'm not offended. That's fine." He stayed in place for a moment when Rafael started to move again, trying to decide what to say next. Maybe this could be patched up. Lying about it probably wasn't going to help him, and neither was any sort of cunning plan he might have devised, so it seemed. He stepped forward in order to catch up to Rafael, then took a deep breath.

"I'm going to be perfectly honest with you," Tamiel started, "and I am not often perfectly honest with anyone, so I hope you take this for what it's worth." He started whispering under his breath, fully aware that Rafael would be able to hear him and hopeful that no one else would care to take notice of what he was saying. With all the other stimuli and noises about, it didn't seem likely.

"I would like very much to have dinner with you, but I was hoping that there would be... more than that. I haven't been with anyone for a very long time, and... when I started making moves on you, I'd thought you felt the same way." He stared at the ground, shoving his hands in his pockets as he walked. "You're very attractive, and... if truth be told, I've always wanted to try things with a vampire because of their glamour abilities, both in and out of bed. Just thinking about it makes my heart race." He took a few deep breaths--his heart was starting to race from just considering what it would be like to fall under Rafael's control--and continued. "I won't be offended if you're only interested in dinner. I just want to help you feel better. But I'd very much like it if I could benefit from it as well. Even if we didn't make it to bed... just a bit of glamour would be astounding. Just so I know how it feels."

Tamiel took another deep breath and shook his head, his voice returning to its normal volume. "I probably sound like a tit. I'm sorry. I just... feel like I'm missing something lately. Like I'm not as persuasive or good with words and I don't know where it's gone."

~~~~~~~~~~

word count :: 452 ::
notes :: IT'S BECOMING SELF-AWARE ::
tagged :: Rafael Ramón de Leon ::
outfit :: here ::
mood :: less than confident, insecure ::

[Rafael Ramón de Leon]

WORD COUNT [ 434 ] MOOD [ awk ] OUTFIT [ click! ] MUSIC [ LotR Soundtrack ] TAG [ Tamiel ] NOTES [ and the record for longest time to take to post goes to ]

One of two things were happening, here. The first was that Tamiel was lying. That every single thing out of the fallen angel or demon or whatever's mouth was just a ruse, that he really was out to murder Rafael for whatever reason. That was the option Rafael was more inclined to believe. People had been trying to kill him from the day he was born – either because of his immigrant status and the country he hailed from, or the amount of money he was making, or the amount of power that he held or, after it had become “safe” to come out, because of the sexual preferences he held. The fact that he used a wheelchair to get himself from place to place just made him more disgusting, in some people's eyes. He'd had to guard himself with no hope for respite since he was a child. Why should some attractive heaven-spawn be any different then literally almost everyone else Rafael had known? But the second option... the second option was that Tamiel was being completely truthful. And that was what Rafael wanted to believe. He wanted to believe – to know – that someone just wanted to enjoy his company, for once, not because of duty or because they thought they could earn his favor or his power, or because it was their job and they were being paid... simply because they wanted to. Rafael wanted that. Rafael needed that. It was something he hadn't had since Maria had left him. But what were the odds of that happening, in this world? What were the odds of something so... Not quite pure, that wasn't the right word for it, especially not when it involved jumping into bed with someone. Something... nice. No, no: good. What were the odds of something so good happening to a man who was exactly the opposite? He hesitated, before finally responding, “It's difficult for me to... trust... people.” It was clear it was hard for the Cuban to get the words past his own lips. He wasn't the type to open up to anyone in any way, shape, or form; he couldn't even look up at the man he was conversing with. “But I would like to... to try. With you. To even give what you had in mind a shot. However, I am... rusty. I'm not even one hundred percent sure that I could...” He let that word hang in the air, unsure if his words would push the ideas out of Tamiel's head. A large part of him hoped they wouldn't. post template by Tony

[Tamiel]

[googlefont="Amatic SC"][googlefont="Loved by the King"]

i'm one part saint and two parts sinner
and the last part is still on the line

logan holloway

~~~~~~~~~~

Tamiel listened intently to what Raf had to say, certain at first that he was about to be turned down. When it was clear that he wasn't, he breathed a sigh of relief, smiling at the vampire beside him. "I appreciate it. I have faith that it'll work out, but even if it doesn't, I wouldn't be too disappointed. We could figure something out. I'm quite creative in bed." His smile turned just a touch more deviant and wicked than it should've been, but that was familiar territory for him when he was talking about such pursuits. Oftentimes in bed he'd taken on entirely different demeanors depending on who he was with. He was almost certain that with Rafael he'd be playing his favorite part of all, but that remained to be seen. Though he could test the waters now, if he so chose. And oh, did he choose.

"If it'd make you feel better," he started, his voice softer in tone but not in volume, "you could glamour me now to not... do anything you wouldn't like. That could help with the trust problem, couldn't it? I'm afraid I don't know all that much about how it works, but... from what I know, that would be at least some sort of solution." The change in tone had been mostly intended to make him sound at least half as much of a sub as he felt right now, but it was also in a less direct way intended to direct a bit of blood in a southerly direction--hopefully enough to make Rafael decide that the glamour would be a good choice.

"And, of course, once we get back to your place, um. I don't exactly know how demon blood compares to human blood, but... if that's the sort of thing you're into, and it's not... toxic or anything, I'm willing to let you have a bit." He hadn't gotten acquainted with enough vampires to know whether or not demon blood was good for them. He hoped that he hadn't just offered something terribly offensive. "If that's not something you want, we can definitely not do that, though. Again, I, um, I don't know many vampires, so I don't know what exactly my blood would do for your kind."

~~~~~~~~~~

word count :: 378 ::
notes :: what a fuckin nerd ::
tagged :: Rafael Ramón de Leon ::
outfit :: here ::
mood :: uncertain ::