making war just for fun (for first_rule)

[onebehind]

The good news was, at some point before the end of the week, before hurting Jack, before most of the truly terrible thing he'd done, Dylan had realized he needed help. The bad news was this realization had hit during one of the lows, and he'd decided what he needed wasn't to be fixed, to regain his (mostly) moral high ground, but to sink entirely and stop having moments of conflict and hesitation. He also wanted to be able to keep this power, once the week was out, because really, what fun would the ultimate loss of what little light remained in him be if he was left largely impotent again, at the end of it all, half his magic still missing? What point would there be to finally wanting to throw his weight around here, without concern for who he hurt in the process, if he had no weight to actually throw?

And so he'd gone to one of the darker Agents. Attar, Loki -- take your pick, really. He'd made a deal for a couple of favors at a later date, none of which he had any intention of ever actually fulfilling, and after he'd walked away, he'd spent the rest of the week dealing with the final death throes of his morality, desperate flickers of panic and conscious, before it curled up and died entirely. Now, there was nothing holding him back, he had power overflowing at his fingertips, and all was well. Thankfully, he'd also leveled out to a certain degree, but only a little. He wasn't so hellbent on murdering Jack, now -- now, it seemed more sensible to try and turn him and the other Horsemen, first -- but destroying Teleios? Oh, that was certainly on the agenda.

Maybe he'd find Samuel and Bailey and, after making them suffer for the hurt they'd inflicted on him (maybe he'd force them to hurt themselves as he'd hinted at Daniel might be in store for Jack, his voice still and now forever a thing of power), find whatever little doom they planned to use on the city and make it his own. Maybe he'd just see what trouble he could get up to on his own or with the Horsemen. Maybe -- well, there were so many possibilities, really, and he had so many ideas.

Right now, though? First, he was going to have a drink. A toast to himself and to something actually going right in this hellhole for once.

Comments

[first_rule]

Daniel wasn't sure what to make of everything that was going wrong... or in his case right. Yeah, he had this great new ability and he could transform nearly anything into something else. It was great.

Or would be if the rest of his world didn't seem to be falling apart.

Jack had gotten so quiet and withdrawn and while Daniel didn't know everything that had been done to him, just from the way Dylan had acted towards him, he could guess how bad it had been. It left Daniel with choices and he wasn't sure what they should be. Jack didn't seem to be leaving the Horsemen, and he wouldn't leave Jack alone there. Yet he knew that wasn't the only reason.

Dylan was the mentor he'd never had, the man to lead and guide him he'd always wanted. A father figure without having to lower his emotional guard. To walk away now because of what had overcome Dylan would be leaving that behind as well. Danny wasn't sure he was ready for that.

He considered other options. Like trying to work this out, to save the Horsemen before they destroyed themselves from the inside out. So he sought out Dylan. He had brought them together and he suspected he would need him to keep them together now. It was a bad choice on his part, but he hadn't realized that yet. Instead just seeking out the man in charge, coming to where he was with a crooked smile.

"Evening, Boss. How goes?"

[onebehind]

Dylan glanced over his shoulder briefly, biting down on the cruel, crooked smile that threatened to come to his lips. Whether or not he managed, he turned away to finish pouring his drink and when he turned back, in full now, to face Daniel, the smile was gone. Not that he wasn't still feeling the whole wicked grin thing, just -- maybe he should keep it under wraps for at least a few minutes, so he didn't end up scaring Daniel off.

Never mind the fact that, if he really wanted to, he could make him stop, sit, stay, whether Daniel wanted to or not.

"Best I've been in awhile, actually." Never mind the fact that that statement in of itself was probably pretty telling. "You?"

[first_rule]

Sadly for Daniel Dylan didn't try and do things in just such that way. If he had, Daniel might have been more careful about being around Dylan, to take chances with his mentor.

Instead he was going in a way that would keep Daniel close, and he would think they still had a chance. He thought he still had a chance.

"That's... That's good to hear," he said, though Daniel didn't sound the least bit convinced that Dylan was actually doing well. Or maybe that was actually fear about why Dylan was doing well.

"I'm... I admit I'm concerned. About you and Jack, about us together. You bringing us together gave me a conscious and a concern about people," he pointed out, trying to make it sound like a joke.

[onebehind]

Dylan could smell his apprehension, practically taste it, not having given up the vampire shapeshift in favor of anything else, just yet, for how useful it was, and hummed, almost pleased. He wet his lips with his tongue, like a snake scenting the air. Just because he'd leveled out a little, planned to use the Horsemen rather than destroy them, didn't mean he didn't appreciate a little good, old fashioned terror. It was, like the power, almost a drug, no matter the source.

He let it go after a moment, however, and with some small measure of reluctance. "Well, good news is, I'm done trying to hurt you or Jack or Henley."

[first_rule]

Daniel had honestly considered what he'd have to do for the sake of the others. Obviously he would do what he had to for Henley's sake. He couldn't stop thinking about Jack when they met in that hallway, the way he had reacted to Daniel. Now, with the danger so close and intimate, he was starting to realize he would do the same for Jack as well. As much as he could.

"Oh well good. I mean, I'm sure there was some really bizarre lesson in it all but glad for that. Now, moving on. Apologies probably need to happen, maybe a group meeting to try and get things back where they should be."

Yep, he's trying to sound excited and hopeful. He was worried as hell and hiding it in the clasping on his hands and bright words. Or trying to hide it.

[onebehind]

Dylan's was pretty sure he wasn't going to apologize. Make Jack forget all he'd put him through, maybe, or convince him that he'd enjoyed the abuse so he could keep at it from time to time, but not apologize. He figured that would be best not to mention, however, and a meeting, at least, wasn't a bad idea. That way, he could get to all of them at once.

That in mind, he nodded. "Probably, yeah."

[first_rule]

There was a part of him that was expecting an argument, or worse a strike. He had been threatened and Daniel knew he'd been on the easy end of things. That meant facing this and trying to be a voice of reason. It was a new position for Daniel, but one he was willing to take to keep what he had.

Then Dylan agreed, nodding even. He stared at him a moment. "Good. I'm glad you're with me on this." He hadn't liked his options if he hadn't agreed, after all. "All my other plans involved locked rooms and forced watching of some sugary kid shows for therapy."

[onebehind]

Dylan hummed, amused, and grinned sharply. There were no fangs, not like last time, with Daniel or Jack, either or, but there was still something off to the expression. He couldn't quite help himself, no matter how much he did or didn't want to keep up appearances.

"Yeah, I'm not sure how far that would've gotten you." For more than just there not being a whole lot in the way of television here.

[first_rule]

He knew it could go so bad, and he was taking chances but he wasn't willing to turn his back on this and walk away. He didn't want to lose Dylan or the Horsemen. He wasn't willing to lose what he had.

"Oh I would be expecting the explosion, literally or figuratively, but we'll see what I have to do," he said with a grin.

[onebehind]

"I meant more in a 'this place doesn't exactly get the Disney Channel' sort of way than one of us hurting you for trying the whole movie with a moral thing."

Though, an explosion might be fun. Not at the brownstone, of course -- he knew better to shit where you slept -- but maybe, if and when he found Samuel and Bailey, he'd take over their work. Maybe he could get it to work right and get them home. He still wanted to be there, rather than here, despite his sudden and rather permanent change of heart, and -- oh. Oh, the things he could do, back home, like this.

[first_rule]

"Oh well. I'll get someone to put on a puppet show for you. Punch and Judy. Sure that will help," he said with a smirk. Never let it be said that Daniel didn't have an answer. Except when Dylan had gone totally crazy. Then the answer had been illusions and to run. Now though he knew he couldn't rely on that. He couldn't rely on not being there for Jack and the Horsemen.

"So where do we take this now, Boss?" Everything was okay. It was normal. It was back to what it was supposed to be. Right? He'd keep telling himself that.

[onebehind]

Dylan snorted, another brief, sharp grin coming to his face before it disappeared a moment later at the question. "Now, we figure out how to get home. Maybe destroy the Agents on the way out. All of it for real, now, though, no more just -- just talking about it."

[first_rule]

Yeah, that grin. It really needed to go. Or Daniel wishes they had seen it sooner, if that was the way he looked at people he had done a damn good way of hiding it before now.

"Okay." He couldn't argue. He wanted their lives back. "You got a plan in place for this?"

The next day... or maybe the one after. Alcohol is involved.

[first_rule]

Daniel had grabbed a pair of sweats and a tee, rushing back to his room. Tossing the clothes into the corner, he had grabbed his own and then hit the shower. A place where he had stayed until the water ran cold and then even after that.

He had tried not to cry, but it didn't work. Bracing himself against the wall with his arms up to cradle his head, sobbing as he let out emotions he'd tried to hide behind sex and orgasms. Yet he couldn't. Not entirely.

Dylan was... different. He had become something more, and different, and deadly. Yet he hadn't killed Daniel. What then did he want? Was it just sex? Toying with him? He could guess, one hand dropping to his neck. That was it most likely, but he wasn't sure he was willing to let that go. Not with the rest.

And he wouldn't let himself think about why he threw up over shooting Dylan, and not over literally having his body changed, turned into a girl and fucked raw. Why hadn't that bothered him more?

He didn't know, and he didn't think about it. Instead he drunk himself stupid, falling asleep sitting in a chair and staring out the window.

The next morning, feeling like death warmed over, he dressed in jeans and a black tee shirt. Somewhere in the tears and alcohol he'd had a thought, and he wanted to talk with Dylan. If he could find him. If he didn't find him then, he'd keep seeking him out.

[onebehind]

Dylan had been planning on making himself unfindable -- not because he wanted to avoid Daniel, per se, but he wanted to play with him a little and not in just making him wait. There were so many things about what he could do now that even he didn't understand fully. He hadn't known he could force Daniel to shift until he'd tried it, after all. What else could he do?

Did he have to be able to hear him to make the orders he issued stick or could he just push his magic at him from across a room or the marketplace and have it work? How badly would Daniel freak out if he made him fantasize about fucking him, get wet for him in the middle of a public place if he could do it without getting close? Would his body translate an order like that the right way, make him a woman again in the process, or would he just end up, as he'd thought earlier, straining against his pants for him? What if he told him to lose a little of humanity physically, every time he tried to touch himself, when he couldn't find him, couldn't beg relief from someone else for what he'd already become?

So many questions. So many answers he needed for any number of reasons, and yet, when he saw Daniel looking for him, he held back. Mostly because he could read Daniel's own questions on his face and he was admittedly curious as to what he wanted. He supposed he could spare a few minutes to indulge him. Experimenting could come later when, again, Daniel thought he was alone.

That in mind, he dropped the illusion he'd been holding around himself again and moved to fall in step with Daniel. "You were looking for me." It wasn't a question.

[first_rule]

The sudden appearance of Dylan at his side was not as shocking as it could have been. Magic in so many forms was part of Daniel's life, after all, and illusions his growing skill. He tensed though, not sure what to expect. One thing had changed though. Even as he came to a stop, he didn't rush into words, make demands like he used to. The last time had led to being pushed to shoot someone. Not again.

"I get it," he said. "You can make me do anything you want. Anything at all," he said. "And you've made it clear it can be forever, and I'm sure that may be your goal one day but... Not the killing. I don't want to harm people," he said, swallowing hard but managing to keep eye contact with the other man. "I said last night about shooting you. I want it not to be anyone. At all."

He went on, not realizing that he was giving ideas more than taking them away but he just felt the need to talk to him about this.

"I know I have hurt people emotionally. I don't deny that. I don't want to go around stabbing and shooting people though. The crimes we committed, in the end, they were for the good of others. And you're probably going to use this against me, and probably going to laugh at me but I'm hung over as fuck and I'm probably still drunk and I had to say this."

[onebehind]

"Laugh, not so much," he answered, shaking his head.

Use it against him, though? Well, as tempting as it was, just because he'd tipped to the other side of the scales permanently didn't mean he'd suddenly become a moron, too. Tempting as it was, he could agree for now, and either wait until Daniel asked him to change his mind, revoke his promise, or force him into hurting someone later and then either being okay with it or forgetting he'd ever done it in the first place. Whichever worked better.

That in mind and after raking his tongue over his teeth thoughtfully, he shrugged. "But fine, alright. If I decide someone's in my way and needs to be taken out, I'll do it myself. I don't mind getting my hands dirty."

[first_rule]

That was a start, because he had figured there was a good chance that the answer would be to make him do it. Right then and there. So to get Dylan to agree, that settled him down a bit. He was glad for that agreement though. It was a step forward. He hoped. God, he hoped.

"Thanks. I..." He shook his head. "Jesus, I keep seeing you going down," he admitted, sighing as he rubbed at his temple, trying to get himself feeling any better. "I think I went through an entire bottle of whiskey last night."

That was Daniel still waning this to be what it was before, the man he had sat and drank with when Henley left. He was still himself, he had made Daniel believe that, so he had to still be the man that had done that for Daniel as well. At least that was what he told himself.

Then came the rest of his questions, the ones he knew was skirting dangerous territory. No, that wasn't true. All of it was dangerous and he was the one that could take the blows if they upset Dylan.

"Just curious and all... Is this like your normal way of showing us all who and what you are now?"

Nope, there was no jealousy there. Just wanting to know if Jack was turning hot babe for Dylan. That was all. Or being made to shoot people. Or... Nope, he's not being a damned jealous brat. Not at all.

[onebehind]

"You should've called me up." He could still drink, even if he didn't particularly need it now and probably, unfortunately, wouldn't have given many a fuck about Daniel's upset. He probably would have been just as pleased by it as he had Daniel unloading his guts into the trash can after he'd pretended to leave.

Rather than explain that, however, he just let the statement stop there and arched his eyebrows at Daniel's question. "Which part? The part where I made you shoot me? Or the part where we fucked?"

He glanced almost leeringly down at Daniel's crotch. Never mind the fact that he figured he already knew what Daniel was asking one way or the other. He wanted to hear him say it.

[first_rule]

He just looked at Dylan then, giving him a look. "Yeah, I'll get right on that," he said, knowing he wouldn't. Not in those moments when he was staring at anything but that bullet still laying on the windowsill in his room. It had torn him up, and the whiskey hadn't done much to fix anything.

Yeah, he figured he'd ask. He wanted him to say it. Like the begging.

So instead he folded his arms over his chest, leaning back against the wall. Was he using his body to look cute while trying to figure out an answer to make that wouldn't make him sound pathetic? He wasn't even sure if there was anything at this point.

"Doesn't matter," he said, shrugging. "Whatever. You're going to do whatever you want. Proven that. Just don't hurt Jack anymore. Seriously. He's a good kid but he's a kid." More so even than Daniel in his mind. "He doesn't deserve that."

[onebehind]

Dylan scowled at him, rolled his eyes. Thanks so much, Daniel, for raining on his parade.

"I wasn't planning on it." In fact, he'd made it a point to stop in and say hi, last night while he'd still been feeling good. He'd taken the memory of his trying to kill him from Jack, if only because it put a damper on their relationship now that he wanted the Horsemen in his pocket rather than dead at his feet, and then left him to his own devices. "And for the record, no, I didn't do whatever I wanted to him. You're special."

Never mind the fact that technically he had, albeit not in a violent or sexual way. That didn't count. What he'd done to Jack, for Jack, was a mercy.

[first_rule]

Daniel was learning his place, adjusting to his place in this relationship. He certainly wasn't being kind to someone that had spared his life, yet he had to know where he stood.

"I'm glad to hear that," he said, nodding. He wasn't being a martyr, far from it. Daniel was getting something from this, and it was something he wanted. Seeing Jack hurt though, it made him feel like he suspected he would if he kicked a puppy and there was nothing in that he wanted.

There was a part of him that was thankful to hear that what he and Dylan had shared wasn't a party for everyone. Yet it was those two words that left him fairly trembling, wanting to hear more of that. It was part of a desire that led to him puking over the shooting and not the body transformation. Of course, he had only been that way for a short time, with pleasure coursing through him. Longer times, things changing, who knew what it might be.

"Yeah well, I've been telling you that for a while now," he pointed out, smirking. "Glad you're listening. So you going to keep giving me that look because I asked about Jack?"

He was trying to deflect the jealousy he had felt. He felt stupid for it, but he couldn't change how he felt after that.

"So then, what now? Do we just go back to building up a show or has life changed with you?" Changed, not different. Just changed.

[onebehind]

"Depends, you gonna keep being jealous?" he countered. Yes, he knew Daniel was jealous and yes, he could practically smell that stab of need, and if Daniel was going to continue to push his buttons, refuse to play along, he'd use all of it against him. Maybe he would anyway, just for shits and giggles. There still was the matter of all the questions he wanted answered, after all.

If he went that route, however, it would come in time. For now, he shrugged at his next question. "If you wanna, I'm not gonna stop you. I'm planning on getting us home eventually -- " Or running this place, one or the other. " -- but it's gonna be messy. You already said you didn't want any of that."

[first_rule]

"Maybe." It was honest, at there was that. "Trust me, I'm not trying to be jealous. Though being jealous, I'll keep working harder to be special," he pointed out. "You seemed to appreciate that effort."

Saying that, he pushed away from the wall, moving a step closer. "An effort I am willing to exercise just to show how hard I'm willing to work." Yet he stopped, because that statement made him second guess his offer.

"Okay. That reads an awful lot like a dismissal." Not asking if it was, but leaving that out there. "Suppose you've got better things to do then."

[onebehind]

Dylan took a step forward, himself, one corner of his mouth twitching upwards. Oh, Daniel wouldn't appreciate the exercise he wanted to make him engage in. Well. Maybe he would in the end, maybe he'd get over it all as easily as he had everything else barring the shooting when he finally took him, but.

That made the idea all that much more appealing. Doubly so, when Daniel started bitching. Maybe he'd just have to go for it sooner rather than later, as punishment, as pleasure. He wanted both.

For the time being, though, he simply rolled his eyes. "If it was a dismissal, I wouldn't be hanging around. Or you wouldn't be here. One or the other." If it was a dismissal, he would have killed Daniel last night. He wouldn't be fantasizing about fucking him around and then just fucking him now.