behavioural | duplicitymods

He doesn't respect boundaries. Or the word no. ( from what he's learned from jessica, at least. oliver does--pull himself up. rests his elbows on his knees, and his chin against the palm of one hand. ) He's--been relatively fine with me, because for whatever reason he wants me to stick around. But when I said his name to Nick, Nick asked me if I thought he was a good person or not. I don't know what he's done to Nick. But I know he did enough to make Nick wary about him.

( so. enough to be concerned. but nothing with concrete proof, aside from what jessica spilled. )

( unfortunately, he is familiar with that type. they're dotted throughout high society. he was related to some of them and he has seen firsthand what they're capable of doing. it doesn't surprise him that duplicity would have similar pests, especially when the class system does little to discourage that type of behavior from manifesting.

he grows quiet for a moment and then with eerie ease— ) We can solve this problem right now. Take me to him and I'll kill him.

People don't stay dead here. You kill them, they come back a few weeks later, and this place will give you really fucked up punishments for bending the rules. I'm pretty sure murdering a Dominant falls somewhere in there.

( a raise of his hand, waving pierce off. )

I'm handling it. If you get into shit now, it'll reflect badly on me later.

T'ch.

( yeah, he just t'ch-ed at u 💁‍♂️ )

What's your plan then? Share with the class.

He's cursed to reincarnate. Something witches blah blah blah, vague and unhelpful. But I'm guessing it's that same curse that gives him as much strength as he has. He heals fast, hits hard. What if we broke that curse? It won't stop him from coming back here, but it might depower him enough that basic charms can keep him away.

( he's experimented a bit with that. threw a charm at william, once. )

But anti-curse crap is a little out of my wheelhouse. I've been working on something, but he is strong, and old. I need to make sure it's strong enough before I even get close to him with it.

Let me help you with it.

( reversing a curse doesn't fall under his realm of expertise either, but he has consumed enough books throughout his life that at least one or two of them is bound to offer something useful. besides, two minds are better than one. )

For now, just stay here with me. I don't want you going back to him.

I'll stay with you for now. But it's literally illegal to sleep over at another person's place more than just a couple nights in a month. I can go back to an apartment in the Down if I wanted, but those are shit. Might just set my door to fry anyone who tries to get in that isn't me from now on.

( and stay inside or pretend to stay inside and actually hang out here with pierce during the day, and return back there in time not to get caught. that sounds ideal. )

Who gives a fuck if it's illegal? As long as they don't find out, then they can't do shit to us.

( he can ward the apartment if oli is worried about the authorities monitoring them. all he knows is that breaking a couple of rules is better than oli returning to his asshole dominant. he might not have done anything to him yet, but it doesn't mean that he won't eventually. )

They'll catch us. And when they do, they'll punish me and only me. Probably. With shit like making me sit outside nude waiting for people to fuck me, or drugging me with weird aphros, or like. Make me obey any Dom that stops by.

( since pierce won't let oliver just touch him like it's nothing, he extends a hand out towards him instead. waits to see if pierce will accept the offering. )

I'll take a stay in my nice room with all my shit in it over public humiliation any day. Even if he's on the other side of the wall. If he starts pulling shit, I'll just ring you to come save me or whatever.

( maybe he should murder all the authorities in this fucking city.

but since people apparently can't die here (like what the fuck is that even about?), then that... presents a problem, doesn't it? he gathered enough information about how duplicity is governed, but the reality of its inequity hadn't exactly sunk in until now — when its laws actually impedes upon the safety and liberties of his friends. as much as he hates the idea of oli going back to no boundaries ben, he has already fucked up with him enough not to add onto that bleak record.

god, he fucking hates being backed into a corner.

hazel eyes lower to the hand extended to him, but he doesn't move to take it in his. the corner of his lips curl in displeasure, almost sulkish. )

If you can't stay here with me, then can I at least stay there with you?

You won't even touch me.

( even when oliver's just offering over his hand. low contact, low pressure. he'd be more offended about it, if oliver hadn't already figured out something's going on with pierce. he keeps the hand out until his arm gets sick of holding it out and--drops it back down onto the arm rest of the couch. )

By your time, we haven't seen each other in fucking five years. Right? You'd think you'd at least give me a hug.

( his jaw tightens as oli brings them back to a conversation he would rather not have with him right now. )

A lot happens in five years, Oli. ( way too fucking much, in fact. ) But that's got nothing to do with me being there to protect you.

Did you find someone you liked better than me? Is that why you never came back to get me?

( maybe if he pisses pierce off enough, he'll get an answer out of him. at least, that's his current tactic he's decided to go with. his expression pinches tight, brows furrowed, irritation and something that could be hurt settling into his face. )

You knew I was waiting for you, didn't you? That I was fucking rotting, sitting around with Nick doing jack shit. Waiting for you to finish with your family business so you could come get me. Did you pick up someone else while dealing with their bullshit? A family friend, maybe? Someone prettier, easier to deal with, and just decided--fuck it, why bother going back?

( oliver's words slice ruthlessly into him like sharpened steel, spilling forth the taxing guilt of having been so focused on his own affairs that he'd failed to properly keep in touch with his friends when they needed him the most. it's his fault that he wasn't able to ring up either nick or kennedy after oli's murder.

it's his fault that oli died.

he doesn't need oliver to remind him that he abandoned them and that he should have done more to keep the group together after bcr. )

Don't be fuckin' stupid, mate. Did you think I was off on holiday? ( for all oli knows, he may as well have been. he never did divulge much about his family. that was his mistake. ) There is no one else. I've always only had you three, so stop spouting ridiculous crap.

I don't know what the hell you've done over the last two years. You've barely answered your phone. You don't talk to me. For all I know you found some hot chick, got married, and have a little fucking heir wandering around your family's estate. Gotta keep your line going, or whatever bullshit you and your elitist family make up.

( he wants pierce to snap. wants him to get angry, start something so oliver can throw it right back at him. but none of this is false, either. pierce fucked off and left them behind to deal with his stupid family. pierce barely talks to oliver anymore. oliver has been waiting for him, because he has nothing else to do with himself.

the emotional reaction is dramatized for effect but none of it is faked. he--pulls himself up to his feet. pulls up the waistband of his pants. he hadn't grabbed a belt on his rush out the door to come bitch at pierce. )

Don't follow me.

( normally, any angle taken about his family and his personal obligations to them would be enough to make pierce snap, but... he isn't the same guy from back then. hell, he isn't the same guy from a week ago. he doesn't think he has the right to be angry with oliver either, so unfortunately, he stays leveled.

annoyed, for sure; but leveled. )

C'mon, Oli. ( he is following him whether he wants him to or not. sorry but not sorry. ) Like I have any fuckin' interest in getting married. You're being way too dramatic over this. ( that's... probably not what he should have said, but where is the fucking lie? )

I'm not letting you go back there alone.

I've handled myself for years without you. More years than I thought I would, apparently.

( he does--stop walking away to look to pierce. be a lot easier of pierce would just snap, it's what oliver was after. but apparently five years was enough for him to learn to restrain himself, which. great. except for the part where it's inconveniencing oliver specifically. )

Don't want me to go? Fine. Stop me yourself.

( pierce probably could without touching him, but he knows pierce's magic is a little. volatile. he won't chance that on oliver. )

I'm not going to stop you. You already said that you can't stay here.

( he still has enough gall to sound exasperated. )

I'm coming with you.

I'll get in trouble if I sleep over too much. Just like you'll get in trouble. And if you're going to sign me later, I don't want you to have a shit record going into it.

( so no rule breaking. at least not yet. maybe later. )

One of his rules is to not tell him about my bedroom exploits. You think he'd be happy and not say shit to someone like you staying in my room just a few walls away from his?

( he seriously could not give a single crap about what makes oliver's dominant happy or not happy.

what he would like to do is snap the fucker's neck, dismember his body and feed him to the goddamn fishes. )

I'm hearing a lot of can'ts, Oli. You know how I feel about that fuckin' word. ( this is gonna drive him up the wall, mate. not good. )

( see he was about to storm off. make a bigger mess of it. see what pierce opted to do to fix it later. but oliver realizes belatedly that he. left his shirt back at his apartment, and he's not going back upstairs.

he would have remembered it, if it wasn't for the stupid threats pierce was throwing at him. if he wasn't rushing down here to make sure it was pierce. a little too late for that. so he. raises a hand out. palm up. )

Give me your shirt.

( he narrows his eyes at oliver for a whole ass minute.

probably because he has a pretty good idea what he plans to do. but ultimately, pierce loses out to his guilt. (he's really starting to hate the feeling.) grabbing onto the back of his collar, he tugs his shirt off in one fluid motion, revealing a well-defined build beneath the dark fabric.

he tosses the shirt over to oli without a word, his lips curved into a disgruntled line. )

( he could take the elevator back up. grab something, then head back down. he could also just fucking leave and deal with it. but pierce is hot and he's mad and the abs definitely help the irritation. so thanks for that.

oliver reaches out and catches the shirt, pulling it on over his head and shoving his arms through the right arm holes before he's turning back around towards the door. )

Don't get involved in my shit. Okay? I'll pull you in when I'm in a position where I can. You know how much I like watching you punch other people's faces in, why the hell would I take that away from myself if I didn't have to?

( yw

there is no way he is not getting into a fight the moment oliver disappears out that door. he doesn't care if he has to start one at a bar or out in the middle of the fucking street, but he needs to feel his knuckles getting busted wide open right now.

it may temporarily quell the thunderous storm brewing inside of him.

he doesn't try to stop oli from going. doesn't answer him either. they both know that pierce will listen to him. he always listens to him — at least when it matters. instead, he turns toward the direction of his bedroom. if he's gonna head out, then he needs to put on a freaking shirt first. )

Text me when you decide to stop hiding shit.

( because for now he's raising a hand up, waving back towards pierce before he's--opening the door leading out of the apartment and taking off. at least he knows pierce is here. that's a huge relief in of itself. it means he's got a plan, going forward. )

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cw: implied rape

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