(Untitled)

[kingshit_lloyd]

[continued from here]

Lloyd was pretty sure he’d heard something, and that something had sounded a hell lot like a scream. He wanted to believe it had been his imagination playing tricks, the wind howling, or just the island being up to its usual shit, but he wasn’t counting on it

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[the_adversary]

Once he bared the fangs, yeah, it was kinda hard to miss. And a huge improvement as far as Flagg was concerned. In his experience, vamps weren't much higher up on the vermin list than Lloyd's little amuse-bouche in Phoenix, but then, most of the ones he knew worked for the can-toi, which put them about as far from the charismatic screen-vamps as you could get.

"Nice," he said. "Very nice. I assume you haven't tried them out yet." He smiled up at him, dark eyes teasing. Now would be the wrong time to make a joke about taking a bite out of someone, utterly wrong, but... "Or have you?"

Behind him, another hoarse echo sounded, followed by a coughing fit. "--hey, I'd love to chat, but I've got company. Good seeing you, Lloyd, as always." He turned back into the darkness, primed for the reaction he knew he'd get.

[kingshit_lloyd]

Acting before thinking was an unfortunate but inevitable side effect of being Lloyd Henreid, and as soon as Flagg began to turn away, Lloyd started forward. It was as ill-advised a reflex as biting his tongue; he hit an invisible barrier and stumbled backward, instantly wishing he had a gun -- not so he could deal with Flagg in a slightly less pathetic manner, but so he could shoot the asshole who came up with those retarded vampire rules in the first place.

"Lemme in," he mumbled, covering his aching nose with his hand. Second injury in under a fucking minute -- he was breaking record left and right. "You gotta invite me in, I can't-- fuck, just invite me in, all right? Please."

[the_adversary]

Flagg turned around, looking vaguely startled, and a little confused.

"...oh. You wanted to come in?" He smiled, a warm well, why didn't you say so in the first place kind of smile, looking on the brink of laughter. "You're not really bound by all that old hocus-pocus, are you?"

His smile flickered as he moved to get out of Lloyd's way. He stopped, and his expression turned suddenly thoughtful; he leaned against the doorjamb instead. "Say... did you ever make up your mind about that stone? No hard feelings either way."

His voice was all buttery sincerity, but his eyes, somehow darker than even the shadows behind him, contained none of it.

[kingshit_lloyd]

It was a trick question, wasn't it? Some kind of trap.

Lloyd hesitated for a few seconds, watching Flagg uncertainly, not daring to breathe (he probably didn't actually have to, what with the whole vampire thing, but old habits and all that). Finally, he reached into his pocket.

"I've got it," he said, voice low, as he took the stone out. He let it lie in his open palm, dark and impenetrable in the moonlight, the red flaw as bloody as ever. He didn't want it. It was more trouble when it was worth. But he needed to get inside the house, and if this was his ticket in, he was taking it.

He lifted the chain, and without saying anything, put it around his neck. He glanced down, then looked up at Flagg, waiting.

It was just a piece of jet, nothing special. Didn’t make any fucking difference here.

It didn't mean nothing at all.

[the_adversary]

Flagg watched him carefully, his own expression inscrutable; less out of guile than honest indecision about the scene in front of him.

He searched Lloyd's expression, and decided-- in the exact same instant that he broke into a slow, stirring smile-- that he was lying. That settled it.

"Good," he said, letting a little relief leak into his voice. He picked up the stone briefly, looking at it almost wistfully, like an old photograph. He nodded. "Come in, Lloyd."

He stretched with one arm to reach the door handles and tugged them shut. They came down with a startling bang, and he ushered Lloyd inside through the darkness, one hand pressed to his back.

The other was on the gun, sweaty and infinitely comforting.

Oh, shit. Lloyd was a fucking vampire.

Flagg's eyes fluttered shut briefly, annoyed with himself beyond belief, but the anger that had been stoked by Lloyd's nifty little lie was reassuring. He had a knife in his boot. Barring that, dawn would have to come eventually.