"A-Alright. Cassian then." Cass said, the name feeling strange on his own lips. In only a few circumstances had the others called him by that name, so it felt even stranger for him to shape the name with his lips.
He was happy with this development, of course, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t strange.
Cass took a sip of his tea, feeling strange, and Lor-Cassian followed suit. Both men sitting awkwardly, having acknowledged some of the elephant in the room. Cass took a few more sips before he just sighed.
"I don’t think that I shouldn’t take your feelings into consideration when it comes to...what I’m doing to help with the heat." Cass winced as the words left his mouth, but he didn’t stop talking. "Especially with the new development." Cass said, and watched as Cassian paled slightly. He put down his teacup, crossing his hands in his lap and nodding.
"While I can’t agree with you about my feelings on the situation, I do agree that the new development is...alarming." Cassian said quietly.
"Did you never notice it?" Cass asked, and the other man shook his head gravely.
"No. Much like you, I had very few memories of what I would do when in my...heat alone. There could also be a condition where it wouldn’t show up until someone else was involved." He made a good point, but Cass had a feeling, a knowing that that wasn’t quite right.
"While I think part of that might be true, I’m not so sure. I mean, we’ve never used lube, have we?" Cass asked, glancing at Cassian, his cheeks red. Cassian’s eyes were wide, his ears bright pink, but he clearly agreed with Cass’ observation.
"By the gods, you’re right. I’ve never had to use it before, and neither did you when you were out of it the first time." He furrowed his brows. "I didn’t pay attention when you were in your heat alone. I should have. My apologies. I’m supposed to be around to help you, not hinder you." Cassian said and Cass narrowed his gaze.
"No, you’re around because this is your body originally. Not because you are supposed to help me." Cass was vehement about his words. Cassian smirked, shaking his head.
"While I appreciate your words, I have to disagree with you. I believe that is the only reason the gods have let me stay around, Caspian. Why else would they let me act like them?" He asked and Cass opened his mouth, wanting to protest but knowing that the man wasn’t going to listen to him.
He hadn’t listened to him so far.
"Fine." Cass said, upset as he shifted in his chair. "Let’s say that’s true. I have a couple of questions for you then." Cass started, and Cassian nodded, his back straightening slightly at the serious shift in Cass’ voice. "What do you want to see happen to the King, the Queen, the nobles, etc.?" Cass asked, and watched several emotions flicker across the other man’s face.
At first, he was clearly shocked that Cass had asked for his opinion again, before he grew contemplative. He was not able to, however, hide the disdain, anger, and distrust on his face. It was only a flicker of a second, but Cass caught it.
His emotions were too big for him to be able to hide it from Cass.
"I would rather differ to what you-"
"-Oh, so you’re okay with letting them get off with what they’ve done to you and others?" Cass asked, not letting the man push aside his question. He could tell immediately that Cassian did not like that answer.
His jaw clenched, his hands in his lap tensing, his shoulders rigid. He looked like a statue, and Cass was a little surprised to notice that his red eyes flashed, glowing with the depth of his emotion. Did that happen to Cass as well?
It was...kind of cool, if Cass was honest with himself. Very villain coded, but cool.
"I would not like that. They have caused a great amount of suffering for the common folk. I am sure you are aware of how much effort I’ve put in to make sure that the weight of my family’s crimes are lessened. At least, in my heart." Cassian said, every bit the Lord he was raised to be.
Cass smiled.
"I’ve met Mr. Collins, yes." Cass confirmed, and watched as the man’s angry visage cracked slightly, before it was back in place.
"Yes. Mr. Collins is one of many I have hired in such positions. Mainly to protect them, but also for them to act as covers to protect more people like them. Mr. Collins hires mostly...people like us." Cassian said, his voice cracking slightly.
Cass stared at the other man, surprised that he was admitting it, but then again, why wouldn’t he?
He’d literally seen Cass enthusiastically engaging in...sexual acts with a man. Two men, at the same time. Several times. There was no reason to hide from the truth anymore.
"It’s a very kind thing that you’ve done." Cass said, and watched as the man looked uncomfortable with the praise.
"I didn’t do it to get praise. It was the right thing to do." He muttered quietly, and Cass felt his heart warm. The man had done some pretty awful things, but he tried to make up for it when he could. Supporting people who were actively being killed for nothing beyond being who they were? That was a pretty good thing to do.
"Alright. So you didn’t do it to get praise. Doesn’t mean you aren’t deserving of it." Cass said, and watched a switch flick in Cassian’s gaze. His eyes sharpened, and Cass swallowed thickly, not liking the look in his gaze.
He bent, coming closer towards the table for emphasis as Cassian stared at Cass. He then pointed a finger at the other man.
"And you are doing the same damn thing that I was. Doing things without asking for praise. I am aware of what you are doing with the nobles. How you are slowly choking them all. How you are helping orphans, and other disenfranchised people. Are you going to accept praise for that?" The man asked and Cass felt his face flush.
He opened his mouth, ready to say the exact same thing that he had, but then he slammed his mouth closed. He glared at the other man.
"You’re just trying to turn the attention away from yourself." Cass accused, and Cassian smiled brightly. It was the same smile that Cass had felt himself make when he had been trading words with Edgar back in the day.
"And I am very skilled at it." The man bragged and Cass rolled his eyes.
"Anyways, completely different topic, did you know about your grandmother and her story?" Cass asked, and watched as Cassian’s expression shifted.
"No. I was unaware. My Mother never spoke of it, or left a journal. Then again, I doubt anything of my Mother’s survived my grandfather’s purge after he kicked my father out." Cassian said dryly, and Cass felt his own expression harden.
"I’m killing that old man. Either with my own hands, or someone close to me." Cass warned, and Cassian gave a snort.
"I would prefer with your own hands, but I understand how that could haunt you. I’m sure you could ask Lord Draken. He’d probably jump at the chance." Cassian said, giving Cass a strange look. Cass narrowed his gaze.
"He probably would have done it if you had told him too. I’m sure you were right there as the man was saying he picked fights with you to see you react." Cassian’s ears turned pink again and he turned his face away. He was flustered, and Cass laughed.
"Either way, no, I had no idea." Cassian’s flustered expression shifted, a look of pain taking its place. "I also...had no idea that there was a tree in the basement of the house next door." He said softly. "I had no idea that was the reason they sold it to me. I was just trying to..."
"Get one up on grandfather. I know. I’m glad for it though." Cassian nodded, his expression shifting to a more thoughtful look.
"You should give the house to Ser Hune at some point. She’ll appreciate it. Or give it to the fairies entirely. It’ll be a good base for them to start from. Take over the human realm." He said it casually, and Cass blinked a few times. He wasn’t sure that he meant it, but the longer he didn’t say anything else, the more Cass became aware he meant those words.
"You...want the fairies to take over the world?" Cass asked. That had never been brought up in the story. At all. Cassian shrugged, picking up his teacup and taking a sip.
"Why wouldn’t I? The humans are doing a piss poor job, the dragons aren’t helping, or were raised by the human hating fairies, and they, outside of us, can resist demons. It sounds like a rather reasonable world domination, don’t you think?" Cass hated that the man had a point.
It would make sense for fairies to take over, but something didn’t quite feel right about that.
"I mean, I guess I agree with you, but I’m against any ruling class, you know?" Cass said, and watched as Cassian nodded.
"Your world has mostly overthrown them, right? I can understand that, but we aren’t at that point here. We need someone to lead the charge, otherwise the demons are going to take over. We also have to figure out how we were created if fairies and demon blood aren’t supposed to mix." Cassian said and Cass agreed with a slow nod.
That was a serious issue. One that Cass had pushed to the side because he had much bigger fish to fry at the time.
"You’re right." Cass muttered. "Ser Hune told the story so seriously, not knowing that we were..." Cass trailed off and the two men sat in silence for a moment.
"I have a suggestion." Cassian started softly, and Cass looked up, staring at the man. He looked rather uncomfortable. "I’ve been avoiding it, because if I got caught going there it would...be disastrous all on its own. Things are different now that we have the hero mark though." Cassian said and Cass perked up.
"Oh? You had a solution but you never took it?" Cass asked and Cassian let out a sigh.
"You’ll understand when I explain it to you." Cassian said, and Cass sat up even straighter in his chair. What in the world was he talking about that had him speaking so cryptically? He was so curious now.
He stared at the other man, his eyes sparkling with curiosity until Cassian’s lips twitched and he started laughing.
"You’re quite charming when you want to be, Caspian. Of course I’ll tell you. You have the hero mark to protect you now." Cassian said before telling Cass the solution. Cass blinked as he listened to his explanation.
That didn’t seem hard, but he could understand why the man hadn’t tried to before. He had tried it later in the book, and had gotten caught. It made sense why he had held off as long as he had. He had looked incredibly suspicious in everyone’s eyes after that.