slightlyoffchilt | - IC CONTACT POST FOR MASKORMENACE -

Because of someone's illusory powers. Because you were hallucinating. Because you have repressed guilt.

[Granted, he was kidding with that third option.]

Needless to say, Dorian, it isn't convincing to discount seeing things off the bat.

[Chilton's hand smoothed over Dorian's shoulder, to the crux of his neck.]

Do you need something to calm you down?

[ Well yes, those were valid solutions, but it looked real, it sounded real, it was Yuri Petrov: back from the grave, and Dorian was kind of wigging out

He doesn't really notice Chilton's hand on his neck. He's used to physical touch as intimacy and comfort and he doesn't connect the dots that a psychiatrist shouldn't really be doing that. ]

God yes. I'm sure that once I get less...frantic about this, a solution will present itself. [ a solution that's not 'Yuri Petrov is totally a motherfucking ghost.' ]

Shush now. It's all right.

[And as he presses his fingertips to the back of Dorian's neck, his manicured nails scrapping ever so gently against that immortalized flesh, Chilton consciously releases his sedative. He configures an anxiolytic, which doubles as an anti-anxiety medication, and presses it lightly into Dorian's bloodstream.]

If Yuri did come back -- if ever returned, Dorian. [Whispered the psychiatrist, his voice like the bubbles of a sun-reflected creek.] You have to kill him. You have to kill. Anyone. Who stands. In your way.

Understood?

[ It's a testament to how terrified Dorian is and how fast the sedative works that Dorian only briefly realizes wait a moment, killing Yuri, that's really odd advice. He's right, though. If Yuri tried to come back, that was the only option. ]

I already did that though, [ Dorian murmured, closing his eyes, obviously relaxing a bit more, too wrapped up in the fact that he was feeling better, the fact that he didn't have to worry, the fact that Chilton understood him, to realize just what exactly he was confessing. ] What, do you want me to kill him again?

[Woah, WHAT? Chilton parted his lips in surprise, devouring the tidbit that Dorian just dropped. He missed only that singular beat, however; soon more manipulative instinct kicked him.]

I want you to kill anyone who threatens what you truly are, Dorian. Anyone who dares to smudge your magnificence, anyone who won't comply with your demands.

[Dorian Gray's narcissism was JUST classified as "severely malignant and open to psychopathic comorbidity" in Chilton's books.]

[ His mind is swimming in the sedative, trying to focus on that over his panic and terror at Yuri being back. At the same time, his body is trying to heal from the drug put in his system, so needless to say, Dorian Gray was feeling FUNKY. ]

That's the problem, though. So many of you try to smudge this, [ said with a lazy gesture towards himself ] Be a hero, save the day, don't stand around watching as the houses burn. And it's hardly like I can kill everyone. There'd be nobody left for me then.

And what would you want people for, anyway?

[Chilton eased on the sedative, watching Dorian intently. This was an experimental dosage -- who knew the details of Dorian's ageless physiology? Who knew the conceits of his metabolism? Chilton wasn't keen to overdose the patient, but he wanted a thumb to Dorian's pulse -- so to speak.]

What would you do to those left for you?

[ Dorian put a hand to his head, frowning slightly as his healing power started to chip away at the sedative. ] I am a creature of comforts and of habits. Even if I inevitably abandon them, I need people to be with me for a while.

[ He knew he was alone. But being absolutely alone sounded terrifying. ]

And you know that these... Comforts, they're only episodic relief. A limited supply. [He took note of how coherent Dorian sounded just now, how awake. Chilton forced more sedative onto the immortal, observing with precision.]

Because the very thing that makes these people so temporary to you is what they would destroy, if they could.

[ As the sedative flowed into him, Dorian lurched forward slightly, like someone who just had a dizzy spell, before reasserting himself and settling back into that stupor. ]

What would they destroy? My youth? My immortality? Even if I could die, it wouldn't stay dead. This place would just resurrect me again. [ like it had done before. Like it had done to Yuri. Like it would do to practically anybody else here now that he thinks of it. What was the price of immortality if everyone was effectively immortal? ]

But I'm fine with episodic. I fuck up the permanent on a regular basis.

And why is that, Dorian?

[There's a careful squeeze of Dorian's shoulder, and Chilton offered to lead him to the light blue sedan. Easier to sit down now, isn't it? He muttered, softly, and he spoke in that metered, psychiatric metronome.]

Do you think that, perhaps, you can't trust yourself with permanent things? That you alone must be the constant variable in your life? And so you destroy the rest. Callously.

[ Dorian follows Chilton to the sedan, nodding as he sits down on the couch...and then pretty much just slumps over, leaning against the back of the sedan. a+, Dorian ]

I don't have any permanent things, [ Dorian mused, looking up at Chilton. ] It's the nature of the beast. And besides, my one chance turned out badly.

Why can't you replicate it? This singular chance.

[Chilton eases himself onto the other edge of the sedan, granting plenty of room between himself and Dorian. There is no need to control the space -- all of this space belonged to Chilton's kingdom.]

Or why would you want to?

Nothing could top him, [ Dorian simply said, rolling over to look at Chilton. ] The best I can get is something close.

You speak of him like you're addicted.

[It was phrased like an observation -- clinical, and without judgement.]

You're not prepared to let go.

Why should I be? Toby was the best thing I could ever have.

No. Toby was the best thing ever given to you. The rest? The sequel? That you will take to take.

[ Dorian makes a small noise of confusion. Whether it's because of the drugs coursing though his system, the fact that he wasn't so sure that he could ever find something as good as Toby or the fact that Chilton's kind of right, it's hard to tell. ]

I'm trying, though. I thought I took something that would be the second best.

You took that, knowing it was nevertheless inferior. Part of what made Toby so important, so majestic to begin with, was that you decided he was worthy.

[Chilton's emphasis, delicately placed throughout his tone, ushered in a explicit valuation of Dorian's perspective. Another ego feeding technique.]

You can take any above average imPort here, Dorian, and force them to be exquisite.

I'm Dorian Gray, not Henry Higgins. Still...it would be a wonderful challenge. I've already got my pet project going, maybe I'll push him further.

[ except whoops, Simon's gonna get ported out a bit after this conversation, nice job there Dorian ]

Do you have a back-up?

[Look, Chilton's been there and done that. Disregarding Gideon completely, he's already lost Christine and Danger.

Word of the wise: don't date your projects.]

Should I? [ pretty and stupid: the Dorian Gray experience ]

My advice? Yes, yes you really ought to have a back-up pet project. This world is too volatile to invest in a single individual. And, understandably, one might find this exhausting.

The trick is to make them dependent on you.

[ siiiiiiigh ] I guess I'll find a back-up somewhere. Someone's got to be worthy.

Someone worthy who can still be manipulated by you.

- IC CONTACT POST FOR MASKORMENACE -

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