- IC CONTACT POST FOR MASKORMENACE -

[slightlyoffchilt]

"Hello.

You've reached the direct line of Doctor Frederick Chilton. As I am not available at the moment, you might assume I'm quite busy with something pressing. State your name and business, and I will return your call."

Comments

[brushoff]

We're keeping it here, [ said almost emphatically. Talking about Abduxel opened up an entirely different can of worms that he wasn't so sure he wanted Chilton to know about. ]

[slightlyoffchilt]

Absolutely. Confidentiality is legally in the contract.

[And of course, Chilton took legal matters so seriously.]

[brushoff]

I meant, we're keeping it here as in there's no way in hell I'm talking to you about my relationship with Matthew. [ no way in hell. ha ha ha. ]

Let's go back to me hurting people for abandoning me. I'm sure you'd like that point of conversation better anyway.

[slightlyoffchilt]

Oh, "keeping it in here" is a euphemism for "automatic repression". [He leveled a glare, tilting his head with contrived cynicism.]

You know I can enable that behavior in you, Dorian. Why does Mr. Lin provoke this reticence?

[brushoff]

Aside from the fact that we're fucking? [ said almost nonchalantly, though he's keeping a close eye on Chilton's face as he talks. He doubts that admission will shock Chilton (because let's be real, his patient is Dorian Gray,) but he wants to see just what the man's response will be. ]

[slightlyoffchilt]

That was already presumed. [Chilton smiled, smugly, hoping that this particular breed of smug smiling would irk Dorian.] I have, after all, been in conversation with Mr. Lin.

[Patient and doctor confidentiality ought to close in, right about now.]

We met at a Swearing In.

[There it was. Kind of.]

[brushoff]

[ wait what.

Abduxel you shit. Needless to say, Dorian was definitely going to have to shoot his 'close friend' a text when all this was done. ]

There's a difference between an idle meeting and knowing someone intimately. I don't want to talk about him because, understandably, there are some parts to Matthew I want to keep to myself. [ like the whole demon thing. Dorian doesn't realize, however, that Abduxel's as subtle in his demonness as Dorian is at his immortality.

whoops. ]

[slightlyoffchilt]

Hm.

[Chilton's eyes, which had been focused on Dorian's expression, didn't yet shift away.]

You must be speaking metaphorically. Otherwise -- are there any parts that Mr. Lin keeps to himself?

Be honest.

[brushoff]

There are some parts that he had better, [ said with a huffy little frown. And certainly some moments that he had better. ]

[slightlyoffchilt]

You're not the jealous type, are you, Dorian? You certainly wouldn't believe yourself to be -- surely it's clear that people ought to come to you. [Chilton leaned back, looking at Dorian. Watching him. Thoughtfully.]

And yet, you're so skittish over Matthew. Is it because he's immortal, like you? [Immortal, says Chilton. Not demonic. Because Chilton doesn't know about that.]

[brushoff]

[ There's another moment of 'how the hell does he know that' while Dorian pauses, frowns, stalls for time a bit. ] I'm not jealous. And I don't have delusions that I'm his one and only, if that's what you mean.

[ Because he didn't. Hell, Dorian was about 90% certain that their 'who am I gonna sleep with' circles were practically concentric. ]

I'm skittish over Matthew because I'm not paying you to be a nosy little housewife. I just don't see what this has to do with anything.

[slightlyoffchilt]

Really, Dorian. If you're going to lie, don't do it so clumsily.

[Nosy little housewife? Domestic associations aside (that was another concern, entirely), Chilton truly doubted that Dorian disdained Chilton's methodology of gossip. The immortal simply disdained the topic.

And Chilton was eliminating reasons as to why.]

Possessive in the controlling sense, not necessarily sexual. Let me reframe: you value your liberty. Do you value the same liberty in others?

[brushoff]

To an extent. [ holy shit, it's an actually honest answer, not Dorian just trying to dodge the question. ] One of the reasons why I've found making lasting relationships in this place difficult.

[slightlyoffchilt]

No doubt. With your degree of quality control -- [What he meant to say was specifications, quality notwithstanding, but there were simply some things you did not assert before a narcissist!] -- it's little wonder that the stakes are erected so highly.

[Intended use of verb. After all, Matthew was still on the tips of their tongues, wasn't he?]

Do you have a strategy in place? To prevent any of your chosen ones from straying.

[brushoff]

[ Nooooot really. Huh. Maybe he should look into that. ] If I chose them, then they're likely not to stray in the first place.

[slightlyoffchilt]

If only everyone could share in that blinding confidence you so routinely demonstrate, Dorian. Then I would truly never have need of vacation time.

[brushoff]

[ ain't nothing like him cept him, chilton. And Dorian just flashes the man a toothy grin. ]

Well, we wouldn't want to put you out of business, would we?

[slightlyoffchilt]

Surely not. Because, were I out of business, I'd have all that time to get more into your business.

[And only Dorian's, was the implication. Chilton would continue to circle the Matthew issue, even if he was playing by the no-naming-him rules.]

[brushoff]

You're analyzing Dorian Gray, Frederick. You should know that you'll never have me all to yourself. [ and yes he knows that statement could be taken a certain way and he DEFINITELY said that much on purpose. ]

[slightlyoffchilt]

[Chilton raised his eyebrows at that statement, bait taken, and turned his head slightly just to get a sideways glance angled at his patient.]

I appreciate how much you value your freedom and flexibility.

[brushoff]

Flexibility in more than one aspect, of course. [ that shit-eating grin is still on his face. ] But I doubt you'll ever see the second part.

[slightlyoffchilt]

I definitely do not want to see the second part, Dorian.

[Not that Chilton had an aversion to intimacy with patients... But he, too, had specifications.]

[brushoff]

[ still grinning because yay, he made Chilton a little bit uncomfortable. ] Good. You're not my type to begin with.

[slightlyoffchilt]

And you are certainly not my type. [The mental image wrought was enough to cause nausea, much less discomfort.] Which no doubt fosters a better working relationship, given that you are my patient.

[brushoff]

Oh come on, [ said with a little laugh. ] You're a man who enjoys his status, I'm certain you've slept with at least one patient.