You can't win me, i can't be beat

  the logic was simple to follow, a mere equation reduced to numbers for simplicity’s sake, but which meaning went further than just that. there were plenty more factors to take into consideration for his plan of heaven to work, but none of them which would concern anyone else outside of him and enrico pucci. the vampire took it upon himself to spare him from details unless he asked, but it appeared as if answer had been enough to satiate that curiosity of his.  the sheer amusement, mixed with the disdain of having to ‘cooperate’ with his brothers were taken with a gracious smile forming upon his lips. he shouldn’t have expected anything less from the younger d’arby.

   “—there will be a time and place for all this, so do not worry about having to get in contact with him sometime soon.” DIO spoke with certainty, folding arms across his chest as he directed his stare to the ground instead. the path to heaven would be a long, and painful one, but it would all be worth it in the end. he could feel it. if he had to wait for years until the priest was ready, so be it. after a century doomed to be spent at the bottom of the ocean, time had lost its meaning.

    eyes momentarily close as he takes in a breath. the mere thought of it bringing him a thrill that he hadn’t experienced in far too long, but with that came days filled with doubt. the courage that was needed to destroy his own stand and absorb the souls of the thirty-six sinners, would it be enough?

    thoughts of that nature are pushed aside from now to once again focus on the man standing across. the facility in which he took all this information—as if they were merely speaking about one of his many games, earned a snicker from the vampire. “i may have all the time in the world, d’arby, but that does not mean i waste it.”

"Even if it was tomorrow, or ten years away, I don't imagine it'll make the arrangement any smoother."

The younger had been quick to correct his master's attempt of assurance, a comically painful smile straining his features back for inevitable that Daniel and himself would be facing each other with comradery. It was hard to believe that the two were fighting for the same side, for even the butler himself found his sibling's whereabouts more bothersome than that of their shared enemies. He may have been even more opposed had the artless sense of plundering adventure not been enough to humor the young mind. It was a more of a factor than D'Arby cared to admit, his thoughtful poise paired with an inspired grin deemed enough to mask the simplicity: he was the only one who could truly read such thoughts, after all.

Brows raised slightly, DIO's reminder receiving a prompt scoff of amusement for its unspoken severity. D'Arby would merely raise either palm up in a quaint display of surrender, any playful assumptions he had of the man lounging about lazily on top of his treasures quickly flipped on its back. Perhaps it's what he butler would have done if they were to swap places, although the endless desire for more and more was surely something they could both agree with.

"Then I apologize deeply. I wouldn't dream of undermining your efforts."

It was clear his words weren't quite sincere, but merely a drawn, grandiose jab to lighten any unwarranted offense on the vampire's end. He held no urgency from time, yet no desire to slow down for rest either; the perfect conditions to build upon any plans DIO had for the future. The youth allowed his relented hands to drop down once again, a palm settling upon his cheek to withdraw his enthusiasm back to its gradual calm.

🕯️ tbh this is just every dinner DIO has with Terence standing besides him LOL  

send me  ‘ 🕯️ ‘  for our muses to have a romantic, candlelit dinner at home

Valentine’s Day prompt | Accepting

A silver-etched fork would prod aimlessly between the food arranged along his plate, D'Arby's focus absently guiding the overlapping of jus over neat potato slices while his eyes occasionally drifted up to the man adjacent to him. It was a first that he would find himself seated to dine with the mansion's master, that usual post of attendance at his side abandoned this evening for the sake of pulling out a chair for himself.

At this level, the butler could take the time to observe his own lavish decor through the eyes of a recipient, and to his satisfaction, it hadn't disappointed. From the luxurious red sheen of the table cloth, to the branches of candlesticks dancing softly between the two of them, it looked to be straight out of a movie. Hazel slants would be drawn to the nearest flame, its warm glow of honeyed light melting over the other man's blonde locks in an ethereal picture, one D'Arby wouldn't otherwise think to paint. It sparked an odd sense in his mind, one he couldn't pin with his normally sharp explanations. It was difficult to look away, the supposed mystery brushed aside for the sake of reaching for his half-filled glass of red wine. He wouldn't otherwise go to such lengths of decoration, not even for his own sake, meals commonly carted down to the mundane comforts of his basement long after DIO had left for the night. Now, here he was sharing the moment with him instead, leaving his butler in the unfamiliar, dizzying territory. It was stupid, yet enchanting, all from what he would blame on the feigned intimacy of candlelight and quiet

Lips would daub briefly at the rim of his glass, a short sip of the acrid substance immediately breaking through this odd little trance of thought. He would never quite find himself sincerely enjoying the taste, even with the sickly, rose-tinted scenery compelling him. Clearing his throat, a smile would finally be forced upon his features after a long brace, eyes drifting dubiously across to offer their conceited glow to his company.

"How's your dinner? I tried a new dressing on the meat tonight, less sweet than before."

  a brow raises at the question; his expression filled with an amusement that he could not contain. out of all things they had discussed tonight, his butler’s presumption was the least expected of them all.

 “—didn’t expect you to be the kind of man that would be interest into that sort of thing enough to remember.” his comment is moreso meant to be tease rather than a reflection how the vampire saw him. after all, this conversation had initiated with the intention of learning more about the man he considered to be a genius, and he was reminded as to why that was.

    a gracious chuckle escapes him, and with that in mind, the vampire assumed he knew where he was going with this. his assumption of where he and his brother fell in this equation was correct, and with a nod confirming such theory, DIO proceeds to elaborate. “that’s correct. the souls of those who have sinned possess a mighty power, a greater desire to obtain victory, in this case, heaven.”

 “you and your brother possess the ability to manipulate souls, and as you may be aware, even ‘divide’ them into chips.” of course, the vampire didn’t think it was necessary to clarify that this attribute appeared to be unique of his brother. “each soul can be divided into ten chips. thirty-six times ten being three hundred sixty—a full circle, or clock, when you consider the involvement of my stand.” his explanation could come across as the ramblings of a mad man if it wasn’t for how certain he was over his discovery. confidence shines in those eyes of him as they meet those of his servant with apparent fascination.

  “it’s no coincidence that i’m in control of time, d’arby. for these souls are they key to set time on a full a circuit; to reset ‘the world’, if you will.“

It had been impossible to resist the conceited shrug that DIO's toying observation provoked, hazel eyes knitting shut for an instant against the chuffed amusement passing through his grin.

"What can i say, my memory was always sharp--"

He would return the vampire's gentle cuff of repartee, an outstretched palm indicated out swiftly with fingers curling in a bold gesture to the side of his skull. Even the tiniest detail could go a long way once the butler detected it, only a short dig through the depth of his recollections required to pick out obscured facts.

"-- I couldn't hope to forget it from all the exams it popped up in alone."

The alluded absorption for his test's conditions would sand down that arrogant edge to his words. It had been little more than a hasty conclusion, one that D'Arby was rewarded to with further doors opening up to this insight. The light in his gaze would falter somewhat at the indication of his brother's deeper necessity, aloof vacancy flickering upon his features like a switch while the simple math was deciphered. To think that stupid little poker trick of his was to be useful somewhere. The man would hum softly.

"I see, the three-hundred and sixty degrees applies to any sphere -- it would be the same for the earth, just scaled up."

There was logic to what seemed to be madness, the findings of humanity over the countless centuries littered throughout both sacred texts and scholar's equations: like puzzle pieces, DIO had taken it upon himself to put it all together.

"My brother has never tried dividing the souls I have taken. I wouldn't know if it's even possible."

He couldn't see why it wouldn't be, although he would be lying if he said the thought of his elder tainting what was his hadn't irked him. He would carry on without faltering, fingers curling beneath his chin in ployed intrigue.

"I'll need to speak with him about it then, I suppose"

The conclusion was addressed with clear grimace, the promise of interaction akin to a prison sentence for the younger man. He would make it brief as possible, even if it meant trialing the theory between them: the thought of meeting with his kin appeared to trouble him far more greatly than anything else DIO had said tonight.

"I never would have guessed that this was what you were up to in your room each day. You're full of surprises, Lord DIO."

“ Here we go, just try to enjoy yourself for once; You’re only twenty one one day of the year. ”

A bit of a traditionalist, save for the time he’d allow the other to sample some cheap booze acquired in various properties won by his otherwise equally /cheap\ methods, there was an initial gameplan in mind. Noise left the otherwise hustling and bustling establishment that was one of the more high end locations, an area in which Daniel frequently gravitated toward for cold booze and soul wrenching bets. Tonight, his initial plan was otherwise late (as he only just now finally managed to collect his brother two days late) and could easily be picked apart by the other, yet all seemed smooth sailing thus far.

Two fingers lifted as he approached the countertop, a otherwise fanatical man bowing his head away from the approaching elder, he placed down an order of two apple flavored glasses of whiskey. Drinks arriving a few moments later, he slid the other a glass of the thick drink before slamming back the taste of the acidic, bitter drink that burned it’s way down his throat.

The others incessant need to maul over the drink before actually trying to drink it, was almost hilarious to him.

The others will and otherwise anticipated reaction to tasting so downright powerful, was to be expected. His younger brother should’ve ordered his own drink instead of allowing his elder to do so. But at the end of the day; He didn’t spit the drink out, granted, he nearly tripped in the process of launching himself off the stool, but at least he didn’t spit on his brother or the skittish bartender. Snickering low and throat rumbling, he turns his head towards the equally bitter sibling as he spitballed insults about the others own preferential tastes.

“ And how would you know what a marker pen tastes like? ”

Banter quipped back towards the others fit, he slams back the rest of the shots he had ordered. Another order for something less strong and a side of cherry cola (after all one cannot have a proper drink without cherry cola mixed in) for the other to sample. If his younger brother expected his older brother to gift him a doll, he was wrong as Daniel gravely disliked the things; Especially his brothers dolls.

“ Quit being a baby; There’s no harm in trying to stomach a night out with your big brother just this once. ”

That laugh, it was as foul as the drink by his hand. A burst of abhorrence would send an abrupt, scalding surge through the butler's limbs, sharp features a grave understatement of self-control to smoldering glow in his eyes. No facade, nor mollified mask was raised for this evening, the younger's true, twisted colors on full display in his brother's sole presence. Why bother? He already knew exactly what was thought of him; venom would practically ooze from that short scoff of response.

"Liked that, asshole-?"

Teeth bared against the ugly sneer, his voice rising in octave towards the latter of his challenge. He felt cornered, in a sense, as if the presence of the public would lay weight upon the true extent he longed to lash out. How typical of Daniel to use the surroundings to his advantage -- he would be well aware of how the presence of bystanders would water down anything his kin would throw at him. Eyes fell shut under sharp slants, a long sigh whistling through his nose as Terence would reach for composure. There was no point in getting up in arms over this, the sheer lack of control on the situation already beginning to cloud his manner.

"I know what they smell like, wise-ass. The taste would be no different."

A brief shake of the head would loosen his puerile words, far more leveled in their retort this time around. Any attempts of pleasantries or banter were slapped down without hesitation by the youth, his distance unrelenting with only a curl of his fist standing as a physical response: It was all an act he had no intention of humoring. Thoughts would trail back to being in the comforts of his own room now, free to lounge about as he pleased without having some trial of civilities hindering his celebratory day: how cruel it was to have it wasted in such tiresome company.

Terence's gaze would finally veer back around to the other man's profile, his lips forming a slight curl of contempt.

"Stomach it-? You're lucky I even wasted my time on you tonight."

  years of isolation had their cons and pros. his own limitation confiding him to remain indoors, never to see again the day of light, had given the vampire plenty of time on his own to contemplate where he’d go from where he was. this life with obtain power and wealth did nothing to satisfy his gluttony for more—like a vicious locust, seeking for the next thing to pray upon until there was nothing left. DIO could take, and take, and take and it would never be enough. from there, he remembered what his mother used to say. the idea of heaven plaguing his mind until it became his main focus.

  from the bible to the q’uran, even books about ancient egypt and their belief of heaven, the vampire read it all in search for the answer to a question that  terrified the human kind: was this all for nothing?

  there’s no simple response, not one that he can give to the butler with certitude, but that did not stop him from pursuing that goal. DIO knew just how close to getting there he was—he could feel it. his ability to stop time wasn’t arbitrary, there was a reason behind it, a certain ‘gravity’. from his very own name to the nature of his stand, his pursue of heaven was something to be expected.

 “—i’ve been studied the concept of heaven for years now.” DIO began to explain, allowing his gaze to wander away from the younger d’arby to stare off at nothing in particular, as if trying to make memory of how long it had been, or how many books he had read thus far. “there’s a formula to achieve heaven, per se, and that’s where you and your brother come into place.” amber hues now fix upon the other, a gleam in his eyes as he spoke further. the smallest hint of a smile adorning his lips. “thirty-six souls are needed as sacrifice. the souls of sinners.”

The initial lack of response would give the young man time to reflect on what was being unraveled before him, no further prompting, nor insistence being thrown upon his master while in wait for any hint of an answer. He ought to have expected insight this extraordinary from a mind that surpassed the century, that surreal buzz numbing his thoughts once again when brought into focus.

What would become of humanity under this vision of heaven? A sprawl of contentment without regrets nor fears to cloud their vision. DIO would be doing nothing short of pushing mankind forward in its next, guided steps in evolution.

Despite the latter, D'Arby couldn't fight an inkling of skepticism in how it may affect his own lifestyle. Was it really so selfish to have his own wants captivate him in these moments? Or was it simply ignorance?

He wouldn't so much as chastise himself for a moment, the thought settling comfortably for his unspoken priorities while the vampire began to explain himself once again. Smiles and steady nods didn't break away for a moment.

A formula? It hadn't exactly been what he thought he would be hearing. Commonalities and parallels between the texts DIO had studied, all thrown together like a witches' cauldron to see what may arise from the smoke. D'Arby would smirk softly at the mental image of the blonde nestled into his endless streams of book, an entirely new one in hand for each time his butler would go to fetch him a drink or merely pass by with duties. Was this the outcome of such sightings?

"Thirty-six? Like the Hebrew number, yeah?"

Holy numbers would pop up frequently in his secondary studies, their meanings and significance all a scramble together in a muddied puddle in his mind. It felt as if he were facing a teacher of sorts now through his master, his directed focus on the two brothers etching an odd familiarity in his mind. It would begin to click, paper trails he had left behind for a mere grade now being picked up again.

"Eighteen is their number for life, and eighteen twice is thirty-six--"

"-- I assume my brother and I would be those 'two lives'-?"

𝐻𝐼𝒢𝐻 𝒫𝑅𝐼𝐸𝒮𝒯𝐸𝒮𝒮

Midler’s face scrunched up, her mind trying to connect the dots in attempting to understand the punchline. “Orange you glad I didn’t say banana”? How did her comrade come up with that after getting her to answer the metaphorical knock knock to the door? He kept saying banana! Then suddenly, the Stand user brings up an entirely DIFFERENT fruit. As she petted her purple locks, she kept repeating the word orange silently to herself. It’s when the joke started sounding like the phrase ‘aren’t you’ did she finally give a laugh.

❝Aha! Aren’t you glad I didn’t say banana is what you meant! Yes, I am relieved. You said it three times in a row and it started to become too repetitive for my taste.❞

That droop of dumbstruck confusion on Midler's face had been enough to prompt a burst of laughter from the butler, that joke evidently drawing more traction from him than it did his audience. He had made no attempt to explain the punchline as he left the woman to sit at the granite counter in ponder, his sluggish strides carrying him over to the refrigerator in wait of a response.

Despite the hour nearing dusk, it appeared he had only stirred from a nap a few minutes ago, his layered wrap of hair springing out in knotted tresses and his turtleneck bunched to one side. It appeared that the mercenary had been made a victim to his drowsy, if not vexing jest.

Despite tired eyes, that tactless amusement only grew when his ally gave a sudden outburst of amusement, his head tilting back to cast an impish grin back towards her. It seems she finally caught on.

"Pretty good, right-?"

"I know a couple more, unless you're all funned-out already?"

The derision rolled off his tongue with excessive ridicule for his attempt, hand retreating from the refrigerator with a red-tinted can of soda before it was nudged shut.

Moving back closer to the counter, he would stand across from where the woman sat, a finger angled out to crack the tab off with a hiss.

35 [randomly generated]

35 Send me 👠 for a starter of my character trying something new

My Character Starters | Accepting

"It's about as loud as I expected."

His complaint was frank, elevated to a shout as he glanced about the bustling establishment. A traditional bar had never sounded like his ideal location to spend an evening -- lest one with nothing but drinks and incessant noise to offer. It hadn't exactly been smooth sailing to convince the younger D'Arby to come along either, something along the lines of insistence on his kin's part eventually bringing him to cave. Regardless, the butler's irritability hadn't eased in the slightest from the moment they walked in, a side-on scowl cast towards Daniel right up until their drinks were presented to them.

It was the first time Terence had been handed a drink straight from a bar, the first he would touch an alcoholic drink that wasn't mixed with copious sugar or presented in a cheap can. Nothing but pure spirits. The glass was inspected for a few short moments, his fingers running along the rim before a fleeting glance was cast towards his brother. He appeared to have no issue with his own drink, his younger watching as he took an initial swig. Why hesitate himself? Terence would sit up a little taller, attention falling down to his own drink before it was brought up for an initial sample.

The taste was instantaneous, a caustic bite rooting into his tongue and throat before he could even swallow. He would recoil instantly from his hunch, repulsion scrunching across his features at the first taste began to wash over him. A short cough drove the wind from him, a flush prickling along his chest and jaw as the glass was placed back down.

"This shit tastes like a marker pen."

Displeasure was hissed over his now acrid tongue, fingers trawling through his stray springs of hair as he came to sit back on the bar stool. No attempt was made to go back for a second taste, his gaze drifting elsewhere as he huffed.

   the way in which his answer was phrased brought a small smile to the vampire’s lips, perhaps because he could’ve responded in a similar fashion. his mother undoubtedly playing a huge role in the little faith that he had during his childhood, neglected after her death and the years to come.

  “—i’m not here to lecture you about your beliefs, nor to try to convince you about anything.” DIO began to clarify, tearing his stare away from the butler as he paced with the back of his hand brushing along the cabinet’s wood. how curious, he thought—to question a man that played ‘god’ with his dolls about his beliefs. the vampire would be lying if he claimed he wasn’t curious about what those souls’ thoughts about it were, assuming they were capable of complex thinking despite their state.

   would they still believe in god, even now?

  the time was deemed appropriate to bring this up; the collection of souls, the course of his ambition, it was all leading to the subject of heaven. “my mother used to tell me about heaven quite often, hopeful that one day, she’d able to enter and be at peace.” he explained, his hand falling along the length of the cabinet until it hung by his side. the doll’s murmurs becoming nothing but white noise at this point. was this like for a god to listen to people’s prayers?

  “in my years in this world, i came to realize what’s the ultimate goal for humankind, and that’s peace of mind—the same kind of peace that heaven is supposed to bring.” a pause is taken, allowing the younger d’arby to follow with what he meant, and hopefully see past the religious tones of this subject, as it had nothing to do with faith from his perspective. “what if i told you that heaven isn’t a place, but a state of being? that one is able to acquire it without their lives coming to an end?”

The offered assurance spurred into that light of amusement once again, as if the vampire suspected he may lose D'Arby's focus once it was shrouded in skepticism. Such a gesture if ease was returned through a gradual shrug of the shoulders, his free hand reaching back to perch upon the desk behind him in a relaxed poise.

"I'm glad to hear it."

He hummed the words softly through his smirk, crimson hues trawling steadily over to follow the vampire's once he came to perch a hand thoughtfully against the doll's cabinet. No rebuke, nor frustration came of the contact with his prized collection, the attention towards it still treated as though it were a positive thing.

Instead of commentary, the butler would maintain his dutiful seat while he listened to the other man's words.

It was surprising that faith and his master didn't cross paths in his mind more frequently, the implications of his own servitude, as well as many others towards the vampire falling on nothing short of godhood. He was well aware that this wasn't exactly the average way that the common man would live, much less express his faith. Still, D'Arby had yet to consider what such a thing meant to this man; with both their shared parental incentives to believe, perhaps they weren't so different.

A hand came to perch just beneath his chin while he listened, dark brows raising into arrows towards that spiraling proclamation that was laid down for him to absorb. It was far more than he could chew, made clear by a stupefied chuckle escaping between his lips. He would have to take smaller bites, for now at least.

"I might ask how you figure that?--"

The admission was a surprisingly comfortable one, his foot giving a soft tap just above the floorboard while his gaze remained fixed forward; their shine of fascination was unmissable. So many conflicting ideologies, all seeking one thing. It was indeed peace -- to rise above the trials and the pain life brought. Prayer and rituals were undoubtedly means that people would take in an attempt to reach such an enlightened state while still on earth, but what possibly could DIO proclaim that would make the heavens absolute? D'Arby might have thought he was talking to a madman, had he been gazing upon any other in this moment -- the blonde would instead invite hesitation to that assumption.

   the vampire was delighted upon being asked just that—his goal unknown to many as the time was. not many dared to try to pry into his mind, and for that reason, he could  respect the butler’s insatiable wonder about what would come next. the lack of question from all the others was a reflection on their comfort and settlement; grateful to even be allowed to live under his roof without those judgemental stares from the world outside these walls. to someone like DIO, however, it wasn’t enough.

  “—i’m glad you asked.” there’s a smile that adorns his lips, one of a man that had been carrying a secret for a while now. not a word had been spoken out loud to anyone other than his dearest friend, but with each day, he came more convinced that it was time to move forward, to seek for something else, something extraordinary. “are you a religious man, d’arby?”

  there’s a genuine curiosity that was made evident in the way he kept amber hues fixated on him, with the intensity of a fire burning brightly and consuming everything in its way. whether his answer was yes or no, didn’t matter. the vampire simply wanted to hear his thoughts on the matter, especially regarding the subject at hand. before the man could answer, dio voiced out another inquire—one that gave away what had been on his mind as of late. “do you believe in heaven?”

There was a visible perk to the butler's frame at the abeyed anticipation of DIO's words, his lips quirking softly in a quizzical pout that held for a few long moments. Had he been waiting for the inquiries to angle in his desired path? D'Arby would assume it to be so, hazel eyes steadily peering into the sudden intensity cast upon him. It was a conflicting thing to witness this man's interests surge abruptly, that look in his eye a clear sign that he indeed intended to take the wheel that drove their conversation out of the younger's grasp once again. He would suppress a wry scoff pushing between his lips.

He could do little more than blink at that initial inquiry, a frown of visible perplexion pulling his open features down into a steady display. Was his new quest for fulfillment driven through faith? It wasn't exactly surprising, especially with his revered titles and the nature of those that the vampire was enveloped by. Still, the abruptness of it had the young man speechless, long enough for DIO to continue on with the specifications of his point without disruption.

The concept of faith was a simple one in his mind, one he doubted adequate to compare with the point the other sought to make. Nothing more than fleeting memories of a boy with his family in Sunday mass would spark in D'Arby's mind, a sheepish grin regretfully twinging on his lips as he gave a steady shrug.

"My mother wouldn't be happy with my answer, but I can't say I am. I'm afraid I haven't said a single prayer for a couple of years now."

A light laugh carried the former of his sentence, his fingers curling idly over the jut of his knee for the admission. It wasn't an angle he had rounded with the vampire before, and he admittedly wasn't sure what to expect from it. Eyes would flick between each of those sharp features before he carried on with a hum.

"Heaven?... I'm not sure. I couldn't prove, nor deny it, so I never assumed--"

"-- Why might you ask?"