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Post by Ghislain on Apr 21, 2009 14:54:00 GMT -5
Ghislain's erstwhile lover vanished with the aloofness and concealed impatience one would expect of a renter, which he had, to Ghislain's mind, displayed during the tryst. He was less bothered by this than one might have suspected, however, particularly as he had been banking in it in achieving him.
And if he and Valmont seemed degenerate and debauched to him as he left, Ghislain would not have thought of that as a drawback. After all, wasn't it true? And wasn't László just as bad, for all he declined to enjoy himself?
After László had gone, Ghislain laughed again, a little more loudly, sitting up and shifting - nothing mechanical in his movements, which retained their sensuality - to get his cigarette case again. Doubtless Valmont would recognize this. "I wonder which opening you were referring to," he said with a catlike smile, and not a little unkindness.
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Post by Valmont on Apr 21, 2009 15:42:16 GMT -5
Valmont did not move, because he felt no need to--he had no where to go, and while he wasn't in the habit of post-coital snuggles he was entirely comfortable with the situation as it was, or wherever it might choose to go next.
"So many to choose from," he mused, matching Ghislain's tone. "Luckily... I have all the time in the world. Not so that poor devil," he snorted, exhibiting not much actual pity for the renter. Some men were artists, some merely worked.
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Post by Ghislain on Apr 22, 2009 9:11:35 GMT -5
Ghislain would have considered himself neither artist nor worker, if pressed into defining himself (which was not something he minded doing, although he was not good at it). He aspired to that section of grey space between the two, the role of jack of all trades, or perhaps, if he were to master one, a wizard.
But he lit his cigarette and lifted a glass ashtray from a side table and tumbled back into the sheets, placing the ashtray on one corner of the mattress so that it was within tapping reach, taking a drag. "Indeed, why pick just one?" said Ghislain, as though they were speaking at a marketplace. Not that Valmont had ever been to one. Ghislain did not envy him his remoteness from the heart of Paris.
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Post by Valmont on Apr 22, 2009 11:59:05 GMT -5
Valmont, who had not yet picked up smoking, nevertheless did not begrudge others the habit. It struck him as somewhat primitive and inelegant, though he could not deny the sensual quality of the interplay of Ghislain's lips and fingers around the slim little thing.
"To confine oneself to any one pleasure is as grievous an offense as denying pleasure absolutely," he said philosophically, though of course he knew Ghislain knew this and yet could not help proclaiming it. And speaking of which, "Did you get what you came here for?" Valmont asked, his head tipping to the side to take the younger man in through slitted eyes. His tone encompassed everything: money, László, motive, himself. If it did not strictly matter to Valmont's own pleasure, he was nonetheless interested.
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Post by Ghislain on May 6, 2009 10:01:22 GMT -5
Ghislain enjoyed as much as Valmont did their shared tendency to state the obvious for the pleasure of feeling the words tumble out. Of course, Valmont was more languorous, and did not seem to have Ghislain's mastery of the language - each man his own Alexander, but in different ways, it must be said; Valmont was more of a diplomat, this was granted - but they did partake in the same delight.
"Oh, indubitably. Though one is inclined to point out that I am still here, and am hardly a sentimental sort, therefore..." A flippant gesture of his hand, too precise to quite be a wave, finished the thought.
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Post by Valmont on May 6, 2009 10:15:04 GMT -5
This, of course, had not escaped him--and was true for himself, as well. Perhaps it was merely that he was not yet bored of Ghislain, or that the new pleasure of having Ghislain to himself--or having all his attention, rather--was enough.
"Neither are you the sort to content yourself with words," Valmont pointed out in turn. "Or stop at pointing something out, unless it's to your purpose."
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Post by Ghislain on May 6, 2009 10:29:20 GMT -5
Ghislain rolled over onto his back, letting his fingers slip over his own stomach obviously for a moment before he reached up to push them through his hair as though suddenly bored with the charade. The obviousness of it - and the fact that Ghislain knew it was obvious - had been the point of the action. It was very fun to play at putting on charades in front of one who knew it was a charade. He wondered suddenly if he had missed an opportunity, due to his own blushing embarrassment, at their last meeting, if they'd have gotten more out of the meeting if he'd continued to play at being Valmont with the Man Himself.
Of course he had. He was bitterly disappointed a moment, and had to distract himself to keep from lingering on the thought. "I'm not sure that I agree. I think the abstract area that words inhabit can be as stimulating and as stoking as even the handiest of physical items. But, of course, perhaps when one has had enough of that it ceases to be novel. I imagine only the truly heady excites you, now, these days. László not too much of a disappointment, I hope?"
This last sentence took an even more informal turn, and there was a mildly hostile tone to Ghislain's voice, as though implying he'd take a great deal of pleasure out of pursuing that young man, but only at László's expense. Of course, this was mostly subconscious, or had only just occurred t him. He had no intention of continuing to talk to Valmont about László, unless, of course, this was an abstract subject that was to Valmont's liking.
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Post by Valmont on May 6, 2009 15:30:35 GMT -5
Valmont did not by any means believe everything he said, and he happened to find pleasure in a great many things, so he was not necessarily in disagreement with Ghislain about words and their use. He had, however, long ago resolved to be only as jaded as pleased him, and his easy manner and worldly air did not indicate a loss of interest in its delights.
"Not at all," he said lightly. "Though I think I owe a great deal of that to you." He looked at Ghislain silently for a moment, taking in the change in manner, the slight hostility of tone. "Novelty is, of course, a powerful inducement," he continued after a slight pause. "But it is not, cannot be, everything." It was high up there, of course, but it was only the largest subset of his primary goal. It would not be politic to circumscribe his search for pleasure within such ever-narrowing confines, though it was certainly the easiest route. "Merely a powerful tool in the pursuit of my real aim. And novelty itself is achieved in many ways."
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Post by Ghislain on May 10, 2009 16:38:49 GMT -5
Ghislain did something suggestive with the tip of his cigarette and the tip of his tongue as he brought it back against his lower lip and took a drag on it, deriving, really, as much pleasure from this as he might have from the actual thing. There was a good deal of fetishism - combined with a strange tendency towards exhibitionism, regardless of who was watching; he sometimes had to invent phantoms for his own pleasure - in Ghislain's enjoyment of the actual act, and the lines between autoeroticism and something more mutual were usually blurred for him. He suspected this was rather too eccentric for even Valmont to fully appreciate, as Valmont was much more of a social creature than Ghislain was in this regard - at least, so far as Ghislain knew.
"My dear man, if novelty was achieved in one way it would cease to be novel after the first time it had been achieved," said Ghislain, smoke drifting from his mouth leisurely as he spoke, a sort of smile to his mouth that was partially teasing and revealed just a hint of teeth.
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Post by Valmont on May 11, 2009 13:03:19 GMT -5
"Which is exactly why novelty in itself cannot be the basis for one's pursuits," Valmont agreed with an air of patience. "But you" willingly, he thought "misconstrue my point; though one road may lead to many towns, it behooves one to explore as many different avenues as possible. And it is impossible for any man to know whither another man journeys, even if he knows the road; or what route he will take, if he knows the destination; or, even if he knows these things, what the man's motive is in traveling or what his thoughts might be on his journey."
He watched Ghislain, with an idle air but one that did not disguise his appreciation of the display. He would not, in point of fact, fully appreciate Ghislain's unvoiced distinction, but he would have been devilishly interested.
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Post by Ghislain on May 25, 2009 20:32:48 GMT -5
"A man would have to be a terrible bore, or highly unskilled, not to try his damnest to find out, though," said Ghislain, propping himself up rather quickly, turning over onto his stomach and tapping ash into the tray again, continuing to watch Valmont as he sucked on the cigarette thoughtfully. "Not to be too much of a busybody or anything..."
Another little smile.
"I should hope you, for example, are seeking to understand my motives. I shall give you a hint, which is more than generous, in saying that novelty is most certainly the basis for my pursuits, in its own fashion."
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Post by Valmont on May 26, 2009 12:27:40 GMT -5
Of course, part of Valmont's point was that by expanding one's definition of "novelty," it could serve one better. And naturally another's motives were taking into account, in that sense.
"By introducing me to Laszlo," Valmont said casually, "you were able to test us both, from quite different angles. You were able to see Laszlo--with whom you had not previously interacted--'at work,' as it were, at the same time as you were permitted another go at me in quite different circumstances. Thus, I think, fulfilling important motives for everyone present. Considering the lightness of my purse, where the young man is concerned, though you were careful--as was I--to keep him uneasy."
It was simple, true, and cursory, but it was a start.
"I would say, in fact, that your motives were satisfied before base physical needs even came into play. Or should I say there is merely no correlation, even if the order of events is not precise?"
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