Ever's childish little explosion was less than satisfactory, and a dark frown crossed the vampire's marble-smooth face as he glared at the young man. He spoke with a stubbornness that Klaus found frustrating at best and utterly despicable at worst. This<i>boy</i>Magnus craved so dearly was petulant and mercurial, with a ferociously beautiful face that matched only his fiery temper. Yes, perhaps the boy had a reason to be irate. The twins had tempted and manipulated him in a way that humans weren't particularly fond of, though it wasn't an unusual occurrence in the vampire world. It had been a long time since Klaus and Magnus had encountered any others of their kind, but the twins had taken to the lifestyle without issue (perhaps Klaus a tad more easily than Magnus, but that was hardly relevant after some three hundred years of feasting on nothing but human blood). It was impossible to categorize all vampires into one simple group; they were a varied and eclectic mix of the best and worst humanity had to offer. Some were vicious and uncaring, like Klaus, slaughtering innocents in the shadows and not worrying themselves over the evidence left behind of their existence. Others, like Magnus, preferred to operate inconspicuously, hypnotizing their victims into a euphoric haze that allowed the predator to feed quietly on the prey and eventually send them on their way with nothing but a blurry memory of the charming stranger they had encountered the night prior. Then there were others who followed their own versions of debauchery. Ever was lucky he hadn't encountered one of the more violent ones, one who would tear his pretty body apart without a second thought. Instead, Magnus had found him and become infatuated. Klaus was willing to entertain his brother's fancy, for now, but he wasn't sure how long he'd be able to keep from tearing Ever's throat out if he kept speaking to him with such blatant disrespect.<br/><br/>Klaus growled a low, foreboding rumble before collecting himself, rolling his shoulders back and taking a deep breath to calm himself. It wasn't something he did often, but he was trying so very hard to not break Ever just yet.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff9999">"Magnus did always have a fondness for stupid things,"</span>Klaus said, smiling cruelly at Ever, displaying those long, ivory fangs.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff9999">"You're wrong on so many accounts, Ever. It really is quite astounding just how dimwitted you are. Let me list the ways for you. I promise I'll go slowly."</span><br/><br/>The blonde man stepped forward, still holding the box and clinking bag in his hands as he edged closer to the bed, though he still obstinately refused to sit.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff9999"> "Firstly, I offered my blood to you as a show of good will. I am not lying when I say it can heal you. All the aches and pains you feel inside of you right now will vanish the moment some of my blood touches your unworthy tongue. You'll notice that despite feeling woozy upon waking, there are no bite marks anywhere on your skin. Do you understand why this is? My brother and I used our blood to stitch your skin back together seamlessly. <i>We</i> did that for you, Ever, you ungrateful little twat."</span>Klaus barked out the last sentence, giving into the insult Ever had bestowed upon him. Who did this little brat think he was, anyway? Seduced and taken by two powerful creatures, superior to him in every way, and he still had the audacity to speak against them? Against<i>him</i>? Against<i>Klaus Wolfgang Augustin</i>? Insubordinate fool.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff9999">"Secondly,"</span>Klaus continued, rolling the bag around in his hand. Although the sound was muffled, tinkling noises could still be made out, like there were many little pieces hidden inside made of glass or some similar substance.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff9999">"I don't hate you; I merely think you're an insignificant insect not worthy of the affection my brother plans on showering upon you. Magnus is a gift, and he will spend far too much energy ensuring your happiness. I think he's making a rather large mistake and that you're worth more to us as a corpse, but my opinion on the matter is apparently trivial. You should be bowing down to my brother and sucking his cock for his generosity.<br/>
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"Thirdly, I never claimed to be omnipotent. That would be exceptionally arrogant of me, wouldn't it? But you're a fucking moron if you think I couldn't dispose of you in a fraction of a second."</span>Klaus grinned once more, the low light of the playroom somehow illuminating the vampire's face in an eerie glow. He moved to place the box and bag on a small bedside table near where Ever sat, carefully setting the box down as if it were something precious to him. He kneeled down, his movements obscured for a brief moment while thumping and clanking sounded beneath Ever. In a second, Klaus had produced a cuff attached to a long welded steel chain. The inside of the cuff was lined with what looked to be a deep purple velvet with cushioning and shackles on the outside that could be used to tighten or loosen the cuff as needed. The chain, each link three-quarters of an inch thick, fell down to the floor and attached to the underside of the bed. There were more chains strapped beneath the bed, each with their own individual cuffs, but Klaus only settled on the one for now.<br/><br/>In a blink, Klaus was on the bed, pressed up against Ever. He grabbed Ever's right wrist and attached the cuff, tightening it until it was impossible for Ever to free himself and locking the shackles into place.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff9999">"This is to keep you from straying too far while we play,"</span>Klaus explained, his eyes twinkling with excitement.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff9999">"I'm only putting the one cuff on you for now, so you can stay somewhat mobile. Don't make me regret this."</span>Klaus aggressively pushed Ever's back up against the headboard and situated himself in between Ever's legs, reaching for the box and cloth bag.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff9999">"Enough stalling,"</span>he said, holding up the two items.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff9999">"In this box are twenty marbles,"</span>Klaus began, his voice practiced and easy, as if he had played this game before.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff9999">"Ten are white, and ten are black. You will close your eyes and pull a marble from the box. If you choose a white marble, you'll be rewarded. If you choose a black marble, you'll be punished. Normally, this is where we would start. However, since you have already chosen to be particularly difficult, we must adjust the odds."</span><br/><br/>Klaus unlocked the box and the top snapped out, revealing a red velvet lined interior with a collection of shiny marbles resting contentedly.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff9999"> "For biting my cock, you lose five white marbles,"</span>Klaus explained, a teasing lilt to his voice.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff9999">"For running your mouth like a child, you lose two white marbles."</span>Klaus collected the seven marbles as he spoke, depositing them into the bag and pulling out seven black marbles as replacements. Each new black marble landed in the box with a light thud as Klaus dropped them.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff9999">"There. That seems more appropriate, don't you think? Seventeen black marbles and three white. Are you ready to play, Ever? Who knows, maybe you'll get lucky. Just close your eyes and reach your hand inside."</span><br/><div style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size: 22px"> <br/>
★ ★ ★ ★ ★<br/>
</span>​</div><span style="font-size: 15px">Magnus had employed Britta to help him find food for his guest at a moment's notice. Due to the twins' manor being rather remote and hidden among the forests of Washington, it would take at least an hour and a half to two hours for the large spread Magnus had demanded to be delivered. The younger Augustin had also already begun the search for the live-in chef, someone who could cater to Ever's tastes, whatever they may be. Britta assisted with this as well, asking what information she should give to any potential new employee. Magnus had instructed her to inform any chef interested that they would be paid handsomely for their work, but that would have to be an extreme vetting process. Magnus couldn't just allow any stranger to wander onto his estate and begin cooking without any initial oversight. Not only did their skills need to be tested by Ever's sweet tongue, but Magnus had to ensure that anyone employed by him and his brother could be trusted. It had been the same for all of their employees with the special exception of Britta, who had caught the twins' eyes and charmed them with her strong German accent. Britta was a loyal and valuable employee, and she reminded them of home. <br/>
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Klaus and Ever would have ample amount of time to play with one another before the food arrived, and Magnus quite hoped that they wouldn't grate too harshly on one another's nerves. Ever had responded well to Klaus' raw sexuality back in the duplex, before Klaus had gotten too rough. It would take a lot of bonding before their unfortunate interactions with one another could be remedied. Magnus truly believed that Klaus would warm up to Ever's spirited demeanor, and Ever... well, it was difficult to say if he would come to appreciate the lifestyle the twins could offer him. It would be a long time before Magnus could trust Ever enough to take him out of the playroom and enter back into civilized society, but with some time and patience, he was confident it was at least a strong possibility. <br/>
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The twins had become too comfortable in their hunts, and Magnus craved the excitement they used to share with one another, the violent and passionate love affair that had always kept him tolerant of immortality. Ever would be the catalyst to bring thrills back into their repetitive existence. <br/>
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At least, Magnus certainly hoped so.</span><br/><div style="text-align: center">​</div>