musings of a megalomaniac

'it is when power is wedded to chronic fear that it becomes formidable.' - eric hoffer L A N C E • megalomaniac • reptile enthusiast • thirty-three yrs • peony apt. room 3. in association with toshi city

[lovelystevenstone]

I don’t have time for this… 

"Get out of my apartment, Lance." 

[lordlance]

"I think you'll find I've been here for a while, Steven."

[lovelystevenstone]

"It’s so great to be back!…."

"But I’m so exhausted…."

[lordlance]

"Fancy seeing you here."

Market competition? I think so.

[nebbyinthebags]

[lordlance]

winding down [open]

[troubledlittlesnowflake-blog]

"Borage," Hiccup’s mouth moved automatically, his free hand tucking into the pocket of his jacket as he caught up in a stride or two.  His pace matching Lance’s, though his steps were a bit less graceful.  "The housing situation around here is interesting, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of people doing it that way before.  But my room mates are nice enough."

Remember, Haddock, he doesn’t want your life story.  The brunet cleared his throat and pursed his lips at the slight change in tone around his name.  Maybe the comment on it was still on the way, and he prepared himself for it.  Better than being ashamed of it, he supposed.  Still, the snark didn’t come, so he simply held his ground and mulled over the next question. 

"Well, uh," that was a tricky one.  "I guess saying I’m from the middle of nowhere and wanted some excitement would be…cliche?  But, well."  Gosh, he was so good at conversation.  If small talk were a competitive sport, he would just be at the top of the pedestal, shining in all of his charismatic glory.  Ha.  How did people do this on a daily basis?  

Glancing around as they wandered, Hiccup drew another sip from his coffee.  He was going to run out quickly if he kept up like this, drinking every time he felt awkward.  ”What do you do?  I mean, for work?”

[lordlance]

One crimson eyebrow rose in mild bemusement as Hiccup was able to match his stride which was, honestly, a tad too fast to be entirely polite. But he was tall, and thus long-legged; that was his excuse, any way. Not at all that his 'mild' superiority complex put him a step in front of anyone he was walking with, even a little sub-consciously. Regardless, he was rather impressed by the boy's ability to keep up. Given he was around a foot shorter than him.

"Not at all. Many people come here seeking their fortunes, new lives, endeavours, what-not. I came here to expand my business," he allowed this comment to lead into the answer of Hiccup's question, "I'm the CEO at Dragon Elite; the research lab and pharmaceuticals firm, perhaps you've heard of it?" It tended only to be those either working in the Veterinary profession, or those extremely dedicated to their pets, that had heard of him, but that was perfectly reasonable, in Lance's eyes. Given they were his target audience.

He took a moment to finish his coffee, tossing the empty container into the nearest bin and then taking another drag of his cigarette. There really was something... dragon-like about the way the smoke curled from his nostrils as he mused. 

"I'm also a herpetologist breeder, as a job on the side. I specialise in giant lizard and snake breeds, mostly, but I'm a fan of them all," the first genuine smile he'd offered in their conversation up to that point was given; he couldn't help it. He was talking about a true passion. The way he talked to those snakes was the way a mother might speak to her brood. It wasn't terribly healthy, or normal, behaviour from an adult male human being. Maybe he just had a screw loose.

[lordlance]

winding down [open]

[troubledlittlesnowflake-blog]

  He expected a snarky comment, if he was honest.  Most people don’t just go around with a name like ‘Hiccup’ and live it down, and he was prepared for that, but nothing came.  Oh.  That was.  A slight relief.  His shoulders relaxed just the tiniest bit as he lifted his own cup to sip at his beloved caffeine.  

"Nice to meet you, Lance," kind of a pretentious name, but the brunet kept his thoughts to himself.  It was a tad hypocritical of him to pick on someone else’s name when he could barely handle his own.  Least of all, should he be commenting on Lance’s cigarette smoke.  He really had to learn to stop being so judgmental at first glance, and have more hope in people.

As for him being lost.  ”I think I’m headed in the right direction,” Hiccup hesitated, his index finger peeling away from the cup as he gestured to the right.  ”Then again, I have no idea how to get back to my apartment building from here, so I’m just.  Wandering?”  He sounded a bit hopeless, he noticed, and his polite expression dropped into more of a grimace.  

"I wouldn’t mind the…company?"

[lordlance]

Lance, regardless of any etiquette he might have maintained, had no intention of putting out his cigarette, despite sensing a degree of discomfort about the stranger.  He brought it back up to his lips as he began to lead the way, taking charge of the situation without a word, beginning to stroll forward, the smoke toying around the corners of his mouth as he spoke again.

"You're on the right track, yes. The apartment complex is this way. Where are you staying?" Having lived in the city for a fair while now, he'd come to recognise faces, but Hiccup's was one he'd never seen before. Which was... entertaining, in a way. It was certainly a recognisable face, and his iconic name did nothing to remove the now-imprinted image of it in the executive's mind. It would be a face he remembered, inevitably. 

"So, uh... Hiccup," he took a few moments to fathom how that name felt on the tongue, brow furrowing, before he continued, "What brings you to Toshi City?" There had been an influx of new residents, in the last few months. It had been wonderful for business.

[wraithmort]

Absolutely freezes in an instant, turning his head back. 

"A-ah… Lance… I wasn’t aware that you were around." 

[lordlance]

"I've been on a business trip."

[lordlance]

winding down [open]

[troubledlittlesnowflake-blog]

It was not often that Hiccup found himself a bit…intimidated by people.  Certainly he was awkward around them, but generally speaking it wasn’t so much a fear as it was a lack of knowing what to do with them.  (He socialized better with a cat, for crying out loud.)  He had met tall people before, with commanding presence and deep voices like this.  But the only other person like the stranger had been his father, and he was accustomed to that.

No, the redhead was just.  Intimidating.  He had to be someone in some kind of powerful position, there was no other explanation.  

Hiccup cleared his throat, fingers drumming once against the cardboard of his coffee cup.  Emerald eyes gazed up, a bit nervously he fidgeted from foot to - well, fake foot - and he swallowed.

"A bit," his voice cracked.  He cleared his throat.  "I was just wandering around, trying to get to know the city."  Should he introduce himself?  Was that what you were supposed to do in this kind of situation?  

"I just moved here," not your life story, Haddock, just the necessities.  "My name’s Hiccup.  Sorry about the, uh, invasion of space, there."

[lordlance]

Lance nodded, vaguely. He remembered when he'd been new to Toshi City. It had been incredibly difficult to navigate and he'd become lost on many occasions. Eventually he'd been able to orientate himself, but only after spending a great deal of time wandering somewhat aimlessly around the city. 

"Understandably," the businessman shrugged, bringing up his cigarette idly to his lips to take a drag from it, exhaling the lungful of smoke away from his new company so as to be respectful, regardless of whether or not he actually cared. It was simply etiquette. This was followed by a sip of his own coffee - an americano, naturally - as he listened to the stranger speaking.

Hiccup?

That was a curious name, and Lance couldn't help raising a brow, although he was quick to correct himself, along with his expression, for fear of appearing too obviously amused. 

"Don't worry. I'm Lance Merridew, it's a pleasure," it was a well-known name, but perhaps less well known outside of those in his immediate market, or other influential firms. "If you're lost, I can do what I can to help." If the prospect of taking advice from such an apparently intimidating man wasn't too unnerving.

[lordlance]

winding down [open]

[troubledlittlesnowflake-blog]

He wasn’t entirely sure when he decided that he was going to not be such a homebody.  Hiccup had never really gone out much back in his home town, not that there was anything to do - or anyone to do it with - anyway.  He could recall one or two good friends that occasionally came over for video games and pizza, and maybe a pretty blonde girl that he had a crush on in high school, but with the move he resolved himself to leaving it all behind.  It was a fresh start, after all.  Maybe he could stop being so shy along with a change in scenery.

Drawing in a breath of the chilly night air, the brunet shivered a bit and tucked his chin down into his scarf.  Being out and about was great and all, but he still had yet to really make any friends here.  That was okay, wasn’t it?  There was nothing wrong with being a little anti-social, even if he was going out.  People were hard to talk to, and no amount of standing in corners at Christmas parties was going to change that for him.

Yes, people were hard.  Coffee, however, was not.  Hiccup drew his freckled chin out of the thick fabric bunched around his neck, long enough to lift the cup to his lips and take a sip.  Ohhh, coffee.  Beautiful, wonderful coffee.  How he adored his caffeinated lover, and he definitely would be frequenting that little cafe more often, oh yes—

He didn’t mean to bump into the red head, in his silent musing over the beverage in his hands.  Oops.  It wasn’t a rough collision, thankfully, just a quick nudge of his chest (and cup) into the man’s back.  Hiccup took a step back immediately, clearing his throat and peering up at the back of red hair.

"Uh," brilliant.  "Sorry about that.  I didn’t—yeah."

[lordlance]

Lance and Hiccup, unbeknownst to the both of them at this particular point in time, shared a mutual insecurity around people. Peculiar, perhaps, for a chief executive officer in a successful firm, whose success relied perhaps solely on media and public relations. But he'd never particularly been comfortable around people; putting on a front was easy enough, speaking like a true leader with the poise and air of a gentleman, but in reality, he preferred his own company, and that of his reptiles, over any obnoxious customers.

That being said, when he felt the slight bump behind him, he was taken by surprise. Regardless, his reflexes were quick, possibly through years of training his mind and body, and he saved his coffee. Just about. 

The redhead blinked, turning around as the stammer was uttered, peering down at the shorter male. Most people were shorter than him. That was just the way things were. Thin brows furrowed for a moment, considering the situation, before the decision to remain calm seemed to seep over his expression, and he shrugged.

"I understand how caffeine can draw one's attention. Coffee is a cruel mistress." 

His voice, although graced with humour and uttered only at a calm murmur, was nonetheless powerful. It was part of his very being, intimidation. Unfortunate, in a way. Regardless, he didn't seem even remotely angry. 

"You seem to be in a bit of a hurry."

[wraithmort]

Sleepy Morty is sleepy… 

[lordlance]

"Then perhaps you ought to sleep, Mortimer."

Hypocrite of the year; Lance Merridew. 

[memoriesandbitterbits]

[thisistheendou]

It's Saturday night, that's the excuse [closed rp;; ultimatesoccerfreak]

Endou wasn’t much of a drinker, and it wasn’t often you’d find him in a bar. It’s a lively Saturday night, and he had no one to practice soccer with—so not sure what else to do, he found himself in a bar with some drink in his hand. He forgot what it was, and he had forgotten how many he had drank.

Once again, Endou didn’t really drink alcohol often. Which might be the reason he’s a complete lightweight. He was making conversation with the bartender, offering to play soccer with the guy—of course, even while intoxicated, soccer was on the brain—and even being a little flirty. As flirty as you can make the topic of soccer get.

Endou was naive about this stuff, though, despite being 24—but with the alcohol in his system, he was flirting with the bartender, that poor bartender. The brunette probably didn’t even know he himself was flirting. Figures. Suddenly, much to the bartender’s relief, Endou’s attention was brought to an older man—with bright red hair that just…stuck up. Like Gouenji’s. Endou wondered where Gouenji was anyways. Oh well, he had more important things to focus on, like this very important observation Endou had just made.

"Hey, hey uh…you. You’re hair is like a fire. That’s kiiiiinda dangerous, don’t you think?" he slurred, grinning wide nonetheless.

[lordlance]

Lance, on the other hand, was a drinker. He was by no means a drunk, but it wasn't uncommon for businessman to take to the bottle on more than one occasion. Stress levels ran high within his profession, and sometimes, one simply did not have enough time for meditation. In those instances, red wine was always an option. Sat at the bar with his glass in hand, swirling the contents with small, fluid rotations of his wrist, he watched the liquid move with mild interest, thin brows furrowed into a stinct frown.

His mind has been set on everything and nothing at the same time, mulling over the day's events and yet also letting himself drift into a daydream, perhaps a result of the alcohol in a manner, but he was firmly jogged out of his reverie as he was spoken to by the stranger. An eyebrow raising, he inclined his head to the side, intrigued, and subconsciously assessed the individual addressing him. Young lad, but an adult. Physically fit. Clearly intoxicated. Doesn't seem aggressive.

"So I've been told. Perhaps, do you think it is?" He lifted a hand to casually brush through the red, untameable hair, humouring the newcomer with a somewhat bemused tone, sarcasm barely noticable slipping off his tongue. "It has a mind of its own, you know." After a shrug, his eyebrows quirked again, and he decided that to make smalltalk was only polite.

"What's your name?"

[lordlance]

winding down [open]

To your average, economically active adult, weekdays had a general routine. And as much as Lance hated to admit it, he was, in many ways, your average, economically active adult. Wake up, go to work, work, come home, sleep. Despite enjoying his work very much - he was the very definition of workaholic, in fact - he was indeed part of a very predictable routine. Currently, the chief executive officer of Dragon Elite (Forerunners in Veterinary Research and Pharmaceuticals), was walking home from work. Like any other businessman would, although perhaps not on a Saturday evening. 

With a cup of coffee in one hand, and cigarette hanging limply from the other, the redhead made his way home under the steadily dimming sky, the pink setting sun giving way to brighter yellow street-lighting. Sipping casually at the steaming cup, his eyes flicked about, studying the street with curiosity. He'd lived in the city for a while, but it had never began to bore him. He had a keen and observant eye for detail, and upon scrutinising the most trivial of things (a leaf floating in the breeze, a couple walking hand-in-hand down the street, a flock of pigeons pausing to peck at a piece of old bread) he found that there was plenty to entertain him.

At least for the duration of his stroll home.

The cigarette lifted to his lips, he inhaled deeply, exhaling the smoke in a cloud of pale grey about his head, where it remained momentarily, hovering. Despite being preoccupied within his own mind, he certainly didn't seem busy, which was a rare thing for a man like Lance. 

[hexenflug]

Pixiv ID: 33528385 Member: もこ

[lordlance]

this blog is now associated with toshi city