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[thirtybits]

"This is Judah's voicemail, no need to leave your number, I'll reply as soon as I can."



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[depicted]

You know how to flatter a boy. [Dorian gives Judas a brief, light kiss on the top of his head before heading off to the stairs.]

[thirtybits]

Who else am I going to spend my time with? I haven't been so calm or happy with - or without - anyone for ages. [Judas follows (glad his presence means Dorian will be taking the long way down).]

[depicted]

[Dorian answers with quiet, and the briefest brush of fingers over Judas's skin. He knows the silence that rests between them, an uneasy monster that they must not wake. He hears its echoes in Judas's declaration.] We need to get you more friends.

[thirtybits]

[Those words are the closest Judas will presently allow himself to come to the truth of the matter. Perhaps even pushing a bit too far. But it could be worse. And he has felt so much bliss lately, he has to voice some part of his feelings.]

Who would want or deserve to be friends with Judas?

[depicted]

[Dorian lifts his eyebrows and lightens his voice with teasing.] Would you like me to put out an open call for the damned and doomed on the network? I'm sure there are a handful. Certainly enough to find you a few more friends.

[thirtybits]

[He has to laugh at that, but shakes his head.] I think I'm alright, thanks. Even who I am aside, I'm not a very likeable person.

[depicted]

Now, now, it's bad manners to insult the birthday boy.

[Dorian untangles himself for Judas so he can hold the door open for him, like a gentleman.]

If you're not careful, I'll have to kick you out of the party.

[thirtybits]

It's not even really his birthday anyway, I think he can take it.

[With a small, thin grin and glance to Dorian, he steps out.] I'll spare you any worse I have, though.

[depicted]

Reality bores me. [Dorian is quick to reclaim Judas's arm.] The truth of the world means nothing compared to the truth of the will. So, it's his birthday, in the only way that matters.

[thirtybits]

Well, I can't argue with that. It's sort of novel anyway. [There's the smallest of shrugs, really just the twitch of one shoulder.]

[depicted]

[But Dorian enjoys the shrug, for the stupidest reason. He enjoys the feeling of movement from Judas, the sense that Judas is there and beside him and alive.] A birthday? I understand. I don't even bother with mine anymore. I just wanted an excuse.

[thirtybits]

No? Come on, even Jesus does, and he's the oldest of any of us. When is yours? Excuses are nice, we should have more of them.

[depicted]

[It is Dorian's turn to shrug it off.] It feels a little hollow to have friends celebrating your nineteenth birthday, or twentieth, or twenty third when I'm really pushing it, year after year after year. [But, it's so far away, Judas will probably forget or be gone, and he can't deny the need for excuses.] It's November 8th.

[thirtybits]

We'll be celebrating one hundred and fifty, right? Just like this is...what, two thousand and thirty-three, by your count. No use lying to ourselves, even if we look to be celebrating twenty and twenty-seven or something.

[He presses to Dorian's side.] Don't think I won't remember it.

[depicted]

You make me sound so young compared to you. [Dorian doesn't mind, his little smile revealing as much.] A hundred and fifty, yes. It was October 30th when I was dragged in here, of course, so in days, the moment has already passed.

[thirtybits]

You are young compared to me. I'm thirteen point five five times your age, technically. And even by the ages at the point of immortality - or death - there's nearly ten years between us.

And then it will be nearly another year for you, seeing as it was January when you came here. So we'll just go with a hundred and fifty-one, when it comes up, then.

[depicted]

[Dorian has to laugh at Judas. He turns them off of the pavement and straight up towards the nearby forested area.] Of course you'd give it with decimals. But as I've said, I still have lived more than you. You have, what, not even thirty years of having lived, if you count the time here as well? I've lived more than five times as many years as you have.

[thirtybits]

I didn't even give the full decimal points - that would be thirteen point five five, infinite three. [~Accounting~] You gave me decimal points with my plants' figures, after all. I don't get to show off my numbers much anymore, I'll take the opportunity. If you ever want to know exactly how much any item is worth, I'm right here.

I wasn't talking about the worth of those years, that's why I said 'technically'. I remember what you said, and the more I think of it, the more I know it's true.

[depicted]

Anything? [Wait, this is important. Dorian stops in front of Judas and gestures at his clothes.] What about these?

[thirtybits]

[He looks Dorian up and down, and within twenty seconds, comes up with a number.] One thousand seven hundred twenty-eight denarii in my time. Four thousand three hundred twenty-two American dollars now.

[depicted]

[Dorian stares at Judas. He bought these in the 1960s, so it takes him a moment to do the conversion from American dollars into pounds and then back through the decades. But when he works it out—]

You were serious.

[thirtybits]

I was serious. Of course, based solely on the material and labour costs, it comes down to three hundred and nine dollars.

[depicted]

How the Hell can you work that out? You don't know Oscar Wilde but you know enough about modern manufacturing and sale to work those numbers out? [HOW. JUST HOW.]

[thirtybits]

It's not that difficult to figure out, there's only a few basic numbers you really need to know. It's all relevant to how much workers are paid and the ease of access to materials.

[depicted]

Which, in a global market, is dependent on knowing which companies are doing what parts of their manufacturing where.