As he heard the first of Akio's notes chime in and the melody slowly began to build itself up, Dorian felt himself slowly drifting into the song that echoed pleasantly through the room. He became acutely aware that their key strokes were falling in perfect time, each as they ought to, cooperating and complimenting each other's tone in a manner one could not accomplish on their own. So, this was the joy in playing a piano duet. Strangely at ease, Dorian allowed himself to relax into the music as his hands played on with precision. A small, calmed smile even lined his lips pleasantly as he trained his eyes between the keys and the music arrangement before them.

It was only after he had felt the other's gaze that he dare cast a glance in his direction. Seeing Akio's eyes close briefly, Dorian's gaze glimmered in understanding of the peace the other must have been feeling before his eyes returned their focus to the sheet of music. It was but a speck of understanding, the smallest bit of it, but it was something of a start for Dorian. Regardless of his neglect to think of it in this light, it was a sign that perhaps Akio had not been far off when suggesting that a human and demon may come to some understanding. It may be possible after all, if only while playing music, for now.

After a few minutes of playing, Dorian had nearly forgotten his earlier doubt in the prospect of playing beside another. It was coming almost naturally now with the enjoyable tune floating peacefully through the air. Dorian took comfort in the soothing nature of it while it lasted, but found himself not entirely satisfied as it came to a slow ending. He was maybe a bit sad for the song to be over. The odd feeling lead him to rub the side of his neck thoughtfully, concerned with what thoughts were stirring in his mind. As he lifted his fingers from the keys to turn his focus again to Akio, he became aware of a shift between them. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he contributed it to the feeling of understanding he had felt earlier. Even if it had been a crumb of a connection between them, it was enough for Dorian to feel just the faintest bit of warmth in his chest as he now looked over at the other man.

Quite the interesting turn of events. "It was... enlightening, indeed..." Dorian spoke in broken pieces, words a bit slow to form. "Goodnight." As the other moved to leave, Dorian sat still on the piano bench for quite some time. The words that he was left with rang through his head, like so many ripples of water after a dropped stone had interrupted its peace. Akio had seemed to enjoy that. The prospect tugged at the human part of Dorian, caught between his hesitation to believe that to be true after his earlier torment of the man, as well as his demonic nature which shouted that a human could never enjoy the presence of a demon. One of his hands rose to slide beneath his shirt collar, to place his palm on the skin where his demonic contract mark yet lie. A scar of his past.

Dorian knelt on the plot of damp earth, the moisture cool to his skin as it slowly sunk into the fabric of his pants. The stone walls around him and lack of a window nor any candle kept him in complete darkness in the dead of the night like this one, the only noise audible to him that of the chains he felt binding his wrists to the wall as they swayed with his every movement. Comfort was of no issue to him; he was to be a dead man in the morning. His thoughts were consumed in a raging storm of angst, but among them not one topped the image he had seared into his mind at his trial. As he was condemned to death, his eyes found his favorite pair of striking blue eyes within the crowd. What should have normally been a happy reunion of eye contact, however, was for naught in this scenario. As the judge spoke the word 'guilty,' wooden hammer falling and sealing Dorian's fate, the pair of blue eyes his golden gaze had finally made contact with ripped his heart from his aching chest. Marcel's eyes were glazed over with bitter tears, streaming in two silver streams that Dorian had never quite forgotten.

There, in his prison cell as he awaited the punishment for his crime, the darkness crept in around him and the Dorian fell into total surrender at the thought of those agonized eyes. The pain of Marcel's so visibly great as to shrivel up whatever purity Dorian still found in life. His thoughts became dark, ravenous. It took days in this darkness, that image engrained in his mind, for the darkness to wholly consume him as his thirst to survive if only to stop that crying grew into his sole purpose. If he could see to only that Marcel would not cry so again, whatever fate awaited him would be alright. To do so, he'd have to live. The fighting spirit within him grew as did his sinister thoughts towards those who had caused this situation. On the final night of waiting, a low voice rose up from the darkness. "If you wish to live on, you need but stake your claim on life. Seal the deal."

Waking with a start, Dorian's body jolted violently as his eyes opened to see the fabric draping that swooped over his bed. A cold sweat beaded on his forehead and he noted all of his sheets and blankets had twisted about his form to tell of much tossing and turning. Sighing as he sat up to wipe his forehead and inhaled deeply, one of Dorian's hands rose to rest just over his chest, where his seal lie. Gritting his teeth, he stood to look out the window briefly before going to his wardrobe to choose an outfit for the day. Minutes later, he would leave his room in fitted black pants and a cream-colored button up shirt, a jacket tossed over his shoulder and hanging by one hooked finger as he strolled down the hall whistling. The cook will have a breakfast for the two of them set out by now. Dorian only wondered if Akio were awake to eat it.

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