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[ That much is exceedingly obvious. ]

You haven't even read the book yet, have you? I mean, I'm that Dorian and you haven't even taken time to read the book!

[ Ah, shit. He's been caught. ]

Look, I tried. It's not exactly an easy read.

Apparently they teach it in high school nowadays, I believe in your ability to read the damn thing.

It's just a bunch of stuff about how good-looking you are.

Well yes, but sandwiched in all of that, Oscar tells you how my portrait works.

[ and that Dorian murdered his bestie and drove a few people to suicide but you know. nbd. just ignore the fact that he's a horrible person. ]

You could just tell me.

[ but that takes EFFORT... ]

It's what keeps me alive. Any signs of age, any traces of sins, any wounds inflicted on me don't stick. Instead, they're transferred to my portrait.

[ Huh. Maybe he should have read this book. ]

How the hell does that work?

Well it's magic. That's how it works.

[ DEALS WITH THE DEVIL, THAT'S HOW IT WORKS let Satan solve your problems. ]

Yeah, but how does the magic itself work? And can anyone do it?

I doubt anyone could do it here. Whatever created that link with my portrait doesn't exist in this world.

But what did create it?

It's more of a who than what.

Fine. Who.

Lucifer.

[ SORRY, MARK....... ]

[ A pause. ]

Like - the Lucifer...here. He did it?

[ And now comes the damage control. ]

Not entirely the Lucifer here. It was the Lucifer from my world—and I didn't even ask him to. All I did, while looking upon my portrait, was make an idle wish that the portrait would age and grow old, while I remained as young as I did on the day Basil painted it. I never thought it could happen in the first place, let alone cost my soul.

Of course, I don't regret it.

[ Damage control accomplished; that calms him down. And he grunts in acknowledgment, and asks the natural next question: ]

Can anyone do that?

What, sell their soul? Of course they can. It just depends on what you're doing it for and if Lucifer's actually listening or not.

[ He rubs at his chin thoughtfully. ]

Well. How do you make Lucifer listen?

[ Yeah, Dorian knows he should say 'don't fucking do it'. But NAAAAAAH. ]

The easiest way is to be interesting. But another way? Summoning. I don't know how to summon a demon or summon a devil, but I do know a way to talk with them: attempt a seance.

And, it just so happens, that I've actually been to a seance before and remember how it was done.

[ He leans back, folding his hands across his stomach. ]

Go on.

Well the general gist is that two or more people come together to call upon a spirit. Usually one person acts as the medium for the spirit to talk through. It's usually often used for grieving loved ones or things like that; 'let's call up Uncle Jim to tell him I love him.' It's not limited to just spirits however. The one I went to called forth some sort of ancient Hebrew demon and I've heard of one that summoned an Egyptian god.

[ Dorian frowns, as he continues thinking. ]

I'd be the best candidate for a medium. After all, I'm a target for this sort of nonsense and I doubt you'd want word of this to get out to other people. The seance that I went to used summoning text from an old occult book...I'll ask around to see if there's anything like that which might be of use, I've got people in the rare book circuit.

[ of course, it ended with someone getting possessed by a demon and Dorian getting hit by a car BUT LET'S NOT TELL MARK THAT. ]

In my experience, fire's a good way to get rid of anything possessing you. We'll have something on stand-by should things go south. Of course, the most likely thing is that nothing will happen...but wouldn't it be amazing if something did?

[ Well that all sounds...a little...intense. Shit. Mark stares a little bit, then shakes his head. ]

I don't - Sorry. I should have said. I don't want to do it for myself.

[ Dorian, on the other hand, is still amped up for HEEEEEY, LET'S DO THE THING. ]

Who do you want to do it for, then?

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