It was entirely inquisitive to the vampire that his lover had so denied himself any form of nutrition for perhaps even longer then Sebastian himself had both been alive and undead. So much of the culinary arts had changed in such time! Although he hardly required food himself, Sebastian found himself eating something at least once every six months or so, if not more often than that. Food, he found, was one thing all individuals could bond over, just the same as sex. Still he was hardly one to so judge the life his companion had lived in the centuries before even Sebastian himself had existed. Instead, the vampire merely commented ever so softly, "You have been denied much in those years, my love, and denied yourself even more." It was times such as this that his own thoughts momentarily dwelled on all that Dorian himself had never before been given the chance to experience, to feel, to taste...all those things the King was unaware of. It prompted those desires he held to show his lover the splendour of all the things he himself had witnessed. The lush jungles of Bora Bora, the Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence, the markets in Tokyo, the temples of Bali...so many things simply unknown, so many things he was entirely assured Dorian would have marveled at.

Those thoughts, however, hardly lasted long before Dorian's inquiries of his own species so tugged at his attention, distracting him entirely. The vampire was all too willing to provide his lover an answer to those questions that he had so voiced, freely admitting that he certainly preferred the blood that ran through Dorian's veins above all other. That chuckle that left his lips was hardly missed by the Englishman, much less the simper that crossed his lover's features and softly, his lips mirrored those of his companion's. "I'm glad." He commented simply in a way of a response, though truly it was quite refreshing that Dorian hardly shied from the topics of blood or his preference in such tastes in the fashion that so many whom had come before him had. The vampire had learned long ago that the scent, the texture, the flavor of his own required nutrients was a topic he should avoid at all costs. To find that was not wholly so with his lover was certainly a pleasant change.

The second question that so lingered upon the forefront of his mind was provided the same through answer as the first, the vampire all too readily offering an explanation for the lack of those vampire couples that he was, entirely assured, existed, even if they remained absent from their current presence. The answer was hardly a difficult one to provide, and when so considered, seemed entirely sensible to even Dorian himself. However, Sebastian hardly expected the questioning that so followed. Vampires feeding upon each other? It was hardly an obscure inquiry, nor a particularly obscure practice, after all he known a few older vampires who had done so before, elder ones who had so attempted to do so as a way to show their dominance over their kind. It was not unheard of. A small shrug crossed his shoulders, "It does happen. Not all vampires feed through blood, those who don't have little barriers in feeding upon our own kind. There are some too that prefer the taste of vampire blood alone. I've always found the taste dull though. Like a rich meal being reheated rather than enjoyed fresh." Oh how much Sebastian was revealing of his own preferences though such a line of inquiries and yet, it could hardly be ignored that each and every vampire did hold their own distinct preferences. They could be such a fickle species!

It was the arrival of their dinner, however, that turned the vampire's attention from those idle curiosities of his own race. The food certainly had the distinct scent of blood, even if it was hidden beneath the onslaught of other entirely curious odeurs. Still, he hardly hesitated to pick up his spoon and so dunk it into the small side of soup he'd ordered. The vampire was entirely unconcerned of the heat on his tongue as he stuck the orangey-red hued soup into his mouth, that warmth so blossoming down his throat in a way that was undeniably delightful. "Mmm.". A soft sound of utter contentment left his lips, the vampire all too willing to simply indulge in that warm and still distinctly bloodied liquid. Dear god this had been an utterly brilliant idea. Of that, Sebastian could hardly deny. He glanced up at the sound of Dorian's voice, a grin momentarily crossing his features at the King's exclamation. "It adds a certain richness doesn't it? I quite like it." He commented on the topic of wine in such delectable sauces. Another spoonful of soup was placed in his mouth, swallowed after so treasuring that taste and warmth before the vampire's feast was momentarily interrupted by the sound of his own name. His eyes, now but a shade brighter than they had been moments before, turned upwards towards his lover once again. "Hm?" He questioned.

Ah December. Sebastian himself was hardly ignorant to exactly how many days so remained between tonight and December. It was a particularly taxing month for the vampire, just as it was every year. That anniversary of his death that plagued his mind, when his neck would still sting with the pain of where Anna-Marie's fangs had bit him. And now the prospect of her being so near to him made him shudder at even the thought of that day. And then but days after, his own birthday. He was turning 207 now - even if he'd stopped celebrating such a day long ago. Still, he had hopped maybe inviting Dorian home with him, and the simple act of returning to the seat of his family name, would produce enough of something to look forward to that those less than favorable dates might be easier to ignore this year. It was no secret amongst Charlie and Elizabeth that Sebastian had thrown himself entirely into the upcoming celebration of Christmas then he had in some years - since they were children.

Still, the vampire's head bobbed ever so slightly at Dorian's inquiry to return to his own home. "Of course, I'd intended to do much the same while we were in London, and of course Belton. I was going to put off Manchester for another year or so." The last part he muttered more towards himself, waving off those homes in Northern England, even if it was Manchester that his company was so seated in. It hardly held the same appeal to the vampire, or brought with it the same nostalgia. "Naples, yes? Or was there another place you wanted to stop at first?" Sebastian had never before inquired exactly to where Dorian lived, much less the location of all of his own palaces, after all, the vampire had relatively kept his business and his own numerous estates to himself much in the same fashion. Even if history would have been keen to give up Dorian's secrets, he much rather preferred to hear the majority of them from Dorian himself.

Still, it was the prospect of that present giving that so brought a glimpse of surprise to the Englishman's features. "January seventh?" Although he had certainly experienced many holidays the world had to offer him, he rarely ever did so with the intent to enjoy the holiday - except maybe Mardi Gras. Christmas was celebrated on Christmas day regardless of where he was in the world, and the places that did not celebrate it on Christmas day often did not celebrate Christmas at all. Or perhaps he'd simply been too caught up in the individual that had graced his sheets that particular night to notice the exact day. "No, December twenty-fifth is Christmas Day." He uttered with a hint of hesitance, this whole prospect the Christ child's birthday was celebrated on different days was entirely baffling. And such a wide difference between the two. Still, he could make this work. "I suppose if we leave England on the twenty-ninth we could get to Italy in time for the New Years and an Italian Christmas." He commented, his head tilting in thought as he placed the spoon in his mouth. His gaze briefly shifted back to his lover, as if searching Dorian's features for some hint that this plan was an acceptable one.