Vampire Harry Sinclair

kisses it all better

Fri, 05 Sep 2003 10:38:19 GMT

[featuring salabaker and harryvefali from whitecity and featuring the Harry from lotr_crimson. Warnings for AnGsT denial, yo]

Sala: General meep of IC pain and unhappiness. *G*

Harry: ah *kisses it all better*

Sala: *glomp* WANNA GO HOME.

Harry: *whisks you away, after miraculously curing you, of course, and shags you silly across five continents*

Sala: WOOT! The End.

Harry: whee!!!

Harry: our own alternate ending, complete with MartySue. go us.
Harry: it's like, the 5 minute version.

Sala: *applauds*

Harry: *pulling you into my lap* Honestly, why is it they want to fuck with us so much? Can't we just be happy together in shagadelic bliss? Haven't we deserved it? *nuzzles*

Sala: Well, we DID take our sweet time GETTING to the shagadelic bliss... *snog*

Harry: Not my fault if you kept insisting you were straight... *cups the back of your neck, deepening the kiss* Mmmm...better.

Sala: WE ARE NOT STAYING UP TO 4 IN THE MORNING AGAIN. *eyedart* *glomp*

Harry: Never said we were... *rolls around with you, tugging at clothing* C'mon, you know you've been curious about what it would be like to taste me... *dark, seductive whisper, cupping you, stroking up*

Sala: *shiver down my spine at your tone, that's NOT fair, I can't say no to that voice* Well, sure...I'm curious about a lot of things...bad habit of mine... *sliding one hand up your thigh, fingers tracing curiously*

Harry: Why's it bad? *slight shiver... fuck, curiousity's a beautiful thing, especially if you keep doing that...*

Sala: It gets me into a lot of trouble. *hand circling your cock, exploring thigh and following cloth seams, before working under and wrapping around* Like, oh, I dunno, having sex with vampires.

Harry: *thrusting into your tight fist...fuck, but you really are a quick study...as sharp teeth graze the cords in your neck* How was that trouble? *throaty growl, working at unlacing your trousers*

Sala: Well, for one, it gets me thrown over furniture and fucked. Where *I* come from, that counts as trouble. *not helping at all, just languidly pumping you in my curled fingers as you lose patience with the laces*

Harry: *fucking laces... the cloth tears -- not that I pay it much attention -- and I shove your trousers over lean, muscled hips, wrapping cool fingers over you, matching rhythm and speed* Make it...sound likea bad thing...

Sala: Ah! *it's not a reply, it's a reaction, sharp breath at your touch* Not really...I guess...I like trouble... *sliding my free arm behind you and tugging you atop me so I can work your own clothing off, hand clasped around you again the instant you're free, nuzzling your cheek in search of a kiss*

Harry: *you really are the sweetest tasting thing... I kick my trousers free, sliding my tongue across the seam of your lips before parting them, slipping inside, tasting, teasing. and my wrist flicks, counter-twists, moves in slow-motion, as I push up into your hand*

Sala: *Mmmm, there's just something about that combination -- tongue in my mouth, cock in your hand -- it's like a closed circuit, round and round, better and better...but I remember what you said when we started, and the thought of it is distracting me as I stroke you hard and wonder how much of that I COULD get in my mouth...it's bloody daunting...*

Harry: *sharp nip across your lower lip, fangs gliding along your throat, and i push down, seek more of your hand. this could kill me...but christ, i can think of worse ways to go*

Sala: *shaky chuckle, catch of breath* Careful with those teeth, Harry, you're going to get me addicted to that whole freaky biting thing... *I shift back, settling my knees to the ground as I plant kisses down your chest, taking my time, the taste/feel of you still strange*

Harry: Again...s'at a bad thing? *my hands sweep along your arms, shoulders, neck, tangling in short curls -- not to guide, but just so I can feel you, comb fingers through your hair as my skin puckers, my breath catches*

Sala: Probably...seems kinda dangerous... *my words are warm against your stomach now, and with only the briefest of hesitations I move around your knee so I'm settled between your thighs, and the next words are almost unbearably hot against your shaft, still cupped in my hand* But I've been thinking about it, and I guess I don't care much.

Harry: *involuntarily bucking up, seeking the heat of your mouth, that little curl with your tongue that has been driving me wild. I find I /want/ this -- far more than I'd expected to -- and the consequences don't matter* I don't...*licking my lips, trying again* Don't care. Never did.

Sala: Didn't think so. *It's impossible to resist you like this, all defenses down, wanting something...wanting ME...that thought alone is like a weakening rush of heat all through my body. Without any more hesitation I settle my hand low around the base of your cock and run my tongue curiously around the head of it before sinking my mouth down and around*

Harry: *fuck, but you're hot...all hot, writhing, wet tongue, tight lips, moving in messy, unpracticed strokes... but I could honestly care less about technique. you want to do this, genuinely *want* this, and that's the most potent aphrodisiac in the word. I try to stay gentle, not to bruise your throat, but it's impossible to stay still, and I close my eyes, head thumping to the ground, fingers flexing in your hair*

Sala: *I'm getting the hang of this, I think. After all, I know what *I* like, right? So it's just a matter of getting used to the taste of you, and the size of you, and squeezing lightly with one hand THERE and running the other under THERE -- and when your hips lunge up at that, it's not so hard to just relax and accept it, tongue sliding over silken hard flesh, not sucking as hard as Karl did but, rather, in slow soft ever-moving shifts, up and down, deeper each time*

Harry: Just like that... *voice trailing, lips parted -- part plea, part demand -- hands closing over your scalp, massaging, nails scraping through thick dark hair. definitely not perfect... but christ, the enthusiasm, the attention, more than makes up for it. I thrust up again, going deeper, hitting the back of your throat... fuck, I'm already close...*

Sala: *I choke and splutter a little, I can't help that, but when you try to pull back I follow, hands shifting to pin your hips -- like I said before, don't baby me. I can do this, I WANT to do this, let me do this! I say these words with the intent curve of my shoulders, the strength of my grip, and the low chest-deep sigh/groan/growl that vibrates through your bones as I steel myself and swallow you down, tongue curling around you in the way I've already determined you cannot resist*

Harry: *fucking hell... you're swallowing, actually swallowing my cock, and the sight is so fucking amazing, so completely beautiful. your lips stretch over me, eyes fluttering shut, long pretty eyelashes fanning the tops of sculpted cheeks now hollowed... and still you move -- updowncurlinggliding -- seeking, head bobbing even as my fingers dig painfully hard in your scalp i try to stop you, pull back, but the world tilts, then explodes in a glorious shower of white*

Sala: *You arch and freeze under me with a strangled moan, muscles coiled in your thighs and calves and stomach, and that's enough warning to brace myself and complete this, doing the best I can, trying not to gag too much. Despite that, my mouth is wrapped close and my hands are rock-steady on you, reassuring you that I want this as much as you do. I look up, seeking your eyes as I swallow hard again and again until you collapse back down in a dazed limp pool of satisfaction. Only then do I toss my head back and pant for breath, coughing and shaking my head a little, then settling with elbows folded over your thighs and grinning from ear to ear.* Hey...

Harry: *sated grin, brushing your hair back from your forehead* Hey... *body humming in complete satisfaction* That was...

Sala: Good?

Harry: Better. *another smile, tugging you up so you're sprawled comfortably on top of me*

Sala: Good. *I let you do that, placing an impulsive kiss on your forehead* You were right, I was curious. *chuckle* Okay, maybe "competitive" is a better word. Karl makes it look easy.

Harry: *low, rich chuckle, lazily skimming up your spine* He's had a lot more practive, love. Gotta give him kudos for that. *quick, hard kiss* You more than held your own.

Sala: *arching slightly against your hand* Mmm. Thanks. Not bad for a novice, then? It seemed to work, at any rate...

Harry: You're fishing. *lifting my head to lick along your throat, hands still moving slowly over you* Better'n 'not bad'.

Sala: Of course I'm fishing. *soft laugh against your tongue* Shameless praise helps chase off the nervousness.

Harry: *lifting my head, looking deep into pretty dark eyes* You were fucking incredible. *soft, serious voice* Thank you.

Sala: *slight dizzy moment of vertigo as I try to absorb the depths of your gaze...how can anyone meet that dead-on and NOT know you're something incredible...?* Thank you. And, ah, you're welcome.

Harry: *hand slowly sliding down over your hip and curling around your cock, giving you a slow, lazy, seductive smile* Now I get to return the favor...

Sala: *I swear my heart just skipped a beat, literally* You. Are using. The voice. Again.

Harry: Hmmm? *distracted, trying to memorize every vein and bit of skin*

Sala: *shuddering breath into your hair, shifting my hips up and letting my knee fall outwards* That voice. The growly breathy voice. It's not fair.

Harry: Why's that? *same low, husky murmur, starting a slow, lazy rhythm with my fist*

Sala: Can't...say no when you...TALK like that... *losing my ability to speak in hazy half-lidded pleasure, slumping back against you*

Harry: You want to? Say no? *long, tapered fingers wrapping tight around you, watching you as you rock into my hand...so very pretty like this...*

Sala: Of course not. *winding my hand around yours, not impeding your motion, just observing it* Want you to...mmm...that...

Harry: I can do that... *languid, long strokes, letting your hand guide me, show me exactly what you like and how you like it*

Sala: *honestly, there's not much guiding to DO -- just the feel of your hand is mesmerizing, and when you grip and move -- ah! My own fingers slide to your wrist as I thrust harder into your grip, not caring about how this looks, just wanting/needing*

Harry: *faster now, sensing your need, wanting only to pleasure you, give back as much as you've given to me -- however you need it, however you want me -- and i push your lips apart with my tongue, catching yours between my teeth and gently sucking*

Sala: *Ack, that, I can't, mmm, hold out against that... I blindly seek purchase in your hair with one hand even as I hungrily return the kiss, fiercely twisting my tongue around yours and AH, there's the circuit, the connection, arcing through nerve and sinew in a pale blaze as I cry out into your mouth and lose myself completely in amid your caressing fingers*

Harry: *soft growl of satisfaction, pulling away from the intoxication of your lips with a smile, slowly lifting my hand to my lips, sucking on each one in lazy, slow swipes...not quite as good as when it's from the tap, but pretty fucking nice*

Sala: *I come back to myself when you're just about finished with that, looking up from where I've fallen back on your shoulder, draped wantonly across your lap. Wow. Um. This is definitely NOT where I ever would have expected to be, three months or so back... Surprisingly, I turn and burrow against you, arms around you, and sigh noisily against your throat.* Well, I think you're stuck with me.

Harry: Seeing as how sweaty & sticky we are... *chuckle as I close my arms around you*

Sala: Hah hah. *I bump your jaw with my forehead, snorting* Though you're right. I vote for a bath.

Harry: *slow, intimate smile, running my hand along your flank* Only if you let me take you in the water.

Sala: Mmm? *closing my eyes so I get the full impact of words and touch together -- christ, you're going to KILL me* Take? Which way do you mean that? *stupid question, I know, but I want to hear you SAY it*

Harry: *the tips of my fingers slipslide along your spine again, then dip down, teasing, circling* *low, even voice, nuzzling your ear* I'm going to fill you with my cock until we're both too exhausted to move.

Sala: *I jerk slightly at your voice right in my ear like that, a very small groan escaping from my throat as anything even vaguely resembling thought vanishes from my brain for a good few seconds* I...ummm...all right...that would be... Bath. Now. Right now.

Harry: Somehow I knew you'd see it my way... *another grin as I stand, pulling you up with me, flush against me* Last one in the bath gets to wash the other first...

A rest from demons

Tue, 27 May 2003 16:14:17 GMT

[Directly follows this]

"If I can muster courage and tact I'll probably tell you
But first let's shed light on this heart-broken darkness"
--Trinity, Turgut Uyar

Harry: *The moon hangs heavy in the air, so bright it seems almost daylight, and I pause for a moment to admire its austere beauty before knocking once upon your door. There is no other I would trust with my mood right now.*

Karl: *The fire burns low, and I sit with a glass at my elbow, my attention divided between the book in my hand and the blue dress, hanging still where I bid Julia leave it. It is perfection, and my eyes slip closed as I wander through the halls of memory. The knock on the door, recalling me to the here-and-now, is not entirely unwelcome, and I descend the stairs to answer.*

Harry: *It's a bit of a shock to see you standing on the other end of the door...not prepared, nothing to say just yet, no time to rehearse* Karl. Is, um...may I?

Karl: Welcome. *I step aside to admit you, wondering what your demons are, that drove you here tonight. You seem startled that I would answer the door myself, accustomed as you are to the careful formalities of the Prince's home.*

Harry: *I brush by you carefully, hand glossing over yours in greeting as I step into the foyer.* My apologize for the lateness of the hour. *I wonder if I was correct in coming, but it's too late. And the words will not come*

Karl: No apology is necessary, Harry. My home is always open to you. *I close the door behind you, locking it more out of habit than necessity, and gesture you up the stairs. You know the way.* After you.

Harry: *I nod and make my way into the solar, stopping just before the open terrace doors, looking out over the brightly lit city* Everything seems so peaceful, doesn't it? Full of hope, rebirth. Rebirth... *I laugh without mirth*

Karl: Tell me. *I say it simply, waiting and listening, focused on you. You carry your ghosts within, where I cannot reach them.*

Harry: *I hold out my hand, and wait until you've stepped forward, cool fingers wrapped around me, before speaking* It would seem that the dead might be able to return.

Karl: *The revelation hardly startles me, but I work with the dead every night, and you seem quite shaken by it. I sense perhaps you mean something more -- something beyond even my knowledge.* What do you mean?

Harry: *I take the carefully folded letter out of my pocket and hand it over without a word. For better or worse, I trust you with everything.*

Karl: *The address and salutation startle me; the contents raise my eyebrows. This is nought to do with my skills, and I can see why you are rattled. I wonder if this -- the removal of the doppelganger, as she is referred to -- might be the recent unpleasantness you alluded to at our first meeting. I fold the letter once more and look to you.* It is a strange tale, indeed.

Harry: And one I'm not entirely sure I believe. *I place the letter once more in my jacket pocket, and meet your gaze* But I have to treat it like it is. *Slight pause* There's more.

Karl: It's not impossible. *Improbable, yes, but I am willing to believe most anything of the Tremere.* More?

Harry: Marton's gone again. *I can't bring myself to say the rest*

Karl: *For a Prince, he seems to care little for his City -- but I will not say so, for you are still loyal, and I admire you for it.* Paris is vulnerable, then, should the Tremere become aggressive. *The rumors speak of little else, the Tremere -- and the Sabbat.*

Harry: Yes, I know. *My smile is tired when I turn towards you* But, enough of my troubles. How are you this eve?

Karl: Melancholy. *I laugh low.* As it seems I always am. I am cursed, Harry, with an excellent memory.

Harry: As are we all. *I squeeze gently on your hand* What is it tonight? What memory holds you in its sway?

Karl: A dress, Harry, and the woman who wore it. *I sigh.* An elaborate plan, concocted to best a fragile mortal, all over a painting of a girl who was too truly good for the world. *I summon up a wry smile.* For once, however, I am not thinking of my wife.

Harry: Then whom?

Karl: Her name was Madeline. Julia inherited her voice, if such things can be passed on.

Harry: *I nod slowly, sensing there is more to the story, but I won't press. You'll tell me as you will, in your own time. All I can offer you is myself as friend and lover--a shoulder for confession and compassion*

Karl: *I half expect questions, and it startles me and, perversely, makes me want to tell you the whole of it, when you offer none.* Thank you. *We both have our tales to tell, and we both are reluctant to share.*

Harry: You're welcome. *A soft kiss to your parted lips is all I allow myself before stepping back* I've taken enough of your time.

Karl: *I don't want to see you go, and I can tell that the letter has disturbed you more than you will admit.* I have no obligations tonight; my time is my own. *I catch your hand once more.* You may take as much of it as you wish.

Harry: *And what if I wish all of it, Karl? What then? What of your Clan and mine, what of Julia and Dom and Marton...what happens then? My thoughts race as I raise your hand to my lips, tasting the faint scent of clove and sandalwood* Thank you.

Karl: Here? Or within? *Your face is already so familiar beneath my fingertips, and I find a true smile for you.* If you have questions, ask them.

Harry: They'll wait. *I tug you out of the room and towards your chambers, giving you a warm smile of my own* At the moment I have more important matters on my mind.

Karl: *I let myself be led, obscurely pleased by your impatience, after the revelations of my last visit. Of your pet. But I will not let myself think of him; will not think of anything but your mouth on mine, your hands on me.*

The ghosts of the dead are never far from thee...

Sat, 24 May 2003 18:11:33 GMT

[Direct response to this letter]

"Thou wast reborn...
Wast willing to do battle as masters do,
Strike down earth's usurpers, destroy and pursue"
--Hymns of Sacrifice, Author Unknown

Worn leather creaks as Harry sits back at his desk, the evening's corrospodence scattered across the heavy silver tray. With Marton in Munich, the task of running Paris has once again fallen on Harry's shoulders. For a man who never wished to rule an empire on his own, he seems to be doing far too much of just that. At least Marton had known better than to ask that Harry and Sean work together again.

The feminine, spidery handwriting on thick vellum catches Harry's attention, and he picks up the envelope, a frown marring dark features. The writing looks strangely familiar, but that cannot be. The ruined, bloody remains of a once beautiful, foolish girl still linger in his nightmares, scent of copper and fear thick in the air. A flick of the letter opener slices the envelope and the soft scent of gardenias catches Harry's attention, as does the signature scrawled on the bottom of the missive.

The letter opener clatters dully on solid oak. Somewhere a clock chimes the hour, unnoticed. The ceiling fan swirls lazily overhead, barely stirring the air. A tumbler of Harry's favorite single malt rests beside his slightly trembling hand as he reads, then rereads, the extraordinary letter which claims the impossible.

There are many fantastical things in Harry's world, but, even such as they are, the dead stay dead. However, caution must be applied until the truth of the matter is ferreted out and known. Harry's first call after setting the letter aside is to his remaining spies within the Tremere Clan, asking only for information about this eccentric scientist and the quest for the uber-vampire. It's not a lot to go on without a name, but it's a start. His second is to Marton, leaving only a brief message to return the phone call. This isn't a matter discussed over voice mail. Sean will, unfortunately, have to be told about this, and, for a brief moment, Harry wishes with a fierce, heavy throb that this missive *is* true. If only to see the look on Sean's face when he encounters the ghost of his latest victim.

He reads the letter once again, studying between the lines, rubbing ink-stained fingers along the delicate letters. It's the same handwriting, down to the hesitant loop of the 'l', but handwriting is something easily forged. The true test will be a face to face meeting.

Such a formal request for asylum requires a prompt response.

The scratch of the quill to paper is the only sound heard for several minutes as Harry pens his reply, carefully weighing each word for meaning, weight.

Dear Ms. Otto,

Please accept my sincerest welcome to our humble city. Regrettably, our Prince has been called away on business, but I keep in daily contact with him, and have told him of your arrival. Until he returns, please allow me to invite you to share the hospitality of his home for a meal and to discuss this intriguing business proposition you've set forth in your letter. The night shall, of course, be at your choosing.

I look forward to your reply at your earliest convenience.

Sincerely,
Harry Sinclair
Seneschal, Clan Ventrue, Paris

From Dusk to Dawn

Tue, 06 May 2003 19:00:21 GMT

Where is my child whom I got in the dark night?
My one prince is not to be seen, and my heart is on fire.
--from "The Book of Dede KorKut"

Heathrow is all but deserted at this time of night; save for the airport cleaning crew and Harry's flight crew. Harry stands at the bay of windows, but he doesn't see the airstrip or the plane that's currently being refueled for his flight back to Paris. Instead his mind wanders, as it so often has of late, to Dom and Marton...and Karl. A vampire's loyalty is absolute, unquestioned. What Harry is contemplating...

The pilot comes up behind him and murmurs that it will be about another twenty minutes. Harry simply nods. He has the time. Dawn isn't for a few hours yet, and it's a short enough flight. He tugs at the sleeve of his dress shirt--crisp, white, off-setting the forest green of his suit--and shifts his overcoat to the other arm. He debates briefly with calling Marton, letting him know how the meetings went, and decides to save it until he's home. A home, of course, that no longer feels welcoming.

He closes his eyes, reverts to the language of his birth, his murmured words inaudible to the human ear. "Bağışlamak beni Marton, ama benim ruh be gayri senin...Bağışlamak beni Dom, olmak koymak sen özgür...Bağışlamak beni Karl, için benim aşk için yok etmek bizi ikisi." [forgive me, Marton, but my soul is no longer yours...forgive me Dom, I should have set you free...forgive me Karl, for my love for you will destroy us both.]

In the twilight gloaming...

Tue, 15 Apr 2003 16:09:05 GMT

Karl: *Another long night half gone, wrestling with business and family concerns alike. I walk without purpose, glad simply to be out of the office. Like this, I can almost pretend that I have no such concerns. Just a man, wandering the streets of a famous city.*

Karl: *I find myself in front of your home without realizing it, and my finger is on the bell before it occurs to me that you might not be here tonight. I am shown in without comment, however, into a part of the house I have not seen: a small conservatory, rich with the scents of green, growing things.* Harry.

Harry: *The conservatory is still and quiet at this time of night--Marton and Sean are off and about, doing their own thing, and Dom's long since in bed...Dom. I take a small leaf, culling it carefully, and let my mind replay the events of the other night. None of this is fair to him, and I know that--just as I know that my heart may be partially his, but my soul never will. He deserves better than me.
As does Karl.
But, I'll not give them up. Even should it cost me everything else.*

Harry: *I feel you before I see you out of the corner of my eye, and it's as if I've conjured you out of thin air, desperate for your scent and touch. You look so at home in the cultivated greenery. I say nothing, simply pat the space next to me*

Karl: *I take you up on your silent invitation, my shoulder brushing yours as I settle in and watch your hands moving, gentle and sure. You seem calm, though there is some deep buried tension singing through you that I cannot quite place. My voice comes out a whisper, reverent in this hushed, comforting space.* Is something wrong?

Harry: *I don't answer for a long while; instead, I concentrate on the vines before me, and you beside me--cool and regal, yet filled with a warmth that immortality hasn't managed to stifle. When I do finally speak, my words are subdued* A better question would be, what is right? *Small smile, glancing quickly at you*

Karl: *I return your smile, noting that your eyes remain shadowed. I wish I knew what to say, to lessen your pain, as you have mine.* This place is lovely. I had no idea...

Harry: My refuge from my responsibilities. *Waving a careless hand around me, proud of what I've managed to accomplish* I come here when I need to think. I've always been fascinated with orchids. Marton had this built for me not long after I moved here with him.

Karl: What are you thinking of, that I find you out here, then? *I keep it light, not meaning to pry, but hoping you are willing to confide in me. I can think of no other way to help you.*

Harry: I was thinking about you, actually. *Finally shifting so our knees are firmly pressed together, happy that you're here. For whatever reason.* And about my pet.

Karl: I did not realize you had one. *Strange, that I have so strong a connection to you and still know so little of who you are. Strange, as well, that I should feel the faintest sickening touch of jealousy when you mention your pet.*

Harry: I know. *Looking over at you* I didn't tell you about him. Just as I didn't tell him completely about you until the other night. *I twine our fingers together, and lift your hand to my lips for a kiss, tongue lightly flicking out to taste a vein--bluish hue muted in the darkness of the conservatory* I was selfish, and wanted to keep you to myself for awhile.

Karl: *At your kiss, sparks dance across my skin and I come near to forgetting myself completely.* You have... had him for some time, then. *There is some small margin of relief in the thought, and I have to wonder at myself. I am acting little better than Julia, though I will refrain from expressing myself in her manner -- not least because I am fond of both my hands, and not sure I would retain them if I tried slapping you.*

Harry: November. Not long enough for him to get used to Marton, let alone you. *The mention of Marton's name brings forth another sad smile, and it occurs to me that he never really understood what drove me anymore than I understood what drove him. The loss of the illusion of belonging shatters something deep inside I never even knew could be shattered. It seems my entire life--what little life I've had--has been based on everyone else's needs, and I simply obeyed every order like the good soldier I am.*

Karl: *I squeeze your hand gently, wondering what has brought this new sadness to your face.* He took it as well as Julia, then? *I offer a lopsided smile at my own small attempt at humor.*

Harry: In his own way, yes. *It's easy to return your smile, to let your thumb rub soothingly over my knuckles, and to know that I'm wanted* I shouldn't have made him my pet in the first place, but I...needed someone that was mine. Selfish, yes. He deserves better. *Sad smile* As do you.

Karl: You should not value yourself so lightly. *I bring my hand up to touch your cheek gently, wishing I had the words to convince you.* I do not.

Harry: *What do you see, I wonder, when you look at me with those lovely eyes--eyes that reflect the weight of our world, yet still hold such tenderness. I wish I had the courage to ask.* I thank you for that. *Turning my head to kiss your palm, fangs lightly grazing the skin* For everything you've given me.

Karl: *I have done this before, and mean it still when I slip my hand around the back of your neck and press my lips to your forehead.* Tell me your troubles, let me help you. *The words are the barest whisper.*

Harry: Will they stay between us, our pact? *Quiet response, and I hate making you swear on our oath, but there are certain lines I will not cross without that assurance, and I know you need the entire picture*

Karl: None shall hear it from my lips. *I speak clearly and carefully.* My life is your forfeit if I am forsworn.

Harry: *Slow nod, kissing your knuckles again to seal our small bargain* I've been...*Slow, deep breath* ...thinking. About Marton. And my place in his life. And in yours. And my pet's. My loyalties are divided, but not so much as you might think.

Karl: Where have your thoughts led you? *It sounds like a question Isabella would have asked, and I realize that she did, once, on a night both long ago and far away. I push the thought of her firmly away and concentrate on you alone.*

Harry: *My eyes never leave yours as I reply* Towards the only person who never judged or asked anything of me. The one person who simply accepted without explanation.

Karl: Quite the paragon. *I hold your gaze, hoping to coax more out of you; to draw your troubles gently from you as poison from a serpent's bite. It is not easy, I know, to shed several lifetimes of discretion.*

Harry: I wouldn't go that far. *Small smile, easy intimacy--things are always easy with you and I sometimes wonder why that is* But it is a comfort to know that there is someone like that out there. Someone to belong to, even if there isn't a place.

Karl: Belonging *shouldn't* be a place. I think mortals see that better than we can. *I press my hand to my heart, and then yours.* It should be here... and here.

Harry: Yes. *I splay my hand over your heart, feel the coolness seep under my skin, into me* Which is precisely where it is.

Karl: *I cover your hand with my own and say nothing, watching you closely. This is wondrous and flattering, hearing my thoughts echoed on your lips, but I would ease the lines on your forehead, help you carry the burden that weighs your shoulders sharply down.*

Harry: I'm not...presuming, I hope?

Karl: No. *I say it simply.* I told you that you would find someone. *I wonder if you remember the details, that dark, bloody night.* I am both flattered and... grateful, that I can be that one.

Harry: I remember. *Very softly, mind drifting back to that night, and the look on your face when you spoke those words.* And I'm just as grateful for you.

Karl: *Were you Julia, I would draw you into my arms and plead with you to share the true fears and troubles you guard so fiercely, but I cannot, and I feel at a loss.* Let me help you, Harry...

Harry: And how would you do that? *Light fingers stroke the strong curve of your cheekbone* Just your presence is enough.

Karl: Tell me. Let me listen to you... let me make you important.

Harry: Tell you what? *Hand falling to my lap* That I'm not sure how much longer I can put up with the charade that is my life? That I love my pet, always, love Marton, but they don't fuel me, and I know I'm doing them both an injustice by staying? That I feel isolated, alone, trapped?

Karl: Yes. *I take your hand in mine.* Tell someone-- tell me, and realize that you are not alone, Harry.

Harry: *I rest my forehead against your shoulder, drawing strength from your words, your conviction. It's been a long time since I unburdened myself...if I ever have* I don't know where to start.

Karl: The beginning, love. *I squeeze your hand* I have the time.

Harry: It would seem all we have is time. *Smiles* Should I tell you of how Marton rescued me?

Karl: I will listen to all of it, if you will let me. *Turning to press a kiss on your forehead.*

Harry: I can't imagine it's a very exciting tale. *All the same, I gather my thoughts, trying to remember that long ago night when my entire world changed* The Ravnos who embraced me had done so without permission, so he was executed. He'd warned me to hide before they came for him...so that's exactly what I did.

Karl: *My hand on yours stills a moment, my voice drops to a whisper.* I cannot imagine. *The very idea goes against everything I know of the Embrace.*

Harry: My training had made me good at subterfuge, at assimilating myself into the world. I would pass right by other Kindred and they never even noticed me. *I lose myself in those first few months--scared, alone, trying to cope inside a strange new world that wanted nothing to do with me* And that's when Marton found me. He was the first Kindred who noticed me.

Karl: *I say nothing, but turn slightly to hold you in silent reassurance. I would never have survived such a test, I know, and I marvel at the strength in you.*

Harry: *My voice is slightly muffled by your shoulder as I continue* From the first, I knew he was different. He had such...acceptance in his eyes, such quiet authority. I belonged to him from that very first moment, and we both knew it. He was the one who went to the Prince of Istanbul and petitioned to adopt me as his own. *Shrugs* They were surprised to find out I'd survived as long as I had, but gave their blessing. Not many could say no to the Prince of Paris.

Karl: *You surprise me; if asked, I would have guessed that you came here later, having grown into your power.* Rare, indeed, is the Ventrue who could look beyond your bloodline and see your strength.

Harry: Marton is rare, indeed. *I wonder when I lost sight of that, when we both started along this path that now has us living our life together as strangers* He spent years training me, cultivating the strengths I had. I was outside the Ventrue bloodline, so I saw things differently. I brought him clarity. He gave me a home, both in his bed and his business. Few were surprised when he made me Seneschal. *Resting my head back on your shoulder once more* But I was never fully accepted. And I never will be.

Karl: The life of the outsider. *I know something of it, but nothing like your experience.* And yet you remain loyal.

Harry: Accepted or not, they are my clan. *I'm afraid to continue, but I know that I must. You asked for the truth, and I would give you all of it* Although, lately I've begun to wonder if the price I've paid all these years has been worth it in the end. If, perhaps, Marton was merely using me as an example of his power. So powerful he can choose a Seneschal from another Clan.

Karl: *I cannot speak to his motives, only the results* If that were his strategy, it would seem to have backfired. Among those the Giovanni has dealings with, in America and elsewhere, you are seen as his weakness, the cuckoo in his nest. *I can only hope my bluntness does not offend*

Harry: *I lift my head and give you a slow, knowing smile* Those who have thought that have found out very differently. Underestimating one's enemy is the first step towards defeat.

Karl: *And few of those who underestimated you are still around to tell the tale, I am sure* Yes, it is. War and business are not so very different, after all.

Harry: No, they're not. It's all about strategy and timing. Knowing the opposition, when to strike. *It feels odd to discuss such serious matters in this oasis of beauty, but not wrong. Perhaps it's only because you are here with me* And...knowing when to retreat.

Karl: *You say that very carefully.* Retreat... but never capitulation. *We are more alike than even I had known.*

Harry: No, never that. *The last barrier shatters, and all that was once opaque is clear. I know my path.* It's time for me to end my war.

Karl: What war is that?

Harry: The war with myself, with Marton, with Sean, and this Clan. *My eyes flicker around the room again before settling on yours, silent, waiting*

Karl: What would you have me do? *My voice is soft as I run my hand over the lines on your brow.*

Harry: *Your touch is gentle, soothing still jangled nerves, even though my soul is calm for the first time in decades, if ever* I don't know yet. You may not want to be a part of this...this is a dangerous path I tread.

Karl: Do not hesitate to call on me. *Drawing you closer to follow my hand with my lips.*

Harry: *I keep the kiss light--a declaration, another vow binding us together in darkness and secrecy*

Karl: *You are intoxicating as always, and I want more, despite my best intentions*

Harry: *Ending the kiss in slow degrees, idly noting that the misters have started, lightly spraying over the two of us and the flowers alike*

Karl: *The sudden spray startles a laugh out of me, and I turn my face up to meet it for a moment. A rush of heat goes through me as I see you, your shirt now damp and clinging*

Harry: *I meet your lips again with my own--wet slide of tongues--slickly sliding a hand to curl in your hair, water warm on exposed skin*

Karl: *My eyes slip closed as I lean into the kiss, deepening it.*

Harry: *Another slow sweep inside your mouth, lightly flicking over your fangs before I pull back* You should scare me, I think.

Karl: Why? *At my fearsomest, I know, I am hardly a match for you -- but I suspect that is not your meaning*

Harry: You see too much inside me. *Small smile* But I think I can learn to live with it.

Karl: I would apologize, but am hardly sorry for it. *I meet your smile with one of my own.*

Harry: I wouldn't expect you to be. I know I'm not. *Fingers trailing through your hair* I've missed you these last days.

Karl: You would have had me underfoot constantly, if I had the freedom. *I wish I had your strength, to break away from it all.*

Harry: I would not mind that. How is Julia?

Karl: She is... better. We have reached a truce of sorts. *I look away* I wish I knew her as well as I do you.

Harry: And why don't you? *Quietly, my hand resting on your lower back, wishing I could infuse warmth into your wet skin*

Karl: I fear she wants something-- something I cannot give her. And I never thought... it never occured to me.

Harry: What never occured to you?

Karl: She thought to... I knew she loved me, but I thought she understood my scruples. *My laugh this time is bitter* She is more Giovanni than I, it seems.

Harry: She'll do well with the Proxy Kiss, should you bestow it upon her. *I wonder at all that you aren't saying, wonder more at the brittleness of your laugh*

Karl: She is still... reluctant. I would not force it on her, but she will receive the Kiss within the year, from me or another. The... message, saying as much, was waiting for me when I woke.

Harry: Then it would be best if it was from you. You know as well as I that your clan can be ruthless about this sort of thing.

Karl: *I know, indeed, and far better than you.* I did not choose the Kiss. I would not have her look at me... the way I look at my Domitor.

Harry: *Nods* Then you need to work with her so she doesn't fear what is to come.

Karl: *I wonder how much you truly know.* You did not receive the Kiss yourself, am I right?

Harry: No, I didn't. My indoctrination into the Embrace was very fast. One day mortal, the next night...*Shrugs* I don't think he wanted to wait, in case he got caught

Karl: Have you ever... given it?

Harry: Never. *My reply is sharp, and I seek to soften my next words* I would never subject another Kindred to my life, straddling two Clans.

Karl: It is a fearsome thing, even if you are prepared, even if you make the choice. You are... unchanging, but vulnerable. Dependent on Kindred for the Vitae, in thrall to your Domitor, unable even to go about your daytime business without their awareness. *I shake my head sharply, as if I could shake out the memories.* My own Domitor was particularly... possesive.

Harry: *My arms around you are steady, gentle* It's past, love. And you will not be that way with Julia. She trusts you. It's better, yes? To have that trust.

Karl: I think she trusts me. *I lean further into the comfort of your embrace* I hope she trusts me.

Harry: You're family. That is everything to your Clan, is it not?

Karl: Family.*I shake my head again.* Therein lies the problem.

Harry: How so? *I'm so curious as to everything about you, your Clan, your life. You're so endlessly fascinating to me*

Karl: She had thought to-- to take Isabella's place. In my life... and my bed.

Harry: Oh. *The brief, bright flare of jealousy comes as a bit of a shock...you're not completely mine anymore than I'm completely yours, but the idea of you with her...it doesn't bear contemplation.* And how do you feel about what she would like? *Quietly*

Karl: Were I any other Giovanni, she would have warmed my bed these past four years or more. As it is, I believe... I believe her brother Marco had the honor. *My voice is rough*

Harry: *I know better than to ask if you jest. The entire idea is an anathema to me.* I am sorry.

Karl: *I can sense your discomfort at the very idea.* It is our way, no more than that. With my own... scruples, I am hardly in a position to be upset. And yet, I am.

Harry: And what scruples would those be? *Your Clan is so very different from either of mine*

Karl: I have never... Isabella was a Venier, not a Giovanni. Contracted as a babe to the younger son for the money she brought with her, nothing more.

Harry: *My kiss is cool on your forehead* From the sounds of it, I don't think you're missing out on too much.

Karl: But that is family. However united we may appear to the outsider, we fight like cats and dogs within -- and I fear Julia feels I have rejected her personally.

Harry: You'll find your balance with her. *I speak with a confidence I do not feel. I've yet to find my own balance with Dom, and my balance with Marton is on very shaky ground*

Karl: I feel rather like I am standing atop one of those children's toys. *I smile faintly.* What are they called -- seesaws? And while ever she remains fully mortal, she is my weak point.

Harry: Then you must be the one to give her the Kiss. That is your first step.

Karl: But I will not force her. If she comes to me, it must be willingly. *I suspect, though I cannot be certain, that you would not have quite such qualms of conscience in my position. That very ruthlessness is part of your strength.* I would rather lose her than live with her undying hatred.

Harry: Hatred can mellow with age. *Softly* She loves you. And if you do not do this, you'll lose her anyway. And possibly to someone like...

Karl: ... like Ambrogio. *I finish your sentence, answering the question you were careful not to ask.* I could argue that my hatred for him has hardly dimmed in two centuries, but then, I was not fond of him to begin with.

Harry: Now you remind me of myself with Marton's Childe. *My voice is cold, flat. I do not speak his name in this place...it would defile it somehow*

Karl: Cold and ruthless, possessing only the worst of human emotions even while he was still mortal-- bound to you forever through Clan and Sire, like penance for some sin committed before time was.

Harry: Precisely. *Marveling at hearing my every dark thought spilling from your lips*

Karl: A shame we cannot introduce them, then -- they deserve each other. *I have not even met this Childe of the Prince, and already my hatred of him burns bright, a chill white flame in my depths.*

Harry: If we were lucky, they would tear each other to shreds and save us the trouble. *My teeth gleam in the darkness. The mere thought of Sean and a bloody death is enough to lighten my mood*

Karl: And who, then, would take charge of la Famiglia? *I am half amused, half horrified by the idea.* He and I are the last of Augustus's get not fallen into madness or torpor, and the very idea of spending eternity in that mausoleum, presiding over the anziani and their interminable plots and squabbles... *I trail off, realizing how near I am to telling too much.*

Harry: I would not wish the job on my worst enemy, let alone you. *Letting your small lapse pass. Within these walls, all you say stays*

Karl: It would be... the end of the world. *More truth than hyperbole there; harnessed by the Kiss, Julia's unusual strength could well hasten the Final Nights.* You are right; I must give her the Kiss, whether she will or no.

Harry: Speak to her first. Try and gain her understanding. Willing is certainly better than not.

Karl: Harry... *I meet your eyes steadily* I would ask a favor of you. One I cannot ask of any other. And I will understand... if you refuse.

Harry: I'm listening. *Returning your unwavering gaze*

Karl: If it came to it-- if I could not give her the Kiss, and it came down to another of my clan...

Karl: This sounds like the raving of a madman, and I would tell you all if I could, but it would truly be better, were she dead. Better for all the world...

Harry: *I give your request all of the consideration and respect it deserves before nodding slowly, never breaking eye contact* I promise it will be quick.

Karl: I cannot ask any more than that.

Harry: *I give you a slow kiss, flicking my tongue across parted lips* Let us hope it does not come to that.

A refuge from the world

Wed, 05 Mar 2003 18:45:47 GMT

crimson karl: *I cannot concentrate, no matter how hard I try. The numbers blur in front of me, and I find myself thinking of you. "Cultivate the Ravnos Seneschal," Ambrogio told me as he left. It feels strange to want to do as he orders, considering the past, but I console myself with the thought that my reasons, at least, are my own. My hand drifts toward the phone, and hovers.* No. *I fetch my coat.*

*The same young mortal as before shows me into your office without a murmur. I smile slightly at this rapid rise -- from waiting in the hallway, to the inner sanctum, in one visit.* Harry.

harryvefali: Karl. *My smile is wide as I stand, walking around the desk to stand before you. You look tired, strained. I wonder if your week has been as difficult as mine* How did you know I was thinking about you? *My lips brush gently over yours in welcome, and I have to fight to keep from deepening it.*

crimson karl: *The touch of your lips sends a shiver of pleasurable memory through me.* I did not. *I smile.* I was thinking of you.

harryvefali: What were you thinking? *The desk is solid against my thighs, and I lean back into it, pulling you between my slightly parted legs, the searing heat of you once again wrapping me in a blanket of want*

crimson karl: That I should extend an invitation. *I let you pull me closer, breathing deeply of your scent of spices, and whisper my next words.* I have scarcely stopped thinking of you.

harryvefali: And what have you been thinking about? *The bit of flesh between your jaw and neck is as soft as ever, still tastes of moonlight, and I nuzzle it again, fangs gently scraping delicate skin*

crimson karl: Ah. *My head falls back at your touch, all rational thought fled.* The taste of you...

harryvefali: *Another scrape of teeth, fingers curling around your hips* So taste me.

crimson karl: *My control gone, I find your lips with my own and kiss you hungrily, desperately. I match your hands on my hips and pull you roughly to me.*

harryvefali: */This/ was exactly what I'd been thinking of the last week, the hotbitter taste of you haunting my day dreams. My lips conform easily to yours and I deepen the kiss, fingers already seeking the buttons of your silk shirt, anxious to get to the finer silk of your skin*

crimson karl: *Your hands set me afire once more, and I moan, dipping my head to taste the side of your neck, the hollow between your collarbones. The taste of you, spice and heat, fills my mouth.*

harryvefali: *Your shirt slips easily from you and I lick along your collarbone, tongue dipping in the curve of your throat, palms sliding along your hips. Sweethot, and so addictive...*

crimson karl: Harry... *With every touch, I need more.* ...please... *Here, now. Yes.*

harryvefali: *The zipper of your slacks easily parts and I fill my hand with you--hot, hard, so responsive, and your breathless moan fills my ears, my head until there is nothing else except the oblivion you give me*

crimson karl: *I arch hard against you -- more, please, now. You show none of the languid, teasing gentleness of the other night, but stroke hard and fast and perfect. Only the fear of losing your hold on me keeps my knees from giving way.*

harryvefali: Gelmek icin beni, izin vermek beni seyretmek sen. *The rough wood of the desk scrapes my back as I slide to my knees, lips parting, tongue darting out to taste you. My fist encloses you anew, twisting in a fasthot motion designed to bring forth more of those low moans*

crimson karl: *Your mouth -- your tongue -- is my undoing, and I lean heavily on your shoulder as I shudder my release.* Harry... *Your name would be a prayer, if I remembered how to pray.*

harryvefali: *My lips close in a tight suction around you, and I feed off your release like it's the sweetest of blood, swallowing every thick droplet before pulling you down to your knees in front of me and snaring your mouth once again*

crimson karl: *I taste myself in your mouth, saltythick, faintly metallic. I lean into the kiss, wanting more."

harryvefali: *Kiss flows into kiss and I'm reluctant to let go of your lips. My fingers explore every inch of your bared chest, and the entire world outside of this small space has ceased to exist*

crimson karl: *Your roaming fingers find my nipples, sending little drowsy aftershocks of pleasure through me. My hands are more sure this time, finding the hothard shape of you through the fabric of your trousers, lowering the zip with teasing slowness.*

harryvefali: Karl...sakin satasmak beni dilenmek sizin. /don't tease me, i beg of you/ *I arch into your hand, undulating, not above begging further as long as you cease your torture and fully touch me*

crimson karl: *I wait a beat, savoring the sound of you begging, before closing my hand firmly around you, settling into a steady rhythm. I want to -- the position is awkward -- and I solve that by slowly rising to my feet, drawing you along with me. I press you back against the sturdy desk and slip back down to my knees, hand still moving smoothly.*

harryvefali: *My shaking hands fill themselves with the silk of your hair, and I wet dry lips, hardly daring to move as your lips part, moving my hips in time with your fist*

crimson karl: *I taste you tentatively at first, then more boldly, intoxicated by salty sweet and spice and blood fragrance. I feel your hands trembling in my hair, your hips twitching under my fingertips as I lean forward slowly to take more of you in. Without relinquishing an inch, I swirl my tongue experimentally, and you jump slightly.*

harryvefali: *Your soft tongue, imperfect moves, will be my undoing, and I have to fight to keep myself from thrusting deep down your throat when I come, the soulsweet ache rushing through me, fingers clenched tight in your hair*

crimson karl: *I swallow, licking my lips to get the last of it, and smile up at the dazed, pleased expression on your face.*

harryvefali: You would be the death of me if I were still breathing. *Sated chuckle, and I sink back to my knees, giving you a slow, thorough kiss*

crimson karl: Just as well you're not, then. *Smiling at my little joke, I slide my hand around your waist and pull you flush against me.*

harryvefali: I'm happy you came. *Light fingers roam over your chest and arms as I look deep into your eyes* What are your plans for the rest of the evening? *A part of me wonders what the hell I'm doing, what this will do to Marton, to Dom, but this feels too good to give up, and I desperately need the peace*

crimsonkarl: Plans? *I run my fingers lightly over your face.* I had not thought beyond seeing you again...

harryvefali: I want to spent the evening with you. *I follow your fingers, greedy for more of your touch* But here is...we can't stay here.

crimsonkarl: No... of course not. *I could not stay here, under the roof of a Ventrue. I think longingly of my bolthole in Montmartre, as yet no more than a few empty rooms.* My home is always open... to you.

harryvefali: What of Julia? *I nuzzle your throat softly, wanting another taste of you*

crimsonkarl: Julia? *At the reminder, the memory of pleasure fades. I pull away slightly, fumbling my clothes back into place.* Gesù Cristo, Harry, what have I done? She has not spoken to me since-- since I... *I look away* I lost my temper with her.

harryvefali: *I sit up with you, but don't allow you to pull out of my embrace* Tell me what happened.

crimsonkarl: I-- she-- *I shrug.* She said something, I know not what, and I... I snapped. I marked her, Harry. *Even now, when the bruises have faded, I feel nothing but self-loathing at the memory.*

harryvefali: We all lost our temper at times. I'm sure she feels the same regret for the things she said. *Pressing a light kiss to your forehead* She loves you. She worries.

crimsonkarl: She sings no more for me. The house is silent. *I shake my head.* We are too alike, she and I. I cannot find the words, and she will not listen to them.

harryvefali: Then perhaps words are not what is needed.

crimsonkarl: I... *I lean in closer to you, seeking strength.* I hardly know her, it seems. She treats me with the same chill civility she offers the elders.
I had hoped to give her the Proxy Kiss before the reception, but now -- now I do not even know if she will accept it.

harryvefali: *Your hair is like silk beneath my fingers as I massage your scalp, seeking to ease tension* When the veils of daydreams are stripped away, it always leaves a scar, love. All you can do is what you've been doing.

crimsonkarl: *Your touch is soothing, and I sigh.* She was my consolation, the bribe offered to bring me here. Without her, I fear I shall go mad.

crimsonkarl: *I cling to your words as I want to cling to you, hoping you are right. Your worry is plain to see, etched clear upon your face.* I am sorry. I seem to spill all my troubles at your feet. *I smooth my hand across your forehead, easing the lines there.*

harryvefali: I don't mind. *Again, I follow the sweetsoft path of your fingers, aching for more* I wish I could do more to help you.

crimsonkarl: You do help me. *I kiss you gently, the merest brush of lips.* More than you know.

harryvefali: As you help me. *Slow smile, kissing you again* I do know of a place where we might... *I pause, unsure if I should continue. No one knows of this place, not even Marton. It's my own refuge.*

crimsonkarl: *You seem hesitant to tell me.* I would not dream of-- of intruding upon your privacy. *Were my Montmartre haven even scantily furnished, I would take you there, now, and ignore the rest of the world.*

harryvefali: No, I want to take you there. *My mind is made up. Too long have I listened to everyone else's needs, not my own. Too long have I allowed my own desires to go unsated. Again, my thoughts drift to Dom--I know this will hurt him, but I need this night. Tomorrow I can begin the task of trying to make him understand, in giving myself to him again* Will you join me tonight?

crimsonkarl: I am... honored. *I brush my thumb across your lips, gently.* Thank you for... your trust.

harryvefali: *Gentle teeth nip at the calloused pad* Do you have anything you need to take care of?

crimsonkarl: I should... a few phone calls. *A Dunsirn ghoul, to watch over Julia. And...* There is a stop I should make, on the way.

harryvefali: Whatever you need to do. *I stand and pull you flush against me, giving you another slow, gentle kiss* Thank you for coming over.

crimsonkarl: It was the best decision I've made all week. *I return your kiss, wishing I-- and you-- could afford more than just this one night.*

I have heard the mermaids singing each to each

Sat, 01 Mar 2003 02:05:39 GMT

[private thoughts/events]

Harry's desk is overrun with paperwork and files, the phone ringing incessantly, emails coming in like a flood. A typical night at the office, and while he doesn't particularly enjoy this aspect of running Marton's empire, he's realized that he does have quite a good head for business. He just doesn't have the heart for it anymore.

He doesn't have the heart for a lot of things.

He's not one much for introspection--he's a soldier, it's his job to follow orders, to get the job done as quickly and quietly as possible. He knows this and understands it. But it's as if Miranda's death has unleashed *something*, broken down some wall, and the walls of his life now start to suffocate in ways he would have never imagined. Still doesn't welcome.

His hands still on the keyboard as his thoughts drift to Karl and hesitant kisses in a darkened bedroom. He's playing with fire & he knows it, but he can't stop the thoughts, can't stop the ache. This is the first time he's kept any liaison from Marton, and it feels...odd. Liberating, but frightening. And then, there's Dom. He loves Dom so much, hates the hurt in his eyes, hates that he's kept so much from him, that he'll continue to do it. Wants nothing more than Dom's happiness. He's just not sure anymore...if, indeed, he ever was...that he's the person to provide it. His soul is too divided. And he's come to the lowering conclusion that he's never even owned a part of it.

Da mi basia mille, diende centum...

Tue, 25 Feb 2003 08:59:52 GMT

[Directly follows this NC-17 in spots]

crimsonkarl: *My chamber is spare and elegant, almost bare. Here alone in the house there is none of Julia's delicate touch. The bed, a low platform, is large, my one concession to comfort after decades on miniscule Japanese futons. On the wall a single print hangs, a heron in flight before a quarter moon, willows below.*

harryvefali: *I spare the room a fleeting glance, cataloguing everything in a blink before turning to you, lightly playing with the top button of your shirt. The silk gives easily under my touch, and I watch you for any sign of hesitation as I lower my head and taste the smooth skin just under the hollow of your throat. Dark and sweet--you taste of fine brandy and moonlit skies--and I press the flat side of my tongue more firmly on you, seeking more*

crimsonkarl: *My breath hitches at the feeling of your mouth on me. I reach to touch you for the first time, sliding my hand across your hip to pull you closer, surprising myself with my own boldness.*

harryvefali: *My tongue darts across my lips when I lift my head, gently unbuttoning your shirt and pulling it out of your slacks, smoothing my hands across the broad expanse of your chest. Your breath hitches, and I take advantage of your parted lips to steal a light kiss, briefly rubbing my tongue along your teeth, teasing your fangs with butterfly flicks. My blood feels heavy, langorous, and the heat from your palm sears through linen, seducing me more effectively than the most praticed of moves.*

crimsonkarl: *Feeling daring, I return your kiss, exploring your mouth as thoroughly as you did mine. A distant memory surfaces, of the rich air in the spice markets of Istanbul on a lazy, long-distant afternoon.*

harryvefali: *Our tongue rub lazily together, and I slip the cream-coloured silk from your shoulders, taking great delight in your responsiveness, in you. I could stand here, just like this, with the soft glow of the lamp throwing shadows across stark walls as we meld together. I hadn't expected anything remotely like this when I granted you an audience tonight, but now it seems almost as if fate--something I rarely believe in--had different plans. The calloused tips of my fingers knead your back as I slowly guide you to the edge of the bed, lips never leaving yours*

crimsonkarl: ...da mi basia mille, diende centum,
dein mille altera, dein secunda centum..
[...give me a thousand kisses, then another hundred,
then another thousand, then a second hundred...]
crimsonkarl: *I whisper the words against your mouth, scarcely believing that this is real, not some strange dream.*

harryvefali: Tutti i miei baci stasera sono i vostri. [all of my kisses this evening are yours] *I lay you on the cool sheets, palms on either side of your head, holding my upper body off of yours, trading more drugging, slow kisses with you. Our legs tangle together in a sweet friction of wool and linen, and I long to feast upon your naked skin, but your lips are a siren's call. I simply can't stop tasting you*

crimsonkarl: *I want to touch you, and I fumble with your shirt, nervously clumsy. Finally, I slip my hands beneath, flattening them along the long planes of your back, muscles shifting smoothly beneath my fingers. The sweep of your collarbone draws me, and I break our kiss to nip at it, soothing the spot with my tongue. Your skin tastes of spices as well, though different; I am reminded of ginger, and lemon verbena, and under it all the deep musk of age.*

harryvefali: *A deep shudder when your unpracticed lips glide along my skin, and the jolt that races through me is unexpectedly sweet. I nimbly shrug out of my shirt, tossing it to the floor, and nudge your head to the side to slide my lips across your neck--amaretto and heat. I wonder if the rest of you tastes as exotic*

crimsonkarl: *I feel your reaction to my touch, and the thought that I have such power makes my hands tremble. Suddenly impatient, though I know not for what, I pull you down to me, reveling in the feel of your bare skin against mine. I seek your mouth again for another kiss, slow and rich.*

harryvefali: *Your kisses are honeyed vodka and the bitter coffee of my homeland, smooth and hot. My hands race along your ribs, tracing over hardened muscles and sleek skin, delving just under the waistband for your slacks, chest moving restlessly over yours. Suddenly, I'm in the mood to feast*

crimsonkarl: *Your hands leave my skin afire, and I want more; I make some small, desperate sound, lacking words.*

harryvefali: *Finally, the unforgiving zipper parts and I finally close around you, hardhot flesh filling my palm. I can't help the tiny groan when your eyes widen, pupils dilated black, dark lashes fluttering* Guzel...[beautiful]

crimsonkarl: *My fingers claw at the sheet beneath me as I fight for control, struggle not to simply thrust against you and spill across your hand. So long deprived, I do not want the ecstacy of you to end so soon.*

harryvefali: *It's only a moment's work to shove your slacks down your legs and toss them next to my shirt on the floor; and my fist encircles you again, starting a slow, lazy rhythm. Gentle teeth nip at your lip, and I react instantly to your slightest moan, your smallest whimper--changing the angle of my wrist, gentling my lips--whatever you desire.*

crimsonkarl: *I feel more than hear the gentle purr of fine sheets tearing in my grip, and find that I simply do not care. The twin pleasures of your hand and your mouth are almost too much. You react as though you can read my thoughts, giving me everything I need, and I am close, so close...*

harryvefali: *Your back arches off the bed, and I flick my wrist slightly, drawing forth another moan from full, just-kissed lips. You look so beautifully debauched like this--trembling sweetly for me--and I lean in to lick along your lips, wanting to taste your release with my tongue*

crimsonkarl: *Any control I had is gone, shattered by your knowing touch. It should be a triumphant shout, but the only sound that escapes me is a stuttered moan as I spill, hot and primal, in your grip.*

harryvefali: *I hold onto you through your shudders, my kiss gentle, reverent. You open sleepy, dark, expressive eyes, and I keep your gaze locked with me before licking the thick, salty juices with my tongue, savoring the sow burn.*

crimsonkarl: *In my sated languor, I dimly realize that you have not yet had your own release. I tug at the waist of your trousers with fingers gone suddenly thick and clumsy. You are hard, and hot enough to burn, it seems, as I move my hand slowly. I can only hope to pleasure you as you have me.*

harryvefali: *Your hand is icy cool, gentle, moving in ungainly twists. Clearly, this is very new to you, but your inexperience is its own kind of seduction, and I find myself responding to every brush of your fingertips. I fall back on the bed, head thudding softly on the plush pillows, and curve my hand behind your neck to tug you down for another slow kiss. My other hand covers yours, gently guiding your movements, letting you know what I like*

crimsonkarl: *I grow bolder as you guide me, drinking in the taste of you. You tremble slightly on one stroke, and I repeat it, smiling into our kiss. This is power I never dreamed of having.*

harryvefali: *You're a very quick study. Your fist encloses me in languid strokes, each one making me shiver, and I let my hand fall away to twist in cotton sheets, watching you through passion-hazed eyes.* Più velocemente...Non romperò. [Faster...I won't break]

crimsonkarl: *I do as you ask, speeding my hand, watching your reactions flicker across your face. This is not so unfamiliar, after all. Curious, remembering my own pleasures, I essay a flick of the wrist, just-- there. My smile becomes exultant when you gasp and shudder beneath me.*

harryvefali: *Your wrist moves again--repeating that glorious...*hotyesplease*...trick, and the tenor of the air changes. Coalesces into tiny darts of air that dance along my body with razor-sharp caresses. Every nerve is pulled taut, screaming for release, and my nails scrape across your shoulders, thin scratches marring the perfection of your skin when I come, your name a breathless cry that falls from open lips*

crimsonkarl: *I feel the sting as you mark me, and it feels *right,* as though it could not be any other way. I hold you, watching you shudder, and kiss you softly, whispering your name. Wishing to return your every pleasure, I bend my head. The taste startles me, salty-sweet and heady, a faint and fragrant echo of your blood.*

harryvefali: *Another soft moan as I watch you suck greedily on your fingers, and I can almost taste myself on your tongue. A brief image of those same lips wrapped around my cock fills my mind, and I shudder again, pull your flushed, sated body fully on top of mine, tongue eagerly exploring your lips. I want to thank you for your trust, the gift of your touch, but words are lost to me right now, and I hope you can feel it in my lips instead*

crimsonkarl: *I lose myself once more in your kisses and the feel of you beneath me, skin sleek and bare against mine. We are of a height, and I find myself obscurely pleased by that fact. I raise my head the barest fraction to look down at you.* Grazie. *The word is a whisper, reverent.*

harryvefali: Il mio piacere. *My voice is every bit as soft as yours, and my smile for you is intimate, slow. I want to show you more, so much more, but for now this is enough. It's been too long since I have felt this way--relaxed and pleased, no dark undertones, no desperate need to protect. Just simple pleasure given and recieved*

crimsonkarl: Dawn is near. *Indeed, I can feel the coming sun, red and baleful beneath the horizon. You will need to hurry to return home safely, but I find myself reluctant to lose you.*

harryvefali: Yes, it is. *The thought of leaving you, leaving this sanctuary, saddens me, but I won't push myself on you.* I'll need to leave in a moment... *I leave the rest unspoken, trail my fingers along your spine*

crimsonkarl: Devi? [Must you?] *I cannot find the right words to ask you to stay, do not understand quite why I want it so badly, do not know whether you even wish to, but I know my longing is in my eyes.* Harry...

harryvefali: *Your eyes reflect what I know must be in mine, and it's with a quiet hum of relief that I shift under I'm more completely under you, allowing you to trap me, keep me.* Do you think your bed's big enough for the both of us? *Quietly teasing*

crimsonkarl: *Relief floods warmly through me at your words, your movement.* I suppose it won't hurt me to share. *In truth, often as not I wake huddled in the merest corner. I capture your lips once more.* Please stay. *My plea comes out on the merest whisper of breath.*

harryvefali: *One finger ghosts across your jawline, and I place it over your lips, stilling your plea.* I would be honored.

crimsonkarl: Mi dá la pace. [You give me peace.] *I whisper the words into the soft hair behind your ear, breathing in the warm, comforting scent of you. I know I must be heavy, but I don't want to move.*

harryvefali: *I shift again, more securely wrapping you around me, arms tight around your waist, and place a lingering kiss on your forehead* As you give me peace. I thank you for that. It's been...*very quietly* ...too long.

crimsonkarl: I... *how many times can I thank you for what you have given me? Too many, and not enough. Instead, I return your gentle kiss, and say no more.*

harryvefali: Resto...Maggio i vostri sogni sia di luce del sole [Rest...and may your dreams be of sunlight] *Settling your head on my shoulder, and I close my eyes, lulled into an easy silence by your presence and welcome weight*

***

crimsonkarl: *I wake curled beside you, forehead pressed to the cool smooth skin of your shoulder. Confused, I start up slightly, see your face, and remember.* Harry...

harryvefali: *A slow stretch on unfamiliar sheets, and I blink my eyes open, startled for a second not to see Dom plastered against me. Confusion turns to realization a second later, and I smile into your eyes, curling my hands through the soft fall of your hair* Evening. *Voice laden through with sleep* How was your rest?

crimsonkarl: Peaceful. *I return your smile, and mean it. Even the Beast within me seems calm, sated.* A shame we cannot simply stay here.

harryvefali: Yes, it is. *Our kiss is sweet, simple, and you taste of sleepy satisfaction, warm spring rain. It would be far too easy to shut out the world again, but, as much as I may want to, there are things I must do this evening. It's with true reluctance that I pull my lips from yours* We'll have to plan our next evening with more care...if you'd like.

crimsonkarl: You remind me of such pleasures, and needs must ask if I want more? *I chuckle softly.*

harryvefali: *Smiling back, more at ease now.* I'm not going to presume that I am welcome unless I'm invited.

crimsonkarl: Then I shall invite you. A shame, though, that business makes such demands on my time. *I shrug.* I feel as though I have been stamping out fires since I arrived. I cannot see that I have a free evening until after the reception. I did not expect visiting the Prince would occupy a whole night through... but I find I cannot regret it. *I place one final kiss on your lips before rising and going in search of clothes.*

harryvefali: I don't regret it, either. *And I should. I think about the tangled web of my life as I slowly dress myself in now crumpled clothing, think about Marton and Dom and the dangerousness of a liaison with you. But I know I'll find the time for you, for this, find a way to keep this tenuous connection, this fragile *thing* between us.*

crimsonkarl: *I wonder what you are thinking, behind your inscrutable mask. This will not be easy for either of us, caught between your Ventrue Prince and the demands of the Treaty, and the bond we have somehow formed. I cup the back of your head and press my lips to your forehead.* You have your demons, as I have mine. If I can quiet them, I will.

harryvefali: *Just a simple touch--a meeting of lips on skin--and I'm dangerously close to spilling my secrets, my fears, to you. You would undo me if I let you. Somehow the thought isn't as terrifying as I'd expected it to be. I brush my lips across your cheek, rest my hand along the now familiar jut of your hip* You've done much already. And the sentiment...is more than mutual.

crimsonkarl: I am glad of it. *Reluctantly, I pull away, meaning to show you out. Once again, I stop in the doorway to my study, startled.* Julia... *She is not asleep this time, her foot tapping angrily. Her eyes narrow when she sees you.*

crimsonkarl: [J] Here. *She thrusts the silver goblet at me, and only practiced reflexes keep me from spilling. The liquid within is warmed, shot through with a swirl of the Armagnac we were drinking last night. She must have prepared it earlier. At the taste, the Beast merely flexes smoothly, like a contented feline.*

crimsonkarl: Is something wrong, Giulietta? *As soon as the name leaves my mouth, I remember. Her face crumples, and with a deep breath she hurls a torrent of abuse at me. I had not thought her so inventive, and her mother would blush to hear her use some of the cruder Venetian curses, picked up no doubt from the canal children who were her childhood playmates. The Sicilian is more colorful, however, and she winds it all up with a slap and an invitation to you to do something rude to a farm animal, before running out of the room.*

harryvefali: *I let out a low, impressed whistle as soon as she departs in a swirl of colorful silk and angry tears. Her diatribe matches the most venal phrases I used to hear from the soldiers that served under me. I give you a sympathetic look, and wonder at the small flicker of sadness in your eyes* If you need to go to her, I can let myself out.

crimsonkarl: I think that might be best. *I rub at the sting from her blow, wondering where she got the strength.* I am... sorry you had to hear that.

harryvefali: I've heard far worse. *I brush my lips across the fading red mark on your cheek, give you a small smile* I wish you luck in dealing with her. Mortal girls are...complex.

crimsonkarl: Mortals I can deal with. Relatives... *I let it trail off, a wry smile on my face.*

harryvefali: I don't have any, so I suppose you'll have to settle for my sympathy. *Slight shrug, returning your smile*

crimsonkarl: I will see you, then? *My smile hitches wider.* Provided I survive, of course.

harryvefali: If Julia lets you out of her sight, you can count on it. *A wide grin, and I tug you into my arms for a lengthy hug, inhaling your scent one last time* Ciao, love.

crimsonkarl: Ciao, amore. *We stand together for a long moment before separating, pulling away at the same time.*

harryvefali: *I place one last kiss to your forehead before exiting the room on swift, silent feet, barely making a ripple in the air. I don't look back.*

Hold tight to this precious moment

Mon, 24 Feb 2003 07:37:34 GMT

[Takes place after this & this. In the timeline, Karl & Harry's chat-thing happens the night before Harry & Sean's fight. This post directly follows Harry walking into the house]

harryvefali: *The bruises are already starting to fade when I step inside the house, still keyed up, icy fury still seeping out of every pore. The blood on my cheek is drying in small clumps, and my head still feels like it's been pounded into the pavement. It might have...I don't know. All I do know is that this situation has become intolerable. But I will not let him drive me away. I make my way into the study, intending nothing more than grabbing a bottle before heading out to feed, to shake off this foul mood, and stop short when I see you curled up in my chair.*

dominM: *I sit up with a start when I hear you come in. It would be impossible to ignore all the angry noise you make. The fury in your stare says you're surprised to see me. Oh yeah, remember me Harry? I live here too.* Harry... *I'm startled momentarily by the bruise and blood on your face...that must have hurt like hell...and I wonder what other vampire you faced off against. Craig maybe...or Sean. Who the fuck knows?* What happened?
harryvefali: *Short bark of laughter--ice falling on glass--and I walk to the bar, grabbing a bottle of tequila. I don't bother with a glass, just take a long, burning sip, wincing when the alcohol hits my cut lip. The burn soothes, centers my thoughts* What hasn't? *I study you, so pure and worried and perfect, staring at me with lovely, red-rimmed eyes. I wonder why you've been crying, wonder if it was for Miranda or because you've finally realized that I failed in my vow to protect you. I can't even protect myself. Still, you're in pain and it only takes me a few steps before I'm in front of you, pulling you in my lap as I sit down in the chair, your weight wrapped comfortably around me, slender arms twined around my neck. For the first time this evening, I feel a measure of calm.*

dominM: *I want to shout at you, demand you put your damn pride on the shelf and talk to me. Let me in the bloody nightmare that is your world. But it feels so good to touch you that I don't speak at all. I lean into your strength, feel the tremble in your touch, and burn what little power I possess into your weary soul. I love you...god dammit what a fucking moron I am...and I'm not sure if that means anything to you anymore. It feels like a year since I've touch you, felt your breath on my face, the passionate chill of your lips. I feel like I'm sliding further away from myself...and you. I wait to see if you're going to speak and when you don't I pull away, surprised at my ability to do so.* Look, whatever Harry, okay? *Anger graces your expression and I flinch momentarily....I haven't done that in a very long time.*

harryvefali: I'm sorry. *You flinch again when I stroke cool, still bloody fingers over your forehead, smoothing spiky hair, and I frown when a small trail of blood remains on your skin. It seems I'll corrupt you after all, even though that's the last thing I want* What would you like from me?

dominM: *I stare at you blankly for a second and time seems to stand still. What do I want? What a fucking loaded question.* Just... *My voice trails off and I move away from your touch.* ...you Harry. That's all I've ever wanted.

harryvefali: *I stare back at you, dropping long-held shields for a moment, allowing you to see the despair and anger that's consumed me these last few days* Are you sure that's what you really want? *quietly*

dominM: *It's just question after question with you isn't it Harry? All questions...no answers. You fucking undead bastard. I haven't been this angry in a very long time.* That's terrific Harry. Just terrific. Maybe I should ask you what the hell you want from me? I wonder what you'd say. *I pull away completely and stand shakily praying to god my legs keep me up.* You don't talk to me...you don't trust me...I'm not even sure you want me any more. Miranda's dead and that fucking hurts Harry...it...fuck...forget it...I don't want to talk about her.

harryvefali: *Before you can take your next breath, you're flat against the wall, my hand wrapped loosely around your throat, fangs bared slightly as I press into you* Never doubt that I love you, Dominic. *very softly* Never doubt what you mean to me. *Abruptly pulling back, whirling to pick up the tequila bottle, taking another swallow, watching you* So tell me what we should talk about, then. Tell me what you wish of me. Ask your questions.

dominM: *My body trembles at your grip, a shadowy response to your tough love scenario. I watch you drink the tequila in fascination, the curve of your throat flowing with ease, your lips tight around the mouth of the bottle. I wonder if I'm meant to be afraid of you or if you're too drunk or angry to consider the effect you have upon me.* Fuck you Harry.

harryvefali: If that's what you wish. *Slight shrug, nimbly unbuttoning my shirt, pulling the silk out of the waistband of my slacks* It's been too long since I've had you underneath me, sweet skin under my lips. *I set the bottle down, and the shirt falls to the floor* If you'd rather not talk, I can give you what you desire. *Stepping back into your personal space, drawn to the wild hammer of your pulse, the bared flesh of your neck, the sweet part of your lips*

dominM: *God...I hope you don't know how much this hurts me. Your voice hard as granite, the lack of passion on your lips...I detest this cruel side of you, I fear its wrath. I wish I could disappear or maybe you could...it really doesn't matter....or maybe crawl away* Don't... *It's been a long time since I felt like a whore and I hate you for it. You're standing so close...taking my breath...and I close my eyes to anger in yours.*

harryvefali: *It would be so easy to ignore your plea, to close those minute inches, bring your body to mine, seduce you into responding. After all, I'm an expert at getting a reaction, using peoples' desires against them. I move to close the distance before I glance down and see your hand folded into a tight fist. And frown. Christ...you're afraid of me. For one terrible moment, I feel just like Sean, and it makes my skin crawl* I'm sorry, love. *I stumble back to the chair, and sink into it, shaken to my core.*

dominM: *Your response surprises me...and that makes me feel guilty. The Harry I love would never purposely hurt me. I watch you settle into the chair, the tequila bottle dropping soundlessly against the carpeted floor. I walk over to hesitantly and lay my hand on your shoulder. Your head falls like a broken doll against my arm. I don't want to wound you anymore...to inflict my anger and doubt freely without thinking of the damage it may cause. I want to wrap my arms around you and cry, to let everything out in the open for you to see. As I stand here wishing I could make you feel my despair or make you experience my bitter frustration these past few days, I come upon the realization that you are as lost as I am...and just as unable to face it.* It's okay Harry. *I kneel on the floor and lay my head against yours.*

harryvefali: No... *wrapping my arms around you, soft cotton of your t-shirt scratchy against my chest, breath tickling my neck--you feel real and solid, secure. And fuck knows I need that. I need you.* None of this is alright at all. I'm sorry.

dominM: I've missed you Harry. *I inhale deeply against your neck and kiss your chin softly.* You disappeared when I needed to see you.

harryvefali: I know. *Nuzzling behind your ear* I couldn't face you...or myself.

dominM: I'm a part of you. You can't ignore me. *I lift your face until we're starting into each other's eyes.* I won't let you scare the shit out of me like this again Harry. You come in all bruised and bloody and instead of reaching for me you're chugging down a bottle of tequila. *I touch your cheek gently and bite my lip at your wince.* Sorry...what happened?

harryvefali: I goaded Bean into a fight. *quietly, rubbing my hands along your back*

dominM: Whatever the fuck for? *I lean into your touch, so warm and inviting.*

harryvefali: Miranda. *Simply*

dominM: *My body tightens, I'm suddenly cold.* What about her? *I study your face for a moment and the truth hits me like a ton of bricks.* He killed her.

harryvefali: I'm sorry. *My head falls back--I'm so tired, tired of everything, tired of this life I lead* I petitioned Marton to...do it myself. He refused.

dominM: *I must have heard you incorrectly. My voice sounds cold when I speak.* You? Why Harry?

harryvefali: She tried to spy on this house, on us. She had to die. I know you...were fond of her. I'm sorry.

dominM: I'm not asking why she was murdered...I'm asking why the hell you wanted to do it. *You look at me with something close to surprise and suddenly I'm very confused.* And yes...I was fond of her. She wasn't bad Harry...I won't ever believe she was. *I wonder if I should tell you she wrote me a letter...that she knew her death was near...but I can't explain how the letter got here or who it came from so I keep quiet. Elsa found it swept under the front door soon after she died.* She loved you.

harryvefali: I know. *I can suddenly see her clearly, hair tangled in my hands, breathless laugh as I brought her to climax, and I feel a momentary pang of shame. For me, she had been a source of information, a fun diversion, a person to keep an eye on.* That's why I wanted to do it. I would have...I would have made it quick. I would have given her that much.

dominM: Do you think that bastard tortured her? Is that what you're saying Harry? *My mind shimmers to the only time I met Sean...ruthless, cruel fucker. Your non-response shakes me...I think I'm gonna be sick.*

harryvefali: A message had to be sent to the Tremere. *I keep my hands steady on your back, gently rubbing tense muscles, and I wish, more than anything, that I could keep this from you, could protect you from everything I am, everything we are*

dominM: *This life...your life...is cold and cruel, a violent ageless existence...without remorse. I don't want to know this...it's too hard for me. Andrea was a viper...you are not.* How the fuck can you defend him? *Your hand stops caressing me and as I glance at your bruise once again, the glaring red flame nearly faded from view, I know suddenly that you are not defending Sean. You detest him I'm sure much more than I do.* Wait...I...fuck. *I flop wearily against you.* Jesus Harry.

harryvefali: I don't think God has much to do with it. *Resting my cheek against your hair* I'm sorry. *It's all I can offer you*

dominM: *I sit still for a minute, despair pouring through me, my heart heavy with sorrow for Miranda, for you, for me.* Where have you been Harry? *Your answers are slow in coming tonight and I know that can't be a good thing.*

harryvefali: *I briefly think of slow, drugging kisses in Karl's bedroom, and press light lips to your hair* I stayed with a friend for awhile.

dominM: *Whatever the fuck does that mean? I scan your eyes quickly but find no answers.* Why? *Such a simple question really Harry.*

harryvefali: Because I couldn't stay here.

dominM: I don't want to sound like a moron here...but why not? *I'm starting to get that same sick feeling I used to get with Andrea...only he brought his lovers home.* Look, forget it okay? I don't want to know. We're both tired.

harryvefali: *I look deep into your eyes, see jealousy and anxiety, and it puzzles me that you could feel either. And I know you don't think you want an answer, but I'm going to give it to you anyway.* I couldn't stay under the same roof with Marton. I'd have gone to him and hated myself even more for it.

dominM: You bastard. You could have gone to me. *I stand up and my head is spinning. Not a particularly great time for a migraine but what the hell, you only live once....er sometimes. I push away from you and walk across the room leaning my head against the wall near the bookcase. God...I want to be anywhere but here.*

harryvefali: Would it help you if I told you I thought about it? *I can feel your pain, and wish I could do more. Wish, maybe, that I could be the person you seem to want me to be. But I know I can't. This is all I have.* I am sorry, Dom. For a lot of things.

dominM: Funny thing that...it doesn't help one bit. *My head's about to explode.* I needed you god dammit and you were off fucking someone else. That's cold Harry...and I didn't expect it from you.

harryvefali: I wasn't fucking anyone. *Regarding you out of clear, cold eyes* And I never promised you fidelity. I'm sorry what I have for you isn't enough.

dominM: Right Harry...sorry...my fault. *I move across the room, flop on the sofa and close my eyes. My world is spinning out of control.* Shouldn't we reverse that? It looks like it's me who isn't enough for you. *I open my eyes and stare at you empty inside.* I don't care who you screw Harry...or even who you think about wanting to screw, got it? I don't care how many "friends" houses you stay over. *My eyes well up with tears and I don't give a fuck that you see me crying. It's not like you haven't seen it before.* It was a bad fucking time for you to decide to act like I didn't exist.

harryvefali: *Only you...you're the only one I've ever met who can make me feel this protectiveness mixed with shame for who I am, what I do. I drop to my knees in front of you, brushing your tears with gentle fingers, chest pressed against your knees* I was callous. Selfish. And I'm sorry. You deserved better.

dominM: Yes...I do. *I reach out and stroke your cheek.* I love you...and I've never put any demands on you...never asked you for anything except the occasional dinner date. I know there's lots going on...things I probably wouldn't understand and you probably wouldn't discuss with me even if I did....things that made Miranda have to die. I know that Harry and I accept it. But... *I don't know why I'm trembling...it's almost embarrassing.* You killed Andrea and I never had a chance to thank you...I was so fucking worried that night.
dominM: *I take a deep breath and continue.* Sometimes I don't think you trust me.

harryvefali: I do trust you. *My voice is as gentle as the fingers still curving over your skin* I'm just not used to sharing myself with another. Marton... *Struggling for words, trying to articulate something I very rarely think about* ...he just is. We understand each other.
harryvefali: *I smile, give you a soft kiss* And there is no need to thank me. I was happy to do it for you.

dominM: I have to believe that after Marton I matter the most to you Harry or else I'll go crazy. I need you. *I reach for your hand and squeeze it.* I was afraid...after Miranda died...that I did something wrong...because I saw her that night...when you killed Andrea...I was so wacky...she always gave good advice. *Always but no more...I fight back any further tears.*

harryvefali: You did nothing wrong. Except leave after I asked you to stay put. *I wonder whether it was Sean or Marton that followed you that night...instinct tells me it was Sean. And it explains much.* Her actions, her betrayal...it was all her. Not you. *Once again, I lean in, my lips tasting yours...and it feels like it's been forever since I just kissed you, held you with the promise of nothing more except more of this* You matter, Dominic. Never doubt it.

dominM: *I reach out, pull you up against me and lay my head on your shoulder. I like the way our bodies feel touching each other. I want you so bad...moreso than ever before...but for now I'm content with this contact between us. I need to nap, to sleep for a bit on the sofa, and I want to feel your arms around me the entire time. I find your hand again and hold it tight.* I believe you Harry.

harryvefali: Good. *I stay awake long after you've succumbed to slumber, listening to the even rise and fall of your breath, warm, welcome weight plastered against my body, concentrating on the steady beat of your heart, the quiet rush of blood as it flows through your veins. This time, I'll be here when you awaken.*

Ombre e comodità

Fri, 21 Feb 2003 18:56:04 GMT

"In the sweet grasses

Where the wind lieth

Where the wind dieth

As night passes

Come lie with me

All night with me"
--Lawrence Ferlinghetti

[continued from here]

harryvefali: I am sorry. *I nod, the motion short* I didn't mean to pry.

crimsonkarl: It is... a very old wound, Harry. And hardly your fault. *I stand and stride across the room, as though I could escape my grief so easily.*

crimsonkarl: *It isn't until I am standing before it that I remember what I had forgotten. On the desk, a small wooden box sits, without apparent opening, dark and somehow sinister in appearance; a spill of stones upon a swath of bright velvet; a black-handled knife, the blade discoloured. Nearby, a parchment roll, gleaming new, written in spidery and nearly illegible script. Figures jump out, easily seen: 3000. 10000. 1500.*

harryvefali: *I slowly cross the room to stand beside you, looking down at the tableau with a small frown* Penace? *I ask softly, suppressing a small shiver at the chill from gazing at the dully gleaming stones*

crimsonkarl: *I search my mind for words I can safely give you.* An accounting... of sorts. *With a sweep of my hand, I gather stones, box, and all, wrapping them in the fabric. Without the weight of the stones, the parchment rolls upon itself with a dull sound like flesh hitting flesh.* Clan business.

harryvefali: *I nod once again in understanding* Forgotten. *I turn and stroll around the room, idly running a finger along the back of a worn leather chair* Have you ever been to Turkey?

crimsonkarl: If I have, it must not have made an impact. *I smile.* I spent some time in Armenia, once.

harryvefali: *I give you a small wink* Armenia is nothing like my homeland. I'll have to take you to my birthplace one day. Fortuna Vadisi...the most beautiful spot in the world.

crimsonkarl: Once, I might have argued that point with you, but now-- *I shake my head.* Venice is but a pale shadow of what she once was.

harryvefali: On this we can agree. I remember my times in your city with great fondness, but, as you say...she has changed. There is no longer the...fire. That passionate spark.

crimsonkarl: Instead, there are hordes of mortal tourists. *A grimace twists my lips as I raise my glass in a mock toast.* And always the creeping, rising water, until you cannot remember how it felt to simply be dry and warm and away from it all-- *I stop, shocked by the bitterness in my voice.*

harryvefali: *I clink my glass to yours* Shall I describe my valley for you, then? *Surprising myself, but I don't call back the words* I think you would appreciate the uniqueness of it.

crimsonkarl: Gladly. *I fetch the bottle and return to my seat.* Were I still mortal, tonight would be a night for getting, as the Americans say, 'stinking drunk.' Since I am not, I believe it calls for pleasant company, and as much of this very fine Armagnac as I can stand. *I toast you again, for real this time.*

harryvefali: *My laugh this time is easy, and I sprawl comfortably next to you, shoulder lightly brushing yours, looking at the flames from the fireplace, wondering if it's for aesthetic purposes or for Julia's benefit. For whatever reason, though, it's a cozy scene* Then refill my glass and I shall describe a sunlit valley nestled in the heart of the Daglar mountain range, of verdant grass and lush flowers which cling to full bloom even in the midst of rain and winter's chill. *It takes nothing for me to remember it in all of it's daylit glory, even though it's been over three centuries since I have seen it thus. There are some things I will never forget*

crimsonkarl: Sunlight and wildflowers... you paint a pretty picture. *I pour, wondering if your touch was deliberate -- I have had such invitations, over the years -- but it felt comfortable, born of easy cameraderie and quick friendship. I don't say anything, but neither do I move away.*

harryvefali: It's even more beautiful at night. *The Armagnac glides smoothly down my throat--rich and full of dark flavor--and I fix the new picture in my minds eye, and hope I will give it justice* The barracks overlooked the river and, in the wintertime, the moon would hit *just* so along the snowbanks of the mountains. Glinted white, made the water glow like the stars. *Quiet chuckle at my own poor attempt at description, and I turn my head to smile sheepishly at you* Forgive me. I'm no poet.

crimsonkarl: No, it sounds quite beautiful. *I find I prefer your simple words to the elegant phrases a poet would use.* You speak from love, and that is always eloquent. *I meet your eyes, wondering if you meant to arouse my curiosity.* Barracks?

harryvefali: I was...I *am*...a soldier. *Part of me wonders why I'm telling you things I've never told another person, things only Marton knows. The connection with you--this *trust*--is more than a little unsettling. But I don't turn my head, and I don't look away. I've spent my entire life trusting my instincts, honed by centuries of living a dangerous, double-edged life, and my instincts don't even question you.* Have you ever heard of the Janissaries?

crimsonkarl: Janissaries? I know only the barest details. You were in service to the Sultan, then?

harryvefali: His second in command. *Said quietly, without pride* I was selected to be in his service when I was seven, and rose through the ranks very quickly. In time I was in charge of his personal retinue--an aga. Commander. My skills were...highly prized and sought. *I take another long sip of the cognac, shifting slightly as memories return*

crimsonkarl: I cannot imagine. *As indeed, I cannot. What true knowledge I have of fighting, in all its forms, came after the Embrace, not before.* My own upbringing was quite privileged. Sheltered. *I laugh low at myself.* Although I am sure I felt as though I had a difficult life, at the time. Being forced to attend my lessons, day upon day... a great hardship for an active child.

harryvefali: I remember those days well. *Chuckles, draining my glass* I trained constantly. There wasn't much time left for...outside pleasures. My life was the unit and the men in it.

crimsonkarl: Still, I am sure you have stories, and far more interesting than mine. *I nudge your shoulder gently, not caring that we seem to have settled into leaning upon each other.* Childhood mischief is eternal and unchanging. Julia and her cousins played the same tricks upon me that I once played upon my elders. Still, you gave me a lovely image of your home. Let me see if I can match it. *I fall silent, thinking.*

crimsonkarl: I don't suppose you were ever inside Sainte-Chapelle?

harryvefali: *I nod slowly, remembering colorfully exotic stained glass and an overwhelming sense of peace and history* It's a beautiful cathedral. *I refill my glass, settling more comfortably against you* You lived near there?

crimsonkarl: In the morning, the sun would blaze through those glorious windows until all you could see was the colors, like jewels. Standing there felt like standing in the center of a rainbow, and the smell of the flowers was thick enough to lean upon. I remember thinking... I remember thinking Isabella would have loved it so.

harryvefali: *I lay my hand over yours, offering silent comfort. Your grief is a palbable thing, almost a living presence, and I wonder what you would be like without that veil* The picture you paint sounds lovely, indeed. *I say quietly, not wanting to break the spell of your words* Thank you for sharing it.

crimsonkarl: It is ironic, is it not? I have power over the spirits of the dead, but the one ghost I cannot lay to rest is the one who never truly haunted me: my wife. I stood there, through her requiem, and... *My voice trails off.* She was gone.

harryvefali: I know it's poor comfort, but it's good that she doesn't roam the earth, isn't it? *Giving your hand another reassuring squeeze* Perhaps she's at peace...whatever that is.

crimsonkarl: Yes, she is at peace... but I would have liked to say my goodbyes. *I sigh, and collect myself.* And so, I grow maudlin once more. *I glance at you.* I have not been the best of company this evening, but I thank you for your presence, all the same.

harryvefali: Your company has far surpassed my expectations. In truth, you are unlike any other Kindred I've ever met. *Quick grin* Which is a very good thing, as far as I'm concerned. Most are...teslim tarihi delmek. *Giving in to yet another impulse, I lean over and brush my lips across the smooth, cool satin of your cheek* Thank you for being better than that.

crimsonkarl: *The touch of your lips startles me, and I turn to meet your unblinking gaze.* Teslim tarihi delmek? *I stumble slightly over the unfamiliar words.* What does that mean?

harryvefali: Sightless bores. *A slight smile curves my lips* That's the polite translation, anyway.

crimsonkarl: *I find myself smiling with you.* I'll have to remember that. I can use it the next time the anziani demand my presence at council.

harryvefali: I have many such useful phrases. *Showing a small glimpse of teeth when my grin widens* Just be careful with them. Not many of our "exalted brethren"...*and no one would mistake my dry tone*...have bothered to learn Turkish, but there may be a few who understand.

crimsonkarl: Ah. *I wave my hand dismissively.* Most of our anziani still speak the old Venetian dialect instead of standard Italian. Why would they bother to learn the language of such a barbaric people? *I smile to let you know I do not mean it.*

harryvefali: Indeed. *Chuckling, dropping my head to the back of the sofa, peering at you through darkened, relaxed eyes* Ja dilek-ebil silmek belgili saye tanimlik--dan senin. [I would like to erase the sadness in your eyes]

crimsonkarl: *I look at you quizzically, but something tells me not to ask, so I close my mouth. I see something like invitation in your eyes, and I feel once more the gentle brush of your lips on my cheek. Impulsively, intending merely to return the salute, I lean towards you.*

harryvefali: *I raise my head slightly, my lips meeting yours in the barest suggestion of a kiss. You taste warm, of freshly baked bread, and I lean back in for another taste. I don't question why I'm doing this, why it feels right to do this--once again, you've managed to confound me. Gentle fingers slide through your hair, and I keep this kiss light, open.*

crimsonkarl: *I freeze for a heartbeat, shocked, when your lips meet mine. It has been a long time -- and never with another man. Your mouth tastes of exotic spices. and I do not resist when you pull me closer and kiss me again.*

harryvefali: *If it's possible for one of our kind to taste of innocence, then you do indeed taste of it. My tongue lightly traces your lips, coaxing them apart, and I cup the back of your neck to hold you in place for me as I familiarize myself with the texture of your mouth, that maddeningly elusive taste of bread and cognac and odd purity.*

crimsonkarl: *I hear a soft moan as you explore my mouth, and realize a moment later it is my own. My eyes slip closed, and my world narrows to just a few things: your mouth, the reassuring warmth of your hand on my neck, the solidity of your arm beneath my fingertips.*

harryvefali: *Your lips conform easily, and I settle amongst the plush cushions, pulling you with me until your chest is more firmly aligned with mine. The weight is a comforting one, and it's easy to glide into another lazy kiss, fingers still slipping through the soft silk of your hair, to tease and explore your mouth with my tongue.*

crimsonkarl: *It is longer than I can recall since anyone touched me with such easy intimacy. I have the sudden, strange thought that I am damned already, and it releases me to relax into you; I push aside that part of my mind that still clings stubbornly to mortal ideas, telling me this is wrong, and concentrate instead on how very right it feels.*

harryvefali: Sen tatmak-in ay isigi ['you taste of moonlight'] *I murmur the words along the smooth skin of your cheek, peering up at your flushed face and faintly bruised lips. Very softly, brushing my lips across yours in a whisper-soft caress, I lace our fingers together, start to slide our joined hands along your hip* I'll stop, if you like. *Sensing a bit of hesitation, guessing that this is new to you, not wanting to push our newly formed friendship so soon if that's not what you wish*

crimsonkarl: *My eyes are still closed as I search for words.* Please. *I don't know whether I mean "please stop" or "please continue." When you start to withdraw your hand, however, I don't let you. My decision is made.*

harryvefali: *I open my palm under yours, search your face quietly for second thoughts, for regret. There is none.* Is there someplace...*I stop, try again, give you another soft kiss before speaking* I would like for you to be comfortable, be it here or elsewhere.

crimsonkarl: I-- *My thoughts are whirling too much for speech, but I glance at the door to my bedchamber, discreetly hidden behind a painted screen. You follow my gaze, and I nod.*

harryvefali: *I stand, and pull you flush against me, fingertips trailing lightly along your forehead and cheeks, studying you in the reddish glow of the fire* I will stop whenever you ask. *Stating this simply, eyes locked with yours. Whatever happens between us this night, I would have no thoughts of coercion or regret. You nod once, and it's enough for me to take you by the hand and lead you to your chamber*

Concludes here

Un legame fra uomini

Wed, 19 Feb 2003 09:13:45 GMT

[OOC note. [J] is Julia--Karl's cousin]

crimsonkarl: *The home of the Prince of Paris is elegant, and reeks of money, not all of it new. I knock on the door, wondering what my reception will be. In the East, I would be met by a retainer, who would take the news of my presence to his Eminence. Here, things are not always so formal.* *A mortal answers my knock, and ushers me into an antechamber to wait.*

harryvefali: *I study the formal card, thumb grazing over the engraved lettering, and nod my acquiescence to the visit. Karl Urban--a high ranking Giovanni, if memory serves. I can't remember hearing too much about him, but his dealings were never in Europe, so I didn't concern myself too much. The worn leather of my chair creaks when I stand to greet this new guest to the City.*

crimsonkarl: *The Kindred who rises to greet me is neither the Prince, nor Ventrue by Embrace. I had thought those particular rumours were exaggerations, and still my face to conceal my shock. I nod in careful greeting.* Good evening.

harryvefali: Welcome to Paris. I'm Harry Sinclair--Seneschal to Marton Csokas, our Prince. *Your handshake is firm, and you hide your surprise very well. A point or two in your favor.* My apologies for not having him meet you himself, but he's in meetings all night. Would you care for a drink?

crimsonkarl: I would be honoured. *The rumours hinted only at an interloper near the Prince, certainly not so close as Seneschal. And Ravnos, unless I miss my guess. Oh, my stay here should prove diverting, if nothing else.* *Harry Sinclair -- it rings a bell. I search my mind for where I have heard your name before.*

harryvefali: *I open a fresh bottle of Malbec, and observe you as you move around the library. Elegant, graceful--used to the finer things in life--but with a hint of sadness in your stride. I find myself wondering about your demons* Are you in our fair City for business or pleasure?

crimsonkarl: Business. *The word comes out perhaps a bit too quickly, and I cannot hide a wince. Isabella's ring on my smallest finger catches the firelight, mocking me.*
crimsonkarl: Thank you. *I accept the glass you hand me absently. Thoughts of my business here remind me of where I have heard your name before.* You know a Msr. Sterne, with DeutschesBank?

harryvefali: Yes, we've done some business together. Why do you ask? *The dark, rich flavor of the wine glides along my tongue with each sip, and I finally move away from the bar, back to my chair. I gesture for you to take the seat across from me*

crimsonkarl: May I offer you some advice, from one man of business to another? *I sit where you indicate, and finally raise the glass to my lips. I raise an eyebrow, impressed.*

harryvefali: Any business advice from a Giovanni is indeed most welcome. Please continue.

crimsonkarl: Cut all ties. *I take another sip, savouring the wine, and watch as you think on this.*

harryvefali: *A raised eyebrow is all the reaction I show* I appreciate the advice. *If Sterne has upset your Clan, hell won't be far enough away from your wrath. I'd pity him, but the poor fool deserves it, I'm sure. It's understood, even among mortals, not to fuck with the Giovanni in business dealings* You'll have to allow me to return the favor one day. *A slight toast when I take my next sip, draining the glass* A refill?

crimsonkarl: Gladly. Even the finest sake pales beside this. *As I say it, I wonder why. Perhaps to spark your curiosity, for you have shown little reaction thus far.*
crimsonkarl: *I watch you as you pour the wine. You are of an age with me, or slightly older. I wonder how you have survived so long, a Ravnos in the Camarilla.*

harryvefali: Sake? *I leave the bottle beside me on the small table when I sit back down. You're studying me just as carefully as I am you--yet, I can sense no rancor in your demeanor. Somewhat of a rarity. Normally, a Ravnos is all anyone cares to see. Perfect for my job, but bothersome all the same.* Yes, I seem to remember hearing about you spending some time in the Far East. Where were you?

crimsonkarl: I spent most of my time in Tokyo. We have interests in Singapore as well, of course, and Hong Kong. *I smile wryly.* I should say, did have interests in Hong Kong.

harryvefali: Ouch. *Chuckling* How bad was the wreckage when you were finished?

crimsonkarl: We wish the Communists joy in their holdings. *I know the smile I wear is feral.* Luckily, we had moved most everything of importance before the British handed it over.

harryvefali: I think I like you, Msr. Urban. *Another laugh, relaxing back in my chair* Perhaps one day you'll allow me to tell you the story of the art dealer in Prague.

crimsonkarl: Perhaps. *I think I'll hold you to that, if you'll let me -- and more. Your every word makes me more curious. A Ravnos with true business acumen, a Ventrue with a sense of humour -- both in very short supply.*

harryvefali: Have you found lodgings yet? *Rubbing my fingers along the worn leather of my chair, suddenly conscious of the fact that the tension has left my body. For the first time since Miranda's betrayal, I'm utterly relaxed. Whether it's the company or the wine or both, I'm grateful*

crimsonkarl: Ah, yes. *I thank you silently for the conversational opening, and choose my words carefully.* I am here with my... cousin, Giulietta. *I stop, correct myself.* Julia. She has been in the city for several weeks now, and has arranged everything for me.

harryvefali: Quite the exceptional woman, then. My compliments. *Another smile* Is she in business, as well?

crimsonkarl: She wishes to study law, I believe. For the moment, she studies her music and acts as my chatelaine. I have no complaints. *I smile fondly, thinking of her.*

harryvefali: Music? *Straightening a bit in my chair, intrigued* She studies? What instrument?

crimsonkarl: Voice. She has engaged a private tutor for now, though I hope she will attend the Conservatoire next term. *Are you a lover of music, then, as well as business? You have surprised me again, then.*

harryvefali: A vocalist? *Immediately, my smile softens, and I sip my wine thoughtfully* If she would like to start attending the Conservatoire now, I'm a patron. I could arrange an appointment for her.

crimsonkarl: I should like that, but I cannot speak for her. *I laugh.* She is quite set on the law, you see.

harryvefali: She has a gift. She shouldn't treat it lightly.

crimsonkarl: So I tell her, as often as she will hear it. *I sigh.* Youth.

harryvefali: They say it's wasted, and some days I agree. *Refilling our glasses again, and setting the empty bottle aside* Perhaps I could introduce her to one of my protégés. Elijah is quite passionate--he might be able to persuade her along another path.

crimsonkarl: I would appreciate that, certainly.

harryvefali: I can see I've surprised you again. *Taking another sip of my wine, gaze settling on your hands. Artists' hands--long, tapered fingers, graceful palms, solid wrists. I wonder if you play, or if you're content to merely enjoy, as I do*

crimsonkarl: I will be hosting a reception in a fortnight. A business affair, primarily. Should I add your name to the guest list? *I sweeten the offer.* I hope to persuade Julia to perform for us.

harryvefali: I would be honored. I can't speak for Marton, but I'll try to be there. *I have to wonder why you're trying to curry my favor--the Giovanni are outside the Camarilla--but, perhaps you're simply being polite.*

crimsonkarl: *I relax slightly-- I have done what I can to ensure Giulietta's safety. The rest is up to her.* You may find it entertaining. *I let a small smile show, at the thought of the surprise awaiting Msr. Sterne.*

harryvefali: *I return the grin--small flash of white fangs in the soft glow of the lamps* I rarely find parties entertaining, Msr. Urban, but I believe I might be able to make an exception for you. However, I do have a piece of advice, if you're interested.

crimsonkarl: Yes?

harryvefali: *I study the last droplets of my wine as they slide along the glass, weighing each word carefully* My people have a saying. Tarafsizlik bkzbe onun kendi olum. *My eyes return to yours* It means 'neutrality is its own death'. Things in our world are not as they were...and this city is no exception. Be very careful of your steps.

crimsonkarl: *I watch you as carefully as you do your wine, trying to determine just how many of the stories I dismissed are, in fact, true.* The Treaty of 1528 binds your hands as tightly as it does ours. *I wonder how much you know of it, that time when the Camarilla all together did their best to destroy us.* But you need not fear for the Giovanni. We are protected by more than just the Treaty.

harryvefali: Truthfully, I'm not interested in your Clan. *Slight shrug, setting down my glass* I'm just trying to avoid more...unpleasantness. *Brief vision of Miranda--and my mouth tightens for the barest of seconds* You seem like an honorable man, so I don't believe you have much to worry about.

crimsonkarl: *More unpleasantness? I can see I will have to ask some new questions -- but that can wait.* I can assure you, the word of a Giovanni is good. All I ask is to be allowed to conduct my business. *I should regret letting my guard down, earlier, but find I cannot.*

harryvefali: Your affairs will remain your affairs, unless they affect Ventrue business. You have *my* word on that. *And it's not something I give lightly, or easily*

crimsonkarl: I shall, of course, make every effort to keep you informed when my interests, shall we say, conflict with yours. *Not that that will stop me. The Treaty says nothing about the mortal world of business, only Kindred politics. A game I cannot be bothered playing.*

harryvefali: I appreciate the thought. *For a split second, I find myself in envy of your status in our world. Answerable to no one. On days like today, when the weight of my world threatens to drown me in a river of black, the thought is a very tempting one.*

crimsonkarl: Tell me, Msr. Sinclair. *I decide to ignore caution in favor of forthrightness.* Is the... situation, here in Paris, as unsettled as the rumours say?

harryvefali: Well, now, that depends on what you've heard. *I stand, stretch slightly, and give you a considering look.* Grab your coat, Msr. Urban. I think this is a conversation best had over a long walk. *Away from Sean or anyone else that might be interested*

crimsonkarl: *There is someone in the household, then, who you do not trust. Interesting.* I have heard many things, some too fantastic to be true. Or so I thought. *I stand as well, and slide my arms into the coat. Automatically, my hand goes to the stones in the pocket.*
crimsonkarl: *I remember the wraith I felt as I entered, and wonder if the Prince is aware his home is haunted. I could bind it to me, but it amuses me to leave it. Ghosts can be quite useful at times, and I suspect this one may prove more useful than most.*

harryvefali: *I shrug into my overcoat and lead you out the back door. Immediately, the sharp wind slaps at our hair and clothing, and I turn my face up to watch the snow swirling in circles in the air* Alright, ask your questions. I cannot tell you everything, of course, but I'll make every effort to be as honest as possible. *Glancing over at you, watching your cheeks redden slightly under the wind*

crimsonkarl: The Tremere wish to take over Paris. *It is a statement, not a question, for when have the Tremere not plotted for power?*

harryvefali: *I nod, waiting for you to continue*

crimsonkarl: The Prince's hold upon his domain is not as secure as it once was? *I find I cannot say the rest -- blaming it upon you. Not that you were named as such, but who else could be the interloper, the cuckoo in the nest?*

harryvefali: The Prince has...*how to put it*...many outside interests. And absentee landlords don't normally keep their holdings. *I shove my hands deeper in my pockets, feet crunching along the ice as we move along the deserted sidewalk* He is back, however.

crimsonkarl: And you find yourself in conflict with the other Ventrue. *The Underworld is rife with tales, and it is sometimes hard to separate truth from fiction.* I have heard the Prince is on the outs with his own Childe. *I leave the statement hanging, wondering if you will speak on the subject, or ignore it.*

harryvefali: Msr. Urban, I find myself in conflict with the entire Kindred world. *Chuckling, the sound without rancor. It's the simple truth* As for the other...things between Marton and Sean are as they ever were. No more, no less.

crimsonkarl: Which tells me very little. *I smile, acknowledging your subtlety.* I am confused, however, by the Toreador. In one ear, I hear that they are firmly on-- *I consider using his name, discard it in favor of continued formality* --on the Prince's side. Meanwhile, in the other ear I hear that they have thrown in their lot with the Tremere. I freely admit that my sources are frequently somewhat... muddled.

harryvefali: The Toreador will, of course, choose whatever side will benefit them most. *As we both know* In truth, I've heard the same rumors. They're being investigated. *If Craig has thrown his weight in with the Tremere, I'll take great pleasure in personally killing him*

crimsonkarl: It never ceases to amaze me, that a clan with so little political acumen always seems to land on its feet. *I wonder if you can sense my personal antipathy towards the Toreador.* There is another rumour, one which disturbs me greatly. Perhaps more than it should, if I am as above Kindred politics as we Giovanni are supposed to be.

harryvefali: And which rumor is that? *Impatiently brushing my hair behind my ear when it whips around again*

crimsonkarl: *There is no easy way to say this.* The Sabbat are eyeing Paris.

harryvefali: *Nods, my respect for your source of information growing*

crimsonkarl: With the situation as it is, the city looks to be easy pickings. *I speak carefully and deliberately.* If the Camarilla are as divided as they seem, well... By the time your conflicts are resolved, there may be nothing left to rule. They took all of California, just that way. They are masters at seizing whatever opportunity presents itself.

harryvefali: *Nods again...that's certainly not news to me* Ventrue will not give up its hold on this city. And I believe the Toreador will back the Ventrue. *The snow falls heavier, giant flakes falling silently on the pavement* We are not California. I won't let Marton fall.

crimsonkarl: I certainly hope so. The Camarilla are much easier to do business with than the Sabbat. *I grin.* I would rather work with the Eastern Kindred once more!

harryvefali: Are they so different from us?

crimsonkarl: If I were not so sure they harboured the same Beast as we, I would hesitate to call them Kindred. They are certainly not Cainites!

harryvefali: *Glancing at you* How so?

crimsonkarl: Did you know that the Cathayans are not Embraced? They are, instead, resurrected. Brought back from the dead, like Lazarus.

harryvefali: I've heard that, yes. It's true?

crimsonkarl: I was given the honour of attending one such resurrection, myself, and I can assure you it is true. *I smile.* I believe it was meant as a salutary lesson, as they killed the poor creature as soon as we established that it was indeed Kindred.
crimsonkarl: I have little idea how it works, however. I refrained from asking questions once I saw what they did to the Tremere who was not so circumspect.

harryvefali: Fascinating. *Smiles* Unfortunately, I don't travel as often as I'd like these days. We used to, though.

crimsonkarl: I find I miss the East. *A sigh.* It is not an easy place for a Westerner to do business, but I found a sort of peace there. *I rub Isabella's ring unconsciously, turning it on my finger as we walk.*

harryvefali: Peace from your demons? *Watching the glint of the ring--wedding ring, if I'm not mistaken--on your finger from the streetlamp*

crimsonkarl: Perhaps they are simply louder here. I know not. *I speak into the wind.* I loved this city-- your city-- once. I have spent the better part of two centuries avoiding it. Now I am ordered to return.

harryvefali: I can understand that. *Looking around, speaking quietly* She's been my place of residence for centuries, but she's not...home.

crimsonkarl: No, that is Venice, I suppose, if anywhere for me. That decaying ruin of a palazzo... *I shake myself sharply.* Forgive me, Msr. Sinclair. I find that being back in Paris makes me rather maudlin.

harryvefali: Harry. *I flash you a quick grin* I'm not as formal as others in my adopted clan are. *Not that I'd need to tell you this...I'm fairly certain you have it figured out* How long has she been gone?

crimsonkarl: *Two hundred and eighteen years, seven months, and three days.* Two centuries. Long enough to have forgotten, one would think.

harryvefali: My people have another saying...Bellek bkzbe sonsuz. Memory is eternal. *I stop and face you, watching the snow melt in your hair, fascinated by the contrast* I hope the joy was worth it.

crimsonkarl: *I stop as well, stunned by your simple reminder. Joy. The joy I had forgotten under the weight of guilt. I stop and turn my face up to the falling snow, not caring if you can see the telltale streaks on my face.* Worth every moment... Harry. *I think of Isabella and, for the first time, I smile.*

harryvefali: *My thumb brushes across a tear track, faint red smudge against your cheek* Hold onto the joy. *Smiling back* It's all we have in our world to cling to.

crimsonkarl: *I lean unconsciously into the touch and simply say* Thank you.

harryvefali: You're welcome. *My hand stays on your cheek--cool, smooth, like fine glass--for another moment before I drop it.*

crimsonkarl: *We are deep in the night, but across the street, a drunken reveller makes his unsteady way home. I can smell him, the rich alcoholic tang of his blood calling to the Beast within me. I realize with a start that the strong emotions you have stirred within me have consumed all the blood I so carefully took this evening. Causing the death of that hapless passersby is hardly a fitting return for the unexpected hospitality-- and kindness-- you have shown me.* I should-- *I stop, not knowing how to say it.*

harryvefali: *The call of the Hunt is thrumming through you in sharp waves, and yet you stay still, allow the mortal to pass by unharmed. It's a remarkable gesture of respect, and once again I find myself surprised by you. I can offer no less of a gesture* Allow me. *I hold my wrist up to your lips, eyes locked with yours*

crimsonkarl: *The offer is tempting, but I stare at you, wondering if you know the double-edged sword you are handing me. I suspect you do, and I remind myself not to underestimate you as I wrap my hands around your wrist and open my mouth*
crimsonkarl: *The taste is heaven, eden and perfume and the heady notes of the wine we both drank earlier. I am transported back to my first experience of the Vitae. It is a struggle to take only what I need, and release you.* Thank you. *My voice is hoarse, my breath, if I had need of such, coming quickly.*

harryvefali: *Ripples of pain and bliss hum along my veins, and I have to place a hand on your shoulder for a moment to steady myself. It's been so long since I've done this for another--and the *only* other had been Marton.* You're welcome. *Softly, pleased that my voice is mostly steady*

crimsonkarl: *I wait until I can trust my voice before speaking again.* I had not expected... to find a willing donor among the Camarilla. Again, I thank you.

harryvefali: Ah, but I'm *not* part of the Camarilla, even though I align myself with them. *Quick smile, and I give you a small wink* But, I suppose tainted Ravnos blood will do in a pinch.

crimsonkarl: There is no taint in your blood. *My voice is perhaps a shade too forceful, and the smallest of shivers runs through me at the memory.* There are those who would argue, but they would also say you had besmirched yourself indelibly, offering to me.

harryvefali: *I turn and start walking back the way we came, waiting for you to fall into step beside me before speaking* I'm sure you've heard all of the rumours and stories, Msr. Urban. In truth, I have nothing to besmirch.

crimsonkarl: We are daubed with the same brush, then. *I smile.* And that mutual taint has done neither of us harm.
crimsonkarl: Call me Karl, please. It is truly the least I can do... now.

harryvefali: Karl, then. Thank you. *Testing your name on my tongue, liking the weight* We both seem to have survived. *Another glance in your direction, burrowing deeper in my coat* To the disappointment of more than a few...at least, as far as I'm concerned.

crimsonkarl: *I laugh.* It is good to know one's enemies, don't you find? It makes it that much more satisfying when you outmaneuver them.

harryvefali: People will always underestimate me. *My smile is dark, feral* A very useful tool in my line of work.

crimsonkarl: I have no intention of underestimating you... Harry. *I smile to match you.* It seems to me an altogether foolish thing to do.

harryvefali: Ah, but you...you are different, Karl. You live outside the rules, just as I do. *This time, my smile is genuine* You would be a worthy opponent. *It's the highest compliment a Janissary can give...not that I expect you to know anything about who I was in my mortal life*

crimsonkarl: I certainly hope never to find out. *My words are more heartfelt than even I expect.*

harryvefali: *The back of my hand brushes along yours in a reassuring gesture* That would make two of us.

crimsonkarl: We are allies, then? *I slant a glance of amusement your way.* The Treaty says nothing about our dealings with Ravnos. So... we would be breaking no rules, is that right? Or no more than usual, at least.

harryvefali: I break the rules every night, just by being who I am. *I stop just outside my gate, thinking over your words. Sean would, undoubtedly, have much to say about this subject...as would many others. Ah, well, let them talk. Let them scheme. I meet your gaze steadily.* *You* and *I* are allies, yes.

crimsonkarl: *I raise an eyebrow* I can hardly ally myself with anyone else, can I? Not without risking the full wrath of the Camarilla upon my clan.

harryvefali: Just so we're clear. *Slight shrug* It's not you, it's...recent events.

crimsonkarl: *It is odd how instinctively I trust you. I could teach you our every secret, I think, and have no fear that you would ever betray us. Not that I would. There are some things bred to the bone in me, and no amount of trust could wash them out.* As the only *doppio sangue* in Paris, my word is binding to us all, but if you wish, I will keep this between you and I alone.

harryvefali: For the moment, it would be best. *Just until the bitter taste of Miranda leaves me* I can speak for the Ventrue, but not tonight. Not right now. *I lean forward and brush my lips against your cheek, breathing the words along your skin* Benim kelime bkzbe benim bono sana. */My word is my bond to you/*

crimsonkarl: *I both understand and do not understand your words, but they prickle across my skin and raise the hairs on the back of my neck. This is a deeper magic by far than any of my toying with wraiths, this business of honour and a bond between men.* I give you my word.

harryvefali: I thank you for the gift. *Again, I'm reminded of another night, another vampire, another life.* Come, let's get inside. I push open the gate, and lead you back into the library, shedding my coat as the heat from the newly lit fire hits my skin*

crimsonkarl: *I linger by the door a moment, acquainting myself with your little haunt. When you look askance at me, I smile.* Did you know you have a ghost?

harryvefali: No, actually, I didn't. *But I'm not surprised. This house is very old.

crimsonkarl: It's a happy one, at least. She'd have let you know if she was angry. *She practically fawned over me, in fact, so glad someone finally noticed her. I debate the morals of it, decide it is not contrary to the word I just gave you if I only ask her about the others in the house. After all, I have not given my word to them.*

harryvefali: Somehow, I'm not surprised that it's a woman. *Quiet chuckle* We need the balance in this house.

crimsonkarl: No chatelaine, then? A shame. A woman's touch brings much to a home.

harryvefali: Well, there's Elsa. But she spends much of her time in the kitchens. True chatelaines are in short supply.

crimsonkarl: A shame I cannot spare Giulietta, then. *I stop, smile.* Julia. She wishes to be called Julia.

harryvefali: I look forward to meeting her. *Returning your smile* Even though I prefer her given name.

crimsonkarl: As do I. It is hard to remember, when she has been Giulietta since she was but a tiny babe in a cradle.

harryvefali: Ah, well, as we both know, change is inevitable. Much as we would wish some things remain as they are. If she truly prefers such a bland name, I can respect that wish.

crimsonkarl: *I debate what I am about to say.* I should like you to meet her -- before the reception. *I want to know what she thinks of you: I remember her startling comments last night.*

harryvefali: I would be most pleased to make her acquaintance. *I bow my head slightly, acknowledging the honor you do me. Family is everything to your clan*

crimsonkarl: I can take you there now, if you wish, or you are welcome to visit us any time. *I need to warn you.* Take care that I am there, when you come the first time. We are allies, but I need to tell-- it is necessary that my defenses be allowed to recognize you. *Not least Giulietta, who would thrust a wraith inside you and have you Skinwalked before you knew what hit you. It is not a comfortable experience, and I am grateful she has learned control.*
crimsonkarl: *I realize suddenly that I have taken up a great deal of your time, this evening.* I am sorry, I've kept you from your business.

harryvefali: You've kept me from nothing. *Another smile* In truth, I would love to visit. The distraction would be...welcome.

crimsonkarl: It is rather a long walk, I fear. *I shrug. The weather is a nuisance, nothing more.*

harryvefali: I don't mind the walk. Unless, of course, you have plans? *Your sudden reticence seems a little odd--perhaps you've realized exactly what it is you've gotten yourself into, and you're having second thoughts*

crimsonkarl: *Something nags at the back of my mind; a fact forgotten, or a task left undone. I cannot pin it down.* Not at all. I should hate to inconvenience the Prince's Seneschal. *I smile.* I cannot offer you such hospitality as you have shown me, as my house is still in disarray from my arrival.

harryvefali: I'll be sure not to look at the boxes. *Reaching once again for my overcoat* My time is my own this evening...and a change of pace would be nice, I must admit.

crimsonkarl: Very well, then. *I pause again at the doorway, and reassure your little ghost that I will return.*
crimsonkarl: *I wait until we are outside before asking.* Have you never felt anything, just there at the door? I cannot imagine that she has not tried to get your attention before now.

harryvefali: Sometimes I've felt a chill. *I flip my collar up to ward off the wind again* Thought it was a draft. Be sure to offer her my apologies.

crimsonkarl: I will. *I feel torn, but only for a moment.* You could tell her, as well. She can hear you, even if you cannot hear her. *Before, we walked aimlessly, but now I lead you with purpose, towards the river. We turn and follow its gentle curve.*

harryvefali: She must have some very interesting stories to tell, then. *Watching you out of the corner of my eye as we walk along the snow-lined sidewalk. I wonder what she'll tell you--and what you'll ask*

crimsonkarl: I did not ask. *I phrase it carefully. We walk quickly, in deference to the wind. The Tuileries Gardens are hushed and silent beneath their layer of snow. I nod towards the pyramid of the Louvre.* I cannot get used to that.

harryvefali: Imagine watching them build it. *Small shudder of distaste as we walk past* Much has changed since you were last here.

crimsonkarl: Yes, much has. *I smile and lead you across the Pont Neuf, to the Ile de la Cite.* And some things never change. This bridge is one of the few I remember. Still, I suppose it is just as well.
crimsonkarl: It is easier to return when it feels a different city.

harryvefali: Istanbul is like that for me. Every time I go back, I feel my past slipping away from me. I find myself clinging to the familiar.

crimsonkarl: Even this isle has changed, almost beyond recognition. Were it not for Notre-Dame and Sainte-Chappelle, I would doubt I was in Paris at all. At least Baron Haussman did not get his hands on the Ile St-Louis.
crimsonkarl: *We cross the Pont St-Louis, and I lead you to my home. On the third floor, the light I left in my study still burns.* Welcome.

harryvefali: *I step inside the door, taking a measuring look around.* I like the look of it. Very nice--elegant. Understated. *Much like my first impression of you, now that I think on it*

crimsonkarl: Thank you. Please do tell Julia, as well. *I start to lead you towards the sitting room on the first floor before remembering that it is filled with boxes.* I'm afraid my study is the only haven, at the moment. This way. Make yourself comfortable, and I will-- *I stop abruptly, staring at Giulietta where she sleeps curled up in my chair.* This is unexpected. *I gaze down at her. Her hair has drifted across her face, and as I push the wild, soft cloud of it back, she wakes.*

crimsonkarl: [J]Zio. *She smiles radiantly up at me.* I couldn't sleep, so I waited for you.

crimsonkarl: I can see that. I have someone you should meet. *I gesture to you* Julia, this is Msr. Sinclair, Seneschal of Paris. Harry, may I introduce Julia Maria Giovanni?

crimsonkarl: [J]Piacere, Monsieur. *My mouth quirks at her choice of words. Her cheeks are pink, but she drops a proper curtsey as though she were not barefoot and wearing the ruffled flannel sleeping gown of a young girl.*

harryvefali: *I bow as I kiss the back of her hand, charmed at her youth and beauty* Il piacere appartiene a me, mia signora. Your cousin tells me you sing? *Sparing you an approving smile before returning my attention to the charming vision in front of me*

crimsonkarl: [J] Si, Msr. Sinclair. *I notice she makes no effort to take back her hand, a good sign.* Since I was quite small. *Her cheeks flame brighter.* Oh, my manners. Can I get you anything? Zio?

crimsonkarl: Harry? I do have some Armagnac, if you wish.

harryvefali: A glass would be lovely. *Reluctantly letting go of Julia's hand, watching the gentle sway of her hips as she moves to the small bar.* I'm a patron of the arts...perhaps you'll do me the honor of letting me hear you sing one evening. *Again, I give you another approving smile. She is quite lovely--the looks seem to run in the family*

crimsonkarl: [J] I should like that, Msr. Sinclair. *Quite properly, she serves you first.*

crimsonkarl: I believe I have persuaded Harry to come to the reception, Julia. *She hands me my own snifter with a kiss.*

crimsonkarl: [J] Oh, would you, please? *She turns beseechingly to you.* It is so much easier when there is a friendly face.

harryvefali: I would be honored to be your guest. *Taking a small sip of the amber liquid*

crimsonkarl: [J] Thank you. *The smile she turns on you is genuine. When she turns back to me, I realize she has decided she likes you, without reservation.* Mon oncle, do you need anything further?

crimsonkarl: No, Julia. Unless-- *I look at you.*

harryvefali: *I return your gaze, struck by the enormity of the gift you are offering me. In truth, I do need to feed. Having you feed from me just about drained my reserves.* Are you certain? *I direct the question to Julia, wanting to assure her that I will take nothing that isn't freely given*

crimsonkarl: [J] *Her eyes flick to mine.* Yes, Msr. Sinclair. *Her voice is steady, but I can see the tension in her posture as she braces herself for expected pain.*

harryvefali: The Ravnos embrace doesn't hurt, child. *Smiling at her obvious distress* In fact, I've been told it's pleasurable.

crimsonkarl: [J] But... *She worries her lower lip between her teeth and glances at me again. I nod once, and she moves closer to you. Her voice this time is much smaller.* The wrist or the throat, Monsieur? *Her hand comes up, working at the ribbons that hold the high neck of her gown closed.*

harryvefali: *My hand closes gently over hers, and I place a small kiss at the fluttering pulsepoint of her wrist* This is fine. *I search her eyes again, and find only acceptance. My fangs pierce the soft flesh a moment later, and the heady, young taste coats my tongue, reminds me of lazy summers and cloudless skies*

crimsonkarl: *I watch her swoon in your arms and feel an unaccountable surge of jealousy. Not for her, though it is true she has been mine alone since she was old enough to know what we are. No, I envy you that which I can never have -- blood freely offered, given without pain. I look away.*

harryvefali: *I pull away reluctantly, licking the wound closed with the flat side of my tongue before dropping another kiss there, and smiling into her sleepily sated eyes* I thank you for your gift. *A slight bow, the new blood humming sweetly in my veins*

crimsonkarl: [J] I... you are welcome, Monsieur. *She smiles slowly in return.* Zio? *Sweet though I know she is, I shake my head, wanting her to have one sweet memory of the embrace, at least.*

crimsonkarl: [J] I believe... *She lifts a hand to cover her yawn and stretches, back rolling like the kitten I once called her.* I should rest now.

harryvefali: *I watch as she gives you a soft kiss goodnight, and am slightly surprised--and touched--when she leans up and pecks my cheek before silently leaving the room* Remarkable young lady.

crimsonkarl: Yes, she is. *I smile fondly.* She reminds me of my Isabella, sometimes.

harryvefali: Your wife? *Picking my glass up again, taking a sip*

crimsonkarl: Yes. *I gesture with my own glass, at the miniature displayed on the side table.* Also Julia's *I count silently* four times great-grandmother.

harryvefali: You had children with her? *Fascinated, picking up the frame, studying the portrait* She was exceptionally beautiful.

crimsonkarl: One son. *I sigh.* He never forgave me... for her death.

harryvefali: I am sorry. *Setting the miniature back on the table* I take it her death was...unexpected?

crimsonkarl: You could say that. She was killed. *I stop abruptly.*

continued here...

Sat, 15 Feb 2003 22:16:57 GMT

The glass of wine was untouched when Harry slid it back across the bar and stood. He swiftly made his way outside, lost in the shadows, snow falling in soft swirls along the cobbled pavement. No real idea how long he walked, lost in thought, in memory, in regret.

For the first time in Harry's long life, Marton's faith in him had been tarnished.

Miranda's betrayal was insignificant in the grand scheme of things--she'd served her purpose as a source of information, and, in truth, Harry had always known that she wouldn't be strong enough to stand against her Elders. Her need to belong was too great. But Marton wouldn't see that her information was far greater than the small amount of damage she'd done. All he saw--all Bean saw--was Harry consorting with the enemy. Never mind that this was Harry's job, that this was something he'd done many times in the past. Information at any price. He excelled at it.

The fact that Marton wouldn't trust him to take care of the problem *was* a source of concern, however. Without this, without his identity as Marton's second in command, he was nothing. Marton fully knew this--and had refused his request, anyway. In his heart, Harry knew it would be just a matter of time before Sean managed to succeed in his goal. The seeds were already there.

Harry knew he could leave, take Dom, go underground, and live a very long life, far away from all of this. After all, subterfuge, hiding, blending in, making things disappear--that was his art, his gift. No one would find them. But, he knew he wouldn't leave. Couldn't leave. His soul belonged to Marton.

The die is cast

Sat, 15 Feb 2003 19:13:54 GMT

DarkMartonV: Je suis pas intéressés par excuses. Font se que vous avez à font à trouver le Luc. *The leather of my oversized chair molds to my body as I speak on the phone...I hear the door opening slowly, too slowly I think and I turn to see who it is that is coming through though I already have an idea before I turn...I motion for you to come in, taking in the expression on your face and wondering what news it is you are bringing to me* Une moment Luc. *I cover the phone with one hand as I address you* What is it, Harry?

harryvefali: It's important, Marton. *I softly close the door behind me, and lean against the heavy wood, face and body impassive, but the icy rage of betrayal simmers just under the surface*

DarkMartonV: *i can feel the tension pulsing within you from across the room and I turn back to my desk before speaking quietly into the phone* Nous vouloir parler ultérieur. Au revoir. *After replacing the phone, I swivel my chair around so that I am facing you, my body absorping the tightness of the air that has shifted since you have come inside of the room* What is it? *My eyes narrow as I look at you, through you, wondering what it is that put you in this state*

harryvefali: It's Miranda. *Simply, not moving, not *trusting* myself to move just yet. The heavy oak paneling digs into my back, but I pay it no attention. All of my attention is on you* It seems she's a true Tremere after all.

DarkMartonV: *I keep my eyes trained on you, watching your non-movement which is as telling as your movement...I tighten my grip on the arm of my chair at the mention of Tremere, hearing the crinkle of the leather as it begins to tear, my fingers pressing harder than I expected causing the leather to tear as easily as paper* And tell me. How exactly did you find this to be true?

harryvefali: Remember the rituals she warned me her Clan was practicing? *At your slow nod, I push myself from the door and move to the small bar, needing the sharp taste of alcohol to wash the bitterness from my mouth. I'd given the offer of my protection, and this is how she would repay me.* It seems they sent her to spy on us, gather intelligence. The mirrors. *My nails dig into heavy crystal, gouging the glass, and I have to make a conscious effort to relax my grip on the decanter* To her minimal credit, she did manage to let me know what she was doing. Not that it wasn't obvious. I've had the downstairs mirrors removed, of course. *Keeping my tone business-like, pouring myself a healthy glass of whiskey* She's never been upstairs, so I don't believe that will be a concern.

DarkMartonV: *I tighten my focus on you, my gaze never wavering as you speak, even as you move across the room, my eyes follow, taking in every gesture, every motion, cataloguing them as I listen to your words* She's never been upstairs. *I repeat the words quietly, biting back on the heat that is rising within me...Instead, I purse my lips and bring my fingertips together as if in prayer, though there is no one for me to pray to in this life* The fact of the matter is, she should never have had opportunity to do any of it. She had no business here.

harryvefali: Yes, you did. *I take a swallow of my drink, feeling the sharp burn, and it deadens a bit of the bitterness I feel for having disappointed you.* I'll make it right. You don't have to worry about that.

DarkMartonV: I'm not worried. *I slowly lower my hands to my lap, letting them each rest on a knee, as I keep my body close to rigid, tight and steadfast* She'll be dealt with accordingly.

harryvefali: *I set the glass on the bar and finally cross the room to you, and kneel beside your chair, looking up at you. I capture one of your icy hands in mine, rubbing along your knuckles absently* I would ask to take care of this myself. She's my problem--I should be the one to handle it.

DarkMartonV: *I look down at you, your eyes shimmering even in the darkness of the room..I speak to you quietly, evenly* The moment she betrayed you, it became my problem. I will see that it is handled.

harryvefali: I'm asking, segvi. *Squeezing your hand*

DarkMartonV: And I am telling you. It will be handled.

harryvefali: Fine. *I stand, and take a step back* I'll be at the offices, if you should need me. *My face betrays none of my turmoil as I turn from you and walk towards the door*

DarkMartonV: *I sit back in the chair, watching you walk away from me* I'll handle it, Harry. *Knowing the way that your mind is working, wanting to reiterate my words*

harryvefali: That's what I'm afraid of. *Softly throwing the remark over my shoulder before stepping out of the door*

The Hunt...

Tue, 11 Feb 2003 08:58:34 GMT

The throbbing bass beat assaulted Harry's ears the second he stepped into Les Volier, and the heavy scent of blood and sweat called to him to feast, to take. He resisted the call, ignored his baser whims.

He would feast on blood tonight. But it would be the blood of his enemy.

He made himself as visible as possible while moving slowly through the sinuously swaying crowd--nodding to fellow Ventrue, speaking with other Toreador. He was careful to mention his new pet when asked about his current domestic situation. Dom would loathe being talked about as a prize or as fodder for blood, but it was something that the other vampires would understand. And word would reach Andrea before Harry even made it to the other side of the club.

The bar was teeming with people when Harry stepped up and ordered two shots of vodka. He waited, patient, surveyed the crowd. Bided his time until Andrea took the bait.

He didn't have to wait long.

"I hear you have something of mine," Andrea stated by way of greeting, low voice cutting through the heavy beat like a serrated knife.

"I might," Harry replied, finishing his second shot. "I have many possessions."

"Oh, I think you'd remember this one." Dark eyes smiled into Harry's with all of the warmth of winter. "I trained him myself."

"My compliments, then. He's exceptional."

"He's mine," Andrea retorted, snapping the stem of his martini glass.

"It would seem not, since you were so careless as to lose him."

"How much?"

Harry smiled and gave Andrea a seductive wink. "Depends on what you're willing to pay. I have need of his...talents."

"You truly are a Ravnos, aren't you?" Andrea spat out contemptuously. "Always thinking of your own twisted pleasures before honor. He killed my Childe--I would demand satisfaction."

"And you shall have it for the correct price." Harry stood, slid his empty glass across the bar. "We shall discuss this at a more convenient time...someplace away from curious ears. I have a reputation in this city to protect."

"Of course," Andrea replied, once again the very picture of elegance. "I understand, Seneschal."

"See that you do."

Entirely too easy...it puzzled Harry for a moment that Dom would be so frightened of such a transparent, weak creature, but then he remembered that Dom was mortal. Human. To him, even someone of Andrea's limited strength would seem godlike and powerful.

The alleyways were quiet--the bitter chill sending all but the hardiest and most desperate indoors. Perfect. A witness would only complicate matters.

Harry turned another corner, pushed back along one brick wall, sank deeper into the shadows. Waited, once again, until he heard the almost imperceptible footsteps behind him. His hand flashed out, too fast to be a blur, wrapped around Andrea's neck, nails digging into pale flesh.

"Looking for someone?"

Harry's fangs sank deep into Andrea's throat a second later, ripping at the skin, blood gushing from the open vein. The taste ripped along Harry's lips like rancid wine, the foulness of it overwhelming. Andrea struggled, hands clawing along Harry's back, and Harry slammed him into the wall, pinned him, and continued to drink the other vampire's lifeblood until he was dizzy, choking on the bitter taste, and Andrea ceased moving. Only then did he pull back, and watched as Andrea slumped to the filthy pavement, head lolling to his side.

Harry took a long look at the vampire, the man who haunted Dom's nightmares, who had used fear and brutality to keep Dom chained up like a trained dog. His only regret was that Dom couldn't be here to witness this, to see exactly how pathetic this spectre really was.

Andrea made only one weak, half-hearted moan of protest when Harry quickly removed the lighter fluid from his coat pocket and liberally coated Andrea's clothes with it. He took a step back, threw the container onto Andrea's lap, and lit a match, watched the flame dance in the chill wind. Smiled when Andrea's dazed eyes widened in disbelief and fear.

"Dom wanted you to burn," Harry stated.

He was still smiling when he dropped the match.

Dom Comes Home

Tue, 04 Feb 2003 00:30:21 GMT

[private conversation, directly follows this]

harryvefali: *I'm sure I'm wearing a hole in the carpet as I snap out instructions on my cellphone in rapid French. Dominic has been away much too long, and the search for him has turned up nothing.*

dominM: *I open the door and race inside relatively sure that Andrea hasn't followed me home. My breathing is loud in my ears and my heartbeat so ragged and shocky it's frightening. I turn around quickly and fasten the locks, leaning against the door and watching the rain from my coat drip heavily onto the carpet. I'm safe now...safe...*

harryvefali: *I stroll into the hallway, dropping the phone, unnoticed on the floor, and take you in my arms, hands racing over you to make sure you're alright* Dom. Where've you been? You're shaking.

dominM: Harry... *I hate the sound of my voice...so empty and flat...so much like the old me it hurts. I push aside your hands and bury my face in your shoulder...forcing the shivers to subside...willing your arms to wrap around me.* Harry... *I repeat myself over and over...your name the only word to escape my lips.*

harryvefali: *Pulling you close to me, rocking you back and forth in my embrace* It's alright, love. I promise. *You're still shaking, still trembling on the inside, and the fear pouring out of you scares me* You're safe.

dominM: Safe? *I push away from you and run to the window.* I'm not safe here Harry...I'm not safe anywhere. *You move behind me...confused at my actions...but I don't give a fuck, not now...it doesn't matter anymore. I lean my face against the glass, cool moisture on my skin and turn around slowly and sink to the floor.* Fuck...oh god...fuck. *You kneel next to me, put your hands on my shoulders and shake me gently.*

harryvefali: Tell me what happened. *I keep my hands on you, trying to center you, to calm you* And breathe, love. I promise you that no one can get to you in this house.

dominM: *I laugh hysterically in your embrace and absently wonder if I'm having a breakdown. Your calm words make me angry...I have no idea why...and I shove at your chest, pounding you roughly, trying to hurt you, craving freedom yet needing to be held.* You're fucking wrong Harry. He may not have followed me home but he'll find me...the bastard always does.

harryvefali: *I clamp down on your wrists, shaking you again, looking deep into your eyes, ignoring the hysteria* You saw Andrea? *I think back to Craig's note...and a calm rage settles over me. If he's here, then I'll find him. And finish this.*

dominM: Yes...I saw him Harry...and I ran from him like a fucking coward. *My voice quiets...I'm so damn afraid...and I stop fighting against your strength.* I told you he was here...that he was coming for me but you didn't believe me...you didn't think he was in Paris... *Your expression changes slightly and now it's me who's confused.* Tell me you didn't know he was here.

harryvefali: *Quietly, gentling my hands on your wrists* I knew he might come. But my people haven't been able to find him for three weeks. When a vampire decides to hide, it's hard to track him down.

dominM: Why did you think that Harry? Who told you? *I'm shouting now...raging against you...helpless against my outbursts. Then I stop, deflated, my power gone. When I finally speak my voice sounds flatter than before.* You never said a fucking thing to me.

harryvefali: I didn't want to worry you. *Sitting back, watching you carefully* I'd hoped to take care of it before it became a problem. Rest assured, now that I know he's in Paris, I *will* get it taken care of. Tonight, if I can get a head start.

dominM: You didn't want to worry me? Fuck you Harry...he could have killed me tonight. *I turn away from you for a minute, unstable and unsure. I speak without turning around.* I'm happy to see you would have avenged me.

harryvefali: I'm sorry. *I watch you for another long minute, then finally stand when you don't move* I should be home before dawn. *Going to the closet and grabbing my coat*

dominM: Where are you going? God...Harry...don't go...I'm sorry...fuck...I'm so sorry... *I sound hysterical and unhinged...why the fuck would you want to stay with me when I'm acting like this? I pull at your arm, taking the coat from your hands and flinging it to the floor. I stare at you, trying to be calm, but nearly out of my mind.*

harryvefali: *I gently frame your face in my hands, studying you* I'm going to find him. And I'm going to kill him. Then I'll be back. You'll be safe here...Marton and Sean are both home. You're under their protection.

dominM: Please don't go Harry... *I close my eyes and drift against your hands.* Andrea will kill you...I don't want to be here...if you die.

harryvefali: He's not going to kill me. *Unable to keep the quiet pride from my voice, fingers moving over your cheeks, and chin* I realize that he seems all-powerful to you, but he's not. He's a child in the Kindred world.

dominM: *I open my eyes and stare into your dark brown orbs.* I want him to die Harry...but you don't know him...he may be a child...but he's smart. If he knows about me, then he probably knows about you...and that means he'll be waiting. *I shudder hard and say a silent prayer.* And planning for you.

harryvefali: I wish him luck in finding out anything about me. *Kissing the top of your head* Aside from Marton and Sean, there are perhaps one or two people who know my entire history. *Softly* Trust me.

dominM: You never answered me...how did you know he might me here? Who told you? *I watch as your expression darkens, the set to your mouth angry and firm.* Harry?

harryvefali: Craig sent for him. *Flatly*

dominM: *I melt against the wall succombing to the chill of my damp clothes. Craig...I immediately curse him...the fucking evil bastard.* He hates me. * It takes all my strength to lean forward and kiss your cheek.* You should have told me Harry.

harryvefali: I know. I'm sorry. *I fleetingly touch your cheek again before bending to pick up my coat* I need to leave, though, if I hope to find him before dawn. Will you be alright? Should I call for Miranda or Dave to come over?

dominM: *I shake my head and silently beg you to change your mind and stay here and keep me safe. I think of Andrea out there somewhere, hunting me and now maybe hunting you.* Craig know your history Harry...didn't you think of that? And he certainly doesn't like you.

harryvefali: Craig knows *nothing* about me, love. All he knows is what I've allowed him to know. *I shrug into my coat, and pick up my cellphone, leaving a quick message for Marton* Don't leave the house until I get back. *I place a swift kiss to your lips, silencing your protests with a finger* I love you. I'll be home soon. *I sweep out of the house, silent and swift, swallowed in the darkness a moment later*

We are eternal

Fri, 31 Jan 2003 18:42:15 GMT

dominM: * I'm sitting in Fleur, watching the rain cascade down the windows and drowning my sorrows in a hot cup of tea after getting drunk at a bar a couple of blocks away that Miranda recommended last week. I know it's late but I'd rather not face Harry looking like the total mess that I am. The thought that he might be worried pains me for a bit but then my whiskey clouded brain reminds me that he probably doesn't even know I'm missing...not with Marton in the house. I wrap my arms across my chest to ward off the chill that hits every time the front door opens.*

harryvefali: *Rain drips down under the collar of my jacket, soaking my hair as I race from my car to the door. Dave had returned my call earlier, telling me that Dom was at Fleur and safe. I'd been worried, searching for him, made a few phone calls to Dave and Miranda, hoping he'd have gone to one of them. I know having Marton back has been hard on him, but I don't know how else to reassure Dom that I'm not deserting him. Wind gusts in when I open the door, and I see you sitting at a small table, so small and vulnerable as you sip your tea. Our eyes connect, and yours widen. You thought I wouldn't come for you?* Hello, Dom. *I rub the worst of the rain out of my hair as I make my way towards your table*

dominM: *When you walk into Fleur I'm breathless. Your long dark hair drips water over your sculpted face and lashes, running in rivlets down your coat and I gasp at the sheer burst of longing within me. For some reason you remind me very much of the first time I saw you at Les Voiler, your power and grace at home in any setting. I never thought I'd see you in Fleur...but when I think about your connection to Dave I realize I should have picked another cafe if I really wanted to be alone. I stand up as you approach, feeling trapped for some reason while at the same time wanting very much for you to take me home.* Harry.

harryvefali: *My fingers are wet when I cup your cheek, but the heat of your skin warms them, as do your lips when I incline my head to give you a soft, brief kiss. You taste of Earl Grey and the sharper tang of whiskey--not unpleasant, but it saddens me that you would feel the need to run from me and drink alone.* Tea sounds like a good idea, I think. *I shrug out of my coat and leave it draped on the back of a chair to dry, ordering my own pot of tea from the waitress--pretty, new, I haven't seen her before--and I sit down across from you, tugging you back into your chair. You look so serious, so sad...and scared. Much like you did when we first met. I'd thought we were past that, but your demons run deep.* Did it work?

dominM: Did it... *For a moment I'm not sure how to answer...not sure what the fuck you mean...but then reality hits and I'm suddenly more ashamed of myself than I've been in a while.* ...oh. *I watch as the waitress brings your tea. Your large hands dwarf the pot as your pour and I'm captivated by your every move.* No...it didn't. It never does. *You nod and take a sip flinching slightly at the hot flow of liquid.* I was coming back Harry...I just needed to think.

harryvefali: I know. *Another sip, this time blowing on the tea to cool it first. My eyes don't leave yours* You know you can tell me anything.

dominM: *I close my eyes for a bit and feel myself start to drift and when I open them you're staring at me so intently it's frightening.* So you say...but sometimes it's not that easy.

harryvefali: Most things aren't. But you work on the things that matter. *I squeeze your fingers in my hand, feel the warmth of you seep through me* You matter.

dominM: *The icy touch of your body is shocking...more icy still from the cold hard rain and I shudder hard at your touch and return the squeeze with all the strenght I possess.* I believe you but... *But how much do I matter? I fight against the urge to grab you by the shirt and pull you across the table. To kiss your breath away and beg you to screw me right here in Fleur and to like it more with me than you do with Marton. But instead I free my hand from yours and take a drink of tea.* ...but...oh fuck...I'm just not thinking straight. *I don't deserve you Harry...I'm a jealous fucking slut.*

harryvefali: It's alright. You're entitled to be confused. To be scared. *I resume sipping my tea, wishing I was better at this, wishing I knew what to say to you. But it seems that my every action, my every word is unnoticed. You won't hear me until you're ready* I'm still going to be here.

dominM: *I don't want to lose you...but I don't know what to say. I am sick to death of being afraid...of people thinking I'm afraid...especially when it's so obviously true. I wish I understood you better and knew what you wanted from me...how you wanted me to act. I push the tea away from me and sit back on my chair, thinking for the first time that the seats in Fleur are not very comfortable....maybe if I hadn't been sitting here for over an hour.* Can we just forget this Harry...and go home to bed? *I try to judge your expression but your face is unreadable.* Unless you have plans with... *My voice trails off before I can say Marton.*

harryvefali: My only plans are with you. *I stand a toss a few notes on the table to cover our bill, and pull you--unresisting--into my arms. You're shivering and I wish only to reassure you that I'm not leaving. I rub my cheek along your hair, feeling the scratch as it tickles my skin, and inhale deeply, letting your scent wrap itself around me, letting it soak in my blood. One day, perhaps, you'll see yourself as I see you--you'll see that same reckless bravery and seductive purity.* Ask sen. Söz vermek-ecek degil ayrilmak sen. /I love you. I promise I won't leave./

dominM: *Altough I don't understand your words, they sound beautiful in my ear, and I'm lost in the strong feel of your body wrapped solidly around mine.* Harry... *I murmur your name as you kiss me softly and I don't resist as you button my coat and lead me to your waiting car. We don't speak on the ride home and it's good this way because I don't want to spoil the moment with words that lately seem to have no meaning and come out wrong with each breath I take. It is only in the taste and sharing of blood and the glide of your body in mine, that I feel complete and equal and wanted. I remove my coat when we get inside and wrap my arms around you, opening my mouth wide to your kiss.*

A Trip to the Office

Mon, 27 Jan 2003 08:33:59 GMT

bookishastin: *Too many things to go over. Too many folders to sift through. I sit at my desk that is facing the back of another desk that is facing yet *another* one, and so on, in this tiny little cramped office. People talk on the phone around me (in French, of course) and laugh over their little separator walls at each other and it's enough to make me want to reach for a Tylenol already. But i don't. No sense in giving in so early. I sigh. Sift through more papers. Working late again--just get it done. And then I can go home. Which still doesn't feel like home. But it'll have to do.*

harryvefali: *I step out of Msr. Avallone's office, looking down at the small sheet of paper that lists one Msr. Astin's references and stats--quite intelligent and quick--at least on paper. Let's just hope he's discreet.
I tuck my folder under one arm and walk down the hallway until I find your small, utilitarian cubicle, knocking politely on the side of the partition, waiting for you to look up* Msr. Astin? *sticking out my hand with a smile* Msr. Sinclair. Your boss said it would be alright if I had a word with you?

bookishastin: Um. *In the name of...? I look up, cringing back slightly in my chair, making it squeek. Dark. Dark eyes, dark clothing, dark hair and face. It's almost a shock. The paper I was holding slips from my hand and into my lap. I scramble to pick it up.* Oh, I'm, uh. Sorry. Mr... Msr. Sinclair. I didn't, ah. Expect anyone this late. Please, come in. *I say the last bit softly, knowing the small condition of the space, my neck and ears reddening self consciously. I clear my throat and stand up, thrusting my hand forward and hoping it's not too sweaty as I grasp yours.* Pleasure.

harryvefali: The pleasure is mine. *Your nervousness is almost a living thing, and I study you, noting the tenseness of your shoulders, the falseness of your smile.* I hope I haven't intruded at a bad time. *Sitting myself one the other chair in the cramped space, one knee bumping into your desk*

bookishastin: No, I was just. Ah. *You seem so at ease, so very content with yourself. Like we're dining at an expensive restaurant and not in my damn cubicle. Like you'd rather be here than anywhere else.* I was just looking over some things. *I clear my throat again. A bit of a tickle when I woke up... I inwardly kick myself. I'm sure you're annoyed, because this is no way to act in front of a potential client* What can I do for you, Msr. Sinclair? *My voice breaks on your name. Damnit!*

harryvefali: Are you alright? *Perhaps you're sick--mortals are very susceptible to weather changes and it's been particularly harsh the last few days*

bookishastin: No! *Stubbornly hasty* It's just... a clinging cold, really. I'm all right, thank you. *Already I'm losing the battle... this is not the way a professional acts. I stand up straighter, now at a loss at where to put my hands. They twitter at my sides. I pretend to shuffle things around on my desk, hoping to bring your attention there and not to my face* Is there something you, ah... need?

harryvefali: I've heard lemon chamomile is good for coughs. *Smiling pleasantly, hoping that your rabbit-like nervousness equates to swiftness on the job* I'm here to offer you a position.

bookishastin: Lemon Cham -- *My eyes widen in surprise; your kind, friend-like words mixed with proposition* A position? Wh... what kind do you, uh, mean? May I ask? *I clasp my hands together. They're trembling. Still smiling, you are. It's... different. Than I'm used to seeing from people who hire. People around here.*

harryvefali: Certainly. *I lean back easily in the uncomfortable chair, tossing the folder on the desk, crossing my hands over my lap* My partner and I are looking for a reliable, fast, discreet man to help manage our business affairs. Personal and professional.

bookishastin: *I nod. Wordless. There's nothing I can say. Yep, that's me. I'm your man. Or maybe even, me? Me me me? No.* To work for you... what? Part time? Full time? *My brow knits as I look down at the folder. What? Huh?*

harryvefali: Full time. Starting immediately. *I name a salary that I know is easily three times what you're making here, and smile when your eyes widen to saucer-like proportions. Yes, I know all about your mother, and your need for funds.* I'll warn you, the hours are long, the work is hard, and you'll be under my direct supervision most of the time. My partner and I have several large holdings, as well as a smattering of smaller ones, and our personal finances are, to say the least, complicated. Sound like something that would interest you, Msr. Astin?

bookishastin: I. But, I. *I shake my head, baffled, lost. You speak so fast! So assured, like you know I'd take it no matter what, and we're just... going through foreplay or something and damn...* Damn. Um. You do know that I speak no French, correct? I only just... came here three weeks ago. I'm. *I chuckle, embarresed* I'm still getting lost! *but... all of that MONEY!, I think.*

harryvefali: I don't need a translator. I speak seven languages, my partner more than that. *Faintly amused tone.* I need an accountant.

bookishastin: Oh. *My head is swimming. I need an aspirin. I need a nap. I need a cigarette even though I don't smoke...* Then... then I guess that makes me your man. *A breathless sigh of relief* When do I start?

harryvefali: How does Monday morning sound? Give you the weekend to clear out of here, get settled. *I pull out a gilded business card, set it lightly on top of the folder* Call this number any time, day or night, if you have any questions or concerns. Either myself or my secretary will take care of them personally. You will be required to work a lot of evenings, so I suggest you adjust your sleeping habits accordingly. We do a lot of overseas business and their hours are very different. Is there anything I can answer for you right now?

bookishastin: *I tentivally pick up the card, studying it, running my fingers over its edges. My head snaps up at the question.* Well, ah. No. But... what type of business do you and your partner do, Msr? It may help if I, ah. Knew.

harryvefali: *Good--you are quick.* We have a variety of business ranging from telecommunications to the arts. We're dabblers. *My smile widens--friendly, unthreatening. Time enough to see if you're sharp enough to handle the work we really need from you*

bookishastin: Oh, okay. I see. *I nod, returning my gaze back to the card.* Monday morning. Right, that sounds... good. Will I be given instructions now or, ah... later? *My heart is fluttering. Thinking of leaving of opportunity of finally getting out and doing something and oh, if my knees weren't shaking, I'd probably stand up and clasp your hand in both of mine...*

harryvefali: Read through the file. *Nodding my head slightly in its direction* If you still have any questions about the nature of your position, please don't hesitate to call. *I stand, signalling an end to our interview, and throw my trenchcoat over my arm* Until Monday. *Sticking my hand out*

bookishastin: *I reach out my own hand slowly, dream-like, fingers loose and maleable in your hard, capable hand* Yes, ah. Monday. I will see you then, Msr. Sinclair. *You turn away, and to your back I say in a rush,* Thank you. I... you won't be disappointed. *I stand up to my full height, which is nothing compared to yours, but I feel so full at this moment, I cannot help it.*

harryvefali: *I turn slightly, incline my head, same amused smile still drifting across my lips* I don't expect to be. Otherwise, I would not have chosen you. Chamomile, Msr. Astin. I expect you rested by Monday. *I barely make a ripple in the air as I leave your tiny office*

bookishastin: *I sit, well, actually it's more like fall, down in my chair. Left hand still holding the business card. I stare at the folder on my desk. Considering. And then I break into a broad grin.* Chamomile. Right. *I shake my head, looking around me. Bidding it goodbye. Finally.*

Nightmares of the past

Thu, 23 Jan 2003 00:23:32 GMT

harryvefali: *Your measured breathing is the only sound that breaks the silence of your room, and I shut the door silently, bare feet making no sound over plush carpet when I walk in. You always look so peaceful in slumber, so very innocent, even though I know you'd never think of yourself that way. Your skin seems almost translucent in the moonlight beaming in from the window--velvet alabaster under the brush of my fingertips. I wish I were more artistic, that I could capture the way your lips part slightly, full and lush and inviting--the way your lashes flutter when you take a breath--the way your hair spikes in messy patterns along the pillow--the way one hand clutches tightly to the comforter. Instead, I fix the sight in my mind, and sit lightly on the bed, happy enough just to watch you.*

dominM: *"Andrea...NO!!!" The mist is cloudy...so cloudy and dark and I know I can't save you Harry...he's holding you...cutting you...I approach Andrea slowly, cautiously...while all around me the night sky plays tricks, shifting, taking, giving making me confused as to where you are...I reach out my hands to touch and you fall into my arms...."Let's get out of here Harry...We run...or at least I run but you're not following...you lying on the ground, in the rain and I don't know why you're doing that...I don't want to know why...because I know you're dead...really dead...and when I turn away to catch my breath I feel a hand on my shoulder and I turn to around quickly...happy that you're still with me...and Andrea snarls in my face...with your blood dripping from his teeth...* NO!!! *I wake up with a start and gasp for air temporarily unaware of my surroundings. When I see you I'm actually surprised to find you alive.* Harry.

harryvefali: Sssh, it's alright. *Your heartbeat pounds furiously against my chest when I pull you, sheets and all, into my lap, and I can feel your ragged breath hot against my neck.* It's just a dream...you're safe. Adil nefes almak, melek. Nefes almak için beni. /Just breathe, angel. Breathe for me./

dominM: Oh fuck...he killed you...fucker...god.... *I'm shaking in your arms from both anger and fear...as the realization that you are alive sinks slowly into my conscious thoughts.* Harry. *I close my eyes and inhale slowly, momentarily calmed of my earlier panic. You stroke my back with a love I'm not sure I deserve and your words give me comfort even if I don't understand them.* Sorry...just a bad dream.

harryvefali: *Killed me? What on earth...no, I will not ask, won't force you to relive it. I'm alive, I'm not going anywhere.* You're awake now. *I'm smiling when I kiss your forehead, taste the sweetness of your skin. For all time, you will be an addiction. We sit in silence for a few minutes, until your heart slows, your breathing evens out, and you no longer have a death grip on my shirt.* Feeling any better?

dominM: Um...yeah. *And when I kiss you back lightly on the lips I realize I'm telling the truth. I shift on the bed until I can look directly at you. Again I note the concern in your expression, the hard set of your lips. I yawn and stretch my arms out to the side and bring them around to hug you quickly. You return the hug and your body relaxes...you may know exactly who I was dreaming about...but you have no idea as to the outcome.* Thanks Harry. I hate nightmares.

harryvefali: I can't think of a person who enjoys them. *Another quick smile, and I settle back against the headboard, bringing you with me. Holding you is one of the few joys I've had in the last few months, and I try to take advantage of it as often as possible.* If you'd like to talk about it, I'm here. *But, I won't push you. We all have our demons.*

dominM: *I shake my head and lean against your shoulder. The last thing I want to do is bring up the idea that Andrea has the power to not only overpower me but also destroy you too if he desired. When your arms close around me, I notice the flex of your muscles through the sheer shirt you wear and realize what a stupid cunt I really am. Andrea is a wimp compared to you Harry.* No...I'm okay...really. *You don't believe me and I feel stupid for not confiding in you...against all of Miranda's advice. I take a breath and decide to come clean, pretty damn confident by now that you're not going to beat the shit out of me for speaking my mind.* I've been dreaming about Andrea a lot lately...more than ever. *You nod as I continue.* But he's not hurting me Harry...he's hurting you ...he's killing you. Why the fuck am I thinking about that? Why am I so freaking edgy? I'd swear to god he's watching me or something but I know that's probably not true.

harryvefali: *I think back to the note I recieved from Craig a few days ago...and realize it's possible that Andrea *is* here, even though my sources assure me he hasn't yet left London. Sources can be mistaken. Now that Marton's on his way home, finding Andrea will be my first order of business. I won't have the threat of him undermining your life with me.* No, it's probably not, but I'd like for you to take extra care when you leave the house, all the same. The vampire world is a small one, and word may have reached him that I've taken a mortal lover. *My fingers gently trace the cuve of your cheek.* I can promise you that he will not touch me...nor will he touch you. He'll sense me on you, in your blood. He'll know what you are.

dominM: *Shudders rip through me in a rush...my eyes closed...my body taut. Your touch is gentle...a lover's touch...and I want...I need...so much to believe your words. I grab your hand and squeeze it with all my might willing my warmth to pass to you along with my love and desire.* I'll be careful...I promise. *You nod your head...satisfied at my response...and I sense more than know that you are hiding something from me. I release your hand and kiss you lightly on the lips. You're different today...I 'm not really sure why. Would relieved be the right description?* Are you okay Harry?

harryvefali: *There is no other way to say this, so I just give you another kiss, reassuring you of your place in my life, and state the words as simply as possible.* Marton is on his way home.

dominM: Home? *I don't know why your words surprise me.* That's good...right? *I hate the uncertainty in my voice...the doubt at what this means...for the both of us.*

harryvefali: That's very good. *I tip your chin up to look at you--hate seeing the doubt in those expressive eyes.* This is his city; he's needed here. *I need him here.*

dominM: *And you need him too, don't you?* Then I'm happy Harry. *I wonder for a moment where I stand with you in this triangle that dates back centuries. I give you a quick hug. It really is good to see the tension missing from your face.* Does he know...about me I mean? *Dumb question...like Harry would keep that from him.*

harryvefali: Yes, he knows. *I give in to the urge to rest my cheek on your shoulder--bone digging into skin, but it's comforting--the smell and feel of you in my arms.* He wants to meet you. You've intrigued him. *I don't need to look up to know that you're staring down at me with an incredulous look. You really are easy to read most of the time.* I've never taken a pet--very rarely take lovers for more than a night or two. *But I knew the second I saw you that you were different--you would be worth whatever I had to sacrifice to have you.*

dominM: *I wince at the word pet...it's hard to get used to...and pause while your words sink in. * Oh come on Harry. For fuck's sake...why the would Marton be intrigued by me? *It seems your lovers endure for less than a week...while you share Marton's bed forever. I tell myself I'm not jealous...not really...you explained everything to me weeks ago....but I see you so rarely...and it'll be less soon.*

harryvefali: Why wouldn't he be curious? Aren't you curious about him? *And I wish I could explain what Marton and I have to you--wish I had the words--but all I can offer you is my love, my body. You belong to me...and I belong to you both.*

dominM: I'm... *...afraid of him? Andrea wouldn't go near Paris in all the time I knew him. He had a healthy fear of Marton that made him quite ill tempered at times.* You never keep a lover for more than a few days right? *I wait for your nod to continue.* Well, I'm still here Harry....still your lover last time I looked and he may not be prepared to accept that.

harryvefali: Well, he's going to have to. I have no intention of giving you up. The bond is unbreakable. *You didn't know that, did you? Sometimes I forget that there are things about us you don't know--you seem so knowledgeable most of the time. My lips are soft on yours and my words whisper across your chin* Marton knows this. Understand?

dominM: *I open my lips to your kiss and do my best to choke down the doubts that overwhelm me* Marton may have to accept it...but he may not like it...he may not like me. *And if he doesn't like me Harry, what then? You're concerned look returns and I hate myself for being such a stupid fucked up panicking ninny.* Sorry...I'm just edgy today.

harryvefali: He'll like you. Trust me. *I know you doubt, but do not fear this.* Besides, love you or hate you, you're mine. And *I* love you.

dominM: Yeah, but that's not the point is it Harry? *You love me...but that may not be enough.* If he doesn't like me...if he resents me...you have to promise me something.

harryvefali: Of course. *I tighten my arms around you, settling you more firmly against my chest.* Anything.

dominM: Promise me you'll let me go...or...if that's not possible.... *I swallow hard and lower my head to my chest. This is difficult Harry...and I wish there were another way...* If the bond between us means we can't be apart...then promise me you'll kill me.

harryvefali: It won't come to that. *My hand slides to cup the back of your neck, and I tug your head up so I can look at you, look *into* you. Pay attention, love, because I'm not going to repeat this.* I will not give you up. *Ever.* I wouldn't have made the bond if I hadn't been sure of that. Get used to me. I'm not going anywhere, and neither are you. *I don't mean to be quite so rough when I press my lips to yours--sweet, hot taste licking fire across my tongue when I push it past your teeth--but your fear makes me long to conquer it, to conquer you, and remind you of your place in my life, in my bed.*

dominM: *I return your kiss with abandon, delighting in the rough feel of your body against mine. Your touch makes it so easy to forget everything that ails me...and I want to, god how much I want to but I can't...not now and I have to make you understand. It takes all my strength to pull away when all I really want to do is stay here and make you fuck me senseless.* I don't want to be a part of any tension between you and Marton...I don't want to put you in that position. *I stare into your dark eyes, distracted by your frown.* And I don't want to put me in that position either Harry. You probably won't agree...but it will make you hate me.

harryvefali: No. *Of this, I am positive.* Hate myself, maybe, for putting you in a position where you would think such things, but never you. *If* there is tension, Marton will have to live with it. I never asked him to give up Sean for me, nor would I.

dominM: *If only it where that easy.* Listen Harry...I don't want to die. I want to stay here in this house with you for as long as you'll have me but I do have a few concerns. *I consider how much I should tell you.* Living with Andrea became a living hell when his child Sheldon decided to make me his enemy. He fucking hated me from the moment he saw me. Andrea didn't care...he loved tormenting Sheldon as much as me...but the tension between them grew every day and played itself out like some fucking freakshow with me as the prize. *I'm shaking now and you grab my hands to calm me.* The rift between them grew and because of me there relationship was never the same.* I stare at you hard, my expression leaving no room for doubt.* I don't want Marton to "live with it" Harry. I don't want to put you through that.

harryvefali: I'm not Andrea. Marton isn't Sheldon. *My voice is gentle, but the steel behind it is unmistakable.* You're going to have to trust me.

dominM: I do trust you Harry...fuck...but you have to trust me too. You've never had a lover like me...you've told me that...so you don't know how Marton will react. But I've seen what can happen. * I take your face in my hand and kiss you gently.* I don't want to argue Harry...please just shut me up. *I smile.* Or better yet...take me to dinner, okay?

harryvefali: I can do that. Dinner sounds lovely. *I smile when I lower raise my lips to yours, offering reaffirmation in my kiss. I do trust you, Dom...more than you know.*

Everything you say to me takes me one step closer to the edge

Tue, 21 Jan 2003 06:26:56 GMT

[takes place directly after this

DarkChildeSB: *standing in the library, waiting for Harry, my fingers brushing the leather spine of a copy of Rousseau's 'Confessions'-- the leather old, soft, and I remember when Marton gave it to me so many years ago*

harryvefali: *I lean against the door, watching you for a minute, more relaxed than I've been in weeks. Nothing seems quite as bleak as it was just an hour ago* Hello, Sean. *softly, even though I know you heard my approach*

DarkChildeSB: Hello, Harry. *the warmth of the girl- bronze and utterly lovely- is still singing through my veins* *I don't turn around, the warmth taking the edge off the weight of crushing care...but only just*

harryvefali: *I step into the room, hands shoved deep into my pockets, watching you carefully as I speak* Marton's coming home.

DarkChildeSB: *softly* I know. We spoke earlier. *turning now to see you, and knowing that the delicate balance of power is shifting and turning again- the air thick as cobwebs*

harryvefali: *nods* I figured he'd call you as soon as we hung up. Did he tell you anything else? *picking up a slender volume of "The Art of War", written in Chinese, thumbing idly through it, even though I have it memorized*

DarkChildeSB: He explained about Marik, yes. *not wanting to reveal too much just yet- not knowing what you know*

harryvefali: Marik...no, he's the least of our concerns. *Glancing up at you--eyes glittering, thoughtful* But if that's what Marton told you, so be it.

DarkChildeSB: *eyes narrow at the intended slight* He told me that, yes, and more besides. And you should know this. *sitting down on the leather divan, arms slung false-casual across the back* The question is-- what's to be done now?

harryvefali: Well, the first thing we need to do is for you to stop antagonizing our one reliable source of information. *snapping the book shut, pushing it back on the shelf*

DarkChildeSB: *bitter laugh* I assume you're speaking of the fair Miranda. Antagonizing? I'd hardly call it that.

harryvefali: She's terrified of you. *gaze narrowing* And she's very young, and very confused. If you insist on persuing this, we could lose her *and* her information. *brittle smile* Is your interest worth it?

DarkChildeSB: Interest? *laughs* Come now, Harry. You should know better, after all these years. What would I want with her pale unbeating heart? *not waiting for your response* Whether or not you choose to believe it, the little bird keeps running into me, not the other way around. Perhaps you should ask her if her interest is worth it...is worth her fear. But, you know...*small slow smile*...I begin to think she rather likes it.

harryvefali: I know you follow her, Sean, you can't deny it. *leaning back against the bookcase, ignoring the sharp jab of the corner of one book as it digs into my spine* And enjoy it or not, she's no match for you. We need her. Or would you rather explain to Marton about how you traumatized a Tremere spy under my protection?

DarkChildeSB: I don't deny that I *did*- not that I ever need justify myself to you, Harry. *voice dropping to frost* And you can spare me the "just wait til your father gets home" lecture. It doesn't suit you.

harryvefali: Not a lecture, a promise. *lightning-fast move, placing my hands on the arms of the divan, hard eyes boring into yours* You don't want to fuck with me where she's concerned.

DarkChildeSB: *feral hiss through clenched teeth as I lean towards you, meeting the challenge* And you don't want to fuck with me at all, ever.

harryvefali: Save your threats for the children who would tremble under your impotent roar. *sneering, body coiled, waiting* You will never be more than a shadow.

DarkChildeSB: Impotent? *harsh laugh* Leave it to you to put it in terms you can understand. Impotent, *Harry*- *your name dripping like venom from my lips*-- is being led around by your cock instead of your brain. How else to explain the hold your gray-eyed mortal has on you? Or the flutterings of the dear Miranda? Your eyes are clouded as ever.

harryvefali: No, it is *you* who are blind. *deep laughter, genuinely amused* Marton didn't tell you a blessed thing, did he? Still keeping you on a tight leash, like the puppy you are. *leaning back, relaxed again* Ah well, keep your illusions, and save the true fight for the adults.

DarkChildeSB: Is that what you call yourself these days? An adult? *my head throbs with the ridiculous circular roundabout with you- ever the same, ever pointless* Marton told me everything, Harry. The fact that I find it fruitless to discuss with you makes me neither a puppy nor a child. *standing up, the air crackling with threat* And you'd do well to remember that the enemy is still the enemy- whether you choose to sleep with them or not. Perhaps you'll be reminded when the pretty little Miranda slides a knife into your back.

harryvefali: *casual dismissal, bored with the conversation, with you--always the same with you, always the same stubborn refusal to see anything past your own nose* Why mention it? Isn't that your fondest wish? To have Marton, have this city all to yourself? *I blow you a kiss with tips of my fingers, the gesture mocking* I hope it gives you comfort. *turning and leaving the room*

DarkChildeSB: *whispered, knowing you will yet hear* You think you know everything...you know nothing of my dreams or comforts...*even more softly*...but your death would suffice nicely.

What thou lov'st well

Tue, 21 Jan 2003 06:08:59 GMT

harryvefali: *The only light in the study come from the computer monitor, and I rub my eyes, try to stay focused on the screen and the information before me. But it's all a blur, all just raw material with no substance.
My fingers dial the familiar number with ease, and I slump back in my chair, leather creaking over silk. I can't continue like this. I can't do this alone anymore.

DarkMartonV: *I glance quickly at the clock when I hear the phone ring - 3:20am - not an abnormal time, but this is my private line ringing and my instincts tell me that this will not be a normal conversation......I answer after the fourth ring, convinced that my voice will sound a bit gruff to the caller* This is Marton.

harryvefali: Marton... *And it takes every ounce of strength I possess to keep my voice steady. Just hearing you--capable, smooth, in control--makes me yearn, reminds me of the raging emptiness in the house since you've been gone* Marton, it's Harry. We have a problem.

DarkMartonV: *I can hear the tightness in your voice, the constriction in your chest when you said my name......I can't help but remember the warmth of your eyes when you looked at me -- how long it's been since I've laid eyes upon you* Harry. What's wrong?

harryvefali: *You're not here* The Tremere are researching forbidden rituals. I left you a message. *There is no reproach in my tone, even though I left the message days ago. I know you've been busy, as am I.* This was too important for an email.

DarkMartonV: *sighing heavily when I hear your tone, glad that I am not facing you as I would not be able to stand seeing that look - disappointment - in your eyes* I'm sorry, Harry. *knowing that my words are poor consolation for not being where I am needed most* I admit that I have been so caught up with trying to calm things here with Marik... *the words sounding hollow in my ears...my own domain should be my concern, first and foremost* I will leave word with Marik, letting him know that I am leaving. Tomorrow evening you can expect me.

harryvefali: You're coming home? *Sigh of relief, suddenly able to breathe again* Thank you.

DarkMartonV: I am. Very soon. *I feel my own sense of relief when I hear your voice* And...why are you thanking me, Harry?

harryvefali: I don't know. *Soft laugh, smoothing my hands over the silk of my pajama bottoms, forcing myself to relax* I guess I just thought...düsünüs sen degil gelme ev. /...you weren't coming home/. *The words are rushed, and I hate even saying it aloud, but I could never lie to you, never keep anything a secret from you.*

DarkMartonV: Harry. *my voice softens at the words that you say to me, knowing that you may have believed it to be so because of my extended absence* I said I would never leave you. *knowing that I will have a lot to atone for once I get back, haven shaken the trust of those closest......I whisper what I said to you all those years ago, letting you know that you truly belonged with me* Gitmeye hazir. /Bound./ *after everything that we went through together, there was no way for us not to be*

harryvefali: Herzaman-ecek var olmak senin. /Forever, I will be yours/ *softly, repeating the words I also spoke on that long ago night, when you seemed as both savior and damnation. Most nights, I still feel you are both.* I miss you. *even softer, barely mouthing the words*

DarkMartonV: *closing my eyes when I hear the words leave your lips...wishing I could touch your face, smooth the crinkle in the corner of your eye* Miss you too. I promise, I'll be home soon.

harryvefali: We'll need to talk about what to do about the Tremere. They go too far. *switching back to business for the moment...there will be time for us to adequately welcome each other home when you get here* The lovely Miranda has been quite the useful source of information.

DarkMartonV: Oh? *interested in the way that you have changed topics, and even more interested in the way you spoke her name* I take it she's revealed something to you that we can use?

harryvefali: Yes, she has. *small smile* No thanks to your lapdog terrifying her. I know she's Tremere, but she may yet be of more use to us.

DarkMartonV: *my eyebrow arches at your interesting choice of words while I suppress a chuckle* I'm sure that Sean is only doing what he thinks is best. Though lapdog is an interesting term to use. *my tone changes abruptly before making my next statement, wanting to get my point across* She may be useful but remember - she is Tremere.

harryvefali: I haven't forgotten. *soft, steely voice* I will never forget where my loyalties and allegiance lie.

DarkMartonV: *I respond, hearing the even tone in your voice* I am not questioning your loyalty, Harry. I only said to remember.

harryvefali: I'm watching my back, sevgi. From all sides.

DarkMartonV: I know that. And I also know that you're watching my back. I've never had any doubt about that.

harryvefali: It's a nice view. *wicked grin*

DarkMartonV: *chuckling at your roguish sense of humor, I welcome this moment of levity* I figured you thought as much. You'll get a close-up once I return home. *glancing to the left of me at Marik standing impatiently in the doorway, knowing that we have to tend to unfinished business before I leave tomorow evening* I'm sorry, but I need to take care of some things here before I come home tomorrow.

harryvefali: I know. I do, as well. *voice drops--a low, seductive whisper* E kadar yarin gece , segvi. /Until tomorrow night, love/

DarkMartonV: *the tone of your voice catches me slightly off-guard, though I make sure to keep my tone even so as not to reveal that to you.* Yarin. Uyumak su kuyusu, segvi. /Tomorrow. Sleep well, love./

DarkMartonV: *I replace the phone on the cradle, my fingers trailing lightly over the smooth plastic as feelings of anxiety flutter briefly through me* *I can feel Marik's eyes on me and I turn to him, knowing that he will ask questions of me that he has no business knowing the answer to* Let's finish this so I can go back where I am needed.

harryvefali: *softly replacing the phone, allowing myself a small moment of contentment before I get up to keep my appointment with Sean*

Come child, lay your sweet lips on me

Sat, 18 Jan 2003 20:37:23 GMT

[private events, NC-17 in spots]

dominM: *You're in the study...I know that without a doubt. When I open the door I see you sitting on your favorite leather bound chair surrounded by dusty old books and papers. You look very tired, exhausted even if that's possible for a vampire and I'm struck by the sudden urge to comfort you while at the same time the hindered by the distinct fear that you don't want to be disturbed.* Harry?

harryvefali: *If I keep searching, I'm positive I can find *something*, some hint of what the Tremere would want with these spells that Miranda is researching. It's just a matter of looking for them. After awhile, however, the words are starting to blur, and it's hard to concentrate on anything except the knowledge that I'm missing *something*, missing Marton, missing someone else to share this burden.
I feel your presence before you step in the room, feel your apprehension, reticence and it saddens me. All I want is to wrap you in silk, safe from my black, dirty little world. But I know I can't. And I honestly think you wouldn't want me to.
I look up when you call my name, small smile gracing my lips when I take in your bare feet and tousled hair. Such a free spirit...I wish I could remember what true freedom was. I don't think I ever knew.* Just in time. *Widening my smile, closing the book with a satisfying thump* I was falling asleep.

dominM: *I look at the books on the table briefly written in a language that I don't understand, caressing lightly with my fingertips.* I shouldn't wonder...they look boring as hell. *I can't stop staring at the volumes, at the parchments cluttering the desk, marveling at the mysteries they hold that keep you enraptured for so long a spell. I've always loved books, the smell and feel that date them, the words forever etched within. When I look up at you you're gazing at me and I shudder briefly at the smouldering intensity. I gesture toward the desk.* Have you found what you're looking for?

harryvefali: Still searching. *I pull you onto my lap, and you curl into me, resting your cheek on my shoulder. It's a nice fit--perfect, actually--and your slender arms wrap around me. You smell faintly of rosemary and coffee...tantalizing and sweet.* I'd be getting farther if I knew precisely *what* I was searching for. *Your hair tickles my chin, and I can feel the imprint of your ribs under my hands--you're still too thin. I'll have to see about making sure you're eating enough while I'm in slumber.* How was your day?

dominM: Okay...I guess. I met Miranda earlier...she's pleased with my French. She's also...lonely. I really feel for her. *I'm about to say that I invited her over this week when I'm suddenly aware that you might not think it's a good idea...I can always call her and cancel. I yawn into your shoulder and look up to meet your reprimanding glare.* I slept enough Harry, honestly. Sometimes people just yawn. Dont' they? Anyway, my headaches gone. *Thank god for that.* Did you have dinner yet?

harryvefali: Actually, no, I haven't. *Tilting your chin up for a light kiss--your lips are an addiction, as potent as the blood I crave.* You feel like raiding the kitchen? We can discuss how to help Miranda over food.

dominM: *I kiss you in return and it's much too little for how much I want you.* I ate a bit earlier but food always sounds good to me. *You help me off your lap and I take your hand and lead you to the kitchen. It feels wonderful to hold any freaking part of you.* Elsa made pizza at my request...it's delicious. *I open the fridge and take out the left overs.* And this is the best... *I can't help smiling as I unveil an absolutely scrumptious looking chocolate layer cake.* Yeah, I thought you'd like that.

harryvefali: *Actually, the cheeky, wide grin on your face is far more appetizing than the cake.* Looks absolutely decadent. *Gaze directed at you, not the counter* Makes me want dessert first.

dominM: *Your barely concealed innuendo is enough to make me tremble from head to toe. It's completely impossible for me to hide my longing. When I take your face in my hands and bring our foreheads together neither of us says a word.* God...Harry. *I feel your hands travel down my body...cupping my ass and glueing our bodies as one. I hate acting so desperate and needy but I can't help myself...two days without having you is a fucking long time.*

harryvefali: *I take my time exploring your mouth--tiny licks and slow nibbles--swallowing your every greedy moan. The way you respond is the most erotic thing, fuels my hunger in a way nothing else ever could. You push back against my hands, inviting me to take more, and I repsond by pulling you flush against me. Your heart is fluttering so rapidly, your every breath shaky--and fuck, you're so hard already for me. My tongue tangles with yours as we grind together--hot and fevered and so beyond perfect and our bond crackles with barely leashed passion.*

dominM: Yes...*I refuse to let go of you -- hands gripping your hair, body shoving faster and faster -- feeling the strength of your hardness dancing firm against my thigh. This pull between us is a vacuum...an all encompassing urge to devour each other's every conscious breath...I want you inside me, I want to taste you, I want as much as I can take. It doesn't matter, as long as we're joined, fucking, loving, drinking, whatever. I feel you urge me towards the counter until I can't move any further and you shove against me with a forcefulness that makes my emotions spin out of control. Your fingers toy with the button on my pajamas but I push you away and whip them open myself, exposing my cock to you unashamed and ready. I grab your hand and shove it inside moaning wildly when you stroke me. It's better than in my dreams.*

harryvefali: Evet, adil öyle. Açik için beni, inilti için beni, vermek beni her sey. */That's it, love. Open for me, moan for me, give me everything/* *You moan again, a deepy, throaty purr, and our kiss becomes a thing of desperate fury, of need and reciprocal pleasure in sliding tongues and clashes of teeth. Your cock jumps under my hand, hard and heavy, slick with pre-come. What little patience I possesed is fast fading, replaced with a terrible hunger, a desperate desire to bruise you, mark you, kill you with my passion and remake you in the ashes.*

dominM: *I don't know what the fuck you're saying but it doesn't matter in the least. Your voice is throaty and wanton, making me feel like a fucking whore and I shiver hard in your embrace. I push against your hand, unable to stop myself from groaning your name in a blinding rush of ecstasy* Harry.... *You caress my neck, nuzzling me with lips and teeth, demanding my blood and body in one heady growl. I offer myself to you, undressing you as best as I'm able, enraptured by this bond of life and death between us. Strong hands lift me up slightly so I'm sitting on the countertop touching your shoulders to steady me. Your cock looms large and moist before my eyes and I want you bad Harry...so fucking bad.*

harryvefali: *You kick your pajama bottoms to the floor and wrap your legs around me, pulling me close, nibbling along my earlobe, my jaw, setting every tiny nerve ending on fire. I can barely take the time needed to slick my cock before I push into you, into tightsotight heat. If I live another 300 years, I will never get sick of this, of you, the way you clench tight around my cock, push yourself against me, taking me deeper, breathless moans filling the air, my head until I'm drowning on them, in you*

dominM: *There's no room left inside my body...your cock fills me, stretches me, makes me yours every time you fuck me. Your body burns into mine, thrusting deep and slamming my prostate, pushing hard and consuming my soul. I've never felt so safe before but at the same time oh so very lost. You're part of me Harry and I don't want to loose you nor this connection that binds us together. I tighten my legs, pulling you deeper, my hands are sweaty against your back. You move inside me, caressing with fire, making me shudder and scream. I bite your shoulder as my orgasm hits blinding and fast and so fucking intense I nearly faint. I'm sobbing now, fuck...fuck...fuck...my tears wet against your shoulder, my seed hot upon your belly. I feel you buck inside me hard, your body shaking with need and I know you're close Harry...very, very close.*

harryvefali: *I nuzzle your neck, lick along a trail of sweat before my teeth sink into soft skin, piercing your vein. The rich, heady taste of you fills me, slams me with an intense, black ache, and I come deeply inside you, shuddering, rich taste tripping on my tongue as rare and exotic as the orchids in the hothouse. And far more potent*

dominM: *I stretch my neck to give you better access and convulse around your throbbing cock as we exchange our fluids, semen and blood, giving and taking freely. Your teeth are fire and ice...an unbearable combination...and I'm still amazed at the feeling of having them within me, the brief pain of the bite a ghostly reminder of the secret that we share. You suck freely from me and I moan loud and forceful as the soft suction of your lips erotically charges throughout my body. I toss my head back and invite you to take me, use me however the fuck you want.* God...Harry...

harryvefali: *Finally my immediate need is sated, and I pull back, licking the tiny punctures closed. Your blood thrums along my veins, dancing under my skin, and I lick my lips to capture the lingering taste, still inside you, unwilling to part from you even an inch. Mine. Forever. In the most elemental, most basic sense. I gently brush a clump of sweaty hair back from your forehead and give you a soft kiss, thanking you the best way I know how for the incredible gift of your blood, your trust, your body.*

dominM: *I wrap my arms around your neck and pull you close leaning against your body, willing it to give me strength. My neck tingles where you bit me, two tiny electric sparks of passion. I've never felt this way after sex, so exhausted and satisfied and it thrills me and grounds me with equal parts pleasure and terror. I'm not used to this Harry...but I'd like to be. Life without you doesn't exist...it can never exist because I refuse to let it. I squirm and tighten my weary muscles aware to the core that you are still inside me, still joined to my body, sticky and damp. I push against you and you lift me higher and it's perfect here...on this plane of existence...held in your arms...trapped and willing. You stroke my back and it's enough to make me sigh and shake myself aware of my surroundings.* Harry....my feet are cold.

harryvefali: Would you like your socks or to move to the bed? *Satisfied, slow grin, nuzzling your neck again, content and full*

dominM: *I find your mouth and kiss it with all the passion I can muster. My voice sounds mumbled when I speak.* Bed sounds wonderful...but you didn't eat yet...must be hungry Harry. *Funny how my mouth always finds its way back to yours.*

harryvefali: So we'll bring the food with us. *I grin into another kiss and reluctantly slip out of your body. We grab the pizza--lukewarm by now--and the cake, and I tug you upstairs, not stopping until we've reached your chamber and the door is locked shut.*

dominM: *You set the food on the nightstand and we flop on the bed together. I wonder what the bedroom etiquette is...I've never been in this situation before...shower or food? I don't want to wash you from my body just yet. I want to enjoy it for a while. I grab a piece of pizza and level it at your mouth, feeding you once again this evening.*

harryvefali: *I prop myself against the feather pillows, allowing you to feed me. You delight so much in the little things and I always want to indulge in your every passion. I finish eating the slice, and pull you back into my arms--your comfortable weight sprawled against me its own kind of fullfillment* So, talk to me about Miranda. You mentioned she was lonely.

dominM: *I probably shouldn't be telling you this.* When she's feeling very lonely she...hurts herself. *I flinch at your gaze...please don't ever tell her I told you.* I worry about her...she's so sweet to me. Look, maybe you know all this Harry but she seems so lost sometimes when I talk to her and I wish there was something I could do. *You stroke my arm, seemingly lost in thought, and I bury my face on the cool skin of your chest.*

harryvefali: I know she cuts herself. *Small frown, absently kissing your hair* I didn't think she was still doing it, though. You're a good friend to her. Just be there.

dominM: I will. It's just...she seems to have so many worries. *You kiss the top of my head and it feels terrific.* And there's one more thing but...well forget it...it's stupid anyway. *You tilt up my chin until I'm looking directly into your brilliant curious black eyes.* Fuck you Harry...don't look at me like that.

harryvefali: Then don't *ever* tell me that what you think is stupid. *This isn't a discussion we should ever have to have. You need to learn to forget the past...it will cease to haunt you soon enough.*

dominM: Okay...but I'm right...it is silly. For a moment, during our talk today...I could have sworn Miranda was hitting on me. *The look on your face is unreadable and I swallow hard and wait.*

harryvefali: She's very emotionally fragile right now. *Brow furrowing, wrapping my arms tighter around you* And I know she still has certain...feelings...for me.

dominM: *I start to yawn against your chest and finish it off with a gentle tug on your nipple.*You're right....she's very vulnerable.. I'm probably imagining it....but still. *I decide to let it be for the moment. I hope Harry's home when and if Miranda visits this week.* Do you want more pizza?

harryvefali: You should be the one eating, not me. *Gently, stroking your back in a lazy pattern*

dominM: Me? I ate earlier Harry. *I toss my leg over yours and nuzzle under your arm.* I like this...*I gesture vaguely to our bodies.* Just being here...together. I can't remember the last time I... *I shudder hard and suddenly sit up, the slick feeling between my thighs suddenly feeling very dirty. I can certainly remember the last time...with Andrea...or some fucker who picked me up in the street. There were too many last times for me before I met you...but it was never LIKE with you.* Sorry... *I murmur softly but I know you can hear me. I try to settle myself again in your arms, to spirit away the threatening memories.*

harryvefali: *I hate the pain in your eyes, hate what you were forced to become in order to survive. I'm pretty sure that now isn't the best time to tell you that I got my information back on Andrea and there was quite a bit about you, about what he forced you to do, about what happened to you after you fled his house.* Asla tutmak senin geçmis-e karsi sen. */I'll never hold your past against you/* *I murmur the words in my native tongue, needing them out in the open, even if you don't understand. One day you will.* Don't be sorry, love. I'm still here.

dominM: *I'm not sure what to say but kissing you seems like a good idea so I go with the flow.* Thanks... *I kiss you again and sigh when you pull me closer and we cuddle for a while with no words between us.* I mean it Harry... *I yawn again and my eyes close.* Need you...

harryvefali: I know. *A whisper, letting you drift into slumber* I need you, too. More than you know. *The dark blanket that is my life doesn't seem so suffocating when you're around.*

Sleep tonight...

Wed, 15 Jan 2003 19:29:32 GMT

harryvefali: *Another very long night of poring over ancient texts, seeking antidotes to the Tremere's latest threats, of making phone calls & answering emails & running the Clan in Marton's absence, and it's starting to wear, to run me down. I'm much too exhausted for this, too tired to really think, and all I want is for Marton to come home so I can share this burden with him, give him back the mantle of leader.
I finally get up, chair scraping the floor, and walk softly down the hall, pausing in the doorway when I see your curled form on the sofa. You look so peaceful, so pure, and the rush of love that races through me weakens my knees. Weakens *me*. But, it also gives me peace, and it's easy to drop down next to you, brushing back your hair with gentle fingers, studying the way you look in slumber. So very beautiful with your soft skin and fluttering eyelids*

dominM: *I open my eyes to find you kneeling beside me, your dark, clear eyes mirroring my sleepy expression. You look exhausted and shaky and all I want to do is comfort you. I reach up to touch your face and you grab my hand quickly and kiss it.* Harry... *I murmur softly in French.* Beautiful man. *Your expression brightens just a tad but it's enough to make me feel better about all the stress you've been under.* Sit down...relax for a bit. You've been in the library all night.

harryvefali: *Easy, so easy to sink down next to you, my body flush against yours, spooning you...so easy to place a light kiss on the pulse of your neck, tangling our legs together, to breathe in your bittersweet vanilla scent, to hold you close* How long have you been sleeping? *Soft murmur, running my hand along your arm*

dominM: *I speak through a yawn.* I don't know...since after dinner maybe? *You wrap your arms around me, pull me tight, and we lie together, touching, enjoying the silence of just being together. I turn, lean into the strength of your body, the wool in your sweater lightly scratching my face. I want to understand what's on your mind, experience your pain and share your doubt but my past with Andrea keeps me from delving too deep....you might not want to tell me.* Is everything okay?

harryvefali: Not really. *Light kiss on your neck, and I want to tell you, want to open up, but centuries of keeping things close, of not letting anyone in, has taken its toll, and I really don't know where to start. I run my hand under your t-shirt, skimming along the soft hairs of your abdomen, seeking the words* Things have gotten...more complicated. One of the Clans is trying to stage a coup.

dominM: Will you be okay? *If a coup means displacing Marton, then it also means displacing you. I pull away and search your eyes...you're hiding something. I feel a pang of fear and hurt in my gut but smile gently and hide it for later when I'm alone and able to think clearer. Your finger twists deeply into my belly button and I groan at the power of your touch.* Fuck Harry. *I pull away from you so I can think clearer and rub my eyes trying to fight down a headache. * You've been in there all night! I'd say things are more than just a bit complicated. *For some reason I'm jealous and I hate myself for being this way.* Sorry. * I move to stand by the window. Tonight the darkness is staggering.*

harryvefali: Don't be sorry. *Standing behind you, massaging the back of your neck with gentle fingers* You're going to feel some of my stress through the bond. I'd keep it from you, if I could. *Voice dropping, almost to myself, and I'm somewhat surprised that I'm opening this much to you* I'm afraid, melek. Afraid for the future of the Clan, of Paris. So much is happening...

dominM: *I turn around quickly surprised at my grace.* Is it that bad Harry? *You nod slowly, watching my every move and it hurts me to see you frightened.* What can I do...anything you need....I want you to be...okay. *I wince as the pain in my head grows and I wonder if you've got a headache too. I lean against your shoulder and you stroke my cheek. Damn but the cold feels good.* It's just that I've been so worried...because you've been worried. And I want you to talk to me, to trust me Harry...but I don't want to be your downfall...I won't let you get hurt...or be dead...really fucking dead...because of me. *I'm rambling but it feels kind of good to let it out...to let someone else shoulder it for a change.*

harryvefali: Right now, you're my source of strength. *Cupping the back of your neck, pressing a light kiss to your waiting lips, fighting not to deepen it, to lose myself in your eager touch, your addictive taste.* I'm not going to let anything happen to you...or to me. I have some protection outside of Marton. We could make a life elsewhere, if we needed to. But I'm *not* going to let it get to that. *A vow, made with my blood* I won't desert Marton, won't give up my life that easily.

dominM: *Your bravery and loyalty is arousing and I find myself unable to speak. You love deeply and it moves my heart to be able to hold you so close...and be held in return. I sigh into your neck and kiss you there until you moan softly.* You don't have to make it sound easy for me Harry. * I stifle your protest with a kiss and pull you back onto the sofa. I cup your hands in mine.* If everything is so bad in Paris...why isn't Marton here? *My question sounds demanding...I am so fucking stupid...and I flinch away before you can answer. Andrea would have joined his response with a smack.*

harryvefali: He's... *Squeezing your fingers, watching you closely. I'm not him, love, don't confuse us* ...he's trying to gather all of our outside forces and contacts, to quell some of the other uprisings. And it would be alright if... *if Sean weren't here, but I can't quite bring myself to be that disloyal to Marton's childe* ...things were so touchy here.

dominM: *I stare at you unabashed, my head throbbing blindly. You're not a monster like Andrea...you don't want to hurt me. Why the fuck is it so hard for me to remember that? I am such a fool. You've told me more of your life in our brief time together than he told me of his existence in years and for as much as you bare your soul I want to learn more. You're fascinating to me.* What clan is causing the trouble?

harryvefali: The Tremere. *I catch your wince, rub my fingers across your temples, massaging gently* Are you alright? You look pale. *And are in pain...I can feel it dancing, needle-sharp, under your skin*

dominM: *I shake my head no but I sense you don't buy my denial for a second.* Too many French lessons today I think. *I try to smile but my pain won't let me. Elsa gave me two aspirin earlier but now my head feels ready to explode.* I'm okay...just a headache. *I squeeze your arm and lean into your touch.* I think you've told me before...or maybe you haven't...but what is Craig's clan?

harryvefali: He's a Toreador, but he has strong ties to Ventrue. *Massaging your head gently, wishing I could do more to ease your pain* He claims to have information, but all he does is stir up drama with his innuendos. I've found out far more on my own.

dominM: *He's a windbag...I know the type.* Good Harry. Don't let him fuck with you. * I wonder how Andrea fits into the picture...he was always a power-hungry bastard. I shudder to think he knows Craig.* What were you doing in the library?

harryvefali: Going over texts, trying to figure out the Tremere's next move. I've recieved some very interesting information that I need to research. Are you *sure* you're alright, love?

dominM: No...uh...not really. *I feel weird suddenly, warm and shaky...I stand without thinking and fall back into your arms. My forehead hurts...throbs is more like it...and when I look into your eyes I can't hide my distress.* Leave it to me to get a migraine now. *I close my eyes and drift motionless, fighting the pain, to stay awake and give me more time with you. Whoa...fuck. I reach out blindly and open my eyes. The fear and concern in your expression is worth all the aches in the world.* I'm okay Harry...just tired I think. I've been studying hard...and I didn't eat much dinner...I was worried about you....

harryvefali: About me? *Absurdly touched, stroking your cheek before lifting you in my arms, striding toward the stairs. Your arms curl weakly around my neck, and I murmur softly to you in Turkish, in French, voice soothing as I make my way towards your chamber* You need to rest. Don't worry about me. I promise we'll make it through this.

dominM: I know that Harry...but I can't help it. *I don't feel silly being carried in your arms like a child, but more safe and cherished. A lot of people might not understand but I suspect that you're aware of how much the little things mean to me...the touches and kisses, or your fingers playing in my belly button or sharing your thoughts and trusting me to keep them. I don't feel like talking any more tonight and it's unfortunate because I have so much to say to you. I want to ask you about the information you received and muddle it through in your arms. I need to confide in you about Dave and the secret he shared with me. I yawn as we approach my bed and I don't resist the urge to pull you down on top of me. I kiss you gently opening wide, our tongues caressing. * Will you stay with me for a while?

harryvefali: Of course. *wrapping my arms around you, nuzzling your neck* I'll stay here as long as you wish. *In truth, there is no other place I'd rather be at this moment than in your embrace, in this darkened bedroom, safe from the world*

Midnight Visitor

Mon, 13 Jan 2003 18:34:23 GMT

mirandoovamp: *Miranda woke the alone, feeling very small. She had spent the better part of yesterday talking about all of her problems, but one. Now that one will have to be addressed. She got out her phone and dialed Harry's number.*

harryvefali: *Answering, tone brisk, scattering more papers across my desk* Allo?

mirandoovamp: Harry? *I tried to keep my voice steady.* It's Miranda.

harryvefali: Miranda...*voice automatically softens, and I lean back in my chair* What a pleasant surprise. How are you?

mirandoovamp: Honestly, I've been better. I need to talk to you. It's really important. *I paced the floor of my flat, glancing over my shoulder to make sure that my journal hadn't grown legs and walked away.*

harryvefali: In person?

mirandoovamp: I don't want to do this over the phone. It's too important.

harryvefali: Where would you like to meet, then? *typing an email to my secretary, letting her know to cancel my next two appointments*

mirandoovamp: My place..... no. yours. *My mind was whirling. Should I be doing this? Did I have the strength to do this?*

harryvefali: I'll be here. Take your time. *soothing, sensing your fear and disquiet, even over the line*

mirandoovamp: See you in a bit. *I hang up, grab my coat and bag and start for the door. Then I think about it and put my jounral under my mattress and leave. An hour later I'm there. Backtracking and checking over your shoulder takes a long time.*

harryvefali: *I answer the door myself* Mir, love, you look... *scared as fucking hell* ...come in, come in. *I tug you inside, and wrap my arms around you, pretty sure that you need the comfort*

mirandoovamp: *I relax into the embrace.* Wait. *I pull back.* /He/ isn't here, is he? I can't deal with that right now.

harryvefali: Who? *Brushing your tangled hair from your forehead*

mirandoovamp: Sean Bean *I whisper, swiveling my head to look around.* I swear, he's got me on some sort of radar.

harryvefali: Sean? *Ah yes, his asinine insistence that you have any knowledge of the uprisings* No, he's not here. Come into my study--he won't disturb us in there. *It's a straight path to my study & I lead you to it, shutting the door softly behind us* Alright, what's going on?

mirandoovamp: *I sit down, clasping my shaking hands on my lap.* I've made a decision that i think you should know about.

harryvefali: Alright. *Nodding slowly, sitting beside you, and I take one of your hands in mine, thumb rubbing over the veins*

mirandoovamp: You and Dom are very special to me. I don't want to see him, or you, hurt in this mess with my clan. *I stop and swallow thickly. I don't know if I can go on.*

harryvefali: *I squeeze your hand reassuringly* You're special to us, as well. Don't involve yourself in this fight, love. You're an infant in a very old war. *Hoping that you'll understand what I'm trying to say*

mirandoovamp: I am involved. Sean is stalking me, kissing me in dark alleys. They've had me researching rituals for reconissance. I'm involved by the very nature of who I am.

harryvefali: Kissing you? Stalking? *I knew he was keeping an eye on you, but *this*...oh yes, Sean, we need to have another conversation* What sort of rituals?

mirandoovamp: Rituals to harm other Kindred, bind them, escape through mirrors, escape through thin air. Rituals that cane give them the names of a Kindred's sire, even their Pet's name.

harryvefali: *Frown deepens, and I know the first person I need to speak with after you leave is Marton* Are you certain it's wise to be telling me this?

mirandoovamp: *I sigh deeply and sag.* My clan hasn't done anything for me. This is all I can give. I hope it's enough.

harryvefali: It's enough. *Pulling you into my arms, letting you rest against me* I thank you for the courage it took to come here. And, rest assured, I will speak to Sean.

mirandoovamp: Please don't make it worse. He hurt me on our first encounter, kissed me on our second. I'm afraid to think what he'll do on our third! *The shaking stops, fir the first time in two days.*

harryvefali: There won't *be* a third. *Softly, stroking your back* He needs a lesson in respect...he's been around his Spaniard minions far too long.

mirandoovamp: I hope so. These are difficult times. Nothing is certain. Nothing is... anymore. *I swallow the lump that has been hanging in my throat for the past few days.*

harryvefali: Alright, what else? *Because this is far deeper than just Tremere politics* Is it Liv?

mirandoovamp: She's still hung up on her ex. She's been jumping for the phone, checking the post multiple times a night. We're playing the 'wait and see' game right now.

harryvefali: Doesn't sound very fair to you.

mirandoovamp: I guess it isn't, but it's all that I've got right now. *I shrug listlessly.* So much has gone on in the last few days.. I'm just spent.

harryvefali: I can imagine. *Kissing your hair*

mirandoovamp: *I sit up straight.* I'm going to go. I'm going to go home and go to bed. Maybe when I wake up the world will be a nicer place.

harryvefali: I hope, for your sake, that it is. *Pulling you up, giving you another long hug* Be safe out there. And tell no one that you and I have spoken.

mirandoovamp: I know. My existence depends on my silence. *I walk to the door, but turn before I exit, fixing your face in my memory. Who knows what will happen now, and if I will survive.* Tell Dom that I'll meet him on tuesday, if it's safe enough to meet.

harryvefali: I'll let him know. *My lips are soft on yours, the kiss brief* Adieu, lovely Miranda.

mirandoovamp: Bye Harry. *I exit your house, walking quickly into the rainy night. i don't look back.*

As soon as the door is closed, I leave a message for Marton to call me as soon as possible. And another one for Sean, requesting a meeting in a mutually agreeable place. The next step is to reacquaint myself with these rituals, go through the old texts. Yes, there will be a war...but certainly not on the Tremere's terms.

The lines are drawn...

Thu, 09 Jan 2003 22:12:20 GMT

[private convo]

DarkChildeSB: *slipping from my chamber, the hallway cloaked in shadows that flicker and dance from the gaslight sconces-- there are things I must attend to...the past few days have not been profitable in terms of information; that needs to change*

harryvefali: *Rubbing my eyes with the heel of my hand as I let myself out of mine and Marton's chamber, hoping that he makes it home soon. I really don't have the patience to go through all of his correspondence as well as my own. My bare feet make no sound on the plush carpet, and I'm so preoccupied that I'm almost on top of you before I realize it* Sean... *quickly, looking up* Sorry, wasn't paying attention.

DarkChildeSB: *dryly* you don't say. *I wasn't in the mood for this tonight- things are pressing at the edges of my mind, gnawing irritation*

harryvefali: I'm sorry, should I watch my step in my own home? *snapping the words before sighing, rubbing the bridge of my nose* Look, I need to speak to you anyway. Think you could be civil long enough for us to accomplish this?

DarkChildeSB: To accomplish what, exactly? *my tone still short- I don't have time for this*

harryvefali: *Deep sigh...would it fucking *kill* you to be pleasant once in awhile...I don't like you being here anymore than you do* Marton called. *small smirk*

DarkChildeSB: *watching you sigh- so overwrought with drama- perhaps you've been spending more time with M. Parker than you'd admit* *my tone bitterly chill* And what does his glorified answering machine have to say?

harryvefali: Glorified answering machine? *Fuck you, I have no time for this, Marton can tell you himself* Well, if you're not interested in his news, by all means, continue with your fruitless little searches. *Small, mocking smile, brushing past you to continue down the hall*

DarkChildeSB: *my hand darts out, speedwhip blur, catching you by the shoulder and slamming you back against the wall as I lunge in, my teeth stopping a whisper from your exposed jugular* None of your petty games tonight, Harry. I'm not in the mood. Tell me.

harryvefali: *throwing off your hand, leaning into you, eyes hard, cold* I didn't give you permission to touch me, köpek. *spitting the word out* You want my information, then you treat me with a little more respect.

DarkChildeSB: *bitter granite, unyielding* I didn't ask permission, puta. And you'll yield information that has to do with Marton. *leaning in slightly* You'd do well to remember you live or die by his leave- if anything happens to him, what then will become of Harry? *small smile*

harryvefali: And what would become of *you*, I wonder, if he should be disposed? *not budging, watching you carefully* I can go underground, I've done it before. Can you? *raising an eyebrow*

DarkChildeSB: Of me? *short laugh* Surely you jest, Harry- or is senility settling in? I'm the Prince's true Childe. Should anything happen to Marton, I don't *need* to hide. I will rule Paris--unless you think that the Tremere can somehow overthrow Ventrue in Paris entirely.. *eyes narrowing* But I will not let anyone- including you and your petty maneuverings- bring harm to my Sire. All your talk of truces- I should have known. If you cared for Marton's fate, you wouldn't play these games.

harryvefali: *my hand is around your throat before you finish your sentence, eyes like shards of diamonds, voice a menacing growl* You are naïve, indeed, if you think that you would be allowed to live should Marton fall. I have been his since long before he found you. While you've been out terrorizing innocent women, I've been seeing to the continued safety of my Prince's city. And I will continue to do so, despite your machinations.

DarkChildeSB: *my laughter echoes brightly off the polished stone walls* And yet still he found me. Wanted me. Needed me. Embraced me. I wonder why...*throwing your hand off with a snarl* Oh, yes, I've heard how you're seeing to the safety of the city. Dallying with your mortal and spending time in pursuits better suited to a Tor...but then again, blood will tell. It always does.

harryvefali: *Choice* tells more. *softly, my smile still mocking* Your new friend has installed himself as Seneschal of London.

DarkChildeSB: *skipping the "friend" debate again as I brush your dig aside* Installed himself? I doubt that. The Toreador, for all their quirks, are quite serious about the proper...order of things.

harryvefali: And Msr. Parker is a master at manipulating that order. *shrugging, leaning back against the wall, arms crossed casually* He may be of Tor blood, but he's Tremere in his actions, his thirst for power.

DarkChildeSB: *small nod- a thirst you understand well* I will speak to him. *stepping away from you, eager to be out in the air under the blanket of night- away from this incessant bee-drone of irritation*

harryvefali: One more thing...*deciding to get this over with* I've made Dominic my pet. I don't need to tell you what this means.

DarkChildeSB: *turning back to look at you sharply* It means that you really are distracted from what should be your main concern right now.

harryvefali: It means I'm protecting what's mine. *steely voice* Marton is, always will be, my main concern. My nights have been devoted to the Tremere uprisings. Not that you would know about such things, since you'd rather question a child like Miranda than seek true information.

DarkChildeSB: My nights have been devoted to the Tremere uprisings, as well. Which, strangely enough, involved questioning a *Tremere*. One which, oddly enough, you're rather friendly with. Now, why is that, I wonder? *not waiting for your response, since you'll only lie* And she is no more a child than you're a human man.

harryvefali: She's a child to this world, to our ways. You'd do better to question her Primogen, or to seek out their Pleasure Houses, as I've been doing. Amazing the secrets you learn when a vampire is sated and sleepy.

DarkChildeSB: And if I question her Primogen, then they withdraw and do not show their hand. Better to prod at the weak link. *slow hiss* I need no advice from you on gathering intelligence, Harry. *turning away again and walking away, leaving you standing in the hall* *calling over my shoulder* Go back to your Pleasure Houses, Harry, and leave war to those better equipped to deal with it...

harryvefali: *shaking my head, chuckling after you, not bothering to move* Centuries of soldiering, and you mock my abilities still. *softly, the words barely stirring the air* I suppose I'll just keep the rest of my information to myself and watch you flail about in the dark for awhile. No more than you deserve.

Chance meeting with Elijah

Tue, 07 Jan 2003 11:04:25 GMT

humanboyewood: *stepping into the warmth of Fleur Blanc, I strip my gloves off and look around; it's crowded tonight, and I'm pleased for Dave- Fleur is catching on* *I look around for a table, and there are none in evidence; there, however...by the bar...is it?...yes. M. Sinclair*

harryvefali: *The paper holds no interest for me tonight--talk of petty mortal politics pales when compared to the power struggle within the Camarilla. It's nice to see the restaurant so busy, and I'm pleased for Dave, giving him a silent toast with my Malbec when he smiles as he passes by. Movement catches the corner of my eye and I spot the young Msr. Wood, standing by the entrance, looking a bit lost. Well, I'm seeking polite conversation and I'm willing to bet that he'd like a table. I wave to him--friendly gesture--and wonder how he's been faring the last few weeks. Certainly he looks better than he did the first time I saw him.*

humanboyewood: *he's waving me over- well...I haven't had a chance to thank him yet for his generosity; I step over to his table, dodging a waitress with a full tray of wineglasses* M. Sinclair. *inclining my head* Nice to see you here this evening.

harryvefali: Msr. Wood. *Gesturing toward the seat beside me* Would you join me for a drink?

humanboyewood: *small smile as I take off my coat and sit, laying my coat and gloves in the next seat* Yes, thank you. *the same waitress swings by, smoothly efficient, and I order a cabernet* It seems I am in your debt. *studying your face, wondering still- why?* Your gesture was very generous. Um...thank you.

harryvefali: Perhaps now you can concentrate on your studies without worrying of your next meal or bills. *small smile, sipping my wine--cool, rich taste smooth down my throat* Think nothing of it. It was a gift from an admirer to artist.

humanboyewood: *my natural inclination is still to doubt, but I have no choice other than to accept this explanation* Well, thank you again. *silence settles in for an awkward moment as I search for a common denominator* So...have you been to any good concerts lately?

harryvefali: *Still nervous around me, still unsure. In time you'll learn that I mean you no harm.* I saw a stunning production of "The Barber of Seville" last week at The Nationale. Very different interpretation, lovely violin solos. You?

humanboyewood: *smiling at the memory* A wonderful production of Handel and Vivaldi pieces at L'eglise Saint-Roch a week ago Saturday. The Concerto for Two Trumpets in C by Vivaldi was particularly nice.

harryvefali: Sounds enchanting. Sorry I missed it. *I can't help but smile at your obvious love and appreciation...the joy lights up your entire body.* How is school? Msr. Massenet treating you alright?

humanboyewood: Ah, well, I haven't seen him since going on Christmas break. Classes begin again Wednesday for the spring term. *my wine arrives, and I order soup- it's bouillabaise tonight, a slight disappointment, but I'm sure it will be good anyway*

harryvefali: How much longer do you have before you graduate? *Polite conversation, yes, but it's a start*

humanboyewood: June. *small swallow of the wine, and it's dry, excellent* And then...who knows? A post with the National Symphony, perhaps.

harryvefali: With your talent, I have no doubts that you'll go very far. *small smile* So, I understand you met my companion the other day.

humanboyewood: *blinking...oh, yes- Dom...it had slipped my mind* Yes, Dom. He seems a nice sort. We spoke briefly.

harryvefali: You made quite the impression. He expressed an interest in hearing you play.

humanboyewood: Oh? *smiles* Well, we will begin work on Khachaturian's violin concerto for the spring programme. Perhaps then, if not sooner.

harryvefali: Sounds lovely. I, too, look forward to hearing you play again. *Another smile, and I stand, throwing a few bills on the table* Unfortunately, I need to head out...duty calls. Enjoy your meal, Msr. Wood. I hope we'll meet again soon.

humanboyewood: *smiling* Yes...thank you. I will. And yes. Tell Dom I said hello.

harryvefali: I will. *Another polite nod and I melt into the crowd, then the night, with barely a ripple in the air*