Angelique

[kersen]

After the night of his trial, Kersen had texted Angelique to let her know that he was okay, but that she might not hear from him for a bit. He waited until he felt a little more under control, at least enough that he thought he could carry on a conversation without lapsing into a gooey pile of guilt.

When he got back in touch, he asked if she'd like to meet him somewhere, or if she'd like to come by the bar. She'd chosen the latter, and he was glad. There were multiple reasons why having the opportunity for privacy with her might be good. Not least of which being the conversation they were going to have to have, about vampires.

He was a little closer (though nowhere there yet) to his usual sparkly self tonight. Wearing leather trousers and a black shirt emblazoned with a swirling rose. He was behind the bar, mostly pouring wine.

Comments

[utterly_mysterious]

Angelique accepted the glass with a small, accepting smile. Judging solely on how cautious Kersen had been the last time they spoke, she'd sort of assumed not everything in the vampire world was rainbows and roses. "Tell me," she urged quietly, tilting her head to listen.

[kersen]

Kersen immediately looked a bit distressed, as if he didn't want to pull up the memories. But... he did.

"I was guilty," he said quietly, not quite looking at her. "There wasn't much point in arguing otherwise, it was just a matter of my sentence. The magister was apparently feeling... creative. Decided that rather than the typical five years underground, he though that appropriate restitution for taking a vampire life was to make another. They forced me to turn a girl. Against her will."

[utterly_mysterious]

Angelique's eyes widened, horrified, as much for Kersen as for the girl. They had both been forced, a terrible violation that Angelique couldn't even imagine. She rested a hand on Kersen's leg in quiet sympathy, unsure what could possibly be said. "That's... I don't think there's even a word for what that is. Oh, Kersen..."

[kersen]

Kersen looked down. "Oh Angelique, don't be kind to me. The girl, she's... she's the one who deserves your sympathy. I'm the one who killed her."

[utterly_mysterious]

Angelique was having none of that. "I already told you, I'll always be on your side. You were violated, too." She spoke quietly, but with great certainty. "And this girl, if she's your... well, I'm on her side, too."

[kersen]

Kersen knew that all of it was true, but he still had a difficult time climbing out of his own guilt. "Her name is Bonnie," he said. "And she's so traumatized that she barely even speaks to me. I basically have her locked in my house. And I have no idea what to do except to wait for her to... I don't know. Accept what's happened to her, I guess."

[utterly_mysterious]

Angelique didn't know much at all about vampires, but she did know about learning to accept certain aspects of one's body that one couldn't change. "Is there... that is, I'd like to help." For Kersen, not for the girl, naturally. "You and she are in this together, though that's going to be difficult to accept."

[kersen]

"That's very kind of you," Kersen said, and lay a hand lightly on her knee. Then he managed a little smile and said, "I might need character references, at least."

[utterly_mysterious]

"I would be delighted to explain to her what a kind man you are," Angelique promised him, laying her hand over his and squeezing gently. "Or anything else you need. You trusted me with this. I don't intend to sit idly by."

[kersen]

"You know, if I'd met you a few years ago, things would have been so much simpler," Kersen said. "I kept myself out of the way. It was when I started getting involved that my life went to hell. You know for a brief time I was basically the vampire queen of London."

[utterly_mysterious]

Had Kersen met her a few years ago, Angelique would have been hardly more than a child... but a child in dire need of someone like Kersen in his life. She smiled now, faintly, to think of it, but took care not to remind Kersen of the vast difference in their ages.

"I had no idea I was speaking to royalty," Angelique said warmly. "That sounds like something of a tale."

[kersen]

"Yes, that it is," Kersen said. "Some good parts... though honestly, mostly very bad parts."

He imagined Angelique's reaction if he told her some vampires had carved faggot into his chest. She was such a sweet soul, and that was exactly the kind of ugliness he should shield her from.

[utterly_mysterious]

"So then, you... abdicated?" Angelique ventured a guess. It must be so, since there was a different authority now, who had done this to Kersen.

[kersen]

"Something like that," Kersen said. "I wasn't like I really had a right to it in the first place. I was just trying to make sure that things didn't get worse. But even that taste of power - I didn't like what I saw it turning me into. And then the Authority finally sent someone to fill in the power vacuum. And Eric is... well, I guess as good as I could expect in a practical context."

[utterly_mysterious]

"Is... Eric... the man who passed judgement?" Angelique asked, wanting very much to understand even though Kersen didn't want her to. "Someone I should be angry with?"

[kersen]

Kersen shook his head. "No, he's just in charge of the vampires in London. The Magistrate is like... judge, jury, and executioner. Actually... Eric helped me. Said a few words that I think spared my life, despite how unhappy I am with the actual outcome."

[utterly_mysterious]

"Then I'm grateful to him, for keeping my friend in my life," Angelique said quietly, squeezing Kersen's hand again. "So. What happens now? For you, for the girl?"

[kersen]

"She's my responsibility now," he said. "And... that's as much as I can tell you. I don't know how things will go with her... there are ways it could go very badly. Or maybe it will be better. I can tell you though that I should be out of danger. As terrible as the Authority can be, they at least abide by their own rules."

[utterly_mysterious]

Angelique glanced down, but nodded her understanding. "I'm just glad you're safe. That last night we spoke, I just... I've been calling myself such a fool ever since then. I wanted to be able to do more for you, but I... you're dealing with something so enormous, you have so much more experience, and I... literally all I could do for you was stay out of the way."

[kersen]

Kersen took her hand and squeezed it. "And I in turn felt terrible for dumping such a burden on you so soon after we'd gotten to know each other."

[utterly_mysterious]

Angelique wrapped her fingers around Kersen's hand. "It's not a burden, Kersen. I promise. I wish you'd stop feeling guilty about telling me the truth. I wish you'd let me... do something other than know and worry for you."

[kersen]

"You have no idea what a comfort it is to me to have such a supportive friend," Kersen said. He still couldn't quite believe it, that she'd accepted him so readily. "You can keep doing that."

[utterly_mysterious]

Angelique didn't think that very much. She studied Kersen's face for a long moment, before sighing quietly. "All right. That's good to know, I suppose."

Another glance down, and she added, "What I said to you that night, Kersen... I still care about you, my feelings haven't changed. I will always be your friend, and I will always be absolutely delighted to take you to bed, but... I know that anything more isn't going to happen."

[kersen]

Kersen's expression softened. He reached out and put a hand on her cheek, lifting her head. "Oh Angelique." He wondered if she'd somehow learned more about Michael, or if it was something else. But in the end, Michael didn't really matter, not to think. "You don't want to be with a vampire, not like that. You haven't thought through the complications."

[utterly_mysterious]

Angelique looked up at him steadily, sad, but still certain. She took his hand and attempted to take it from her face. She didn't want tenderness like that. "No, because you won't let me. You've already made the decision that you'll always keep me at an arm's length. I can't be with someone where I'll always be on the periphery. That's my decision."