RPG SPEC: Dagger of the Mind Sequal to "Hollywood Vampires" Part 1, Posts 1-30 _________________________________________________________________________ CAST: Armand.......Lisa.........Lisa.Hall@Colorado.EDU Antonio......Lisa.........Lisa.Hall@Colorado.EDU Tom Cruise...Lisa.........Lisa.Hall@Colorado.EDU Marius.......Heather......ash@eskimo.com Gabrielle....Kim..........dream@usa1.com or dreamstess@aol.com Louis........Cathy........aprilmist@aol.com or hrpsicrd@tribeca.ios.com David........Steph........s0162763@cc.ysu.edu Daniel.......Vanessa......delvalle@sju.edu Pandora......Angela.......cdesmara@direct.ca Tom Cruise...Mick.........melis10017@aol.com Lestat.......Laura Ann....troislaa@barnard.columbia.edu Santino......Laura Ann....troislaa@barnard.columbia.edu Please Note- This is a closed cast spec. No new characters will be accepted after it has started! Sorry. _________________________________________________________________________ Post 1: What has gone before... In the previous rpg spec, Hollywood Vampires, the undead coven met in New Orleans to observe the filming of "The Vampire Lestat" movie. Our story opened with half of the coven on the set, observing or interfearing with their chosen actors. During the course of this Tom Cruise was rather *badly* affected by Lestat and had to be removed from the set, bringing the filming to a stop. The coven, with all of the normal friction, rapidly degenerated to warring and sniping at each other again. David and Marius argued and split up on bad terms. Gabrielle returned to Rue Royale in a very upset state, due to a confrontation she had with Armand. Lestat, furious at this treatment of his mother, laid a telepathic command on Armand just as the dawn was coming- Armand would suffer a terrible nightmare in retribution for upseting Gabrielle. And, as day came, Marius sent out one last search for David in the hopes of making up with his lover- only to find David had gone to Santino's arms for comfort. The next night woke *everyone* with horrible nightmares- Armand, being a strong telepath, had broadcast to the entire coven, and the others had relayed the effect to Marius and Daniel. Lestat, naturally enough, was blamed for the mess. On the set, Gabrielle discovered a fascinating companion- Antonio Banderas, who bears a very disturbing resembalance to Armand, as he might have been had he been allowed to grow older. Armand, also, was intrigued- almost obsessed- with the actor. But his observation was disturbed by Marius... a reunion that ended with many admissions between them and the two in each other's arms. Then things went downhill. Marius and David fought again, ending in a very loud and messy break up. Aramand and Gabrielle quarreled again. Lestat, having been rejected by all of his fledglings, ended up spending the day in Santino's hotel room, rather then return to Rue Royale. And the following night everyone woke up with nightmares again. Lestat was convinced he was the source of the nightmares and had no idea of how to control them. Louis, finding Lestat in Santino's room, was livid at what he assumed was Lestat's unfaithfulness. The entire coven ended up gathering in and outside Santino's room, in a huge arguement. During the arguement Lestat did his absolute best to distance and alienate everyone close to him, going so far as to renounce his love of Louis. Louis left in a hurt rage. Finally, Armand forced everyone out of the room and tried to talk to Lestat alone. Outside, waiting anxiously for them, were David, Marius, Santino, and Maharet. Santino was trying to convince himself that his fling with David was just that- a fling- while Marius and David tried to patch things up. Inside the room, Lestat said enough things to make Armand positively livid, and then ended it all by throwing Armand across the room and escaping out the window. Armand, though unhurt, was furious enough to kill. He left, allowing only Marius to follow him. The rest of the coven ended up (eventually) back on the set, where Louis was filling in for the absent Brad Pitt. Marius and Armand ended up in Armand's room at the Ponchartrain- where Armand proposed marriage to Marius, and Marius accepted. Dawn came to find Lestat in a distant little rundown motel in the city, convinced that his absence would make the nightmares cease and that only his leaving could protect the ones he loved. Next evening. And no nightmares. But the coven, frantic about Lestat's whereabouts, gathered at the Rue Royale. They argued, unable to decide on a way to go about finding Lestat. Louis finally left, unable to just sit and talk anymore. Gabrielle left as well, drawn back to the set of the movie and Antonio Banderas. Armand and Marius followed her, in time to hear her discussion with Antonio- and Antonio had just asked for the Dark Gift. Furious, Armand confronted Antonio, telepathically stripping the mortal man's mind. Breaking through the last barriers in Antonio's mind, he discovered the unthinkable- his own memories, locked within Antonio. The reliving knocked both of them out, sending Armand into a catatonic state and driving Antonio close to madness. Gabrielle, desperate to save Antonio, created him as her first fledgling. Louis, meanwhile, found the motel Lestat was hiding at. Now more convinced then ever that his presence was what caused the nightmares, Lestat argued with Louis, trying to drive him away. Louis argued right back, and refused to leave. Armand had withdrawn into himself so far that no one could reach him- until Antonio used himself as a link between Marius, and through Marius to Gabrielle, and the three of them managed to enter into Armand's thoughts. Armand believed, quite firmly, that he was mad. They eventually managed to draw him out of the catatonia- just in time for David and Daniel to come bursting in, Daniel frantic about Armand and David outraged over Antonio. When dawn came and it was all sorted out Armand had managed to once again upset Gabrielle, Daniel had left nearly in tears, and everyone's temper was near the breaking point. Louis managed to convince Lestat to let him stay for one day, to test Lestat's theory. And the next evening everyone woke up screaming from nightmares again, thereby proving Lestat right. Daniel left, seized with the idea of going to help Tom Cruise regain his Lestat shocked sanity. David, while going to the Rue Royale to meet Santino, ran into a member of the Talamasca. While at Rue Royale he had a vision of his friend, Aaron Lightner. Believing he might be going mad, David and Santino went back to the Pon to meet with the others. Daniel's plans to talk to Tom Cruise were interrupted by Jesse, who was staying as a guest at the house, with Brad Pitt wrapped neatly around her finger. She grabbed Daniel and dragged him back to New Orleans, with Daniel loosing more of his grip on coherency by the minute. The entire mass converged in Armand's room at the Pon, where David explained that the Talamasca had had such problems before- where one member, a telepath, goes insane and infects everyone around them. David, convinced it was himself, offered to leave, but Santino stopped him. Eventually they both left, together. After Daniel was calmed, restored, and had spoken to Armand both he and Jesse left. Meanwhile, Lestat left Louis asleep at the motel, sneaking out with every intention of either doing away with himself or burying himself so deep he'd never be found. Armand, quite convinced that the entire mess was Lestat's fault, and that Lestat was, quite possibly, trying to drive him mad, decided to look for Lestat- and to kill him when he found him, if he could. He asked for Marius' help, but Marius refused, unable to choose between protecting Armand or protecting Lestat. Armand left, to follow Lestat alone. Marius, realizing what he had just let Armand do, followed him. Louis, awakening alone, returned to Rue Royale, there to await the dawn. Gabrielle, betrayed by Armand, ordered Antonio to follow Marius and then stayed behind herself, amidst the burning ruin of the Pon. We now return to the coven, several nights later...... _________________________________________________________________________ Post 2: Antonio Antonio cursed savagely under his breath. He cursed in english, having learned most of the functional expletives of the English Language for Desperado. It seemed more satisfying, somehow, to curse in a foreign language. He had lost Armand. *Again* He was hot, hungry, and just about at his wits end. He desperately wanted a cigarette. And a drink. And anything normal. A familiar face. Anything. In the course of a week, his entire life had turned upside down. A week ago he was an actor on the set of a movie about vampires. And now... a vampire acting like he knew what the #(*^%(&*^!! he was doing. And he didn't. All he could do was doggedly follow the trail Armand left for him, hoping against hope that he got to him before he killed either Lestat or himself. It seemed either was imminent. "'Tonio, how do you get yourself *into* things like this?" he hissed under his breath. He had never been afraid of taking chances, and this quality had taken him far. Perhaps a little too far. "Where the hell am I, anyway?" He looked around sharply for anything which might identify his location. They had left the south several nights ago, traveling first north, then steadily west. Never by car or plane. Always by foot. However, a vampire traveling by foot can cover a tremendous amount of territory when motivated. Apparently Lestat was motivated. Which motivated Armand. Which motivated Antonio. Had motivated him all the way to this desolate, dusty place which seemingly had no name. Except for the pool of light which comprised the town, there was *nothing* but velvet darkness in any direction. Sighing he cleared his mind and concentrated, hoping for a glimmer - anything which would point the way to Armand. He found nothing. Finally he sighed in disgust and opened his eyes again. "Where the Hell am I?" he hissed again. Tiny town. Dusty. Two streets, one street light, flashing red and yellow depending on the direction. Cracked sidewalk, empty storefronts... then nothingness. "You're in Star, Kansas." Startled, Antonio whirled around. "Marius!" _________________________________________________________________________ Post 3: Marius Marius grabbed Antonio's arm in a movement far too quick for the younger vampire to see, hauling the other man to within inches of his own face. Antonio's eyes were wide, his expression mirroring shock- Marius shook him, roughly, forcing Antonio's eyes to meet his own. Antonio flinched. He had been following the fledgling for nights. He had no other choice. Antonio could heard Armand as Marius never could, could follow him. Alone, Marius could do nothing but try and glean the image of Armand from the mortals of the world. And Armand was not letting himself be seen. But Antonio could find him, could follow him. So Marius followed Antonio. And now Antonio had stopped. He didn't know how many nights. It might have been many, it might still be the first night. He wasn't sure. It had all blurred to a great dark haze- he rose when the sun still prickled his skin in the setting light, and did not seek the earth until the pain of the dawn forced him down. And the pain itself was less then nothing, an irritant, hardly comparable to the nameless gnawing ache inside. Only the knowledge that injuries would slow him down made him rest. He drew Antonio close, his voice low, rough and scratched. "You're following him," Marius whispered, slowly, taking care to pronounce each word. "You can find him." Antonio made some small noise and nodded. Marius nodded as well, wetting his lips with an equally dry tongue. His voice was almost calm, his tone lightly reasonable, as though he only discussed the dry weather or the clarity of the stars overhead. "Then why, young one, are you stopping here? Why sit and wonder where you are? Why does it matter?" His voice grew hard, with an edge to it, the words coming with a hiss. "Why in HELL are you wasting time, if you could be tracking HIM?!" He shook Antonio again, then threw him, bodily, to the ground. He was on the younger vampire in a flash, pressing Antonio back into the dusty street, crouched over him. His lips were pulled back over his teeth, his eyes fierce. He pushed back the filthy mat of his hair, snarling. "What are you WAITING for?? FIND HIM!" _________________________________________________________________________ Post 4: Antonio and Marius Antonio tried to shove Marius away from him, which was utterly futile. "Let go of me!" he snapped. "What do you think I've been trying to do for the past several nights? I've not come to Star, Kansas for my health!" Marius roughly hauled him to his feet. "You've been wandering around this idiotic little hole in the wall for hours. Care to tell me why?" "Because I can't *find* him!" Antonio raked his hand through his hair in irritation, unsurprised that his fingers couldn't make it through the matted mess. If he looked anything like Marius... "I've tried every way I know how. He knows what to shield against now. He doesn't want to be found, by me or anyone else." He whirled on Marius. "Do you understand what I'm telling you? He's gone, and _I can't find him_. Which means that both he and Lestat are as good as *Dead*." _________________________________________________________________________ Post 5: Marius and Antonio *Dead.* The word rang in his mind, in his heart. Once again he reached out, blindly, futilely, reaching, feeling... Nothing. Not in 500 years had he felt that touch, nor ever would again. Pain, blinding pain of the spirit, pain in his head and building behind his temples. Marius clenched his fists, gritted his teeth. Antonio took a step backwards, hands half raised, alarm in his eyes. *Dead. Dead. Deadeadeadeadeadead....* A fledgling's voice, echoing in his ears, blending with the pain until it was all agony, streaming from the gaping wounds of his mind and heart. Marius surged foreward, clamping an iron hand around Antonio's shoulder and whirling the other man about. As he did so the store behind them, across the street, exploded in a fiery blaze that shot towards the night sky in a flood of light and heat and sound. Antonio cried out but Marius had already pulled him away, out into the night beyond the town. He did not stop until they were far from the lights and the alarms and the sirens, out amidst the unrelenting blackness of the dustland. Strong fingers knotted into Antonio's hair, jerking his head back with enough force to bring tears to his eyes. "You help me find him," Marius breathed, his voice ragged, "or the next thing that goes up in flame is you." There was nothing but truth in the threat and, looking up into that pale face, Antonio could see nothing but madness in the elder's eyes. _________________________________________________________________________ Post 6: Antonio and Marius "Of course I'll help you." Antonio snapped, very aware of how close to death he was. "I want to find him no less than you do. Marius! Are you listening to me?" "With everything I have." Marius growled. "It's not that I do not want him found. It's that I cannot find him! Do you understand? I can't..." *FLASH* "It's him. Let me go! It's him! Marius...." "Which way?" "South... southwest. Quickly. He's not far... but he only comes in flashes. Brief glimpses. I don't know where we're going." "It doesn't matter." Marius said grimly. "We're going to *him*." _________________________________________________________________________ Post 7: Louis He had smelled the smoke from the burning Hotel and seen the sky illuminated by the flames when pulled the drapes from their rods. Something had snapped inside of him. He knew his sister-fledgling, Gabrielle was trapped. Trapped inside that inferno. With preternatural speed, Louis had dashed to the burning hotel and quickly scaled the wall. He'd broken in a window and dashed down the hall until he found the room. After soaking a blanket, he wrapped her unconscious form in it and carried her down the stairway and out of the building. As he carried her home, his eyes burning from the smoke and the pale early morning sky, Louis began to tremble violently. The gravity of the situation... the danger he had faced... began to sink in. With the death sleep pulling him under, Louis placed Gabrielle on Lestat's bed and collapsed on the floor next to her. She had slept straight through the next two nights. Louis kept vigil next to her, lest she awake and be frightened. He knew time could heal both her burns and his broken heart. Now three nights later, Gabrielle began to waken... roused by the gentle breeze that wafted in through the open window. Louis felt her sleep lifting and sat beside her on the bed. As her eyelids fluttered open, through a clouded mind, Gabrielle recognised the gentle features as Louis bent over her, speaking quietly, reassuringly. "Louis... What happened," she breathed. "Hush, sweet sister." He whispered to her. "You are safe." _________________________________________________________________________ Post 8: Gabrielle and Louis "You are safe." the words rang in her head, refreshing as a cool summer breeze. Safe. What was safe? Only a term, no one was safe. She certainly was not, she was sure of that. Suddenly her mind snapped back to life and she felt the heat, the flames licking at her and scorching her body. She remember the blackness, the dreadful blackness she had drifted in for days. Blackness, and their faces haunting her every moment. A blond demon, a gentle green-eyed brother, a patient, loving father, a beautiful, kind latin lover, and him.... Chills ran up her spine as she thought of *him*. She could close her eyes now and painstakingly bring and image of him to life. So real she could almost touch it. Those huge, dark eyes, the whispy auburn curls and the quiet menacing smile. Without knowing it, she let a cry out and at once Louis had his arms tightly around her and slowly she cried. "Louis...." she choked, resting her head on his shoulder, "You should of seen it....the wind, the lightning...the *fire*. And Armand.....he's going to kill him. He will, Louis. If we don't find him, he'll kill him!" _________________________________________________________________________ Post 9: Armand The only way one could tell that he was not a rock was that the wind fingered through his hair occasionally, causing it to dance around him. He sat on the edge of the jutting cliff, looking out over a vast expanse of painted desert. The creatures of the night paid him no notice, but he watched them with a sort of distracted facination. He drew his knees closer to his chest as the life of the desert woke to the cool of the evening. So simple. So basic. So very beautiful. Every creature in its place. Except for him. He was the intruder here, as usual. He had no people, no place to call his own. At one time he thought that romantic. Now it was simply lonely. He had left New Orleans in fury and fire, murder and destruction his only purpose left for living. But as the distance between him and the heart of Dixie grew, the madness within him dimmed. The anger was still there, burning bright within his eyes. But the mindless fury had gone, to be replaced by... nothing yet. He was back to familiar ground. Back in Paris. Once the terror had fled, he had known nothing but the void. Embraced it, in fact. Now, here it was again, looming large. Only this time, he did not want it. He had no choice. He understood that. But just for a moment or two, one night... perhaps just a few nights... he wanted to simply be. Before nothingness claimed him again. So he watched the cycle of the desert, not moving when the storm boiled from the sky. It moved swiftly - like nothing he had ever seen before - like something alive, bringing with it a rapid, torriential downpour and swift, blazing lightening. One struck close to where he sat, unsheltered from the sudden deluge, and it startled him, jarring his shields momentarily. It reminded him all too well of that last moment. The look in Marius' eyes... He slammed his shields back into place, lashing out in irritation at the storm with a bolt of his own. It struck near the base of the cliff, close enough to raise the hair on his arms. ::Marius:: Then he settled again into a compact ball and waited for the storm to pass. _________________________________________________________________________ Post 10: Marius and Antonio They had had to walk the last miles. The storm had come up out of nowhere, the winds howling in this wide open country, the lightning boiling through the air like the bolts of God, leaving static charges and the scent of burnt ozone in their wake. Impossible to fly in it. Marius had been forced to drop to the ground, battered by the winds and the ceaseless deluge of rain. But despite Antonio's protests, despite the bolt that had struck so close to them that it had raised their hairs on end and left his ears ringing for minutes afterwards, he had trudged on. Half blinded by the rain, drenched to the skin, leaning against the wind just in order to keep upright, he had walked. The young one trailed after him, for it was that or be left behind. And he wouldn't have allowed that. Antonio's mind touched his periodically, telling him of which way to go, what direction it was that Antonio had felt. Marius accepted the information, and then blocked him out again. Too painful to touch in that way, to feel another mind against his. And he could feel Antonio flinch every time he had to do so, as though whatever he saw within Marius hurt him. Well, it hurt Marius too. In the end they walked in silece, each wrapped within their own thoughts. Marius could not even bring himself to think of what lay ahead. Of the confrontation that possibly awaited. He made himself be still inside, to sink into a kind of grim, desperate numbness. ::Just let me find him. Let me see him once more.:: He could not even bring himself to think the rest. ::If I see him again, it will be over. I can end it. It will be done.:: It took him several moments to even realize he had stopped, and several more to understand why. Rock. In front of him. He stood amongst the rocks at the base of a cliff. He turned to face Antonio, shouting to be heard over the fury of the storm. "Where?" _________________________________________________________________________ Post 11: Antonio and Marius He had given up long ago of either fleeing (an idea which had crossed his mind only once before he rejected it outright) or of stopping Marius. The elder was his superior in speed, strength, and certainly in madness. He moved with a singlemindedness which horrified Antonio. And again he thought of Gabrielle, his beloved creator. She had charged him with protecting Armand. Antonio knew already that against Marius he could do nothing. Walking across the desert, watching scorpions scuttle out of the way, he suddenly wished for a sawed off double barreled shot gun. He wondered if Marius would even notice if he unloaded both barrels at his back. Somehow, he didn't think so. The storm came out of nowhere, as was often the case in the desert. He had no idea where to tell Marius to search. he had lost the trail well before they left Kansas. All he did was continue in a straight line. It had led here - to the base of a massive cliff. Lightening struck so close that it seemed a physical blow... and suddenly he had another flash. ::THERE!:: he cried out. Marius followed his finger. He pointed straight up. _________________________________________________________________________ Post 12: Marius Marius snarled something in Latin, his voice lost on the winds. He followed the line Antonio pointed but could see nothing, blinded by the rain that dashed into his eyes with painful force as he tilted his head back. ::Stay there!:: he flashed, his mental voice a growl. And then he launched himself up, into the fury of the storm. He was instantly swept back by the winds, the raging air streams almost dashing him against the cliff wall. He straightened himself, forced himself upwards against the elements. Another lightning bolt struck, setting his ears ringing from the deep bass rumble of the thunder and blinding him in the velvety darkness of the night as the brilliant flash died from the sky. And then it was there. The top of the cliff, rain and wind swept, the elements battering at the exposed rock- and at the figure that crouched there, so still he might have been formed of that same rock. Marius dropped to the cliff edge and then, slowly, to his knees, his eyes never leaving that still figure. _________________________________________________________________________ Post 13: Jesse Jesse rolled over onto her back and blinked. Lazily, she stretched and sat up. Ah, yes. It felt good to be back in Sonoma for a few nights. She had always loved it here, and heaven only knew, after all she went through with Daniel, she deserved a rest. Jesse climbed the steep staircase from the crypt. This was the only place she slept in a coffin. She guessed it was because it reminded her of being so close to Maharert and Mael when she was first made. There was trouble, then. Jesse looked out the window at the darkened forest. There was trouble now. She sensed it. Who was the center of it all? "Lestat." She muttered under her breath. "If there's trouble, you're certain to be near the eye of the storm!" But there were other feelings too... she'd been picking up a frantic despondency from a new fledgling. There had been so much turmoil, she honestly didn't remember if she'd been introduced. And then there were the vibrations she'd been picking up from Louis. He was worried over Gabrielle... Jesse closed her eyes and tried to center her thoughts on the minds of the coven. Only one name came from each of them. Armand. _________________________________________________________________________ Post 14: Armand It was a sensation, more than anything. He knew it, and yet dismissed it. Impossible. Still... ::It's your mind, playing tricks on you.:: he thought savagely. ::Marius is not here, and even if he were, you could not feel him.:: With a sudden burst of renewed fury he called upon the heavens, calling blinding, blistering power to rain upon the helpless earth around them in a curtain of death. And still he did not move, except to blink. _________________________________________________________________________ Post 15: Marius Fire rained from the black gaping maw of the heavens in a torrent of blinding white fire, spraying down upon the earth like the final call of judgement day. Marius ducked his head, closing his eyes, his hands pressed to his ears, but nothing could block out the thunderous claps that vibrated through the earth and up through his knees, humming through his very bones. Humming in his head, like the droning of a thousand bees, counter-harmony to the shriek of the pain that had bled from his soul for nights on end. But it didn't matter any more. It was done. It was over. The end was as close as that still figure that sat upon the cliff's edge, hair wet from the rain and whipped about from the winds. He couldn't rise. He couldn't make himself move. And, in the end, he crawled that last fifteen feet, upon hands and knees, an inch at a time. Almost unable to move even that much. To reach out. To look into the face of hell. He knew, in his mind's eye, the every line of that final look. Rejection. Hatred. Abandonment. He had seen it, waking and sleeping, for nights. To see it once again would be release, the confirment of all his pains and fears. And then it would end. The rocks so far below would hold his broken body and the sun rising over this merciless desert would end the pain forever. And all he had to do was transverse those last few feet and behold the final judgement. He did not know how long it took him to raise his hand, to place his fingers upon that still arm. But the moment he did it was as though a floodgate was released inside of him, all of the pain welling up in a single fount of sheer agony. "Amadeo..." _________________________________________________________________________ Post 16: Armand and Marius When the arm clamped down upon his arm Armand reacted on pure instinct. He whirled faster than they eye could travel, his fangs bared, ready to fight. It took a few moments to register the identity of the form in front of him. He blinked in astonishment, wiping the rain impatiently from his face. "Marius?" he asked, his voice rising in disbelief. "What the *hell* are you doing here?" _________________________________________________________________________ Post 17: Marius and Armand Marius flinched back from the tone of Armand's voice, releasing his arm as though he had been burned. Irritation in that voice, and disbelief. Accusing. *You have no right to be here,* it said. *Go away. I do not want you here.* He closed his eyes against the pain. He could not meet Armand's eyes, could not face the dashing of his last hope. "I came to see you," he said, so softly that the words were barely audible above the storm that raged around them. "Just... to see you." Pain wrenching at him. So much more he wanted to say, but it was like taking the handle of the knife and twisting it within his own chest. Spiritual hara-kiri, and taking a real knife in his hands would have been so much easier. A clean cut, anything except this slow gnawing cancer within. Slowly, he forced himself to open his eyes, to meet Armand's gaze. _________________________________________________________________________ Post 18: Armand and Marius Armand held Marius' gaze as the storm faded around them. He hadn't realized he had been assisting it until he calmed. The wind still whipped around them, but the rain lessened to a small trickle, then finally to nothing, evaporated in the arid desert wind. And still he gazed at Marius, awash in conflicting emotions. His creator had aged in the past several nights. He had a haunted, driven look about him that Armand could not recall ever seeing before, or even imagining. Ever in control, Marius. But now the surface cracked - hinting at darkness beyond. Within. Unknowingly Armand smiled slightly. It was a darkness he understood all too well. "You've come to see me." He glanced around. "Here, in the badlands. Tell me, were you on a midnight stroll?" Marius frowned. "Antonio..." "Ah. I should have know." Armand sighed, and then sought out the fledgling. ::Antonio?:: ::!!:: Armand almost laughed. ::Calm down. Nothing has happened. Yet. You can tell me how you found me later. We're talking. Wait there.:: He returned his full attention to Marius, who looked somehow at home in the desert setting. A wild thing in a wild place. "I'm glad to see you." he said softly. "But I must ask you again - will you help me find Lestat? And if not..." his eyes narrowed dangerously, "have you come all this way to attempt to stop me?" _________________________________________________________________________ Post 19: Marius and Armand Lestat... He had very nearly forgotten Lestat. Or any of the other. It simply hadn't mattered to him, and still didn't. Armand's question was so much meaningless noise in his ears. Whatever dark energy had sustained him through the last nights abruptly drained away. He could feel the sting of tears in his eyes, tears he had not shed in all this time of pain. He blinked them away, forced it all down. Let it burn inside like acid, where none could see. Exhaustion pulled at him, made it so hard just to lift his head. The fire that had kept him going, that had demanded he see this through to the end, was snuffed out before the breath of Armand's words. He bowed his head, his hands pressed against his knees, his arms locked to keep himself upright. "I don't care what you do to him," he whispered, feeling the truth of every word. "And I do not care if you find him. It doesn't matter." Slowly, painfully, Marius forced himself to his feet. Over a thousand years, and he could feel every one of them, aching in his bones and dragging with greedy hands at his flesh. It was over. He made himself face Armand one last time. Reaching out, he framed that pale face with his hands. Armand stiffened, but did not push him away. Marius studied Armand's face for long minutes, every line and feature that contributed to the overall beauty, etching each detail into his memory. Finally, he let Armand go, let his hands fall. "Thank you," he sighed. "I... I'll go now." Until he said it he was not sure what he meant to do. But the moment it passed his lips he knew. He stepped gently past Armand to the cliff's edge, letting his hand brush Armand's cheek once in a gentle benediction. And then, eyes open but not seeing, he took the last step, out, over the edge. _________________________________________________________________________ Post 20: Armand and co. Armand didn't hesitate. ::ANTONIO!!:: he commanded, even as he went into motion. Rather than rely on words, he sent the faster form of pure thought to the fledgling. They met somewhere near the middle, a struggling Marius in their arms. Armand never even slowed down, but set his course immediately for Santa Fe. It wasn't long into the flight before Marius ceased to struggle and went limp in their arms. ::I knew you could fly.:: Armand commented to the stunned fledgling as they neared the city. ::You have more faith in me than I do.:: ::I think we all can. It's simply a question of learning how.:: ::That, or desperation.:: ::That too.:: Once in the city Armand abandoned all pretense of nicities. He located a large hotel near the tourist district and went immediately to the clerk on duty. Again, he did not attempt verbal communication - a few simple commands were all that were required. In seconds he had keys, do not disturb signs, and a suite for the next week. Minutes later, he was closing the door firmly behind them. He positioned Marius on the edge of the bed, then looked at Antonio. ::Curtains:: Together they secured the rooms against the coming day. Marius never moved. Finally Armand looked at Antonio. ::Get some rest. And... thank you. We'll talk later.:: "Yes, we will." Antonio assured him. Then, glancing once more at Marius, Antoino sought out his own room, closing the door firmly behind him. After all the swift activity, Armand suddenly went still. He could cope with any crisis. It was his strength. But the quiet times... always his downfall. A strange thought occurred to him as he stood quietly before Marius, arms folded, looking at his creator. "What would Lestat do?" he asked himself. He almost smiled as the answer came leaping out of the darkness. "Well, mi padrone," he said softly, "you have my undivided attention, to say the least. Let's see if I can earn yours." He quickly shrugged out of his sand filled clothing, leaving them in a heap at his feet. Still no response. Marius sat still, huddled on the edge of the bed like a man asleep. Or dead. Armand turned down the covers of the king sized bed, then gently stripped Marius of his travel worn clothing. Finally he eased him between the sheets before spooning in behind him. "Very well." Armand said in conclusion. "If you won't talk, at least we'll be comfortable. And together." He sighed and waited for the dawn. _________________________________________________________________________ Post 21: Marius and Armand Marius lay, still in body and mind. It had shocked him, when they had caught him. He had been so sure that neither of them could- or would. And he had been prepared to die, to greet the rocks below with this flesh that encased him, to open his arms to that dark angel. To be snatched from that at the last moment had seemed horribly cruel and he had struggled against it. They had subdued him, not hard in this weakened state. All of his strength had drained from him, and after that his will. And now he lay quietly upon the bed, Armand's slender body pressed to his back. It was fire and acid, that touch, electric shocks of pure pain that rippled through him. His hands clenched, drawing the sheet beneath them into a crumpled mass. A shiver passed through him, and then another. He was trembling and couldn't stop. "Let me go," he whispered. "Let me die..." Press of a soft hand to his arm, he felt Armand shift against him. "Talk to me, Marius." Pleading in that soft tone, and the gentleness in it only hurt all the more. He couldn't stand it, couldn't bear to take refuge in that momentary comfort, only to be rejected again. "You're killing me," he breathed, his voice shakey. Tears crept, silent betrayers, from his closed eyes and tracked red paths down his dusty cheeks. "You're killing me, Amadeo. I can't bear it. Please..." _________________________________________________________________________ Post 22: Armand and Marius "Killing you, padrone?" Armand whispered, trying hard to give no hint of the horror which gripped him at the words. Calm... calm... he needed to be calm now. "What do you mean? I don't understand.: "I can't take this anymore." Marius groaned. "It's too much. It's been too long. I can't..." he trailed off, twisting the sheets between his fists. Armand shuddered, unable to hide it from Marius. This went far deeper than he dreamed. The madness which had captured them all had different results for all. While urging Armand to homocide, it drove Marius to... suicide. He was serious. Armand had trouble making himself believe it. "Marius, my creator." he whispered, urging him onto his back so that he could see his face. Marius resisted at first, then rolled bonelessly onto his back, staring sightlessly at the ceiling. "What is more than you can bear? Tell me. Let me help. I left, but I'm back now. I'm not going anywhere." ::Execpt out of my mind:: he silently concluded. _________________________________________________________________________ Post 23: Marius and Armand *...Back. Not going anywhere...* Lies. All lies, and he knew it, but how he wanted to believe! He forced his hands to clench at his side, to resist the horrible temptation to reach up to that beautiful face, brow now creased in worry. To smooth away that frown, to melt before those dark eyes. The pain helped. It reminded him, with every slow and tired beat of his heart, why he could not let himself believe. Words came slowly, forcing their way up past a throat too tight. He could not meet Aramnd's eyes. "I'm tired. I'm so tired," he whispered. "And it hurts. I can't live with that pain any more." One hand crept up, trembling, traitor to it's master, to press lightly against Armand's chest. Feel of his pulse, throbbing there beneath the skin, and it brought an audible groan to Marius' lips. "I NEED you," he whispered, his voice choked with sobs. "I want you so much, you are my life, my heart, my soul... When you left, I died. I am dead, Amadeo, and only this shell still lives. Please, I beg you, let me go. I can't bear to loose you again, I can't stand this pain..." _________________________________________________________________________ Post 24: Armand and Marius Armand stilled as Marius' words sank in, feeling an awful sensation of deja vu. Not long ago, he had uttered words similar to this. Only Marius had allowed him to return to this world. What could he possibly do to draw his creator from the same abyss? He possessed no special talent, no hidden strength. He was simply... Armand. What could he possibly offer except... himself? It was all he had. With a hand that shook slightly he reached out to trace Marius' lips, his fingertips gentle against the fullness he found there. Then he withdrew, drawing that same finger into his mouth, as though searching for a lingering taste of Marius there. When he withdrew the finger, a bright drop of blood welled from the puncture wound at the tip. Again, he extended his finger, tracing Marius' lips, this time with his blood. All too soon the tiny cut healed, but it was enough to serve the purpose. All he wanted was a taste. Making sure that Marius watched, he then raised his hand to his throat and made a swift, deep incision. At once the blood began to flow. He did not say a single word. What could he possibly say that the blood could not tell? Then he waited, and watched. _________________________________________________________________________ Post 25: Marius and Armand Time stilled, spiraling into a single focused moment. And Marius was caught, a fly in amber, unable to move, unable to flee. Torture unparalleled. Nothing man had ever done to man, no deeply buried cruelty of the Inquisition or horrific rite of ancient civilization could have compared to that slight taste. Scent of that blood, touch of it on his lips. Nothing could be that cruel. Nothing. But there was worse. And it was there, in that next action, the blood flowing free, not in a pinprick but in a true stream. Scent of it so strong he nearly cried out, sight of it, red and brilliant against Armand's skin. The one thing he wanted more then anything else- ::Take me back, love me, dear God, PLEASE...:: And the one thing he could not have. That would hurt him more then he already hurt, that would make it all the more painful next time, would keep him bound to this world and this body and the awful pain... He was weak. He knew it. And everything in him, the pain, the exhaustion, everything, screamed out for that brief moment of comfort that was offered. Even if it was a lie, his heart cried, the lie spun of gossamar strands was so much better then the stark truth. It would hurt, it would kill him, but he would have this one final comfort to take into the blackness with him... A sob tore from his throat. Rising up, he caught the stream of blood on his tongue, tracing the line back up Armand's chest to the source, there to press his lips to that slow pulse and let everything else fade away. _________________________________________________________________________ Post 26: Daniel The days seemed longer than usual. He did nothing but sleep... Sunrise and sunset made no difference to him. His soul was cold and empty. What was the purpose of his existence? Was there a purpose at all? He had left Armand with Marius and could only hope they were happy together. He was now on his own. But how could he survive? There was nothing. His life was filled with emptiness and melancholy. :Daniel, you're not alone!: The feminine voice reaching inside his mind. :Get up and go on! You know what you have to do!: "Jesse?" Daniel called out. No response. The room was as empty as it had ever been. Was he losing his mind once again? :You're not losing your mind, Daniel! You never did! It just the madness that comes with the gift. We are all insane one way or another: Daniel had to laugh. It was *her*. :Where are you, Jesse?: :Far from the coven, taking a little vacation...so much for it. There's trouble again: :I know. Where are you? I need to see you!: :No, Daniel, you don't need to see me. You have things to do... Remember?: :So you believe me now, don't you?: :I guess in a way I always did, but you weren't ready for it yet. I didn't want you to collapse with *him*: :So you think I should go back now?: :You have the answer to that: Daniel pondered for a few minutes and then, replied, :I'm ready for it now! I'm going over there, Jesse!: :Take care of yourself, Daniel.: :Jesse---: :I need a favor from you! Listen to me, Brad is still there. Tell him to forget about me. To go on with his life. I'm not coming back: :Jesse?: But she was gone. Daniel tried to communicate with her, but she wasn't there anymore. "Jesse...I wanted to thank you...," he whispered. _________________________________________________________________________ Post 27: Marius and Armand It had lasted but a moment, surely, a moment stretched out to the edges of forever and infinity. Armand had held him for the longest time, letting the images flow, the feelings, entwining Marius is an inpenetrable coccon of the warmest love. And when they had finally seperated, when Armand had gently pushed him away, Marius had cried. He couldn't have said if the tears were of pain, or relief. Armand had held him, not judging, his touch gentle, his presence a comfort. They still lay, wrapped within each other's arms. And with every beat of his heart, with every surge of Armand's blood within him, Marius relived the truth of that sharing. Love. Forever. No rejection, no pain. What there had been was the result of the madness, that last night of insanity. Sorrow, in both their hearts, for what had happened. But now they knew the truth- to loose the other was the way to death, to the pain that had torn Marius apart. Together, there was only the love. Everlasting, eternal, the sum total that defined both of their hearts. No matter the masks that lay over it, the love was there. It bound them together. Marius raised his head slowly from Armand's shoulder, his soft breath brushing that pale cheek. The pain had almost left him, was healing, though he would bear scars from it. He needed to hear it in words, just once. "Amadeo," he whispered, brokenly. "I... love you. More then anything, more then life. You are everything to me." His soul laid bare, upon the fragile wings of words. _________________________________________________________________________ Post 28: Armand and Marius Armand lay in the stupor which followed the draining of blood. He would recover from it, but for the moment he just wanted to lay still, holding Marius to him. But when Marius raised his head, he knew his moment of peace had ended. At least for that night. He listened as Marius spoke softly of love. What an absurd word - love. So small, so short. For what they had shared, so inadequate. His words could never convey a fraction of what the blood held, but for the sake of his lover he had to try. "Marius," he whispered. "I value you above all things in this world. I love you beyond time. I always shall. It was easy for us to forget even a love such as this. But never again." He took a deep breath. "And it is because of that, mi padrone, that I must find Lestat. To protect our love, and our family. I would die for you, but I would prefer to live. While Lestat still is at large, I feel that we are threatened. Padrone, you must help me find him. His barriers are *strong*. But together, he cannot resist us." He looked deep into his creators eyes, willing him to understand. "For our love, for my very soul. I must find Lestat. Please, Marius. Say you'll help me." _________________________________________________________________________ Post 29: Marius and Armand Marius slowly let out a shakey breath. Taking Armand's hand in his own, he raised it to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to the palm. "Amadeo, I would do _anything_ for you." His voice cracked, forcing him to swallow past the tight constriction of his throat. He looked down to the hand he held, unable to meet Armand's eyes. His own eyes stung and tears, hot and red, tracked down his cheeks to splash in little dashes of crimson against Armand's palm. He was shaking again, his voice unsteady. "I will do _anything_ to keep our love. If you wish me to try to find Lestat, or..." he swallowed again, painfully, "or even if you wish me to help you exact your vengeance on him... I will do it. You have only to ask." He choked, his voice a bare breath of sound. "To... To kill him may destroy me. I cannot bear the thought of committing that sort of murder, of another of our family. But... even more, I cannot bear to loose you again. If you need me to help you, if it is truely what you want of me- then I will do it." _________________________________________________________________________ Post 30: Armand and Marius He saw the price Marius was willing to pay for him and felt humbled. "I do wish this of you." Armand whispered. "I wish it with everything I am. I *must* find him. But Marius," he waited until their eyes met, "I will not kill him." He sighed heavily. "It is a mistake, I believe. He will rise to haunt us, perhaps set the madness upon as again like a pack of hellhounds at his command. But I give you his life, padrone." He leaned up to brush Marius' lips with his own. "For you, he shall live." He could not hide the bitter edge in his words. "Now will you help me find him?"