RPG SPEC: Dagger of the Mind Sequel to "Hollywood Vampires" Part 14, Posts 391-410 ***LAST PUBLIC POSTING*** _________________________________________________________________________ Post 391: Tom "So - we still friends?" Tom asked quietly, all trace of humor gone. "Is that what we are?" Brad stared off into the darkness. Tom felt his heart slam against his ribcage. Brad's voice had taken on a husky edge, as though he fought deep emotions. "I hope so." Tom replied. "Like I said, we need to stick together." "But if Lestat gives you the Gift, it'll be Antonio all over again." Tom glanced at him sharply, once again lost in his eyes. Brad couldn't lie. It just wasn't in him - not with those guileless eyes. Before he even realized he had done it, Tom reached up to brush a wayward lock hair from those eyes. "I'm not Antonio." Brad stilled, then shook his head slightly. "Tom, what do you want from me? I don't get it... what are you after?" Tom left his hand where it was, just an inch away from being buried in that glorious mane. "Payback for the first time we worked together, maybe." He took a deep breath. "Or maybe it's just that of everyone around, you're the only one who can understand half of what I've been through lately - just like I can understand what you're going through." Gathering his courage and offering a small prayer to Hades, he reached forward, just slightly, feeling the heavy satin of Brad's hair slide over his fingers. Brad did not pull away, but swallowed convulsively when Tom's fingers lightly brushed his throat. "Or maybe... I just want to be with you." He slowly moved his hand until his thumb traced Brad's lower lip. He was so close... he felt as though he had been hypnotized by a cobra... or was he the cobra himself, in the thrall of a shaman? The noise, when it came, startled both of them awake. Brad jumped and pulled back, while Tom spun around to meet their new guest. If it was Jesse again... It was Brad who spoke first. "Tony!" "Good evening." The spanish actor replied gravely. "Am I interrupting?" "I'd be lying if I said no." Tom said under his breath. He stood and turned to Brad. "We'll talk more later." Brad nodded, but said nothing. Mentally cursing Dame Fortune, Tom headed back to the hotel once more. _________________________________________________________________________ Post 392: Marius "This is no game," Marius breathed. "This is very, very real." He drew a shallow breath, trying to still his rapid heart. "Lestat... do you know what he asked of me? Armand? Do you know what he asked of me, the night you left Louis?" "Do I care?" Lestat drawled pointedly. Marius ignored him. "He asked me to help him kill you," he said, pronouncing each word with great care. "He asked me to choose between the two of you. And I could not. I will not. And even though neither of you ask it now I feel it, as though I will be ripped apart by your two opposing forces. And I can not bear this any longer." _________________________________________________________________________ Post 393: Lestat "It sounds as though you have a problem, Marius." Lestat drawled, his voice nearly sleepy now, so bored did he appear. "This news is not the shock I'm sure you thought it would be. Armand's homicidaltendancies are well known to everyone but you, it seems." If he moved,i f he even blinked, he knew he would give away the emotions raging within. Armand had asked... demanded... And so he did nothing. "Why are you still here? I'll make it easy on you. Go back to HIM. I conceed the fight. There is no choice to be made, your conscious is clear. Marius, I don't *want* you." _________________________________________________________________________ Post 394: Marius A shudder shot through him, like the first crest of a scream rising from his soul, the first warning shocks of the tears that stung his soul and blinded his eyes. He could not have moved, even had he had the will to. He had committed himself, and nothing could pull him back from this brink. To speak what he had to say. To say that which he had never said. "But *I* want you," he whispered, raggedly. "Lestat, would you hear the truth? Would you listen to it, know it if I said it?" _________________________________________________________________________ Post 395: Lestat "Truth?" His voice sounded harsh to his own ears. "Which truth will you favor me with tonight, Marius? Which pearls of wisdom will you toss at my feet, only to recant them tomorrow?" He paused for effect. "What topic will you grace with your enlightened views? Honor? Duty? Pride? Love?" Now *that* sparked a reaction, which Lestat siezed upon with a desperate speed. "Love? Ah, you wish to speak to me truthfully of matters of the heart." His lips curled into a sinister smile. "This should be good. I'm glad you didn't leave. You're far more entertaining than an empty room." _________________________________________________________________________ Post 396: Marius Marius closed his eyes, fighting back the tears which threatened to burst forth. "No," he managed. "Don't mock me, Lestat. Please. Just listen to me. "I have no enlightened views. Not now. Not on this. I have only the truth within me, that has brought us to this point." He opened his eyes, meeting that cold blue gaze. Taking a deep breath, he plunged forward, feeling the abyss open beneath his feet. "This truth. I love you. Do you hear me, young one? I love you, you are child and brother to me, and I cannot choose between that love or the love I bear for Amadeo!" _________________________________________________________________________ Post 397: Lestat Lestat did not realize he was trembling until he noticed the cloth of his shirt moving. He could not respond to that declaration other than to stare at Marius, who made no attempt to hide his feelings. For better or worse, Marius had decided to risk it all. "Must there be a choice?" Had he actually spoken those words? It was as though a stranger sat within him, moving his lips as he watched. "There can not be a choice." Marius replied raggedly. "I can not choose. Such is the love I bear for you." Lestat felt himself shatter at the words, and hated the feeling. "I never asked you to choose, Marius." he said at last. "What do you want from me?" _________________________________________________________________________ Post 398: Marius Marius shook his head. It surprised him that he could. "I don't have the right to ask anything of you," he said softly. "But I beg your forgiveness. For what I did before. For what I do now. I want... I *need* you to understand. That I do not hate you. That I am not angry at you, that I do not belive you have done what you did from spite or revenge. I... need you to know that I love you. To understand what I may do... or not do. I can not bear this hatred between you and Amadeo. And I can not do anything to defuse it. If I do not help you... that is why. Because I can not choose between the two of you. To loose either..." He shut his eyes, hearing the break in his voice, knowing that the tears were welling up beneath his eyelids and there was nothing he could do to fight it. "I can't think of it," he whispered. "It will shatter me. To loose either of you... " _________________________________________________________________________ Post 399: Lestat Lestat made a helpless gesture. "I do not hate Armand. He hates me for what he believes... for what I have done to him. I'm not sure I wouldn't do the same, if I were him." "I can not bear it." Marius repeated, the tears which had been threatening for so long finally appearing, trickling slowly down his sculpted cheeks. "The two I love most on earth..." "Stop saying that." "That I love you?" "Stop it! Please!" "I am sorry the words upset you. But I can not help the way I feel." Lestat was suddenly out of the chair, in furious motion. "You love me? Marius, you know nothing about me! How could you possibly love me?" _________________________________________________________________________ Post 400: Daniel Daniel ran up the steps to the attic to finally clean up the mess he had made earlier. When he got there, he found that David was laying on the couch not moving. "You don't have to clean up David, I said I would do it." David didn't respond. "Are you alright?" He didn't so much as blink, he continue to lay there with his eyes open, oblivious to Daniel's presence. Daniel knelt beside him and shook him, *that* got his attention. "Don't take this the wrong way Daniel, but go away!" David said as he twisted himself face first into the couch. "What happened, are you okay?" "Please just leave. It's been a long night and I'm tired." "You can't fall asleep here, the windows broken...the room isn't secure from the sun!" "That shouldn't bother me." Daniel's concern turned to panic, given David's mood the last few weeks, he just might not care to come in from the sun. "Not even you could survive the entire day! Please, come to bed with me. I fixed up the bedroom from last night, it's good as new again." "Just go!" David warned. "No! Not until you come with me!" "Daniel, if I get up, your going to have another flying lesson! Now LEAVE!" RPG SPEC: Dagger of the Mind Sequel to "Hollywood Vampires" Part 41, Posts 401-410 **LAST PUBLIC POSTING** _________________________________________________________________________ Post 401: Jesse Jesse paced in her room like a caged tigress. She didn't trust Tom for one second with Brad. He was still mortal, bit touched with Lestat's own special brand of obsessive madness. And Antonio had suddenly appeared on the scene to make matters worse. That one was a danger. A danger to Brad, whom she *knew* didn't want The Gift; a danger to Louis (she honestly didn't know who seduced who there...) and most of all, a danger to himself. She knew Lestat's temper first hand and didn't really care to tangle with him. Lestat... Jesse grinned to herself for a moment. She hadn't forgotten that kiss he stole from her several years ago. She's NEVER tell Daniel that was where she learned to kiss... "Shit." She mumbled. "Thinking about him won't help Brad." Jesse let her mind wander down to Brad. He was safe... upset, bewildered, angry, but safe. "If I don't do something, I'm going to jump out of my preternatural skin..." she said to herself. "Dammit! What am I going to do? I can't go out, I don't want to be far from Brad. I don't want to interfere with anyone else..." She looked around her room. Nothing to do. "Well, I could always CLEAN THE BATHROOM!" She growled. Opening her door, she went down the hall into the ancient bathroom. She flipped the commode's lid shut and glared at the big tub. There seemed to be a hundred years worth of grot on the sides. Jesse found some cleanser under the sink, knelt down next to the tub and went to work. She began to think about each of the coven members. Gabrielle. Making friends with her had been the best thing she ever did in this unlife of hers. When ever Gabby felt like coming out of the wilderness for a breath of civilisation, Jesse would be there for her. Gabby's beauty made Jesse feel like an ugly sister, but she couldn't be jealous of her. Antonio was Gabby's child. Some child! Eyes that would melt any heart, amazing beauty, even while mortal. But now. Oh my. Pandora. Oh, she was something special. Dark, mysterious so sensual. No wonder Marius had loved her. And Marius. She liked MArius. He was so incredibly sexy. Jesse giggled. If he ever came up for air with Armand, she wouldn't mind giving *him* a tumble. Armand. Hmm. Now there was an enigma. Dark, powerful, a mind like a steel trap. He was the personification of the word magnetic. Face like a seraph, but with tragic undertones. Daniel. She loved Daniel, but she's never let on. Ever since she first saw those gorgeous violet eyes of his, she knew she was sunk! So she cloaked herself in humor and wisecracks. His was contagious insanity. Santino was here in the city. She remembered meeting him so many years ago in Sonoma while she was still mortal. Louis. There was always Louis. If there had to be a family beauty, it would be Louis - all olde worlde grace, charm, elegance and brilliant beyond a shadow of a doubt. Just to catch a smile from him would make her day. And Lestat... the golden lion. That's how she saw him from day one, right there, up on stage at that concert. Then there was David. Her mentor, her friend, her dark brother. Jesse stopped scrubbing at the tub and sat back on her ankles. Ever since they were in the Talamasca together, he'd been very dear to her. In life he'd been just so perfect. So beautifully English, impeccably groomed, wonderfully intelligent. He couldn't be a better friend. She wished she could make him smile just a little, and bring back a little of his old joyful self. Jesse picked up the sponge and started scrubbing the tub as if she wanted to burn a hole in the enamel. Poor David. If only she could help him. If only she could make it better... _________________________________________________________________________ Post 402: Marius "How do any of us love?" Marius asked slowly. Only his eyes followed Lestat's motion. "I have loved you for so long I can not remember a time when I did not." Lestat spun to face him, a whirlwind of barely controled emotion. "Well, you've got a damned peculiar way of showing it!" Marius winced slightly, a second tear following the first in it's track down his cheek. "That is my fault," he whispered. "My guilt, and my pain. I am sorry." Lestat paused, his gaze almost stricken. His voice was level. "I don't understand you. Not what you just said, you." Marius drew a deep breath. "And I don't understand you, so we are on even ground." "Then how can you love me?" Lestat demanded, furiously. "I don't know," Marius hissed. "I do not know! But I do. Isn't that enough? I love you." "Stop it! Stop saying that!" Lestat turned away, his every gesture and posture one of a tightly coiled explosion waiting to happen. "What do you want from me, Marius? What do you want me to do? I don't understand this!" "I don't *want* anything," Marius replied softly. "Why can't you believe that? This isn't about wanting something. It is love. I needed... I needed to say the words to you. I needed you to know. That is all." _________________________________________________________________________ Post 403: Lestat "Just what am I supposed to do with this information?" Lestat asked, his voice surprisingly level. "You tell me you love me in one breath, and that you do not know me in the next. You tell me you never lie, and yet come here totake back words said to my face." "Words spoken in anger." "In passion. Very much like the words you speak now, in fact. Different context," Lestat waved away the oncoming protest, "same emotion." He was in motion again without realizing it. "You want nothing from me. You only ask that I hear your words." His gaze suddenly pinned Marius, bright and unwavering. "You really think me a bastard, don't you?" The words clearly startled Marius. "Why do you think this?" "You expect me to listen to all of... this, and remain totally unaffected?" "I expect nothing from you, Lestat. I only asked that you hear my words." Lestat finally stopped. Motion and speech. Just stopped, and looked at Marius. The events of the night had clearly taken a toll on him. He seemed tense and weary, older by far than his physical appearance. Gone was the easy self assurance, the calmly radiated strength, replaced by... nearly desperation. What would do this to him? Unless he were completely sincere, in which case Lestat knew himself to be in waters far over his head. "What do we do now, you and I?" he asked quietly, unsure if he wanted to hear the answer. _________________________________________________________________________ Post 404: Daniel Daniel ran out of the attic and flew down the steps. He frantically searched each room for Jesse. He found her in the bathroom cleaning out the tub. "Jesse, you have to come with me to the attic!" She was about to make a crack about it being enchanted by the Mayfairs, but when she looked into Daniel's face, she could tell that he was genuinely upset about something. "What is it?" "It's David, somethings wrong! He won't move from the couch! Jesse, that window is broken, he can't stay there, he'll get fried...again! He threw me out of the room, he wouldn't even let me cover the window. I'm really afraid for him, Jesse! Please talk to him, you've known him the longest, he'll listen to you." _________________________________________________________________________ Post 405: Jesse "What is it?" Jesse pushed a coppery curl out of her eyes with the back of her hand and looked into Daniel's face. "It's David, something's wrong! He won't move from the couch! Jesse, that window is broken, he can't stay there, he'll get fried...again! He threw me out of the room, he wouldn't even let me cover the window. I'm really afraid for him, Jesse! Please talk to him, you've known him the longest, he'll listen to you." Daniel gave her a pleading look and she had to blink to tear her gaze away from his purple eyes. Wiping her hands on a towel, she rose to her feet. "Did he say anything?" She asked. "He just threw me out. Jesse that's not like him." Jesse placed her hands on Daniel's shoulders. "It will be OK. I'll get him out. Somehow." Picking her way up the dark stairs with cat-like ease, Jesse stepped onto the landing. Hmm. There was the demolished window. She could see David lying on an old couch. His six-foot-two-plus-some form was curled up, his face to the back. "David?" There was nothing but soft compassion in her voice. "David? Can I help?" He ignored her. Jesse moved next to him and knelt beside the couch. She reached out and tentatively touched his hair. "It's going to be alright, David. What ever's happened, you can't let it defeat you like this." "Leave me alone." He murmured. "No. I can't. This is no way to deal with your problems. At least come downstairs with me. Protect yourself form the sun. You couldn't take another exposure... your skin's still tender..." "Can't you understand?" He interrupted her. "Doesn't ANYONE understand? I just want to be *left*alone*" Jesse looked at the sky through the gaping hole in the wall. There was still time for David to be stubborn without endangering himself. "And you're not going to move? At all?" She asked quietly. "Jesse..." There was an edge to his voice she didn't know. She looked around the room, trying to form a plan in case she couldn't convince him to accompany her downstairs. There was a pile of moving quilts and an old table. If necessary, she could stuff the quilts in the window and stand the table on end to secure it... "Don't bother." David mumbled into the upholstery. She again turned her attention to him. "I don't care what you have to say for yourself. I'm not leaving you." Jesse sat down on the floor next to the couch. "I'm staying. If you go, I go. I'm stronger than you are. You can't *make* me leave. It's a easy as that. We'll fry together." _________________________________________________________________________ Post 406: Tom Tom considered heading back to the hotel, but found himself walking instead. He knew better than to frequent either someplace too brightly lit, or someplace too isolated. New Orleans had worked hard to earn it's high-crime reputation. With his dark blond, shoulder length hair, he wasn't sure he'd be recognized, but in this city...? Who knew. And that was the last thing he needed to deal with at the moment. His first priority was to get the rampaging images of Brad out of his mind. "Damn, damn, DAMN." What was happening to him? Was he, as Jesse accused, actually trying to *become* Lestat? Until now Tom had only rarely entertained any idea which might be considered homosexual. He knew his tastes and was satisfied to stick with the female half of the population. Granted Brad was beautiful, had a good heart and was a thoroughly nice person... but this went deeper. Beyond obsession. Into something even more basic. It had started out as a simple issue of domination. He had wanted to own Brad, heart and soul. Brad *belonged* to him. Even as he thought the words, he felt a shiver of lust run through him. Those ideas weren't entirely dead. But they were augmented by emotions far more legitimate that the power games he liket to play. What he wasn't prepared to define. Not yet. All he knew for sure was that the thought of Brad with Antonio flooded him with the urge to break something. 'He is *not* safe with that guy. Not now." Tom suddenly stopped and looked around. He had walked in a very large circle, and now stood only a few houses away from where he had started. Though it was dark, he could make out the images of two men on the porch. He chewed his inner lip thoughtfully, then settled down to wait. He wasn't sure for what, but he knew he wasn't leaving. _________________________________________________________________________ Post 407: Brad Brad stared after Tom's rapidly retreating form with more than a bit of dismay. He felt alone suddenly - even though Tony stood there silently watching him, he felt alone. Tony was too silent, too still. It wasn't... "Natural," Tony finished the thought. "I can go if you like, if I make you too uncomfortable." Brad was in no mood to mince words. "Sit down, Tony, and stop making like a statue. I've had enough of that tonight!" Antonio was suddenly beside him. The swing hadn't even registered his arrival, so controlled had the movement been. "Showing off?" Brad asked sourly, flicking a hot blue glance toward his friend. "No. Practicing, perhaps." Brad felt rather than saw the slight smile that curled the corner of Tony's mouth, forcing one of those infamous dimples to show itself. The motion of that slight smile struck Brad like a hot brand. He shifted away from Tony, his mind in turmoil. He was very far from calm at the moment. Tom's departure had left him in a state of confused longing - and Tony's presence just now was only adding to his misery. Brad was sure Tony was reading him when he asked, "What was that all about? What does Senor Cruise want?" Tony shifted around to face him, sending the swing gently rocking. "He didn't want anything," Brad muttered. Tony's skeptical snort ignited a flare of anger in Brad. "He didn't! All he did was to come by and check up on me. He even brought me a present." "A bribe, more like. And why should he be checking up on you, eh? You don't belong to him!" "What's your problem? So he's worried about me. So he's concerned that I'm here, the lone mortal in a house of vampires, and stopped by to see if I was okay. That's a lot more than you did!" "I am here, am I not? And for the same reasons that Tom professes." Tony's latin temper was flaring as well, and his voice rose slightly. "You could have called me last night," Brad said, getting to what really was bugging him. "I called you more than once, and I finally had to ask Pandora, a _stranger_, to check and see if you were dead or something!" Brad could feel his frayed nerves getting the better of him and he took a big swallow of Tom's scotch, trying to calm down. "Look, I don't want to fight with you. I've had enough of fighting and being angry. I don't think I could stand another minute of it!" He ran a shaky hand through his hair, tugging at it as if that would help relieve the pain and tension that gripped him anew. A pale, cool hand reached out and grasped his wrist. Brad shook violently, but when Tony made to withdraw the hand, he clasped it, threading his fingers through Tony's. "I'm sorry," Brad squeezed the fingers twined with his own, wondering if Tony could even feel it. "I had this big fight with Louis about you, and it's got me all bent out of shape. He said, we should never see each other again, that I would never understand what it was like to be one of you and should just stay away from you so you can adjust." Brad looked at Tony, whose formerly golden skin was already beginning to show an unnatural pallor, "Is that what you want?" _________________________________________________________________________ Post 408: Antonio "I want you to come away from this house, Brad." Antonio replied at once. "I want you to get as far away from us as you can, until you settle, somewhat." By Brad's expression, Antonio might as well have said 'die, here and now'. "Not forever. Not even for a long time. But for some time. You are taking tremendous risks, that you do not fully appreciate." "Fuck risks." Brad snapped. "Fuck it all! This doesn't need to be this complicated! I trust you. You swore you wouldn't do anything against my will and I trust you." Brad's eyes begged him to prove his faith. Antonio sighed deeply, gathering his friend to him, struggling with everything he had to ignore the bloodlust building within him. "Brad... leave before it's too late. You're in over your head, here. *I'm* in over my head. Just go, and never look back." _________________________________________________________________________ Post 409: Brad Brad shivered violently in Tony's arms. He wanted very much to press himself against Tony and kiss him until they were both delirious. But he had something to prove to himself, and to Tony. He had to convince them both that they could do this without losing themselves, or each other. "Let's look at this situation like this," with a supreme effort of will Brad pulled away from Tony. "I'm your acid test. If you can keep from killing me or making me a vampire, then you've got it made for as long as you live." "However long that may be." There was just a hint of bitterness in Tony's voice. "And what will my "acid test" do to you, eh? You speak so blithely about my future, but you are not considering what could happen to you in this!" Tony's agitation was growing, and Brad rushed to soothe him. "Look, the only reason I got so crazy - strike that, poor choice of words - the only reason I was so upset was that I was beginning to think that you had run out on me. Louis had me half convinced that it was for the best that we never see each other again." Brad laughed a little, remembering his conversation with Louis. "I have to say, I can see why Lestat get's so frustrated with him." "I have seen nothing in Louis' character that would drive a person to a rage!" Tony was indignant on Louis' behalf. "Well, of course _you_ wouldn't think so, you've been rolling around in the sheets with him." Brad hissed with laughter as Tony sputtered his way through a series of denials. "Give it up, Tony, your opinion on that score just won't cut any ice at the moment. Get back to me when you've had your first disagreement with him! He had me so mad I was hurling pots around the kitchen." Brad grinned at Tony's look of consternation. "I tell ya, if it hadn't been for Tom, I probably would still be stomping around in a huff." "Be careful of him, Brad," Tony warned. "I don't trust this new interest he's shown in you! He is in league with Lestat, you know. They are up to no good!" "In league, Tony? Come on! I know Lestat is out to get you, and nothing Louis says is going to convince me otherwise, but Tom has nothing to do with any of that. He's just as lost and mixed up about this stuff as I am, only he's putting that 'I can handle everything' face on it!" Brad stared off moodily into the night. "I'm here to tell you, Tony, he's not completely gone over the edge. There's still some of the original TC left in there, and I mean to see that he comes all the way back from Lestat's clutches!" "Brad, he only wants to own you, like he wants to own and control everything! How can you not see that?" Tony rose from the swing and began to pace. Brad watched him, he had always been graceful before, but now his movements were mesmerizing, hypnotic. Brad tore his eyes away and fixed them instead on the gleaming red bike Tom had bought for him. "Control?" he mused. "A little, yeah, I know that. It's part of his character. But tonight," Brad wrapped his arms around himself, his hands covering the faint bruises Tom had left on him when trying to drag him from this house, "tonight he was just trying to protect me - he just wanted to be my friend." Tony made a rude noise. "That's not all he wanted, mi amigo." Brad flushed in the darkness. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" "Let us just say that your charms are not altogether lost on him..." Tony said drily. "Don't sneer at him Tony!" Brad was angry and that surprised him. "You know his acting style. He's just trying to make me more comfortable with him. Lestat and Louis are actually getting along in this picture, and he and I didn't exactly part on good terms at the end of the last one." "Is that what he told you?" There was a hint of a derisive laugh in Tony's voice. "Brad...," "Well, we seemed to have stumbled upon a way to stop jumping at each other," Brad interrupted. At Tony's puzzled look he continued, "We'll just argue incessantly over Tom and Lestat and everything will be cool." They looked at each other for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Man, that's good to hear!" Brad smiled at his friend. He stood and pulled Tony to his feet, wrapping him in a warm embrace. "I think that's enough for tonight. Slow and steady, you know?" He brushed the silky hair back from Tony's face with a gentle hand. "I'm okay here, really. Everyone's looking out for me. Come back tomorrow and well talk some more. Jesse's been watching me like a hawk, so even if things do get carried away, we've got some readily available assistance." Brad leaned in a kissed Tony softly. "See, that's not so bad, is it?" _________________________________________________________________________ Post 410: Antonio/Tom "See, that's not so bad, is it?" Brad said softly. Antonio froze. He had been alright until then... he thought he could actually make it. But with that gentle kiss, he knew all too well the warnings Louis had tried to give his friend were more serious than either had dreamed. Instantly he tangled his hand in Brad's hair, deepening the kiss with a controlled savagery that had them both moaning in a matter of moments. When he finally tore his lips away, it was to pin Brad with a gaze of pure fire. "You dance with the devil, amigo." he growled. "And if you are my acid test, you had better prepare for the day I fail." Antonio took his lips one last time, then hurled himself into the night, as far and as fast as his preternatural strength would take him. From across the street, Tom saw Antonio sieze Brad. He was sprinting before he even realized he was in motion. By the time he reached the front porch Antonio had vanished, leaving Brad looking dazed and miserable and exquisitely vulnerable. The look of relief on Brad's face when he saw Tom standing there was so profound that Tom thought *he* might burst into tears. Instead he simply reached out, then pulled Brad into a fierce hug. _________________________________________________________________________ RPG SPEC: ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!! The RPG SPEC Dagger of the Mind will be moving to MAILING LIST *ONLY* as of part 41 (posts 401-410). Due to the nature of the material and general agreement of the players, the RPG will no longer be posted to the newsgroup, or archived, and will be available only by mailing list. To be put on the mailing list, or to get ahold of pieces after part 41, email me at ash@eskimo.com. ALSO - Dagger of the Mind will be ending soon (I'm just behind on threading), and the sequel, "Dangerous Games", will also be available by mailing list only. If you are on the list for Dagger, you will automatically be put on the list for Dangerous Games. Games will also be a closed cast RPG, with the current cast from Dagger continuing on and introducing several new characters. Current tentative cast list for Dangerous Games is as follows: Lisa Hall: Armand Antonio Banderas (Armand) Tom Cruise (Lestat) Laura Troise: Lestat Santino George Clooney (Santino) Heather Meloche:Marius Sting (Marius) Johnny Depp (Nicolas) Mick Colman: Brad Pitt (Louis) Pandora Peter O'Toole (Magnus) Stephanie Buday:David Daniel Christian Slater (Daniel) Cathy Turner: Louis Jesse Nicole Kidman (Jesse) Kim Kleine: Gabrielle Michelle Pfieffer (Gabrielle) Dangerous Games will begin with The Vampire Lestat once again up and filming, the cast of the RPG joined by the mortal actors as well as their vampire counterparts... And a good portion of those mortal actors are in danger of loosing their mortality. Antonio has already been given the Dark Gift, Tom is inches away from becoming Lestat's newest child and if Tom is brought over Brad can not be far behind. It's angst, twisted relationships, and behind the scenes coven politics all around. Mailing list ONLY, so if you want to see it send me e-mail and get on the subscription list. Heather Meloche * The Black Rose Official Threader of the RPGs ash@eskimo.com