RPG SPEC: Dagger of the Mind Sequel to "Hollywood Vampires" Part 9, Posts 241-270 _________________________________________________________________________ Post 241: Daniel Outside the night was pleasant. A cool breeze embracing the night, carrying the perfume of the wet ground. Daniel took a deep breath, enjoying what he sensed. "I love this city! The creole blood certainly awakens my apetite." Pandora smiled. The light of the moon shimmering in her dark eyes and the breeze mussing her long hair. "Are you gonna tell me about your plans now, Mr. Mystery man?" "Not just yet...However, I do have a question for you," Daniel said. "Ask anything except my age!" she giggled. "Age means nothing to us...it means so much for the mortals, but for us, it's nothing. Time itself is nothing!" "Time is more than you think, Daniel. Time that takes away what you love and what you know...time that takes your dreams and kills your illusions...but also, it's time that gives us power and knowledge! The mortals grow older, weak, and tired. We grow older, stronger, and wiser!" "Ah, whatever, I wasn't talking about that anyway...I wanted to ask you," Daniel paused. "Yes?" "Dammit! You made me forget! See what you do? Women, always rambling nonsense!" "I'm sorry!" Pandora smiled. "I think you're too young to be losing your memory, leave that to Khayman!" "I'm just hungry, and when I'm hungry, I can't think straight! And add to that this funky clothes! I feel like I just stepped out from an Aerosmith video!" Pandora couldn't help it anymore; her crystalline laughter was heard. "You're so silly! I take it you keep Armand amused most of the time!" Once again, she had touched the wound that would not heal. "I'd rather talk about something else," he said softly. She caught the wave of pain emanating from Daniel and quickly changed the subject. "So what are we going to drink tonight? We could pick a nice and tender Creole... an 'all American girl', a dangerous delinquent, a tourist from Europe...what are you in mood for?" "Anything goes," Daniel snapped. "I want to make it to the set as soon as possible. We have much to do, my pretty friend." _________________________________________________________________________ Post 242: Pandora She smiled at him. "Okay then, I'm in the mood for a nice tender young drug dealer. Shall we go off and find dinner together or would you like to split up?" "Lets just eat together. The way this week has been going lord knows what could go wrong if we split up" "Too true... to eat then" and with that she took his arm and off they went. They fed quickly, Daniel marvelling at Pandora's quick, cat-like efficiency. "Practice makes perfect my young friend" she said with a smile. "That was just yummy,how was yours?" "Mine? Mine was perfect. An excellent vintage from an excellent year. Full bodied with a slight edge to it, filling and yet light." A peal of Pandora's laughter split the air, and she turned to see him smiling at her "well, my friend, where to?" she asked with a smile. "Oh, I thought we might just take a short walk around the town, see the sights, you know?" He turned the full charm of his smile on her and she nodded. "Okay Daniel, off we go, and I can hardly wait to see what your evil little mind has in store..." _________________________________________________________________________ Post 243: Daniel "Believe, Pandora, you will have as much fun as I will! Let's go to the set!" The set of The Vampire Lestat. Lights and sound, scenery that resembled the streets of Paris to the left; and the New Orleans of the 80's to the right; a young man carrying 19th century costumes that Brad Pitt and the other actors would wear to pose as "vampires" "Pandora, *we* are going to give them the real thing!" "What do you mean? What are we going to do?" "First, we are going to find Martin and then, I'll have to show him how wrong they were about Christian Slater!" "What! You're not planning to---" "Oh, no, my dear! Daniel is not even in the Vampire Lestat. No. I have a better plan, and you, you play a _very_ important role!" Pandora looked at him, curiosity painted all over her face. "You win! Let's find Martin!" They passed by security without any real difficulty. The trailers seemed to be deserted. Where would the actors be? Well, it didn't matter. The only one they needed to see was Martin. "I think Jesse and Gabrielle might be around...," Pandora whispered. "I feel someone's presence." "Concentrate on Martin! We'll worry about the coven later." Pandora nodded. She looked around, scanning for Martin, but at the same time, trying to figure out which one of the other immortals was near by. "There's our boy!" Daniel yelled. "Come on, Pandora, just play along," said Daniel as he pulled Pandora by the arm. "Wait a minute, what are we going to do?" She said, freeing her arm and looking at him reluctantly. "How good are you at deception?" Daniel asked. "Could you influence a mortal's mind?" "Easily!" "Perfect! Now just come with me and play along!" _________________________________________________________________________ Post 244: Pandora "Play along?? Play along with what? Oooh, Daniel, this had better be good!" "It will be Pandora, I promise. By the way" he asked innocently "what's your favorite alias?" "My favorite what???" he shot her a look that begged for co-operation, "okay, okay... it's Emerald Pierce, and don't ask me why, got that?" "Well, okay Emerald, if you say so" smirked Daniel. Pandora was only half paying attention to the covnversation, the other half of her mind was occupied with trying to discover who the other immortals on the set were, and with trying to avoid detection by these same people at the same time. Not the easiest of tasks, but she had promised to play along, and so she would. For this reason she didn't notice the mortal Daniel was leading her towards until she was almost on top of him. When she did notice him she realised that he was staring at her with a strange combination of fear, fascination, chagrin and *recognition*! Who was this mortal? _________________________________________________________________________ Post 245: Daniel Daniel and Pandora were face to face with Martin. "How can I help you?" Martin said, backing away from Daniel; their faces were very close and he felt uncomfortable. Daniel said nothing. He removed the dark glasses from his eyes and stared directly into the mortal's eyes. "Look I'm very busy," Martin said. "is there anything I can do for you?" "There's much you can do for us," Daniel said in his most seductive tone of voice. "Your movie, this, 'vampire' thing...I really think you need some help." "Help? Damned if I need any help! Look, I have enough trouble with this production already! Please, don't give me anymore. Just leave, will ya?" "No." "Listen, the actors are giving me a real hard time; it seems everyone has gone crazy at the same time! They're all acting very strange; their lines are atrocious...I don't know what the hell is going on! They are so distracted and----" "Calm down," Daniel whispered. He reached inside Martin's mind and got him to relax. "I know you have trouble with the actors and that's why I've come here. I'll play Lestat!" Martin widened his eyes and stared at Daniel in disbelief. "YOU?" "That's exactly what I said." "And who are you? You think I'll risk this movie by putting a no name on screen?" "Well, you still have Antonio Banderas and Brad Pitt. They have names. I'll play Lestat. By the way, my name is Daniel, Daniel Lesko." Martin laughed. "NO!" "Why not? I look more like the 'real' Lestat than Tom Cruise! I'll bleach my hair blonde and wear blue contacts. What do you say?" "NO!" Daniel sent a message to Pandora who had been witnessing the conversation all along. :Okay, it's your turn; give me some help here: Pandora smiled. Martin was now silent; his eyes motionless and empty, sinking in a deep ocean of oblivion. "I'll think about it..." He said. "There's nothing to think about!" Daniel insisted. :Pandora, I think you need a little extra work on him.: :I did what I could!: :Well, do some more!: "Well, maybe you're right," said Martin, "...Come, we'll need a screen test and I also need to see you read!" Daniel was pleased. He took Martin by the hand and getting close to him, whispered into his ear, "You won't regret this, my friend." "Are you forgetting about something?" Pandora's voice chimed in. "Never!" Daniel replied. "Oh, and Martin, I would like you to meet my friend Emerald." For the first time, Martin took notice of Pandora and was immediately mesmerized by her exotic and dark beauty. "A pleasure," he mumbled, never taking his eyes away from her. "So, Martin, what do you think about Emerald playing Akasha?" "The Egyptian Queen?" "Exactly!" "Well, I never really thought about it...we didn't cast the Akasha yet...We had a few people in mind and---" "Is that a yes?" Pandora asked, giving Martin her most charming smile. "Of course," Martin said. "Of course! Just come with me, you two!" Pandora shot Daniel a triumphant smile. :Oh, Daniel, you were right. This is fun!: They followed Martin to his office. _________________________________________________________________________ Post 246: Daniel Daniel and Pandora had had a lovely time in Martin's trailer. They'd discussed the production until they all agreed that it was in everyone's best interest that Daniel took over the role of the Vampire Lestat. And of course Pandora would play Akasha. No doubt about that. Martin had been bewitched by her beauty and would not deny her anything. Martin was very drunk when Pandora and Daniel decided to leave the place. He had been drinking and eating, while Pandora and Daniel had _pretended_ to eat and drink. "We must leave now," Daniel said when he notice the skies were becoming red, the sunrise approached; he could feel the magic of the night taking her leave slowly, tenderly kissing the earth goodbye to give way for a new day. "Not yet!" the drunk Martin protested. "Weee have to celebrrrate our new contract!" "I think we've celebrated enough," Pandora said. "Why don't yu stay weeth mee, twonight..I mean, today, belle?" he gave Pandora a smutty grim. She quickly got up from her seat and walked away from him. "I'm sorry, Martin. I think you better sleep it off. I'll stay with you tomorrow night...maybe." "She's right, Martin. I really think you should go to bed. We'll meet you here tomorrow night." Daniel said. He helped Martin to stand up and led him to the little bedroom. Martin reluctantly let his body fall on top of the bed, as Daniel helped him to remove his shoes. "Ten o'clock sharp!" Daniel said. With that, he exited the trailer followed by Pandora. _________________________________________________________________________ Post 247: Louis Louis brushed the damp, matted hair away from Antonio's anguished eyes. There was such terror registered there, such horror, but such heartbreak. Slowly, Louis leaned in and covered Antonio's mouth with his own. He heard Antonio moan deep in his throat, as his arms tightened around Louis' shoulders. :::I'm drowning... I'm drowning in these feelings...::: Antonio wept into Louis mind. Louis held him tightly. "This is our life, one tide after another." He whispered against Antonio's cheek. ::Let me cling to you, Louis. Stay with me. Don't leave me tonight!:: Gently, Louis kissed the blood tears from Antonio's face. "I will stay with you. I could not leave you alone, not like this." Antonio reached up and tangled his fingers in Louis' silken hair. "When you're with me, I can feel your great calm wrapped around me. You are my safe harbour, my oasis..." Louis shook his head. "Sorrowing fledgling." He whispered, as he kissed Antonio again, this time biting his tongue, letting Antonio taste his essence. _________________________________________________________________________ Post 248: Antonio Antonio felt as though he were literally drowning, completely overwhelmed in emotions he had no control over. He could only ride them out, with Louis his only anchor in an otherwise insane world. When the blood filled his mouth he could only groan, flinching violently as it served to heighten his overstimulated senses even further. Crying out he tore himself from Louis, flinging himself across the bed to clutch at the pillows helplessly. "I'm going mad! This is what he warned me of!" he gasped. "He knew!" "Who?" Louis asked, sliding across to gently stroke Antonio's damp hair. "Armand. He knew - this madness..." "Is within us all. You are hysterical..." Antonio began laughing and crying at once. "Si... yes, I am hysterical. I can't control it at all." Louis shook his head slightly then began stroking Antonio's hair with slow, steady motions. "Calm yourself. Just relax. Think of nothing - just let yourself drift." For some time Antonio continued to waffle between laughter and tears, then finally anger as he strove to contain the violent emotions. All the while Louis continued to soothe him, encourage him. Finally, exhausted, he was able to calm at long last. Chest heaving, covered with sweat, he gazed at Louis. "What the hell happened?" "The emotions of a vampire are powerful." Louis smiled gently. "It took me decades to learn just *how* powerful. Depression is an emotion, too, remember." Antonio raised an eyebrow. "Dios. How did you survive?" Louis smiled. "Sheer, stubborn pride. I wouldn't let Lestat see me fail." Antonio rolled his eyes and nodded again. "I understand that too. Vampire pride, as powerful as vampire anger." "And vampire love. All emotions are heightened, strengthened now. You must be terribly cautious, Antonio. You are used to following your passions." He closed his eyes. "You are right. I felt, just now, like a child attempting to drive a starship." Louis smiled again. "An apt description." He leaned down, brushing Antonio's hair from his eyes. "Do you feel better now?" "Much. Thanks to you." He reached up and cautiously brushed his lips against Louis'. _________________________________________________________________________ Post 249: Louis Louis smiled gently. "If you move over, I'll lay down with you. You've been thorough enough emotions. What you need more than anything is rest." He streatched out next to Antonio on the bed. He continued to stroke Antonio's hair until sleep over took the exhausted fledgling. Louis didn't realize how tired he was until closed his eyes. Images of himself and Lestat began to flash in his mind's eye. He was too tired to fight the welling tears that now threatened to spill down his cheeks. He brought his arm up and covered his eyes as sleep pulled him under. In his dreams, he was once again in Lestat's arms. Where were they? The penthouse, now only used to store Lestat's computers. He heard Lestat's voice, velvet soft in his ear... "Don't go back to that horrid little shack. Stay with me, Louis. Just for tonight." Louis could see Lestat's dusky blue eyes grow even darker with passion as he moved in to press his mouth to Louis'. "Wouldn't you rather sleep in my nice, soft, big bed, than some cramped old casket in a basement?" Lestat purred in Louis' ear. Then came that golden laugh. "Louis! Who the hell do you think you are? Barnabas Collins? Come on... stay... you know you want to. I want you Louis... I want you in the worst way... you want me,too... I can tell... Your eyes tell me, Louis. They always have..." He could feel Lestat's arms around him, Lestat's hands moving over his body... "Beautiful One..." Lestat whispered into his hair. "Cher Lestat", Louis whispered in his sleep. "Mon Amoureaux..." _________________________________________________________________________ Post 250: Jesse As Jesse sat pouting behind the tree, she heard the trailer door close. She glanced around to see Antonio stumbling out into the night. She caught a breath and quickly scanned the trailer. :::Brad's just sleeping.::: she sighed. For a moment Jesse thought Brad could have ended up badly. :::He's fine::: She leaned back and closed her eyes. She'd sit there and wait until he woke up. It wasn't as if she didn't trust Antonio. If he wanted to be close to Brad, she knew he'd drink from him. She on the other hand had been very cautious, only to take a few precious drops. She sighed. She really enjoyed being with him. Not only was he beautiful, beautiful enough to become one of *them*, but he had a gentleness to him few knew about. As she sat thinking about their times together, she sensed another vampire. One so strong, she was immediately en guard. :::Lestat!::: She took a breath. She didn't want him to notice her so she brought down her shields. Maharet had once told her to blend in with her surroundings to protect herself from being noticed. :::Wonderful!::: She thought to herself. :::I've got to think like a tree. Now I've got to wait til the blond demon is gone before I can check on sweet Brad.::: _________________________________________________________________________ Post 251: Jesse Jesse waited until Lestat had departed from Brad's trailer. She quietly let herself in and tiptoed up to where Brad lay fast asleep. Jesse sat down on the floor next to him. He reeked of alcohol again, but on his neck were two small wounds where Antonio had drunk from him. Jesse bent over and kissed the bite mark on his neck. Brad mumbled something about Tom in his sleep. Jesse sighed. "Poor Baby. Are they messing with your mind or what?" She looked at him tenderly. He was completely knocked out from a combination of too much to drink and too much drinking by Antonio. She was sure Lestat had a hand in it, too. "Lestat, what have you done to him?" She brushed Bradd's silky hair from his eyes. "Oh, you are so perfect to portray our Louis. Such a deep soul, so close to perfection it pains you." She kissed his forehead. "Sleep well, sweet one. I will see you later." Jesse left him to find shelter from the dawn. _________________________________________________________________________ Post 252: Gabrielle Gabriellle had drifted off into sleep before she knew it. As she opened her eyes to the world, she realized that it was shortly before dawn and if she didn't find cover soon, she'd be one crisp vampire. She sighed and stood languidly, her hand went up to her head as a blinding headache arose. She groaned, "I thought Jesse's blood would fix all this." Although she felt ten times better, she was still weak. She walked slowly towards town, not quite caring if the dawn beat her or not, it really didn't matter to her much anymore. "What do I have to live for anyway?" she sighed. Where to spend the night, the closest was the flat on Rue Royal. She looked up to the sky which was growing lighter every second. She used but an ounce of her strength and rushed to the empty flat. "Anyone home?" she called. No answer. She scanned for Louis, for Lestat, for anyone in the flat but found it empty. She frustatedly raked a hand through her golden mane and retreated to Lestat's room. She shut the draperies against the rising sun and curled up upon the satin sheets. She wrapped her arms around herself and let the quiet sea of sleep wash her away. _________________________________________________________________________ Post 253: Pandora They walked away from the set in silence, until Daniel felt the need to speak. "Where will you spend the day?" "I'm not sure yet... I was thinking, maybe we should go back to Lestat's Penthouse. What do you say?" "Nope." "Why not?" "Well, Gabrielle and Jesse might be there, and I don't want to get lectured." "Do you think they know?" "I'm pretty sure they do. We just spent the entire night in Martin's trailer. I'm sure they know what we did." "So what? They can't say anything. Why would they care about it?" "I don't know...I just don't think it's a good idea to go back to the Penthouse. You can go if you wish, I'm going to rent a room somewhere." Pandora smiled tenderly. "No, Daniel. I'll go with you. I really don't think we have to *hide* from anyone. No one can tell us what to do, but if it makes you feel better, we'll go to a hotel." "Thanks, Pandora. I really didn't want to be alone." "You're welcome. After all, you got me a part in the movie!" Daniel and Pandora laughed in unison, and then, Daniel's face lost the light, his eyebrows creasing, a little frown. "What is it?" Pandora asked. "I don't know. I feel bad about Martin. We used him, you know. And he's so defenseless; they all are." "Daniel, we didn't do anything wrong. At least he's alive!" Daniel nodded. He looked around and pointed to the St. Louis Hotel, "We'll stay there." Up in their suit, Pandora slid off her dress, revealing her curvy feminine figure and alabaster skin. Daniel took his eyes away and smiled bashfully. "I'll wait in the bathroom until you're done changing." Pandora lifted her eyebrows and grinned. "You don't have to do that! If I wanted to, I could've have gone *in* the bathroom to get changed, don't you think?" she said shamelessly. She walked accross the room, until she stood only a few feet away from Daniel. "Come to me," she whispered. Daniel took a deep breath and then spoke. "I'm sorry, Pandora, I think we should go to sleep now. I'm getting very tired, after such a long night, you know..." Pandora only shrugged, aknowledging Daniel's discomfort. "If that's what you really want..." she closed the draperies and then, jumped on the bed. Daniel remained by the window, his eyes glued to the floor. "Are you gonna spend the day standing by the window?" "No," Daniel said softly. "I'll be right over." Pandora reached out for the little lamp in the night table and turned off the light. "Sweet dreams, Daniel." Daniel stood still for several minutes, a single crimson tear rolling down his cheek. "Sweet dreams, Pandora," he murmured. Removing the silk shirt he'd taken from Lestat's wardrobe, and pulling out the tight leather pants, he walked to the bed and slid into the silk sheets next to his beautiful companion. He regarded her with the corner of his eyes, so very beautiful... It was not wonder she had seduced the Great Marius, broken his heart to the point where he'd not been able to deny her the dark blood. He placed a tender kiss on her cheek. "Please, forgive me, Pandora. I'll explain..." "You'll do the explaining tomorrow, Daniel," were the last words he heard from her lips, before they both sunk into the deep stupor of the death sleep. _________________________________________________________________________ Post 254: Tom Somehow he couldn't return to the hotel. The knowledge that he was actually part of Lestat's life, at least for the moment, simply staggered him. He needed time. Tom wandered a bit, drawing little attention from the masses as he assumed a scowl, letting his shoulder length hair fall forward into his face. If anyone *did* know him, they did not approach. Finally his steps took him back to the hotel, and yet he still could not face Lestat. Not quite yet. Something inside was warning him to stay away. And so he punched the button for the top floor, then wandered higher, to the roof. It was deserted, and from there he had a fantastic view of the city. Tom sighed as he paced back and forth across the building. He had been psyched up to shoot tonight. They mystery delay should have sent him into orbit. He had no idea where the deadly calm had come from, but he *loved* it. The sheer force of the emotion terrified those around him. Still, he was an actor. He thought back, remembering how Lestat moved, his graceful gestures, his expression. At once he began practicing, lengthening his stride just a touch. He wished he had a mirror so he could see if he had the smile down right, the "I know everything and don't you wish you had a clue" smile Lestat used when he was hiding something. Lestat. "My God." Tom breathed, suddenly still. "I met Lestat de Lioncourt tonight. Antonio is a vampire, and I'm *living* with three others." For just a moment his reality rocked. For a fleeting second he thought of his wife, his children, his former life. The velvet sky paled with the first streaks of dawn as he sat, facing east. He knew he could never return to his family. Too much had happened. "Besides, how could Nicole ever hope to compete with a vampire's kiss?" He sighed, remembering the pain in her eyes as he had rejected her, the confusion. And yet, he would not have done anything different. He couldn't have. Lestat was his life now, for better or worse. "Not that we're married, or anything..." he muttered, watching the sky turn a hazy pink. Married. Could vampires get married? If so, Louis and Lestat should be married, no question. Louis only needed a little time to cool off, Lestat a moment to calm down, and they'll be fine. Once Antonio was out of the way - the pretender. And then there was Brad... Tom groaned as the bird's morning song filled the air. What was he going to do about Brad? He had deliberately baited him through the entire first film. But he *had* to! Brad was no actor. He *reacted* which was a whole different thing. He lived his roles. And for that kind of person, there was no other way. So Tom created the Louis/Lestat relationship off camera as well as on - and they both turned in the performances of their lives. But now... they were lovers. In the truest, most romantic sense of the word. How could he possibly win Brad? Mind spinning, Tom continued to watch the sunrise. _________________________________________________________________________ Post 255: Santino Santino kept looking out of the window. "So nice of you to show your face again," he said to David, long after the silence between the two of them had gotten uncomfortable. "I didn't think we were important to you." "'We'?" David asked. "Fine, *I*. I didn't think *I* was important enough to you." "How on earth could you... never mind. I know exactly how you could think that. Santino, I'm sorry." Santino felt David standing beside him. He fought the urge to pull the younger vampire into his arms. "Is that what you used to say to--dear God, David, what happened?" Santino turned around fully to look at David. He reached out and touched the newly browned skin, his anger forgotten. "Who did this to you?" David shrugged. "No one. It doesn't matter. I'm fine." "But you were hurt! And the sun on your young blood--" "Lestat's blood," David reminded him. "After *he* had tried the sun. I was strong enough." "Still, the thought that you could have been lost," Santino shook his head. "It is one thing to be angry with you. Yet another to lose you forever. I've lost too much already." "You have every right to be angry with me," David said. "You've already apologized. You don't have to do it again." "Are you still mad?" Santino considered this. "I'm mad that I saw so little of you." David smiled. "I'm here *now*." Santino returned the smile, then sealed it with a kiss. "Why, so you are." _________________________________________________________________________ Post 256: Santino It was some time later when they heard the suite door slam. "Lestat's home," Santino observed. "Leave him be," David said. "Why?" "Because he should take care of this by himself. This is his problem to face." "So we should just leave him alone?" Santino got out of bed to face David. "Not exactly a very friendly thing to do." "I'm not saying that we should abandon him," David said. "But of course we should support him. I'm only saying that he should do this on his own." "So we should support him, but from a distance?" "Something like that, yes." "So that's how you do things!" Santino quickly got dressed. "It's no wonder I never saw you before! I was apparently supporting you from a distance! And I guess that's exactly how you were loving me!" "Santino, no!" "I'm going to talk to Lestat," Santino said. "I still say--" "That we should keep our distance," Santino finished. "Yes, I know. Well if you want to, we can make love like that too. But first, I'll be in the other room." Santino slammed the bedroom door behind him before he remembered that he hadn't wanted to. *This relationship is driving me insane.* Santino rubbed his forehead, then looked across the common room towards the doorway of the study Lestat was in. *Speaking of things that drive me crazy....* Santino knocked on the doorframe before entering and sitting down beside Lestat. "How are you, Brat?" "Same as always," Lestat said, his cynical smile was redundant. "I don't suppose Tom is around, is he?" "Not that I'm aware of," Santino said, quickly scanning the suite in case the mortal had arrvied when Santino might not have been paying too much attention. "Rather fond of the mortal, aren't you?" "Well, if you've got a number one fan, you should show a little appreciation," Lestat said. "I thought your number one fan was Louis." Lestat winced. "Should I take back that sentence and try again?" Santino asked. "No," Lestat said. "It's alright. Tonight wasn't one of our better moments, but I'm going to change that." "You are?" Lestat looked at him. "I wasn't expressing doubt. I was only keeping the conversation going." Lestat laughed. "Then yes, Santy, I am. Not tonight, but tomorrow. I'm going to arrange a little surprise for Louis to come home to." "Don't take this the wrong way, Brat but you're not going to kill, well--" "The Mexican Jumping Into Another's Bed Bean?" Lestat asked. "No. At least, that's not my surprise. I make no promises about the future." "I didn't think you would," Santino said. "And what will you do now?" "Now?" Lestat shrugged. "Now I shall just wait the night out. Save myself for tomorrow. No more." _________________________________________________________________________ Post 257: David Santino slammed the door and headed to talk to Lestat. David slid back into bed and pulled the covers over his head. His heart told him to go after Santino, but his mind told him that if he didn't rest soon, he would end up saying or doing something very foolish. *Sleep, that's all I want right now* He closed his eyes and thought of his reunion with Santino. It felt good to be in his arms again...to surrender himself to another...to anihilate all other cares. But reality always has a way of returning when you least want it to. *to hell with it!* he thought. *Tomorrow can take care of itself* Exhausted and mind weary, he drifted off to sleep. _________________________________________________________________________ Post 258: Louis As the haze of sleep left him, Louis slowly became aware of the figure curled next to him. Why was he startled that the vampire at his side didn't have a blond mane, and wasn't laying flat on his back. The dreams had been so lucid, so ...real. It took him a few moments to pull himself into reality. Louis raked his tangled black hair from his eyes. He really had expected to waked up in Lestat's arms. It was all just dreams. Carefully, Louis slid out of the bed. He didn't want to disturb Antonio. The fledgling had experienced such crashing emotions the night before. Louis wanted him to get as much rest as his preternatural body required. Louis walked into his bathroom, skinned out of his clothes and stepped into the shower. He turned it on hot, as full as it would spray. Louis thought perhaps the rush of water over his body would wash off the residue of the day's dreams, clearing his mind. He had just finished dressing when he glanced up at the doorway. Antonio stood, leaning against the door frame. "Ah! You're awake then." Louis smiled. Antonio crossed the room and stood in front of Louis, gazing into his eyes. "I'm sorry about last night. I have never experienced such emotions, such violent mood swings..." Louis pulled him into his arms. "Tonio, please don't feel as if you must apologize." "I must. I was out of control." Antonio sighed. "This has never happened to me before." Louis drew back and gently smiled. "You've never been a vampire before, either." Antonio returned the smile. "No, I guess I haven't." Louis clapped Antonio's shoulders with firm hands. "Come on. After all you went through, the first thing you need to think about is feeding. I'm going out to hunt now. Once you've fed, call to me and we will go to the set together." He gave Antonio a confident smile. "How is that?" Antonio nodded. "Very good." _________________________________________________________________________ Post 259: Antonio Antonio was warmed by Louis' gentle words. "Louis," he said as his compantion turned to go, "thank you for going to the set with me tonight. After last night, I'm not sure I could face Brad." Louis smiled and drew Antonio into his arms. "Of course you could. Brad is still your friend, as you are his. You proved that beyond any question last night." When Antonio let out a bitter laugh, Louis drew his chin up. "You *are* his friend. Or Brad would be either dead, or a vampire. You can not appreciate how rare you are, how rare your strength is. I know I could not have stopped, had I been in your place. Even now I would have found it difficult." Antonio searched for the truth in his words, and found it. He was so relieved that he felt his knees go weak. "Then, do you think that he is safe, with me near?" "Hard to say. In a social situation, doubtful. But on the set? While filming? I'd say so." Impulsively Antonio drew Louis into a fierce hug. "Thank you. I can not tell you how much your words mean to me." Louis looked into his eyes. "You don't have to tell me. I know." With another hug, Louis departed to hunt. Antonio watched him go, shaking his head slightly. How could Lestat ever let this one go? Answer... he won't. And deep in his heart, Antonio was convinced Louis knew this as well as he did. He sighed. "Death is no less complicated than life." Then he, too, sought out the night of New Orleans. _________________________________________________________________________ Post 260: Martin Martin woke up the following evening, five of the clock. He was tired and dizzy, barely able to stand up still, a tremendous headache---probably from all the drinking the night before. He got out of bed and ran into the bathroom. He splashed cold water on his face, and lifting his eyes to the mirror, watched his own reflection. And there, somewhere in the back of his minds, the almond shaped eyes of a woman, eyes that were as deep and dark as the night, hunting his soul, and stealing his dreams. "Emerald," he whispered. "My beautiful Emerald, I'll make you shine!" Had it been all a dream? He wasn't sure. What had *exactly* happened the night before? He could barely remember, vague images and chopped conversations is all he could find in his memory. He'd given the actors the night off, and as he walked back to his trailer, he'd come in contact with the stranger. Yes, the stranger with the charming smile and the gentle voice. But what had they talked about? The Vampire Lestat! That was it! Martin shook his head when the realization finally hit him. "No, it can't be! I must be losing my mind!" He ran out of the bathroom and into the living room. Indeed, it was real. It had not been all a dream. Three glasses on top of the table, the glasses that Daniel, Emerald, and himself had drunk from the night before. And the contract, the signed contract on the table. He picked up and read it...No! How could he have? What had gotten into him? He'd given the leading role of *his* project to a perfect stranger! "Daniel Lesko" But why? Tom Cruise, Antonio Banderas, and Brad Pitt had been cast for the parts, why had he given the role away? "This is madness!" He yelled. "How did this happen?" He sat on the couch and took a deep breath. "There has to an explanation to all this," he murmured. And he would find it. Ten o'clock sharp, he would meet with this Daniel Lesko again..., and with the beautiful Emerald. _________________________________________________________________________ Post 261: Brad They were lying on the floor, locked in a passionate embrace, twined about each other in frantic need. They had been practicing their last scene together, and Brad had gripped Tony's face in his hands and drawn a trail of whispered words across the smooth brow and the silken fringe of lash, at last brushing his lips against the full sensual mouth tilted up at him. Only this time Tony had gasped and trembled - and closed the fraction of space between them. They had collided like atoms smashing. Total nuclear meltdown. Tony had flowed into his arms like liquid fire. Their mouths devoured each other. Brad yanked Tony's head back by the hair, running his tongue down the golden perfection of Tony's throat, roughly shoving the intruding shirt collar out of his way. Tony moaned and pulled at Brad's shirt, freeing it from the waste band of his pants, his hands sliding up the taunt lean muscles of Brad's back. As they'd tumbled toward the floor, Brad wondered fleetingly how he'd reached this state. It had started with dancing. Tony was teaching him to Mambo. The point wasn't the dancing - it was the touching. Brad had been so incredibly stiff at first, the feel of Tony's hand resting lightly on his shoulder or at his waist had unnerved him. But Tony had deftly steered his thoughts away from the touching and to the dance itself, to the music. Brad had insisted if they were going to do this dancing thing, they the had to use the soundtrack to Mambo Kings. Tony had laughingly agreed. The music was perfect. Lively and fun, and sensual and exiting as well. Once he'd focused on the music, and concentrated on keeping his reputation for gracefulness by not stepping on Tony's feet while executing the intricate steps, he actually forgot about the touching. After a few lessons he didn't have to think about the steps anymore, and just enjoyed the music and the movement. Sometimes they talked, sometimes they just danced. But each lesson brought them closer together until at last Tony would dance pressed against him, his face against Brad's throat. By then Brad looked forward to their "lessons", hurrying to get to Tony's trailer and dance - first the fast, frenzied dances that left them laughing and breathless, then the slow ones that began to leave them breathless for different reasons. He had playfully accused Tony of being a smooth operator with ulterior motives, but Tony had taken him seriously and rushed to explain that he had found that the dancing worked to break down physical barriers when he worked with Tom Hanks on Philadelphia. In the mixed up world of film making, one of the first scenes they shot was a party scene where the two of them were dancing - scene that didn't actually happen until almost the end of the picture. It had taken them a while to get past the physical awkwardness with each other, but once they got the dance scene down cold, they found that the physical closeness, the body language of lovers that was so necessary for the believability of their characters, was almost effortless. Tony said that he knew that to portray the intense physical and emotional attraction Louis and Armand felt for each other, that they had to be, if not comfortable, then at least very aware of each other. Their characters had to perform an intricate dance of touching and parting, only to be helplessly drawn together again. They had been drawn together, all right - together and right on down to the floor. Brad had lost his shirt at some point, and Tony was planting hot kisses across his chest. He dragged his tongue across one of Brad's painfully erect nipples and nipped at it. Brad gave a low shout and grabbed Tony by the shoulders dragging him up and into a throat deep kiss. A knock had sounded at the door. "Brad, Tony! Ten minutes till the next scene!" They leaped apart like a couple of guilty teenagers, laughing shamefacedly as they refastened their clothing, that things had gotten so out of hand. But the knock didn't come. The kissing went on and on until Brad thought he would explode. Finally, the hot searing mouth released him and made its way down his neck, and the golden wavy hair trailed across his face, ticking his nose... Golden? Then he felt the mouth widen against his throat, and sharp teeth lightly squeeze his flesh. Brad gasped, and his hands flew up to feel the contours of the broad, thickly muscled back. He knew that back. He knew the feel of that mouth against his throat. "Tom?" _________________________________________________________________________ Post 262: Brad "Tom?" Brad was utterly confused. "Hmmmm?" Tom murmured against his throat. "Don't worry, I didn't bruise you. It's just that you've got such a luscious neck," Tom placed his lips against the neck in question and growled, "I can't help myself." "Tom, wait..." Brad shifted beneath Tom's weight and froze. He was naked. Tom was naked. They were naked. "What's the matter, cher? You tired?" Tom raised up and kissed Brad softly. He slid off to one side, pulling Brad with him so that they were laying on their sides, entangled. "God, you're tense tonight." Tom reached up a surprisingly gentle hand and brushed Brad's hair back from his face. "Did someone upset you? You can tell me. I won't go off the deep end this time, I promise," Tom grinned at him, and leaned in and began to nibble on Brad's ear, swirling his tongue around the curling cavity of flesh. Brad shivered violently and Tom chuckled. "That's better. For a minute there I thought you didn't want me anymore." Anymore? "Tom, what are you doing here?" Brad managed to get out. Tom pulled away from him and sat up, dragging the bed sheet with him. Brad scrabbled for a piece of sheet to cover himself as he sat up as well, trying to see Tom's face. "You're still mad at me, aren't you?" Tom's shoulders hunched like he was expecting a blow. "I got the guy his job back, and everything. But damn it, Brad, he could have caused you to be hurt. That gas jet fired off right by you! You weren't supposed to be anywhere near that fire when it ignited. I wanted to kill him, instead of having him fired." Tom's hands balled into white knuckled fists. "You're so damned tender hearted, even the grossly incompetent have to be given a second chance! I won't have it, I tell you, not if you're being endangered! So go ahead and snub me. I'm not going to apologize for trying to keep you in one piece." Tom had hunched up into a tightly muscled, furious ball of flesh. Brad reached out and gingerly touched Tom's arm. "Hey, don't get all worked up..." "Don't touch me!" Tom snapped, jerking his arm away as if stung. "I'm not in the mood anymore." But when Brad drew away he found himself pounced on and flung back onto the bed. "Okay, so I lied," Tom grinned down at him with that patented Brash Young Superstar smile. "I'm always in the mood, and you can touch me anywhere and everywhere you like." He grinned wickedly at Brad and drew his hands down the long, lean torso. His hands wandered all over the place and his lips followed, and Brad felt a slow spiral of desire uncoil within him. Damn him anyway, he was as good at this as he was at everything else. "Tell me you want me." Tom whispered in his ear, "I know you do, don't you?" And Brad surprised himself by answering, "Yes." *********************** Brad's eyes snapped open and he sat up so quickly his head spun. He was lying in his bed, alone, and fully clothed. He ran a shaky hand through his hair and laughed ruefully. "Where the hell did *that* come from? Man, I need a date in the worst way!" He swung his legs over the bed, and stood up - and promptly sat back down again as the room seemed to slip sideways on him. "I know I didn't tie one on, 'cause my mouth doesn't taste like I've been licking sewer grates." Then he remembered. He remembered it all. He rose slowly from the bed and stood for a moment, his arms wrapped tightly around himself. "Tony you'd better come back, or I'm coming after you," he whispered. His legs felt a little rubbery, but the trailer was narrow enough for him to haul himself along to the bathroom without falling. _________________________________________________________________________ Post 263: Jesse The motel cottage had served it's purpose. The owner was true to his word, and no one had disturbed the red-haired woman in cabin 13. Jesse awoke at dusk, and had showered and dressed before the pink and gold clouds has faded to twilight blue. She made her way up the road to a 7Eleven a quarter of a mile from where she had slept. The biker, who was harassing the cashier, was easily enticed behind some trees. Jesse swore she'd be flossing the hair out of her fangs for months on that one. Still, his blood was hot and rich, and she 'borrowed' his black Harley, to boot! Jesse had to toss her hair back and laugh. No wonder Lestat treasured his big nasty bike. This thing was power with a capital 'P'! The way it gobbled up the road gave her quite a rush. She wished she had time to shop for some leathers, but Sweet Brad was more important than image. She roared onto the set, turning heads as she pulled up in front of Brad's trailer. Jesse shook the dust from her hair and listened at Brad's door. Inside, she could hear a shower running. Jesse smiled. The thought of hot water trickling down over Brad's gorgeous body... "Ooooo!" Jesse giggled as a delicious shiver ran down her back. She silently opened the door to the trailer, and let herself in. "Hmm," Jesse thought. "Do I sit here like a good little vampire and wait for him to come out...? Or do I join him for a little good clean fun!" Just as she decided on the fun, the showering sounds stopped. A moment later, Brad, a towel wrapped around his hips, emerged from the tiny bathroom. He gazed at Jesse for a moment and blinked. "Hi!" Jesse wiggled her fingers to him in greeting. _________________________________________________________________________ Post 264: Gabrielle She woke up in a cold empty bed, her arm unconsiously wrapping around herself for that needed warmth. She looked about the destered flat, remembering visits past. "Why was it that I came here again?" she mumbled, "Out of a simple visit, I got burned, fell in love, got a fledgling out of the deal and a dysfunctional family. Not a bad day's work." She tiptoed through the flat to Louis' room where she rustled through his drawers for clothes. After settling into an oversized pair of leather pants (hmm...where did Louis get these?) and a silk shirt, she left the flat. Gabrielle walked the streets of New Orleans as like times past. How ironic that after looking at every hotel she passed, she could name a coven member that was staying there. She wondered briefly why disasters always happened when the coven was together. They were obviously incompatable. She laughed aloud, drawing stares from a couple passing close by. She smiled, concealing the fangs and put on her best New York accent, the one that Jesse had taught her. "HEY! Whadda ya lookin' at?" The couple jumped and picked up their pace in a blink of an eye. Gabrielle laughed, "Stupid mortals." After dining on a wonderful mugger of little old ladies, she walked slowly towards the set. She asked herself just why she was going there and could not give an answer. Action took place there at least, and she wanted to be within the center of the hurricane. She arrived at the set and looked around anxiously, wondering if she'd see any of her family. _________________________________________________________________________ Post 265: Brad Brad took his time in the shower, letting the hot water wash away the lingering aches and anxieties of last nights event's. His mind tumbled over the dreams he'd had. The dream about Tony was understandable, considering what they'd been doing before he fell asleep (and how the hell did he fall asleep in the middle of *that*?), but the dream switch to Tom left him completely bemused - and more that a little uneasy. He turned off the water and scooped the wet hair back out of his face, squeezing the excess water out of it. It was getting long again, but he wasn't worried. It would have to be cut for his first scene anyway. Louis' hair was short when he met up with Lestat in the reunion scene. The reunion scene got him thinking about Tom again, which brought back that truly disturbing dream, so he quickly scrubbed his dripping hair with a towel, and wiped himself down. Grabbing a dry towel and wrapping it around his waist, he stepped from the small bathroom. He blinked in surprise. There was a gorgeous redhead standing in he middle of the room. "Hi!" Jesse wiggled her fingers to him in greeting. "Hi yourself," Brad grinned at her. Man did she look good! The black T-shirt and blue jeans set of the pale skin and wild tangle of red hair to perfection. Brad's fingers flexed as his mind subconsciously reached for a sketch pad and pencil. Something else flexed as well, and Brad hurried over to his dresser for some clothes. Standing around in nothing but a towel and trying to talking to the beautiful Jessica at the same time was not a very bright idea. Things could get real embarrassing real fast - but he was secretly pleased at his body's reaction. With the way his mind had been working the past few days, he was beginning to wonder if his sexual preferences were taking a major U-turn! "Uh, Jess, turn your back for a minute, will ya, while I get something on?" Jessica winked at him and obligingly turned her back. Brad went back to rummaging for some not too wrinkled clothes, and failed to notice that Jesse had turned back around and was taking inventory as he dropped the towel. "I thought you'd gone, Jess," Brad went on as he slipped into his underwear and a pair of the thin, baggy pants he favored. "I'm glad you're here though, 'cause I need to ask you about few things." Brad turned around, tugging a Natalie Merchant T-shirt on over his head. He registered the fact that he was *not* talking to Jessica's back and raised a eyebrow at her. Jessie gave him a amused and totally unapologetic shrug. Brad crossed the room and swept her up into a hug, inexplicably glad that she was there. He gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek, smoothing the unruly red tresses back from her face as her eyes looked away from his. "I need to ask you about vampire-type things." _________________________________________________________________________ Post 266: Jesse Jesse drew back and gave him a puzzled look. "Vampire things... what sort of *things*?" She smiled up into his eyes. Brad released her from the hug and sank down onto the couch. "You know... like getting into somebody's head, and when do you have to eat..." "Feed. The word is feed." She watched him intently. "Brad? Are you alright? You look godawful." "I don't know... I think I'm having a blood sugar dip or something." He slumped forward holding his head. "When was the last time you had something to eat?" Jesse sat down next to him, rubbing his shoulder comfortingly. "I don't remember..." He mumbled. Jesse rose to her feet and made her way to the kitchenette. "Got any food in here?" She rummaged around in the tiny fridge. "Good, juice. Brad, you've got orange juice... how old are these eggs? I'll fix you an omelette." As Jesse poured him a large glass of juice, Brad watched, amazed. "What's wrong?" She asked him, placing the brimming glass in his hand. "I didn't know vampires *knew* about this sort of thing..." He took a large mouthful and swallowed it slowly. Jesse tossed her hair over her shoulder and laughed as she placed a small frying pan on the heating element. "Brad... I haven't been dead all *that* long." A choking, spluttering sound made her turn around. "I'm ok!" Brad coughed. "It went down... the wrong way!" She giggled. "I'm sorry... I guess I'm rather blunt about it." Brad was on his feet, mopping down his shirt with a towel. "Geeze... I got the entire glass on me!" "I'll cook. You change." Jesse said as she broke the eggs into a bowl and whipped them with a fork. Pulling a sweater over his head, he watched as Jesse stepped back from the stove as she switched it on. "What's the matter? You looked scared." Brad put his hands on her shoulders and watched her prepare the eggs. "It's just a 'vampire thing'. We're sort of flammable." She casually replied. "Shit! I forgot about that!" Jesse tipped the omelette onto a plate and handed it to Brad. She didn't have the heart to tell him the odor of frying eggs sickened her. Brad gobbled the food hungrily. "Jess... tell me," he began, "What do I do if I don't want somebody in my mind?" "If you know they're there, think of something stupid. Like sing a song over and over in your mind. I do that all the time to Lestat. Makes him crazy." She giggled. "What if a vampire bites you..." He looked up at her. "What would happen to you?" "To you or me?" Jesse sat next to him. "If the right vampire bit me," she smiled, "I'd like it very much... that's how we make love." "What if one bit me and drank from me..."? Brad asked anxiously. "Um... Brad? Did Antonio... SHIT! You're about to get company!" "Who?" Asked Brad, jumping to his feet. "Tom... the man who would be Lestat! Don't worry, Sweetie! I won't leave! I'll be right here with you..." _________________________________________________________________________ Post 267: Tom Ice. He was ice. His agent was in hysterics. Martin was having a certified nervous breakdown. Every person he encountered was in the midst of a biblical proportion crisis. But Tom was ice. The movie was dead. "The Curse of Lestat" had struck once more. The financing - generally rock solid before a frame was ever shot, had pulled out. Something about lack of confidence in the venture. Tom bought none of it. All he knew for certian was that the movie had been put on indifinte hold... which meant that the contracts were technically broken. He was already being advised to take another role *at once*. He knew Antonio would be similarly advised. And Brad... So close. So close! He was with Lestat. The vampires were on the set - he and Brad were on the same project. He could *not* allow this opportunity to slip through his fingers. He would not. So he had advised Martin to be calm. He had advised everyone to be calm. He had, in fact, calmly assured everyone that things like this can be fixed, and he would get to work on it at once. He may be only an actor... that had produced a polite chuckle... but he did have the ear of one or two persons who might be able to assist. Martin did as well, and Geffen? Don't wory. Be calm. Take a few days off - this will be sorted out soon. Martin had looked at him almost in awe. The entire set had, again, expected him to go through the roof. This icy control, combined with the genial "Don't worry" speech, seemed to worry Martin nearly as much as the lack of funding. Tom hardly noticed. Instead, he headed for his trailer, grabbed a small, dusty package, then headed out again, toward Brad's trailer. Tom took a deep breath, then knocked. A few moments later, the door opened, and a very frazzled Brad poked his head out. When he saw who was calling, Brad paled slightly. "Tom..." He smiled in return. "You remember what they said about Greeks bearing gifts?" "Yeah..." He held up the package. "I'm the one they warned you about. Can I come in?" Brad hesitated for a moment, then moved aside, allowing Tom to enter. Tom tried hard not to stare - Brad was wearing a soft, Louis-like sweater that did wonderful things to both his hair and eyes. But more than that - he wore an air of confused vulnerability that Tom had never seen before. Normally Brad was at daggers drawn around him. Now... something had changed. Tom had no idea what, but the thanked his lucky stars. "Got some glasses?" Brad raised an eyebrow. "What type?" Tom flashed an easy grin. "Something worthy of this." He unwrapped the package, revealing decades old Scotch. "I've been saving this for an occasion. It seems tonight is it." "Are we celebrating something?" "You haven't heard, have you?" "Heard what? "You may want to knock one of these back before I tell you..." "Cut the act, man." Brad snapped. "I've had a long night already. What's up?" In response Tom fished out two glasses himself, poured, added ice, then handed one of the glasses to Brad. "The production has been halted temporarily." Brad froze. "What?" "Listen to me before you freak." Tom said softly. "Something's going on, I'm not sure what yet. I'm going to find out, and get this thing back on track personally." He smiled, then deliberately took a sip of the Scotch. Brad followed suit automatically. "I wanted to be the one to tell you, and to tell you not to worry. I don't think anything has been done that can't be undone. Call your agent, calm him down, and don't worry." He smiled again. "I've got a few friends who might be able to assist." "I don't get it." Brad said, eyeing Tom as he took another sip. "Why would you care? This is just one more picture, and it's been a headache from day one." Tom shook his head. "It's not just another film. This one is special." He looked at Brad over the rim of his glass, emerald and sapphire locking. "I think you know that." Suddenly there was no sound in the room but the gentle clink of ice in the glasses. Finally Tom nodded toward the desk. "Call your agent. Tell him everything`s fine. I'll make sure of it." _________________________________________________________________________ Post 268: Brad Brad moved toward the desk and called his agent - anything to keep from staring at Tom, who was lounging on the bench-like sofa, seeming completely at home. Every time Brad looked at Tom, he got a flash of that damned dream. Whooo! Wasn't that a hell of a note! He finished his conversation with his agent and, after a moment's hesitation, joined Tom on the sofa. The thought of Jessie lurking in the miniscule and still damp bathroom made him grin inwardly and lent him a bit of mental fortitude. ::Jess!:: ::What? You need me out there?:: ::No.:: Brad sent a mental chuckle to her. ::Just checking your reflexes.:: ::Brad, didn't your mother ever tell you the story about the boy who cried 'wolf'?:: Brad's mental sparring with Jesse was cut short when Tom asked him quietly, "What did your agent say?" "He's a bit upset," Brad smiled, remembering the stream of colorful invective that had streamed from his agent's mouth, peppered with words like "unprofessional", "star of your caliber" and "sue". "I told him to calm down, that you were working on getting things straight." Brad turned the smile toward Tom and flushed as his smile was returned with a slow lazy grin. He sat forward quickly and refilled his glass. "This is damned good sippin' whiskey Mr. Cruise, I do appreciate it." Brad sat back, only to find that Tom's arm was now along the back of the sofa. He could feel it there just behind his shoulders. "I admit, I thought you'd be a bit more upset," Tom said ruefully. "Nah. It's just a movie. What's really got me upset is what's happened to Tony." At the mention of his friends name, Brad shivered a bit and flicked a troubled blue gaze in Tom's direction. "Tony..." Tom's voice had an edge to it, and Brad turned his head to look at him, puzzled by that almost angry tone. Tom simply looked back at him until Brad felt compelled to speak. "Not just Tony, Tom. I...I'm worried about you, as well." "Me? Why on earth would you be worrying about me?" Tom raised his eyebrows, giving Brad a questioning look. "It's just that I know you've been hanging around with Lestat..." Brad turned to face Tom. "Listen to me, Tom. You've got to be careful! I know you're used to being the Top Gun," Tom chuckled softly at that and Brad twitched with surprise - where was all this jovial good humor coming from? "I'm not joking here! Lestat is dangerous! He's worse than you could ever hope to be!" Brad stopped himself. That last bit hadn't come out quite right. Before he could start up again, Tom interrupted him. "It's very sweet of you to be concerned, Brad. But don't worry - I've got everything under control. To be quite frank, I'm worried about *you*. You don't look like your usual stunningly attractive self tonight." Tom reach out and brushed back Brad's hair, resting the back of his hand against Brad's forehead as if to test him for fever. "You don't feel warm. As a matter of fact, you feel a bit cool. Are you sure you're feeling well?" Tom ran his hand down Brad's cheek and grasped his neck, rubbing Brad' jawbone with his thumb. The thumb stilled suddenly and Tom frowned. "What's this on your neck?" he asked with a strange note in his voice. Brad jerked back, staring wide-eyed at Tom with feigned innocence. "Nothing! It's just a scratch!" _________________________________________________________________________ Post 269: Tom "A scratch." Tom slowly reached forward, watching as Brad's eyes widened. He held still, though, suffering Tom's touch. He used both hands, one to hold Brad still, the other to gently brush the purple/blue marks on his neck. He couldn't help himself - sitting back, he trailed his fingers gently across the sensative flesh, feeling enormous satisfaction when Brad shivered under his touch. He smiled again, this time in complete empathy. Leaning back, Tom pulled his own shoulder lengh hair away from his neck. "I don't think you can still see them, can you?" Brad's eyes widened again. "See...?" "The bite marks, of course. Can you still see them?" His fellow actor hesitated a moment then reached forward, mirroring Tom's earlier gesture. Tom tried hard to sit still under Brad's touch, though his indrawn breath was a touch ragged. "No. I can't see anything." Tom shrugged as Brad sat back, reaching again for the powerful drink. "It's a shame. But they heal quickly. You'll see. Unless Antonio comes to visit again." He raised an eyebrow. "I assume it *was* Antonio?" Brad gave him a measured look, then nodded briefly. "Of course, my encounter was with Lestat." "I can't believe he didn't either kill you or..." "Make me his child?" Brad nodded. "I can't believe you're taking this so well, quite frankly. Antonio has always been a believer in the fantastic - I became a believer during the last film. But you - the most grounded, the least impressed of us all." Brad shrugged. "It's stupid to argue with what *is*." "Agreed." Tom stood, only long enough to refill both glasses. "But tell me, are you alright?" He couldn't help himself, he reached out once more, touching Brad lightly, resting his fingertips on the sensative flesh just below his ear. "I know how hard it is - after going through something like that." He smiled softly, remembering. "My mind was going in a thousand different directions, but the one thing I knew for sure was that it was the best thing that ever happened to me, and I wanted it again." He looked deep into Brad's eyes. "Not something you shake off overnight. Are you ok?" Threader's Note: Ooops! Messed up. There isn't a Post 270. Sorry!