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Post by Daniel on May 24, 2009 17:28:30 GMT -5
**NEW NIGHT**
The talk with Louis should have done…something. He didn’t know what he’d expected of the other vampire, but running across him on the opera rooftop had seemed like a stroke of luck at the time. But Louis had been rather unhelpful—in point of fact, he wasn’t sounding like himself, though it didn’t concern Daniel overmuch. No, the concern was what was currently happening with him.
Finally revealing what he was thinking and feeling, instead of doing what he always did and shoving it aside, hadn’t done much good. It made it worse, in fact…looking over everything that had happened since he’d left Armand on Night Island and now, examining things for once rather than ignoring it. He saw a lot. And most of it he didn’t like. He wasn’t just a mess, he was utterly broken, and very unfixable. Not that he wanted to be fixed—he liked being a vampire, he liked (some) of the people he’d run across (intriguing, the number of fascinating people Paris produced) but he was all wrong nonetheless.
The remainder of the evening found him listlessly draped across his bed, staring with dull eyes into space. Still lying in that same position, he eventually drifted off into sleep when the sun rose unseen behind the thick curtains.
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Post by Alex on Jul 6, 2009 19:10:46 GMT -5
**MANY NIGHTS LATER**
That girl had been rather helpful (thankfully). Once he'd made his way to Le Rouge, and stepped inside, he was hit with the undeniable sense that one gets when there's another vampire nearby. Not just any vampire, no. He'd know this one anywhere.
Feeling a sudden rush of both excitement and nervousness, Alex slowly ascended the stairs, trying to calm his nerves. What was he expecting? It had been...a long time...since he'd last seen or spoken to Daniel. The older vampire had probably long since moved on from those days on Night Island. Really, Alex shouldn't expect anything from this meeting.
Still, his stomach was full of butterflies when he reached the room and tentatively knocked on the door.
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Post by Daniel on Jul 6, 2009 19:15:12 GMT -5
Daniel hadn't done very well in the days following his return to the inn. He'd gotten marginally better--from catatonic to awake--but aside from that he was still completely consumed by his inner conflict. He forgot to feed sometimes, and when he did remember, it was almost in a half-hearted fashion that would eventually get him caught if he kept it up. But he couldn't seem to drum up the energy to care.
Tonight was no different, and so when someone knocked on the door (visitors? How long had it been since the last time he'd had any?), he ignored it.
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Post by Alex on Jul 6, 2009 19:17:08 GMT -5
Okay...not exactly what he'd been nervously anticipating, but then, Daniel was an unpredictable creature. He knocked again, a bit more firmly.
"Hello? Is anyone in?"
Of course, he knew Daniel was there as he could sense him. Why didn't he answer?
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Post by Daniel on Jul 6, 2009 19:21:40 GMT -5
Apparently, the tactic of "ignore it and it'll go away" wasn't working.
"What is it?" He called dully, his foggy mind only partially registering that the presence beyond the door was that of a vampire very familiar to him.
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Post by Alex on Jul 6, 2009 19:25:03 GMT -5
"Daniel...it's...it's me. Alex." He said softly.
Something was off--Daniel didn't sound like himself at all, and there was a pall in the air that Alex couldn't quite identify.
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Post by Daniel on Jul 6, 2009 19:32:26 GMT -5
That voice.
Of all the things he'd have expected to hear the least, it was that one. Not because it was something he didn't want to hear again, but because it was completely different, so outside of all of his experience up to now that it seemed as though it came from somewhere long lost.
But he was hearing him again--that soft voice. He could clearly picture him in his mind, that sad boy standing at the water's edge on the beach, staring at him with desperate eyes as he begged Daniel to turn him.
He jumped to his feet and bolted across the room, throwing open the door to find that very boy standing there.
"Alex?" He asked disbelievingly.
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Post by Alex on Jul 6, 2009 19:36:04 GMT -5
Daniel looked terrible, in appearance much like those vampires that didn't feed very often--like extremely ill humans.
"Oh my god...Daniel, what happened?" He reached out to touch the other's arm, and ended up having to help the other vampire keep his balance when Daniel swayed and stumbled when trying to come closer.
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Post by Daniel on Jul 6, 2009 19:40:00 GMT -5
He wasn't real, was he? He couldn't be. This avenue had been closed to him for a long time now. And yet...
He allowed himself to be led back into the room, paying attention to nothing beyond Alex.
As though afraid he would break the illusion by doing so, Daniel reached out and gently brushed his fingers across the other's cheek.
"It is you." He said, barely audible.
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Post by Alex on Jul 6, 2009 19:43:27 GMT -5
He set Daniel down on the edge of the bed, hovering nearby once the other vampire was settled.
"Yes. Of course it is. Who else would I be?"
He wasn't sure how to act around Daniel--his presence seemed to be welcome, but his long-ago companion was not one that you could make assumptions about. He wanted so much to just comfort him.
"What happened?" He asked again, sitting down next to him.
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Post by Daniel on Jul 6, 2009 19:47:33 GMT -5
No, there was no doubt of it--Daniel wasn't hallucinating at all. This really was Alex.
Without a word, he pulled the other vampire into his arms and simply held onto him.
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Post by Alex on Jul 6, 2009 19:52:17 GMT -5
He returned that admittedly much longed-for embrace, leaning into Daniel, heaving a sigh at the contact. Yes, he'd decided not to hope for too much, because enough time had passed for the other man to have moved on, but he'd still secretly hoped that he would be welcomed back like this. Perhaps not these exact circumstances, but it was so, so much better than the alternative.
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Post by Daniel on Jul 6, 2009 19:54:49 GMT -5
They stayed that way for a time, Daniel not wanting to let go of Alex. Still, he would have to, and eventually eased back--but just enough to meet the other's eyes.
"I'm sorry."
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Post by Alex on Jul 6, 2009 19:56:19 GMT -5
Alex shook his head.
"No, don't. None of that was your fault. If anyone would should apologize, it is me."
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Post by Daniel on Jul 6, 2009 19:58:04 GMT -5
"What do you have to be sorry for? You're innocent of that mess--"
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