|
Post by Aurel on Jul 29, 2009 7:08:06 GMT -5
Aurel finally got back to the present, feeling he was being watched, and turned to Nicolas. "Pardon me. I was lost in thought", he said calmly.
Noticing a stain of blood on his right sleeve, he sighed, a little annoyed over the fact that he couldn't seem to dine without spilling. Where were his manners these days? "So...", he started as he still stared at the stain, trying to rub it off, "where are you staying nowadays?"
|
|
|
Post by Nicolas de Lenfent on Jul 29, 2009 16:09:03 GMT -5
Nicki shrugged, smiling, still watching him. It wasn't as though it didn't happen to him. If he was not paying attention, he could lose all track of time doing that. That Aurel had managed to bring himself back to the present in less than two hours was rather flattering, although Nicolas knew it was not meant to be.
"Why don't you get a new shirt?" asked Nicolas cordially, watching Aurel rub at the stain. That was what he did, nowadays, if he noticed that blood had gotten onto his clothes (which was certainly an improvement from his earlier behavior - the last time he'd spoken to Aurel he had been quite blood-spattered). "The Pere Lachaise cemetery."
|
|
|
Post by Aurel on Aug 6, 2009 5:56:42 GMT -5
"Hm, maybe I should..." Aurel mumbled, giving up on getting rid of the stain with a sigh. He didn't look surprised when he was told that Nicolas was staying at the cementary - he guessed it was the same one as he had stayed in before. "Are you still hagning out at that place? What happened to your 'friend'?" He said the last word with a mild sarcasm. "I thought you were staying with him?"
|
|
|
Post by Nicolas de Lenfent on Aug 7, 2009 20:46:57 GMT -5
If he hadn't met George a few nights before, and begun a very thoughtful process of - well - learning to think before he acted, Nicolas would have snapped whatever he was holding in sheer surprise, lips pulling back from his teeth in something half deliberate sneer and half unconscious grimace, and pulled Aurel towards him at the lapel to angrily respond two inches from his face, wholly unprepared for the shoving likely to ensue and not likely to care, either.
But that momentarily feeling of surprise - and the pure shock and contempt that followed it - were relatively mild. It was not contempt of its purest form, either - there was no feeling to it, being as it was solely there to lean upon as Aurel had struck a rather heavy blow at him. "Jealous, maybe?" he spat, standing, shoulders protectively taut. But this moment didn't last, and then his mouth twisted into a short, hard line, and he said, without giving thought to this, "Your Vincent Chevalier is staying with him."
And then, strangely, although he'd been resentful of this fact, of the intense feeling of betrayal it had made him feel, which had been the reason he'd not gone back to Armand nor had returned to visit Aurel, saying this aloud to Aurel made him aware of the absurdity of it, of the irony. That he had found Aurel, a complete stranger, and in the meantime Aurel's little Vincent had found Nicki's Armand and they'd come to live together in the tower, too. It was actually quite hilarious from this perspective, and - not without a little bit of mania, but not quite with the insanity Aurel may have come to expect from him - he started to laugh, leaning against the wall the fire escape rested against.
|
|
|
Post by Aurel on Aug 10, 2009 4:10:01 GMT -5
Lately, Vincent was the last person Aurel wanted to think of. It either made him angry or sad, but being sad only made him mad, so either way - he ended up being angry. He had done well for some time now, and had decided to try to leave him be. If he'd happen to see him again, he'd surely kill him for betraying him, but at least he wouldn't search for him no more.
Hearing the name Vincent coming from Nicolas was shocking alone, but to hear that he was staying with Armand was even more shocking. Hearing his name started something inside of him. It was as if Aurel's nice facade cracked ever so lightly, and he stared at Nicolas with wild eyes. "What?!" He grabbed Nicolas's collar and pulled him closer. "Where is he?" he roared.
It felt like his body was shaking, but he kept himself in control, took a deep breath and let go of his hold of Nicolas. He still stared at him with his wild green eyes, looking rather insane - or desperate? - while he spoke. "Take me to him", he demanded.
|
|
|
Post by Adrien Baillon on Aug 10, 2009 19:08:03 GMT -5
**AS NICOLAS**
Nicolas stared at Aurel with wide eyes.
"No," he said, although not defiantly. His tone of voice was incredulous, as though he was absolutely certain he'd misheard Aurel. Aurel could not be telling him to take him to Armand's tower. And why not? Because Aurel and Armand did not exist in the same compartments of Nicki's brain, and such a thing could not be requested because it would not compute. Nicolas would not do it. He couldn't.
Whether that was a good thing to do, to say no to Aurel, or not, Nicolas would never know. He was incapable of that, too. And in any case.... Nicolas would never question a decision to talk back to or to disobey Aurel. That would never have occurred to him.
He wouldn't even fully obey Armand, and that was saying something. But if he remembered to, he obeyed himself, and he had made it fairly clear to himself that he would not - not - be going back to the tower anytime soon.
|
|
|
Post by Aurel on Aug 11, 2009 4:30:51 GMT -5
Aurel hissed. That annoying little scumbag! He felt like tearing Nicolas apart, but knew it would not do him any good. He may need him sooner or later anyway. He turned from Nicolas and breathed heavily as he tried to cool his temper. However, somehow Aurel wasn't surprised Nicolas had refused his demand. It made sense to him, in a way he couldn't fully understand himself.
Vincent... what was he doing over there? Why was he with Armand? And if he had been back to Paris for a while, how come he hadn't tried to contact Aurel? But he probably knew what was going to happen to him if he did contact him.
Aurel turned to Nicolas again, and stared at him coldly. "Fine then." He stood silent for a short while. Then he spoke again. "Is Vincent the reason you're not staying there anymore? Are you jealous of him?"
|
|
|
Post by Nicolas de Lenfent on Aug 14, 2009 15:01:28 GMT -5
Listening to Aurel breathe was almost intriguing. It was not like listening to a mortal breathe; the voice was clearer, no matter how ragged anger made the edge of it. Nicolas was momentarily distracted, as he often was, by the beauty and terror of their kind, and the intensity of Aurel's emotions. He had never met a vampire other than himself who had lost his temper. He had the feeling that Aurel would never grow so tired of his violin-playing that he carefully cut his hands off and imprisoned him. He thought perhaps Aurel would simply smash the instrument and perhaps Nicki's throat afterwards.
This was actually a comforting, pleasing thought.
His mouth twisted at Aurel's question, as Aurel probably intended for it to upset him, but the George Boleyn matter had put some distance between him and it. A sense of supreme bitterness and pain came over him.
"Of course," he very nearly spat, never one to hide how he felt. "Oh, that bastard, the whole time he was asking me to come stay with him in the bloody tower and he had him there the whole while, making me think it was..." His voice broke off abruptly. "He should have known I wouldn't stay," he said angrily, looking away from Aurel as though ashamed of something. "He should have known I wouldn't go near the tower again..."
|
|
|
Post by Aurel on Aug 15, 2009 4:53:13 GMT -5
"Of course he must've known that..." Aurel said with a quiet calm voice. He walked over to Nicolas and gently stroke his hand over his curly tousled hair. "It seems that your Armand is somewhat of a..." He didn't finish his sentence, realising that it might not be the right thing to say to Nicolas. Aurel was sure Nicolas knew what kind of a personality Armand had, he probably knew it better than most of the vampires who knew of him; but still Aurel felt like it would hurt Nicolas if he, who didn't know him at all, insulted him.
But why is Vincent with Armand? How did he get to know him? he thought.
Aurel couldn't deny it. He wanted to see him. One part of him was worried, the part that still felt like he needed to protect and teach him. Yet, the other part of him was still upset for his betrayal and wanted to destroy him for it. He sighed, speaking his thoughts out loud "Vincent, you idiot..." For a short moment he actually looked sad.
|
|
|
Post by Nicolas de Lenfent on Aug 15, 2009 15:44:39 GMT -5
Aurel guessed properly. Anyone other than himself - or someone, perhaps, who knew Armand as well as Nicolas did or better - sneering at him would earn a very hypocritical coldness from Nicki and a few choice words, followed by, likely, a curt end to the conversation. Although he knew well what Armand was, it did not quite dent his simple obsessive love of the vampire, and it stung to be told the truth about him. He was, nonetheless, very softly surprised and mollified by Aurel's attempt at comforting him. He gently tilted his head against Aurel's hand.
It was still so very funny, very ironic, to consider that he had stumbled upon Aurel under such strange circumstances only for Vincent to meet Armand. It occurred to him for the first time that he did not know how they had met, and that the idea of any fledgling of Aurel's - Aurel being already notorious to Nicki for his volatility and temper - getting on with Armand was hard to understand.
"If it's any consolation," said Nicki softly with a wry smile, "Armand and that tower is a fate I wouldn't wish on anyone."
|
|
|
Post by Aurel on Aug 16, 2009 12:36:32 GMT -5
Aurel hadn't thought of it until now, but it really was ironic. Of all the vampires, he met Armand and stays with him. Meantime, Aurel spends time with Nicolas... Yes, ironic indeed.
Aurel smiled back. "Thank you." But he just got worried instead, wondering what could be so terrible? Sure, if a young vampire like Vincent messed with someone much older, he would be defeated easily. But then again, Vincent was used to Aurel. He was a tough kid.
"Do you think Armand will... Is it dangerous for Vincent to be there?"
|
|
|
Post by Nicolas de Lenfent on Aug 16, 2009 15:30:18 GMT -5
Nicolas shrugged. "Not unless he's sentimental," he said. "No one gets to Armand."
But wait, this wasn't entirely true, was it? He knew Armand was very pitiless with their kind, or had been, and yet he did not think Vincent was in any danger with him. He did not seem like he'd pose a threat. Surely Armand was over his bitterness at the destruction of the coven by now.
"Or mad," he remarked after a thoughtful pause. "He didn't seem mad. Armand cut my hands off once to make me stop playing..." His hand hovered unconsciously over the violin as though protectively. "But he gave them back, you see. No, I think Vincent is fine. He might leave him. Unless he falls in love with him." He sneered at this thought, but it looked more like a grimace. Nicolas did not like Armand, but he had already fallen in love with him, hadn't he, had been in love with Armand ever since Armand had first bitten him, with vicious indifference, in the catacombs.
|
|
|
Post by Aurel on Aug 19, 2009 14:28:01 GMT -5
Aurel felt a little more relieved. Vincent wasn't in any danger, for now at least. He knew Vincent could get a little cocky sometimes, or emotional, but he hoped he would have better manners with a stranger. But then again... Vincent had changed. Aurel wasn't sure of anything anymore.
He touched Nicolas's right hand. How horrible to cut someone's hands off. Even Aurel himself wouldn't have done that back in the good old days. If he had trouble with anyone, he'd just kill the lad. He wished silently that Vincent would behave himself, not making Armand wanting to do something like that to him - or worse.
Aurel gave out a bitter laugh when Nicolas spoke of Vincent falling in love with Armand. That would never happen. Armand might be handsome, pretty, or whatever, but Vincent would always love Lune. Of that, at least, Aurel was certain. "Impossible", he began, "Vincent loves someone else. He'll not fall in love with Armand."
|
|
|
Post by Nicolas de Lenfent on Aug 19, 2009 19:02:56 GMT -5
"Then your Vincent is perfectly safe," said Nicolas softly, gazing off into the distance as though looking into anther century. He clenched his hand abruptly, like a reflexive jerk, and then loosened it with a sigh, looking down, and then, after a moment, up to Aurel with a smile. Hesitantly, he lifted his hand as though going to touch Aurel's hair, but didn't quite reach out for him. "Don't worry for him."
|
|
|
Post by Aurel on Aug 22, 2009 5:01:34 GMT -5
Aurel smiled back coldly, noticing Nicolas's hand, but remained perfectly still. "Thank you. I will try not to."
He said nothing, just watched Nicolas, so still he almost looked like a statue. Finally he spoke: "So what will you do now? Are you really never going to see Armand as long as Vincent is there?"
|
|