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Post by Daniel on Oct 13, 2009 17:49:02 GMT -5
He really didn't know why he was still trying to salvage the situation--Daniel, at least since coming to this Paris, had been rather variable when it came to relationships. But maybe, it was because Alex was that one last link that he had to before...
Once again, he grabbed Alex's arm, pulling him to a stop.
"Wait. Where will you go?"
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Post by Alex on Oct 13, 2009 17:54:40 GMT -5
Alex jerked his arm out of Daniel's hand. "I don't know. Away from you." And with that, he was gone .
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Post by Daniel on Oct 13, 2009 17:58:04 GMT -5
"Fine. We'll see how long you last in this city, soft as you are!" He slammed the door, not sure if he was angry over the loss of control of the situation or the loss of Alex himself, or perhaps the loss of a bit of the past .
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Post by Daniel on Oct 17, 2009 23:38:07 GMT -5
**NEW NIGHT**
Now that he was back, and waiting for someone, he had the urge to clean up the mess that he'd not cared about in years. Which was ridiculous. In any case, he was unlikely to have any time to even get half of it taken care of. And what would Armand think, catching him at that?
Shaking his head at his thoughts, he flopped down on the bed, attempting to sort out his swirling thoughts--in the center of it all, a certain red-haired vampire's name.
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Post by Armand on Oct 17, 2009 23:47:47 GMT -5
It was no more than half an hour before Armand was back, the door swinging open without a touch. He entered with barely a glance at the mess, a paper bag in one hand that he dropped on the nearest surface- a table, as it turned out. Then over to Daniel, as he extended a hand with a small vial in it, and in it, the tiniest trace of ruby blood. "You know what to do with it."
Armand had had time to think further on this in the time that he was gone, but he'd thought of nothing to his satisfaction. He'd start following Daniel again- not that Armand would tell him that- and he'd hunt down Lestat and then... and then what? There had to be something. He'd turned Daniel to prevent his death, and nearly forgotten how to worry for him, but now that Daniel was mortal again it was uncomfortable how fast he'd remembered. He shouldn't...care this much. Unfortunately Daniel was like that. He brought out the best and the worst in Armand, and neither option was what Armand wanted.
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Post by Daniel on Oct 17, 2009 23:58:31 GMT -5
The door popping open like that caused him to jump--Armand was good at that, wasn't he?--but Daniel got over that and sat up to face him. He focused on the vial for a moment, reaching out to carefully take it from the vampire.
"Of course."
Deja vu deja vu.
For now, he tucked it into a pocket, but later he'd see if he could--
--wear it as a necklace. Certainly.
Around around and back again. He was starting to feel dizzy.
"Thank you." He said softly, trying to stave off the weird frame of mind he seemed to be sliding into.
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Post by Armand on Oct 18, 2009 0:12:54 GMT -5
"Yes." And anything else Daniel wanted, anything but.... that.
It occurred to him to ask what exactly he'd done that made Daniel, previously, so hysterical. Only a few nights past, and he'd heard more of the story from Alex, never suspecting he'd have the opportunity to find out soon enough. But whatever it was now that kept Daniel calm, Armand was loathe to break it. For the same reason, although thoughts of the night past where Daniel had thought he was hallucinating his Maker speaking to him... well. Armand wouldn't mention that either, unless he decided it was safer to have Daniel hate him.
But, uncomfortably, Armand was unable to so easily banish the thought of what Daniel had said to him. "I still love you." He'd dismissed it at the time for unstable rantings, but it was harder to forget when Daniel himself sat only feet away and in a quieter, more thoughtful mood.
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Post by Daniel on Oct 18, 2009 0:23:04 GMT -5
His gaze flicked over to the bag on the table, wondering, but it was soon back on the vampire again. It was that same kind of moment again--words escaping him, an odd silence that seemed to be filled with so much that wasn't being said. He slowly licked his lips, thinking, wanting to make some excuse to keep Armand here, not knowing why...or perhaps refusing to see why.
"So...I haven't...talked to you in some time."
Not counting the incident in the library, since that had all been in his head, and something he preferred not to think of considering how revealing it had been. Especially one thing in particular that he'd said--the very thing Armand was thinking of at the moment, though Daniel didn't realize that.
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Post by Armand on Oct 18, 2009 13:05:23 GMT -5
Armand gave him a rather pointed look, somewhat amused at Daniel's saying the obvious. "Yes, that's right." Daniel's words, too, just seemed to further emphasize, at least for Armand, the last time they had talked. The opium den, with Dorian Gray... Armand wanted to ask about that, but really, he didn't have to. Alex had been very informative. The holes left in his story were easy to fill in.
"Daniel. You know that I have no memory of what happened on Night Island after the illness spread." A pause, as if he was waiting for the hysterics. "More than that, it's an event that hasn't yet occurred."
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Post by Daniel on Oct 18, 2009 13:25:54 GMT -5
He glanced away, finding it hard to look at Armand when this subject was brought up. But he did not react violently as was expected. Rather, he seemed thoughtful.
"I realize that, but I couldn't forget it, even if I wanted to. But now, I...well."
He glanced back up at Armand.
"I can't say I forgive anything, but it's been so long since then...it doesn't have the same effect on me that it used to."
He was wringing his hands, a little, a nervous tic that he'd forgotten he'd had once.
"I know reality's backwards. But I know what I remember, too, and what I feel."
He'd spoken quietly, calmly the entire time, though there were flickers of emotion in his eyes as he talked. Most of it was guarded, but neutral.
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Post by Armand on Oct 18, 2009 13:46:17 GMT -5
Armand gave a little shrug of one shoulder, a rather human gesture for him. "I see." It seemed like he might have laughed soundlessly, or maybe he'd grimaced, lips drawing up over fang teeth, but whatever it was it was gone in a flash. Poor Daniel. Trapped in memories that wouldn't be real for hundreds of years. And himself, lacking them. My, weren't they something. "I didn't ask for your forgiveness, Daniel."
Armand had only stayed this long because he could tell Daniel wanted him to, he knew Daniel well enough even without the benefit of reading his mind, but suddenly, and for the first time, it occurred to Armand that Daniel could probably read him too. Then again, maybe not. Daniel had never been able to decipher Armand's particular brand of cruelty, only to anticipate it. It was a startling thought regardless. Who else knew him so well?
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Post by Daniel on Oct 18, 2009 13:56:20 GMT -5
"I know, I just...I don't know why I said it."
He was back to having nothing to say again, not that he could really keep Armand here if Armand felt like leaving. It was strange, that he'd want the other's company after having gone long feeling like he didn't really need him. Maybe it was the familiarity of the other's presence, or perhaps because he was one of the few people left Daniel knew that wasn't angry with him or avoiding him.
Maybe he was just lonely.
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Post by Armand on Oct 18, 2009 14:29:20 GMT -5
Armand didn't press the issue. "Is there anything else you need, Daniel?"
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Post by Daniel on Oct 18, 2009 14:32:23 GMT -5
He shook his head.
"No, not right now."
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Post by Armand on Oct 18, 2009 16:06:11 GMT -5
"Very well. I'll check on you again." Even that didn't seem like enough, but what else was there to say? Actual conversation was liable to only embarrass and hurt them both. Armand paused briefly at the door. "Dorian Gray still lives here, does he not?"
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