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Post by Armand on Jul 27, 2008 20:59:55 GMT -5
(( Open! ))
A young man- no, not even that, a boy- stood on the roof of the Opera house, right against the edge, draped casually among the curlicues of the Opera masonry. His dark eyes flickered over the busy shapes of the mortals beneath; his face, unreadable.
He was not just watching. He was thinking. And it was a terrible place to start to try and remember, up here on the rooftop: but then again, it was the perfect place. Below the mortals bustled, warm and alive, and Armand could sit up here alone and brim with silent anger and frustration that he couldn't remember anything past Lestat tearing his coven apart, and then, somehow, Daniel.
Oh, yes. Armand blinked, his lips parting gently as he stared down at the crowds, unseeing. He remembered Daniel- he'd have never forgiven himself if he'd forgotten. But where was Daniel- where was Armand's errant and only fledgling? And why was there such a gap between the memories?
Armand's hands didn't tighten on the side of the stone. He exhaled, unnecessarily. What had happened to him?
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Lucien
- Ingenious Pilot -
Good grief.%\0\%
Posts: 198
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Post by Lucien on Jul 27, 2008 21:44:51 GMT -5
*Lucien climbed up to the roof of the opera house to get away from the coven for a while. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate their company, it was just that the dutchess was a little more mad than usual, and if Audric went on about his favorite hair care products, he was going to scream. Hence the escaping.
He sensed another presence on the roof and his gaze fell upon a boy- another unfamiliar vampire.*
"I hadn't expected to find someone else up here," *he said dryly.*
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Post by Armand on Jul 27, 2008 22:23:37 GMT -5
Armand didn't flinch. He'd felt the other's presence, unfamiliar and faint, but he'd chosen...not to leave.
Why? He didn't know. He wondered vaguely whether he should take up the mantle to protect his city and kill this stranger. The other was a vampire, no doubt about it, and Armand had never come across him before. A younger vampire, too. My. Had he no survival instinct? If it had to be anyone it'd be armand. None of the other vampires would do it; they were too young and too foolish to be so jaded.
But still. Paris had once been a city just for him. A replacement, as it were, for Venice.
Armand tilted his head at the newcomer, his brown eyes glittering softly from the lights below. "Nor had I," he replied. "Is it an unpleasant surprise?"
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Lucien
- Ingenious Pilot -
Good grief.%\0\%
Posts: 198
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Post by Lucien on Jul 27, 2008 22:49:40 GMT -5
*Lucien observed the other cooly. He wasn't young- he'd been around for a few hundred years, but he could tell that this boy, despite his appearance was by far his senior. So he approached, but warily.*
Not unless he starts going on about 'the abyss' or flailing about spouting cryptic dialogue, *he thought.*
"Not at all."
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Post by Armand on Jul 27, 2008 22:53:46 GMT -5
There was no reason for Armand to look back down at the mortals below, not when he had something more interesting in front of him.
Should he go for direct? He didn't usually.
"I am Armand," he said instead, in his soft, barely accented voice. He'd work his way around to things.
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Lucien
- Ingenious Pilot -
Good grief.%\0\%
Posts: 198
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Post by Lucien on Jul 27, 2008 23:00:03 GMT -5
"Lucien," *he said, nodding respectfully.*
*He seemed very reserved, very aloof. Lucien wasn't sure where to go from here.
Well, at least he wasn't rhapsodizing about the wonders of conditioner.*
"Do you live in Paris? I've been here for many years, and it's surprising that I haven't met you before."
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Post by Armand on Jul 27, 2008 23:07:34 GMT -5
Lucien... No last name. Not that Armand had particularly explected one.
His eyes lowered, then came back up. "Yes," he said. "I've lived here for years as well. How is it that i've never seen you before?" A moment's pause before he continued. "I was with the Theatre de Vampires." The Theatre had had quite a reputation- probably still had. Armand hadn't been there for...he didn't know how long. He couldn't remember. He'd still be welcome there, wouldn't he?
Of course he would. If he went there, they wouldn't have a choice to let him in or not. They dare not refuse him. And perhaps someone there could be persuaded to tell him what had happened.
Armand's lips parted again, his eyes heavy-lidded. First things first- if this vampre had been here for years, like he'd said....no. Lucien had to be lying. Armand could not have missed an interloper in Paris.
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Lucien
- Ingenious Pilot -
Good grief.%\0\%
Posts: 198
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Post by Lucien on Jul 27, 2008 23:19:21 GMT -5
*He frowned in thought.*
"I can't say I've heard of it," *he said, wracking his memory, but he gave up with a shrug. It wasn't familiar, but someone else in the coven might know what he was talking about. If Lucien was inclined to help him, that is.*
"Sorry."
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Post by Armand on Jul 27, 2008 23:26:29 GMT -5
Armand's eyes widened, ever so slightly. Hadn't...heard of it? That was impossible. Lucien was lying.
"That's unfortunate," Armand said. Lightly, so lightly, he brushed his mind against the other vampire's, eyes fixed firmly on Lucien's, trying to hold his gaze. Not that eye contact was necessary, but it made it a little easier. If there was anything Armand was good at, it was this, this...appearing to be something else, something enchanting, someting ethereal and vulnerable and distracting. He'd done it before; it was easy to dazzle the wits of a younger vampire. He'd done it to Lestat, the most head-strong of any Armand had ever met, until Lestat had realized what it was and broken out of it.
And it was helpful, to be able to dazzle others and slip in to their minds, easier than doing it without first dulling their consciousness to this. Armand looked a pretty young boy, ethereal, dusty, and shimmering. You can trust me. I'll help you. I'll help you with anything. Dizzying.
Now. You don't truly mean that, do you. Why are you in Paris...?
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Lucien
- Ingenious Pilot -
Good grief.%\0\%
Posts: 198
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Post by Lucien on Jul 27, 2008 23:36:35 GMT -5
*Lucien stood stock still, his eyes fixed on that angelic face. The world seemed to sway around him- or was that him losing balance himself? The voice, gentle and trustworthy entered his mind, and he felt horrible for not being able to help him.
A small part of his mind shouted to him that he was being tricked, hypnotized. That he should take out his rapier and run the fiend through- he wasn't to be trusted. Lucien ignored it.*
I've never heard of the Theatre- I only live here..."
*He took care of the horses and did all the grunt work for Ginevra and Audric and the rest of the highly irregular coven- what more did Armand want from him?*
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Post by Armand on Jul 27, 2008 23:41:02 GMT -5
Armand glided over to Lucien, put an arm around his waist. He was much shorter than Lucien, but then, he was only the fit figure of a young boy, turning soft brown eyes up at Lucien.
Truly? Do you swear? It was sad, so sad, the air Armand was projecting. Lucien couldn't help him, and it was awful that he couldn't, Armand was resigned but, in a gentle sad sort of way, disappointed in Lucien. It came off him faintly, that aura, something about the look in his eyes and the tone of his voice.
Perhaps- your coven- who are they?
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Lucien
- Ingenious Pilot -
Good grief.%\0\%
Posts: 198
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Post by Lucien on Jul 27, 2008 23:55:01 GMT -5
*Lucien so wished that he could help him- the tragic image of the boy before him was simply heartbreaking.*
Audric- if you've heard his name- is the head of it- they're a bit... odd, *he apologised mentally.*
*The small protesting part of his mind strengthened and he momentarily saw the scene for what it was. He took a step away from the auburn haired boy, disgusted at himself for being taken over so easily. He was about to shout at him, but he was under the spell again...*
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Post by Armand on Jul 27, 2008 23:58:46 GMT -5
Ahhh, well. The other vampire had taken a step away, and Armand let him go, his arms falling slowly to his sides. It was always harder to work on immortals.
Armand almost had what he wanted. He'd let the other go soon, if Lucien didn't break out of it himself first.
"How long have you been here?" he asked softly, his voice barely audible. "Audric, and the others..." And then, Odd?
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Lucien
- Ingenious Pilot -
Good grief.%\0\%
Posts: 198
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Post by Lucien on Jul 28, 2008 0:08:05 GMT -5
"I joined them in 1667," *he replied, returning more to himself.* ((Really. I did math and everything.))
*He fixed the boy with a cool, slightly befuddled look. Armand's power over his thoughts still affecting him slightly, though the illusion was quickly losing power.*
"Is this really necessary? You could have asked me without affecting my mind," *he said with some effort.*
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Post by Armand on Jul 28, 2008 0:25:26 GMT -5
(( Math? As in, math math? Wowwww. Color me impressed. ))
If Armand had been the type, he would have shrugged. He'd never have trusted Lucien's word, not about something like this, something that seemed so obviously a lie. He let the illusion drift off slowly- Lucien had already started to break through. Armand wouldn't get anything else from him, unless he asked. Moving backwards, he retreated to a safer distance, slowly going from a dizzying beauty to a wide-eyed, smooth-faced boy, with nothing special or extraordinarily beautiful about him besides the physical gifts that all vampires possessed.
"Would you have answered me honestly?" he asked. It was clear he thought the answer was going to be no.
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