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Post by Graf von Krolock on Jun 28, 2010 19:45:30 GMT -5
Graf von Krolock looked into the mirror.
Of course, being a vampire, he saw absolutely nothing, but it was the feel of the thing that mattered. Besides, it was a good thing the count couldn't see himself right now. He was about to get married to the love of his undeath, his Belle.
Obviously he'd done this before, the whole marriage thing, to the love of his life. That, however, was centuries ago and frankly the count was at least as nervous as he'd been the first time around. Perhaps even worse and he looked every bit the part.
The count frantically paced the large, but strangely small-feeling room, not even remotely near properly dressed yet. He was however wearing his cape and flung it back at every turn as if he was carrying some personal grudge against the fabric.
"What am I doing?" He mumbled into thin air, shaking his head.
"She's so much younger... so smart, so beautiful, so sweet, so perfect... Belle can do so much better than a dusty old corpse like me. I love her, I long for her, I burn for her... but I am not good enough for her."
The count ran his hands through his long hair, messing it up even further, then barked a laugh.
He burned... yes, at last he burned, but he did not deserve it.
Maybe he should just call it off, just cancel the whole thing and explain to Belle that she could do so much better... she deserved better than an ancient cadaver who couldn't even get ready for his own wedding!
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Post by Herbert von Krolock on Jun 28, 2010 20:06:02 GMT -5
Herbert leaned inside, then fully stepped in, looking much more polished and properly like himself than he had in months, complete with a very faint bit of color in his understandably white cheeks.
"Vati," he sighed.
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Post by Graf von Krolock on Jun 28, 2010 20:10:02 GMT -5
Krolock stopped mid-pace and whirled around to face his son.
He couldn't stop a faint smile from forming around his lips, at least he'd done something right in his long existence, but then worry took over again.
"Herbert, my boy... good that you're here. Do something for your father, would you? Go find Belle, tell her... tell her that I can't marry her, that she should find someone younger, better... worthy."
Was it fair to ask this of his son? No, of course it wasn't, but the count was certain that he just couldn't look into the eyes of his beloved and tell her this, it would just be too much. Even if it was the truth.
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Post by Herbert von Krolock on Jun 28, 2010 20:14:40 GMT -5
"And you wonder where I get my flair for the dramatic," Herbert sighed not unhappily, coming forward to straighten his father's cloak.
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Post by Graf von Krolock on Jun 28, 2010 20:20:55 GMT -5
"Herbert, I'm not being dramatic here. Just look at me... I'm centuries old and not exactly a catch."
The count shook his head miserably.
"It's for the best. We've had a good time together, but eternity is a long time. Eventually she's going to catch on and despise me for binding her while she could've done so much more with her unlife."
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Post by Herbert von Krolock on Jun 28, 2010 20:24:55 GMT -5
"You just can't allow yourself to have a good time, can you?" he said teasingly. "Here, chin up- oh, look at the state of your hair-"
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Post by Graf von Krolock on Jun 28, 2010 20:28:32 GMT -5
"My hair isn't the problem here, son!" the count insisted, looking rather desperate.
"That poor beautiful intelligent woman is about to throw her entire existence away! For me! I don't deserve her, I'm just a miserable old walking carcass!"
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Post by Herbert von Krolock on Jun 28, 2010 20:39:47 GMT -5
"I'm rather enjoying mine again, I must admit," said Herbert, gesturing at his own hair, which was still quite a bit shorter than was the norm for him but now managed to be so in a very sleek and deliberate way, falling a bit past his face except for the shorter lock remaining from his gift to Aziraphale, which was now trimmed to fall just against his cheekbone and highlight it. "But that's not important right now. Vati, if she didn't want you she wouldn't have accepted your proposal..."
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Post by Graf von Krolock on Jun 28, 2010 20:47:13 GMT -5
"Oh, she's a woman, boy! Accepting romantic proposals is what women do, it's just instinct."
In his defense, the count wasn't exactly a man of the present time, but even then this claim was exceptionally narrow-minded and sexist. He was aware of this, but panic did strange things to him.
"She'll realize her error soon enough. Perhaps she already has and merely feels obliged to go through with the whole thing because she initially agreed!"
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Post by Herbert von Krolock on Jun 28, 2010 20:49:12 GMT -5
Herbert rolled his eyes.
"Vati..."
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Post by Graf von Krolock on Jun 28, 2010 20:52:13 GMT -5
"What?!" The count didn't mean to shout, honestly, but voice volume control was sort of beyond him at this point.
"You know me, Herbert, possibly better than anyone in the world! Why in the name of all Hell's fire would an amazing woman like Belle want to be with a miserable old man like me?"
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Post by Herbert von Krolock on Jun 28, 2010 20:55:44 GMT -5
"Because she loves you."
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Post by Graf von Krolock on Jun 28, 2010 21:01:24 GMT -5
"And I love her... I want her, I love her, I need her... but is that enough? Shouldn't I love her enough to let her go? She can do so much better. She should do better, she deserves it."
The count tried to start pacing once more, but Herbert was blocking the path.
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Post by Herbert von Krolock on Jun 28, 2010 21:10:44 GMT -5
"But if she doesn't want to go-"
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Post by Graf von Krolock on Jun 28, 2010 21:14:38 GMT -5
"Well, she hasn't exactly had a choice in the matter, has she? From the moment she said 'yes' her fate was sealed! I've been in this position many times before, as you well know, being in a somewhat different scenario. The girls either try to get away from me later on or I get terribly tired of them." Usually the latter.
The count knew this wasn't anything like inviting a girl to a ball, but the thought of Belle rejecting him later on filled his entire being with a fear you shouldn't be able to feel once technically dead.
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