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Post by Eto on Jun 9, 2016 4:50:49 GMT
How many years had it been? Close to a century and all he knew was that Alue remained in the United States heading a street gang. He'd failed his first, now he had a second chance. But how could he keep himself from failing again? The thought had haunted him since he'd found out. Lingering and festering in the back of his mind. He and Don could only come up with one solution.
The night was brisk as he sat against the curved tiles of the manor roof. He knew it was a bad idea to see Amy inside her home, especially considering how much power he was radiating. He could see the effect the heat was having on the tiles themselves. He could only imagine what it would be like for the oddly titled prince. He'd left a message with her retainer to meet him there. It was one of the only places he could think of that he wouldn't be a danger to Amy or her Masquerade.
What would she say? What would she do? Grant him both of his requests or deny him outright? Amy had been hard to grasp for as long as he'd known her. What was she going to do, going to say?
Eto sighed, his archaic cloak billowing behind him. It was going to be an interesting evening to say the least. Best case everything goes over fine and dandy, worst case, he loses a home and his life. He sighed again bowing his head, ruby eyes shining bright behind his sunglasses.
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Post by Prince Amy O'Connor on Jun 9, 2016 5:03:18 GMT
For once, the Prince had abandoned the idea of her usual high-heeled shoes, figuring they would make her trip across the roof more difficult than it had to be. However, she couldn't seem to rid herself of the ruffles and fabric. Wearing her usual Victorian garb, Amy allowed her dear retainer, Alec, to escort her up the rickety wooden ladder, where he opened the door to the roof. He handed her a button that she could keep in one hand, just in case something went wrong and she needed him.
Her balance was uncanny, especially by human standards, but she hadn't ever tried to walk along the roof of a three story building. She raised her arms from her sides, much like she had when she had first learned to walk like a proper lady. She could see where Eto was sitting, but it was still a walk.
Wincing, she did not bother to risk looking over the edge, remaining focused on the flowing red hair that she could see. She did not fall, did not trip nor stumble, but she could feel the anxiety tensing her muscles with every step. Logically, she understood that falling, even from this height, would not bother her. She would probably float to the ground and land on her feet, but she could still see the image of a broken neck, of a sunbath just waiting for her.
Shuddering, she finally made it to his side, where she fell, significantly less graceful than normal, to the roof beside him. "You... asked to see me," she murmured breathlessly, using her bare feet to stumble a few feet back, further away from the edge. Her corset made it difficult for her to bend but she seemed comfortable, at least. It also helped that the boning kept her from being able to lean over and stare at the ground, so far beneath her. "What can I... assist you with, Mister Vadia?"
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Post by Eto on Jun 9, 2016 6:30:47 GMT
He turned his head toward the Prince as she walked over to him, her balance as always was impeccable, but the tightrope walk brow one brow arching up curiously. He remained where he was a still, not rising to meet her. He sat there for a long moment pondering his words, as he had been since he'd risen that evening. "Don and I figured everything out." He started quietly, his voice thick with it's Italian accent. His head bowed a bit, as he looked toward the ground. His nerves were on fire, every bit of his next statement could be an absolutely wonderful thing, or a very very dangerous thing. It all depended on the coldly logical oddly titled Prince. "I need your help, Don and I need your help. Yours and Octavian's." His eyes never once trailed to meet Amy's, his mind far away on the child that still lingered in the back of his mind.
"I'm many things Amy O'Connor, but I'm not a liar." Still he had not moved from his position, while he wasn't doubting the decision, he wasn't exactly sure how to broach the topic with the oddly titled prince. After a long few moments of delegation, he decided upon a more direct approach. "I said what I said in the garden a few weeks ago and I meant it... Don and I are having three... Children is the correct term, though I don't know what exactly they are..." He didn't have much to add to say without listening to her respond first, and he wasn't even entirely certain he wanted to listen to that, but he was asking for help and this seemed like the best way to do so.
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Post by Prince Amy O'Connor on Jun 9, 2016 23:59:40 GMT
She had yet to hear back from her Fallen friend, but she couldn't say that she was surprised the two had worked everything out. She had attempted to visit the two just before the sun rose, but the heat had chased her away. She had forced a retainer to go and check, but they were forced to wait until the metal of the door had cooled to a reasonable level. When, at last, they were able to slip into the room, they found it empty. The moment Amy was awake, they reported it to her.
Allowing him to finish whatever he had to say was easy. A soft smile pulled at her lips, but she said nothing, offering him only a single nod of recognition when he admitted to needing help. That was more than she had expected, even when Don had told her the secret she was trying so hard to keep.
Amy knew both the Fallen and her Assamite lover as brash, often brutish people of independence. She knew that they both tended to favor their own selfish desires. How they planned to handle one children, much less three, was something she couldn't comprehend. In the days of her humanity, she wouldn't have been forced to think those thoughts: women were supposed to be mothers, and that was all there was to that. Times had changed.
"How are you handling the news?" she asked softly, not bothering to touch him. Since she began to spend time with Octavian, she had learned other methods in regards to comforting people, but she assumed the fiery Etonis Vadia might not appreciate the contact overly much. "Surely, you must be excited. Three children..." If her heart beat, it would have jumped into her throat. She wanted nothing more than children, herself, but that was a secret she kept close to her heart. "It's a miracle."
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Post by Eto on Jun 10, 2016 4:28:11 GMT
Eto let out a soft chuckle, though the smile that graced his lips was small and soft, it was a genuine one. He'd managed to get his emotions under control and that had been a an uphill battle. How easy would it have been just to storm in and ask? A lot easier, but he wanted things to be right, for her to say yes or no for the right reasons. "Haha, a Miracle yes Amy." He smiled a bit bowing his head. "But one that neither Don, nor I are particularly of handling... Not by ourselves." Amy was a stoic woman, a strong and independent woman who wouldn't back down in the face of insurmountable odds. That wasn't something he'd have ever expected a self appointed despot to be capable of selflessly. Yet here she was, the oddly titled Prince, a true ruler.
With a sigh Eto laid back on the tile roof, resting his hands behind his head. "Do you remember what I told you in your garden, the last time we spoke? I told you that you would be a good mother..." Eto paused, staring up at the sky. "Neither of us, Don nor I are particularly good parenting material." A look of obvious pain crossed his youthful alabaster features. "I know I'm not." Eto pursed his lips struggling to finish his statement. He'd faced down death with more confidence. "If it's not too much trouble on your part. I'd like to prove what I said in the garden was true. I'd like you and Octavian to be the god parents of our eldest child, and raise them as your own." It took everything he had to make that statement. To actually finish his sentence and not let the words die in his throat.
The fiery haired vampire looked toward Amy, towards the individual whom looked and responded similarly to his eldest friend. Glowing ruby eyes searched and scanned Amy's for any signs of doubt. He wanted her to take care of his child, to make sure that they could have a real life. Not the mercenary, destructive life that they'd get if they were raised by Eto.
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Post by Prince Amy O'Connor on Jun 10, 2016 4:48:39 GMT
For a long moment, there was stunned silence on the rooftop. She had prepared a speech to show that she supported Etonis and Don both, that they could successfully raise their children together. The moment the Fallen told her the big secret, she had come up with an elaborate tale of success. She wanted them to know that they had her full support, that she would do whatever was needed in order to help them be the best parents they could be. Yet, she had never imagined they would ask that.
Amy continued to blink in total silence, trying to contemplate that. The moment her father sunk his fangs into her neck, she accepted that she would never be able to mother a child. Still, throughout the years, she hadn't been able to successfully give up that dream. She felt her frozen heart begin to thaw in her chest as tears brimmed her ice blue eyes.
She stared at Eto before, finally, reaching out. Her gloved fingers rested lightly on his arm. She had to feel his heat burning just beneath her, to know that he was real. Despite everything, she felt certain that this was a dream. She could remember waking up next to her husband, talking to her retainer, and ordering the sink to be replaced, as it often did. It didn't matter. He was asking her to live her dream... Obviously, her memories were false.
"Et--.... Mister Vadia..." Her voice was a mere whisper, the facade of the Ice Queen melting before his eyes as red tears began to stain her cheeks. She hesitated a moment longer before trying to retract her touch, swallowing the emotion that swore to drown her. "Are... are you both sure? This..." Was this all some sort of cruel joke? Was he testing her? She hoped that the Assamite was nothing like her father, but she had spent years with Christian Sorel, and his abuse was difficult to forget.
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Post by Eto on Jun 10, 2016 7:20:47 GMT
Eto watched the change come over Amy and his shoulder's relaxed by magnitudes. He'd made the right call, it looked exactly like something the oddly titled Prince had wanted to do for her entire existence. He shook his head a bit, his smile still the same. "Eto's fine Amy, especially if you're going to be taking care of my child." He sighed, it was a weight off his mind, but it wasn't everything. He couldn't, wouldn't expect her to take care of more than one child. It would be cruel and unfair. "We want you to take care of our firstborn." He studied the almost disbelief on her face for a moment. "There's one other thing though..." Eto's head turned back to the sky, ruby eyes watching the moon with far to much interest.
"We're having three... We can only handle one..." Eto's voice sounded tired, exhausted, as if this had been the topic of conversation for a long time. "We need someone to take care of our second child... And... We don't know who." He looked toward the Prince once more. "We're not trying to get rid of our children mind you... I just..." Pain cracked in his voice as he shook his head falling silent for a long while. Eto had never fidgeted, the closest thing to it was his hands, falling to the hilts of his scimitar, which hadn't decorated his hips since he'd left for the roof.
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Post by Prince Amy O'Connor on Jun 10, 2016 16:03:26 GMT
"Hush, now," Amy murmured in a voice often reserved for Octavian during his weakest moments. The affection, the kindness, was something that she simply was not known for, but it was genuine as she leaned over him, brushing her fingers along his arm. This time, however, there was no need, she was simply trying to comfort a man that had offered her a gift she could never have asked for. "We can figure this out."
Three children... She had no doubts that they would struggle to raise a single child, and it was responsible for them to look for somebody to take care of the other two. Don, a first time mother, had absolutely no experience. If she was being honest with herself, of course, Amy was in the same situation, but she was far more prepared. She had, after all, dreamed of children for years.
"I may not be the best to ask this, however. There is only one person in this City that I trust wholly, completely, and without a single doubt." She gave a slight shake of her head. "He also has a child of his own. Though, I'm not certain how you and your love feel about a madman raising one of your children." An amused half-smile touched her lips. Few people would ever consider Finn a father, but she knew the strange, unconditional love the lunatic could offer.
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Post by Eto on Jun 20, 2016 21:03:37 GMT
Eto raised a brow the moment Amy mentiones Finn. The idea that the madman was already a father baffled him, thoigh if he were going to be honest, if someone were to be defending his child, he'd prefer they be at least as fast as he was. "Finn..." He spoke the madman's name curiously. Amy's comforting tone was odd to the troubled Assamite, especially because it was Amy. "I'll have to ask Don, but you were the only one who we both agreed was qualified to be a mother."
The mercenary was quiet for a long time after that, thinking about the Malkavian and all he could be and do too and for one of his children. "I've no idea what else to do Amy. There are no places I've frequented that would be safe for a child..." It wasn't a fun thought. Every location he'd frequented for two centuries had been chasing or being chased by some war or other. Eto looked out toward the city scowling. He wasn't father material, he wasn't even companion material and he knew it.
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Post by Prince Amy O'Connor on Jun 22, 2016 17:08:22 GMT
Amy's face softened as she contemplated his words. She understood having made a name for yourself through travels, possibly more than the others of her City, and she understood not wanting that to effect those you loved. For a long while, she was one of the most feared Kindred to walk the earth, and when she fell in love with Octavian, she feared what that reputation might do to his innocence. He had a right to become whomever he wished to be, free of her influence.
"I promise you," she murmured, obviously confident in her statement. "So long as I exist, your children will know safety and security. They will know the entirety of my protection." And she meant to keep that promise, no matter what. She had a soft spot for children, especially the children of those she adored. "I may not be in control of Nagasaki for the entirety of my existence, but I will make sure that they are safe, no matter the cost."
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Post by Eto on Jun 23, 2016 18:26:20 GMT
All the Mercenary could do was nod, it had been a long time since he'd felt reasonably comfortable anywhere that wasn't his mausoleum. Why was it that he hadn't run into a city like Nagasaki before? He'd been to many of the places that were Camarilla, and not once did any of the creatures try as hard as Amy and her court had to get his attention. Was it his reputation as a mercenary that had kept them at bay, or was it that he was simply far too different for them to want anything to do with him? Was he right for seeking a home in a place where they could accept him? He put every living creature in the city in danger with his very presence, and pretty soon, once he'd settled things with the war they were fighting, he'd ask them to go to war in hell for him.
The mercenary's head bowed a bit. At least his children... No, that wasn't true either. Alue would never be safe. The Chosen, Oleto... All the others he'd protected. They were in danger as well. Everything he touched burned, everyone he came into contact with suffered... What was he going to do? "Thank you Amy..." He responded to her quietly, staring off again into the city. What was going to happen to all of them, what was he going to actually do after this war was over? Mercenaries didn't belong, they roamed. What kind of life could he expect to have in this situation? So many things he didn't know from a past he'd forged in blood and violence.
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Post by Prince Amy O'Connor on Jun 23, 2016 18:37:19 GMT
His gratitude seemed strained and uncertain as he sat there, looking like a defeated man. It confused her; he had just received buckets of good news, all simultaneously, and here he was, uncertain about what lie ahead. Her smile faded into a neutral expression of thoughtfulness as she contemplated what, exactly, could make him respond like that. Was he worried about his place in the City, about his children and their safety? Was he worried about Don?
"Eto," she murmured softly, having to actively remind herself not to call him by his last name. She reached out to attempt to rest her fingers lightly across the top of his hand, a gesture she had experienced personally many times before. She knew her chill could be uncomfortable for the fire-proof killer, but perhaps he could see through it into the kindness she actively attempted to offer him. "You have fulfilled one of my deepest wishes and given me something that immortality took from me... You offered me something I have spent hundreds of years trying to give up on."
If he looked at her, he would see that Amy was smiling again, red lining the ice of her eyes. She felt warm in a way that only Octavian had shared with her as she sat beside the strange, redheaded man. "Something is bothering you. There is something you're not certain about... Please, Eto, talk to me. Allow me to return the act of kindness you have graciously offered to me." If he would allow her to touch him, to continue to touch his hand, she'd give it a light squeeze, before repeating under her breath,
"Please."
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Post by Eto on Jun 23, 2016 19:23:47 GMT
Eto looked toward the oddly titled Prince, his ruby eyes filled with concern and sadness. "I've read your books, places that are Camarilla, cities that belong to your courts." He turned back toward the skyline, his face set in a mask of neutrality. "I've murdered vampires in those cities, not only vampires but humans, people, wolves, demons. I've killed for money and studies in all of the places of the world. Japan is one of the few places I haven't been. I've been to all of these places, sometimes for years at a time, and Nagasaki is the only city that I've ever dealt with the courts. I've left a path of carnage behind me everywhere I've gone, and my children wont ever be truly safe anywhere but here perhaps..."
"Every place I've been, I've destroyed, or left some carnage. Everything I touch burns, rots and dies. Everyone I've ever been around has suffered because of me. Now I have three children, on top of my first son..." Eto's head fell forward. "I tried to teach him, raise him and he wants nothing to do with me. After this war with the Eastern Monsters, you've agreed to help me fight in hell, to go to war for Thorn. And who's to say that the people of Nagasaki wont want to chase me out then? Everywhere I go, everything I do burns eventually." The vampire sighed and shook his head. "Yet your courts don't hunt me. I lived in France for more than a century, and those vampires have never come to me. What damage have I already done? Why hae they not sought me out as you have?" He asked turning toward her with sad ruby eyes. "What am I bringing my children into, after failing so miserably with the first?" He asked her completely unsure of what to do or how to proceed.
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Post by Prince Amy O'Connor on Jun 23, 2016 20:38:41 GMT
Amy kept her fingers placed ever so delicately across his own, her eyes never leaving his face as he spoke. She understood the fear he felt, intimately; more often than not whenever she thought about Octavian, and with the possibility of a child on the way, she knew she needed to face her own turbulent history. They were both killers, travelers, and monsters. They both risked harming those they loved.
"What you have now, Eto," she said softly, her face reflecting his sadness, "is a second chance. Your child... I will raise your child as my own, if you let me. I will train them to defend themselves and introduce them to love. Another child, you will find a proper home for, where they can grow in similar circumstances, I'm sure. The third, the one you will raise? You have a chance to correct whatever mistakes you might have made with your first."
She gave his hand yet another squeeze, her gaze falling down to the contrast of her black silken gloves against his pale skin. A smile began to touch her lips, though the sadness remained. "A parents greatest pleasure... is their child outdoing them. You have a chance to share in that pride, that pleasure. You can teach your child to learn from your mistakes, to have the life you never could. You have the chance to leave behind a prodigy of immeasurable proportions. I believe you and Don will be excellent parents... I believe your children will succeed where you feel you have failed.
"That is your responsibility, and their father, Eto. And I believe you will succeed."
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Post by Eto on Jun 23, 2016 20:48:54 GMT
Etoo couldn't help but chuckle at her high minded latitudes. To succeed where he had originally failed? Alue was a success, in every sense of the word. He was cunning, ruthless, and leading a gang of his own in the states without any help from good ol' dad. Alue was also power hungry, and sadistic, merciless and charming enough to make it seem like he was the most pleasant of hosts. "The first child is yours Amy. The moment those first two children leave Don and I, they become their parent's. The first WILL be your child. The second, possibly Finn's, the third will be mine and Don's." Eto looked past the city toward the past. Toward what he'd done, searching for a better option to take, and as he had so many nights in the past, come up lacking.
"Don is a good person, even if I were to die tonight, she would take care of them, keep them safe. I don't care about my success as a parent... Just the success of my children for themselves. Should they despise me and be happy? So be it, I'll gladly be the demon they hunt." Eto sighed looking down at Amy's hand. "Money, two scimitars, and a handgun, are all I have to offer my children. Material goods and training, I have no fatherly wisdom, I have no company that they can take over and grow. I have nothing to offer them." He turned back away from Amy. "But you have a family to offer them Amy O'Connor, you're loving, caring, and more than a little over protective of Octavian." He chuckled a bit. "I can only imagine what would happen if someone like me came along and spoke to you as I did of Octavian." Eto chuckled darkly. There was no harshness in his tone, but a morbid sense of humor, and comfort in Amy's protectiveness.
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