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Post by Prince Amy O'Connor on Feb 26, 2016 3:48:06 GMT
A knock came on the door of the Ravnos Safe House, just outside of the City limits. The Kindred within had about an hour from the time the sun set to enjoy their early night activities, but their supply had run low. It didn't stop Bellatrix's ecstatic mood as she bounded away from her lover to answer the door. The recognition across her face at the sight of the silver haired woman was obvious, but there was no hesitance as she invited her in over the threshold. With her back turned, she didn't see the look of uncertainty that pulled the Prince's lips down into a frown. She had dressed as casually as she could manage, wearing pants instead of her usual skirts, and had let her hair fall down around her face.
As far as her husband knew, she had an errand to run. Her retainers and guards waited for her in her vehicle, parked nearly a mile down the road. There was no reason to make an already volatile situation worse.
"Juuuuuude~" Trixie cooed in a voice that sounded like tires screeching against Amy's sensitive ears. "We have a visitor!" The brunette bounded over to the fireplace, not having looked back at her once she was invited inside. She plopped down on him, still barely dressed, and lightly kissed at the side of his neck. Her affection for him was obvious, even without the mind altering drugs in her system. Of course, that might have something to do with the dried blood smeared across a few different places on her body, but she was ignorant to those repercussions. "Be nice, mmmmkay?"
Amy stood awkwardly at the door of their overly large living room, staring at the couple. Was this what it was like, these days? Was this normal for couples their age? She couldn't imagine acting so... improper with her husband, and she highly doubted that Jude Sinclair and Bellatrix Warden had gotten married. Maybe she had missed something? She blinked a few times, trying to figure out what was going on, right before her eyes.
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Post by Jude Sinclare on Feb 26, 2016 4:12:20 GMT
Jude had been comfortably lounging next to the fireplace when there came a knock on the door. He couldn't help but roll his eye, was this Kyle's younger sister showing up just as uninvited as he himself had? Shaking his head, and closing his eye he laid back down, letting Trix guide in their visitor. It wasn't long until he felt the comfort of her weight on top of him, a warm goofy smile spread across his lips and his arm's wrapped around her. "Why would you be worried about me playing nice babe?" He asked as he opened his eye.
The very image was the stuff of nightmare's, Amy Sorel was in his house. The smile that seemed to come so easily to the young Ravnos' face fell almost comically into a scowl. That was why he would have to play nice. It was Trix's place, she'd set everything up, the ghosts who lived with them never bothered any of them, even jack had always been a fun little friend to hang around. Trix had asked him, and god did he love her. "Sure babe." He said, his voice taking on a much harsher tone. This wasn't the Jude that cared with love, this was the Jude that protected with Hate.
He slowly untangled himself from the girl of his dreams. Standing wasn't an effort, and it didn't bother him at all that Amy could see the trail of bloody bite marks that led all along his torso and thighs, obviously put there by Trix. But she could see his empty eye socket, and that bothered him far more than he would like to have admitted. He reached up to the mantle, pulling off the blindfold, tying it over his ugly eye socket. Then came the rest of his cloths, which were spread out throughout the rest of the overly large living room. "Why are you here?" He asked, his voice didn't hold the normal levels aggression, and rage, but it was very obviously there, veiled only because of Trix's request.
"What are you doing in our home?" He asked as he turned to face her, his one green eye meeting her's for the first time in over a year. Rage burned behind his green eye, a rage that had been fanned and fueled by the many things he'd heard over the past year. Jude hated Amy, he hated her because of what she'd done and who she'd done it to. Not only to Jude himself, but his best friend. Octavian, the Golden Boy, the nicest person he'd ever known. The Golden boy who'd invite him to Christmas and Thanksgiving had been turned into a blood sucking, soul stealing monster, and it was Amy's fault. Amy Sorel. The Prince of the City, the woman who had taken a light so bright out of not only the Kine world. But Tyler's and Lucy's as well. The two people who he really considered his parents. Just like Octavian had been his brother, or was.
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Post by Prince Amy O'Connor on Feb 26, 2016 4:22:01 GMT
Trixie was sure to give him another soft kiss as he untangled himself from her, letting him get up without another word. She rolled over into the place he had been only a moment before, stretching languidly and exposing just how little she was wearing underneath her lover's shirt. She knew that if she tried to say anything else, she would only make it worse, so she rested there on her side and propped her head up with one arm, turning to look at the woman she had invited inside.
The Prince was standing stiffly, looking away from Jude as he dressed himself. She felt as if she should cover her eyes or offer them privacy to finish their... whatever this was. Luckily, training made it far too easy to wipe the look of derision off her face, allowing it to fall into a neutral mask. Clearing her throat softly, she tried to keep herself under control. Bellatrix had been nothing but kind to her as she offered her sanctuary within her home, even if Jude had returned it with a sense of disrespect.
"We haven't spoken in nearly a year, Mister Sinclaire. I felt some things were... left unsaid, and perhaps I should... offer my apologies." It was the best she could do, given the circumstances. She was incredibly uncomfortable, standing in the doorway as she was. It would take her some time to figure out what was going on with these freedom-loving, drug-addled, hippies..... Now, now, Amy. Her fingers gave a little twitch, but otherwise, she seemed perfectly in control. "I wronged you, personally, and... you were.... right. About Octavian."
Look at her! She even called her husband by name!
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Post by Jude Sinclare on Feb 26, 2016 4:56:15 GMT
Jude looked at the Frost Queen for a long few moments, his stillness not unlike hers. He looked her over carefully as she spoke, listening to every word she'd spoken. He wanted to kill her, pain the Inn red with her blood, but even he knew that it would just end in his death. Instead he waited, let her finish speaking. Apologizing much to his surprise, and actually using Golden Boy's real name. Jude kept his good eye locked on her for a few more seconds after she finished speaking and nodded once. He could feel his rage and anger eating at him, tearing away the barriers between Kindred and Beast.
"Not here." he said, his words though spoken softly were filled with his rage. "You mind babe?" He asked Trix, just before leaning down to give her a long, passionate kiss. "I'll be back babe, don't let the idiot out. He'll probably piss more people off than is good for any of us." He smiled at her, just inches away from her and back to the Prince. His smile melting away, once again into a scowl. "You wanna do this? We'll do it at the beach." He started for the door, grabbing his running shoes as he stopped at the door. "I'll meet you outside." He said and walked out the door.
He walked barefoot over to his Ducati, pulling the protective tarp he'd laid over it the night before. It gleamed in the sparse moonlight, all red and black. It was designed for speed. Jude would slip both his shoes on, tying them both up in as he waited for the Ventrue Prince to make her decision. He wouldn't expose Trix to that, not in his own home. Not if he had a choice.
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Post by Prince Amy O'Connor on Feb 26, 2016 5:07:36 GMT
When Jude spoke, she offered him a firm, single nod. If he did not want to bring the negativity into his home, she could respect that. She knew that feeling far too well; out of necessity, she had claimed her home as an Elysium, somewhere anybody could retreat to for safety. She knew the fights that could, and most likely would, be started in an effort to get the attention of the frosty Prince. She swallowed, beginning to relax until he moved to his lover. The two shared a far too passionate kiss, once again making her stomach drop. Without meaning to, she turned away from them, glancing back towards the front door.
Every time he called her "babe," her confusion grew. What was going on in this Ravnos's mind? Did he really love the nervous, strung out little Kindred as much as he seemed to? Their passion burned hot, but how long would it last? She almost missed when he began to speak to her again, but that hatred in his voice grabbed at her attention again. She looked up at him with icy eyes, offering another nod. The moment he slipped past her, she turned to offer a respectful farewell to Bellatrix. She raised a hand and gave a wave.
Amy turned to leave the Safe House, breathing slowly to calm herself. As she stepped outside, she made sure to close the door behind her before turning back to face her husband's dearest friend... and that metal monstrosity he was standing beside. Fear gripped her, so obvious that it crossed her sharp features, softening her face. She was quivering, unable to approach any closer. "D-do... Um... I have a... car we can take?" she murmured, fists clenching as she fought for control.
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Post by Jude Sinclare on Feb 26, 2016 5:15:21 GMT
Jude stared at her for a minute. "You know how hard it is to get a car here. Just hop on, I promise nothing's gonna happen to you." He offered, his voice still held that keen edge of rage. But even he recognized the fear for what it was. She was afraid of motorcycles. If she were really afraid of them, it would be an interesting trip down the mountain to say the least. He shook his head a couple times and moved to what would amount to the Inn's storage shed. He'd be in there for a few minutes, searching around. After a loud band, some rather creative swearing, and another bang, he walked out carrying a very modern helmet. "This'll help." He would toss it to her then, whether or not she decided to catch it and use it was entirely up to her.
Walking back over to his bike, he threw his leg over it, and kicked the ignition. The bike roared to life with a much quieter sound that she might have expected. It wasn't an American bike, it wasn't like a Harley, made to make noise. His Ducati was a purring speed and handling machine. With a glance toward her, a helmet would seem to appear on his head and he'd drive the bike over toward her, stopping just a foot or so from where she stood. "Whenever you're ready." He said.
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Post by Prince Amy O'Connor on Feb 26, 2016 5:21:47 GMT
She didn't watch him as he walked away; the entirety of her attention remained focused on the motorcycle that sat there like a nightmare, mocking her. The powerful Amy O'Connor, reduced to a quivering mess by some piece of modern transportation. She wished, in that moment, that it didn't scare her. She wished that she could just turn and run away, back to the silent and comfortable car waiting for her just down the road. She would get in and never think about this awful mistake again... but everything she had already done would be for naught. She was here for her City, and more importantly, for her husband.
She scrambled to catch the helmet as it was tossed to her, staring at it for a long moment. Then, remembering how Octavian had put hers on that first time, she managed to somehow get it onto her head and buckled under her chin. Unsurprisingly, it didn't do much to make her feel better. The sound of the bike starting made her jump, startled, but her willpower was stronger than her phobia.
Slowly, very slowly, Amy manaed to walk forward towards the bike. Shaking worse than before, she had to take a moment to brace herself before she tossed one leg over the monster. She knew she would need to hold onto Jude and while it felt more than mildly inappropriate, her husband's face appeared in her mind. Octavian... She would do whatever it took to protect him. Inhaling through her nose, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him. Her familiar cold would set in through his skin, but it wasn't nearly as intolerable as it should have been. She was actively attempting to control her curse, which was only making her feel worse.
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Post by Jude Sinclare on Feb 26, 2016 5:52:46 GMT
Jude felt arms, very unwelcome arms wrap around his torso, and then the chill of her chest against his back. Just as she'd settled into place behind him he gunned the throttle, gravel whipping out behind them as he tore down the drive and onto the road. He wanted to get this done and over with as soon as possible. They hurled down the mountain, faster and faster. The speedometer tapping itself out at well over one hundred and twenty miles an hour. Each turn, each twist brought their knees within a hairs breadth of the unforgiving asphault. It didn't take them long, maybe five minutes before they reached the beach, Jude pulling up and kicking out the stand atop one of the many flat rocks that littered the beach.
"We're here." He said over his shoulder as his helmet vanished, his blond hair, messed from the wind.
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Post by Prince Amy O'Connor on Feb 26, 2016 6:12:33 GMT
Her fear made her feel physically ill, more so than she had since her Embrace. She was fighting back tears the entire way, and every turn made her instinctively cling to the man she had wronged so deeply. She didn't look like the Frost Queen, the cold Prince, the bitch that had demanded he kneel. She looked like a scared little girl, barely eighteen.
And as they arrived, she threw herself off the bike and to the ground, crumbling immediately. With Octavian, he had caught her. She didn't expect that of Jude. Breath shuddering as she crawled away and curled up in a little ball, ripping the helmet off her head and throwing it aside as if it were a snake. She sobbed softly, curling tighter.
The fear was obvious upon her face. In that moment, aside from the bloody tears, she looked far more human than she ever had. It was easy to remember that inside, she was still just a kid.
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Post by Jude Sinclare on Feb 26, 2016 10:55:49 GMT
Jude turned to her as she threw herself off his Ducati in tears. The hard look of hatred he had fled from most of his face. His eye still smouldered with it, but he looked more concerned than angry. Thoughts of some of the girls he had defended from abusive boyfriends and fathers came swimming to his mind and he shook his head a bit. 'You're a fucking idiot Jude.' He admonished himself as he climbed off his bike, lifting the frigid Prince up and into his arms.
He carried her easily enough, it would have been easy when he was a human, now it was almost effortless. He carried her quietly down the beach and began to hum quietly. If she was aware enough to hear it, she might recognize it as the same little lullaby Octavian would occasionally hum to her. It wasn't just Octavian's tune.
Jude had been part of Octavian's family for almost as long as he could remember. Spending more of his time both sleeping and awake with the family that had basically adopted him than his own flesh and blood. Some nights, when both the inseparable boys had had a bad day, Lucy would come in with a pair of glasses, each filled to the brim with milk and hum for them, until they had both finished their drinks and fallen to sleep.
A little red tear rolled down the furious Ravnos' cheek as he remembered those nights. Offering Amy, the Prince of Frost that same warm comfort Lucy had always offered him. "You're alright Mrs. O." He said softly when he finally set her down on one of the barren stones so close to the water. If the lullaby didn't help, perhaps the sound of the eternal sea, and the cresting waves would.
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Post by Prince Amy O'Connor on Feb 26, 2016 11:07:03 GMT
When he first lifted her into his arms, she flinched away from him, expecting to get hit. Fear had a funny way of reverting people, and it was easy to remember how Christian would rage whenever she showed weakness. His hatred and disgust always found a way to turn physical, and when he would punish her, he would attack her. Why should she expect Jude, who made it clear he despised her, to be any different? She gave a soft whimper, curling in on herself. Monster. She was a monster. And she couldn't even manage to do THAT correctly.
Then, she heard it. That tune... that little lullaby that woke her from nightmares and calmed her from panic. When the stress of the night became too much, she would hear that little tune. Octavian. It wasn't his voice, but that was his song. Still shaking, her arms rose to wrap around Jude's neck, holding herself to him. She needed the comfort, but even silently asking for it as she did - raising her arms slowly, moving them to loop around him, and waiting a second before allowing them to rest against him - was wrong. She knew that. Her father had taught her that. She flinched again.
By the time he got her to the rocks, however, awareness had started to bleed back into her mind. He set her down and she still pulled her legs up against her chest, wrapping herself up in a small ball, but the shaking had stopped. Mrs. O, he had called her. He recognized her as his best friend's wife. The tears continued to stain her pale skin red, the make-up she wore smeared around her eyes.
She turned her gaze outward, towards the ocean, and breathed slowly. It was shocking how deep her phobia ran, but more than that, she was surprised Jude had bothered to comfort her at all. She expected him to abandon her or to berate her for her weakness. She offered him a nod, letting him know she heard him, before she refocused on the sounds and sights of the waves gently lapping the sand. It took her some time to gather herself enough to speak, and when she did, it was a cracked whisper: a far cry from her usual, powerful, undeniable command.
"I'm s-sorry."
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Post by Jude Sinclare on Feb 26, 2016 11:52:36 GMT
Jude sat with her for a long time after she apologized. He'd never expected it, never once thought anything more than hatred would ever exist between the two of them, but maybe he'd been wrong. The Frost Queen sat curled up on the same exact rock that he was sprawled out on. She cried, she feared, she really did feel something more than apathetic rage.
His first instinct was to lash out at her, her everything he thought of her. But that wouldn't do him any good, instead he just sighed. How many nights had he held Trix in his arms after she had passed out and fantasized about hurting Amy, stabbing Amy, killing Amy? Far to many it seemed.
"Yeah, me too." He said quietly, sadly, just loud enough to be heard over the crashing waves. He wanted to know everything that had happened to Octavian in the last year, every detail, every good time and even every bad time. He hated to admit it, especially after the incident in the Manor, but he missed his best friend.
Jude kept quiet, his one eye still dripping little red tears down his all to pale face. He didn't know why she had come exactly, but he wasn't going to interrupt what she had to say. It wasn't respect for the Prince, or even Amy herself, but what she could possibly really be for Octavian. Jude did something he rarely ever did.
He kept quiet.
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Post by Prince Amy O'Connor on Feb 26, 2016 20:10:11 GMT
For some time, the two existed in silence, the world still moving around them. She needed time to calm herself, but try as she might, she did not manage to return to the cold, inhumane exterior of a Prince. She lightly rubbed her cheek against her knee, breathing shakily. Her blank pants absorbed the blood, and while she still looked like a mess, she looked better.
Turning her face to look at Jude, her lips pursed thoughtfully. "I... I know you probably will not believe me, but... I love him. I've only ever cared for one other man romantically, and that was... a long, long time ago." She curled tighter, not able to look Jude in the eye. "I... I am willing to do anything... to keep him safe. To make him happy. And I messed up."
She whimpered softly, meshing her teeth together. "I'm the Prince. I'm supposed to know what to do. I'm not supposed to mess up like this. But Octavian... He doesn't expect me to be the Prince..." Amy smiled softly, her gaze distant as she thought about him. The affection she felt was obvious upon her face.
"He's the first... person... other than Finn and Nuko... who sees me as Amy, not as Christian Sorel's daughter. Not as the Prince or the Ice Queen. He doesn't expect me to be anything or anyone. And I repaid him with... this. With immortality and war. With bloodshed. I never should have let him get Embraced."
The pain that broke her voice reminded her that she was rambling, and she snapped her jaw shut audibly.
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Post by Jude Sinclare on Feb 27, 2016 2:57:08 GMT
Jude pulled himself up until he was sitting very similarly to the Frost Prince. His one eye closed as he pondered her words quietly. He'd never been good with the right words, or even the polite ones, and the words that passed them from his lips on another night would have probably gotten him killed.
"Did you sleep with someone else?" It was a question, not an accusation. Jude's voice was tight, obviously pained as he continued. "Because if you did you're fucked anyway." He wouldn't stop to let her answer yet. Things needed to be said first. "If you didn't and he loves you as much as I think he does you're being dumb." He reached up wiping his bloody tears away on his sleeve. "Before I say anything else, you're gonna have to promise me that you'll always love and protect him, cause I can't anymore. You took that away from me."
Be swallowed hard as the ocean distorted in his vision, huge tears rolling out of his one good eye, even his blindfold seemed to be accumulating a stain of red. "You're going to promise that you'll do whatever it takes to keep him safe, keep the fire that never burns safe, and that you will never EVER be HER." His voice cracked with more hatred than he'd ever possessed for the Frost Queen, for Amy.
"You promise or swear or whatever is is that binds you to your word, that you will take a sun bath before you let anyone else break him." Jude was uncompromising on this subject, if she decided Octavian wasn't worth her immortal life, he'd stand up and walk away from Amy forever.
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Post by Prince Amy O'Connor on Feb 27, 2016 3:06:44 GMT
Did she sleep with someone else? Vindelo had taken her virginity, but that was the day of her Embrace. Her brows furrowed as she attempted to understand his question, oblivious to the obvious connotations. She turned her icy gaze on him, but before she could answer, he went on.
She couldn't help but chuckle darkly. It was a promise she had made to herself the day she accepted his proposal, but with the impending war... She didn't know if she could keep it. The dark thoughts made her feel ill, and despite herself, she reached out to rest the tips of her gloved fingers against Jude's arm, a light attempt to comfort him.
"Eternally. As long as I am able. Yet... Mister Sinclaire, I am unable to do so without your... assistance. I give my word as his wife, a Prince, and a Ventrue. I will do all I can, but... he needs his best."
She let his words sink in for a moment before pulling her hand away, resting her cheek on her arms as she looked at him. Taking a deep breath, she continued. "There is a war. Between us and the Monsters of the East. He is determined to fight at my side. And with my curse... I may not exist through it. When the cold reaches my heart... I will turn to ice." Her deepest, darkest secret. The thing that made her the Frost Queen. She swallowed, wondering if he understood the magnitude of her admission. "I need to know you will be there for him, now and when... the time comes."
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