#* verse 02 .

[stdulac]

"Do you even like jazz, or was that for my benefit?"

that caused louis to chuckle.

smoke rose from smiling lips, joining the grey cloud looming over the small parisian café's patrons' heads. a jazz band of five people managed to cramp itself onto the tiny stage on the far off left corner. louis liked the sound --- it felt familiar and yet completely new. the war had tired the bones of europe but the music was its' soul; there was still joy there, under the pianist's fingertips. though perhaps armand had begun to doubt the intentions of louis' invitation to see a live jazz band when the american sat right next to him and rested an arm over the back of his seat.

and, yes, perhaps he was sitting closer to the maître than he needed to and, yes, perhaps he had held armand's stare for a second too long a couple of times already ... but he did not want the other man to think him a charlatan. "hey, i enjoy your company but i'm not 'bout to play pretend just to appease you." louis said with an arched eyebrow while eyeing armand up and down, feigning outrage.

green eyes reluctantly pulled away from the man sitting beside him, focusing instead on the musicians on stage and their shiny sweat covered foreheads. "i love jazz." louis declared with a fond smile which slowly faded as the pianist tilted his head back to reveal long locks of pretty blond hair that had not been there before. louis swallowed dryly. "...always have." all joy had been drained out of him.

[stdulac]

❛ soon i will no longer be a shadow to you. ❜

his home had been left on the other side of the ocean. louis had never travelled this far. the winters in romania were nothing like the ones he had lived through back in america. the blood which stained his and claudia's mouth nowadays was bad; riddled with a pain and misery so great it made his own seem puny in comparison. the sweet feverish breezes of new orleans felt so distant in that snow ridden land, their mother tongue so simple and childish in its' articulations --- they had left what he knew now to be a life of comfort AND FOR WHAT ?

he could not forget his face. try as he may, louis would never be able to erase the look of betrayal on lestat's beautiful eyes as he held the blade to him. perhaps claudia had come to europe to find others of their kind but louis? HE WAS TRYING TO ESCAPE HIMSELF. for many months they had traveled through europe and found none like them. but since arriving to this strange new land, louis had heard a voice calling to him, speaking his name, guiding their footsteps, announcing a grand arrival...but no matter how hard he looked, he could never find the creature responsible for such ominous declarations.

there was no doubt that this was WHAT CLAUDIA HAD BEEN SEARCHING FOR; a creature kept alive by the dark gift. one of their kind who had not yet gone mad or surrendered to the fire --- she would be happy to learn of such findings. but the voice whispered to him and him alone. and, to be able to communicate through mountains and valleys so vast, meant this stranger must have been quite powerful. louis had known in his human life that, in order to earn great power, one must surrender their morals. WHY SHOULD IT BE ANY DIFFERENT FOR THE UNDEAD?

ㅤㅤwhen ? ㅤㅤhis question travelled through the dark forests hoping to reach the ears of the one who had reached out. when there was no immediate answer, louis continued.ㅤㅤ it's you we've been searchin' for this whole time, why hide? ㅤㅤemerald eyes scanned through the darkness as if expecting to find a shadow lingering behind a tree. he had wondered off, left claudia to feed on a horse and its' unlucky rider. the silence caused the vampire to shift impatiently.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤ"come to me." he demanded aloud. come to me.

[stdulac]

❛ i wish you to do as i request. ❜

the air in the old country was heavy on the lungs .

it had a texture to it , louis thought , a density , like still swamp water , gathering dust and dead things upon its' surface . claudia had begged him to follow her to europe in search of others who might share the same dark gift that had been bestowed upon them . but the deeper into romania they went , the more wary louis became of their kind . they had found little more than remains ... superstitions ... creatures who had abandoned all their past reason and became nothing but terrible hungry mouths , stealing children and cattle in the night , like wild animals . that which stood before him , however , was no animal .

louis did not think it belonged to the same realm as any of god's creatures .

though the same appetite which haunted him also afflicted his host , louis de pointe du lac could see no part of him reflected upon that large shadow . the count's decrepit home , the constant howling ( was the wind or the ravenous wolf pack which had followed his horse there ? ) , the thick inhabited wilderness ... whatever curse had fallen upon orlok was far greater than that louis had been burdened with . he could not bring claudia here . she could not see the monstrosity that was the count lest she think they too were doomed to suffer the same fate .

the creature's voice echoed against the stone walls . there was a threat hidden beneath its' growl but louis did not flinch . he opened the burlap sack at his feet instead , letting a dozen of doves come out , cooing as they pathetically flapped their broken wings . " what you've requested i cannot deliver . " louis explained . " this is my offerin' . " he gestured towards the small animals . when he tried to look the count in the eye , a shiver threatened to take hold of his spine . " anythin' above it would be against my nature . "

[stdulac]

a possessive kiss in front of a jealous third party .

he liked watching armand speak . liked the way he occasionally dipped his chin and looked up at him with those big amber eyes . liked how his long fingers easily twirled a pencil between them . liked how he would sometimes lower his voice and say his name as if it were a secret . as if it was fragile . something rare and precious to be kept only between them . louis could not think of anyone else alive who pronounced his name so beautifully . he sighed and tilted his head , happily listening to the coven's maître detail his future plans for the theatre company .

his behind had been pressed against the edge of the dressing table for too long . louis did not appear to mind one bit .

the frenchman's stare suddenly became distant . as if , despite standing there right in front of him , he was miles away . his soft voice trailed off and louis could immediately guess it was his coven , tugging at his sleeve , yanking at his ears , pulling him away from this moment . it wouldn't have bothered him were armand's displeasure not so crystal clear . HE DID NOT WANT TO PLAY THIS ROLE ANYMORE ; that much was clear . louis wished he could shield him from it --- wished he could save him . floorboards creaked and both of them turned their heads to glance towards the dressing room's entrance . there lurked santiago with his spiteful grin , bowing his head dramatically as if the couple ought to be thankful for the englishman's impeccable etiquette .

i did not mean to interrupt , lied the actor , but the coven grows hungry , maître , and will not start the hunt without you . bright green eyes suddenly targeted louis . perhaps your companion has decided to finally join us , santiago added , cruelly . it caused louis to bite the inside of his cheek in an attempt to keep the poison on his tongue from spilling out . another moment with armand ruined by those horrible hungry mouths ... he could feel santiago's jealous glare sinking its' hooks onto his flesh . " nah . " he shook his head . " think i'd just be third-wheelin' you guys . " the blond and he stared each other down for what felt like an eternity . finally louis turned to face armand once more .

all the hostility melted away . the elder vampire's delicate features brought such comfort to his heart , louis could not help but lift his hand to touch his face . a thumb brushed over the curve of armand's cheekbone , as if comforting whatever thoughts might be swimming inside that beautiful head . before santiago could take another stab at him , he leaned in and pressed his lips to armand's . softly at first , a chaste kiss . but after pulling away for a moment , louis reconsidered and leaned in once more , this time deepening the kiss . the hand once cupping the other man's face travelled to hold onto the back of armand's neck , grounding his paramour as he slipped his tongue into his mouth .

he would lick at his lover's mouth until santiago's dreadful thoughts quieted down into incredulous silence . louis made sure to enjoy that moment of stillness . so often did he feel the other man's lust for his maître brushing past him , bumping against his body , threatening to knock him down . it angered him that the blond thought himself clever for being able to interrupt these private moments between armand and he . but these were but mere intermissions which served only to ponctuate the different acts of their love . louis finally pulled away to look armand in the eye . " i'll see you soon , yeah ? " he smiled .

before leaving the dressing room , louis made sure to give santiago one last knowing glance .

[stdulac]

stop lying to me . tell me what you did . / from claudia

louis frowned , bothered by the tone in claudia's voice ; he was supposed to be the one looking after her ... but now as he sat limply on the floor of their living room , he could not help but feel like a child again . how had claudia sounded so much like his mother ? like his sister ? lecturing him for scrapping his knees , for ruining his brand new shoes , for fighting with paul ? had he done that to her ? made claudia feel as if she had to take care of him ? a deep mighty voice with a thick accent brushed past his ear ;

some people should never become parents .

his head bowed , suddenly heavy with shame as emerald eyes glanced down at his pants --- there were bright red spots adorning them but he was painfully aware that the blood was not his . worse yet , louis had been forced to come to terms with the fact that it was not lestat's either . his blood had long been washed off ... why then did his hands always feel unclean ?

" i went for a walk and got distracted --- " his voice was hoarse . there was blood coagulating over his front teeth . who had he killed then , if not the man his heart was irrevocably chained to ? what skull had he shattered back in the park ? whose cries had overpowered his own ? louis fluttered his lashes , reality slowly catching up with him . what body had he left amidst the bushes ? " my mind it ... " he swallowed dryly . " it got scattered , that's all . "

[stdulac]

come here, let me look at you. / @stlestat

he had never thought of himself as bashful . any sheepishness from his part was an illusion , a poor translation of a man trying to contain emotions too grand or complex for the era he had been doomed to live in . but now , as he stepped out of the chamber he shared with lestat in his mardi gras costume , louis could not help but feel the ghost of shame clinging to his back . not because of the bright outfit lestat had been so excited to see him in --- but because of what the cloth he wore meant . the white shade would be spoiled before sunrise . forever stained in shades of crimson ... probably burned . those clothes would be the last ones lestat would ever see him in .

the thought caused louis to swallow dryly . YES , his mind echoed , THE LAST . his emerald gaze finally left the floorboards to meet lestat's handsome face . and , oh , what a mistake that was . every time louis beheld his lover's gaze he became overwhelmed with the will to confess to him , to give up , to beg , to fight bare fisted so that lestat might at least have a chance to escape . now as he watched his maker's lips curl into that old familiar smile , that was all he could think of : RUN , RUN , RUN FROM ME .

louis fidgeted with his mask , painfully aware that only the void and his companion in this murderous plot could hear his plea . " don't know how i feel 'bout the mask , " he confessed as he walked across the room to stand closer to lestat . " feels like it's gonna slip off any second . " louis watches him through the disguise . if only lestat could come to learn of this plot on his own . but he would never run away , would he ? no , lestat was far too proud and volatile to prioritise his own safety . if he knew , he'd probably have him killed --- somehow , that was not the worst of conclusions louis' mind could conjure up . somehow , thinking of lestat , wounded , betrayed and alone in that big house was a far graver crime than any killing .

@stlestat

[stdulac]

take a good hard look .

long fingers adjust the lens pointed at santiago's figure : always a fan of theatrics , the actor wore his cape's hood up while widening his haunting green eyes at louis . the older vampire peeked over his camera , arching an eyebrow at the other man . despite his tendency towards dramatics and a vanity of chaotic proportions ( one that felt all too familiar to monsieur du lac ) , santiago still seemed harmless enough . he had an undeniable magnetism and claudia , who was so suspicious and mistrusting of people , had somehow fallen victim to the blond's gravitational pull . she was good at reading people --- but an actor's profession relied on deceit .

louis examined santiago's pose . one of the corners of his mouth could not help but twitch into a half-smile . " what am i looking at exactly , santiago ? " he asked teasingly before pressing his eye to the viewfinder again . he watched the other man puff out his chest . all of that bravado reminded him of someone he had met a lifetime ago . the mischevious smile and pale features did not help in the burying of the dead . louis has to shake off the creeping nostalgia . every time he glanced at santiago's face , it threatened to consume him , bones and all . just before the camera clicks , the blond bares his teeth . the photographer chuckles . a picture is taken .

this might be the last time louis sees santiago as a friend .

[stdulac]

finish what you started. / from @1mperium

black dilated irises swallow the green of louis' gaze . even when he forces himself to look at giulio and away from the body separating the two of them , there's still an urge to crouch down and lap at the blood ( like a damn dog , he thinks , like a common animal ) . the now unconscious man had had the gall to interrupt a conversation between the two tourists and , though it was obvious he was intoxicated beyond reason , giulio had suggested that a quick and violent solution was in order . one that would feed them both , no doubt , but louis had made it clear that he was not interested in participating in the killing of humans . especially not of those underserving . especially not of those who were vulnerable ... he'd later change his mind when moving to san francisco .

louis had instead punched the man and watched him fall onto the cobbled street like a puppet with cutoff strings . he had felt his nose fracture under his knuckles --- blood ran down the man's face and pooled pathetically against his cheek . if he was fast enough , louis would be able to get a taste before it coagulated ... no . the american clenched his jaw and swallowed down the hunger he had kept in a cage for years now . he had picked up this habit back in new orleans with lestat de lioncourt and had carried it over to paris with him . A SOUVENIR in the shape of a self-inflicted struggle . louis deserved these obstacles , he deserved this hunger ... giulio , on the other hand , succumbed to the nature of their condition with pride .

the other man uttered a command and louis could not help but feel his expression harden ; it had been a while since anyone had tried to tell him what to do . he was surprised to find it still left A BITTER TASTE ON HIS TONGUE . " no . " he declared , adjusting the collar of his jacket . " we're done here . "