noirenewyork | "I'll be your warrior of care."

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"I'll be your warrior of care."

Who: Xavier Carlisle, Skye Love (and later Greg Kent)
What: Children should be seen and not heard
Where: En route to the Carlisle Estate, Westchester
When: Follows THIS and THIS

Xavier had the patience of a Saint. That much was evident in his choice of mate. However, when his temper had a reason to be arced up, there was no doubt about it that he could be very, very dangerous if he needed to be. He was the eldest of the Primogens on the Council, and therefore he did command a level of respect. Even Ben often sought Xavier's guidance in his decisions as Prince on the regular.

So, exiting the board room of the Council meet to find Skye slumped over unconscious in one of the cushy leather chairs in the waiting area just by the door to Ben's office, Xavier's temper had most definitely snapped. He had swooped over to her, checking for a pulse, and Jett's scent was dripping off her. Jett, whom Molly had just been fretting about when he had disappeared from the meeting room without word. Xavier had scooped Skye up into his arms, and before any of his colleagues had a chance to approached, his protective mechanisms were kicking in. Eyes a vicious silver and fangs bared, they knew not to come a step closer or they wouldn't live to tell the tale. Molly was pierced with the most ferocious of glares and even earned a warning growl, Xavier letting her know loud and clear that he knew exactly who had harmed Skye. If she didn't pull her childer into line, Xavier would take matters into his own hands. Leaving his vessel in this state more than warranted that, as far as he was concerned.

He just left without any farewells or goodbyes. Everyone knew better than to get in his way when he was primed. He bundled Skye up into his limousine and instructed his driver to go straight home. Greg had left earlier, boredom setting in when the meeting took longer than he hoped. By the time Skye began to come around, Xavier had calmed somewhat. His fangs were retracted and his eyes back to their green/blue hue they normally were. He held her out a glass of straight brandy from the mini bar in the limousine.

"Drink," he instructed quietly. She needed something to regain her strength and it wasn't like he could make her a strong cup of coffee in a limo. "Slowly."

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Skye sighed softly, nursing the glass to her chest. She watched the New York streets pass by outside as they headed further out of the city. The manor wasn't even an hour's drive from Manhattan, but it was so spectacular that it seemed like a world away from the craziness of Manhattan. "Look," she began, turning away from the window so she could turn in the seat and look directly at him. "I thought he was a jumper. I went up on the roof for a cigarette while I waited for you to be done, and he was standing out on the ledge, looking right over. I didn't know who he was, I thought he was just some dumb human going to top himself."

"Obviously he wasn't. And you know what? I didn't care if he wanted a snack, because I sure as fuck wanted a fuck. In case you've forgotten, the person I was hoping to be forthcoming with that doesn't give a shit I'm alive. You and Greg, you don't fuck me. He did, and I fucking liked it. How was he to know I had just been... vesselised or whatever the fuck it's called by you two a few days ago?" She shook her head and down the last of the brandy. It wasn't her drink of choice, but it would do. "I like sex. I like it a hell of a lot more when I'm being fed on. If anyone's to blame, it's me."

"He is a childer of just a few weeks. His body was so damaged from injury that he took a vast amount of time to re-awaken in comparison to the general number of Kindred. He has extremely heightened senses, and being Brujah, no doubt an urge to test his limits to know how far he can go. I do not doubt for a moment that if you had not intercepted, he could well have jumped just to see what it was like." Xavier closed his eyes briefly with a small shake of his head. He was in need of feeding himself, which meant his patience was probably wearing thin.

The last thing he wanted to do was chastise her. She was an intelligent woman, more than capable of making her own decisions. She had some sort of attraction to Trystan, but he didn't have any desire to reciprocate. It was true, also, that neither Greg nor himself would not sleep with her. They could. They had both slept with women over the years, but it was a respect to her that they didn't. It wasn't that sort of connection they had. They never wanted to just make her their bitch. "Darling, you open the invitation up to a childer like that, many may not know how to stop. That is why he needs close guidance from his Sire. No one is ultimately to blame, but he could have killed you. You need to understand that."

Skye pursed her lips momentarily with a glance at him. "I do understand that," she reminded him. "And in my defence, he was probably borderline on his control as it was. I was a fresh meal, he clearly needed one and he had me up against a wall. There wasn't going to be a fight. If there is one thing I understand more than the fact a childer could kill me from lack of control, it's that putting up a fight to a hungry Kindred is a one way ticket to death because they will immediately resist it. And overpower me. I know you're worried and probably blame yourself for whatever reason. It is just is what it is."

"He's the first childer I've been around," she had to point out. "And obviously he got me to safety, to you, and didn't just piss the fuck off. Which is more than I can say for most of my recent lays," she added blandly, rolling her eyes.

Skye had been out for most of the duration of the trip, so they were already not far off approaching the entry to the estate. He was drumming his fingers softly yet rhythmically on the arm rest beside him. "You will stay with us tonight and rest. I will ensure sweet tea is served for you prior to bed so you can restock some of the basic nutrients you will have lost from the blood loss. I will not take argument, I must know you are going to be okay, so it is probably just easier to humour me. I am not particularly in any mood for arguments." Shit would probably hit the proverbial fan if he was pushed too far. He couldn't entirely dilute the anger because someone he cared for deeply and needed to protect had been harmed, albeit not to serious levels.

"I forgot how young you are," he confessed, giving her a wry but apologetic glance. "I wish for you to find true love one day, my darling, because it is an indescribable experience that stays with you your whole life. But you are a very passionate and sexual person. You are handicapped in the knowledge of how addictive a Kindred Kiss can be, and in fact, you thrive on the rush. Perhaps a Kindred lover is what you need..." he murmured.

Skye just nodded resolutely. She didn't want to aggravate Xavier more than he already had been. He was actually quite a placid and peaceful Kindred as per his nature. Sure, he had that protective animalistic side they all could have, and he was just as much at risk of frenzy as they all were, but he was actually one of the peacekeepers. He was most content surrounded by beautiful things, and knowledge, and naturally exquisite sensations. She didn't want to tick him off more. She liked it at the manor anyway. Neither Xavier not Greg were human, but they had human employees so they could accommodate to any who were with them. She was always fed the most amazing food, served proper tea or coffee. She was always pampered, and what girl didn't love that?

The limo turned into the drive of the estate, and it was a long, winding drive before they even made it to the manor. When he got to his last point, she frowned a little, thinking on what he said. "I don't know if I could handle that. I've thought about it a lot since I got involved in all this, but I just..." She paused, dropping her head back against the seat. "I don't know. He would stay young and gorgeous, and I would grow old with granny tits around my ankles, and probably not strong enough to keep being fed on. I don't know. The whole thing confuses the fuck out of me. I don't even know how I would deal having a human lover and figuring out how to explain my connection to you and Greg."

Greg had been on edge since a phone call from Ben gave him a heads-up that his and Xav's Vessel had been left unconscious at the Kindred HQ, and that Xavier was bringing her home. He'd literally been pacing the main entryway to their home for pretty much the entire time since... which was saying something, given that it was an hour's drive. He hadn't wanted to call Xav and bother him while he was travelling with an incapacitated Skye. But when they got there, he damn sure intended to get to them as quickly as possible. His senses as Kindred were far more highly attuned than those of an ordinary human would be, and he immediately perked up when he heard the car in the driveway. He ran out to meet them, not even waiting for the chauffeur to get out and open the door as was customary.

He moved right over himself and swung the door open, half expecting Skye to be dead or something. But instead, she was sitting up and talking to Xavier. "Oh, thank fuck. Ben called me and I've been worried sick. Are you okay, Skye?"

In the limo once they pulled up, Xavier saw that Skye was going to get out herself, so he held his finger up in warning, stopping her. He got out and went around to her side of the limousine and helped her out of the car. She was really unsteady on her feet, though, and he wasn't going to wait to see if she would remain on them or not. He just scooped her up so he could carry her inside. He went to their main sitting room and carefully put her on their chaise lounge, asking one of their staff to get tea with toast and some blankets for Skye. She would need to stay warm and would need to eat something, even if she didn't feel like it. Jett's scent was dripping off her, probably not necessarily from the fact he fed on her, but from the fact he was obvious she had sex with him. It would be hard for Greg or himself to feed from her with another's scent all over her. Fortunate, because neither of them would when she was this weakened.

"She will be okay, she needs some rest to regain her strength," he explained to his mate, taking the blankets that were brought to him and gently tucking them in around Skye. She might get annoyed at the fussing, but she would just have to like it for now. "Molly's childer used her for a snack."

That was another thing about Xavier, he was nurturing. It was that very instinct that had him trying to turn Greg away in their early days, to protect him. He was so very old school, and it was Greg's perfect match in that they were polar opposites. She adored them both so much, and she couldn't imagine not being connected to them, not being their Vessel. It was just part of her now, but it seemed she was facing the very real dilemma of what it could mean for her if she took a lover, whether it be human or Kindred. Human, she would have this large secret from him, because it would probably be a real cockblock (and risk to The Masquerade) to just be all 'Hey, I let vampires suck my blood'. If she took a Kindred lover, she wouldn't have the blood stock to be a Vessel and let her lover feed from her when they made love. Which is what sex was for a Kindred. Their feeding was their equivalent to sex. They didn't have it without feeding. It was just what they were.

But she was lonely. And there were all these people around her hooking up and making it look good. Xavier and Greg loved each other, but she wasn't ever going to be invited into their relationship, because they were gay and mated. That wouldn't be what she wanted. Trystan was who she wanted, and he couldn't stand to be around her. Maybe she should just become a nun. Or a crazy cat lady. "I wanted a fuck, and he was offering," she corrected pointedly.

The scent of another Kindred on Skye was a weird thing for Greg, and he tried to focus on what was going on, all while trying to get used to that, too. Skye did look kind of like she wasn't amused with being coddled, but that was kind of what Greg and Xavier did. She was their Vessel, and more than that, a dear and beloved friend. There was very little they wouldn't do to keep her safe, and ensure that she was always taken care of with the best of the best. But another Kindred having fed from her and had his way with her when she was not long clear of their last feeding? Something about that just settled wrong with Greg and he didn't like it at all.

Greg was like an overprotective father when Xavier retold the tale, and he was hearing nothing of Skye's further explanation. "What exactly was Molly's Childer doing alone with Skye in the first place? He could've fucking killed her. Who knows how much self-control a newly awakened Brujah has. I seriously doubt it's enough to be trusting him to make the right choices in how much to feed. Skye, darling, I adore you, but what were you thinking?"

By this point, Skye was probably thinking Kindred were pains in the ass and wondering why she bothered at all. Xavier did sympathise with her dilemma, he really did, but she was the only one who could decide what the best solution for that was. At this point, Xavier didn't know whether he should approach Trystan about it, or leave the whole thing to take its natural course. If he was blocking her, then it was somewhat like a Kindred trying to subtly indicate he wasn't interested. But Trystan was an interesting one. He like sex with feeding probably more than most, he usually wouldn't feed without sex. But he didn't believe in love. Was he blocking Skye, or just blocking anyone to those sorts of deeper feelings? It was impossible to know.

He sat down in the nearby armchair, but he was watching her closely. He reached and gently patted Greg's leg. "She is allowed to be on her own, darling. She does not need twenty four hour surveillance. Jett is... an interesting one."

"I am still here in the room, you know," Skye bitched at Greg, giving him a smack in the arm. "I'm also perfectly capable of thinking and I'm not a fucking chihuahua. I'm a person, with a brain. He was up on the roof, standing on the ledge when I went up for a smoke to wait for Xav. I thought he was a jumper, I didn't know who he was at first. When he turned around, he was all fangs and eyeballs. I don't know whether it was because of me, or because he was getting off on the thrill of being up there. He is a Brujah, after all. One that has been blown up, so maybe he has no sense of fear? Or maybe he just wants to push the envelope because he's not fond of being restricted. It doesn't matter, it happened."

She looked between them both pointedly. "Because shit happens. I like being fed on, and you know what? Being fed on and fucked at the same time? Pretty sure I want to be doing that again sooner rather than later," she admitted to them. "He wasn't in a frenzy, though. Maybe I fucked up, but maybe I really liked it too."

"Yes, I know," Greg replied, trying not to be angry. Because she wasn't their property, nor did they have any contract with her stating that she couldn't have other Kindred feed from her. She was a grown adult, capable of her own decisions, including who it was she chose to fuck or allow to feed from her. But Greg was frightened, because she'd actually fainted from loss of blood, and it scared the fuck out of him. In becoming their Vessel, Skye had become a part of them, and a part they were very keen to protect. It wasn't that they didn't trust her or allow her to make her own choices so much as that Greg was just genuinely scared for her.

"Skye, you're a grown woman, and you are neither our slave nor our servant. You may be fed on or fucked by any Kindred you so choose. All we want is your safety. Even if you one day chose to no longer serve as our Vessel, we would still care very deeply for you and want only the best for you, and that very much includes your personal safety." He was being honest here, and his face told the whole tale. "He overfed from you?"

Xavier rested his finger against his lips, contemplating them both. "He did not overfeed from here. I believe he actually had a rather distinct level of control for a childer. The only reason she did not tolerate it was because we have fed from her in the last few days. She had no time to restock her blood levels, and the anemia caused her to lose consciousness for a period. Whatever way we contemplate it, he is not to fault. He is a childer, he needs consistent feeding to build his strength. He fed from her an appropriate level, he did not wipe her mind, he delivered her to safety once he realised he had erred."

He paused before continuing. "And there is the fact that Skye had no resistance. In which case, she approved of his actions. She is more than aware of the risks posed interacting with Kindred and being a Vessel. I think our issue here, which we may be reluctant to discuss, is that our involvement may be impeding on her making her own personal and romantic connections, either to a human or a Kindred. Taking a Kindred lover, would you not wish for him to feed from you in an act of coitus?" he asked her.

This was the part Skye didn't really want to talk about, no. She couldn't imagine not being their Vessel. It meant a lot to her, and it felt good. Sure, it wasn't sexual, but she was still hooked on the feeling. She knew they would remain her friends, and they would always be close, but this was the part that was scaring her the most of all. These were her boys, she knew them, and she trusted them. She knew their capabilities as Kindred, and that they would never harm her. They had never overfed from her, she had never been privvy to seeing them in a frenzy because they respected her as both a human and their friend. Any other Kindred was an unknown quantity to her, thinking about letting them close, it scared her.

But Xavier's olde worlde terminology was always amusing to him. She patted his knee softly. "Fuck, honeybunch. You can say fuck, no one from the fifteenth century will hear you and think you've lost your Tudor mojo." She closed her eyes briefly, though. This were the cards on the table, whether she wanted to think about it or not. Of course, her mind when to Trystan with the question. What she wouldn't give to have him fuck her and feed from her. "I guess so. But honestly, there's no Kindred out there I'm interested in who... has any interest in coming to the party, so maybe it's all a moot point."

At Xavier's question to Skye, despite how heavy it was, and how heavy the situation itself was, Greg just couldn't help giggling. Not a laugh, but an actual giggle, and when Skye corrected him, Greg just giggled that much more. Leave it to his mate to use words like "coitus" in completely normal conversations. Who even said that word? Seriously? And without even missing a beat, Greg nodded his agreement with Skye. "She's right, honey. Besides, didn't they say 'fuck' in your time, too? It's okay. We won't tell anybody."

But Skye's answer, while expected, was still a hard one to swallow. They would always be a part of each other, and very close friends, but if she were another Kindred's lover, feeding from her would be pretty much entirely off the menu for them. She only had so much blood at a given time, and without time for it to replenish, she wouldn't be able to be fed from or she would faint, or worse. "But there is a Kindred out there that you're interested in," Greg stated. "It's okay if you tell me who it is, Skye. I won't say anything to him or get mad at you. I'm just intrigued to know which of my Kind has caught your eye."

Xavier was giving Greg a side-eye glance before his eyes moved smoothly back to Skye. He was honestly nervy about how Greg would take the news that the Kindred who had drawn Skye's attention (and not just from afar, she wanted to do the whole of everything with him, given the chance) was his younger brother. Trystan had always been somewhat of an enigma. He could be an epic bitch in his own right with the appropriate triggers, but mostly he was laid back, chilled, watching everything with calculated analysis. He took everything in. This had become evident in his early Kindred days when he took to it like a duck to water. He was every bit a Ventrue, and Greg knew his younger brother could well give him a run for his money if they ever butted heads. Xavier just had no desire to see that day actually come, because he knew now that Greg adored his younger brother and they were closer than they had ever been.

Their poking fun at his terminology earned a huffy eyeroll. He was Kindred, he didn't need to sigh. His looks always said it all. It was even matched with a dismissive flick of his fingers at them. He was used to their mocking by now, and shouldered it with long-suffering bemusement. "Any Kindred you decide to copulate with, I will rip out their throat and tear off their head with my bare hands if they so much as lay a fang on you wrong," he stated coolly, an eyebrow raised as he looked at her evenly. With that information out in the open, it might be an even more difficult thing for Greg to hear it was Trystan Skye was keen on.

Oh, great. Now Xav had to go get all scary protective bitch up on things. She loved him for it, but yeah, it was seriously going to complicate matters extensively once Greg heard it was Trystan. Which is exactly why she wasn't going to spill her guts on the matter to Greg just yet. She had no idea how he would react. Of course, Trystan had no interest in her, so he would probably be saved from Xavier beheading him and killing him. Unless of course he managed to independently piss him off for some reason. She looked at Xavier sharply, only just managing to fight off the temptation to glare at him. Obviously he had told Greg she was interested in someone, just not the who. Didn't surprise her. They were mated. They probably had no real secrets between them for very long.

She just shook her head. "It doesn't matter who it is. It's not going to happen. Seriously, the less people who know, the better, because it's embarrassing enough knowing he doesn't want anything to do with me. The only reason sassypants here knows is because he got his Kindred nose all up in my senses. PS. You're not killing anyone. Just keep your claws to yourself. It's a non-entity. It's nothing. I don't even have human males interested in me, except the obsessive ones who think writing novels about sex means I should want to have hot, kinky slimeball sex with them where they do things like lick my toes and want me to pee on them."

If there was one thing in the world that Greg really didn't like, it was being on the outside of a secret. He didn't like not knowing what was going on. Part of that was due to the fact that he was a born businessman, and in business, the things you didn't know could often be what fucked up an excellent business deal, or cost you millions in fixing something you hadn't planned on fixing. But beyond that, it was the simple fact that there was still something childlike in Greg that he couldn't, and didn't want to shake. It was one of the things that was the most different between him and Xavier, but it was what had made Xav love him in the first place, and there was nothing that made Greg want to lose that.

He did try not to pout, but it bothered him that there was a secret he wasn't being let in on, and he gave both Xavier and Skye a Look. "Why won't you guys tell me? I can keep secrets, you know. And you don't need to be embarrassed, Skye. Kindred are... different than most people, and you never know the reasoning behind the fact that one of our Kind isn't sleeping with you or whatever. I mean, most of the Kindred in our circle know that you are our Vessel, so that could very well be it... You just never know. And I'm sure there are more humans out there interested in you than you think, too."

The look that Xavier was giving Skye right now at the toe and pee comment was just one of utter shocked horror. He was looking at her like he couldn't quite believe what she was saying. He was far, far from a prude, and extremely kinky in his own right, but these things were just abhorrent to a classy Toreador. He had his fingertips resting on his chest and his mouth had dropped open in disgust. Not a lot rendered Xavier speechless - in fact, he was usually extremely verbose - but this definitely earned them a linger few moments of shock. At least Trystan was stunning in looks and even elegant in his own right. He was every bit a Ventrue, always presented in expensive suits. He also used to be a model, so he had the natural look to command the attention. And he didn't drink pee and lick toes, either!

"Because it is irrelevant," he finally found himself snapping at Greg. He didn't mean to have a short fuse, but just coming down from a borderline frenzy where he could have very well attacked Molly, he was going to need a decent feed before he really settled down again. Unfortunately, their Vessel would be well off the market for a brief while now. "It is not a secret, it is just irrelevant, because Skye says it is irrelevant. We are not eHarmoney. She does not need us playing matchmaker for her when the person in question does nor reciprocate an interest. It is not a schoolground game of Chinese Whispers." He stood up, holding a hand up. "I must feed. And be... somewhere not here," he told them.

Skye winced just a little when Xavier's temper shortened. She didn't seem him like this very often, so she knew this whole situation was serious business. She might have been more than a little unconscious for a period and had no clue of exactly what went down after Jett got her to Xavier, but he would have had to have been beyond pissed. She had thought to herself in the limo that he had been a little too calm and collected, and the fact he was now snapping at Greg said a lot. He probably did need a feed and some of that alone time he usually took with his horses or doing whatever Toreadors do to re-ground themselves. She felt guilty and awful she was causing this gap between the two mates, and hated that Xavier had to keep secrets from Greg. But she had no idea how Greg would react if he heard she had a thing... a really big thing for his brother. In fact, he was the only subject of her fantasies when all she had to go to home to was her vibrator.

"Neither of you have to worry. I'm pretty sure tonight managed to get any of my stupidity towards Kindred well out of my system. Jett would be seriously too much of a headache for me. I'd want to end up chaining him up in my basement just to get some peace," she said wryly, even if he was an extremely fantastic fuck. She hadn't been fucked like that in a very long time. She wanted it again, damnit. Only Jett wasn't the blonde she wanted it off. "It was just a lapse in judgement. Blame writers block. I've had it for fucking weeks now. So much for my deadline. It's not going to happen."

Greg did not do well with having his lover snap at him. It either pissed him off, or left him pouting, and this time happened to be the latter. Xavier often reminded him that pouting wasn't fabulous, but Greg himself wasn't the most fabulous of Kindred in the first place. He just was who he was, and that was all there was to it. But the fact that Xavier was so on edge was also very telling, and something he'd need to talk to his lover about once he'd had a feed and some time to calm himself down.

"I'm just glad you're safe," Greg replied, trying to keep from showing his pouting to her when it was all he really felt like doing. "Jett wasn't to know you'd been fed from so recently, but it's still important for him to learn to recognize things like that, too. But it isn't like you to have writer's block. Your writing generally flows so freely from you... Like it's what you're meant to be doing at any given time. Though I guess it would suck to have to write amazing sex when you're not getting it as much as you'd like."

Xavier looked over Skye's face carefully. Her writer's block could well boil down to a discontent over not having Trystan responding to her. If they were soul mates, there wouldn't be any sort of aggression invited because they were technically in each other's presences regular. Skye and Trystan would always be at the estate together. That connection would be soothe, although not acted on, so the discontent would remain. Xavier felt right now like all of this could possibly not get more complicated, however it would apparently only be the start of the complications. Extensively nightmare headache complications. But he hadn't meant to snap. He was just responding to the stress and it was always where his control wavered. He rested his hand on Greg's arm. "Forgive me, my love," he murmured apologetically.

"Sex is inherent in her. It is love she is craving. Love and companionship," he said knowingly. Which was why Skye was probably having a tough time. Her soul may knew she found it, but it would fuck her over and mess with her contentment until it got what it wanted. Greg would struggle with Trystan being with Skye, thought. At least, initially, because it would be his own inner protective mechanism warring inside him. To protect Trystan, or to protect Skye. It wasn't easy by any means.

Skye watched the exchange between them quietly, and felt even more guilty that it was her fault Xavier had snapped. He was just trying protect her because had information Greg didn't. If she was honest, all she wanted to do was just forget this and move on. Nothing was going to Trystan and it was stupid to keep hoping for it. It wasn't like her to linger on one guy and let him get under her skin like he had. Trystan could have any girl... or guy, for that matter... he wanted. She had to respect that he was a guy who didn't seem at all interested in commitment and even though it really stung to get the brush off from him, she was a big girl and she was rich. She didn't need to sit around and wallow. Maybe she wasn't made for commitment too. The rest of her life just seemed like a long time to be lonely, though. And that was even if she didn't end up Embraced. It had always been an offer on the table, but up to now, she hadn't wanted it. She liked being human, it gave her a lot of empathy for her writing.

She snorted cynically with a shake of her head. "I'm not craving it, bitch. It just looks like it might be nice. And even if I am craving it, I'll have to look elsewhere. I've got you two for companionship, and honestly, you both keep me busy enough. I don't need anymore demanding bitches in my life," she joked. There was always a part of her that would really struggle not being Xavier and Greg's Vessel anymore. Maybe that was part of the reason she wasn't so eager for commitment if she couldn't have Trystan.

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"I'll be your warrior of care."

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