noirenewyork | "I was standing... you were there..."

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"I was standing... you were there..."

Who: Luka Delaney, Jett Wilson and Seamus O'Reilly (later with Xavier Carlisle, Molly Pierce and Ben Knight)
What: Two worlds colliding
Where: NYC Kindred HQ
When: In the wake of THIS

After intercepting Molly Pierce which pretty much led to her attempt to brush him off, Luka never really expected her to relent on anything. In fact, after that, he had tried to get away from her, resolute in the fact she wasn't going to help him like she helped Jett and he even tried to fight her elaboration on the whole thing. He used to be such a quiet and together kid, but these days, his mind was all over the place, at best, and he developed a habit of being hooked on his prescription pain medication to numb some of the inner conflict.

But she had relented, he just wasn't sure on what. She told him to promise not to top himself last night, to get some sleep, and meet her back in that same spot the next evening at the same time. Luka didn't sleep. He barely slept much these days with insomnia plaguing him, and then the only time he would crash out would be when he got so exhausted he was almost losing his mind. Last night, nightmares had overridden everything. Flashbacks of Afghanistan, and then the night he got raped because it was fresh in his mind after Molly had pulled him into an alley. So, he freaked, but he admitted she wasn't to know it would trigger shit for him. In saying that, most shit triggered things for him, and it was why he wanted to just... shut himself off for good.

Here they were again, though, and he was silent, pushing himself right into the corner of the elevator with his arms crossed over his chest defensively as they rode up something like 30 stories. He hated heights. He wordlessly followed her up a long corridor and then there were glass security doors the lead into a large marble-floored foyer after fingerprint recognition got Molly in. Once in the foyer, Luka expected to the strip-searched or something, and he desperately hoped they wouldn't want an internal. Instead, he just had to give his name, his address (the hotel anyway) and give his fingerprints for the security register. What the fuck was this Mission Impossible fuckery?

And they were let in through another door by a butler-looking dude in an expensive suit and they were in this large apartment place. It was huge, open-planned with a large conference table to one side of the room and a living area with sprawling leather lounge and wall-sized TV screen and bar. He stepped inside behind Molly, hands buried deep in his pockets and looked around in awe. This place was fucking amazing... and they also weren't alone.

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Jett honestly didn't know what he was here. He had been thinking of seeing if Seamus wanted to hang out anyway, but then he had received Molly's text telling him to meet her at HQ around this time. She just didn't say why and it was probably more to keep tabs on him than actually needing him for something. Ben and Xavier were here too, and Ben looked like he was about to declare a Kindred rebellion he seemed so stressed. He caught wind of something about a Toreador childer and a dying mortal and both Jett and Seamus had been strictly warned not to go to the apartment wing beyond the third door down the hall. He was curious, sure, but Council business wasn't his business. It mostly just bored him. So there was probably something they all had to discuss and Molly didn't want Jett buggering off and getting into more trouble while she was dealing with it.

And then Molly arrived, and Jett fully intended to just keep playing F1 on the Playstation with Seamus where they were both lounging on the sofa. That was until Molly's eyes nailed him and then she stepped aside, and there was Luka. Luka. His Luka. His best friend in the whole world. He was here. He was here in Kindred HQ. With Molly. Holy fuck. "L-Luka." He scrambled up off the sofa and ran over to his friend, engulfing him in a hug and gripping hold of him for dear life. "Fucking hell..."

Seamus was oblivious to just about everything. Not because he was thick, because he wasn't. He was just the type of personality who was the more calming influence in a group of otherwise strong personalities. He wasn't a Primogen, and really the only thing he was concerned about in his life was getting a decent and regular feed, having fun, and living, breathing, and existing solely for music. There wasn't a lot else to him, and it was his simplicity that really made him easily connect to everyone. The only time he was truly Serious Business was his music, and when he was playing or performing, he was extremely intense. It went with the whole being a musical prodigy thing. As Xavier said, music was him, he wasn't the music.

So, when Molly arrived, he was quite contently beating Jett's arse in the driving game and he was about to protest when Jett stopped, getting up to abandon the game. But it stopped when he saw Jett rushing over to the person who was with Molly. Whoever it was, the view was obscured by both Molly and Jett, but whoever it was, they were human. Every Kindred in the room would have picked up on that as soon as he walked in the door. Was this someone from Jett's life he left behind, when Jett had only just been asking Seamus is he felt guilty about leaving his mortal family and friends behind.

If Luka wasn't aware that there were about five other people in that room watching, he probably would have burst into tears just seeing Jett walk. None of these strangers would be able to understand that, because none of them would have known him before he got injured and shipped out here to a strange place away from everything familiar in the name of the getting the best medical care money could buy. The last time Luka had actually seen Jett was right before that bomb where Jett saved his life. After that, Luka was shipped home on medical discharge and Jett remained on the frontline. It was only a few short months after that Jett was injured himself. Luka had come here to visit him, but he never got the chance before Molly landed him in a body bag.

Instead, he just clung to his best friend in a tight hug and he couldn't speak at first. He was choked up and trying desperately not to cry, if only because he was actually really fucking confused about everything going on here. He didn't even know if Molly told Jett about Luka being here. He knew a whole lot of sweet FA, but it felt really good to see his best friend again.

Over Luka's shoulder, Jett locked gazes with Molly. They were seriously going to need to talk about this, namely how the fuck she had come to be bringing Luka - what the fuck was he doing in New York?! - to HQ and why. Fucking hell, Luka was terribly skinny. He had lost a lot of weight and the bulk he had from hard military training. This was more like what he had been like before his father forced him to enlist. Jett was thrown off guard, not knowing what Luka knew and what he didn't, but if Molly brought him into the Council realm, he had to at least know Kindred existed. No mortal who didn't would be brought here. Unless, of course, it was the dying mortal in question who was there for a whole lot of reasons Jett wasn't privy to.

He stepped back a little as the hug tapered off and he rested his hands on Luka's arms. He bit down on his lip as he looked at his friend, seeing how pale he was, dark circles under his eyes, and he could feel the misery coming off Luka. He squeezed Luka's arm gently and then cupped his hand behind his head and pulled him close to kiss his forehead. "Don't be scared, buddy. Come, I want you to meet my friends," he told him, stepping aside to put his arm around Luka's shoulders protectively.

As soon as Jett had stopped hugging the guy and stepped aside, Seamus finally laid eyes on him and something just... happened. He didn't know what it was, but as soon as he found this eyes gaze him and their eyes met, Seamus stood up and the game controller fell to the floor. He was probably staring rudely, but he couldn't take his eyes off him. Surely it was just because he was mortal and fresh blood? He didn't even realise his eyes were shifting to silver and he was moving over to where Jett was standing with the guy. There was still the small fact that Jett was a very, very young childer and this guy was important to him, any wrong move that might indicate a threat could snap him right into a frenzy.

But it was like Seamus was on autopilot and as soon as he was close enough, he reached and took the guy's hand, holding it in between both of his. Why did he feel the need to touch him? This wasn't just being welcoming. Seamus was intensely drawn to this guy, and so much so that he had to touch him. He was stunning. Thick curly hair, tall, slim, and blue eyes that Seamus couldn't tear his own away from and it trigger his Presence, probably drawing the guy's attention to him entirely. He didn't mean to do it, it was just happening.

Luka didn't know what was happening. He was beyond overwhelmed, and it only increased tenfold when he realised how different Jett was. That scared him. Jett looked different and he sounded different, but in ways Luka couldn't put his finger on or distinctly place. He had been looking at Jett with a frown, really trying to figure out what was different when Jett told him he wanted to introduce him to his 'friends' and that was only when Luka was dragged out of his confused concentration to realise other people were there too. His eyes had been sweeping over the scene and then they connected with the guy standing over by the sofa. Well, he had been standing over there, and then suddenly he was right in front of him and Luka couldn't stop looking at him...

At all. The guy's dark eyes had him hypnotised and any other stranger touching him without warning would normally cause him to freak out, but for some reason, when the guy's hands took hold of his, it wasn't terror or panic that bolted through him, it was a warmth of something that told him this was okay. It was okay to be touched by this guy, and maybe it was even calming. But no, he couldn't look away from the guy's gaze and his mouth dropped open just a little, feeling like the rest of the room was disappearing.

With Seamus being his adopted childer, per se, Xavier knew what was happening before anyone else. He had been watching from where he had been seated at the bar with Ben and as soon as he saw Seamus' eyes shift, he knew if he didn't intercept, this was going to get extremely messy. No one needed to see not just Jett lose his shit but also Seamus. It would be a blood bath, and the mortal wouldn't survive. He got up out of his seat and made it to Seamus' side very shortly after he had taken Luka's hand. Seamus was only a few very short steps away from frenzy here. Any tiny hint of reciprocation from Luka and he would pounce on him and sink fang into him before any of them would be able to stop him.

He seized Seamus' wrist and squeezed it tight to break his focus. "Seamus, cease," he commanded sharply with a hiss. "Control yourself." They didn't know enough about this young man to let this happen. Seamus wasn't the sort of Kindred to lose control easily, but here he was, fangs bared just slightly and even shooting Xavier a warning sneer for interrupting. This was more than just a desire to feed from a beautiful person, and just when it felt like things couldn't be more complicated, this happened.

Jett had no fucking clue what was happening here. All this was still very new to him and he was learning. So much so that a whole lot of information was crammed into his mind to process, and he still was in the WTF moment over Luka standing there in front of him in a roomful of other Kindred. Then all of a sudden, something was making Seamus lose his shit enough that Xavier was intercepting, and rapidly. He had heard that Xavier could be a scary and dangerous bitch in the right circumstances, but this was the first Jett was seeing of it. Xavier was usually such a stunning and poised guy, but now he was actually transforming into a scary looking bitch just by a change in his face to overpower Seamus, who was also Kindred hulking out and looking like he wanted to pounce on Luka, hump him and feed from him like he had never fed before.

Jett didn't follow. Instead, he stepped up as close as he could get to Molly and even lodged himself in behind her because he was intimidated, and his other arm was now wrapped around Luka's chest protectively. It was an instinctive childer reaction from him, and in the long run, probably a relief for Molly that he still trusted her to protect him. And did he mention that Xavier in powerful Primogen mode was scary? Because it fucking was. Seeing this, Jett was really relieved Xavier hadn't wanted to punish him for feeding from Skye.

It wasn't easy, but it no one else in the entire world, Seamus would always submit to Xavier, no questions asked. Xavier was the Sire he had never truly had, and he had always kept Seamus' best interests at heart when guiding him and teaching him. This was a prime example of how many made the mistake of believing Toreador to me the weak Clan, concerned only with pretty things and holding themselves in higher regard above all others. When in actual fact, they could be just as much the terrifying and dangerous as the other Kindred Clans. In Xavier's case, perhaps more so. If Seamus didn't control himself and attempted to harm Jett's friend, Xavier would be the one to punish him.

It was hard, though. Near impossible to fight it and control himself. He forced himself to let go of Luka's hand, but the hunger to feed from him was swallowing him and he pressed his fist up to his mouth, working to fight it. It was a little easier once he broke eye contact with the guy, but on a whole, he had no idea what was happening to him here because he had never lost control like this before. He was going to put it down to the fact he needed to feed, and being in the presence of a mortal with a entirely fresh stock of blood must be doing this. He wasn't of clear enough mind to wonder why none of the others were forcefully salivating over Luka too.

"Jett, Molly, take the young man through to the other room, please," Xavier requested calmly but firmly. He still had a hold of Seamus' arm and he really hoped he could get him to settle and attempt to be back in Luka's presence without losing control. "We will join you shortly." The boy needed more information before he blatantly witnessed any of them feeding. For a mortal, it could be a garish sight and Xavier had no wish to terrifying the boy, or lead him into becoming physically ill for watching something he wasn't emotionally prepared to see.

Ben stayed, but he knew to keep his distance for now. Xavier waited while Molly ushered Jett and Luka up the hall and then held his wrist up to Seamus' mouth. "Feed," he demanded and then cupped his other hand behind Seamus' head when he bit down roughly on Xavier's wrist and started to fervently feed from him. This week was leaving Xavier's own mood much to be desired. He was in desperate need for intimate time with his mate to relax and replenish, but with Brodie still unconscious in the other room, he needed to be here at HQ for now.

Once in the other room, Luka pulled away from them. "What the fuck is going on?!" he demanded, and now there was no holding the tears back. "I want to talk to my friend alone. Just let me talk to Jett alone!" he shouted at Molly, putting his hands up and grabbing at his hand because now he really felt like he was going out of his mind. He hadn't thought that guy was doing anything but being friendly, and just... friendly. What else could it be? But then suddenly that other guy was there scaring the fuck out of Luka and he was veering right into a really intense panic attack all of a sudden. His head was spinning, breathing was becoming really hard, and he was glad that Molly left him alone with Jett right before Luka lost his shit.

He leant heavily back against the wall and then sunk down it to draw his knees up and cover his face with his arms. He was sobbing by this point, fighting to catch his breath. "I-I'm going mental-- I'm going mental--" he sobbed through a choked gasp for air.

Jett didn't know what to do here. He was grateful Molly did leave when Luka needed to her too, but that meant he was left alone to try to calm Luka down when he was spiralling. Something was wrong with Luka, and Jett didn't have an iota of a clue what it was. At a loss of any other ideas, he just dropped down on the floor beside his friend and wrapped his arms around him in a hug. "It's going to be okay, buddy. I just... just... I don't know what you know and what you don't. I don't know how you got to be coming here with Molly, but I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry you have to face all this like this and I'm sorry that you probably have no fucking clue what's going on. I-I don't really either so much, but I can try to explain..."

Hopefully he had a shot to at least try. "Do you know what I am? Did Molly tell you that much? How do you know her?" he asked helplessly, rubbing Luka's back and hoping it would calm him down a little. Luka was trembling all over and if he couldn't catch his breath, not a single one of them could give him CPR. "Seamus was... he wasn't trying to hurt you, you know. At least, I don't think so. I think maybe that was the Kindred equivalent to a raging boner..."

Luka just felt like he was going to be sick, so he kept his head buried down in against his elbow as he tried to use some of those deep breathing techniques he had been taught my the Army psychs in the wake of everything going down in Afghanistan. It was after his operation that it came to light he was having flashbacks and panic attacks, when initially, Luka thought he might have internal injuries that were killing him. He had never had a panic attack that he knew of before, but now they were just something he was struggling to control. And who wouldn't fucking panic in the middle of a shitstorm like this? He was terrified and he he didn't even know completely why. Terrified, lonely, and lost. Yes, Jett was here, but was it even the Jett he used to know? He didn't want to let himself think it was only to be disappointed later.

"No," he managed to eventually reply, but his chest still felt tight and he was nauseated. That could be the lack of sleep, though. Why was it the first time he felt relatively okay in a long time was when that guy took his hand? "I don't know what you are, I just know it's something I don't get, but I'm fucking jealous of it because I hate this. I hate me. I don't want to do this anymore, all I wanted was someone to help me like they helped you. But no one cares that I'm losing my mind. They all just think I'm doing it for attention. That I should be better by now, because you were the one who got the most hurt. I shouldn't be wallowing in my own self-pity. But I'm losing my mind, and I don't know what's happening to me."

Something was wrong with Luka. Jett, of course, knew that his best friend had been discharged on medical leave from the Army because, following knee surgery, he wasn't fit to serve anymore. But beyond that, he hadn't received any further information on how Luka was holding up. Luka even stopped sending him emails, so Jett had just assumed he was fine. He wasn't fine. He was very, very much not fine and Jett put his arm around his friend, kicking off some small rhythmic rubs to his shoulder to try to get him to calm down. Is this why Molly brought him here? Because Luka was so fucked up? And did he just vaguely suggest he wanted to be Embraced, or worse, end his life? It was hard to really know without all the facts.

"Listen, Luka, mate, whatever help you need, I'll try to help you get it, but you have to talk to me, yeah? All this that you walked into, it's not what you want. Trust me, it's not. You're not like me, you never have been. I don't know what you know about it, but the only reason I am here is because it gave me the use of my body back. That's all. That's the sole reason. But it came at a high cost. It... it..." How did he explain this? He didn't even know where to start, he was so new to it himself. "There are other things to help you, you know. I can get that for you. These people, they're all loaded and they know a fuckton of powerful people here in New York. You're not just doing this for attention. It sounds like you've got some psychological stuff going on in there? Have you seen a doctor?" Yeah, it would not have been a good thing to have Seamus just fang into Luka if he was this messed in the head already. Jett knew Luka had depression in the wake of his sexual assault and then battled it all through the Army training, but this was much more severe now.

Luka lifted his head to look at Jett, somewhat exasperated and somewhat in disbelief. He looked normal, but he was far from that. "I saw you being put in a body bag," he told him, voice hitching with a sob as he face scrunched up a little when it just got too hard to try to wrap his head around it all. He was exhausted, and the stress was wearing him down. "She did this... thing to you, and you were put in a bag, zipped up, and hauled away to the morgue. I heard the security guide telling the morgue you were coming down. I heard the number of the drawer they were going to put you in. But... you're here, so she didn't kill you. That's really fucking hard to get my head around. When my head is just... it never switches off. It's all stuck in there, and it keeps coming back on me over and over and over again."

He wiped at his eyes and then nursed his forehead in his palm. "I've seen a pile of doctors. The Army paid for it all. I've got Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and depression. I know that shit. But knowing that doesn't take away that my life is shit. My family are arseholes, I'm too fucked to date anyone, and the only thing I've ever learn professional is how to fucking shoot people. Then I came here, to visit you. To try and ground myself and remind myself that I didn't have it bad at all. You were still here fighting every single day, after you saved my life. And then there's this chick there with you, telling you she can fix all your problems, give you a fresh start, immortality, have your body back. Only, she'll help you and not me. Because I'm a fucked up loser not good enough for anyone to give a stuff about."

Jett's eyes fell closed and if he could breathe, he would have sighed. He knew a lot of the older Kindred could breathe as an act, to keep up appearances. Some could eat and hold it inside them to keep up appearances, of which they purged later. Even some of the much older Kindred smoked simply for appearance sake. Jett was still way, way too young to know any of that. "Luk, Molly did kill me. She killed the human me, and then she, well, she turned me into something called Kindred. It's like a vampire, only very much not like the usual stereotype and definitely not like fucking Twilight. It's..." He paused and looked at Luka with a small shake of his head and then pointed to his face, taking Luka's hand and pressing his fingers to his throat. "Lean closer, I'm not breathing. I don't have a heartbeat. No pulse."

"I'm still wrapping my head around all of it, and honestly, it's still freaking me out. There's this guy, okay? I haven't met him, but he was Embraced with a lot of problems in the mind like you have, and he brought them all with him and now he's lost and suspended between our world and the one he left behind. I can't let that happen to you, mate. I won't. But it's true, I have my body back, and I have these people around me who have literally centuries of smarts between them. That guy out there, the one who was eye-fucking you? He was on the Titanic. And the other guy who called him off you? He knew Henry the Eighth. He was at court with him. But I'm going to show you, okay? Because you need to see it with your own eyes. Give me your wrist," he prompted quietly.

It was true. Jett didn't seem to be breathing at all, and Luka definitely couldn't feel a pulse, despite moving his fingers around a bit to locate it. These were all things he just did not think about and it was confronting. He was scared, but how could he not be? This sort of shit was fictional, in books and movies. Now he had to believe it happened in real life? He wanted it, if only to be released from the torment and shit that his life had turned into. He didn't have anything to live for, and if this was some sort of loophole to get rid of the shit life and still stay living? He wanted it. Only not Jett was apparently telling him it might not escape it at all and it could haunt him even more?

Fuck yes, he was scared. Fucking Titanic and Henry VIII? That was a serious fucking elaborate story if Jett was bullshitting him. Jett had never bullshitted him before, though. Never. In fact, he was the only person in Luka's life who had ever been honest and open with him. Which is why he trusted him, even if he was this thing he was saying he was, it was still more than Luka trusted anyone else. Jett was all he had left, and he wanted - no, needed - to understand this so he didn't lose his best friend forever. Wordlessly, he held out his wrist to Jett, blue eyes still red-rimmed and teary from his near breakdown as he watched Jett with a mix of nervous curiosity and plain fear of what he was about to see.

Ben was beginning to feel like he was being punished for some sort of past sin... or perhaps it was the Kindred apocalypse in the works. It was one thing after another right now, and if Kindred were capable of getting migraines, he would have an epic one right now. First Jett and his enthusiastic fangs in Xav's Vessel, then Eric taking - of all fucking people - Asher Rose, who was one of the most well-known young New Yorkers, a reputation worldwide. And now this. Xav's adopted childer decided he was going to go all Horny McFangface up on this... who the fuck was this that Molly just brought in with her? A mortal, and apparently someone Jett knew. Which was fine. Ben trusted all his Primogen on their careful selections of who to bring here into the Kindred Council sanctuary, but nothing could just be easy right now, could it? Of course it couldn't.

He was standing a few paces away, safe enough distance to not flare Seamus and Jett up further and push them to frenzy. Kindred were territorial, and honestly, if he got too close, even Molly could arc up for her childer. He watched the scene play out and now that Molly was returning to the room, and Xav was in the tail end of forcing Seamus to feed, all Ben could do was stand there, massaging his temples with his thumb and index finger wondering what the fuck he did to deserve all this. Either way, they needed to have some serious discussion.

There was absolutely no question whatsoever that, if Seamus had triggered a frenzy in Jett, Molly would've been there to protect her Childer all the way. Which would only have led to a bloodbath, considering that Xavier would've been just as protective of Seamus. But in all of the upset of the moment, Molly was at least glad to know that Jett did still want her protection and seek it out in moments like this. There was always a fear with a Childer like Jett that he would very quickly overestimate his independence, but that had proved to not be the case after all. She had left Jett with Luka, hoping like hell that Jett would take care of the mortal. There was no question that Luka trusted Jett, but that was the part that perhaps scared Molly most of all. No Kindred could be entirely trusted... least of all a volatile Brujah Childer.

Once she'd left the pair, though, she walked back into the main room, catching Xavier very much taking control of things with his adopted Childer, and her own lover looking for all the world like a human with the world's worst headache. "Ben? Babe, are you okay?" she asked softly.

Xavier knew without a shadow of a doubt what he just witnessed play out in front of him, but he did wish there was an easy route out of it. There wasn't. All he could do was stay there in front of Seamus until he fed enough to be able to control his urges. It was clear that once Seamus had his fill, however, that he wasn't settled. He was antsy and restless, but his eyes were back to their normal colour, which granted, they always had an intensity to them anyway. It was always a moving experience to see Seamus perform, he would even draw in people who normally held no particular regard for his style of music. He had witnessed people who were into nothing but rap or hard rock completely enthralled by him. But now, here they were for the first time, seeing Seamus mesmerized by someone else... and it just had to be a mortal, didn't it?

He went over to where Molly and Ben were now, a long-suffering bitchface in place. He waved his hand over in Seamus' direction, who had gone back to the sofa to cool off. "We need to host a Childer training workshop or something in how to properly conduct one's fangs," he said in frustration.

"Seriously considering my retirement." Ben was only half joking too. These past few months had been extremely tiresome for him and he was still trying to wrap his head around the mess Eric and Logan had gotten into, which had led to him having a dying mortal in his guest quarters with an over-protective childer who would only let Xavier near the boy sitting vigil with him. He knew he had laid a heavy ultimatum on Eric, and put a hell of a lot of burden onto Asher. He still felt it was adequate at this point in time, however. It was only fair that they jointly played God with Asher's life, so now he had the power to have theirs in his. If Ben was honest, however, he was doing this more for Asher than for his pain in the ass brother. Asher was a very smart and naturally instinctive Kindred, he had honed his skills mostly on his own, and it would be a value to him to know his Kindred self was trusted in making choices of significant value to him and his ongoing life in their world. Ben liked the kid, he highly respected him for approaching Xavier, and he didn't want to see one of his population take their own life.

He looked at Molly, lips pressed together. "Are we going to get a briefing on the mortal, and preferably prior to Seamus trying to mate with him without warning and having Jett tear his limbs off in a protective frenzy." The he glanced at Xavier. "I think some guidance in how to respond when one meets their soul mate might be beneficial all around."

The exhaustion was written all over Ben, and Molly could feel it herself. That was partially a Kindred thing, and partially just the knowledge of her lover. This situation was far from perfect, not even close, but Molly had to somehow try to explain the whole thing to Ben and Xavier in short order. And considering how much her lover had on his plate, Molly hated the thought of even having to dump all this on him at the moment. But as Prince of the City, and a Prince whose headquarters currently were being visited by a mortal he'd never met, Benjamin had every right to know the story, and all of it. "The young mortal is Jett's best friend from childhood. They were in school together, and apparently had a sexual relationship along with everything else. Never dated, but sort of a friends with benefits thing. The night that I Embraced Jett, Luka was there. I didn't know it, and I'd attempted to make quite sure that wouldn't be a problem, but Luka apparently circumvented the entire process of checking in so that our connections at the hospital were unable to stop him. He heard my whole conversation with Jett, and he wants me to Embrace him as well."

Very quickly, she put a hand up in front of her to stop any and all protests that might have come from Ben or Xavier. "Clearly, I told him that wasn't possible, because one Childer is all I can handle right now. But he's clearly searching for something, and he wanted to see Jett, so I told him I would introduce him to others of our Kind, and that before he could be Embraced, he needed to have a far better idea of what he was getting into. So here he is."

In lieu of plainly making a bitchface, Xavier just pressed his lips together wryly and looked over to check on Seamus. In any other circumstance, he would have told him to home, back to the estate, or even called Greg to come collect him. But he knew without a shadow of a doubt that Seamus wouldn't move from that spot now he had triggered some sort of connection with the mortal in the next room. Seamus wasn't a Kindred who generally connected to others, per se. His connection was to music. Not that he didn't have friends, because he did. He and Greg were extremely close, but that deeper connection Seamus saved for his music. He was a Kindred spirit with that and for a long time, possibly right up to tonight, Xavier had wondered if perhaps Seamus was incapable of connecting to another person, Kindred or otherwise, because his soul was tethered to music. It could happened.

But then he was losing all control being drawn to this mortal Molly had brought here for Jett, and it was one huge dilemma they now all had on their plates. "Normally I would have suggested talking to the mortal perhaps about becoming a Vessel for Jett. A supply of fresh blood from a mortal he distinctly trusts could calm his urge to act out in this transition period he is in. It would be an ideal situation. However, there is no way Seamus will not respond to that, and uncontrollably too. I understand the frustrations with your childer, my darling," he said to Molly, "but I must try to protect mine as well. None of us want our childers warring, risking harm to each other and definitely not to a mortal."

There was a small roll of his eyes for Ben and he looked between them both. "You two think you have it hard, try being the Sire to a brother who forced his genius and powerful Kindred lover to take a suicidal one against his will because he could not control his hunger for him because, unsurprisingly, said childer has tried to kill himself before. To top all that off, said childer has also met his soul mate, who happens to be a mortal who has terminal cancer which he fed from in a frenzy and spent well over a week in a corpse-like state because his childer form could not handle the tainted blood. So, I do seriously pity you, loves, but your situations are child's play compared to mine. Mix it all together, and we have one hell of a fucking shitty mess on all our hands... right along with innocent blood."

He was frustrated and didn't know how he was supposed to figure any of this out. Still, it was his job to advise, no matter how personally involved he was. "I need Xavier here to expose The Masquerade to Asher's lover. Asher won't be able to do it himself, it could force him to frenzy if Brodie panics. He seems willing to let Xavier near Brodie, but no one else can get into reaching distance of him without Asher arcing up. Which means Greg will have to occupy Seamus until as much as Molly can get more information on Luka from Jett, or Luka himself. No one is to Embrace him, no matter how much he wishes it, but we do not want to drive him to suicide either. Buy some time with the Australian mortal. Educate him more of our Kind, of The Masquerade, how mortals can walk with us. Perhaps even Skye could talk to him. There can be no going back, he knows of The Masquerade, but play it safe until we know more of his mental state. Why he wishes Embrace at all."

Molly crossed her arms over her chest in annoyance, absolutely stunned at the utter stupidity of what Eric and Logan had done. When her lover's younger brother had been avoiding them almost all the time, except for to show up for council meetings, or when it was completely necessary for their business, it had been more than obvious that things were not quite right. She just hadn't expected Eric and Logan to be quite that fucking stupid. "Are you fucking serious right now?" she asked, looking at Ben with a mixture of disbelief and complete and utter WTF written all over her face. "Why did any of us ever Embrace anyone? Seriously? All of our Childers are ass pains... With the exception of Xav, who didn't even Embrace his Childer. What the hell were we thinking?"

"I will do what I can. Jett's new at this, and I don't think he'll Embrace the mortal, but I'll talk to him about it just the same. Xavier, love, of course I will do everything in my power to try to avoid any altercations between Jett and Seamus. They're both still young yet, and there's no mistaking that both of them have a very serious connection to Luka, just on different levels. With your permission, Xavier, I would definitely like to take Ben's suggestion of having Skye chat with Luka about being a Vessel and all of that." This was definitely not what she'd been looking for when she Embraced Jett. He wasn't supposed to come as a package deal.

Ventrue might be one of the most powerful Clans in their network, but they also had the weakness where almost all could only feed on a certain type of blood. That could be their downside, because it severely limited their feed options. It was why, when Skye wanted to be Xavier's Vessel, Greg was pulled into the mix too because she was to his taste. He just didn't think isolated taste could get one into this much mess. If he hadn't witnessed Asher's condition and hear his story personally, he would have had a hard time believing Eric could lose control so much. But it showed how any Kindred was forever at risk of a bad slip like this. It was why none of them could be completely trusted. "In my own defence, up until this moment, Seamus has been completely controlled. I have never even witnessed him a frenzy. I even thought so far that perhaps music was the only thing his soul could find a content connection in. This has somewhat put a spanner in those works."

"Seamus is not young," he corrected her with a small frown. "He is over one hundred years Kindred. This is not reckless naive mistake. That is what happens when one encounters their soul mate. You try to deny the connection, and it can send you crazy, almost unable to fight a frenzy. Therein is our issue here. Skye, of course, will chat with any about our Kind. She is very learned of it. But Seamus may find is a terrible struggle if Luka is a Vessel for another."

That was the truth. Seamus had been one of the most controlled of all of them, and there still was something in the theory that his music kept him grounded. Ben wholeheartedly believed that, but he also knew that the whole soul mate thing could negate all other Kindred control or power. Until they met them, they didn't know they needed them, but once they did, it was very difficult to continue without them near. It could be the very reason why Asher wanted to kill himself because he had admitted that he was miserable without Brodie, he didn't want to continue life without him. "It would be easier for Luka to just consider becoming at Vessel for Jett. It would keep Jett calm and it would take some of the strain of Molly that comes with Siring a Brujah childer."

"But." And it was a big but. "We cannot be the ones to cockblock a potential soul mateship. I know none of us would want that on our consciences, least of all Xavier who has experienced the torment it brings to be apart from their soul mate. If that was what we witnessed, we need to let it take it's natural course. Which means allowing Seamus to spend time with Luka, and it means Molly will need to work even harder with Jett, because he will ignite a protectiveness in him for Luka. Luka will need to understand the enormity of the situation, but at the same time, we can't just tell him he might be Seamus' soul mate, because that is a heavy burden for a mortal with little knowledge of our world."

"Why does it feel like the lines we have to walk just keep getting thinner and thinner?" Molly asked softly, stepping over to be close to Ben. "By the time this all settles, I think we'll be the first Kindred to actually go grey. I don't regret my decision to Embrace Jett. Not in the slightest. But fuck me dead, I never saw all of this coming." She casually stepped closer to Ben to rest her head on his shoulder gently. When they were at each other, she and Ben could be each other's worst enemies in a heartbeat. But when they were on the same side, and things were hard, they could also be each other's most calming and soothing influences. Right now, Ben's presence was soothing her, and she needed a connection to her lover.

"There is no way to truly cockblock that," she reasoned aloud, glancing over at Xavier. "I mean, as you've said, Xav understands what it is to be apart from your soul mate, but he also experienced the realization that he couldn't truly be apart from Greg. The facts were that they were made to be together, and they were never going to be able to break the bond between them, no matter how they tried. The question is how do we do all of this without allowing Luka to be harmed?"

Xavier watched Ben and Molly, and his lips and nose were scrunching up with obvious long-suffering annoyance. He was never backward in coming forward about his feelings. He didn't have the label of a fabulous bitch for nothing. But seeing the affection displayed between Molly and Ben was really pissing him off because he was here trying to intercept piles of shit left and right whilst his own mate was at home alone and forfeiting their intimate time so Xavier could be available to clean up all these messes. He wasn't going to make any effort to hide his distaste either. "Excuse me, but if I have to go without affection and comfort from my mate to clean up the messes of your childers - yours, not mine - then I would be appreciative if you do not shove your PDA down my throat if you want me to stay in a relatively accommodating mood."

He gave an eyeroll with a dismissive flick of his fingers in their direction. "Rude," he added for emphasis, a snappy edge to his tone. "The only reason Seamus is even here is because Jett needed entertaining whilst we attend to Kindred business so he would not fuck up like he had before. So, he was actually doing you a favour, Molly. You should be mindful of that forethought when attempting to teach Jett how to handle someone important to him potentially soul-linked to another Kindred. He is far intellectually advanced than most childers, and he wants that facet of him to be respected. As for Eric and Logan, just do not get me started. They took Asher Rose. One of the biggest exports of our City to international field, and if he had exposed himself in his anger, all of the rest of us could be dust by now."

Ben glanced at Xavier, admittedly briefly forgetting in this whole mess that Xavier had a soul mate of his own. Xavier's bitch side was coming out, and he was right to call them out on it because his connection with Greg deserved as much respect as all the mess they were working to try to clean up before it exploded even more. If Xavier was kept apart from Greg for whatever reason, his patience was going to begin to wear thin. And if there was one thing they all knew very, very well, it was that when Xavier decided to bring his bitch out, it was dangerous. He was the oldest of all of them, and one of the most powerful. He had also been a companion to a warrior Kindred and without a shadow of a doubt, Ealasaid would have taught him things that only honed his power even more.

What Ben really wanted to do was go to bed for a week and not think about any of this. But the downside of being a Prince was that he never had that luxury. There was only ruling and keeping a constant finger on the pulse of his City. It just so happened that right now, his own inner circle was causing that pulse to beat off the scale and then some. And as much as he didn't want to admit that Xavier was right, he was. It was times like this that Ben wondered why Xavier wasn't Prince, and seriously considered renouncing to him. "I have put the fate of Eric and Logan's lives into Asher's hands, as soundly advised. Soon enough, there is a distinct chance I may be rid of my Childer, so I would really appreciate as much support in all this as possible. However, for now, I do think that testing Seamus' control with Luka is the best course of action. Molly, you should spend more time with Jett. I believe he is feeling as if he perhaps should be out on his own, and fuck knows, the last thing any of us need is a rebellious and wayward Brujah childer of merely weeks running around alone."

Molly immediately shifted away from Ben, not wanting to trigger Xav to bitch out. And in his defense, it really was crappy for him that he had to be away from his lover and soul mate to be here cleaning up messes, and it was hardly fair for Molly to be taking comfort in her own lover. "My apologies, Xavier," she said sincerely, giving him an apologetic look. It was vital in times like this that all of the parties involved be as cooperative as possible, and the last thing either Ben or Molly needed was a far older Kindred bitching out on them. Besides, Xavier's connection to Greg was without a doubt one of the strongest kinds of connections in the Kindred world. There's was a blood bond that was literally unbreakable, and without each other, they would eventually die.

There was no arguing that Ben's punishment was fair and just. Eric and Logan's actions could very easily have resulted in immediate death, but Ben was wise, and Molly knew that he'd sought counsel from Xavier, too. "Benjamin, you know that you have our support behind you one hundred percent. I intend to spend more time with Jett as well. He's extremely intelligent, and I have no intentions of allowing him to run wild without any guidance." She glanced at Xavier, giving him a small nod. "Of course. I do apologize for jumping to conclusions with Seamus a bit, and I appreciate his presence here. It's just... This is a hell of a mess we've all got going here."

Xavier just gave them both an even look that clearly said, 'So you should be sorry, bitches'. Choosing to mate with someone was a huge deal, and it could even be a life sentence, as many thought it was. The exact reason many didn't take their relationships to that level. But what came with that was the constant need thrumming under the surface to be near your mate. They could do days, even weeks, apart, but their control generally wavered and they risked frenzies when they did. Greg would already be pouting, perhaps even right into sulking realms by now, and Xavier couldn't blame him. But this was the responsibility of a Primogen. It was also exactly why Xavier would never be Prince. He would never put his City above his mate. Greg would always come first.

"The boy, Brodie, he has cancer. Non-hodgkins lymphoma, and has been given approximately a year to live. That could be potentially prolonged with chemotherapy treatment, but my sources say he has refused it. He does not wish to live his last months incapacitated by chemicals being forced into his body. Asher wishes Brodie to be exposed to The Masquerade, but he cannot do it himself. He has little to no control in the boy's presence. There are some other aggravating factors we must look at. Brodie has a mortal best friend whom he lives with, and Asher has indicated he will not allow Brodie to lie to one he sees as a brother. There is also this young man's ex love, who is one of Asher's closest friends. She is Jenna Greene, a friend of Greg and myself, but no knowledge whatsoever of what we are. Asher wishes to expose himself to her also. He has no wish for his friends to conceal anything from them. That is three mortals that we need to prepare for this. Add young Luka to the mix, and we have our work cut out for us."

Mortals were introduced to their world all the time, for various reasons. By accident, by childers wishing to stay in touch with their loved ones, by choice, by desire to be a Vessel. But four in one go all mostly resultant from bad errors of judgement or lack of control? Ben was loathe to even give his authority on it. He knew Xavier would advise his Toreadors in any way he saw fit, but he was also very respectful of Ben's wishes and decisions on matters that would impact on more than one Clan, as this was the case here. It was a domino effect, however. Luka was already exposed. It is uncertain how, but it was probably a case that Molly had been so intently focusing on Jett and inviting to Embrace that she failed to sense another mortal was near. With the possibility that Seamus may have a soul link with him, they couldn't stop that ball already rolling. They wouldn't. Xavier wouldn't allow it. Ben knew that if Seamus had potentially met his soul mate, Xavier would ensure nothing impeded on that.

The three others, though... Ben was nervous. "I am going to need backgrounds on all three. Not just upbringing, career, lovelife. I need access to any potential indication as to their psychology. Not all mortals have that balance of being invited into our world, many end up here by accident. But it we can lessen the blow by analysing how they may take the news, it will hopefully pre-empt any further mistakes of control or judgement. Xavier, you focus on Brodie. Molly, you need to find more of Luka's story and frame of mind. I will get Daniel to search further into the background of Brodie's best friend and if Asher has already chosen to invite his friend Jenna in, then we must leave him with that in his hands. He needs to know he is capable of being a controlled Kindred, especially with mortals, if that is where his fear lies the heaviest."

This was no simple matter. That was for damn sure. Every choice about who was let in on the Masquerade had to be taken very seriously. There was just no room for error in matters like this one. One wrong move -- one slip in the wrong direction -- could cost them all dearly. Molly had already fucked up by clearly not being careful enough in her pursuit of Jett as a childer. If she had been, Luka would be none the wiser, and things would be just fine, at least on her side. But the fact was that, very simply, she'd fucked up, and now she had a tortured mortal begging for Embrace, in combination with a very headstrong and self-assured childer she was responsible for. And then to top it all off, said mortal had apparently proven right from the jump to be Seamus's soul mate, or at least to have a damn good chance of it. This was far too deep of a hole they'd just ended up in, most of it without even having dug it for themselves, and as much as she adored both Eric and Logan, Molly had half a mind to string both of them up by their ears.

Molly listened carefully to Ben's instructions, and gave a nod of understanding. "Of course, darling. I think for now we need to make it clear that Luka cannot be Embraced in his current frame of mind. There is... a great deal that we don't know yet about him, and a lot of the problems he carries with him would probably put him in much the same boat as young Asher. The last thing we need is another Kindred who has been suicidal recently, or worse yet, still is. In the meantime, Ben, you know that I will do whatever is necessary to help with the situation, but any time that you don't need me for that specifically, I do need to pour into spending time with Jett."

"Brodie and my mate," Xavier responded and it was impossible to keep the bitchiness out of his tone now. Primogen duties were the norm for him, but cleaning up the messes after childers and brothers of the Prince weren't on the job description and he was sacrificing time he would usually spend with Greg because of it. From all the accounts he had gotten, Brodie was a sweet young man and very much just an awful casualty of all this. A casualty of something he didn't even know existed, a casualty of his own broken heart, when all he was probably trying to do was face the cancer diagnosis and accept that he was dying. Unless...

Xavier paused then, a deep frown furrowing his features. "We have only assumed Brodie knows he is dying. Our hospital sources confirmed he has terminal non-hodgkins lymphoma but for all we know, he has not been giving all the information. We only know because of Asher's failed feed, but we cannot just assume he has all the information himself. The medical record had no reference to chemotherapy. Has he refused, or has his oncologist just not discussed the situation with him? We are operating on hearsay here. It is, of course, all we have, but we cannot just passover the chance Brodie's illness is more serious than we even have an awareness of. I am the only one Asher had let remotely near boy, and the illness is radiating off him. It almost emulates a feeling of being physically ill yourself to be near it. We may not have as much time as we think here. With that in mind, I am going to sit Seamus down and have a distinct talk with him as to Luka. If only because my focus needs to be elsewhere until Brodie wakes and we have more information. Seamus is highly controlled, but if near his possibly soul mate, that could go down the toilet. I need to understand exactly what it is he is feeling. An initial soul mate connection could emulate the sensation of meeting a distant ancestor. Many Australians have a European Caucasian heritage from Britain and Ireland. Our convicts were sent there and they settled. Luka may simply be related to Seamus."

Xavier was getting really ornery over sacrificed time with his mate. It was an intentional adding of insult to injury because Xavier and Greg came as a package deal these days. Ben knew he relied on Xavier's widsom and sharp instinct to all these sorts of things they were currently dealing with. It would come to a point, however, that if Xavier didn't have time with Greg or feed from him for an extended period of time, he made weaken himself. He gave Xavier a soft, reassuring pat to his back. This was why Ben wasn't sure if he would ever cope with mating with anyone, though he did like to entertain the idea sometimes when he was alone and contemplating the facets of Kindred. And just when he thought he was getting this all sorted, Xavier got that lightbulb face he got when something dawned on him, and Ben just knew a curve ball was coming.

He listened, and his shoulders slumped a little when, through Xavier's characteristic verbal diarrhoea, the extent of the complication of all this was fitted into place. "Fuck," he muttered, squeezing the bridge of his nose. "He could just be Luka's Great Great Great Uncle Seam and here we all are assuming they're soul mates. Awkward moment. Is it really awful of me to be hoping he is just Great Great Great Uncle Seam?" Because that would be a hell of a lot easier than the latter. Jett would be be more inclined to submit to a blood related link and share the protection of Luka with Seamus. Soul mates, though... Jett would likely resist it vehemently until he had proof Luka could be trusted with Seamus. And then there was the confusing realisation with Brodie. "So, on top of everything else, we have to actually ask the poor kid if he knows he's dying? I swear to fucking god, Eric better be glad he is out of my sight right now because if he is here, I would want to introduce his face to a fucking fire."

There was nothing more important in the world to Xavier than Greg, and all of them understood that well. It was no surprise, then, when Xav's patience was running thin the more time he spent away from his mate. Greg would be in a bad mood, too, if Molly knew him. And the sooner they were able to allow Xavier to get back home to Greg, the better it would be for all parties involved. But this was one of those situations where she knew that Ben needed Xavier. There was much to be said about a Prince who so valued the wisdom of his Council. She knew of Princes, even ones who'd ruled over Cities she lived in, who basically only consulted their Councils for the basic purposes of taking their votes on matters of importance. That wasn't Ben's style. He understood that every member of his Council brought something different with them, and for that reason, he respected them, and sought their wisdom.

But the next comments from Xavier were far from what Molly was thinking about at the moment, and they caught her completely off her guard. She just stared blankly at him for a minute, shaking her head. "This is that moment where I'm kicking myself harder than ever for not being absolutely sure that I was alone when I was talking to Jett. The last thing we needed was to bring Luka into our world if he isn't ready. But honestly, if I hadn't brought him here, I fear what he would've done. He was talking about how no one needed him around, and he's been suicidal before. I felt like he needed to be connected with Jett, but it wasn't the best of situations no matter what. How soon can we find out if there's a blood relation between Seamus and Luka? I don't really think this is something that needs to wait."

Ben's frustrations were very valid. It was hard for Xavier to piece all of this together, but for a Prince, he had more than just one Clan he had to keep his finger on the pulse for. The risk of a massive fall-out if anyone ever got wind that the Prince's own brother and Ventrue Primogen took a high class and internationally renowned childer against his will would be epic. It would be awful. It would probably cause a Kindred war and Ben would risk assassination and a new Prince taking over that could very well send the City down the proverbial toilet. It was why they had to tread so carefully here and any move would have to be intricately calculated to keep everything afloat. Xavier would be there to support Ben and help in any way he could, but he wouldn't do it if it risked his mateship with Greg. Greg would always come first, and Xavier needed him to keep a level head. He, himself, could be a very dangerous weapon if he lost control.

"Seamus will know to distinguish the link the more he is in Luka's presence. Which is, perhaps, the difficult part. Jett may not be happy about that at all. They have a blood bond if Jett saved Luka's life. Jett will demand his connection to Luka not be wavered. That is not him being difficult, that is him acting on instinct. Anyone with a blood bond would do the same thing. Greg and Trystan are a very fine example. Greg would kill anyone with his bare hands who harmed Trystan." He massaged his temples briefly, knowing that was exactly why he was nervy about revealing to Greg that Skye could, perhaps, have a soul link to Trystan. "Whilst Jett can probably soothe some of Luka's discontent, he will not be able to heal him of any psychological strain. That is a human trait."

It was a rightly so demand on Jett's part too. Ben knew all about blood bonds because, like Greg and Trystan, he had one with Eric. It was exactly why the betrayal was impacting on him so hard, because he couldn't just sit around hurt that his own brother had put him into such a position like this. He couldn't lament that under his own teachings, as brother of the Prince, Eric should have been able to more adequately control his frenzies and not be taking celebrity figureheads of their own City and Embracing them against their will. It was also why Ben needed support form his whole Council with deciding how to handle this, and most especially from Molly and Xavier, who were his closest and longest-standing friends. All of this shit had just come so out-of-the-blue, but the thing was that Ben had known well in advance that Molly was going to offer Jett Embrace, and he had giving her his blessing and support for it. He knew Jett would be a valuable Brujah, and one that would be loyal and not a rebel, but if Luka was a huge part of him, it could also be a weakness as to his control.

"Even if Luka and Seamus have a connection, whether it be soul mates or blood relations, it won't override a blood bond Luka has with Jett. It would be foolish of us to expect that too, because it would be a one-way ticket to him frenzying and the last thing we need is anymore of our childers fucking doing that. Jett could snap and Embrace Luka himself just to get him away from the rest of us. We can't overlook that risk. But from what I just saw of the mortal, he doesn't seem like Brujah material. In fact, I was getting a lot of senses as to fear, weakness, sadness. I think, in this case, we need to somehow figure out the delicate balance of not blocking Jett's natural instincts to him. Seamus is the stronger Kindred in the scenario, his control will be better than Jett's." He paused, looking at them both wryly. "Unless it is soul mates, and in which case, we could be fucked as to his control."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I was standing... you were there..."

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Ben / Molly / Xav

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