The Two O'clock At Half Past
The one hundred years of the life of Greenwich Village wasn't long in the life of the earth, but for a nation not yet three centuries old, such a legacy was significant. While it had been years since any starving artist could afford to live in the trendy district, the rebellious bohemian spirit, buoyed along by the aura of the university, had lived
( Read more... )
“If he was going to turn me, wouldn’t he have done it by now.” She stopped abruptly, realising too late what she had revealed. “I mean, if he is so all powerful, surely he could do with me what he wishes, so what’s the point in resisting?”
Pouring another glass of juice her hands showed a slight tremor, the orange liquid sloshing haphazardly against the sides of the glass. Bringing it to her mouth, she hid a slight grimace as she noticed the warmness of the tangerine. Standing in the glare of the bouncing beams of sunlight it had noticeably warmed by a few degrees. Who would listen to her. No doubt her friends back home would think her mad or at the least deluded even by the basic fact that he was not human.
“I need to know more about him, what he means to me. His face haunts every dream, every shadow. I struggle to remember, aware of the danger, of the possibility of protective repression “
Reply
"Also, while the nosferatu ego does not like to face the fact directly, they are in many ways fragile. Joining the brood of Sister Lilith has granted them power, but also cost them much. The light we are bathed in here is swift and fiery death to them, so for all feelings of superiority, it does not pay for them to reveal too much, too freely. I think, before this your memory was not prone to such extended lapses, no?
"Now, do not misunderstand me. I do not tell you that following your shadow's lead is certain doom. It is possible of course, that not only are your shadow's intentions benign, but that he might even be able be able to stand by them. That is however, as they say, not something to bank on. I am simply pointing out your assumptions are on shaky ground and proceeding as things stand risks a great deal, which is why you've come to see me. Ultimately, the choice of risks shall be yours.
"But, I see your ice has sucumbed to the light."
Smoothly diverting topics, Kilraven summoned his receptionist again, who brought a fresh glass with more ice a different bottle of juice.
Reply
“So you think he s toying with me to add amusement to an otherwise boring life? I’m sure he could find someone much more willing to entertain him. But why would he say that he cares, that he wants me to succeed. There are many that would have jumped at the chance to advertise The Flesh Theatre, it’s notorious for its bondage dungeon amongst the UK scene, and that’s just one of its specialties. Yet he offered the opportunity to me. He has never been anything but a gentleman around me.”
“The weakness of sunlight is noted, although I’ve heard it before I was not sure of the authenticity. My memory was always pretty good, apart from the odd drunken binge. “ she smirked, “Everything else is still clear.”
Reply
"Understand that for a child of Lilith, charm is even more double-edged than it is for you. Your shadow is gentlemanly as much to convince himself he is civilized as he is to beguile you. Likely more so, really.
"However, I should add in counterpoint that the popular image of Lilith's children as simple monsters is also false. While they are driven by stronger base impulses than Eve's children, they are by no means always clear in their own purposes. It's quite possible that your shadow himself is not entirely certain far as his own motives and ultimate aims are regarding you. Yours might be a case where predator's instinct is not completely ascendant. It is possible, within that window of uncertainty, you might influence him.
"Mind though, you would be playing a high stakes game against an experienced opponent with very few cards in your hand to speak of. It's a very poor gambit, but not a totally hopeless one.
"You must decide how much you are willing to risk. Remember though, that you have more than two choices."
Reply
“He was not even present at the first shoot and it was a complete success. The initial advertisement led to a few jobs in Europe, rates I would never have dreamed of before. He has offered me more, the opportunity to become the face of the club, to lure in a larger crowd. Finally I can see my goal before me. The last model was a huge success, she got front covers of Bizarre, Skin 2 etc. and there were rumours she had a movie deal lined up before she died.”
Reply
"You could simply be a tool for the more obvious reasons. While the motives of Lilith's brood are usually layered, they have more mundane concerns as well. Your shadow may actually want you to be what he professes for the reason he puts forth. There are, after all, many advantages for his kind of have a successful venture of that sort under their control. If that is the case, you both will have uses for each other which, at least for a time, may not conflict. It is most useful, vital really, for any lilu of ambition to have agents who can walk in the day.
"Of course though, there is no guarantee the arrangment will be stable. He does not die natural death, you are keenly aware a model's halflife is limited, and you mention another in your place was sent down the river before her time."
Reply
“ Danger is always on the cards, everyone’s out to screw you over in this business. Unexpected deaths are not uncommon” Sophie shivered at the thought “She was apparently poisoned by silver. I don’t recall the details, it made the press a few years ago.”
Reply
The demon fell silent a moment and shook his head at the latest detail of the unnamed girl's death.
"She was most likely a casualty of surreptitious wars then. Argyria is not easy even to inflict, much less fatally so."
Reply
A look of curiosity and surprise on her face she asked. “Wars, what kind of wars? I though the old gangsters died out here years ago? Is there something I need to be aware of?”
Reply
"It would depend, upon the crowd and upon the beholder. Clad as you are, you would stand out most to the superficial eye if the two of us were to say, walk into a courtroom. To the third eye though, I would be the white crow among black. You are, regardless of the details of your face, body and attire, essentially what you appear to be. I am not. Ironically, your shadow would stand out even more starkly than I would to most.
"As to wars, did you really believe the lilu lived out quiet and peaceful lives wanting only to be left alone? The brood of Lilith hunts and is hunted, there are other shadow breeds who hate them and are hated in turn and they have not lost the habit of warring among each other."
Reply
“So the danger may be more with others than with him.?” The thought reassured her, “Do you venture outside then?” her lips curled into a smile, “If it’s OK, the park was quite deserted at this time earlier in the week. I’m not sure what it’s normally like, but a bit of fresh air may help to clear my head a bit.” She stopped, uncertain of overstepping the demon’s generosity. “That’s if you’ve got more time to spare today.”
Reply
That said, Kilraven rose from his chair and took a black, mid-length coat from the back and pulled it on. It was all it seemed, a matter of course to him.
"After you."
Reply
She stepped out of the office pausing alongside the reception desk to hand a business-card to the prim receptionist. “You can take my details, from this,” she smiled dismissively as she headed to the building’s exit.
Reply
"Going to the arch for a time, Madelyn. I shall return."
* * *
The short walk to Washington Square were uneventful and, with the profusion of local color, innocuous as well. A woman in PVC and a man in a black coat were unremarkable on the fringes of student territory. During the brief waits at the crossings, Kilraven talked casually.
"There is a story about the curse of Lilith's brood. It's said that Adam, in the wake of his departure from the garden, found himself separated from his wife and for a time he partnered with Lilith and became sire to her brood. They too, however, parted. At Adam's request, three members of the celestial host approached Lilith to urge her to return. She refused. The three threatened to kill one hundred of her brood for every day she remained away. Lilith countered that her children and their descendants would prey eternally upon the progeny of Adam and Eve.
"I do not say this story is true in the sense of history. But, there are truths in it.
"Ah, here we are."
Ahead, the imposing arch of Washington Square Park loomed. In its shadow, a motley of NYU student folk lounged about reading, working, talking, dozing and playing chess at the fixed concrete boards.
OOC: Oog. Body has finally put itself mostly back together.
Reply
She thought for a few moments as she glanced around the square for a quite area which might offer some privacy for their conversation, “Or are you warning that he is eternally doomed to pray on me, so any association is ill fated?”
Reply
Kilraven gestured to a stone bench adjacent to a fountain a short distance away.
"Have no worry. The people here will pay attention to what you say only in academic or intellectual terms, if they take interest at all. They might debate your theories, but they will have little thought to the practical accuracy of what you speak of.
"As to ill fate, consider this - you breed livestock for meat, milk and eggs. You may treat them poorly, or you may treat them well, but no matter how much you rely upon them to live, they are still livestock to you. In the end, their fates are in your hands and the best a beast can hope for is to become a pet, who will be kept so long as its master's sentiment lasts rather than only so long as it is useful. Any relation between the children of Eve and the children of Lilith has a similar difficulty with the complication that Eve's brood has more pride as a whole than animals and is wont to resent such a state.
"While the brood of Lilith now grows primarily through converts, that path is the closing argument that in order become equals, you must cease being what you are and irrevocably become what they are."
Reply
Leave a comment