Living as Lenore: Chapter 17 'The Televangelist of the Vampire World'
Title: Living as Lenore
Author: Luna (aka Luna_del_Cielo on lj)
Fandom: Supernatural/Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Cast of Characters: Tara/Lenore McLeod, Fergus McLeod/Crowley, Loki/Gabriel, Anya, Castiel, Kali, Eli, Dean, Sam, Scoobies
Rating: T
Summary: Willow tried to bring Tara back…and she did. Unfortunately, she was brought back to life in 1672. Now 'Lenore' has to deal with witches, demons, pagan gods, and even angels, as she struggles to find the red-haired woman she sees in her dreams.
Pairings: Multiple pairings that will include the characters: Anya, Gabriel, Kali, Tara/Lenore, Willow - at least.
Spoilers: BTVS S6E19 ‘Seeing Red’, SPN S2E3 ‘Bloodlust’. Spoilers for Crowley's past in S6 “Weekend at Bobby’s” and Trickster/Loki's past in S5 ‘Changing Channels’
Warnings: Character death, Femslash (nothing explicit)
Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or Buffy the Vampire Slayer. If I did then fewer people would have died in each of those shows :)
Read specific chapters here: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 | Chapter 16 |
Or all of the entire story here: Living as Lenore
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June 12, 1765
Arles, France
Lenore stood in one of the galleries of the Arles Amphitheatre, the exquisite smaller replica of the Roman Coliseum that was built here during Rome’s rule over Gaul. Eli was at her right side and the dozen vampires of her clan milled freely in the arena area below. Alongside her clan were the fifteen new vampires who had come to hear her speak. Many of them were from the surrounding area and most made this small Southern France town home.
“I have walked this earth for ninety-three years,” she began in an authoritative voice. Lenore hated - no, despised - public speaking but after twenty years of it she was getting better. “For seventy-seven I have been a witch and for sixty-four I have been a vampire. And for sixty-two of those years I have been feeding off of only animal blood.”
Several of the newcomer vampires smirked at one another - likely they were much older than her and were wondering why they should listen to one of her age. Others seemed disgusted that she would feed off something lower on the food chain. “My name is Lenore and I am here to share my enlightenment with you - that it is possible to live in harmony with humans.”
A bald vampire who appeared to have been turned in his early forties laughed outright at her. “Why should we even care about living ‘in harmony’,” he guffawed, “with humans? They are beneath us. Nothing better than cattle.”
Several other vampires voiced their agreement and Lenore held her hand up for silence. “The world is changing. I have seen it in visions.” Which was more or less true. “Human technology is advancing each year and their capabilities to detect and to hunt us are growing.
“I am sure many of you have heard of the Hunters that kill our kind - the ‘mere’ humans - with swords and Dead Man’s Blood. Some of these Hunters are infamous - Daniel Holtz, for example. We may think that these humans are beneath us but already Holtz has killed three-hundred of our kind. Tell me - have you ever seen a cow murder three-hundred humans?”
The crowd went silent and even the one outspoken vampire appeared contemplative at her words. Lenore’s purpose in ‘saving’ vampires from their baser instincts was fueled by her spiritual beliefs. However, while many humans were religious in this century many vampires were not. To turn them to her side Lenore had to appeal to their common sense.
“No, you haven’t. Humans are more advanced than cows and their technology is jumping by leaps and bounds. First we were hunted with swords and now guns and soon they will create even more tools of destruction. As the human world gets more civilized it will be even harder for our kind to hide. Therefore, our only option is to hide ourselves - by feeding off of only animals and not humans.”
“But won’t humans notice if all of their animals are dying?” one female vampire dressed in a petticoat asked in a dry voice.
“Not if we are nomadic and are careful about where we hunt. Furthermore, when we hunt wild animals - deer, moose, and others - we leave the bodily remains for the local predators, like the wolves. Therefore the humans don’t become suspicious by dead animals devoid of blood,” Lenore explained.
“But humans taste goddamn good!” shouted a bearded vampire with a wide smile. The crowd laughed and Lenore allowed herself a small smile. After all, she knew exactly what he was talking about, sadly enough.
“True, true. But our evolutionary process dictates that to survive we need to ignore humans - lest we finally be hunted down and meet the true death,” she remarked gravely.
Knowing that her speech was over as several vampires began to look restless, Lenore performed a summoning spell and a pack of twenty lions appeared in the middle of the arena. Wolfram and Hart had procured the animals for her and hid them away in the underbelly of the arena so that her summoning spell would not be too strenuous. Of course, such a spell made her look most impressive since likely tonight’s attendees would assume she transported the animals here all the way from Africa.
And when you were trying to convert new followers it was always smart for them to be impressed by you.
“Ask questions of my clan about our lifestyle choice. We are happy to accept any who wish to join us and provide them the support they need. Now, hunt and eat!”
As the lions roared in fear - all animals could sense the darkness of a demonic predator - her vampire guests roared back in anticipation and the hunt began.
Lenore sighed and leaned into Eli’s shoulder. He had become her confidant over these last twenty years since they had left Kali and he was her right hand man in all clan issues. “So?”
Eli wrapped one comforting arm around her. “It was good.”
She let out a snort of laughter. “And?”
“Out of the fifteen I saw at least six seem very interested. Out of those we should get three to join us and likely one will make it past the first year.”
Lenore nodded. It was no easy task to convert other vampires to their ways and it was even harder to get them through the human blood detox program. “I was surprised to feel the presence of two half-breed vampires here,” she commented. “Since those vampires are soulless it is very uncommon for them to willingly drink animal blood.” Actually, unheard of completely at this point since Spike hadn’t been born and fallen in love with Buffy yet.
“Really?” Eli mused. “Where?”
“Over there engaging in the almost carnal display of affection over the bloodied body of that male lion,” Lenore gestured. The man had shoulder-length brown hair and wore a large overcoat while the blond woman was the same that had questioned her earlier, the woman in the petticoat. The man was on top of the woman and pushing her skirt up now…and Lenore looked away when she realized they were having sex.
“Strange.”
“Indeed. Well, I suppose I should mingle. Keep watch over the area? My wards are resistant to human bypassers but one can never be too careful.”
“Of course.”
Lenore gave Eli a smile and leapt off of the gallery into the hard dirt of the arena. Ever since she had taken Eli under her wing he had been very supportive of her cause and adopted it as her own - it was nice to not be alone in all of this.
Even if he didn’t come close to filling the hole that Kali left - or even Loki for that matter.
Twenty years and still no word from Kali. She had said she had wanted a clean break and she had gotten it. Loki was still just as silent - it had been fifty-one years since she had seen her old friend. She often found herself wondering what either of them were doing. Kali had said she had only loved two others besides Lenore - her consort Shiva from the Hindu pantheon and Loki. Was Kali with Shiva again? Or had she and Loki made amends? Perhaps Kali and Loki were together right now, laughing at how they had gotten the silly vampire to fall in love with them.
‘Fall in love with Kali,’ is what she meant to think. Kali’s absence in her life was now a dull ache after so many years but it still occasionally felt fresh and stung with pain.
At least Lenore was closer to seeing Willow again. Yes, she had fallen in love with another woman but her feelings for the two were very different. After all her experiences she still loved Willow and dreamt of her. Willow would be born in 1981, just 216 years from now. Of course, that was still a long time…but at least it wasn’t three-hundred years anymore!
“So you are just going by Lenore now, not Prophetess any longer?” an amused female voice asked her.
Lenore whirled to her right and had to fight not to gasp. The woman speaking was the half-breed she had pointed out to Eli - and she realized it was Darla, the Master’s child that had visited Aurelius’ lair so many years ago. The man standing next to Darla gave her a smirk smeared with blood and Lenore realized she was looking at Angel - or rather, Angelus.
“I go by many names. Some even call me God,” she responded coolly.
“God?” Darla asked in confusion as she licked away the last remnants of blood off the lion leg she was holding.
“Yes, but it’s rather informal. It usually goes something like this, “Oh my god, please don’t rip off my pathetic demon head,” Lenore replied snarkily.
Her mind began twisting with thoughts. If Darla was here she could rat Lenore out to the Aurelius. But Lenore couldn’t kill Darla or Angel because then she would interfere with the future as she knew it. But at least she knew that Darla and Angelus were rather sadistic bastards that would appreciate some good snark their way - and hopefully be too afraid to cross her afterwards.
Darla’s laughter sounded like the tinkling of bells and Angelus chuckled darkly. “I thought you said this one was a mouse back in the day, luv. She sounds more lioness now,” Angelus commented in a thick Irish brogue.
Darla lapped up one last mouthful of blood and dropped the leg unceremoniously. “I do enjoy the taste of lion,” she smiled.
Lenore let her arms rest easily at her sides. She was certainly not afraid of these two. Angelus had to be no more than a decade old as a vampire and even though Darla was close to two-hundred years she was no match for Lenore’s magic. “What brings two half-breeds such as yourself here? I know of your reputation - I doubt either of you are interested in a wildlife diet.”
Angelus wrapped his arms around Darla’s waist and leaned his head on top of hers. “Well now, we heard you were serving up lions tonight - we thought it would go rather well with the lambs we had for breakfast.”
Bristling at the implication they ate human children earlier, Lenore gave them each a hard look. “We don’t deal with soulless half-breeds, especially ones of your reputation. I suggest you leave.”
Angelus appeared before her in a show of speed that Lenore had to admit was quite good. “But the party is just getting started now, luv,” he whispered as he trailed one calloused finger down her cheek.
Knowing she couldn’t kill the bastard but that there was nothing against inflicting pain, Lenore grabbed his finger and crushed it in her bare hand. He gasped in pain as each tiny bone broke and Lenore shot Darla a threatening look so she wouldn’t step any closer. “One thing you should remember, Angelus, is that my kind is much stronger than your pathetic half-breed body. I am a truer demon than the one that exists where your soul once dwelled and thus I have enough power to kill both you and Darla before you have a moment to beg for forgiveness.”
Angelus gritted his teeth and snarled at her.
“Now leave here and never come near my clan again,” Lenore ordered as she released Angelus and kicked him backwards. Vampires of their reputation only understood one thing - pain.
Both of them bared their fangs and ‘game faces’ of crinkled forehead flesh, but they left quickly. Lenore only hoped that she didn’t have to worry about them showing up for revenge at a later point.
June 14, 1765
Arles, France
They were living for the time being in the Camargue Forest outside the town of Arles on the banks of the Rhone River. Since Lenore’s speech two nights ago four vampires had joined their clan and tonight was a celebration to welcome them into the fold. For the special occasion Lenore obliged her new family by purchasing several unique reptilian animals from another dimension through Wolfram and Hart. The cost had been severe but she was a woman of means thanks to her insightful investments (the cuckoo clock was a hit in Europe!) and it pleased her to make others happy. The road that her clan travelled was a difficult one and celebrations were necessary to keep up morale.
Besides, the ‘Mortemzilinas’ had delicious spicy blood, were six feet tall, full of fangs and claws, and overall a very fun hunt for everyone.
“Oh my god!” their newest member, Anne, sighed as she swallowed her first mouthful. “My lady, this is maybe even better than human blood!”
Lenore smiled at her enthusiasm and wiped her chin of her meal. “I am glad you think so. This breed is excellent - although I am afraid it is only for special occasions. I hope you will find the strength to be satisfied with our more typical fare of deer and cows.”
Anne laughed happily as she drank further. “If it means I get this every once in a while, I think I’ll be good!”
The tightness in her chest that always arrived upon the acceptance of new members eased slightly. Anne had the enthusiasm for life that often foretold an ability to abstain from humans and stay committed to their lifestyle. Lenore was pleased by this.
Several hours later when the moon was high in the sky they began packing. Her clan never stayed in one area for too long and tonight they would head deeper into the Camargue Forest. It was imperative that their newest members be severed from human contact for the first thirty days if they were to make it in this lifestyle.
Of course, Lenore was tempted after those thirty days to head north , past the Cévennes Forest, to the French province of Gévaudan. Rumors stated that ferocious wild wolves were attacking a number of humans. In the past two years seventy-five people were attacked and the majority of them killed - by being eaten. Needless to say, Lenore was curious if the attacks were the work of werewolves and if so, she wanted to see if she could help.
Oh, alright. Maybe after all these years and one lifetime she still felt guilty about poor Oz finding out that Tara was ‘with’ Willow like that. She kind of felt like she owed the werewolf population something.
“Lenore, I cannot find Anne,” Eli whispered to her, breaking her internal musings, as Lenore cleared away their campsite.
“What do you mean?” she asked sharply.
“She is gone,” he shrugged. “I’m afraid she may have deserted us even sooner than normal.”
“No,” Lenore said quietly as she shook her head. “There was something special about Anne - I was predicting good things from her.”
Eli was quiet for a moment. “You have been wrong before.”
Lenore winced. Their twenty years of converting vampires to animal blood had certainly not been without its share of mistakes. “Perhaps,” she admitted. “Or,” she added as she remembered something. “Perhaps Darla and Angelus have decided to wreak havoc. It would be like them.”
Eli sighed. “Should I warn the others to watch out for the half-breeds?”
“Yes. Also-” But Lenore’s words died in her throat as an arrow embedded in her heart. She looked down at her white peasant blouse and experienced a sense of déjà vu as blood blossomed over her shirt.
“Lenore!” Eli yelled in fear as he caught her falling form. Arrows began to rain down from the skies and her clan members began screaming.
“Hunters,” Lenore gasped as she ripped the arrow all the way through her chest - the sooner she did that the sooner it would heal, but damn did that hurt! “Lead them Eli. Deep into the woods. I’ll use magic. They must think us half-breeds if they’re shooting arrows,” she laughed weakly.
“But-”
“Go!”
Eli gave her a resentful look, clearly despising his orders to leave her behind, but he did as she requested. Already her wound was healing and Lenore performed a spell that she had actually learned from Willow - she thickened the air so that the arrows slowed as if they were caught in honey. Angry male voices sounded behind her and she heard the hooves of horses in a mighty gallop headed in her direction.
Her vision became spotted - she had never been stabbed in the heart before! - and fiery pain spilled through her chest. Lenore coughed up blood as she gathered her strength for another spell. She did not at all want to kill the hunters - even though she stayed away from them Lenore tracked her family tree and knew that Alexander and Elizabeth’s lines consisted of Hunters. God forbid she accidentally kill her own descendent! No, she had to use defensive magic.
Pressing her palms to the earth Lenore concentrated as hard as possible and created a ten foot deep moat around her location in a thirty foot radius. She heard the whinnying of horses and knew that the Hunters must have arrived.
“Dammit! She’s a witch. And a pure vampire!” snarled an angry man.
“But Mr. Holtz, how do we kill her?” asked another.
“Dead Man’s Blood,” the first man, Holtz, whispered.
Lenore felt her heart hammer in her chest. She was weak, terribly weak and wasn’t sure if she could handle anymore magic for at least the next ten minutes until her reserves were filled back up from her first two spells.
She raised her head to look at her attackers and saw a grim faced man raise a bow with a notched arrow dripping with blood. Lenore jerked to the side but the tip still dug into her right arm. She jerked up to run away and her heart burned as she coughed up more blood. Another arrow hit her and another…
And then there was nothing.
June 14, 1765
Arles, France
Lenore awoke bleary eyed and bound to a wooden beam. She felt burning hot and as she glanced around she saw that she was in a barn surrounded by flames. The two vampires from the other night, Darla and Angelus, were arguing as Darla climbed on top of a horse and galloped out of the barn and to safety. Angelus was cursing her as a flaming beam fell on top of him and he quickly shoved it off and then rolled around until the flames had gone.
With a groan Lenore tried to yank off the chain link metal that kept her tied to the beam but realized that her strength was still tapped from the Dead Man’s Blood in her system. Dammit. Her body and mind were weakened by this poison and since she had never been attacked with it before, Lenore had no idea how long it would affect her.
“Help me!” she called out weakly to Angelus. After all, he was obviously going to live through this experience so she may as well tag along.
Angelus glanced at her and scoffed. “Sorry lass, but I need to figure a way out of here myself!” he shouted in annoyance as a burning beam fell and blocked the door.
Lenore felt herself start to sweat and decided she couldn’t wait until the day Angelus was stupid enough to feed off of that gypsy girl. “Break my chains and I can help!” Well, she would try. Concentration was an important ingredient in witchcraft and currently this Dead Man’s Blood had her brain feeling like she had just downed a bottle of liquor in a single shot.
Fierce staccato barks and growls could be heard through eastern wall and Lenore looked towards the flame-coated area in surprise. Suddenly the wall exploded inwards as a massive wolf bounded inside the barn. He was black as coal and his eyes glowed with intelligence. If that wasn’t strange enough, then his size was even more breathtaking. Lenore’s mind was a bit screwy at the moment but she estimated that the animal stood at least four feet tall and sinewy muscled was stretched under his thin fur.
He looked at her and leapt over quickly, easily avoiding a section of the floor were burning hay threatened to singe him. The wolf’s teeth came to snap above her head and for a split second fear squeezed her chest as Lenore thought she was going to die. Instead, the wolf snapped her chains with his teeth and then he carefully picked her up with his mouth. She felt a pressure against her torso but he was not, oddly, hurting her.
“Hey! I want out of here too!” Angelus shouted angrily as he ducked close to the floor to avoid falling debris.
The wolf snarled and Lenore weakly touched its snout. “Please help him,” she whispered. She wasn’t sure which way was which anymore but she did know that Angel couldn’t die. And if she was supposed to help make sure he didn’t…well, she’d do what she could.
The wolf made a noise of annoyance and reluctantly lowered to the floor so Angelus could climb on top of him. Then with his sheer strength and determination the wolf fled the burning barn and took them along for the ride.
At some point during their journey Lenore passed out from the poison in her system and when she awoke she was deep in the Camargue Forest, just outside the campsite of her clan. The wolf was gone, as was Angelus, and Lenore was baffled by the night’s events.
Just what sort of creature had saved her? And why?
A/N:
Thanks to AllenPitt for suggesting that Lenore meet up with the Scourge of Europe and Holtz! He even suggested the barn scene as well.
And I hope you guys enjoy the random bits of history! Heehee, I am kind of a history geek that way… :)
References
* Arles Amphitheatre: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arles_Amphitheatre
* Had to look up exactly how far firearms had progressed by 1765 for Lenore’s speech and that info was found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Firearms
*The woods where they stayed: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camargue
* Those wolf attacks were true and in 1765 one of the wolves was killed. The attacks lasted from 1764-1767 and are a popular story for cryptozoologists (people who study supernatural animals like Nessie). Needless to say I just *had* to make use of the story! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beast_of_G%C3%A9vaudan)
*In ‘Angel’ Season 3 Daniel Holtz is the ‘Big Bad’ of the season and there are a bunch of flashbacks featuring him and Angel. I cannot remember the episode but in 1765 Hotlz does trap them in a barn and Darla leaves Angel, yet we are never shown how Angel escaped. Someone told me that another vampire had been trapped in that barn so I inserted Lenroe! (http://buffy.wikia.com/wiki/Daniel_Holtz)