(Untitled)

[notsoyoung]

David enters the bar, ashen-faced, and carrying Angelo in his arms.

Neither of them look great, but Angelo's been knocked out.

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[ahsatan_natasha]

Natasha looks over from where David had left him immersed in memories, and is... somewhat startled.

"David, m'petit... what happened?"

[notsoyoung]

[OOC: All converge on Angelo's thread above?]

"An Angel happened to him," David says. "The same Angel that hurt me."

Angelo starts to wake up and David takes his hand.

[ahsatan_natasha]

He raises an eyebrow.

"An angel hurt you, m'petit?"

[notsoyoung]

He nods and looks away.

"He raped me."

The voice he uses doesn't belong on a strong, grown man.

[ahsatan_natasha]

The voice he uses does not have any warmth in it at all.

"That was not very nice of him, m'petit."

His expression matches his voice, and his eyes are very red.

[notsoyoung]

"No, it wasn't," he says quietly, still not looking at Natasha.

"And now he thinks he has some hold over me and can hurt my friend - my... my boyfriend."

[ahsatan_natasha]

Natasha continues to speak in a quiet cold voice, eyes not leaving David's face.

"... and do you think he has a hold over you, m'petit?"

[notsoyoung]

"I let him take me to the room, knowing I had Angelo. What does that mean to you?"

He looks up at Natasha and freezes, deer-in-headlights.

"I love him. Not the one that hurt me, that hurt Angelo. But... Loki. If that's not a hold on me, I don't know what is..."

[ahsatan_natasha]

"You let him take you, m'petit? Perhaps."

He leans in, very close, red eyes only a foot away from dark brown.

"And if you had not let him, would he not still have taken you? You say he raped you - if you had been willing, it would not have been rape, would it? This implies that you were not willing, and you did not let him do something, and he did it anyway."

[notsoyoung]

He can't tear his eyes away, no matter how scared he is of the flaming red eyes.

"If I had not let him, then he would have hurt me more. I let him take me because he said, once, that he loved me.

"And I do love him."

[ahsatan_natasha]

"How do you know that you love him, m'petit? Believe me well, I know how close love and lust can be. So now tell me, m'petit, do you love him? Would you hold him when you have grown old, once more, and he has not? Will you stay by his side when he Falls? Angels and mortals do not mix well, m'petit. Trust me. I know."

He leans in just a tiny bit closer, until red eyes are all David can see unless he moves away again.

"You do not love him. You have let him break you, and you have turned to despair, and you are telling yourself that you love him simply because if you do not you think you will go mad. You fear him, and you lust for him, and you cling to him even though he will take you with him when he Falls.

"You are an old soul, David Talbot. You were strong, once, and now you have made yourself think that what you are and who you are are the same thing."

He runs the back of a finger down the side of David's face slowly, a bit mockingly.

"So tell me, David Talbot. Do you love the angel who raped you, body and mind?"

[notsoyoung]

His voice is quiet, not flinching away from Natasha even when he traces the finger down his face.

"No," he whispers.

And then he looks at Angelo, and back at Natasha.

"I love the angel who made love to me; the one who told me he loved me; the one who made me mortal."

[bloody_rockgod]

Charlie hears this: his eyes flare.

"The one who made you mortal against your will--without asking--knowing what he was doing--"

[spectral_skin]

Angelo's expression is absolutely neutral.

"Right."

[blue_ajah]

*The Aes Sedai says nothing at all, but watches, silently and warily.*

[notsoyoung]

David looks wide-eyed between Angelo and Charlie, eyes bright with tears.

"He did it for my own good..." he says to Charlie, and then turn to Angelo, reaching for his hand. "He doesn't want me, Angelo, but doesn't want anyone else to have me... but I do."

He lowers his eyes, drops his hand.

I do, don't I?