Consequences
Follows: http://dcu6wordstories.livejournal.com/801172.html?thread=72604052#t72604052
Damian: I suppose you're proud of yourself.
Steph: [she doesn't say anything yet, just glares at him through slitted eyes]
Damian: What the hell were you thinking? Did you think this was going to get me to praise you as a clever warrior? [his voice takes on a mocking tone] Oh, good Stephanie! Endanger our standing here to fight in a war that's not going on here and does nothing to help those back home!
Steph: Fuck you. [She curls up tighter in the blankets, still favoring the arm that the werewolf mangled. It's partially healed, but still quite difficult to move.] Not Sire, don't care what y--
Damian: [He grabs Steph by the shirtfront and yanks her partway out of the nest of blankets she's made. He can't really hold her up, but he gets in her face nonetheless -- eyes a dangerous gold, lips pulled back in a snarl.] Do not forget who you're speaking to, little girl.
Steph: Can't hurt me. [Steph says defiantly, meeting his golden glare with hard blue eyes.] Clan law.
Damian: [His laugh is low and just as mocking as his voice before.] Can't kill you, Stephanie. I can do an awful lot to you before you're even in danger of being dust.
Steph: Sire won't like it.
Damian: Grandsire would like what you've done even less.
Steph: [Steph goes a little paler at that, but remains childishly defiant.] He's only a werewolf, Damian.
Damian: He's probably been taken in by one of the more powerful groups around here, Stephanie. The idiot mortals can be confused that this is their Gotham, but you have no excuses. This isn't Grandsire's territory, or even the Oracle's.
Steph: [stubbornly] It's Gotham. There's no difference.
Damian: [He stares at her for a moment, then pushes her backward, letting her fall back to the bed as he takes a step away.] You really believe that. Has the unbroken bond addled you that badly, girl?
Steph: [Steph recovers easily, since the move wasn't intended to harm her, and looks at him with confusion.] What are you talking about?
Damian: It's nothing that we can fix at the moment, don't concern yourself. [Damian hasn't spent much time with her in their world, because she remains in Gotham City most of the time, while he concerns himself with running most of Bludhaven. He knew -- and was disapproving of the fact -- that her Sire, Tim, had yet to break the bond between them. He'd never heard of someone maintaining the Sire-Childe bond for so long, and Dick had hardly done enough to teach him before breaking their bond, so this was completely out of his experience, as wide as that is.] No one has been able to answer if the Accords are in place, but I would prefer to act as though they do.
Steph: [slightly suspicious] What does that mean?
Damian: It means that we must make amends for your error, and hope the one you attacked yet lives. [He reaches out, putting a hand under Steph's chin and forcing her to look at him.] Understand me, Stephanie. This is not our Gotham. This is not our territory. We have no power here. Under the Accords, if the wolf you attacked is dead? The ruling power here has the right to demand your life in exchange.
Steph: But... that's not how it works, even back home...
Damian: You think that's not how it works because Gotham City is the territory of your Clan leader. You've never been on the other end of the equation, and you see with eyes of a child.
Steph: I... I don't understand...
Damian: [gently,] I know, Stephanie. I know. You've been done a great disservice... one I intend to correct when we go home.
Steph: [frustrated] I can't go home. I need to heal.
Damian: I know that, too. So you can drink from me.
Steph: [She stares at him, still completely confused. She's only ever taken from Sire or Grandsire... indeed, Tim made it clear that he wanted her hunting on her own and not drinking from anyone but him or Bruce.] It's not allowed...
Damian: [impatiently,] Don't be stupid, of course it's allowed. We're family, and you need the blood of an elder vampire in order to heal faster. I can't just drag a few humans home to feed you, with the strict rules of this place, and I know Timothy is a snob when it comes to blood banks. I wouldn't be surprised at all if you are, too.
Steph: [makes a face and opens her mouth to say something]
Damian: [he cuts her off] Mm-hm. Trust me, Stephanie, it's all right. And if Tim gets angry with you for it, I'll talk to Grandsire.
Steph: ....Steph.
Damian: Excuse me?
Steph: ...It's not "Stephanie", it's Steph.
Damian: [amused] Is there a difference?
Steph: Tim and Cass call me "Steph"...
Damian: Hm, I see. [Damian removes his hooded cloak and the high-necked tunic of his uniform, leaving only the dark, long-sleeved undershirt.] Do you think it makes us closer if I do the same?
Steph: [wryly,] It would feel less weird. [She pushes aside some of the blankets, making room for him on the bed.]
Damian: All right. [He moves onto the bed, sitting cross-legged beside her, and tilts his head to expose his neck.] I doubt I have to walk you through this part, Steph...
Steph: No, definitely not. [She shifts to game-face and bites, hard but cleanly, into his neck. The rush of power that laces his blood isn't exactly unexpected, but it's so close to the Grandsire's...]
Damian: [He brings one hand to the nape of her neck. It's just resting there for the moment, playing absently with her hair, but if she drinks too deeply, he'll drag her away.] Just drink, and heal, Steph... [He's worried about the penance that the wolf pack might demand from them, and he can't have her weak when it happens. She's right about Clan law -- he can't kill her without due cause, and even if the wolves demand it as their right through the Accords, he risks hurting the Clan if she dusts. But it all depends on them... her, and them...]
Damian: I suppose you're proud of yourself.
Steph: [she doesn't say anything yet, just glares at him through slitted eyes]
Damian: What the hell were you thinking? Did you think this was going to get me to praise you as a clever warrior? [his voice takes on a mocking tone] Oh, good Stephanie! Endanger our standing here to fight in a war that's not going on here and does nothing to help those back home!
Steph: Fuck you. [She curls up tighter in the blankets, still favoring the arm that the werewolf mangled. It's partially healed, but still quite difficult to move.] Not Sire, don't care what y--
Damian: [He grabs Steph by the shirtfront and yanks her partway out of the nest of blankets she's made. He can't really hold her up, but he gets in her face nonetheless -- eyes a dangerous gold, lips pulled back in a snarl.] Do not forget who you're speaking to, little girl.
Steph: Can't hurt me. [Steph says defiantly, meeting his golden glare with hard blue eyes.] Clan law.
Damian: [His laugh is low and just as mocking as his voice before.] Can't kill you, Stephanie. I can do an awful lot to you before you're even in danger of being dust.
Steph: Sire won't like it.
Damian: Grandsire would like what you've done even less.
Steph: [Steph goes a little paler at that, but remains childishly defiant.] He's only a werewolf, Damian.
Damian: He's probably been taken in by one of the more powerful groups around here, Stephanie. The idiot mortals can be confused that this is their Gotham, but you have no excuses. This isn't Grandsire's territory, or even the Oracle's.
Steph: [stubbornly] It's Gotham. There's no difference.
Damian: [He stares at her for a moment, then pushes her backward, letting her fall back to the bed as he takes a step away.] You really believe that. Has the unbroken bond addled you that badly, girl?
Steph: [Steph recovers easily, since the move wasn't intended to harm her, and looks at him with confusion.] What are you talking about?
Damian: It's nothing that we can fix at the moment, don't concern yourself. [Damian hasn't spent much time with her in their world, because she remains in Gotham City most of the time, while he concerns himself with running most of Bludhaven. He knew -- and was disapproving of the fact -- that her Sire, Tim, had yet to break the bond between them. He'd never heard of someone maintaining the Sire-Childe bond for so long, and Dick had hardly done enough to teach him before breaking their bond, so this was completely out of his experience, as wide as that is.] No one has been able to answer if the Accords are in place, but I would prefer to act as though they do.
Steph: [slightly suspicious] What does that mean?
Damian: It means that we must make amends for your error, and hope the one you attacked yet lives. [He reaches out, putting a hand under Steph's chin and forcing her to look at him.] Understand me, Stephanie. This is not our Gotham. This is not our territory. We have no power here. Under the Accords, if the wolf you attacked is dead? The ruling power here has the right to demand your life in exchange.
Steph: But... that's not how it works, even back home...
Damian: You think that's not how it works because Gotham City is the territory of your Clan leader. You've never been on the other end of the equation, and you see with eyes of a child.
Steph: I... I don't understand...
Damian: [gently,] I know, Stephanie. I know. You've been done a great disservice... one I intend to correct when we go home.
Steph: [frustrated] I can't go home. I need to heal.
Damian: I know that, too. So you can drink from me.
Steph: [She stares at him, still completely confused. She's only ever taken from Sire or Grandsire... indeed, Tim made it clear that he wanted her hunting on her own and not drinking from anyone but him or Bruce.] It's not allowed...
Damian: [impatiently,] Don't be stupid, of course it's allowed. We're family, and you need the blood of an elder vampire in order to heal faster. I can't just drag a few humans home to feed you, with the strict rules of this place, and I know Timothy is a snob when it comes to blood banks. I wouldn't be surprised at all if you are, too.
Steph: [makes a face and opens her mouth to say something]
Damian: [he cuts her off] Mm-hm. Trust me, Stephanie, it's all right. And if Tim gets angry with you for it, I'll talk to Grandsire.
Steph: ....Steph.
Damian: Excuse me?
Steph: ...It's not "Stephanie", it's Steph.
Damian: [amused] Is there a difference?
Steph: Tim and Cass call me "Steph"...
Damian: Hm, I see. [Damian removes his hooded cloak and the high-necked tunic of his uniform, leaving only the dark, long-sleeved undershirt.] Do you think it makes us closer if I do the same?
Steph: [wryly,] It would feel less weird. [She pushes aside some of the blankets, making room for him on the bed.]
Damian: All right. [He moves onto the bed, sitting cross-legged beside her, and tilts his head to expose his neck.] I doubt I have to walk you through this part, Steph...
Steph: No, definitely not. [She shifts to game-face and bites, hard but cleanly, into his neck. The rush of power that laces his blood isn't exactly unexpected, but it's so close to the Grandsire's...]
Damian: [He brings one hand to the nape of her neck. It's just resting there for the moment, playing absently with her hair, but if she drinks too deeply, he'll drag her away.] Just drink, and heal, Steph... [He's worried about the penance that the wolf pack might demand from them, and he can't have her weak when it happens. She's right about Clan law -- he can't kill her without due cause, and even if the wolves demand it as their right through the Accords, he risks hurting the Clan if she dusts. But it all depends on them... her, and them...]