RP Log with masquebelle | Suspicious Determination
[Follows THIS]
In the world of the Kindred Prince of Paris, there was a hierarchy that tended to be followed that wasn't exactly written, but everyone just knew by default. With Emmeline back, she basically slotted in as Juliette's 2IC, which made her Blaise's 3IC by default. With Blaise uncontactable, news was to be delivered to Juliette or Emmeline in his absence, and word soon came that the Scotsman was awake and mobile at the moment, though he was still in a weakened state so the doctors wanted to keep him until Blaise gave word otherwise. There may have been an escape attempt, but thankfully the wayward Scot was in too bad a shape to get very far and he seemed to be okay just to sleep away the pain for the moment. Riley Finn had it all in order, and was now just awaiting Blaise's directions when they could come.
Emmeline had gone to Blaise's quarters to make sure he would have the information as soon as he was strong enough to receive it. She left a message in her elegant handwriting so he would have it when he woke up. Blaise had been in his bed and completely unconscious in the darkened room when Emmeline got there. If he was mortal, it would just seem like he was ill and taken to his bed to recover. It wasn't that much different for Kindred on the rare occurence something like this happened. Blaise was regaining his strength in sleep and would need to feed once he woke. Juliette had been sitting in one of the velvet arm chairs nearby the bed just watching him. No words passed between Emmeline and her Sire, but she just soberly passed the message on to Juliette, knowing Blaise would get it as he needed it.
Now Emmeline was scaling down the stairs again, her silk silver robe flowing around her slender frame as she did. Evening had fallen, and there was a calmness over the home. She would eventually go out to find someone to spend the night with, but her plans abruptly changed when she spotted the blonde Slayer entering the large front doors. Her eyes zeroed in on the woman, narrowing slightly as an indulgent smile appeared on her lips. "Bonsoir, mon cherie... Fancy seeing you here," she offered smoothly as she intercepted Buffy at the base of the stairs.
"Ah, hi," Buffy offered in return as she tried not to feel off balance, or like she had to automatically enter another staring contest. She stopped at the base of the stairs and looked at Emmeline expectantly as she shifted her weight. Buffy now suddenly wondered why she'd left Rory at the hospital alone, but she'd been asked nicely by Riley just to leave a bit. He'd been annoyed and amused at the same time when he had realised she hadn't managed not to touch, but he had also been relieved when Rory was pretty much normal. "Small world... Plus, you know, with my stuff being here it's kind of hard to avoid this place. Has something happened? Or are you just feeling friendly tonight?"
Emmeline made no attempt to hide that she was looking Buffy over closely. Her fingertips trailed along the pearls adorning her throat and she tilted her head slightly. She had to wonder what Blaise was seeing in this person. Surely he could do so much better, someone who would love and nuture him without running off with false sentiments that she could rid the world of all evil. It was unattractive, really. There was nothing wrong with being an independent woman, but a gentleman like Blaise needed a lady who could give him what he needed and take what he needed to give. This Buffy was really not seeming to live up to those standards. Emmeline had already heard about her bedroom antics with the soldier and the Scot. The only thing more undersirable than that would be if she was in the bed with both of them simultaneously. Yet, she was still here. "I am always friendly, mon chaton," she said with an unreadable smile. "I hear you laid hand on mon oncole's latest charge. Tsk, tsk, tsk. You really do not know your boundaries, do you, cherie?"
Buffy's eyebrows went up before she bit back a sneer. Emmeline was one of those women that just smiled through the insults. Maybe she was saying she was friendly, but her comments were going to be anything but. She was looking for holes to dig into, to make bigger. Reasons to tell Blaise that Buffy wasn't worthy. "He's my friend, not just your uncle's new charge. I've known him a little longer than Blaise, and he's also injured and in pain. It was torture watching him trying to get dressed without offering a hand. That's all."
Emmeline almost rolled her eyes, but she managed to stop the urge. "Time is irrelevant. You should understand that by now. You could have known this Scotsman for the entire span of your life, and Blaise would still trump that at this very moment. What do you have on him. Mere weeks, months? Something that hardly is deserved of even using as a yardstick with a Prince who has nearly reached his fifth century. He is in a medical facility with qualified doctors and nurses in wait. It must have taken a lot of self control not to help yourself to touching his assets again."
"Wow, you're right. You really are friendly. So willing to talk about my petty little mortal dilemmas when you could be using your time so much more valuably. I'm honoured, really," Buffy said as she couldn't help keep the sarcasm from her tone. After a beat she held up her hand to signal some sort of truce. "Look, I don't want to touch his assets again. I'm done with that. It was a stupid mistake on my part. Monumentally stupid, and apparently one I'm not going to be able to live down any time soon. My hands are staying well away from any assets. I'm here for Blaise, that's it."
Emmeline just looked at Buffy blandly. Even her sarcasm was sub-par. She was supposed to respond to that passionately? "It is a relief that you admit to your stupidity, Mademoiselle Summers, because without that, I would make it my personal hobby that Blaise saw it with monotonous repetition until his eyes were opened. For now, he is extensively weakened. He does not need more pain and heartache than you have already caused him, and believe me, Slayer, you cause him anymore and you will be wishing you never even stepped foot in Paris, let alone touched our Prince."
Buffy's shoulders slumped as she looked down at her shoes. Even her boots suddenly felt cheap and inexpensive in Emmeline's presence, and she knew they were anything but. "I have no doubt about that, and if I get any kinda say in it, I won't cause him anymore pain or heartache. Also, for the record, you need to stop calling me Slayer. My name's Buffy. I'm about to become retired, so that nickname's gonna be kinda defunct. I'm also not planning on going upstairs to jump on Blaise's bed, or anything. I'll stay away while he's getting his rest. He also doesn't need to be reminded of my stupidity. He can see it all for himself. I'd rather have your help in helping him see me as not stupid."
Emmeline was still watching Buffy closely. "It would be pointless to go to his quarters, he is unconscious. He would not be aware of your presence," she admitted quietly. There was a worry within her about Blaise, and it had been biting away at her since she returned home. It had been a long time since she had seen him in such a state. He hadn't even been this incapacitated when his love had died all those years ago. She couldn't help being so hostile to Buffy when she seemed to be an aggravation to Blaise's pain. "How am I to get him to see that when I cannot see it for myself? You underestimate him and you insult him comparing him to your past and those imbecilic and filthy races you waste so much time trying to eradicate. He deserves so much better. Of what am I to convince him, Mademoiselle?"
Buffy reached up to tuck her hair behind her ears as she stayed quiet for a long moment to consider the answer. Emmeline had a point. Everyone had a point. The only one who didn't make her feel so stupid though was Rory. "He's not feeling any better? If he's not awake, what's going to happen to Rory?" She shrugged and struggled to find something to do with her hands when she found herself under even more scrutiny from Emmeline. "I've stopped with the comparisons, okay? That's some seriously old news, but I guess it's not when there's someone like you with all your years of experience talking about it. Everything is relevant, right? And no one in the history of Kindred has ever made mistakes. No one has ever come from outside with certain experiences and managed to eventually let them go to embrace this world. Right? I mean, wow, that would just be so ridiculous. If you haven't noticed, I actually haven't tried to eradicate anything lately. Maybe he does deserve better, but right now I'm the one here trying. You could convince him that I am retiring, that I'm concerned about him, that I hope he's okay. That I care about him."
"I believe the Scot will be brought here to recuperate. He will have his own quarters and staff to assist him, there will be rooms for his friend to reside in too. In close vicinity to Blaise. It is a mere presence that will placate them both. It does not need to be direct contact or interaction." Emmeline was once again looking at Buffy with narrowed eyes. "Your immaturity and petulence is extremely unattractive. Blaise will get bored of that, I believe. I have seen it in the past. The history of Kindred is vast. We are talking about royalty here. There is a different set of standards and expectations. Clearly well above you to understand considering you keep resorting to sarcasm in an attempt to make yourself feel less stupid. I think you are living breathing proof that even Kindred royalty are capable of mistakes," she said with a slight sneer. "I have not noticed, nor do I care what you do to make yourself feel important, Mademoiselle. All I care about is your intentions to Blaise. He is the one who has to care what you are doing in his city, and it is a relief to hear that you wouldn't resort to ultimate idiocy in Slaying here under his watch. He would have you destroyed if you tried. He wouldn't even need to see it, he would sense it. To care about him, cherie, you have to care about what he is and why he is Prince. You have to come to love all of this as he does," she waved her hand elaborately past the surroundings, "and not just make sarcastic fun of it. This is all Blaise."
"I'm not making sarcastic fun of it. You're just being a smiling assassin. What else am I suppose to do? I didn't want to do anything to piss you off, but I think it's clear me just existing pisses you off, and I do love this place. It's insanely beautiful, and decadent, and comfortable, and it really is Blaise. I feel a little out of place, but I can't help it. I'm not used to places like this. I'm not used to standing next to people like you that automatically make me feel like I'm some mannequin collecting dust. I used to think I dressed well, but now... Not so sure. Even Rory hated my shirt." She took a deep breath and expelled it slowly through her nose. "I just want to be right for him."
Emmeline examined her perfectly manicured nails for any invisible blemishes. "I would not take it personally, cherie. There are a lot of people in this world who piss me off just by existing. The Scotsman has Ventrue taste, you can hardly blame him. They have standards, just like Toreador. Why settle for less when you can have better quality? It makes no sense." She made sure all the rings on her fingers were straight and in place before she carefully traced her fingers through the tips of her hair. She couldn't help it if she was perfect. She had many years to get it right. "I used to be like you, once upon a time. I grew up on a farm in country France. You want to play with the big guns, mon belle, you have be prepared to handle them with the grace they deserve."
Buffy gave her a small smile. "Well, that just makes me feel so much better. I don't blame him, it's just strange hearing him all Ventrued. He decided he hated green, and he needs Egyptian Cotton sheets and a spa bath. If you can afford the better quality then it makes perfect sense." Buffy watched, once again trying not to shrink down into the carpet for not being as perfect as Emmeline. "I'm still sure you grew up in style. After all, you were the daughter of Marie Antoinette. I really am trying to get it right."
Emmeline smiled proudly. If this Scotsman wasn't already Juliette's, so to speak, she would definitely be interested in having a taste of that. But Emmeline would never touch anyone Juliette was, or had been in the past, interested in. Never. It was an unwritten rule that Emmeline never wavered on. "You like to think you are very sure of a lot of things, do you not, chaton?" she said in amusement. "I did not. I am not lying to you. I grew up on a farm with my parents. I was taken from my mother, the Queen, when I was en enfant when they believed my death was imminent. I did not come to Paris until I was of age. But even the descendants of my adoptive parents went on to make a wonderful life for themselves. If people want to make a better life for themselves and be able to afford fine things, the ability is there. Some just wish to... wallow and merely exist. Hard work, earning one's own way, it seems like a disease to some. Blaise was left with but the clothing on his back when he was Embraced, mon cherie. All of this you see and have been invited into. He has worked for it all. His world was built from nothing. A situation I believe you find yourself in right now. The question is, do you have the same desire as him to better yourself and find a place in life you are simply made for?"
"I like to think I know what I'm talking about sometimes," Buffy admitted with a wry smile. "I don't want to be the token dumb blonde. Even though apparently I seem to be able to do that without really trying. I don't want to seem so totally clueless and such a lost cause that people don't even bother trying to talk to me. I can't help it. But when you came here, you still wanted this life, didn't you? Once you understood what Blaise was... What Juliette was. What did you think of them when you first met them?" Buffy started to chew on her lip as she glanced past Emmeline up to where all the pictures lined the hall and the staircase. All the beautiful vases, and the rich wallpaper that looked like it had been handmade. She couldn't imagine something like this for herself. She loved nice thing, and she loved being in this mansion, but she just couldn't imagine working for something like this. Still, she had to admire Blaise for building it all from scratch. She also hated the guy that had Embraced him against his will. A lump caught in her throat and she swallowed it down. "I just don't know what to do other than retire. My options seem to centre around guns, and I don't know if I'm ready for them."
"Guns." Emmeline rolled her eyes. "Never were to my taste. A beautiful man holding a gun, however... now that I could come to. Unfortunately, they are necessary. Saved your Scotsman's life, I do believe. They have saved Blaise's life more times than I can count. I stopped keeping count of how many times someone tried to assasinate him around 1832. Not so many attempts these days with more and more technology. He is about as untouchable as he can be now, and people yearn to protect him. Paris has never had a better ruler. Most are reluctant to fathom what Kindred France would be like without him." She gestured around her again. "How could I not want this life? How could I not wish to remain with them? Blaise was my family, and he gave me so much and offered me even more still. I would have had the moon and the stars if he had the ability to gift them to me. At that time, he was... he had a lover. She was beautiful. They loved each other dearly, and I yearned for that. I wanted to live and I wanted to experience everything I could get my hands on. In my time, people rarely lived beyond forty, fifty at the most. I wanted more time. All the time in the world. I did not want to lose them, and they did not want to lose me. It was never a difficult choice."
Buffy threw her hands up. "Thank you! I felt like the only person who wasn't totally in love with guns. I thought I must have had some kinda defect. Well, the hot men holding guns I do have to agree with. Riley was always hot with a gun. I think Rory would be, too. Has Blaise ever held one? He said he's been military. I don't think he really said what, though. I realise they've saved lives in this world. And I get that, I do. In mine they just kept taking lives. That's why I was never a fan. If I want a job in this world, to be a part of this world... I have to like them. He didn't want you to be embraced though, did he? He told me as much. He can't regret it now, though. He's had you in his life a lot longer than normal time would have permitted. And you're happy, and you've embraced it. He can't argue with that. Did you find love, though?"
Emmeline gave a small nod. "Blaise is a highly skilled marksman. He shoots more for a hobby, however, than to injure anyone. He owns a shooting range around an hour drive from here, frequents it regularly. He was a Sergeant Major with the French Foreign Legion in World War Two. He knows his stuff, mon belle. He is just too modest to flaunt it. You do not see me with a gun, you do not see Juliette. Some people are naturals, but it is not all there is to life. Certainly not. But if you feel you can only survive by taking lives, cherie, you may have bigger issues than even Blaise can help you with. A stake or a gun, what is the difference, really? A demon or a vampire, a Kindred killer, a pedophile... all evil, non? What makes your style of killing above that of a gun? What makes your prey more evil than a child killer?" She raised an eyebrow pointedly and then leaned casually against the bannister. "Non, he did not wish me Embraced but it was my choice. He eventually gave his blessing, under strict orders that Juliette and no one else Sire me. I spent many years learning to be the Kindred I am today. Until I learned, he did not let me out of his clutches. He did not wish me to be used as a weapon. Which happens now and again. Kindred Childers in the wrong hands can be devastating. I have never found anyone to match me enough to love."
"He does?" Buffy found herself asking as she tilted her head in thought. So Blaise had a shooting range. That was more than a little interesting. Still, Emmeline had some more interesting points that made Buffy just want to sink down onto the stairs and not move until she could work out a solution to what the hell she was going to do with the rest of her life. "I never really doubted that he did know his stuff. I just wanted to know what kind of stuff it was. Yeah, but you're a supermodel and Juliette's crazy talented with art, and a Primogen. I can hardly be one of those, and I'm rubbish at singing. I bet you wouldn't endorse me for a model lifestyle, either. I just figured military or police work might be options for me. It's not like I have to kill, it's just... what else is there? A shop assistant?" Buffy looked up at Emmeline again. "Does that worry you that you haven't found anyone yet? Is Airlie in danger of being used as a weapon? Is that what they wanted with Rory? Some kinda Childer weapon?"
"I guarantee you, there is a hell of a lot about Blaise you do not know yet, mon belle. Taking him on face value is the position of one of his people, not of a lover. You say you feel that you are a lost cause and that people do not bother to talk to you, but with Blaise, I cannot believe for a moment he has treated you like that. Blaise will talk if he believes he is being listened to. I can only think you have not really been listening. There is just too much for you to possibly know in the extremely short time you have known him. But if he thinks you are not listening to him, you will lost his attentions, cherie. Take that as you wish." Emmeline gave a long-suffering sigh. This girl was so close-minded to so many things. The world wasn't as black and white as she believed it was. "We are Toreador. We are artistes. Blaise is Ventrue, a businessman and a leader. But we are Kindred, cherie. When you are Embraced, your positive traits continue to be emphasised and nurtured so that the other traits fall into the background. This is not so for mortals. You all remain to hone a wide range of traits and emotions, often to irritation when they continue to clash. Are you really so blinkered to life that does not revolve around you? That is sad, you know. And borderline pathetic. Open your eyes, Mademoiselle! Stop seeing just the interiors of your little Buffy box. Why not just start with stopping and learning more about Kindred before trying to infiltrate our world without much knowledge? With knowledge, a whole world of new avenues will open up to you. Even just under this very roof, there are a number of roles vital to Blaise's existence. Imagine what all of Paris... of France... can offer. It does not worry me. Unlike Blaise, I do not need love to survive. I need passion and admiration, but not love. Airlie is not, Rory... the jury is still out. He has underlying talents that would make a skilled Kindred weapon. Some believe he knows a lot more than he is letting on."
Buffy resisted the urge to kick at the floor and act like a petulant child that had just been scolded. This was the other thing annoying her - the fact that everyone seemed to just assume she didn't listen. She did listen. Just somehow whenever she spoke, it just made it seem like she wasn't listening. She was also still trying to figure out how she was supposed to learn about Kindred life if no one had the time for her, and if Blaise just assumed she wasn't taking it in. "He said he'd tell me when I needed to know. And I never disagreed with the fact that it takes a lot of talking to really know someone. I am listening! I do listen to him. Really." She just didn't want to lose his attentions. Buffy reached out to touch the railing, her fingers running over the polished wood. "Rory was the one that had to try and tutor Airlie when her Sire abandoned her. I think he'd know whatever he needed to so that he had her back, and so his best friend wasn't completely clueless. I also know he doesn't want anything biting him. Twice now he's been attacked, and he really doesn't care for it. As for me, I have every intention of looking outside my Buffy box. It's what I'm trying to do every day."
"How do you know it is just twice, mon ami? From his word? Ever heard the anaology 'once bitten, twice shy'? Perhaps that is something that needs slightly more analysis. He has had a difficult past, non? And is a Hunter. Who is to say he has not crossed Kindred paths in the past?" Emmeline threw out there with a smirk. She was merely relaying word passing through the ranks of late. At least the Primogens. No one else really knew anything had gone on. They all believed Blaise was tied up in an international venture. "There is learning about Kindred and there is learning about Blaise. Two different sources of information. Indeed, he is the best source to understand Kindred, but there are other ways. He has a whole library of information here. The books, however, just look so average and boring, everyone passes them by. Besides, most who come here already know what they need to know."
Buffy raised her eyebrows. "So now his word isn't even any good? He'd tell me if it had happened more than once. Airlie was his first encounter with Kindred... that he knew about it being Kindred." Still, Buffy frowned a little as she considered the alternative. If Kindred were so secret, it was impossible to know if you had crossed paths with them anyway. "So I'm already behind the eight ball by not knowing? Great. Even if the books do look so average and boring, at least it's a source I can go to."
"I think you're full of your own self-importance, mon ami, and I think you underestimate the power and necessity of secrets. It is possible for people to just say what they want others to hear. We are Kindred, we live and breathe The Masquerade. Concealing our secrets is our ultimate obligation, above all else. Just because you do not entirely understand it or feel you are being evaded does not mean you are being hard done by. It does not mean we have a vendetta out against you. Do you not think that if the Scot has crossed paths with Kindred in the past, he may have the same respect for The Masquerade as we do? He has nurtured the knowledge, encompassed it in his life. Is living breathing proof he intends to protect us because of Mademoiselle MacKenzie. We need more of his kind, belle. A kind you could very much be part of if you stopped feeling sorry for yourself about knowledge you are yet to receive. Embrace it, love it, love us... or go sit in the corner and pout like a child not getting what she wants immediately when she wants it. We need to know we can trust you and you are not as volatile as you have so far come across to us."
Buffy nodded as she bit back any argumentative denials about being a sulky child. She still thought she'd shown respect for Kindred, but apparently not in a way that they understood. She also wanted to see Blaise, but she wasn't going to be able to. He was unconscious. Xander and Airlie were no doubt canoodling now that it was night, and Juliette and Buffy were hardly gal pals. She pulled her mouth to the side as she just stood there quietly for a moment before she looked up at Emmeline. "Does my shirt really suck? Maybe you could just help to make sure I at least have a Blaise friendly wardrobe?"
Emmeline just looked at her quietly. She could understand clearly now why Blaise was so frustrated. This woman kept avoiding subjects when she didn't want to hear them, changing the subject to suit herself. "I believe a wardrobe is indicative of one's personality. You do not wish to look like a fish out of water, non?" was all she said, happy to dismiss the conversation if it was so wished. "You might wish to start by wearing the gift he gave you. I would not be blaming him if he was wondering if you pawned it by now. They were more than just diamonds to him."
Buffy blinked. "Of course I didn't pawn it! I've been keeping it safe and sound. I just... I wasn't sure if they were everyday diamonds because they were so precious to him. I would never forgive myself if something happened to them." Buffy looked down at her feet again for a moment and sucked in a tiny breath. "Thanks for talking to me, Emmeline. I know I'm probably annoying as all hell. I don't do it on purpose. I just want to get this right. I want to be right for him. I've never thought so hard about my life before. About who I am, what I want to be... If I am right for someone else."
"To be right for him, you have to be right for yourself first. I believe he has for more confidence in you than you do of yourself. I would pity you right now, if I did not understand how you felt. I have been in your shoes. He gave me everything I needed to be who I am. He never dictacted what I should be, just gave me the love and support to find my own way. That is all he is doing for you, Buffy. But unless you want to find it, you are only fooling yourself and giving him false hope. Cease looking at everything with blinkers on. Take them off, and see what is around you. You might surprise yourself. There is more to life than guns and combat. You enjoy learning, non? You have an army, albeit a questionable one... perhaps your path lies in helping others understand." Emmeline raised her eyebrows slightly as she pushed away from the bannister with elegant ease. "But you must understand yourself first."
Buffy couldn't help but smile. "Well, you definitely have Yoda beat in looks. Not to mention the lack of grammatical errors. I feel like I should be going to meditate with candles right now. Or find a lightsabre and start on my path as a Jedi. All a joke, by the way. A bad, bad joke. I do understand what you mean, though. And I really can't argue with any of it. It makes sense, and at least I can understand it all a bit better now. I feel so stupid. I've been so stupid."
"I would be talking in tongues too if I had to deal with that whiny little Anakin pain," Emmeline returned with a dismissive wave of her fingers. "Men that whine, nothing more of a turn off in my opinion. I prefer to know my men have balls. You simply need to look past the fact Blaise is a vampire. I understand that has been a sticking point for you. You hardly know him, that is hard to swallow, but not even married couples expect to learn so much about each other so quickly. It is a process. There has just been aggravating circumstances with his weakness."
"A weakness that's not really going to diminish until he has love, is it?" Buffy asked Emmeline quietly as she frowned with concern. "Kind of a total bitch of a Catch 22."
"Not really. He needs love, not to grow a second penis. It is not impossible," Emmeline pointed out. "It is just that little bit harder for him than most. Most people only find love once or twice in their life. Blaise has loved and lost many times over. Every time, it gets harder to open his heart."
Buffy nodded. "True, and I can't really blame him for that. I haven't loved yet, and I still can't even imagine what it's like for him. To need love like that to survive, to have to love and keep losing those people." She gave a small shake of her head. "He's gotta be strong for that. I'm just in awe of him."
Emmeline wet her lips. "He not only needs to love, he needs to be loved in return. That is the heartbreaking part. He is still living a cursed life. He loves so deeply, it just is not always returned in that capacity. He is powerful, therefore he is feared. My heart aches for him."
Buffy bit her lip as she nodded again. Her expression was sad as she thought once again about whether or not she could be up to the task. "Yours and mine both."
In the world of the Kindred Prince of Paris, there was a hierarchy that tended to be followed that wasn't exactly written, but everyone just knew by default. With Emmeline back, she basically slotted in as Juliette's 2IC, which made her Blaise's 3IC by default. With Blaise uncontactable, news was to be delivered to Juliette or Emmeline in his absence, and word soon came that the Scotsman was awake and mobile at the moment, though he was still in a weakened state so the doctors wanted to keep him until Blaise gave word otherwise. There may have been an escape attempt, but thankfully the wayward Scot was in too bad a shape to get very far and he seemed to be okay just to sleep away the pain for the moment. Riley Finn had it all in order, and was now just awaiting Blaise's directions when they could come.
Emmeline had gone to Blaise's quarters to make sure he would have the information as soon as he was strong enough to receive it. She left a message in her elegant handwriting so he would have it when he woke up. Blaise had been in his bed and completely unconscious in the darkened room when Emmeline got there. If he was mortal, it would just seem like he was ill and taken to his bed to recover. It wasn't that much different for Kindred on the rare occurence something like this happened. Blaise was regaining his strength in sleep and would need to feed once he woke. Juliette had been sitting in one of the velvet arm chairs nearby the bed just watching him. No words passed between Emmeline and her Sire, but she just soberly passed the message on to Juliette, knowing Blaise would get it as he needed it.
Now Emmeline was scaling down the stairs again, her silk silver robe flowing around her slender frame as she did. Evening had fallen, and there was a calmness over the home. She would eventually go out to find someone to spend the night with, but her plans abruptly changed when she spotted the blonde Slayer entering the large front doors. Her eyes zeroed in on the woman, narrowing slightly as an indulgent smile appeared on her lips. "Bonsoir, mon cherie... Fancy seeing you here," she offered smoothly as she intercepted Buffy at the base of the stairs.
"Ah, hi," Buffy offered in return as she tried not to feel off balance, or like she had to automatically enter another staring contest. She stopped at the base of the stairs and looked at Emmeline expectantly as she shifted her weight. Buffy now suddenly wondered why she'd left Rory at the hospital alone, but she'd been asked nicely by Riley just to leave a bit. He'd been annoyed and amused at the same time when he had realised she hadn't managed not to touch, but he had also been relieved when Rory was pretty much normal. "Small world... Plus, you know, with my stuff being here it's kind of hard to avoid this place. Has something happened? Or are you just feeling friendly tonight?"
Emmeline made no attempt to hide that she was looking Buffy over closely. Her fingertips trailed along the pearls adorning her throat and she tilted her head slightly. She had to wonder what Blaise was seeing in this person. Surely he could do so much better, someone who would love and nuture him without running off with false sentiments that she could rid the world of all evil. It was unattractive, really. There was nothing wrong with being an independent woman, but a gentleman like Blaise needed a lady who could give him what he needed and take what he needed to give. This Buffy was really not seeming to live up to those standards. Emmeline had already heard about her bedroom antics with the soldier and the Scot. The only thing more undersirable than that would be if she was in the bed with both of them simultaneously. Yet, she was still here. "I am always friendly, mon chaton," she said with an unreadable smile. "I hear you laid hand on mon oncole's latest charge. Tsk, tsk, tsk. You really do not know your boundaries, do you, cherie?"
Buffy's eyebrows went up before she bit back a sneer. Emmeline was one of those women that just smiled through the insults. Maybe she was saying she was friendly, but her comments were going to be anything but. She was looking for holes to dig into, to make bigger. Reasons to tell Blaise that Buffy wasn't worthy. "He's my friend, not just your uncle's new charge. I've known him a little longer than Blaise, and he's also injured and in pain. It was torture watching him trying to get dressed without offering a hand. That's all."
Emmeline almost rolled her eyes, but she managed to stop the urge. "Time is irrelevant. You should understand that by now. You could have known this Scotsman for the entire span of your life, and Blaise would still trump that at this very moment. What do you have on him. Mere weeks, months? Something that hardly is deserved of even using as a yardstick with a Prince who has nearly reached his fifth century. He is in a medical facility with qualified doctors and nurses in wait. It must have taken a lot of self control not to help yourself to touching his assets again."
"Wow, you're right. You really are friendly. So willing to talk about my petty little mortal dilemmas when you could be using your time so much more valuably. I'm honoured, really," Buffy said as she couldn't help keep the sarcasm from her tone. After a beat she held up her hand to signal some sort of truce. "Look, I don't want to touch his assets again. I'm done with that. It was a stupid mistake on my part. Monumentally stupid, and apparently one I'm not going to be able to live down any time soon. My hands are staying well away from any assets. I'm here for Blaise, that's it."
Emmeline just looked at Buffy blandly. Even her sarcasm was sub-par. She was supposed to respond to that passionately? "It is a relief that you admit to your stupidity, Mademoiselle Summers, because without that, I would make it my personal hobby that Blaise saw it with monotonous repetition until his eyes were opened. For now, he is extensively weakened. He does not need more pain and heartache than you have already caused him, and believe me, Slayer, you cause him anymore and you will be wishing you never even stepped foot in Paris, let alone touched our Prince."
Buffy's shoulders slumped as she looked down at her shoes. Even her boots suddenly felt cheap and inexpensive in Emmeline's presence, and she knew they were anything but. "I have no doubt about that, and if I get any kinda say in it, I won't cause him anymore pain or heartache. Also, for the record, you need to stop calling me Slayer. My name's Buffy. I'm about to become retired, so that nickname's gonna be kinda defunct. I'm also not planning on going upstairs to jump on Blaise's bed, or anything. I'll stay away while he's getting his rest. He also doesn't need to be reminded of my stupidity. He can see it all for himself. I'd rather have your help in helping him see me as not stupid."
Emmeline was still watching Buffy closely. "It would be pointless to go to his quarters, he is unconscious. He would not be aware of your presence," she admitted quietly. There was a worry within her about Blaise, and it had been biting away at her since she returned home. It had been a long time since she had seen him in such a state. He hadn't even been this incapacitated when his love had died all those years ago. She couldn't help being so hostile to Buffy when she seemed to be an aggravation to Blaise's pain. "How am I to get him to see that when I cannot see it for myself? You underestimate him and you insult him comparing him to your past and those imbecilic and filthy races you waste so much time trying to eradicate. He deserves so much better. Of what am I to convince him, Mademoiselle?"
Buffy reached up to tuck her hair behind her ears as she stayed quiet for a long moment to consider the answer. Emmeline had a point. Everyone had a point. The only one who didn't make her feel so stupid though was Rory. "He's not feeling any better? If he's not awake, what's going to happen to Rory?" She shrugged and struggled to find something to do with her hands when she found herself under even more scrutiny from Emmeline. "I've stopped with the comparisons, okay? That's some seriously old news, but I guess it's not when there's someone like you with all your years of experience talking about it. Everything is relevant, right? And no one in the history of Kindred has ever made mistakes. No one has ever come from outside with certain experiences and managed to eventually let them go to embrace this world. Right? I mean, wow, that would just be so ridiculous. If you haven't noticed, I actually haven't tried to eradicate anything lately. Maybe he does deserve better, but right now I'm the one here trying. You could convince him that I am retiring, that I'm concerned about him, that I hope he's okay. That I care about him."
"I believe the Scot will be brought here to recuperate. He will have his own quarters and staff to assist him, there will be rooms for his friend to reside in too. In close vicinity to Blaise. It is a mere presence that will placate them both. It does not need to be direct contact or interaction." Emmeline was once again looking at Buffy with narrowed eyes. "Your immaturity and petulence is extremely unattractive. Blaise will get bored of that, I believe. I have seen it in the past. The history of Kindred is vast. We are talking about royalty here. There is a different set of standards and expectations. Clearly well above you to understand considering you keep resorting to sarcasm in an attempt to make yourself feel less stupid. I think you are living breathing proof that even Kindred royalty are capable of mistakes," she said with a slight sneer. "I have not noticed, nor do I care what you do to make yourself feel important, Mademoiselle. All I care about is your intentions to Blaise. He is the one who has to care what you are doing in his city, and it is a relief to hear that you wouldn't resort to ultimate idiocy in Slaying here under his watch. He would have you destroyed if you tried. He wouldn't even need to see it, he would sense it. To care about him, cherie, you have to care about what he is and why he is Prince. You have to come to love all of this as he does," she waved her hand elaborately past the surroundings, "and not just make sarcastic fun of it. This is all Blaise."
"I'm not making sarcastic fun of it. You're just being a smiling assassin. What else am I suppose to do? I didn't want to do anything to piss you off, but I think it's clear me just existing pisses you off, and I do love this place. It's insanely beautiful, and decadent, and comfortable, and it really is Blaise. I feel a little out of place, but I can't help it. I'm not used to places like this. I'm not used to standing next to people like you that automatically make me feel like I'm some mannequin collecting dust. I used to think I dressed well, but now... Not so sure. Even Rory hated my shirt." She took a deep breath and expelled it slowly through her nose. "I just want to be right for him."
Emmeline examined her perfectly manicured nails for any invisible blemishes. "I would not take it personally, cherie. There are a lot of people in this world who piss me off just by existing. The Scotsman has Ventrue taste, you can hardly blame him. They have standards, just like Toreador. Why settle for less when you can have better quality? It makes no sense." She made sure all the rings on her fingers were straight and in place before she carefully traced her fingers through the tips of her hair. She couldn't help it if she was perfect. She had many years to get it right. "I used to be like you, once upon a time. I grew up on a farm in country France. You want to play with the big guns, mon belle, you have be prepared to handle them with the grace they deserve."
Buffy gave her a small smile. "Well, that just makes me feel so much better. I don't blame him, it's just strange hearing him all Ventrued. He decided he hated green, and he needs Egyptian Cotton sheets and a spa bath. If you can afford the better quality then it makes perfect sense." Buffy watched, once again trying not to shrink down into the carpet for not being as perfect as Emmeline. "I'm still sure you grew up in style. After all, you were the daughter of Marie Antoinette. I really am trying to get it right."
Emmeline smiled proudly. If this Scotsman wasn't already Juliette's, so to speak, she would definitely be interested in having a taste of that. But Emmeline would never touch anyone Juliette was, or had been in the past, interested in. Never. It was an unwritten rule that Emmeline never wavered on. "You like to think you are very sure of a lot of things, do you not, chaton?" she said in amusement. "I did not. I am not lying to you. I grew up on a farm with my parents. I was taken from my mother, the Queen, when I was en enfant when they believed my death was imminent. I did not come to Paris until I was of age. But even the descendants of my adoptive parents went on to make a wonderful life for themselves. If people want to make a better life for themselves and be able to afford fine things, the ability is there. Some just wish to... wallow and merely exist. Hard work, earning one's own way, it seems like a disease to some. Blaise was left with but the clothing on his back when he was Embraced, mon cherie. All of this you see and have been invited into. He has worked for it all. His world was built from nothing. A situation I believe you find yourself in right now. The question is, do you have the same desire as him to better yourself and find a place in life you are simply made for?"
"I like to think I know what I'm talking about sometimes," Buffy admitted with a wry smile. "I don't want to be the token dumb blonde. Even though apparently I seem to be able to do that without really trying. I don't want to seem so totally clueless and such a lost cause that people don't even bother trying to talk to me. I can't help it. But when you came here, you still wanted this life, didn't you? Once you understood what Blaise was... What Juliette was. What did you think of them when you first met them?" Buffy started to chew on her lip as she glanced past Emmeline up to where all the pictures lined the hall and the staircase. All the beautiful vases, and the rich wallpaper that looked like it had been handmade. She couldn't imagine something like this for herself. She loved nice thing, and she loved being in this mansion, but she just couldn't imagine working for something like this. Still, she had to admire Blaise for building it all from scratch. She also hated the guy that had Embraced him against his will. A lump caught in her throat and she swallowed it down. "I just don't know what to do other than retire. My options seem to centre around guns, and I don't know if I'm ready for them."
"Guns." Emmeline rolled her eyes. "Never were to my taste. A beautiful man holding a gun, however... now that I could come to. Unfortunately, they are necessary. Saved your Scotsman's life, I do believe. They have saved Blaise's life more times than I can count. I stopped keeping count of how many times someone tried to assasinate him around 1832. Not so many attempts these days with more and more technology. He is about as untouchable as he can be now, and people yearn to protect him. Paris has never had a better ruler. Most are reluctant to fathom what Kindred France would be like without him." She gestured around her again. "How could I not want this life? How could I not wish to remain with them? Blaise was my family, and he gave me so much and offered me even more still. I would have had the moon and the stars if he had the ability to gift them to me. At that time, he was... he had a lover. She was beautiful. They loved each other dearly, and I yearned for that. I wanted to live and I wanted to experience everything I could get my hands on. In my time, people rarely lived beyond forty, fifty at the most. I wanted more time. All the time in the world. I did not want to lose them, and they did not want to lose me. It was never a difficult choice."
Buffy threw her hands up. "Thank you! I felt like the only person who wasn't totally in love with guns. I thought I must have had some kinda defect. Well, the hot men holding guns I do have to agree with. Riley was always hot with a gun. I think Rory would be, too. Has Blaise ever held one? He said he's been military. I don't think he really said what, though. I realise they've saved lives in this world. And I get that, I do. In mine they just kept taking lives. That's why I was never a fan. If I want a job in this world, to be a part of this world... I have to like them. He didn't want you to be embraced though, did he? He told me as much. He can't regret it now, though. He's had you in his life a lot longer than normal time would have permitted. And you're happy, and you've embraced it. He can't argue with that. Did you find love, though?"
Emmeline gave a small nod. "Blaise is a highly skilled marksman. He shoots more for a hobby, however, than to injure anyone. He owns a shooting range around an hour drive from here, frequents it regularly. He was a Sergeant Major with the French Foreign Legion in World War Two. He knows his stuff, mon belle. He is just too modest to flaunt it. You do not see me with a gun, you do not see Juliette. Some people are naturals, but it is not all there is to life. Certainly not. But if you feel you can only survive by taking lives, cherie, you may have bigger issues than even Blaise can help you with. A stake or a gun, what is the difference, really? A demon or a vampire, a Kindred killer, a pedophile... all evil, non? What makes your style of killing above that of a gun? What makes your prey more evil than a child killer?" She raised an eyebrow pointedly and then leaned casually against the bannister. "Non, he did not wish me Embraced but it was my choice. He eventually gave his blessing, under strict orders that Juliette and no one else Sire me. I spent many years learning to be the Kindred I am today. Until I learned, he did not let me out of his clutches. He did not wish me to be used as a weapon. Which happens now and again. Kindred Childers in the wrong hands can be devastating. I have never found anyone to match me enough to love."
"He does?" Buffy found herself asking as she tilted her head in thought. So Blaise had a shooting range. That was more than a little interesting. Still, Emmeline had some more interesting points that made Buffy just want to sink down onto the stairs and not move until she could work out a solution to what the hell she was going to do with the rest of her life. "I never really doubted that he did know his stuff. I just wanted to know what kind of stuff it was. Yeah, but you're a supermodel and Juliette's crazy talented with art, and a Primogen. I can hardly be one of those, and I'm rubbish at singing. I bet you wouldn't endorse me for a model lifestyle, either. I just figured military or police work might be options for me. It's not like I have to kill, it's just... what else is there? A shop assistant?" Buffy looked up at Emmeline again. "Does that worry you that you haven't found anyone yet? Is Airlie in danger of being used as a weapon? Is that what they wanted with Rory? Some kinda Childer weapon?"
"I guarantee you, there is a hell of a lot about Blaise you do not know yet, mon belle. Taking him on face value is the position of one of his people, not of a lover. You say you feel that you are a lost cause and that people do not bother to talk to you, but with Blaise, I cannot believe for a moment he has treated you like that. Blaise will talk if he believes he is being listened to. I can only think you have not really been listening. There is just too much for you to possibly know in the extremely short time you have known him. But if he thinks you are not listening to him, you will lost his attentions, cherie. Take that as you wish." Emmeline gave a long-suffering sigh. This girl was so close-minded to so many things. The world wasn't as black and white as she believed it was. "We are Toreador. We are artistes. Blaise is Ventrue, a businessman and a leader. But we are Kindred, cherie. When you are Embraced, your positive traits continue to be emphasised and nurtured so that the other traits fall into the background. This is not so for mortals. You all remain to hone a wide range of traits and emotions, often to irritation when they continue to clash. Are you really so blinkered to life that does not revolve around you? That is sad, you know. And borderline pathetic. Open your eyes, Mademoiselle! Stop seeing just the interiors of your little Buffy box. Why not just start with stopping and learning more about Kindred before trying to infiltrate our world without much knowledge? With knowledge, a whole world of new avenues will open up to you. Even just under this very roof, there are a number of roles vital to Blaise's existence. Imagine what all of Paris... of France... can offer. It does not worry me. Unlike Blaise, I do not need love to survive. I need passion and admiration, but not love. Airlie is not, Rory... the jury is still out. He has underlying talents that would make a skilled Kindred weapon. Some believe he knows a lot more than he is letting on."
Buffy resisted the urge to kick at the floor and act like a petulant child that had just been scolded. This was the other thing annoying her - the fact that everyone seemed to just assume she didn't listen. She did listen. Just somehow whenever she spoke, it just made it seem like she wasn't listening. She was also still trying to figure out how she was supposed to learn about Kindred life if no one had the time for her, and if Blaise just assumed she wasn't taking it in. "He said he'd tell me when I needed to know. And I never disagreed with the fact that it takes a lot of talking to really know someone. I am listening! I do listen to him. Really." She just didn't want to lose his attentions. Buffy reached out to touch the railing, her fingers running over the polished wood. "Rory was the one that had to try and tutor Airlie when her Sire abandoned her. I think he'd know whatever he needed to so that he had her back, and so his best friend wasn't completely clueless. I also know he doesn't want anything biting him. Twice now he's been attacked, and he really doesn't care for it. As for me, I have every intention of looking outside my Buffy box. It's what I'm trying to do every day."
"How do you know it is just twice, mon ami? From his word? Ever heard the anaology 'once bitten, twice shy'? Perhaps that is something that needs slightly more analysis. He has had a difficult past, non? And is a Hunter. Who is to say he has not crossed Kindred paths in the past?" Emmeline threw out there with a smirk. She was merely relaying word passing through the ranks of late. At least the Primogens. No one else really knew anything had gone on. They all believed Blaise was tied up in an international venture. "There is learning about Kindred and there is learning about Blaise. Two different sources of information. Indeed, he is the best source to understand Kindred, but there are other ways. He has a whole library of information here. The books, however, just look so average and boring, everyone passes them by. Besides, most who come here already know what they need to know."
Buffy raised her eyebrows. "So now his word isn't even any good? He'd tell me if it had happened more than once. Airlie was his first encounter with Kindred... that he knew about it being Kindred." Still, Buffy frowned a little as she considered the alternative. If Kindred were so secret, it was impossible to know if you had crossed paths with them anyway. "So I'm already behind the eight ball by not knowing? Great. Even if the books do look so average and boring, at least it's a source I can go to."
"I think you're full of your own self-importance, mon ami, and I think you underestimate the power and necessity of secrets. It is possible for people to just say what they want others to hear. We are Kindred, we live and breathe The Masquerade. Concealing our secrets is our ultimate obligation, above all else. Just because you do not entirely understand it or feel you are being evaded does not mean you are being hard done by. It does not mean we have a vendetta out against you. Do you not think that if the Scot has crossed paths with Kindred in the past, he may have the same respect for The Masquerade as we do? He has nurtured the knowledge, encompassed it in his life. Is living breathing proof he intends to protect us because of Mademoiselle MacKenzie. We need more of his kind, belle. A kind you could very much be part of if you stopped feeling sorry for yourself about knowledge you are yet to receive. Embrace it, love it, love us... or go sit in the corner and pout like a child not getting what she wants immediately when she wants it. We need to know we can trust you and you are not as volatile as you have so far come across to us."
Buffy nodded as she bit back any argumentative denials about being a sulky child. She still thought she'd shown respect for Kindred, but apparently not in a way that they understood. She also wanted to see Blaise, but she wasn't going to be able to. He was unconscious. Xander and Airlie were no doubt canoodling now that it was night, and Juliette and Buffy were hardly gal pals. She pulled her mouth to the side as she just stood there quietly for a moment before she looked up at Emmeline. "Does my shirt really suck? Maybe you could just help to make sure I at least have a Blaise friendly wardrobe?"
Emmeline just looked at her quietly. She could understand clearly now why Blaise was so frustrated. This woman kept avoiding subjects when she didn't want to hear them, changing the subject to suit herself. "I believe a wardrobe is indicative of one's personality. You do not wish to look like a fish out of water, non?" was all she said, happy to dismiss the conversation if it was so wished. "You might wish to start by wearing the gift he gave you. I would not be blaming him if he was wondering if you pawned it by now. They were more than just diamonds to him."
Buffy blinked. "Of course I didn't pawn it! I've been keeping it safe and sound. I just... I wasn't sure if they were everyday diamonds because they were so precious to him. I would never forgive myself if something happened to them." Buffy looked down at her feet again for a moment and sucked in a tiny breath. "Thanks for talking to me, Emmeline. I know I'm probably annoying as all hell. I don't do it on purpose. I just want to get this right. I want to be right for him. I've never thought so hard about my life before. About who I am, what I want to be... If I am right for someone else."
"To be right for him, you have to be right for yourself first. I believe he has for more confidence in you than you do of yourself. I would pity you right now, if I did not understand how you felt. I have been in your shoes. He gave me everything I needed to be who I am. He never dictacted what I should be, just gave me the love and support to find my own way. That is all he is doing for you, Buffy. But unless you want to find it, you are only fooling yourself and giving him false hope. Cease looking at everything with blinkers on. Take them off, and see what is around you. You might surprise yourself. There is more to life than guns and combat. You enjoy learning, non? You have an army, albeit a questionable one... perhaps your path lies in helping others understand." Emmeline raised her eyebrows slightly as she pushed away from the bannister with elegant ease. "But you must understand yourself first."
Buffy couldn't help but smile. "Well, you definitely have Yoda beat in looks. Not to mention the lack of grammatical errors. I feel like I should be going to meditate with candles right now. Or find a lightsabre and start on my path as a Jedi. All a joke, by the way. A bad, bad joke. I do understand what you mean, though. And I really can't argue with any of it. It makes sense, and at least I can understand it all a bit better now. I feel so stupid. I've been so stupid."
"I would be talking in tongues too if I had to deal with that whiny little Anakin pain," Emmeline returned with a dismissive wave of her fingers. "Men that whine, nothing more of a turn off in my opinion. I prefer to know my men have balls. You simply need to look past the fact Blaise is a vampire. I understand that has been a sticking point for you. You hardly know him, that is hard to swallow, but not even married couples expect to learn so much about each other so quickly. It is a process. There has just been aggravating circumstances with his weakness."
"A weakness that's not really going to diminish until he has love, is it?" Buffy asked Emmeline quietly as she frowned with concern. "Kind of a total bitch of a Catch 22."
"Not really. He needs love, not to grow a second penis. It is not impossible," Emmeline pointed out. "It is just that little bit harder for him than most. Most people only find love once or twice in their life. Blaise has loved and lost many times over. Every time, it gets harder to open his heart."
Buffy nodded. "True, and I can't really blame him for that. I haven't loved yet, and I still can't even imagine what it's like for him. To need love like that to survive, to have to love and keep losing those people." She gave a small shake of her head. "He's gotta be strong for that. I'm just in awe of him."
Emmeline wet her lips. "He not only needs to love, he needs to be loved in return. That is the heartbreaking part. He is still living a cursed life. He loves so deeply, it just is not always returned in that capacity. He is powerful, therefore he is feared. My heart aches for him."
Buffy bit her lip as she nodded again. Her expression was sad as she thought once again about whether or not she could be up to the task. "Yours and mine both."