Post by claude on Sept 4, 2010, 6:04am
![[image]](http://i756.photobucket.com/albums/xx207/SheriffNorthman/headers/claudeheader1.png "[image]")
claudeCRANE.
she's way in over her head, i think she's gonna drown
it's all or nothing, there's no guessing, looks like it's over, but it's just begun
Claude's hands wrung together as he walked slowly up the uneven gravel driveway just off Hummingbird Road, the nerves of the situation he was approaching quickly getting to him. The call he had received from Sookie late last night still played clearly through his head, just as it had nearly all night long, keeping him from his precious and necessary beauty sleep, plaguing his indecisive thoughts as he tossed and turned hopelessly in bed, unable to find any kind of peace. The situation was so complicated, Claude didn't even know where to begin with it. He had contemplated avoiding it all together, but could he really do that? Sookie had put him in a position he never wanted to be in, but what was new about that?
Damn Claudine and not taking her responsibilities seriously...
It really wasn't fair. His younger sister was the fairy who had so anxiously taken on the role of guardian to their distant, mostly human cousin in order to put her closer to earning her wings as an angel. Claude had no interest in such pointless things. Early on in his life, he had decided the Fae realm and the politics of his family simply were not for him. He didn't want to do his part to carry on his dying race. He didn't want to follow in his father and grandfather's footsteps. He wanted to live in the human realm, enjoying the pleasures and offerings of the human world. He wanted to live a long, selfish, and safe existence away from the world he had been born into. Claudia and Claudine could do as they pleased, which no doubt meant making their family happy by immersing themselves in the fae, but Claude's choices were for him and non-negotiable. Given his preferences, no one had truly expected him to add to their population or 'do his part.' He was free to his nearly human existence...
At least, he had been until he had ratted Claudine out.
Looking back, he honestly wondered why he had. His visits to Faery were few and far between and most often only made when he needed to renew his strength and ability quickly after too much fae magic in the human realm, so why had he insisted on seeing his elders during one such trip? He knew why. In the few encounters he had had with Sookie, it had been alarmingly clear Claudine had been absent in her life. Sookie was running around with vampires, doing their bidding like some kind of prized pet, being put in harms way on more than one occasion, and injured more often than excusable. A time or two, Sookie had even seemingly sought him for advice and guidance. Him. Did he look like some kind of sage, filled with wisdom she couldn't do without? Fuck no. He was a strippper. That's how desperate she was for guidance.
It was inexcusable, especially when the girl had a fae guardian all her own.
How many messages had he left Claudine informing her just what their young cousin was up to? Every single one went unanswered. He understood well enough that she had a life, but he had one too! It wasn't his job to keep an eagle eye on the Bon Temps telepath. She seemed to think his fleeting encounters with their cousin was enough, but it wasn't. When he had gone to Faery and sought an audience with the fae elders, he had expected them to call Claudine in, to remind her of her obligations and that she would need to fulfill them to attain the wings she coveted so dearly. He'd be able to return to Monroe unburdened and go back to his self-centered life of dancing, modeling, and earthly entertainments, right? Right.
Wrong.
Of course it wasn't that simple. Claudine had been stripped of her responsibilities, momentarily sidetracked from her goal of the heavens by their grandfather because cousin Sookie was too important to abandon. Did this girl need some kind of round the clock supervision or something? Apparently, she did, and before Claude's head could stop spinning, the job of guarding Sookie was squarely in his lap. Wonderful. Just what he always wanted. A human to babysit. That was so not the accessory he was looking for this season. Begrudgingly, he had accepted the responsibility. He knew he couldn't turn down his grandfather, not when his father was looking so sternly at him, making it clear he needed to do this for their family. Sigh. In his encounters with Sookie thus far, she hadn't been offensive company, not anymore than most humans were, at least. How much trouble could one girl be? He could handle this in between Hooligans, his romantic life, and his spa appointments, right? Right.
Wrong again.
The previous night's phone call made it clear just how much he had underestimated his cousin's pull towards trouble. She wanted to know how to prepare edible blood dishes. Why would she want such a ridiculous thing as that? Because she was involved with a vampire. Not just any vampire, oh no. She had to be involved with Eric Northman, the vampire Sheriff of Area Five, a thousand years of experience, draining machine. The fairy let out an audible groan at the sight of the red Corvette with the "BLDSKR" plates in the driveway. So much for her being alone. Not even the fact that the noon sun was so prominent overhead made Claude comfortable. What in the hell was she thinking?! She was playing a game more dangerous than she could ever imagine. Sure, the fairy could acknowledge even he was easily tempted by the vampire lurking somewhere in or near her dwelling for his daytime death, but he knew the risks, and he had fae magic on his side. What did Sookie have?
She didn't even have a clue.
That wasn't really her fault. Sookie had been kept from the knowledge of her true lineage due to politics and promises, but Claude was going to change that today. Sure, he had sworn to keep the secret, to protect her without ever exposing her to the truth, but she was just too damn difficult for that. He wasn't after angel wings, he wasn't afraid of being banned from Faery. While he didn't want to have a falling out with his family, he had made his decisions and they were for him. Keeping the secret wasn't worth being a full-time babysitter with worry lines and wrinkles to a fully grown young woman. If Sookie was going to endanger herself by shacking up with a vampire, more power to her, but she was going to do so knowing it could easily be the death of her. He'd play his role as guardian, but she needed to understand where there were lines he couldn't cross and roads that were foolish for her to travel. Before she could play Bloody-Betty Crocker, she had to know the truth, because apparently, she hadn't picked up his hints.
Pulling open the screen door, the fairy rapped loudly a few times on the front door of the old farmhouse, his eyes still locked on the bright red car parked in the driveway. Not even turning to look as his cousin opened the door, he frowned. "You and me have to have a discussion about the definition of alone, cousin," he stated accusingly before his eyes finally swiveled away from the vehicle to take in the telepath in the doorway. Frowning slightly as he looked her over, he let out a sigh. "I may prefer the company of men, but you really could put a little effort into your appearance," he insisted, moving past her and into her home before she had the chance to invite him in. "Lesson one, we're a very proud people, so show it." And he was a shameless bitch, but he didn't care.
Eyes darting around what he assumed was her living room for any signs of the vampire he could practically feel the presence of, he hesitantly sat down on the very edge an arm chair, frowning at it thoroughly before taking his seat, once more without an invitation. "You need a decorator. Badly. Critically, really. That's not a lesson, but perhaps it should be because this," he continued, gesturing around the room, "is so many kinds of tragic, I can't even begin to tell you. I hope you don't normally have people over because... well... ew." It really was a good thing he had been the one to take Sookie on, even if he didn't like it. Claudine was too nice to say what everyone was thinking, and Claudia would have taken one look at the hot mess that was Sookie's home and just decided to hell with the assignment, incapable of fleeing from it fast enough.
Finally looking away from the tacky surroundings in order to once more look at Sookie, he sighed again. "Well? Are you going to offer me something to drink? Never mind," he continued without pause. "I'm not interested in anything, not when there is so much to discuss. Especially not when I have to have you back here long before sunset so I'm not anywhere near when Mr. Viking Man rises from whatever crypt he's crawled into, hungry and horny." Well, the horny part would be alright by Claude, but not the hungry part. "Hmm, on second thought, I'll have a coffee," he decided, still without being offered anything. "I didn't get much sleep... your fault." He didn't really require much sleep, but a little extra energy wouldn't hurt when he had so much to convey to the telepath and seemingly so little time. She was stubborn too. That wouldn't help matters any. Right now, Claude could use absolutely all the help he could get and then some.
Rising from the chair as abruptly as he had sat down in it, the fairy began wandering deeper into Sookie's home as if he was free to do so, or had done so many times before. Pausing for a moment to stare at the closed doors in her hallway with some scrutiny, he continued on into her kitchen, inspecting it as he had her living room and sighing at it's appearance. "You understand that I am a fairy, correct, cousin?" he asked, mostly rhetorically. Of course she did. He had made no secret of it, and the magic he was capable of had helped her out a time or two already. Carefully sitting down at one of the chairs that surrounded an old table, he continued on. "I am a full fairy, meaning my blood is only that of the fae. We are a... suffering race, endangered and growing ever closer to extinction, but we possess a magic and gifts unlike any others. My grandfather is an incredibly powerful prince, ancient to our people, who claims an affinity to the sky." There was a pride in his voice he couldn't deny. Despite having made his choices, Claude was proud of his lineage. "He had three sons. The two eldest- twins- were born to a human woman many centuries ago. The youngest, my father, was born to a fairy." Looking at Sookie, Claude could tell she wasn't expecting any of this information, and had no idea what to do with it or why he was reciting it, despite it's importance to her. Sighing and rolling his eyes, he decided to simply lay the cards on the table. "His first born was called Fintan, and he was your grandfather."
((I don't expect anything like this back... I just figured it was important to add all the back story shit, but I gave four paragraphs of dialog so you had something to actually respond to))
Re: Entertaining Angels
Post by Sookie Stackhouse on Sept 4, 2010, 7:44pm
![[image]](http://i56.tinypic.com/29xht0h.png "[image]")
s o o k i e s t a c k h o u s e .
Moment of honesty, someone's gotta take the lead
If you have something to say, you should say it right now
Sookie was delightfully cheerful despite not getting nearly enough sleep. Or maybe it would be better to say she was delightfully cheerful because she hadn't gotten nearly enough sleep. Sookie just hadn't been able to stop smiling as she thought about the vampire safely asleep in her bed while she got ready for company. Alcide's guys had fixed her room to be light-proof and fixed the door so it locked from both the inside and the outside, so Sookie was confident that no one was getting into her room but her while Eric was asleep. It'd been a little tough to explain, and she'd gotten more than her fair share of judgmental looks, but that was nothing new, and she wasn't about to apologize for making sure her man was safe, even if her man was a vampire. She was very happy he was finally able to stay in her room, and nothing was going to ruin that for her.
Of course, she'd have much rather just stayed in bed with Eric, but Claude was being all weird. She'd originally called him to get in touch with his sister, Claudia, about learning how to make vampire-edible food. Weirdly enough, when Sookie explained, the fairy completely flipped. She didn't understand it. It didn't sound like jealousy but genuine concern, and that just didn't make sense. He'd admitted to doing some less than reputable things with Roman, and everyone knew he lusted after Eric. Vampires were safe enough for him to be with, but not her? He was the one who tempted them like addicts to the bottle. Sure, she'd been told she smelled good and things like that, and Eric really liked how she tasted, but she wasn't a fairy for goodness sake. It wasn't like vampires couldn't control themselves around her.
Sookie didn't get it, but as she heard a knock on the door from where she was just straightening up in the living room, she knew she'd have her chance to finally demand some answers. Opening the door after checking who was on the other side, a girl could never be too careful these days, Sookie smiled at Claude. Unfortunately, the expression was wasted as Claude didn't even see it. "He's dead asleep. Literally." Vampires did that. Sookie considered herself pretty alone, at least in terms of being overheard. Sleeping vampires budged for no one, as far as she knew anyway. Sookie couldn't even pretend to be surprised as Claude insulted her appearance, not bothering to point out that she actually had tried to look nice. She respected Claude, as much as one could anyway. He'd never judged her because of her ability, negatively or positively as far as he could tell. She liked that about him. He was one weird fairy, though. Stepping aside so as not to get trampled as he just walked right into her house, she shook her head. "Come on in," she offered, even though he was already inside. It was gonna be a long afternoon.
Putting her hands on her hips as Claude insulted her home, though, that was a different story. "Gran decorated this place. I've lived here my entire life. It reminds me of her, and I think it's homey," she insisted, her voice maybe a bit sharper than she would've normally been with him. She didn't think it was any kind of tragic, though the fact that no one had taught Claude any manners really was. Gran had been a good woman, and she wouldn't have this fairy disrespecting her in her house. It was maybe a little eclectic and outdated, but it was charming, and anyway, she hadn't asked him. "It's really impolite to come to people's houses and insult their taste in decorating anyway," she pointed out, though she doubted he'd care. He never did.
Opening her mouth to respond as Claude demanded an offer for a drink, it really would've been the first thing out of her mouth on normal occasions, but the fairy had shocked her out of her own manners. It was reprehensible, but Gran would've understood. Apparently Claude didn't want anything anyway. No wonder Eric had been so reluctant to call him himself. He was talking a million miles a minute, as if there was some huge rush, and it was only noon. Sunset wasn't for hours and hours. "Coffee it is," Sookie answered, not sure whether to laugh or sigh at Claude's conversation with himself. "I can't possibly see how you not sleeping is my fault. I called at a completely reasonable hour," she pointed out, and he hadn't sounded remotely tired or like he'd been asleep when she'd called.
Still, she went to the kitchen to get him his coffee, not wanting to be a bad host. Just because Claude's manners were awful didn't mean hers had to be. It wasn't long before Claude had followed her into the kitchen, and she handed him a mug of coffee, holding onto one for herself as she sat down at the table with him. "Yeah, I know that," she acknowledged as he went on some explanation about how he was a fairy and called her that weird nickname of hers. She didn't actually know much about fairies, so the lesson was interesting, even if she had no idea why she was getting it. It sounded like Claude had a nice family tree, and him being royalty certainly explained his sense of entitlement, but she didn't understand why he was getting into it unless he was going to criticize her decorating again.
Blinking slowly as he finished, Sookie shook her head, fighting a laugh. "My grandfathers' names were Earl and Mitchell," she explained, wondering where on earth, or not so earth, Claude had gotten this information. It was nothing short of ridiculous. She hadn't known either of her grandfathers like she'd known Gran, but she definitely knew their names, and none of them were named Fintan. Besides, she was sure someone would've mentioned that to her. "Is that why you're always calling me cousin?" she finally realized, wondering if that was the clue to the weird nickname. "I was always trying to figure that out. Claude, I think you're great and all, but there's really no way we're related, especially when your family is entirely fairy and mine's not at all."
Re: Entertaining Angels
Post by claude on Sept 4, 2010, 8:51pm
claudeCRANE.
she's way in over her head, i think she's gonna drown
it's all or nothing, there's no guessing, looks like it's over, but it's just begun
Rolling his eyes dramatically as Sookie defended her tragic home, Claude sure had his work cut out for him. It was literally his job to help this hopeless girl out, and she needed more help than he ever could have prepared for. "It's not homey, honey," he corrected with a shake of his head. "It's homely, and no one wants to live in or be in a homely home." It was like a flea market had exploded, and she didn't object to the fallout. He shuddered. "Oh get over yourself," he continued, his eyes rolling once more as she insisted his words were "impolite." Hello! When had she ever known his words to be polite? Claude didn't waste compliments on anyone, that way he had plenty for himself. "I'm trying to help you before you're swallowed up whole by this whole second hand chic look you're trying to pull off," he continued, an edge in his voice. He was so not used to helping people, it was weird to remember it really was his responsibility to do so now. "It wouldn't kill you to be a little more appreciative."
Wrapping his hands around the mug of coffee, he inspected it critically before sniffing at it carefully, mentally debating whether he actually wanted the drink or not. He didn't like being flustered, but he knew he was. Sookie was rapidly turning into a full time job and he so didn't need that. It was only made more difficult by the fact that she just didn't seem to realize what kind of trouble she was, nor what kind of trouble she was in. He had to make her listen to him, and from the way she was already fighting how ugly her home was, he knew it was going to be no easy task to get her to see things his way. Would she be quick to accept her lineage? He doubted it and sighed aloud at the revelation. Was it too early to ask for tequila?
Staring blankly at her as she actually laughed at the information he was relaying, he didn't understand what was so amusing about it, but Sookie certainly seemed amused. Rolling his eyes as she seemingly attempted to let him down easily that they weren't related, the fairy was in no mood for her to make this more difficult than it already was. "I just told you my family is not entirely fairy," he pointed out, already frustrated. No wonder Claudine had been the one assigned to her. His youngest sister had patience that he and Claudia had never even pretended to possess. "I just told you my grandfather's first two children were born to a human. My uncles, which includes your grandfather, are only half fae. If you're not going to listen, we're going to have problems, cousin," he scolded. "I'm not supposed to be telling you at all, but you're making this all very difficult on me, so listen from now on."
Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he had to remember he was dealing with someone with nearly no real knowledge of the fae and one who had had no reason to ever question her lineage her entire life. Patience, he had to have some sitting around somewhere, didn't he? He cared about his family, he couldn't deny that, and that included Sookie. He had to be as delicate and as informative as possible for her own sake. "It's not uncommon for fairies who enter the human realm to engage in relationships with humans, but it isn't common for them to successfully produce children. It must have been difficult for my uncles," he concluded with a shrug. "There wasn't anywhere they fully belonged. Not enough fae for Faery, not enough human for this world, and they carried that knowledge with them always." He shrugged, not really having the appropriate amount of sympathy, but it was what it was.
"Fintan is your paternal grandfather," he continued after a moment of thoughtful silence for his previous thoughts. "I can tell you only what I know from my grandfather... your great-grandfather. He is called Niall," he added, to make following as easy as possible for her. "He met your grandmother, the one who raised you, and desired her. He learned her husband was unable to produce children because of a disease that had left him infertile. She wanted to be a mother and..." His voice trailed off and he shrugged. "Part of being fae is being beautiful and desirable to all others. Our mere presence is a temptation to anyone we are near. Fintan was that to her. He offered to give her the children she could not have and she became pregnant with your father. He was one-quarter fae. Years later, he returned to your grandmother and impregnated her once more, which produced a daughter."
Finally lifting the mug of coffee to his lips, the fairy took a single sip of the warm, dark liquid before carrying on. "And that makes you one-eighth fae and my cousin, if distantly," he continued, as if that should finalize things in her eyes. "I am your fae guardian, ordered to protect you in this realm by Niall, since he has been forbade from interfering in your life by Fintan, and quite frankly, you need the protection. Only those who have fae blood in their veins are capable of being assigned such an honor," he added pointedly, in case she was ready to argue her blood anymore. "And we do not mistake our own kind. I can feel the fae in you now, just as I have since first seeing you. There is no mistaking our line. We have been a part of you for as long as you have lived, your father too, and we were always watching." And other fairies had always been watching as well. "This is the truth of things, cousin, and now that I am exposing it to you, there is much you must know and understand, so you can stay safe."
Re: Entertaining Angels
Post by Sookie Stackhouse on Sept 4, 2010, 9:30pm
s o o k i e s t a c k h o u s e .
Moment of honesty, someone's gotta take the lead
If you have something to say, you should say it right now
If Sookie didn't know Claude already, she would've been shocked at the words leaving his mouth. "My house is not homely," she defended, crossing her arms defensively. She loved her house. "It has history and memories that no decorator could ever capture, and generations of love put into it. I can't think of anything more important than that, even if you don't approve." Sookie didn't need Claude's approval anyway. "You're trying to help me," she repeated doubtfully, shaking her head. All Claude was trying to do was criticize her, and he was certainly doing a lot of that. Second hand chic look? Just because everything wasn't brand new didn't mean anything was wrong with it. She wasn't superficial like that in the slightest. "I'm supposed to appreciate you coming in here and insulting my home?" She really didn't.
She also really didn't understand why Claude seemed to think that she was part fairy of all things. It was ridiculous. "You did just tell me that," she agreed, since he was getting frustrated. He was wrong, but she didn't want him to get all upset about it. "Okay, so you have part fae family. Uncles," she continued, not actually knowing what that would mean for those half-fairy people. "I'm listening, I promise you. I'm not trying to make this difficult on you, Claude, I just think you're really mistaken." She knew it. It was clear to Sookie that Claude meant what he was saying, and he was clearly frustrated that he didn't believe her. She was probably wrong for laughing, but the whole idea was just so ludicrous. Her, a fairy. Not a chance.
Letting Claude continue to explain why he thought that his uncle was her grandfather, Sookie tried her hardest not to shake her head at every turn. Sure, fairies were unfairly good looking. The sister of Claude's that Sookie had seen briefly was gorgeous, and Claude was an absolutely beautiful man, there was no denying that. They were probably a very desirable people in total, but that didn't mean that she was related to them. In fact, it was pretty impossible. Sookie actually felt angry as Claude told her which grandfather this Fintan guy was supposed to be. She tried to fight it, because Claude clearly thought he was doing her a favor by telling her all of this, protecting her even, but this was Adele Stackhouse he was accusing of cheating on her husband. No way in hell.
"I'm sorry, Claude. I know you don't know me all that well, but I was raised by Gran." Pausing, she clarified. "Adele. My other grandparents all died before I was a teenager, but Adele was like a mother to me. More than that, even. She raised me after my parents died when I was little. She and Jason have been all I've had most of my life. Adele was a good, good woman who loved her husband, and she never would've done what you're accusing her of." He didn't know Gran, but that didn't make her any less honorable. She knew he didn't mean to tarnish her memory or anything like that, but it sure felt like it. It was just impossible.
Barely touching her own mug of coffee, the strange thing was, Sookie knew Claude really did think of her as his cousin. She'd been around him enough to know he wouldn't be doing this otherwise. Claude didn't go out of his way for other people, even if going out of his way meant accusing their grandparents of illicit affairs. The idea of having a fae guardian was really far fetched too. "Claude, I mean this in the least offensive way remotely possible, but if I have a fae guardian, why haven't I been... well... guarded?" She'd been stabbed, shot, kidnapped, held hostage, and countless other things, and at no point did some fairy godmother or godfather poof out of the sky and save her. She didn't mean to insult him, but really, she'd come too close to death to think there was really anyone whose mission was to guard her. "Maybe what you feel isn't fae blood, but wherever my telepathy comes from," she suggested, since that sounded much more reasonable to her, and she didn't actually know much about that gift. "Fairies can't do that, right?" If they could, that always watching thing Claude was telling her about was a little creepy. "I know you think it's the truth, Claude, and I appreciate that you're trying to protect me, but I just don't see how it's possible."
Re: Entertaining Angels
Post by claude on Sept 4, 2010, 10:35pm
claudeCRANE.
she's way in over her head, i think she's gonna drown
it's all or nothing, there's no guessing, looks like it's over, but it's just begun
Ugh. Claude didn't know if it was Sookie's fairy blood or her human blood that made her so damn frustrating, but he was getting tired of it quickly. He so didn't have the patience for this. He wasn't getting paid to watch over her like a hawk so the least she could've done was be a little receptive, right? Wrong again. He was getting really tired of being wrong. "You're not listening to me," he scolded while expelling a breath of air as a disapproving huff. "You may think you are, but you're really not, and it's becoming more than a little annoying if not incredibly rude. There's no excuse for wasting either of our time right now, not when we are going to need every minute of it." If she wouldn't listen outright, perhaps he could appeal to her ridiculous sense of manners. Being polite wasn't his scene, but if it kept Sookie silent and receptive, well, he'd take it. He could use any help he could get.
"I know you were raised by your grandmother," he countered just as quickly as she informed him she had been, his fingers remaining wrapped around the warm porcelain of the coffee mug in front of him. Letting her conclude her denial, he really didn't listen to a word of it, not when he knew and she was the one wrong. "Shouldn't it concern you that I do know you were raised by your grandmother?" he asked rhetorically. "Shouldn't it concern you that I knew this was her home? Shouldn't it concern you I knew your father was born first and your aunt was born second? Or that I know you have an older brother and a cousin who lays between the two of you in age? These are not things you have told me, but I know them all the same. As I said, we have always been watching. Do you think we would have wasted the last sixty years needlessly?"
Pausing for a moment to let those things sink into her head, he took another drink of the warm coffee before barreling forward. There was no going back now. "And I didn't accuse your grandmother of being a bad woman, nor did I say she didn't love her husband. I told you she desired children her husband couldn't give her. Is that a bad thing?" he asked rhetorically. Maybe in her eyes it was, but Claude didn't see it like that. "I told you before, my own race is nearing extinction. Few of our matches are based on love, but instead, self preservation for our kind. Your grandmother wanted to be a mother. That's not a crime. Fintan was beautiful, tempting and he offered her a way to be such a thing with the promise of not interfering. No one can resist the temptation we present, so no one could have faulted her for her choice. Obviously, your grandmother and her husband loved one another. Would they have raised two children together if they didn't? When he would have known the children were not his? No, that shows there was love between them."
Shrugging his shoulders once, he could tell Sookie was upset, but he wasn't good at consoling others, he never would be. "I know you love your grandmother, cousin. I'm not telling you this because I'm trying to change that. She managed to catch a fairy. Fintan may only be half, but it's still a huge accomplishment. You should be proud of her. There are so few of our kind and so many humans... she must have been very beautiful back then." Women didn't do a thing for Claude, but it had to be true. Fairies had very discriminating tastes and had the privilege of being more picky than most could ever dream. "And for Fintan to have returned to her to father another child? Well, she must have been very special to him. The fact that he did all he could to keep all of us away and keep you secret says a great deal as well. He didn't want to subject her and your family to all of our..." His voice trailed off as he tried to find a delicate way to put everything in his head. Fairies were beautiful creatures, but they were vicious and constantly warring one another. "Drama." That worked.
"Just think about it, cousin," he continued after taking a sip from the coffee mug. "Even part fairies have their fae traits come shining through, whether they mean to or not. They are desirable to everyone around them, their mates are protective, selfish, possessive, and jealous of others, whether it's reasonable or not. The Supernatural are drawn to us, especially vampires who lust for us both inside and out. We are effortlessly beautiful and others gravitate towards us. We are strong, proud, and fighters. Since you're from my line, I imagine you love being outside, especially in the sun, and enjoy nothing more than the sky on a clear day." Pulling himself from his thoughts, he looked across the table to her. "Sound familiar? Sound like you? Your brother? Your aunt? Cousin? What you remember of your father even?" Not even waiting for an answer, he nodded once knowingly. "That's what I thought."
Letting out a heavy sigh at her question, Claude frowned. "I was only recently assigned you and it's my own fault," he stated, not realizing or not caring he was very much making her sound like a chore. "My younger sister- Claudine- she was your guardian. When you attended the opening of the spa and you told me about your troubles with your brother, looking for guidance, and all about your involvement with vampires by working for them, it became clear she wasn't doing what Niall had demanded of her. I made a trip to Faery and told the elders I didn't think you were being watched and helped appropriately. Recently, they decided you'd be better suited in my hands since we seemed to have more of an established relationship than you had with my sisters. I'm new to being a guardian, but you're not making it easy... and it's not my job to get you out of all the trouble you're actively working towards getting yourself in. That's why I've decided to tell you this despite being told not to. I want this to be easy on both of us if possible. You're really not making it very possible though."
Lifting his mug and swirling the contents of it without taking a drink, he shrugged. "Telepathy isn't one of our gifts," he answered easily enough. "But it is one of the reasons why Niall has taken an interest in you over the others. Your cousin is dead." Well, she was a vampire, but to her fairy family, that made her dead and something to avoid, not embrace and protect. "And your brother..." Claude's voice trailed off and he hesitated, not sure he wanted to get into all the ins and outs of their family's business before Sookie had even accepted who and what she was. "Looks exactly like someone else, someone out of favor with Niall." Pausing for a moment, he set his mug down on the table without having taken a drink and sighed. "Cousin, I am not mistaken. The blood in your veins is that of a fae. You are my kin. There's no confusing it with your telepathy. It is what it is. I can't force you to accept it, but if you don't, it is really only a matter of time before it catches up with you. Whether or not you want to be prepared is your choice."
Re: Entertaining Angels
Post by Sookie Stackhouse on Sept 4, 2010, 11:28pm
s o o k i e s t a c k h o u s e .
Moment of honesty, someone's gotta take the lead
If you have something to say, you should say it right now
Sighing at Claude's words, Sookie very nearly winced, not because of what he said but how he said it. He felt so strongly about all of this, sounded so desperate to make her understand... But how could he be so wrong about all of this? She knew Gran. The woman who had brought her up would not have cheated on her husband with some fairy, no matter how beautiful. She remembered Gran at her grandfather's funeral. She remembered they way they'd been when they were alive. This woman had raised her, taught her everything she knew about life and love. Affairs with fairies never entered that picture. "I'm trying, Claude," she told him, shaking her head, trying to understand. She really, truly didn't get it though.
Frowning as he listed the things he knew about her, a lot of it was things that could have been written up in any library or wherever they kept that information. "A lot of people know those things," she pointed out, though a lot of people weren't fairies. Claude would have no reason to know those things. He didn't know Jason, he didn't live in Bon Temps, she hadn't even spent much time with him. "Anyone from around here could've told you that, any records would've shown it." But why would he have asked or looked? It was weird that he knew, she would give him that, but that didn't mean Gran was what he was accusing her of being. Just because he knew a few simple facts about her family tree didn't mean they were related.
Really listening as he explained, Sookie tried her hardest to reconcile what she knew of Gran with what he was telling her. Gran had loved her dad and Aunt Linda. She'd loved raising children, and her family was the most important thing in the world to her. Even more important than her marriage, though? Maybe. She'd taken her and Jason in, probably at the expense of time she could've spent alone with her husband. But that wasn't having an affair. She and her grandfather had raised the children together, and if he had known they weren't his, it would have said a lot. Sookie didn't think fairies were all that irresistible, but then Claude wasn't exactly trying, and never really would. But for Gran to go to such lengths for children? Could she really believe that she'd wanted to be a mother so badly? Honestly? Maybe.
Gran had been really beautiful when she was young. Beautiful, kind, loving, everything that Sookie still remembered her for. She was proud of her Gran, but not because she had possibly attracted a fairy. Sookie knew how differently other supernatural races could think, though. Maybe this wasn't weird to Claude like it was to her. Maybe Fintan's actions, if Claude was right, were caring. She couldn't imagine it, and it wasn't remotely within her sphere of knowledge, but if fairies had such trouble reproducing, then maybe. That she'd never heard of a fairy until getting involved with vampires would've made her even more doubtful, but Sookie knew how easily information could be held from someone. People were easy to keep in the dark, no matter how big the secrets.
This was a hell of a secret, though. It wasn't until Claude started listing traits that part fairies could have that it really rang true for her, though. They sounded like her family. Not all at once, of course, but there was really no denying it. Jason was desirable to everyone around them, they'd both had possessive mates like the ones he described. There was really no denying how drawn to her the Supernatural was. She didn't know about effortlessly beautiful, but maybe Jason was. Others sure gravitated towards him. Eric had called her strong, proud, and a fighter just recently. There really was nothing Sookie loved more than being outside enjoying the sun on a clear day, but none of that was what really struck a cord with her. It was Sookie's mom that came to mind. Sookie had the strangest memories from her childhood, ones of her mother being protective, selfish, possessive, and jealous of everyone who even got near her dad. It hadn't been remotely justified, and hadn't made any sense to Sookie at the time, but those thoughts her mother had, Sookie just couldn't get rid of. They were just so unjustified, so unreasonable. She hadn't understood. She had never figured out why her mother had felt that way. It had been just another mystery from her childhood, but could this really be why?
Sookie barely heard Claude as he explained how he had wound up with her as his new assignment when Claudine had failed. She remembered talking with Claude at the opening of the spa, and he hadn't seemed happy about it, but she hadn't thought anything of it. "To Faery?" she repeated, confused. He was a fairy, how did he go to fairy? There were elders? Well, of course there were elders... Even fairies had to age, she thought. Probably. Unless they were like vampires, but Sookie didn't think so. Claude was too worried about wrinkles for that. It didn't seem polite to ask him if he was an elder. He seemed to be going against the elders by telling her, but she was grateful he was, whether it really was true or not. The truth was important, especially when it was in question.
Sookie couldn't believe that she might be part fairy, and even if she was, it still wouldn't explain her telepathy. It seemed like nothing ever would. "Does Niall know why I have it?" she asked, since he sounded interested. Maybe someone had answers, even if she didn't. "I just found out," she admitted as Claude told her that her cousin was dead. He was about a week late on the news, though Sookie wondered if everyone knew but her. Shit, Jason didn't. That would have to wait though. Frowning in confusing, like things could get more confusing, as Claude said that Jason looked like someone, she wasn't going to pry. Not now. "I might believe you," Sookie admitted slowly as he continued insisting that she was part fae. It was so insane, but... "Is there some sort of test?" she asked, though she felt ridiculous doing so. He said he could feel fairy in her. Wasn't that sort of a test? "This is all just so hard to imagine. I mean, you're really sure?"
Re: Entertaining Angels
Post by claude on Sept 5, 2010, 1:33am
claudeCRANE.
she's way in over her head, i think she's gonna drown
it's all or nothing, there's no guessing, looks like it's over, but it's just begun
Trying. Sookie was trying. Claude nearly rolled his eyes at the word, but still, the fairy believed she was. Would it be easy to accept that everything she had thought she had known all her life wasn't what it was? Probably not, though he couldn't understand her hesitation. It wasn't like she was finding out something bad, she was being given the gift of the fae, that was something rare and wonderful, something he was sure she should want to embrace... at least until she discovered there was a downside to every gift. Claude had no intention of exposing just how much fairies had played a role in her life, however. Not yet. She needed to accept all that he was revealing to her now and begin coming to terms with it before he could even consider explaining about their family's rivalry and the costs of it all. Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly. If she was trying to reach some kind of acceptance with this all, he could try to be patient.
His dark eyes were rolling as she decided he could have simply researched her family history and he slowly shook his head. "Do you really think I would go through that kind of effort?" he asked incredulously. "Do I look like the kind of fairy who goes scrounging around town record halls or looking through microfilm at the local library? Please," he scoffed, lifting the mug of coffee to his lips and taking a long drink. "If I had no reason to know these things, I really wouldn't be wasting my time and the space in mind that could otherwise be used for something important... like myself. What do you think I would get out of convincing you your one of my family if you're not? It's not really in my nature to go around telling people they're special and of royal fae blood out of the goodness of my heart just to boost their self-esteem."
Rotating the coffee mug around the table with his hands, he nodded his head once, a small smile on his lips at her question. "Faery is our world," he answered before quickly amending. "Well, my world, the realm of the fae. It is separate from this one and where most of our kind choose to live and stay. There are passages on this plane that fairies may cross through in order to get to and fro. When I exhaust my magic or wish to see my kin aside from Claudia and Claudine, it is where I travel. Or, like when I was informed you were my responsibility, it was where I was called to. It is a beautiful place, very magical, and it is home." Blinking back the thoughts of it, his eyes focused once more on her face. "I prefer the human realm, I choose to be here, but there are many fairies who do not believe we should be able to come and go between the worlds. There are many who don't believe we should be involved with humans at all. Niall fathering half-fae all those centuries ago was not accepted by all."
Shrugging his shoulders at her question, Claude didn't have an answer. "Niall knows many things," he answered. "That doesn't mean he shares that knowledge. If he knows the reasons behind your telepathy, he hasn't told me." That much he could tell her. "I am sure you will be able to ask him yourself soon enough." And with that, his hands left the coffee mug to rest squarely on the table, the fairy leaning forward as he whispered. "He will find you when he believes the time is right, but he must not know what I have told you. If he knew I had exposed this to you, he would be very angry, and I wouldn't be forgiven. Now that Fintan is dead, Niall doesn't have to keep the distance from you he had promised he would. He will want to be the one who ushers you into your hidden nature. I'm sure he'll have questions for you, but he'll also be able to give you answers I couldn't."
Finishing off what remained of his coffee, Claude rose to his feet and moved to the small window behind Sookie's sink, looking out it into her backyard. "Your cousin has been dead for some time," he stated as she admitted she had only recently learned of her cousin's death. Claude was actually thankful Sookie was the one his grandfather had deemed worthy of protecting. Hadley had immersed herself in a dark world of decay and destruction and Jason looked so much like Dermot, it was unnerving. "We will have nothing to do with her despite the fact that she's... lingering, and you shouldn't either," he continued with a small shudder of disapproval, turning back to face Sookie after he was able to quiet his own nerves about their location. "She is no longer even part fae. That ended with her heartbeat, and you are still enough fae to be the ultimate temptation."
Returning to the chair he had abandoned, he rolled his eyes once more. "You want to take the written exam even though we don't grade on a curve?" he asked sarcastically. "I'm positive of this, cousin. I'm older than I appear. I know how to recognize my own kind. And, as I said, I could not be assigned to guard you if you were without fae in your blood. The spark that is in all of our kind is in you. I can feel it now just being near you and I think, if you are honest with yourself, you feel it as well." He couldn't force her to accept it, but he felt like as much as she didn't want to believe his words, that she couldn't fight them either. "You probably always have, you just didn't know what it was. Now that you do, now that you know part of what makes you different from all of those around you, you have to decide if you want to know more about our kind. I'll leave that decision up to you."
Re: Entertaining Angels
Post by Sookie Stackhouse on Sept 5, 2010, 2:13am
s o o k i e s t a c k h o u s e .
Moment of honesty, someone's gotta take the lead
If you have something to say, you should say it right now
"No, I don't," Sookie answered honestly as Claude asked if she really thought he'd go through the effort to research her family records. She didn't even think he'd consider going through that kind of work. He had no incentive to, no reason to lie to her about this. It certainly couldn't benefit her to just come in and uproot everything she thought for the hell of it. She knew he could be bitchy, but that just wasn't Claude. Besides, he'd sounded legitimately worried about what would happen to him if people found out she knew. Telling her this was a risk for him. He was doing it to keep her safe, and she could tell he believed every word he said. It was going to take so much reconciling in her mind to sort this whole thing out, but... she believed him.
Listening to him talk about Faery was a strange experience. It sounded like something out of some strange science fiction novel. Another world on another plane. It was crazy, but she didn't doubt his words. "Do you have a lot of family?" she asked curiously as he mentioned visiting his kin. She'd thought she only had Jason left, and sort of Hadley, but maybe not. "I mean, do we have a lot of family?" If they really were cousins, that was how it worked, wasn't it? Wow, weird. Claude was her cousin. As he mentioned disagreements over interacting with humans, Sookie wasn't surprised. It was like that with every Supernatural species she'd met. Every species wanted to avoid every other one when they could. Niall must've been really important to have gotten his way with it, though.
Claude confirmed her suspicions as he gave a very vague answer of what Niall may or may not have known about her telepathy before leaning close to whisper like someone might've been listening. Nodding in agreement, she wouldn't say a word to Niall that claude had told her. She'd act perfectly surprised, but she had to know if it was safe to talk in her house. "Is this place bugged? Could someone be listening?" she asked, a little nervous now. He'd said the fae were watching, but that was a little extreme. There were certain things she didn't want them hearing. "I don't want to get you into trouble," she assured Claude, hesitating before patting his arm. She did like him, and he'd been honest with her about this huge secret. She'd protect him however she could.
Nodding slowly as Claude said that Hadley had been dead for a while, Sookie knew that too. "I just found out where she was. She ran off a while ago, no one had heard from her for years and years until last week." Pausing, she shook her head. "We didn't really hear from her though. Just of her." Should she tell Claude? If he was supposed to be guarding her, he had a right to know why she needed so much guarding. "She's why the vampires are so interested in me. She told Sophie-Anne what I can do," she confessed, not sure if he already knew this, but not watching him while she said it. It hurt to admit. "I'm supposed to decide what to do with her. I was going to ask her why she did it first." Sookie hadn't had any problems around newborn vampires, and it didn't even sound like Hadley was a newborn anymore. She still might do it. Some things just needed to be faced.
Nodding slowly as Claude insisted that he was positive, she could hear that much in his voice. "How old are you?" she asked curiously, since he didn't look that much older than her. Closing her eyes, Sookie sighed, trying to feel that spark Claude was talking about. "I mostly feel like I'm in shock again," she answered honestly. If she could recognize the feeling herself, it was happening far too often. She had always been different, though, and it hadn't only been the telepathy. Even when she blocked out the thoughts of everyone around her, she didn't fit. "I want to know more," she told him, knowing that that sort of knowledge could be dangerous, but that all her life, Sookie had desperately wanted to know who and what she was. Claude was offering her a chance at that, and she had to take it.
Re: Entertaining Angels
Post by claude on Sept 5, 2010, 4:04am
claudeCRANE.
she's way in over her head, i think she's gonna drown
it's all or nothing, there's no guessing, looks like it's over, but it's just begun
Did he have a lot of family? Claude hesitated at Sookie's question, turning the words over carefully in his head before answering. "Yes, I suppose we do," he answered hesitantly, since really, she was right, they were hers as well. Their family, however, was complicated, and war split their ancient lines. "Niall, of course, my grandmother, Branna, and then his children, my father... his name is Dillon, and our uncle, your grandfather's twin, the half-fairy Dermot." He winced a little at the name. "But he has abandoned our clan. There is my mother, Binne, and Claudia and Claudine, naturally. Niall had an elder brother, but he has since gone to the Summerlands. His son still lingers though... Breandan." He swallowed unnecessarily, looking at Sookie with pity she couldn't understand for a moment before shaking it from his face. "We have nothing to do with Breandan, nor those loyal to him."
Letting a moment of silence fall in order for Sookie to process all those names and new relations she had no idea existed, Claude took a deep breath before continuing. "You will mostly see myself and my sisters." At least, he hoped that was true. If some of the names he just said found her, the results would be no prettier than they had been when her father and mother experienced an encounter. "We choose to reside fully in this world with only brief visits to Faery. Though I won't tell Claudia or Claudine I have told you all this, they know you are our cousin, and if you need aid, they will do their part should you need to call them. Niall comes and goes between this world and ours. When he chooses to approach you, you will certainly know it. Most of the others choose to stay in Faery. It is better that way."
Frowning at her question about bugging, Claude shook his head back and forth. "No, not bugged, but we don't need to resort to such methods either," he answered with a shrug. "As you've noticed, we can teleport from one place to another in the blink of an eye, completely unnoticed by all others. Though we can easily capture the attention of an entire room full of people, some of us are also skilled in being unseen." Pausing for a moment, he offered her a sad smile. "It will be difficult for you. We can smell and trace one another, we can get a sense of when our magic has been recently used. You are less likely to notice if any fairies have been near or are near, but they are," he continued with a certain amount of confidence in his voice. "One of the passages between this world and Faery is located very near here. It makes watching and protecting you easier."
Listening curiously as Sookie explained what she knew of her cousin, Claude's eyes widened after a moment. "Niall will be furious," he stated with a frown. If it wasn't worry lines he ended up with, he was going to definitely end up with frown lines. Always something with this one. "He knows you are involved with vampires, but he doesn't like it. When he learns your family has been the one who handed you to them..." Claude's voice trailed off and he shuddered once more, willing his imagination to stop painting such vivid pictures in his head. "Niall has been betrayed by family before. He will not take kindly to that, especially when he has an interest in you. You intend on seeing her? That is stupid, cousin," he informed her, not bothering to sugarcoat it. "She discarded you and gave you to the vampires already. What makes you think she wouldn't decide you're just a tasty treat for herself now?" She really didn't seem to get why her confession to being with a vampire had put him in such an alarm mode...
"I'm over a century, and I've spent much of that time in this realm," he answered, not wanting to be more specific than that. A boy had to keep his secrets, after all, and his image was everything. He didn't want her suddenly searching his head for gray hairs. He did that enough on his own as it was. Shrugging once as she decided she was in shock, that wasn't really his concern. She'd accept it eventually and as long as she wasn't catatonic from the news when Niall finally decided to approach her, Claude would be credited with having done his job and no one could accuse him of not having done what his family required of him. "You'll adjust," he decided easily enough. It wasn't like he had given her bad news, after all. She was descended from fae royalty. She'd come to see that as the gift it was.
"For starters, the more time you spend around me or other fairies, the more the traits of our people will reveal themselves in you," he began. "Fairies aren't meant to be alone. We feed on one another, our magic is nurtured that way. That's both a good and a bad thing for you," he continued ambiguously. "As it is, you are not enough a fairy to gain the steadfast attention of our family's enemies." He didn't know if she'd ask questions about what enemies they had, but he'd avoid it for the moment. "But if you embrace our lineage and nurture your spark, you will have a healthier existence and a more powerful presence. It will strengthen the presence of fairy in your blood. For now, you shouldn't be around fairies other than Claudia, Claudine, or myself. If any other fae should approach you, be suspicious and contact me as soon as possible, and I'll be keeping an eye out as well."
Re: Entertaining Angels
Post by Sookie Stackhouse on Sept 6, 2010, 9:56pm
s o o k i e s t a c k h o u s e .
Moment of honesty, someone's gotta take the lead
If you have something to say, you should say it right now
Listening intently as Claude described the family they had, Sookie was absolutely thrilled. She'd honestly thought that Jason was the only family she had left. Then she'd learned about Hadley, who still remained despite being a vampire, and now all these relatives, even if they were fairies. It was pretty exciting. "Niall, Branna, Dillon, Binne, Claudine, and Claudia," she repeated, stating the names that didn't make Claude cringe. "And you." Wow. She had family. Smiling at the thought, Sookie shook her head, resisting the urge to hug Claude. She hadn't had family in so long. To have it now touched her in a way she wasn't sure she understood, but one she was sure was very basic to any human. "I actually have a family." It wasn't one that could know she knew about, but they were there, and that was something. "You don't happen to have pictures, do you?" She would've loved to know what they looked like.
Nodding as Claude told her she'd see mostly him and his sisters, she figured as much, since they were the only ones they knew so far. His sisters were strange, but nice, pretty much like Claude. "Why did you want to live here?" she asked curiously, hoping it wasn't too personal a question. The rest of their family seemed to live in an entirely different world, and that would have been hard for Sookie. Family was important to her, even if before tonight she hadn't thought she had much. She wished she could talk to Claudia and Claudine about all this too, but Claude had mentioned enemies, so it sounded important that she pretended not to know. She'd keep Claude's secret so he wouldn't get in any trouble.
Frowning as he explained why fairies didn't need bugging, Sookie didn't like that much. "So there could've been fairies in my house at any time, and I never would've noticed?" she summarized, not entirely comfortable with that. She discussed some delicate things with Eric, and did some things she didn't want other people present for, especially family. That there was a passage between this world and theirs that was right near her home made her a little uncomfortable too. Sure, she was part fairy, but she didn't know these people, and she wasn't sure how safe she was with some of them. Clearly Claude didn't think very highly of some of them, even some within their own family. What if they found out about her too?
Shaking her head at Claude as he said that Niall would be furious with Hadley, Sookie had a feeling that the fairy would have to get in line for a shot at her cousin. "He won't be the only one who's angry," she told him, thinking of Eric's rage and what he said of Gabrielle's disapproval. "The new queen is looking for her." There was sort of more to it, but she wasn't sure she should tell Claude, or even if she could. To admit it out loud would be painful. "Sophie-Anne sort of... went against vampire rules, I guess, when she found out about me. It's all kind of complicated," she summed up, copping out. "But Queen Gabrielle was mad about it, and Eric was furious." Sighing as he said that seeing Hadley was stupid, Sookie didn't know if it was. "I wouldn't go by myself," she stated, trying to figure out how to explain. "And I don't think she just discarded me. She got into some really bad stuff. Drugs, prostitution, and... she was just really damaged. She was in a bad place, and maybe she had reasons for telling Sophie-Anne what she did. Maybe she didn't have a choice." She and Hadley had some of the same traumas in their childhood, and Sookie didn't have it in her to blame her for what became of her afterwards. She couldn't.
Her eyes must have gone a little wide as Claude told her how old he really was. She'd had no idea he was over a hundred. "That's incredible," she blurted out, scanning his face for any sign of a wrinkle. Nothing. He looked maybe a couple years older than her. It really was amazing. She was sure she'd adjust to finding out they were family, but it was a hell of a shock, and would require a lot of thought. She just wasn't sure how to process that information yet. Nodding slowly as he told her what would happen as she started to spend time with more of her own kind, she thought that maybe he was right, and it probably was a good thing that she wasn't around other fairies beside the triplets. "I've never met a fairy besides you three, she assured him, now a little thankful for that. He sounded worried. "I'm not sure I'd be able to identify them even if I had." Claude seemed human for the most part. She imagined it'd be pretty hard to tell.
Re: Entertaining Angels
Post by claude on Sept 7, 2010, 5:18am
claudeCRANE.
she's way in over her head, i think she's gonna drown
it's all or nothing, there's no guessing, looks like it's over, but it's just begun
Nodding his head once as Sookie echoed back the names he had just recited, Claude was impressed she had handled them so well. They weren't considered very "normal" by human standards. "Yes, you have it," he confirmed. "That is the closest of our family- the royal family, I suppose- though there are many others of more distant relation. As a matter of fact, I have a distant cousin staying with me now at my home in Monroe. You can meet him eventually if you would like, but he's a little... skittish around humans." Nodding once more as she stated she had a family, he nearly rolled his eyes. That's what he had been saying since practically arriving at her house. "On me? Only of myself, Claudia, and Claudine. There might be one of Braxton on my phone," he answered as she asked for pictures. "They're not very common among fairies, really, not ones who seldom visit this realm, anyway. We're not like your fanged friends. The world doesn't need to know we're here, and we don't age like humans. Proof of that doesn't do us any favor."
Considering her question, Claude's head titled thoughtfully. "I just like this realm," he finally answered with a shrug, though it was a lot more complicated than that. "Humans can be fun. I like being around people." Granted, he thought he was better than nearly everyone he was ever around, but he liked the attention others gave him, he liked being viewed as desirable and superior, where in Faery he was just one of many. "If I were in Faery, I'd be working for Niall, training and battling all the time, following in his footsteps just behind my father, and that is as boring as it is dangerous. I have freedom and independence here. I'm appreciated and successful. I couldn't do the things there that I can here. Also, in Faery, everyone knows everyone else. As I said, we're shrinking in size rather than growing. Here there's always something and someone new to find."
Frowning right back at her as she frowned at him, he wondered if she could handle the news that fairies had already interfered in her life in a big way without being caught... or even suspected for that matter. "Yes, that's right," he confirmed. "Though if you're running around with vampires, I'm sure they would have noticed. There's one that lives close by, isn't there? Our scent can last quite some time. If there were a lot of fairies about, I'm sure it would have come up. Anyway, we're watching your home to make sure the ones who aren't supposed to be about aren't," he continued without missing a beat. "And the portal located near here is closely watched as well. Most fae don't like this realm," he reminded her. "So until Niall gives his enemies reason to target you, you only need to be concerned about family." As if that made the idea of being intruded and spied upon completely acceptable.
Listening incredulously as Sookie spoke of her cousin and the vampires so interested in her, Claude shook his head disapprovingly from side to side. Okay, so he understood sometimes a vampire presented a very potent and dangerous temptation, but this was something else entirely. "Cousin, the only royalty you need to concern yourself with is Niall," he stated matter-of-factly. "While the bloodsuckers have their politics, it's not yours, it's not ours, and we don't have to honor it. If you think Niall would hesitate to take action on your behalf because of some vampire queen having some kind of interest, you're wrong. He won't care." Briefly, Claude wondered if Sookie's idea of fairies was the stuff Disney was made of. She really had a lot to learn.
Taking a deep breath, he might as well get some of the warning underway now, especially before she had the chance to go interrogate a baby vampire. "Cousin, there are three things in this world that end us on a regularly basis, and they're lemon, iron, and vampires. You're not enough fae to be effected by the first two, but vampires are another story entirely. Our blood and smell makes them drunk. Your blood and your smell can make them drunk. They can drain you without ever realizing that's even what they've done. You have to be careful. It's my job to guard you, but if you're in danger or hurt and there's a vampire nearby, I have to keep my distance. I can't help you." It was important she understood that now. "It's just too risky. You have to be careful. As much as you want to justify your dead cousin's actions, you should really just consider keeping your distance and letting punishment be dealt."
Smiling somewhat smugly as Sookie seemed so shocked by his age, Claude preened slightly. "All those spa visits really pay off," he decided. "And we have very good genes. Supernatural, even," he decided with a smirk, but there wasn't much time to dwell on that. "You're going to need to spend more time around me and other, safe fairies in order to recognize what we are then, because you need to be prepared... just in case. Faery is growing more dangerous and the division is clear. Because you're descended from Niall's blood and not entirely fae, your position is very vulnerable. I'll do what I can, but you're going to have a lot to learn and not all of it, you're going to like. Some of it, you're not even going to believe." She fought him tooth and nail to accept as much as she had, but it wouldn't get any easier from here on out.
Re: Entertaining Angels
Post by Sookie Stackhouse on Sept 7, 2010, 9:53pm
s o o k i e s t a c k h o u s e .
Moment of honesty, someone's gotta take the lead
If you have something to say, you should say it right now
Sookie would have to memorize the names Claude had given to her as soon as possible. It'd take some work, but she'd always been good at names, even the strange ones. These were pretty out there, but given that they were from an entirely different world, she guessed they weren't all that strange. "I'd like that," she decided as he said he had another cousin in the area. Now that she knew she had family, she wanted to meet all she could, or at least the ones that Claude approved of. She guessed she understood why fairies wouldn't exactly go around with pictures of themselves, but it was a little disappointing. "I have pictures of my family, if you want to see," she offered, since they were Claude's too. She guessed he was old enough that he could've actually met them, though. He hadn't sounded like he'd seen Gran when she was young, so maybe he'd enjoy that. Family photo albums were definitely common around her house.
Listening curiously as Claude told her why he liked being in this realm, Sookie could sort of understand, to an extent. She was someone who'd always longed to blend in, though, so to imagine someone who could blend in but didn't want to was a little strange. She could understand why he wouldn't want to train and battle and stuff when that was so... not Claude. She didn't think as humans as fun, exactly, but Claude clearly liked attention, and he certainly got it here. "Well, I'm glad you decided to stay here," she told him honestly. Claude was strange and not the nicest person she knew, but he'd been honest with her when he hadn't had to be, and he was trying to protect her. She appreciated that.
Nodding as Claude assured her that vampires would have noticed fairies running around her house, Sookie was sure that was true. Eric could smell a fairy a mile away, she had no doubt, and Claude had a point, even if she didn't like it. "I don't think I'll be talking to that vampire for a long time," she replied a little icily as Claude asked about a vampire who lives nearby. "But his newborn lives with him, even if I don't think she's ever met a fairy." Pausing, she bit her lip. "You might want to avoid her, if vampires are so dangerous to fairies. She's a really sweet girl in a really bad position, but her self control is only so-so around those she doesn't know." Around Sookie, Jess was fine, and she was getting better with the customers at Merlotte's, but a fairy would probably be too much. Still, Claude could probably take her.
Sighing as Claude assured her that Niall would take action on behalf, Sookie didn't really like the sound of that. "I don't think I want anyone taking action on my behalf, fairy or vampire. Hadley had a really hard life, and she's had a really hard death so far. A big part of me thinks it'd be best just to let her be. Maybe I shouldn't see her, maybe you're right about that, but I don't want her hurt either. Family is family, no matter what." Hesitating, she shook her head. "My blood and smell haven't gotten any vampire drunk before, and I've been around a lot of them." She'd never been in danger of being drained either. Well, Bill had apparently taken too much blood a few times, but she didn't really think he'd drain her, even if he was an asshole.
Laughing as Claude preened, Sookie hadn't meant to inflate his ego, but it was true. Claude looked incredible for his age. She just hoped he'd stop insulting everything about her every time they were around each other if she had to spend more time with him and safe fairies. "I'll try to believe you as much as possible," she promised, though some of what Claude had told her was really far fetched. He would tell her the truth, as far fetched as it would be, so the least she could do was to try to accept what he told her as fact. "I'm gonna have to tell Eric about this, you know," she told him, just so he wouldn't be shocked later. They were dating, so there wouldn't be secrets between them. "I'll make sure he keeps it a secret, but he really should know."
Re: Entertaining Angels
Post by claude on Sept 8, 2010, 8:29pm
claudeCRANE.
she's way in over her head, i think she's gonna drown
it's all or nothing, there's no guessing, looks like it's over, but it's just begun
"I've seen much of your family at least once, in person," Claude pointed out as Sookie offered to show him photo albums of her clan. Of course, they hadn't seen him, but that hadn't stopped him from being curious in his distant, mostly human relatives that resided permanently and without choice in the human realm. They were kind of like a novelty or some kind of a sideshow attraction. He wasn't exactly a sentimental kind of fairy, not even close, so pouring over scrapbooks wasn't really his idea of a good time, but he could tell that for some, boring reason it was something Sookie probably enjoyed. Yawn. The flip side of the coin was, it was probably something Niall would want or enjoy learning about. "But sure, some time you can show me your family albums." He had to force a smile to his face and it probably seemed a little phony, but he had to get used to this whole being a guardian thing. He had to connect with Sookie on some level. It'd probably take a while for him to convince her to bond over strippers and spa dates.
A skeptical look passed over Claude's face as Sookie insisted she was glad he chose to stay in the human realm, the fairy obviously expecting sarcasm, but as he looked at her, he wasn't sure she was actually being sarcastic. Sure, Claudine had always insisted their cousin was sweet and the epitome of southern charm, but the male doubted anyone could really be that nauseatingly wholesome. Apparently, he had been wrong. Blinking a couple of times, he tried to shove the surprise back before slouching in his chair rather carelessly and shrugging his shoulders lazily. "Maybe you should be glad. You obviously really need my help." Between running with vampires, other fairies in the realm, and her tragic little house, she was a lucky bitch to have him.
It was obvious Sookie had some very negative feelings about the bloodsucker who lived across the cemetery from her, but her words were like music to his ears. "Finally, you're coming to your senses," he sighed in relief, thinking maybe his job would get easier after this intervention, but as soon as the words left his mouth, Sookie carried on about newborns. "Has she met you?" he asked incredulously. "Sookie, you are a fairy." He really couldn't drive that point home hard enough. "I can take care of myself with a newborn bloodsucker. My magic and my training can get me through most things and she'd have no idea what had hit her until it was too late. I've ended a vampire before. All of us have. I'm not afraid of your neighbors." Worried for her, maybe, but not himself. He was pretty sure Niall would kill him if anything happened to her.
"I don't think you'll get a say in it," Claude countered indifferently as his cousin insisted she didn't like anyone getting vengeance on her behalf. She had a lot of things to accept about her lineage and the lessons weren't necessarily going to be easy. She was a descendant of fae royalty though, and any act against her when Niall favored her was an act against him. "Once I inform Niall of this, it'll be out of both of our hands." Looking at her disbelievingly as she insisted family was family and that was reason enough to protect them, the fairy actually snorted in amusement. "You really don't know what your family has done to one another, do you?" he asked, mostly rhetorically. She didn't, he knew she didn't, and even if this whole thing made her suspicious of some key events in her life, he didn't think she'd make the connection. "Being family is no excuse. If you knew half of what there is to know, you wouldn't be so quick to defend the guilty, cousin."
Shaking his head once more as she insisted she'd be safe around vampires, the fairy rolled his eyes. "No one is safe around vampires," he corrected easily. "Least of all, you. And really, I get it. There's a certain appeal that no one can deny and they are so much fun to toy with." Letting out an almost dreamy sigh, he continued on. "But you are part fairy, from an important line, it'll become more obvious in time, but you're not enough fairy to have all of our luxuries. You're going to be tempting and not able to poof away if things get ugly, and with vampires, things always get ugly. You have to be careful and you have to understand or it's going to be too late." Staring at her like a deer in headlights as she decided she needed to tell the vampire, Claude shook his head emphatically. "What good would it really do? Vampires and fairies don't like one another... at all. He's a vampire with some kind of authority," he added, rolling his eyes. "What makes you think he wouldn't use you as leverage against our family? Vampires are devious, cruel, and sadistic. He really shouldn't know."
Re: Entertaining Angels
Post by Sookie Stackhouse on Sept 8, 2010, 9:21pm
s o o k i e s t a c k h o u s e .
Moment of honesty, someone's gotta take the lead
If you have something to say, you should say it right now
Sookie wasn't so surprised that Claude had seen most of her family before, given his age and how he told her that fairies could be around without being seen. Between those things and the portal or whatever that was nearby, it was hardly shocking. "I don't have to," Sookie offered, since it was pretty obvious that Claude had no interest in seeing her photo albums. She thought he'd want to, since her family was his, but it was pretty clear he didn't. Family or not, Claude was still Claude, and that was abundantly clear as he was so rude in response to her admission that she was glad he liked staying in this realm. He really could be kind of an ass. Sighing and shaking her head, Sookie poured him some more coffee. He didn't have to be nice, but that didn't mean she had to be rude too.
Frowning at the idea of Bill, she really would call breaking up with him coming to her senses, but she was sure that wasn't really how Claude meant it. "Of course she's met me," she answered as Claude asked about Jessica. "She's over here all the time. She just got a job at Merlotte's too." Shaking her head as he began trying to convince her that she shouldn't spend time around Jessica but that it was safe for him, Sookie didn't like the sound of it. "Jessica's a sweet girl, and some things run deeper than blood, even for vampires. She's not gonna hurt me, and you certainly can't end her. I don't even want to hear that." Jessica was her friend and she was a good person, even if she wasn't alive. "Nothing's gonna happen with Jess."
Frowning even more, if possible, when they discussed Hadley, it was pretty clear that Claude was unsympathetic to her other cousin. Shaking her head, Sookie shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "You don't know what my family's done to one another," she countered with a sigh, not sure what to tell him. "If you knew what there is to know here, if you knew what she was put through as a child, what she had to endure that made her so damaged in the first place, you wouldn't be so quick to judge her for what she's done. Hadley's the way she is for a reason, and it's not her fault. I don't want to see her punished because of what was done to her." It was impossible not to feel strongly about that, even if she hadn't ended up damaged in the same way as Hadley.
Shaking her head as Claude spoke so strongly about vampires, Sookie couldn't agree. "Vampires are just like any other species," she insisted. "They're not good or bad. They're just individuals who do both good and bad things. They're just as capable of being good as humans, or weres, or fairies." Sookie really believed that. Doing her best not to cross her arms stubbornly as he tried to talk her out of telling Eric, Sookie knew he deserved the truth. "He wouldn't do something like that," she insisted, though she knew Claude wouldn't understand. "You don't know him like I do, and that's not me being naive. He's really, really good to me, and he deserves to know what's going on. We're trying to build a real relationship, and that's hard enough without keeping secrets this huge from each other. He's always been honest with me, especially lately. I have to tell him. I want to."
Re: Entertaining Angels
Post by claude on Sept 8, 2010, 10:50pm
claudeCRANE.
she's way in over her head, i think she's gonna drown
it's all or nothing, there's no guessing, looks like it's over, but it's just begun
Waving his hand dismissively as Sookie obviously caught on to Claude's lack of genuine interest in her old family pictures, the fairy forced himself out of his normal, brooding and indignant mood and into one that was much more complimentary. "Don't be so silly, cousin. I'd love to see your photographs," he insisted, even if it was mostly a lie. He could be as much an alluring, captivating, and congenial fairy as his sisters, even if being anything less than uppity was really such a bother. "Why don't you get one now and tell me all about your family?" he asked, his happiness at the idea definitely sounding a little strained while he swiveled his newly refilled mug of coffee around on the table. "It's the perfect thing to do as we finish off the coffee. Go get one. I insist."
Rolling his eyes just once and not caring if she saw the exasperated expression, it was nothing short of annoying that the bloodsuckers had left the coffin before Fintan had went to the Summerlands. If Claude had managed to reach the telepath before vampires had already sunk their fangs into Sookie's life, perhaps his cousin wouldn't be under the severe misconception that they were harmless. Letting out a disapproving huff as she seemingly tried to defend a newborn, he could only imagine how Niall would react to news that Sookie now shared a place of employment with a baby bloodsucker. "Really Sookie," he began with a shake of his head. "Nothing runs deeper than blood when it comes to the fanged. That's all they are... blood, death, and endings and you're inviting them into your home! Welcoming them! Do you know how ridiculous that is? They're faster and stronger than you, and you're sure making them seem smarter despite being a descendant of the Brigant brilliance. You have to be careful about what you invite in here, cousin. There aren't many second chances."
Brows lifting as Sookie seemed to defensively claim Claude was the one in the dark about family betrayal, he wondered if the telepath had dark secrets all her own. "I can't claim to know much about anything that happened to your family before Fintan went to the Summerlands that wasn't directly caused by fairies," he admitted unabashedly with a shrug. "But nothing is ever really an excuse. There is always more than one option, and there is always a reaction to whatever option is chosen. If your cousin chose to betray you, she chose to be held accountable for that. If she would have chose to keep you out of vampire affairs, it is likely Niall would have chosen to make sure no vampire harmed her for protecting you. Fight fire with fire. Hadley chose to fight with fire and you are under the protection and watch of Niall. You can't expect him to fight back with anything less." Fae were proud and vicious and choices really had been made that exposed Sookie to a race fairies wanted nothing to do with. Did she really expect that it could just be brushed under the rug?
Giving the telepath an incredulous look as she spoke, whatever had made her reach this clearly ignorant belief about the dead was really trouble. "Oh cousin," he sighed, wondering if Claudine's absence was to blame for this or if it could even be undone. "You need to spend so much more time with your family," he decided. It would be the only way to counter this, he was sure. "And that is you being naive. You don't know Mr. Viking Man any better than I do. Just because he says one thing doesn't mean it's true. Vampires are fun, but that's where it ends. They don't have "relationships." They can't even really feel! They're deceptive, dangerous, and dark, and you're going to wind up hurt." Letting out another dramatic sigh, the fairy didn't think he was going to win this one. "Do you want to unleash the hell you very well might by acknowledging your kin? I can't stop you, but I wish you would reconsider."
Re: Entertaining Angels
Post by Sookie Stackhouse on Sept 9, 2010, 9:11pm
s o o k i e s t a c k h o u s e .
Moment of honesty, someone's gotta take the lead
If you have something to say, you should say it right now
Raising her eyebrows as Claude turned his phony act into one that appeared more genuine, Sookie wasn't sure she bought it. Fairy minds might not have been her forte, but she'd been reading minds as long as she'd been alive, and no one switched on and off that fast. "Another time works fine," she insisted, though she appreciated that Claude was trying. "Maybe I'll lend you one to take back with you, so you can look at it if you have time." That way she wouldn't have to be insulted if he didn't end up interested, and she wouldn't have to here his critiques on her family members. "You could even show Claudia or Claudine or whoever else wants to see." Maybe someone else in his family would be more interested. "There's not too much to tell anymore anyway. As far as I knew before tonight, Jason and I were the only ones left alive." It was sad, but unfortunately true. To know that she'd been wrong was a relief. Claude didn't have to listen to family stories, he'd given her more family than she'd known existed.
Claude clearly didn't get her friendship with Jessica, but that was just fine. It wasn't like she needed his approval on who her friends were. "I know you don't spend much time with them," Sookie began, since that was completely obvious. "But if you did, you'd learn that they're not the monsters everyone thinks they are. I know they're attracted to fairies in a way that's really dangerous for you." Pausing, she corrected herself. "For us, but that's not all they are. They can still be good people," she insisted, even though they weren't technically people at all. "Jessica's just a scared girl who's been abandoned by everyone who should be there for her right now. I'm not going to be another person to abandon her." She couldn't do that to her. She wouldn't.
Shaking her head as Claude insisted that Hadley had chosen to betray her and had to be held accountable, Sookie didn't agree. "Hadley chose to cut all ties to the family that let her down, and with good reason." Closing her eyes for a long moment, she decided to trust Claude, if only so he could understand why Hadley couldn't be punished for her actions. "When she was little, Gran's brother... took advantage of her. She never told me or anything, but... I eventually told Gran when I went to live with her, and she sent him away. Hadley was older than me, she was around him more. It really screwed her up. If Hadley doesn't feel any loyalty to the family that failed to protect her until it was too late, then she needs help, not more family hurting her." Surely he could see that. Claude had to have some compassion in him, despite his exterior.
Sookie would really love to spend more time with her family, but it wouldn't change her opinion about vampires, especially Eric. "I'm bonded to him," she told her cousin, shaking her head. "I know what Eric feels. When he says something, I know if it's true. They do feel, and they can have relationships. We have one, and we're working really hard at it." Maybe she would wind up hurt, but some things were worth it. "I need to be honest with him, Claude. I'm willing to risk it for him, no matter what happens. He's not like you think he is. You'll see." She had complete faith that the vampire upstairs would prove her right and prove himself to be so much more than Claude clearly thought he was. He had so much good in him, even if her cousin didn't see it yet.
Re: Entertaining Angels
Post by claude on Sept 10, 2010, 6:18pm
claudeCRANE.
she's way in over her head, i think she's gonna drown
it's all or nothing, there's no guessing, looks like it's over, but it's just begun
Shrugging his shoulders once, there was no way Claude really could pretend to be that disappointed that Sookie wasn't going to take him up on his offer to immediately look through her family albums. He wasn't that interested, but at least he sounded open to the idea, no matter how much the very notion bored the crap out of him. "Now there's an alternative," he agreed with a single nod of his dark head. If Sookie loaned him one of the tomes, he could pass it off to someone who actually had a minor interest and not have to actually bother himself. "Good thinking, cousin. I'm sure there are a few who would be curious." Her great grandfather mostly. Niall had always favored his part human relatives over his full fairy ones, so he would probably find the collection of photographs intriguing since he had been deprived of knowing the line by Fintan. "I will be extremely careful with it," he offered. "And have it back to you in no time. I'm sure it will be just fascinating." He hoped that didn't sound completely flat and sarcastic...
In a way, Claude almost pitied Sookie. Clearly, she was more naive than he ever could have imagined, but she was. Nothing else could explain the compassion she seemed to be showing the bloodsuckers of the world. They were monsters, plain and simple, and her words to the contrary proved how little she truly knew of the beings she had somehow managed to befriend. "They're not people at all, cousin," he corrected. And they weren't. They were more like walking, talking abominations who had probably ended more of her fae relatives than she ever could have believed. "You're going to end up hurt," he continued, and that was a fact. She put too much faith in the monsters she surrounded herself with. "She may seem like a confused, lonely girl to you, but she's also- no matter what you think- a blood hungry creature of the night. Just because vampires like to play with their food doesn't mean they're nothing to be leery of."
Claude really, really, really didn't understand his cousin. Didn't she get it? Hadley had wronged her, it was Sookie's right to wrong her back. Retaliation was one of the more fun aspects of life, and it wasn't like Hadley was even alive in the first place to object. Still, the fairy could tell Sookie really felt strongly about this, for reasons she seemed to struggle giving. Letting out a long, clearly burdened sigh, she was never going to make this whole guardian thing easy on him. He could tell that now. "Fine," he finally let out in a long huff, to make it clear this whole thing was burdening him. "It's my job to tell Niall now that you've told me, but I can keep my mouth shut just this once so he doesn't do anything. I can pretend I don't know and you can let your little bloodsucker friends handle it." At least Claude was confident they'd do the same thing Niall would. "But soon, I'm going to tell you how you've been wronged by family you didn't know, and I'll be interested in discovering if you're as understanding then."
Claude's head lolled forward, his forehead coming to rest dramatically with a thud in the middle of her table at the news Sookie had bonded to a vampire, his head shaking back and forth in disbelief against the wood. "You know they can control you with that," he said into the table before finally lifting his head. "Right?" No, she probably didn't know that. Why would they tell her anything honest? "Mr. Viking Man has had centuries to work on revealing only what he wants to. Do you really think you're getting an honest view of him and what he feels?" Maybe she did, but Claude didn't buy it for any more than a minute. "I'm not going to change your mind, am I?" It was clear she believed what she was saying, but he didn't know if that would always be the case. He doubted it would. "Very well," he finally conceded with a shrug of his shoulders. "But be careful." This had the potential to bite her in the ass, and not in a fun way Claude would have enjoyed. "Do you want to see the bakery for your vampire now? Pick up a few recipes, ingredients, and Claudia's already-made concoctions? I could desperately use a change of scenery myself."
Re: Entertaining Angels
Post by Sookie Stackhouse on Sept 12, 2010, 12:21pm
s o o k i e s t a c k h o u s e .
Moment of honesty, someone's gotta take the lead
If you have something to say, you should say it right now
Sookie was glad that Claude seemed enthusiastic about her alternative idea, even if he hadn't been enthusiastic about anything else. Maybe some of her family really would appreciate getting to see the album, even if Claude didn't. She didn't think she could sit through his sarcastic comments about her family, but maybe this way he'd have the opportunity to look without having to be, well, bitchy about it. Nodding happily as Claude decided that a few family members would be curious, she went back into the living room, fetching a large scrapbook from the shelf, bringing it back to Claude. "Please make sure you are," she asked as he offered to be extremely careful with it. "It means a lot to me." She wasn't going to demand that he pretend to be fascinated in it, or even that he look, but she did want him to be careful with it. The pictures of her family meant a lot to her.
"Why? Because they're not human?" she asked as Claude insisted they weren't people. "Neither are we." It was really weird to say, but apparently true. "Neither are Weres or Shifters, but they have feelings too. If you could meet Jessica, you'd understand. She has no one. She's not playing with me, she's looking for anywhere she can belong. Bill's not teaching her, she can't go back to her family, and I'm pretty much the only friend she has." If she got hurt helping someone, it wouldn't be the first time, and it wouldn't be the last. That never stopped her from doing it, though, and she hoped it never would. The world needed more compassionate people, not fewer.Sookie never wanted to stop being that person people knew would help them.
Breathing a sigh of relief as Claude agreed not to tell Niall about Hadley, she really didn't want her cousin punished because of this. Talking the vampires out of it would be difficult, but Eric had said it was up to her. Hadley hadn't protected her, but that mean she was just going to throw her cousin to the wolves. Well, vampires. And fairies. "Thank you," she answered, sure her relief was obvious in her voice, not that she could control that. "And if it'll make your job easier, I'll stay away from her," she offered, wanting to show that she was perfectly capable of not being difficult of Claude was. She'd shown Eric how to compromise with her. How much harder could Claude be?
It was almost hard not to laugh at Claude's overly dramatic reaction to the news that she'd bonded with Eric. "Yes, I know that, and I trust him enough not to do it," she answered as Claude asked if she knew vampires could control humans through bonds. "Besides, I'm not actually sure he can. Glamoring doesn't work on me," she told him, since she wasn't sure he knew. "I'm pretty sure it's cause of the telepathy. If it works the same way, that sort of thing wouldn't work anyway." She did trust Eric not to try, though. "I'm sure he reveals only what he feels comfortable showing me, but I'm equally sure that what he does show me is honest," she answered, finally shaking her head as Claude asked if he could change her mind. "I'll be careful," she promised, though she trusted Eric to help her deal with this revelation, not make it harder for her. "Absolutely!" Sookie answered, eager to get into Claudia's bakery and away from all Claude's criticism of her association with vampires. At least in a change of scenery, they'd have other things to talk about. "Thank you for agreeing to take me. I really appreciate this."
