Louis shrunk back into the cushioned arm chair, hoping to God that he wouldn't get involved in another inane activity. Lestat had just entered the lavishly furnished lounge room of the infamous Night Island's private night time villa, with a glint in his eye that could be described as competitive or insane.
Armand's presence could do that to Lestat, just as Lestat's presence does to Armand. Although Night Villa was technically Armand's mansion, Lestat saw it as part of his retinue as the informal "Prince" of the vampiric hierarchy of royalty. So Lestat took it upon himself to assert his position as the leader of the coven of immortals that gather here on the Island. So far, most have humoured Lestat, or saw it as too much trouble to take issue with, but Armand was the one glitch in Lestat's plan to once again make him the centre of attention.
Armand and Lestat have always had a volatile relationship, which has most recently; with Lestat's decision to live in such close proximity to Armand, become particularly cattish and trivial. Louis was unfortunately present for every competitive triviality and "most exquisite scheme" for revenge, as Lestat liked to call them. Armand's response prior to Marius's visit to the island was to return each challenge with a similar prank or painful backlash, with (for Armand) hilarious repercussions that would delight the devilishly innocent looking vampire, and infuriate Lestat to escalate his schemes of vengeance to a higher level. Since Marius's arrival, the boy vampire had been surprisingly dulcet and affable, disregarding Lestat's harebrained plots, and causing Lestat to search for trouble again, trying to provoke fights with Armand in any way possible. Armand spent much of his time with Marius, and Lestat could scarce find an opening without Marius being present. Lestat decided that Marius is what is letting Armand gain the upper hand in their rivalries, so Lestat had devised a way to compete with Armand, under the watchful gaze of Marius.
It was a "most exquisite scheme" again. This made Louis more reluctant than ever to see it play out.
Lestat saw Louis buried in his book, Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. Louis had read it before, Lestat was certain, but seeing Louis read it had given Lestat an idea.
"Môn Chere, have you seen Marius lately?" Louis looked reluctantly up from his book to see Lestat standing in front of Louis, hands on hips, with a mischievous glint in his eye.
Louis sighed "He went with Armand to the theatre… but they are probably back by now."
Lestat smiled and gave Louis an awkward hug in the chair. "Ah, Mon Chere, you are such a comfort to me." While Lestat was leaning close to Louis, he whispered into the reluctant vampire's ear, "You are first in my affections, remember that, and God Louis, try to have fun with it!"
Lestat drew away from the confused Louis, and skipped spritely out the living room (the living room for the dead).
In the master suite, Armand and Marius were engaged in some affections of their own. Having just returned from the Baz Luhrman rendition of A Midsummer Nights Dream, the Master and Fledgling had come in through the suite window, thrown their programmes and coats to the floor, and were currently intertwined on the plush four poster bed in the middle of the suite. Marius stroked his fingers through his fledgling's auburn hair, kissing up from the base of his neck to the smooth pale skin at the base of his chin. Armand leaned into his master's cool hand, loving how it felt in his glossy hair. He wrapped his own slender fingers in his master's hair and pressed his smaller hand up against his Master's cheek. Tiny sighs and whispers of love issued from both vampires. Marius gently leant further over Armand, pushing the brown eyed child back onto the red embroidered pillows. His reddish-brown hair spilt out over the pillow, and followed his Master's movements with his steady wide brown eyes.
Marius gazed indulgently at his submissive progeny. So heavenly were his features, that the summation of the evening, with his very own fairy child, seemed most fitting for Marius's own Midsummer Night.
"Your gaze melts the furnace of my heart, dear one" smiled Marius, quoting the play.
Armand laughed, "Oh Padrone, Lord what fools these mortals be! That was hilarious!"
Armand had found that particular line amusing, and had laughed too in the performance.
"Well, give us your hands if we be friends, my sweet." Marius joined the laughter. He gathered up his child's hand in his own, the broad adult fingers dwarfing Armand's fragile ones.
"We have no amends that need restoring, Padrone. " Marius leaned into his progeny's fervent gaze, trapping his fragile hands above his head.
"The course of true love never did run smooth, dear one." A wolf like smile crept over the ancient one's face. He leant closer, nuzzling into Armand's pale white neck, his fangs grazing over the now shivering skin.
"Mark'd I where the bolt of Cupid fell: It fell upon a little western flower, before, milk-white, now purple with love's wound." With every word, Marius's teeth scraped softly against his fledgling's throat. Armand felt a shiver, like a zing of electricity rushing down his spine. In a reflex action, he leaned forward, into the path of his Master's fangs. Drinking, drinking down the powerful preternatural blood. Master and fledgling both lost in the swoon. With a breathy whisper, Armand finished the sentence.
"And maidens call it love-in-idleness, Oh!"
All was silent in that moment then, excepting only tiny gasps and the smack of lips against skin and blood. The room was still, the earth was still. All was engaged in this moment. When both Vampires were at peace and in pleasure.
A sudden creak of the door and a long sliver of light interrupted the moment.
"Marius? Imp? How goes the performanc – oh!"
Lestat smiled a very deliberate smile. His eyes took in the two vampires entangled on the bed, both looking at him with sheepish and accusing glares. Armand was underneath his Master, his arms around his neck, as Marius was slightly raised from his fledgling, his cheeks ruddy, both of them looking at the disturbance. The disturbance that shouldn't be there to interrupt this moment. The disturbance that continued to prowl across the room, regardless of their activities.
"I am amazed and know not what to say. May I visit?"
"Ye-"Marius began.
"No!" Armand tersely spake.
Lestat's growing smile lingered on Armand's possessive sentiment. This was worth it already. He determinately settled into the cushioned armchair by the bed. The ruffled lovers awkwardly re-arranged themselves to a sitting position, flattening their tussled hair and sorts. Lestat noticed the red blemish on Armand's white collar.
"How was the show?"
"Fine. Now go away."
Marius sent a level look at his child. There was no excuse for poor manners.
"The show was lovely. Well worth a viewing, you would enjoy it, Lestat."
"You think?"
"Sure. Take Louis with you. You could make it an evening."
"Hmmm, Maybe I will." Lestat looked thoughtful. Armand was curled sitting on the bed, his arms around his knees, excluded from the conversation with a look. It was working. "And how did it compare to the other performances you've seen? You must have a lot to say, based on the past renditions you've seen."
Marius raised his eyebrows. A lengthy conversation was not what he would prefer to engage in at the moment, his fledgling's blood still warm in his cheeks.
"Perhaps now's not the best –"
"Oh nonsense Marius. We've got the time, have we not? Come, I would like to hear of it."
"Well, I suppose –"
"I have many questions. How did it compare to the Roman theatres? Do the modern technologies enhance or detract from the experience? Has it equaled other performances visually? I hear this Baz Luhrman is quite the visionary; the papers all praise the ingenuity of his works. I believe we have several of his films on discs in the movie room, the Romeo and Juliet of his with that lovely morsel, Claire Danes. Isn't she a darling? I saw her in a new film, just a few months ago wherein she was a fallen star, and she was just gorgeous. Quite befitting. Have you seen that film? With the flying galley ship? Marius?"
Marius sighed and sat forward on the edge of the bed. There was no shaking Lestat. And he did have a soft spot for Claire Danes.
"Yes, I saw the film. Of course Claire Danes is a darling little mortal. A great talent really. "From the middle of the bed, Armand rolled his eyes. Claire Danes again.
"She was so young in Romeo and Juliet. So strangely modernized. I think it worked on that level though. That these older concepts become somehow universal." Lestat responded eagerly.
"I wouldn't call then older concepts, more like timeless wouldn't you agree? That they have managed to persist through time like so." Marius settled into lengthy conversation mode.
"But do they persist because of their age? Does that somehow make them classics? And – Oh, come, come to the movie room, have a look at that clip. The one at the masquerade. When she meets him in that lovely white dress. Is it because of her actions or her as a person that we as the viewer empathise with her so?"
Marius followed Lestat, his arm linked in the flamboyant Lestat's. Armand moved to get off the bed and follow, when Lestat turned from the door, silhouetted in the frame of the hall light.
"Oh, Armand, you can stay here. I'm sure it wouldn't interest you. Now Marius, about that other film. She was not mortal in it, can you imagine –"
The door shut behind them, leaving Armand frozen in the dark, in the middle of the master's bed.
He blinked in the darkness, and then looked again towards the door and the sudden exit of his master. His wide eyed expression of surprise slowly inverted to follow his thought process. His brows slid together in confusion, then determination. Armand slid off the bed and over to the door. Trying the handle, Armand struggled. It was locked. He stood there fuming, and sent a mental message to Lestat.
Lestat! What are you playing at?
Playing? Moi? Whatever could you possibly mean my charming little pest?
You Oxymoron! And of course you are playing. Locking doors and running away to hide is definitely playing. It's childish.
Ooh, look who's talking, midget!
Blonde …grrr… IDIOT!
Tsk, tsk, Armand. We can't be choosy with our blonde's now, can we? I might just report your little outburst to the blonde standing next to me. We'll have a little blond rebellion, start a few fights, hmm? How do you like the sound of that?
You idiot, is all I say. And anyway, what the hell are you –
Uh uh uh! Armand, I thought that was all you were saying, and that made me happy. Why would you go and bring me down? Don't you bring me down today.
Urgh, not this again…
No matter what you say, don't you bring me down – come on Armand, it's music, it's a song, I'm a musician, of course I would frequent it with my harmonious vocal chords.
I'd rather you wouldn't. And what do you mean, "harmonious vocal chords"? You just killed yet another song. And why should I have to put up with your incessant wailing. It sounds like a cat being strangled, why put such things into my head?
Why me? I'm just poor pitiful pearl!
Stop that.
Boo hoo hoo. Oh no, I don't want to work in a brothel, I'd much rather cater exclusively to that blonde artistic hottie. Because secretly I love the blonde artistic thing.
Shut up Lestat. And anyway, what are you playing at, going off with Padrone like that?
I'm sorry? Who? I don't follow your weekly pet names for each other.
Urgh. I will kill you.
Now I haven't heard that in the past few months, it's really quite the turnaround.
You masochistic idiot. Why do you want to fight me. Get over yourself and realise that this is my house, he is my Marius, and while you are in my house you stop acting like an idiot and respect my property.
Marius? Your property? Well I wonder what a learned individual such as himself would have to say about that.
Why are you taking him anyway? Why did you interrupt us?
Mmhn, Iwantedtohearabouttheshow.
Sigh, I saw the show too. Why couldn't I come along? Why did you lock the door? And more importantly – wait…
…
I know what this is about…
…
You absolute bastard! This isn't fair! This just isn't fair!!
Armand, as you are the baby of the family it is my sad duty to inform you that life isn't fair.
You are… You are a bitch. It's as simple as that. You are an absolute bitch.
Ouch. That really hurts.
Armand stood fuming for a moment, staring at the door.
I'm really mad at you, Lestat… but I don't want to break the door.
Why? Do it, do it now man!
No! Padrone made this door. There is a really nice picture on it, and it's all gilded.
You sound like such an idiot right now.
No, that's your job.
Just bust that door!
No, and anyway. Padrone told me I'm not to break any more doors now.
Any more? Well you don't have to bust it then, just, you know, bzzzzzz the door open.
What?
Bzzzzzz it open. With your mind, silly!
Uh….. Bzzzzzzzz?
You know, it seems rather obvious in hindsight. Like, wouldn't that be the first thing you would do?
Shut up. I'm coming to the movie room.
See you there!
Lestat grinned wider to himself, his silent conversation hidden as he searched through the DVD collection while Marius rambled on about Claire Danes. Phase two of his plan was about to begin, and soon enough, once again Lestat will hold centre stage. He just had his revenge on Armand to partake and soon he would be prince again. He grabbed the Claire Danes collection with a flourish, and gleefully motioned Marius onto the leather theatre seats. Armand would be getting his comeuppance.
Very soon.
First Chapter, Please Review. What would you like to see in this story?
And Marius's obsession with Claire Danes intensifies..... nnnnnnext Chapter!