See Part Four A
Title of Series: The Web - Borne Of The Fall
Part Four, Interlude One
"Anybody Knows You Can Conjure Anything By The Light Of The Moon"
ASHER
To be pulled into a mortal's sleep schedule isn't as fun as one might think. I've lived several centuries in the night and to do that requires that I sleep during the day. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem possible anymore.
Jubilee and Kora are woken up around eleven o'clock in the morning. I only got three hours of sleep before they pulled me out of the dream with them. This is getting annoying.
*Tell those sods to go to hell. I need more bloody sleep!* Adam, still on his flight to Paris, is as strong as ever. The link hasn't faded at all.
Victor groans his affirmative. I can picture him rolling onto his stomach with a pillow over his head. The sad part is, that won't work because the voices really are in his head. I learned that the hard way.
*Hurg.* Jubilee is oh-so eloquent in the mornings. Oh, she's in the shower. Mmm, warm water... I know when Jubilee's eyes open because I can 'see' white tile, various shampoo labels, and a wet, naked bod-
*EEEEEK! Ohmygod, you guys did not just see that, right? Right!?*
I clench my eyes shut and try not to snicker. It's not very gentlemanly to snicker. *See what, ma cherie? I didn't see a thing.*
Victor sends a snort. *All I'm interested in seeing right now is Mr. Sandman.*
*I wouldn't mind seeing a beer.* Adam sighs so wistfully that the snickers I thought I had contained escape.
*I saw Jubilee in the shower.* Jubilee wails as Kora blurts out exactly what the rest of us had been trying to tactfully avoid.
I knew there was a reason why I didn't miss mornings.
*Listen, as intriguing as this morning has been, I have a late night ahead of me. Could I please have some quiet?* There, as diplomatic as I could be after three hours of sleep.
Lo and behold, the link fades. How wonderful.
~*~
When I wake up again, it's just after sunset. Perfect.
*Good evening, everyone.*
Ah, there's the link. *Hey Ash. You missed Frost getting psychic backlash by trying to bombard our shields.*
*Jubilation, why on earth would she do that?* I stretch in my extra-wide coffin, enjoying the feel of the silk coverings inside.
*She thought that if she could pour enough energy onto it, it would collapse. That might have worked on a regular shield, but with so much energy from so many different people, she just didn't have the juice. Heh, shoulda seen Jean reading her the riot act.*
*That woman really doesn't trust you.*
Adam answers my non-question this time. *She doesn't seem to trust anyone. She is her namesake.* He sends me an image of the woman, an image Jubilee must have sent him. She is tall and fair, her hair a lighter shade of my own and her eyes a pale version of Victor's. Her clothing is pure white and painted on.
*Ya fergot something.* Jubilee adds a white riding crop to the image. *That's m'teach. Amazing, isn't it?*
*Wait, Emma Frost? The owner of Frost Enterprises? That Frost?*
*Yup. What of it?*
I begin to laugh. That's the woman who refuses to sell out to JC Corp.? The woman who has caused Jean Claude an incredible amount of grief over the past few years? *Oh, nothing. Nothing at all. It's just, my 'brother' of sorts runs a company that's had some dealings with Frost Enterprises.*
Jubilee is silent for a moment. *Not JC Corp., right?*
I can only laugh harder, sending it into the link. Jubilee starts to giggle.
*Do you have any idea how pissy Frosty gets when she has to deal with JC Corp.? She starts acting like she's on this total PMS trip, but secretly, I think she likes it.* Jubilee's laughing full out now.
I'm gasping in my coffin. *Jean Claude gets the same way. He can't believe a single woman can be so infuriating, but he talks about his dealings with Frost Enterprises almost as much as he talks about his precious Executioner.* I can't believe I'm doing something so undignified as giggling.
*Executioner? The Executioner? The Vampire Executioner?* Victor's interrupting the mirth.
*Yes. Anita Blake. Jean Claude has been dating her for several months.* I grin, my fangs exposed.
*The Vampire Executioner is dating a vampire?*
I try very hard not to start laughing again. *Not just any vampire, but the Master of the City. Oh, and the Alpha Werewolf.*
Victor's booming laughter fills the link. *Shit. No wonder Edward stopped talking about her.*
Now my curiosity is raised. *You know Death?*
*Eddie? Yeah. I've done a few jobs with him. He's almost as good a killer as me.* From Victor, that's a big compliment indeed.
*It's... a smaaaaaaall world... after aaaaall!* I wince at Jubilee's singing. *It's- OW! KORA!*
*What happened?* Adam sounds alert and worried. I feel the same.
*Kora threw mashed potatoes at me!* The outrage in Jubilee's voice was what sparked the semi-serious tone in my own.
*So throw some back.*
And to my amusement, and the X-Men's chagrin, Jubilee complies. The food fight only stops when Adam declares that since it's after midnight where he is, he's going to sleep. The veils around Adam darken until his presence is muted to us.
~*~
I am just in time for the reservations at nine-thirty with Anita and Jean Claude. Morton's of Chicago is an upscale restaurant with exorbitant prices. I'm fairly certain Jean Claude chose where to go for the night. Anita would have probably preferred take-out Chinese.
I watch with amusement as they argue over what she's going to eat, all the while sending the conversation to Kora, Jubilee, and Victor. Adam is asleep in his Paris hotel room.
*Please tell me you won't be like that.* Jubilee's laughing, inserting her own silent commentary into the conversation in front of me.
*Of course not, ma cherie. There's so many of you that I wouldn't need to argue so hard with just one.* I send her a mental wink amidst Kora's laughter.
When Anita and Jean Claude finally finish debating what to order and finally tell the waiter what to bring, Jean Claude turns to me. "I'm sure you can imagine my surprise at having you in town again. You left rather abruptly."
I feel Anita's eyes on me as I answer. *"I'm actually surprised to be back here so soon, but I'm not going to be staying. It's one of the reasons why I called you both. A nice civil dinner away from the Circus and away from the politics. I was simply hoping to make a more graceful exit this time."*
Anita knows that she was one of the biggest reasons I left. I had come from Europe with the Vampire Council to get revenge on Jean Claude by killing his servant, but once I met her, I could not do it. She was the first in over several hundred years to accept me, scars and all. Unfortunately, when I was forced to feed on her recently, I rolled her mind over. She fears me because of it. That's not a revelation I'm handling well. I'm actually very grateful that she agreed to come to this dinner.
"Why are you leaving again? You know you can stay here, Jean Claude's offered you protection here."
I smile at Anita, carefully not flashing fang. *"A few things came up on my vacation, things that I need to be present for."*
I 'hear' Jubilee snort at my comment. I sincerely hope she's not remembering the dream and Adam.
"You'll always be welcome here if you need someplace to come back to, Asher. Sang de mon sang, chair de ma chair.1 If you have need, I will do what I can to help. You know that."
I find myself smiling at Jean Claude, a sad smile that he returns. *"Vous ferez ce que vous pouvez(2), I know."* He will do what he can, just like he did when I was taken by the churchmen.
*Asher? What's wrong?* Kora's talking to me now. I must have been leaking emotion.
*I... Jean Claude, Julianna, and I were a threesome when we were much younger. Julianna was my human servant and she loved us both. When Julianna was killed and I was tortured, Jean Claude had been at his dying mother's side. I blamed him for not being there for a very long time. I couldn't forgive him for being the last name Julianna screamed as she burned.*
*Oh, Asher.* Jubilee sighs and sends a wave of comfort to me. I relax slightly.
"You know, Asher? There's something really different about you."
I find myself smiling at Anita, certain that fang is peeking through. *"Yes, there is. It is definately a good thing, do not worry."*
Anita nods, still unsure. She looks directly into my cerulean eyes with her own chocolate colored ones. She's been a been shy about doing so since I rolled her mind with my power, but she is very direct now. "Yeah. I think it's a good thing, too. You seem happier."
The waiter brings Anita her food as I nod. I'm surprised to realise just how much happier I am. The link, and the people within the link, have done wonders for me. I send out a wave of warmth and am buoyed by the warmth returned.
~*~
For those of you curious, here's a translation I pulled off of Altavista for the French. I don't know if it's correct or even grammatically right, but here's what it's supposed to say:
Sang de mon sang, chair de ma chair. - Blood of my blood, flesh of my flesh.
Vous ferez ce que vous pouvez, - You will do what you can,