A/N: Erm. Another lengthy chapter with not much movement (physically),
though with a lot of suppressed emotions that boil over. Well.at least
we're somewhere in China Moon already...sort of. In a sleepy mood...and
everything's sort of inspired by Michael Buble. Oh well.
Chapter Three: China Moon
When the rose.
slaps your face
says your pain is a state of grace (I think that's right)
mirror cracks
image bleeds
he'll touch your desires
but not your needs
I stand at an open window
I see everything there is to see
I've been watching you
isn't it true the fool keeps taking you down down
taking you
I've been watching you
isn't it true the world keeps taking you down down
taking you
.
so there you are all dressed in black
walk away and don't look back
but if you must then cast a stone
the light is on but there's nothing and no one home (I think)
cos i've been watching you
isn't it true the fool keeps taking you down down
taking you
I've been watching you
isn't it true the world keeps taking you down down
taking you
"I've Been Watching You", Natalie Imbruglia
Rafael could sense En's pain.
He could hear each broken, unfamiliar sob which ravaged her delicate frame.
Rafael would have felt worst than scum, usually, to ever make En upset. Surely he would have been furious to have anyone, including himself, to go so far as to break En's sky-high pride and force her to cry the way she would when she did so - harsh and self-destructing.
But then perhaps Rafael had been waiting for too long.
He loved En; he had always made his care and affection obvious, if anything extravagant on his part.
And if anything he was sick and tired of her escaping, like she always did, from things she did not want to see. She did not want to know that Rafael loved her, so her mind told her, whether consciously or unconsciously, that he did not.
Rafael had promised himself he would wait. He had promised himself, for En's sake, to put En's happiness before his own.
But 640 years. 640 years. Rafael could no longer take it anymore.
Rafael sensed the bathroom knob click open, and rose up, making his way to the master bedroom, only to find En slipping on a black silk dress, the luxurious material cascading down her body like liquid onyx.
Her lips were ruby red, contrasting starkly against her white skin and straight black hair; yet it somehow matched the twin flushed points on her high cheekbones, making her look somewhat feverish but all the more vulnerable.
Rafael opened his mouth to say something, but En's clear grey eyes caught his blue ones, and without a word she shoved a black shirt into Rafael's hands before stalking out of the room.
Rafael, looking at the shirt in his hands, fell back against the wall.
Still not knowing what to do.
Or what to say.
~
Owen Redfern gave Jake Farraday a lazy smile as the boy dipped his white-blonde head through the low hood of the Lamborghini, his fawn-grey shirt outlining his slim frame.
Owen was very fond of Jake, perhaps more so than the first time he had met him. Jake, with his absent way, sensitive grey eyes, and tentative nature had amused Owen. At first it was all in the name of fun; Owen liked using the fact that Jake had a kind of predisposed assumption that Owen was either homosexual or bisexual (in actual fact Owen was neither, but there was a certain kick out of watching Jake squirm) to play with Jake's mind. An occasional light brush of lips on Jake's was Owen's own experimentation on what it would feel like, but it was soon before Owen had realised he had developed a peculiar emotional attachment to the boy who would float into various reveries during class, the boy who always finished his assignments on time and did well but never thought so. The boy who hung around, somewhat popular because of his looks and offhand attitude, and yet never belonging anywhere. The boy who was so afraid of being thought less than the rest of his successful family, although somewhere in his head he had already decided long ago that he was, no matter what or who told him otherwise.
So Owen had decided to show him the Night World.
Now, on afterthought, Owen still wondered what had possessed him to do such a thing. As much as he was thankful of Jake's continued existence after his untimely death, it amazed Owen that he, being Owen and self- serving, had actually risked expulsion from the Night World for Jake, who had been vermin at that time.
What Owen had never told Jake was that after Owen had made him, with the help of Blair, Owen's cousin, both Owen _and_ Blair had been put before the Council. With thanks, of course, to a certain Ash Redfern, who with his cunning had somehow managed to slip Owen's actions up to the Council.
Owen swore that if he ever set eyes on that traitor again, who had apparently ran off to join Circle _Daybreak_, of all stupid things to do, along with fellow dumbbells James Rasmussen and John Quinn, he would take pleasure in breaking his every bone before staking him.
Anyway, Owen had only managed to escape certain death (and Blair certain removal from Rielstorm) through the numerous multiple strings pulled by his and Blair's respective parents, as well as the insistence of En Redfern.
Owen still remembered what En had said when she had addressed Council, finally sealing the deal which saved his butt.
"If you do anything to harm Owen, or as much as try to tamper with Blair, Rafael Fuchs and I will resign from Rielstorm. After which we will have entirely no commitment applied to Rielstorm - or the Night World Council."
And that had been sufficiently silencing.
Especially considering all the assassins in Rielstorm, who were the best in the Night World and the most feared instruments of the Council, were all actually orphans (with the exception of Blair) who were completely loyal to En's word, and never to the Council's.
"Owen?" Jake's quiet, clear voice, suiting his apparent character so perfectly, but directly contrasting the intensity Owen knew he could have. Like the intensity of his obsession with En Redfern - however ironic.
"Yes?" Owen answered, expertly manoeuvring the sleek black car around a sharp corner, as they left Jake's street to blend with the swiftly catching dark of the night.
"You said En might not come."
Owen shrugged. "Perhaps; she's known not to like crowds. But Blair's going to be there, after being away for the past year, so maybe she'll come to meet up with him."
"She's close with Blair?"
"He's her favourite student. Of course, it helps that he's the best, too..."
"How did he come to train under her anyway?"
Owen smiled, following Jake's train of thought. "He was chosen by her. Saw him the first time she came here; liked his style. And Blair's smart, and perceptive, so he knew how to rub her the right way."
Jake nodded, still deep in thought, unaware of Owen's amusement.
Owen decided not to pursue the matter, concentrating on the road.
~
"You are far..."
A brown-haired young vampire sang into the mike, his voice mixing perfectly with the rich deep tone of the double bass, resonating sensuously, subtly through the dance floor, as En allowed Rafael to lead her in a slow dance, letting her body relax slowly again, unknotting the tenseness in her muscles as she swayed to the music, the light piano crush notes adding a quirky touch to the overall sound.
"When I could have been your star, you listened to people...who scared you to death and from my heart..."
"Strange that you were strong enough to even make a start...You'll never find the piece of mind till you've listened to your heart..."
En, particularly susceptible after the earlier evening's crying, tensed again at the line. From the corners of her mind, some unwanted events started to re-unfurl...
Rafael, particularly susceptible to En ever since he had fallen for her when he was sixteen years old, immediately sensed her discomfort, starting to pay attention to the lazy lyrics.
"People...you can never change the way they feel...better let them do just what they will, for they will...if you let them steal your heart from you..."
Rafael's heart clenched, noticing the implications on his own situation...
"People...will always make a lover feel a fool...but you knew I loved you."
En started looking at the floor; almost missing a beat and stepping on Rafael - Rafael looked down towards the girl searchingly...the last line echoing in his mind... "You knew I loved you..."
"We could have shown them all...we should have seen love through."
En's mind swam with unfinished sentences hanging in the air; but Gareth...
No, Gareth and her were a mistake together. She would have thought that was clear enough. Especially after what he had done...
"Fooled me with the tears in your eyes...covered me with kisses and lies..."
Rafael felt himself flipping over inside again, the lyrics starting to pound in his head.
"So bye...but please don't -- take my heart..."
"You are far...I'm never gonna be your star..."
It occurred to En how true that was; she turned away this time, not wanting to listen anymore, but Rafael seemed to hold her even tighter...
"I'll pick up the pieces, mend my heart..."
Could he ever? Wondered Rafael, already knowing the answer.
"Strange that I was wrong enough to think you'll love me too..."
And Rafael winced, being fully reminded of the truth, causing En's head to automatically snap up in surprise.
Both sensed the other was somehow suffering, but neither knew exactly why...
"You must have been kissing a fool...I said you must have been a- kissing a fool!"
The sax skipped on the last note, and so did Rafael's heart. En studied Rafael's face, as yet another set of unwanted suspicions surfaced...
"But remember this. Every other kiss that you'll ever give 'long as we both live - when you need the hand of another man, when you really can't surrender it;"
"I will wait for you, like I always do,"
Rafael faced En's enquiring eyes with an imploring, almost guilty look of his own - it was inexplicable, why he did so; as En started to read further into the lyrics and Rafael's expression...
The music rose in a crescendo, then a decrescendo immediately afterwards; En started growing cold, very cold...It could not be. Never. Rafael could not possibly...
"There's something there...that can't compare...to any ot-her..."
Love her?
"You are far...when I could have been your star..."
But why else...?
No.
"You listened to people, who scared you to death and from my heart. Strange that I was wrong enough to think you'll love me too..."
"You must have been kissing a fool..."
"No," En's voice was shaky.
Rafael, having waited for so long...
"Yes."
In one swift motion, En backed away, running.
"En!"
*Don't tell me you didn't know...you did you did only you never wanted to face up to it you scaredy-cat...he kissed you...it can't be. No. Never. No.
He's always been there...
No. Too often. *
But Rafael could not see or read En's confusion.
"You must have..."
"been kissing a fool."
And as the piano slowly faded away with the sax, Rafael found himself standing in his own pathetic state of after-confession.
"Oh...you must have...been kissing..."
"A fool..."
~
A/N2: Well...so much for warnings from darling!reviewers for having loooong non-moving chapters...at least now that everyone knows how everyone is linked together now...so we can go into full action swing (hopefully) in the next chap onwards. Well... I was always more of a descriptive/narrative person than a 'conversationist'. :) By the way, the song's from Michael Buble's debut album (I think it was originally a George Michael song): it's called 'Kissing a Fool' (duh). And I've already mentioned that the song at the start is Natalie Imbruglia's. And Rielstorm is an invented thing (a.k.a. It is Mine!). FF.net seems to have some uploading problems...I can't seem to upload this chapter (or else it would have been up on Friday the 13th...what an auspicious day, haha.)
A/N3: Next chapter spoilers: Miscommunications galore between the escapist En and a hurt Rafael; En meets up with protégé Blair, as well as Owen, who intros her to Gareth-lookalike Jake, resulting in some insecurity and even more confusion on En's part; everyone's favourite Mr. (Formerly) Egocentric, Ash Redfern, tries a hand at spying (we wonder how the anti-Ash Owen reacts to this); Lord Thierry worries about the new Council shifts and explains why En and Gareth broke up in the first place to the Daybreakers; and (perhaps, if I have the stamina and don't get overly-sidetracked) the new Wild Power is introduced...
~Alison Alliterates a.k.a. YX
Chapter Three: China Moon
When the rose.
slaps your face
says your pain is a state of grace (I think that's right)
mirror cracks
image bleeds
he'll touch your desires
but not your needs
I stand at an open window
I see everything there is to see
I've been watching you
isn't it true the fool keeps taking you down down
taking you
I've been watching you
isn't it true the world keeps taking you down down
taking you
.
so there you are all dressed in black
walk away and don't look back
but if you must then cast a stone
the light is on but there's nothing and no one home (I think)
cos i've been watching you
isn't it true the fool keeps taking you down down
taking you
I've been watching you
isn't it true the world keeps taking you down down
taking you
"I've Been Watching You", Natalie Imbruglia
Rafael could sense En's pain.
He could hear each broken, unfamiliar sob which ravaged her delicate frame.
Rafael would have felt worst than scum, usually, to ever make En upset. Surely he would have been furious to have anyone, including himself, to go so far as to break En's sky-high pride and force her to cry the way she would when she did so - harsh and self-destructing.
But then perhaps Rafael had been waiting for too long.
He loved En; he had always made his care and affection obvious, if anything extravagant on his part.
And if anything he was sick and tired of her escaping, like she always did, from things she did not want to see. She did not want to know that Rafael loved her, so her mind told her, whether consciously or unconsciously, that he did not.
Rafael had promised himself he would wait. He had promised himself, for En's sake, to put En's happiness before his own.
But 640 years. 640 years. Rafael could no longer take it anymore.
Rafael sensed the bathroom knob click open, and rose up, making his way to the master bedroom, only to find En slipping on a black silk dress, the luxurious material cascading down her body like liquid onyx.
Her lips were ruby red, contrasting starkly against her white skin and straight black hair; yet it somehow matched the twin flushed points on her high cheekbones, making her look somewhat feverish but all the more vulnerable.
Rafael opened his mouth to say something, but En's clear grey eyes caught his blue ones, and without a word she shoved a black shirt into Rafael's hands before stalking out of the room.
Rafael, looking at the shirt in his hands, fell back against the wall.
Still not knowing what to do.
Or what to say.
~
Owen Redfern gave Jake Farraday a lazy smile as the boy dipped his white-blonde head through the low hood of the Lamborghini, his fawn-grey shirt outlining his slim frame.
Owen was very fond of Jake, perhaps more so than the first time he had met him. Jake, with his absent way, sensitive grey eyes, and tentative nature had amused Owen. At first it was all in the name of fun; Owen liked using the fact that Jake had a kind of predisposed assumption that Owen was either homosexual or bisexual (in actual fact Owen was neither, but there was a certain kick out of watching Jake squirm) to play with Jake's mind. An occasional light brush of lips on Jake's was Owen's own experimentation on what it would feel like, but it was soon before Owen had realised he had developed a peculiar emotional attachment to the boy who would float into various reveries during class, the boy who always finished his assignments on time and did well but never thought so. The boy who hung around, somewhat popular because of his looks and offhand attitude, and yet never belonging anywhere. The boy who was so afraid of being thought less than the rest of his successful family, although somewhere in his head he had already decided long ago that he was, no matter what or who told him otherwise.
So Owen had decided to show him the Night World.
Now, on afterthought, Owen still wondered what had possessed him to do such a thing. As much as he was thankful of Jake's continued existence after his untimely death, it amazed Owen that he, being Owen and self- serving, had actually risked expulsion from the Night World for Jake, who had been vermin at that time.
What Owen had never told Jake was that after Owen had made him, with the help of Blair, Owen's cousin, both Owen _and_ Blair had been put before the Council. With thanks, of course, to a certain Ash Redfern, who with his cunning had somehow managed to slip Owen's actions up to the Council.
Owen swore that if he ever set eyes on that traitor again, who had apparently ran off to join Circle _Daybreak_, of all stupid things to do, along with fellow dumbbells James Rasmussen and John Quinn, he would take pleasure in breaking his every bone before staking him.
Anyway, Owen had only managed to escape certain death (and Blair certain removal from Rielstorm) through the numerous multiple strings pulled by his and Blair's respective parents, as well as the insistence of En Redfern.
Owen still remembered what En had said when she had addressed Council, finally sealing the deal which saved his butt.
"If you do anything to harm Owen, or as much as try to tamper with Blair, Rafael Fuchs and I will resign from Rielstorm. After which we will have entirely no commitment applied to Rielstorm - or the Night World Council."
And that had been sufficiently silencing.
Especially considering all the assassins in Rielstorm, who were the best in the Night World and the most feared instruments of the Council, were all actually orphans (with the exception of Blair) who were completely loyal to En's word, and never to the Council's.
"Owen?" Jake's quiet, clear voice, suiting his apparent character so perfectly, but directly contrasting the intensity Owen knew he could have. Like the intensity of his obsession with En Redfern - however ironic.
"Yes?" Owen answered, expertly manoeuvring the sleek black car around a sharp corner, as they left Jake's street to blend with the swiftly catching dark of the night.
"You said En might not come."
Owen shrugged. "Perhaps; she's known not to like crowds. But Blair's going to be there, after being away for the past year, so maybe she'll come to meet up with him."
"She's close with Blair?"
"He's her favourite student. Of course, it helps that he's the best, too..."
"How did he come to train under her anyway?"
Owen smiled, following Jake's train of thought. "He was chosen by her. Saw him the first time she came here; liked his style. And Blair's smart, and perceptive, so he knew how to rub her the right way."
Jake nodded, still deep in thought, unaware of Owen's amusement.
Owen decided not to pursue the matter, concentrating on the road.
~
"You are far..."
A brown-haired young vampire sang into the mike, his voice mixing perfectly with the rich deep tone of the double bass, resonating sensuously, subtly through the dance floor, as En allowed Rafael to lead her in a slow dance, letting her body relax slowly again, unknotting the tenseness in her muscles as she swayed to the music, the light piano crush notes adding a quirky touch to the overall sound.
"When I could have been your star, you listened to people...who scared you to death and from my heart..."
"Strange that you were strong enough to even make a start...You'll never find the piece of mind till you've listened to your heart..."
En, particularly susceptible after the earlier evening's crying, tensed again at the line. From the corners of her mind, some unwanted events started to re-unfurl...
Rafael, particularly susceptible to En ever since he had fallen for her when he was sixteen years old, immediately sensed her discomfort, starting to pay attention to the lazy lyrics.
"People...you can never change the way they feel...better let them do just what they will, for they will...if you let them steal your heart from you..."
Rafael's heart clenched, noticing the implications on his own situation...
"People...will always make a lover feel a fool...but you knew I loved you."
En started looking at the floor; almost missing a beat and stepping on Rafael - Rafael looked down towards the girl searchingly...the last line echoing in his mind... "You knew I loved you..."
"We could have shown them all...we should have seen love through."
En's mind swam with unfinished sentences hanging in the air; but Gareth...
No, Gareth and her were a mistake together. She would have thought that was clear enough. Especially after what he had done...
"Fooled me with the tears in your eyes...covered me with kisses and lies..."
Rafael felt himself flipping over inside again, the lyrics starting to pound in his head.
"So bye...but please don't -- take my heart..."
"You are far...I'm never gonna be your star..."
It occurred to En how true that was; she turned away this time, not wanting to listen anymore, but Rafael seemed to hold her even tighter...
"I'll pick up the pieces, mend my heart..."
Could he ever? Wondered Rafael, already knowing the answer.
"Strange that I was wrong enough to think you'll love me too..."
And Rafael winced, being fully reminded of the truth, causing En's head to automatically snap up in surprise.
Both sensed the other was somehow suffering, but neither knew exactly why...
"You must have been kissing a fool...I said you must have been a- kissing a fool!"
The sax skipped on the last note, and so did Rafael's heart. En studied Rafael's face, as yet another set of unwanted suspicions surfaced...
"But remember this. Every other kiss that you'll ever give 'long as we both live - when you need the hand of another man, when you really can't surrender it;"
"I will wait for you, like I always do,"
Rafael faced En's enquiring eyes with an imploring, almost guilty look of his own - it was inexplicable, why he did so; as En started to read further into the lyrics and Rafael's expression...
The music rose in a crescendo, then a decrescendo immediately afterwards; En started growing cold, very cold...It could not be. Never. Rafael could not possibly...
"There's something there...that can't compare...to any ot-her..."
Love her?
"You are far...when I could have been your star..."
But why else...?
No.
"You listened to people, who scared you to death and from my heart. Strange that I was wrong enough to think you'll love me too..."
"You must have been kissing a fool..."
"No," En's voice was shaky.
Rafael, having waited for so long...
"Yes."
In one swift motion, En backed away, running.
"En!"
*Don't tell me you didn't know...you did you did only you never wanted to face up to it you scaredy-cat...he kissed you...it can't be. No. Never. No.
He's always been there...
No. Too often. *
But Rafael could not see or read En's confusion.
"You must have..."
"been kissing a fool."
And as the piano slowly faded away with the sax, Rafael found himself standing in his own pathetic state of after-confession.
"Oh...you must have...been kissing..."
"A fool..."
~
A/N2: Well...so much for warnings from darling!reviewers for having loooong non-moving chapters...at least now that everyone knows how everyone is linked together now...so we can go into full action swing (hopefully) in the next chap onwards. Well... I was always more of a descriptive/narrative person than a 'conversationist'. :) By the way, the song's from Michael Buble's debut album (I think it was originally a George Michael song): it's called 'Kissing a Fool' (duh). And I've already mentioned that the song at the start is Natalie Imbruglia's. And Rielstorm is an invented thing (a.k.a. It is Mine!). FF.net seems to have some uploading problems...I can't seem to upload this chapter (or else it would have been up on Friday the 13th...what an auspicious day, haha.)
A/N3: Next chapter spoilers: Miscommunications galore between the escapist En and a hurt Rafael; En meets up with protégé Blair, as well as Owen, who intros her to Gareth-lookalike Jake, resulting in some insecurity and even more confusion on En's part; everyone's favourite Mr. (Formerly) Egocentric, Ash Redfern, tries a hand at spying (we wonder how the anti-Ash Owen reacts to this); Lord Thierry worries about the new Council shifts and explains why En and Gareth broke up in the first place to the Daybreakers; and (perhaps, if I have the stamina and don't get overly-sidetracked) the new Wild Power is introduced...
~Alison Alliterates a.k.a. YX
