Six months ago, if someone had asked me if I could ever integrate with my own kind, let alone LIVE with them, I'd think they were crazier than I am. With my first experience with a Kindred being the horrendous fourteen months spent in my maker's clutches, I was half convinced they we're all as wicked as he. I lean against the rough bark of the tree I climbed up. With the surrounding woods and lake, theres no doubt a Gangrel would find this place an appropriate home. Law loves to be in the wilderness. Why he decided to disrupt the peace and tranquility of this place by invited a ticking time bomb Malkavian like myself is beyond me.
After the Woodstock incident, he somehow convinced me to join his small coven of friends. While he was optimistic about the idea, the other three had their misgivings. Understandably as I did try to rip Kat's face off in a drug/hysteria induced hallucination. She understood the situation but still treated me with a detached civility. Stella was still amiable enough. It was nearly impossible to tell how Shade felt about me, as he barely spoke for any extended duration. He warmed up enough to teach me some useful hand to hand combat skills. Although that might of been a tactic to size me up in case he ever need to take me out. Lawrence - Lord, he'd chew a hole through my chest if he heard me call him that - seemed to take a truly confounding liking to me. I could tell I wasn't the only one puzzled by that turn of events. How anyone could tolerate, let alone feel genial towards me...but Law sought out my friendship.
Our little five some lived together for about four months before it became readily apparent how much of a burden my presence was on the other Kindred. Between my viciousness with my kills, my choice in prey and the fact that I have a tendency to slip into dangerous hysterics every now and then, the inevitable happened.
I try not to pry, as easy as it is for me. My senses just happen to be more sharp than even the heightened sense of your average immortal. I could hear Kat and Law arguing inside the house.
"You must be as crazy as she is for bringing her to live here! She's a godamn menace. If she's not tearing up the house she's trying to destroy one of us in one of her delusions!"
I don't need to see Kat's face to know what it looks like, the mask she hides her true visage behind slipping in her agitation.
"And haven't I proven I can take care of that?! She hasn't laid a hand on you since August." Law retorts, his voice taking on the throaty growl that shows itself when he's roused.
I hear Stella pipe up, hesitant. "He does seem to have a fairly strong control on her, Kat.."
"Oh, don't you stick up for that maniac.." Kat interrupts. "You're just as wary of her as I am. That right there is reason enough to toss her out, even Stell can't stand to be around her!"
"For the love of...I never said I couldn't stand to be around her, Kat! Be a spiteful bitch all you want but don't put words into my mouth." Stella spits out angrily.
I hear Law snicker quietly as Kat huffs in indignation. "Y'know what -Lawrence-, we've been friends for a long time. Through thick and thin. This is a real fucking thin time. If she's not out of here...I am."
I don't even need to hear Law's thoughts to know she's hurt him. He's told me plenty of details about their long standing friendship, and I know he wouldn't want to give that up. Ok, no big deal. I'll solve the problem for them. I'll just leave. I surprise myself with the bleakness I feel at that thought. I shake it off as I creep back inside the house to collect my few belongings. Sigh. Guess I should of know this wouldn't last. Not much can last the way I move through life like a human wrecking ball. I sling my bag over my shoulder and retreat to the back door. Although he wasn't there a moment ago, Shade sits in one of the easy chairs, looking at me without expression. Unsure what to say, I shrug and give him a sad half smile before exiting to the front lawn. That was easy enough, right? Impending loneliness creeps up on me, and I push the feeling away irately.
I'm not even at the end of the walkway when I feel Law's presence approaching. So much for easy. I turn to face him, eyebrow raised quizzically.
"Where do you think you're running off to?"
I raise my eyebrow higher, giving him a skeptical look. I attempt a smile. "I'm not dumb, tiger boy."
He sighs. "Sorry ya had to hear that darlin'. Y'know Kat...she's uptight."
"No, Law, she's right. I'm not really well equipped to be anyone's company for a extended amount of time. It's a wonder ya'll put up with me this long."
I start to walk away again and he grabs my shoulder, quickly releasing his grasp when I turn back to him. "Sorry, I know you don't.."
I interrupt him. "It's ok, you can...yeah. It's ok."
"Don't leave, Mad. We can work something out, it'll just take time."
I shake my head. Optimism won't get ya out of this one, boy. "Don't worry about working anything out. I'll just go, it's really not a big deal."
"If it's not a big deal, I'll just...go with you."
My mouth opens, about to shoot down that decidedly foolish idea when Kat's furious voice carries across the lawn. "What?! Are you kidding me? Have you honestly lost your mind, Law?!'
"Kat, stay out of this. You've made your opinion perfectly clear, this doesn't need to turn into a huge fiasco." A fiasco it ends up, and I end up plopping down in the grass as Law and Kat verbally duke it out. More than once, I wonder why I don't just up and leave.
Eventually they both run out of steam as Law heads into the house to grab his possessions. With a vague threat of dismemberment he warns me not to take off. In a last ditch effort to mend fences, he knocks on Kat's closed bedroom door. "Kat, c'mon. At least say bye to me, I don't want to end this on bad terms. C'mon Kitty. Don't be like this."
Stella rolls her eyes derisively. "She can be such a bitch.." To my surprise, Stella pulls me into a hug. "Sorry bout all this. Make sure he keeps in touch." After a moment she smiles warmly at me. "You keep in touch too." I give her a puzzled smile. When Law trudges back into the room she embraces him with a goodbye and well wishes.
Shade gets up from the easy chair and shakes Law's hand. With a steady gaze at me, he tells Law in his quiet baritone: "Take care of that one." Huh. I guess that's a sign of affection? So we depart, and instead of taking off and seeking shelter on my own, I've got a personal Gangrel bodyguard.
I stare up at the moon from my perch, feeling pensive. I glance down to see Law loping towards my tree, back from his hunt. In one of his eerily graceful movements, he climbs up effortlessly to roost on the branch next to me. I already ate, but the residual smell of blood on his breath still entices a stirring in my gut. "Good dinner?"
He licks his claws with a grin. "Probably not as tenderized as yours, but still satisfying." We both laugh before lapsing into companionable silence. Intentionally he breaks the silence. "This tree bark is really chafing my ass..." I dissolve into hearty laughter to the point of almost toppling out of the tree. He scoots closer, putting an arm around my shoulders, steadying me. "Careful darlin' don't laugh yourself into a torpor." When I get my giggles under control he starts to lift his arm from my shoulder. I surprise us both by reaching my hand up to grasp his, preventing it's removal. I can feel his pleased astonishment when I lean into him, idly toying with his dark hair. My acute hearing picks up a rumbling from his chest.
"Are you...purring?"
He scoffs. "Pfft, me? No. You're obviously having a delusion or something..." He chuckles, and the deep sound continues to emanate from him. The sound is oddly comforting, bringing a rare smile of contentment to my face. Oh, dear Maddie. What are you getting yourself into...
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