Station Karaoke
Unbeknownst to most people, the upper level of the old City Hall subway station has become a regular hangout for those of a supernatural background. Station Karaoke has become a sanctuary where humans, werewolves, vampires, and magic users alike can enter. Violence is forbidden in the bar; so much so that when an act of violence is underway those perpetrating it become extremely and immediately ill.
Dark, solid oak flooring runs throughout the establishment. White walls have been sparsely decorated, but soft lights of different colors splash against them giving the place an artsy feel. Up above, tiny lights dot the ceiling and when everything else is dimmed nearly give off an illusion of starlight.
Most of the area is taken up by eight overly large oak tables. Each table is draped with a short white table cloth, an elaborate centerpiece in the center and has approximately ten black chairs seated around it. A few smaller square tables line the outer walls, decorated in much the same manner. A small performance stage has been set up to the back of the room, featuring a variety of touch-screen monitors and equipment, as well as speakers and bulging song-books from which one can choose their repertoire. Fourteen private karaoke rooms are also available for rent by the hour, where, if one is shy they can go in and sing only with their friends and other guests.
Characters
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| Sera Roche | Brooke Bishop |
Bryn offered to accompany Serafine for her meeting with Brooke, but in the end Serafine decided to brave it alone. The last thing she wants is for Brooke to feel like she's being cornered or that's a two against one scenario. This way, it's just the two of them, and they're on even ground. It doesn't mean Serafine didn't take precautions, just in case the witch gets upset and afraid; it's the reason she chose the place that she did.
Not surprisingly, Brooke hasn't been here before, so Serafine gave her very detailed directions and promised that one, it wasn't a joke and two, she'll be pleasantly surprised. It's a little known secret place of the supernatural world, and Serafine figures the Coven doesn't hand out directions to its witches. It's the sort of place discovered by word of mouth or stumbled upon by accident, but it's cozy. It's also safe. Private enough for talking; public enough to be comfortable. After all, no one is going to care if Serafine reveals she's a vampire.
The vampiress asks for a table a bit away from the stage, quiet enough to talk but not hidden away from the rest of the bar. She's early, and she orders two glasses of Chardonay for them while waiting.
**
Regina? Hand out directions to a place where witches might mingle with other supernaturals? Only those who work for the likes of Kostas or the Pack Leader, or even put in some time with the Reynards, are given access to locations like this. It's not that Regina doesn't trust her witches, it's that she likes to keep her Coven members safe. If they find locales on their own? That's fine.
Getting off at the last subway stop of this line, she's got to walk through old subway tunnels quite a distance before she finds the location. She's quite happy that she's dressed mostly casually, and wearing dress sneakers. It makes the walk much more comfortable.
Even when she reaches the old City Hall Station, she's not sure where to go to find the karaoke bar that Sera mentioned.
Casting a quick locator spell, she can tell where the heartbeats actually are and makes her way toward the only thing in the area that looks like a door.
Dropping the spell when she finds herself in the karaoke bar, she exhales a sigh and then walks toward where she can see Sera sitting. It's unnerving to think that this place is something her favorite author knows well. It means that she's likely aware of what Brooke is, and it's one of those things that may make this meeting a little awkward.
**
"Brooke! You made it!" Sera stands up to greet the witch, giving her a quick hug and an air kiss to her cheek. "I was worried that the directions might not have been quite up to par. But Lane - " Serafine twists a bit to point to the large, smiling man leaning against the bar, " - assured me that he hasn't had anyone get lost yet once they've been invited and given directions."
Stepping back, she looks at the other woman and laughs. "Great minds think alike. We had the same idea with outfits."
Beat.
"Come on, sit down. I ordered us glasses of Chardonnay and I promise that I'm not going to make you sing."
Beat.
"And I won't embarrass you by singing, either."
**
"I was thinking casual, with comfortable shoes. It's quite a hike from the last station to here." Which is why people don't usually find it, she supposes. Brooke glances at the large man, and blinks. "Well that he knows of, I bet." Surely there's someone that's gotten lost and has been left wandering out in the subway tunnels ever since.
"I don't mind singing. I'm not great at it, but I won't make your eardrums bleed."
Sliding onto the chair, she settles down and puts her purse beside her.
**
Serafine thinks that Lane knows a lot more than he lets on, but she's not one to pry. He keeps out of everyone else's business and makes sure that everyone else in the bar does the same. It's a comfortable place to be. "Then maybe we'll do one song before the night's over." If Brooke is still game to spend the night hanging out with her once Serafine makes her big reveal.
"I heard you and Kieran are working things out?" Serafine asks, taking a sip from her glass of wine.
**
Glancing around, Brooke shifts her hand and starts to murmur a few words in Latin to give them a little more privacy. Just because she doesn't see any witches she knows doesn't mean that there's not a witch here that knows her.
There's a look of surprise on her face when the spell fizzles completely. She's not had that happen since she was twelve.
Lifting the glass of Chardonnay up, she takes a decent sized sip of it and then nods. Her voice is extremely quiet when she speaks, "He's got a contract that he's going over with his lawyers. He will be letting me know if we will be working together." That's not what Sera means, and she knows it. "It's all above board, and approved though."
**
"Very good," Serafine nods, tapping a nail against the side of the glass. "I think that the two of you will work very well together." No, and Sera's answer isn't what it sounds like she means either, but she assumes that Brooke will read between the lines.
The vampiress knows that she could engage in small talk the rest of the night, but really thinks she needs to get this over and done with. She drinks half the glass of Chardonnay in a few swallows and motions for another. "I'm just going to get to why I invited you here. First of all, I want to say that I like you. I really, really like you, Brooke. We go out and we talk and we laugh and we have a good time. It's fun to have a girlfriend to hang out with, and I don't just think of you as one of my fans."
Beat.
Serafine folds her hands on the table. "I want to hire you." The vampiress holds up a hand to stop Brooke from saying anything for a moment. "But, before I do that, I need to be completely honest with you about …me."
**
Brooke really wishes the privacy spell would work, and when she tries a second time and it completely fizzles, she figures she's going to have to figure out what's wrong with her. Downing the rest of the glass of Chardonnay, she exhales a sigh and tries to smile at Sera.
"You want to hire me? As your publicist?" Blinking at that, she glances at her purse. "I… didn't bring any contracts with me, Sera. I thought this was just a casual get together…" Normally she keeps one in a folder on hand, but with the potential of working for Kieran, and helping with three (well two?) businesses, she hasn't been carrying around so much work with her.
**
"Magic won't work here." To be such a large man, Lane can move with surprising stealth. He smiles at the women as he seems to materialize beside the table and tops off Serafine's glass before placing the bottle in the center of the table. His demeanor is friendly, cordial. Serafine likens him to an oversized teddy bear. Lane taps a ring on his finger, giving Brooke his most disarming smile. "It's part of the protections I had put in place to keep this a safe and neutral place for gathering. I can feel when it's attempted." Mostly so he can chastise anyone who's trying to be rogue.
"It was only a privacy spell," Serafine tells Lane. She's heard and seen Bryn cast them often enough that's she's becoming familiar with it. Sera gives him a mock look of chastisement, "I was going to tell her."
"Then my apologies for jumping the gun, Sera," Lane laughs. He turns back to Brooke and motions to the rest of the bar. "Don't worry, it's not just you, darling. Sorcerers, too. Shifters can't shift and vampires can't vamp out. Everyone is safe here."
**
There is a great deal of surprise as the man just seems to be at the table without making a sound. Brooke opens her mouth to say something, but then nods. "Makes sense," she replies, smiling in return. "It really was only a privacy spell, and I'm sorry for playing against the rules."
It would really help if she knew what the place was when she came in here. Then she wouldn't have bothered casting in the first place.
"That's likely a very good policy to have in place, if you're catering to our kind."
**
The vampiress has the good graces to look ashamed. "That was my fault. I'm sorry, Brooke. I should have told you what this place was all about, but I didn't think about it."
"It seems to work rather well," Lane agrees. "I'll leave you ladies to your evening, but if you need anything at all, just wave."
When Lane departs, Sera takes another drink of the wine. "I'm sorry, I should have … oversight on my part, really." Not that Sera's ever thought about whether or not magic could be cast here.
"Yes, I want to hire you as my publicist, but like I said, I need to explain something and then … you'll probably want to think about it." Yes, Brooke is willing to work with Kieran, but if the soulmate principle is in place, the witch is very much drawn to Serafine's Maker. It's entirely different that working with Sera.
**
"Tch. No need to apologize, Sera. Really, it's my own damned fault for being paranoid." And for wanting to talk about Kieran. Brooke grins at Lane and shrugs. "A girl can't be too careful when entering an establishment she doesn't know."
Turning back to Sera, she blinks. "Well alright, but I can fax over copies of the paperwork to you, and your publisher? That way I wouldn't be stepping on anyone's toes, and we can figure out what they'd like to take care of, and what you'd need the extra publicist for."
**
"Yes, well, I can understand the paranoia," Serafine agrees with a smile. She toys with the stem of her wine glass, because she's just recalled the other bit of protection in this place: her glamour won't work. It's been speculated that Lane is part-fae or at least on good terms with them, because the protections in this place are extraordinary.
"Yes, if you do decided that you want to do it, we'll handle it that way."
She sips at the wine again, and brushes a hand through her hair. Brooke seems focused on the business aspect and not on what Serafine is trying to tell her. "Brooke. Haven't you ever wondered why I know Kieran so well?" Since she's learned what Kieran is.
**
Brushing her finger along the condensation on the glass, Brooke grins. "We're close enough to the Undercity, I can't be sure who is stopping in here." Glancing around again, she makes a face. "I don't know every witch who's in the Coven. There are plenty of…"
Beat.
"I… yeah." She doesn't remember telling Sera that before, and it just slips off her tongue because the authoress mentioned the spell.
"Well I know it's obviously not the story that you gave me earlier, because he's nearly four hundred."
**
"Well, then we'll just steer clear of any obvious and uncomfortable references to a certain, charming dark haired, blue eyed devil," Serafine winks. She knows, from Kieran, that Brooke is supposed to be 'working with him' in order to satisfy Regina. How long that ruse will hold is uncertain, but it's in place for the interim.
"No, it's not the story I gave you earlier."
Beat.
The vampiress wants to blurt it out, just to come clean and say it, but she doesn't. Not exactly.
"I'm Celeste, Brooke. That's my story. With a little embellishment here and there, but … I'm Celeste and Kieran … is Ian."
**
"That would be good." There's a pause, and Brooke laughs. "Because I do want to talk to you about something, but I'm thinking that right here might not be the best place." Simply because she can't put up the privacy spell, and she doesn't want tales of her dreams winding up hitting Regina's ears.
Or worse. Her mother's.
Brooke pauses, glass half to her lips. Setting it down quietly, she stares across at the authoress.
"You're a vampire."
**
"I am." There isn't really much else to say in response to those words.
Beat.
"I wanted to tell you after the Ball. I thought we could have dinner or meet for drinks, but then everything went to hell with you and him." Brooke will know the 'him' that Serafine refers to.
"Then I wanted to tell you at Purgatory but the moment wasn't right and you were drinking and I was drinking … it wasn't the best situation."
**
"Sera…"
Brooke shakes her head, and laughs. "It's fine. I've worked for vampires in the past. I've set up one of Kostas' soirees. I'm not having a relationship with you that would potentially put me in danger, and disappoint Regina. I'll simply tell her that you asked to hire me and you were up front about it all, and that will be that."
Brooke's reaction to Kieran was bad. She knows that it was, and she knows that she could've been throwing away something that she really wanted. That Sera happens to be a vampire as well? Well it just makes sense, really. If the witch weren't so worried about Gabriel harassing her sister, she might've put two and two together.
**
"We're okay then?" Serafine asks. "You're not upset? I haven't exactly been up front with you, and I've opportunity since you found out about Kieran … "
Beat.
"I wasn't lying earlier, Brooke. I do like you and I really do hope we can continue to be friends. It would mean a lot to me."
**
"Sera, you and I are in a different situation than Kieran and I were." The emphasis is on that word, to indicate that she means 'are'. "We were dating, and I like people to be honest with me. I can… understand why he wasn't. It's the whole paranoia over how people react thing. I get that." Brooke exhales a sigh and really wishes there wasn't anything here that was blocking the spell.
"It would be different if you and I were together. I'd be upset at you for keeping it from me. But as far as you were concerned, you wanted to wait until you knew me well enough to tell me." She knows that it's the same for Kieran too, and she knows that things are going to be strained between them still for a while.
"We can still be friends, and I'd be happy to work with you. I'll fax the paper work to you tonight, and I can send a copy to the publishing company as well."
**
"Oh good!" Serafine claps her hands and seems genuinely giddy at the prospect. The meeting really has gone better than she could have imagined. Now that that's out of the way, she can relax a bit and just enjoy the rest of the evening. She finishes off her glass of wine, but instead of refilling, motions toward one of the servers.
"Did you want to order something to eat? There are snacks here. Typical bar fare, mostly grease and deep friend."
Beat.
She has noticed Brooke glancing around and lowers her voice, "I think there are private booths if you wanted one? We could ask Lane."
**
"Ahh… no. This is fine for now. We can always discuss other things… later." Brooke lifts her glass and takes a small sip, then shakes her head. "I'm not hungry, though I think we should probably order a plate of nibbles so we don't wind up like we did at Purgatory, though I honestly have no clue how you got drunk at all."
Beat.
"Could you possibly relay a message to Bryn for me?"
**
Serafine grins broadly. "Very, very carefully and without a lot of effort." She pours more wine into the glass and nods when the server acknolwdges her and indicates he'll be over shortly. "It's all a matter of balancing it out. We can get drunk with enough effort and alcohol, it's just harder to do it in public because bartenders tend to get disturbed when you're downing whole bottles of tequila or rum or scotch." Unless you glamour them into not caring, and tip very well, but unless she's in absolute control of herself, Serafine doesn't like to mess with glamouring.
"Absinthe, however, can be very potent for us very quickly if we have enough of it. Owen and the Abaddon bartender on duty that night both know what I am. I asked for my drinks to be extra potent."
Beat.
The vampiress blinks and nods. "Of course, I can. But … you don't want to talk to him youself?" As far as she knows, Brooke and Bryn are on good terms with one another.
**
"Absinthe. I'll have to remember that."
Beat.
"And I have to remember not to have about ten of those drinks. It took me until mid afternoon to recall my own name."
Brooke plays with the condensation on the glass again, and sighs. "At the moment, not really? I would have expected him to tell me that he was leaving me with a vampire that night. Or to at least give me a bit of a heads up when he realized things were getting serious. I'd rather not yell at him if I can avoid it, and I really want to yell at him right now."
**
"Are you planning on getting him drunk?" Serafine laughs. Again the him in the equation is Kieran. "He's older than me, so he takes a lot more than I do." She pauses and considers, "At least I've always assumed that. He might just like to get me drunk because he says I'm a funny drunk." Which is as much as she's willing to reveal to Brooke at the moment. Kieran does like to get her drunk, and he does find her amusing, but he also enjoys that she gets incredibly frisky and is willing to be far more indulgent in some of his deeper kinks and shed her humanity a little.
Shaking off that train of thought, Serafine continues. "Drinking from the source also helps." Serafine taps her pulse point as she says the words.
Beat.
The vampiress shifts in her seat. "That may not be entirely Bryn's fault. He did ask me if you were safe with Kier, and I told him that you were."
Beat.
"Because you were."
**
"I doubt I could, but I want to keep it in mind to keep it away from him if it becomes necessary. All part of the job, right? To keep him looking pristine in public."
Brooke exhales a sigh and then shakes her head. "Being safe with Kieran and knowing what he is are two entirely different things. Even when I was panicking about what he was? I wasn't truly afraid of him. I just needed to get out and breathe." Because the truth is, while she was worried that Kieran might do something to keep her in the room, she didn't think he'd kill her.
The scary thing is, she has no clue why she knew he'd not hurt her.
"Having knowledge of what he was would've made the choice my own. The way it happened… Regina controls the shots now."
**
"I have never seen Kieran sloppy drunk in public." The in public is the important part of that statement. Kieran drunk, or high, or both is very titallating for Serafine. It's not something Brooke wants to witness or see at this point in time. "I've known him a long time, and he does hold it together in public."
Beat.
"That could be because he's paranoid as hell, though."
The server arrives and Serafine orders a basket of fries with chili and cheese on the side and spinache and artichoke dip. "Did you want to add to the nibbles, Brooke?" Once the witch does or doesn't Serafine indicates that she'd also like to talk to Lane about a private table.
She smiles at Brooke and offers in explanation, "I think we should take advantage of it."
**
"You do realize the last time we took advantage of a private room, we became very, very drunk, and there's no Owen here to make sure I get home safely." Brooke grins, and then shakes her head. "No that sounds fine, and if we want more we can always order more, right?"
Beat.
"Well that's a good thing. If he hires me, it'll mean one less thing I'll need to be worrying about."
**
"Lane won't let us get very, very drunk. He's very attentive to that. A little tipsy is fine. Stumbling drunk isn't allowed. He's good about cutting people off." Considering how unpredictable supernaturals can be when drunk, that's a good thing.
Serafine sips her wine with a mock pout. "He won't even serve me more than one glass of absinthe. I have no idea how he found out that's my particular poison." It is possible Kieran told him; her Maker does have this habit of looking out for her even when she isn't aware that he's doing it. Like entrusting Bryn to take care of her.
"No, I think your biggest concern would be the trail of bad dye job bimbettes he goes through like most men change underwear." Beat. "Though I suppose with you on the payroll, he'll be curbing those behaviors. To make your job easier." Which again, isn't at all what Serafine means to say, but it's the best she can do.
**
"Good. Even so, I do think I'll switch to club soda soon enough." It's not exactly the most wonderful of drinks, but it's a bit better than drinking water all night.
"It better not be," she mutters quietly. Brooke does not want to think of Kieran stringing along bimbos just to keep up the charade. "So how are things with you and Bryn anyhow?"
**
The smile that blooms on Serafine's face speaks volumes. "Good. Very, very good."
Beat.
"At the risk of sounding terribly petty and mean and ill-willed, I'm glad that the two of you didn't work out all those years ago. If you two had worked out and stayed together, I wouldn't be with him now."
Her eyes dance and sparkle and she sighs happily. "You're going to think that I'm completely crazy, but I swear I've waited this whole time just for him."
**
"We were young and he wasn't… ready for commitment. He was a commitmentphobe. I don't know if that's still the case, and I can't blame him for leaving like he did." Bridget does though. Bridget blames Bryn, and Brooke can't blame her for that either.
"I don't think it's petty. If things had worked out, I likely wouldn't have met you." They'd still be in Lima, or Wales, and raising a family.
Reaching across to take Sera's hand, she smiles. "I'm happy for you, Sera. If that's true, I hope he treats you well and the two of you remain happy for a long time."
**
The bright schoolgirl smile doesn't fade in the least. "I don't think he is anymore. He's willing to be with me, Brooke. Publicly with me. Even if it means he can't stay with The Priory." That's quite telling, at least from Serafine's point of view.
"Yes, and if we hadn't met, I wouldn't have had that fabulous book signing." Serafine takes another swallow of wine. "You understand now, though, right? Why I haven't done them? It's so difficult to arrange things at night." Beat. "I can't very well tell people that I'm a vampire."
There's a beautific smile and she squeezes Brooke's hand. "Thank you. That means a lot."
**
It should sting a little that Bryn ran off on her when he did but seems to be willing to commit to a vampire. It doesn't though, and that genuinely surprises Brooke. She gapes for a moment, and then nods and smiles. "He does a lot of similar work. The Priory just offers him an abundance of resources." Beat. "That's a good thing, though. That he's so willing to be with you."
The woman, correction, vampire, seems to be so happy about it. So human, that Brooke can't help but chuckle. "You're in love. You positively glow when you talk about him."
Beat.
"I don't see how it's so difficult to arrange things at night. There are plenty of night time talk shows. Even the daytime ones, if you wanted to be on them to promote your new book, that can easily be done via video conferencing."
**
"I am," Serafine nods. She's not ashamed to admit it to Brooke. She still needs to broach the topic with Kieran, but she's going to wait a bit longer. Serafine needs to know that he's willing to at least accept the possibility that Brooke may be his soulmate. Her Maker is possessive and claiming, and it's better if he doesn't know the depth of what's going on just yet. "I haven't felt this way about anyone for a very long time." If at all. What she felt for Kieran when she was human, before he turned her, doesn't feel quite the same. She loves Kieran, of that there is no doubt, but it feels different from the heat and need Bryn ignites in her.
"Kieran likes him." The vampiress raises the wine glass and takes another sip. She explains as she lowers it, "It's like having to get Daddy to like your boyfriend. If Kieran didn't like him, it would be hellacious." Kieran can be quite the asshole when he wishes.
Beat.
"You see, then? That's why I need you as an additional publicist." She's not insulting her granddaughter or the woman's talents. Diana is good at what she does, and Serafine has never pressed to be in the public eye. Diana also has multiple clients and a second job, and Serafine respects that.
**
"That's a good thing. That Kieran likes him. It would be difficult for you if he didn't." Brooke has to make a few assumptions; that Sera and Kieran are much closer than she previously thought, or that Kieran is the one who turned Sera.
"I'm all about the technological side of things. We can do live chats with you via the internet. In fact, you could set it up to read a chapter from the newest book that hasn't come out yet, and allow fans to ask questions via social media outlets. That could actually be fun for you because that's something you can do during the day, which will help keep up your human facade."
**
"It would be. Kieran is … protective." Put mildly, but it's all Brooke needs to know right now. She will need to understand what Kieran truly is, the Karneros Bloodline, but Serafine isn't going to tell her about that. Kieran should do that, though the vampiress expects he will do it in his own time. "He grew up in a time when family and those that worked for him were all his for protecting and caring for, and a lot of that has stuck with him. Kieran is quite protective of his friends and employees." Just a warning, or perhaps an acknowledgment that Brooke now falls under that umbrella. Kieran will protect her; he'll also be as possessive as hell, but some women (and men) like that.
The server returns, and tells them that the requested meeting room is ready. Sera is given a coin and a number, the server says the food will be delivered there and departs.
The vampiress turns the coin over in her palm. "This is our key. There are meeting rooms here, not private rooms like at Purgatory. Glass windows." Serafine grins. For private conversation without prying ears and nothing more.
**
"Protective can be a good thing." Brooke doesn't mind being protected in such a manner. Actually, just thinking about it causes her heart to skip a beat. Clearing her throat, she looks down at the table and then laughs. "It's nice to know that a client will be looking after me for once is all." Just to cover up anything that may be misconstrued to outsiders.
"Coins as keys? That's a novel idea. I suppose we should move then, so that we can have a nice private chat and still enjoy the music?"
**
"Protective can, yes. Over protective? Not so much," Serafine shakes her head with a laugh. She does note the change in Brooke's heart rate, and files it away. The woman is interested in being protected. At least for the interim.
"Yes, let's do that." Serafine doesn't understand the magic that Lane employs, and she doesn't try too hard. Sliding out of the booth, she grabs her glass and the bottle of wine, and makes certain that Brooke is following.
The meeting room is exactly that. A room with a booth and a television screen that allows them to view the performers on the stage. There is a blindless, curtainless glass window, and the ambient music pumps in over speakers.
**
Brooke is fairly silent until they reach the room and the door is closed. She slides into the booth where she can face the television, simply because it is an amusing distraction to watch the singers as they try their best.
"I don't mind Kieran protecting me," she answers honestly. The witch can't recall what she wants or needs protection from, but she knows that she needs it. "I had a dream where he promised to protect me, and the damned thing was so realistic. I don't recall my dreams, Sera, and I can recall every word spoken in this one, even if I can't remember who I was running from in the first place."
**
Sera sets the wine glass and the bottle on the table and slides in across from the witch. "You don't remember your dreams, typically?" Sera echoes. Brooke isn't the first person she's had say such a thing, but it always surprises her. Then again, she's also encountered those who have very vivid, easily recalled dreams all the time.
"A lucid dream then?" Sera offers. "No, not lucid, because that means you're in control. Almost lucid and very lifelike?"
**
"Not typically, no. Not since I was very young. I sometimes remember fragments, but I recall every piece of it." Brooke leans an elbow on the table, and reaches for her glass. "It was so lifelike that I have no clue how I managed to stay sleeping. Good lord, Sera, I could taste him still when I awoke."
A flush of red burns up her cheeks and she downs as much of the wine as she can. "I called him afterward and told him about it. I couldn't help myself. I was still rather randy after the dream. I hope he wasn't at work."
**
"A sex dream?!" Serafine says with all the dignity and grace of a teenager. She'd be quieter and more reserved if they were out in the main area, but here she's willing to play looser. "That sounds worth staying asleep for." The vampiress winks.
"Was he receptive to talking about it?" Sera asks. "If he was, then chances are he was home for the evening." Though, this is Kieran. He could very well have locked himself in an office, or one of the private rooms if he were at Purgatory. She wonders though, if this was her Maker testing the soulmate theory.
**
"A very vivid, very realistic sex dream. It didn't start like that. I was running from someone. On horseback. Actually I thought he was Drake for a moment. I fell asleep reading Scarlett's Song again." Clearing her throat, she looks down in a slightly embarrassed manner. "Except after we set the stable on fire, he brought me to this cabin that definitely wasn't in the book. He promised to keep me safe from… whoever I was trying to hide from… and then he helped calm me down."
Beat.
"Really receptive. We had phone sex."
**
Serafine grins and drinks her wine with a smile, making no comment on Brooke falling asleep reading Scarlett's Song. "Is that what they're calling it these days? Calming down?" The vampiress' voice is light and teasing.
Beat.
She gapes for a few moments, and then shakes her head, clearing her own throat. "No, then I'd say that Kieran wasn't at work."
Beat.
"I'm a little envious." She pauses, and realizing how it could be misconstrued, continues. "I mean, not with Kieran obviously."
**
"Well that's what he called it in the dream. It did work. I've completely forgotten who I was running from." Brooke grins, and dips her finger into her wine. "I may have to ask him to employ that tactic next time I panic over something he's saying."
Blinking at the admittance, she says, "Why envious? Honestly, it's not something I've done before either. I've never had to. I would've invited him over but it was only a few hours to dawn."
**
"Yes, that does sound like Kieran. You must know him better than you thought," Serafine laughs. "Sex cures and fixes everything." It certainly is distracting, and Kieran knows his way around a woman's body to make it extremely distracting.
"I didn't mean the phone sex. I meant the dream. As a rule, we don't really sleep like you do, so we don't really dream. We can go into a sort of lucid visualization I suppose, but it's not really dreaming the way humans dream." That's why the dreamwalking is such a lure, it allows them to experience dreams.
**
"You think so?" Brooke looks honestly surprised at that. "Maybe it was just wishful thinking on my part? Kieran shows up in my dream and all I can think of is sex." Grinning, she pulls her finger out of the wine and licks it.
"I didn't know that, actually. To be honest, I know nothing about vampires other than what the Coven decided I should know. Which really amounts to blood-sucking demon." Looking down, she murmurs, "No offense, because I really don't think of you that way at all."
**
"Yes, it could be that," Sera agrees, watching the witch dip her finger in the wine and lick it clean. It's a curious behavior. "The man is sex on legs."
"Well, ask me something." Sera shifts to a more comfortable position, crossing her legs. "I can't tell you everything and there are things I won't tell you, but if you're curious, you can ask me questions."
**
It is a curious behavior, and Brooke looks embarrassed when she realizes she's doing it. "Nervous habit, I guess. I used to do it with milkshakes when I was younger." Sometimes they were too thick for the straw.
"He is. He really is. It's no wonder you could write him into your novels so well, and that so many women fantasize about him."
Beat.
"I don't even know what to ask, to be honest. Your hearts beat. You have reflections. You can take pictures. Your blood obviously flows properly. You obviously care very deeply for Bryn. But my understanding is that demons can't do any of those things."
**
"Oh, don't be embarrassed," Serafine waves it off. "It's cute. Probably has gotten the attention of more than one of your suitors." The vampiress winks.
"I've had years to get to know all of Kier's foibles and faults. His good traits too, don't get me wrong. He does have them."
"You wont' catch us dancing around in sunlight without a magical assist, so that much is true," Serafine smiles. "But I happen to like garlic and I've been inside a church or two."
**
"Sera, can I be perfectly honest?" Beat. "I generally don't go for guys that potentially want a relationship. A fling of a week or two, sure. But after Bryn…" Well she just shied away from anything that could be permanent.
"So what are his faults?"
Brooke smiles, and then laughs. "Oh, but that spell was magnificent. I don't like Kostas, but being able to see Kieran in daylight…"
**
Sera blinks at the witch. "Then what was the appeal with Kieran? Outside of the good looks and impeccable charm?" Kieran Collins does not come off as a man who might be fishing around for a potential relationship.
"No," Sera laughs and shakes her head, waving a finger at Brooke. "You'll have to find those on your own."
Beat.
"I will tell you that he is rather possessive, not just protective." Sera sips at her wine. "Also, he was born the son of a landed noble and merchant. He had a small title and played at court in England. He is still a spoiled little rich boy, all these centuries later."
"You're not alone," Serafine murmurs, then smiles. "I loved it. I never thought such a thing was possible. I thought it was all rumors and mutterings … Bryn liked it a lot too." Understatement. Serafine noticed how her boyfriend looked at her in sunlight.
**
"I have no idea. I was quite literally just drawn to him. When he called and asked to see me again, I couldn't say no. Honestly, I'm more usually drawn to sorcerers, but once he took me out on the dance floor and held me in his arms, I was hooked." Brooke can't explain it, really. The irresistible draw to the man.
"Do you think he could settle down a little?"
Beat.
"Into a relationship at least, not anything more. I know that he won't be looking for something permanent, but even just a few months…"
Logfile from NYC - Brooke.
**
"You're drawn to sorcerers?" Serafine giggles at that. "Is that because of Bryn or do you think there's more to it than that?"
Beat.
"I think that he's been interested in you for longer than his typical flings. He didn't even sleep with you, for what? Two months?"
Beat.
"Kieran is taking a different approach with you. He's respecting you and treating you like you matter. It means something." What exactly, Sera couldn't tell her without hinting at the soulmates idea, and she's not going to present that Brooke.
**
"I have no idea, but I've always been drawn to them. Even when I was younger, when we went to the city, I could pick one out in a crowd and mum would have to cover my eyes and pull me back to keep me from running toward them." Brooke shrugs, because she's no idea what that means at all. "Bryn was just the first one she let me talk to. She's apparently known his father for a while."
Beat.
"Unless you count the second date where we fooled around quite a bit, yes."
Brooke had noticed that. He actually wanted to date, which was so odd to her coming from a man who did state that it wasn't usual for him. "Right now, I'm still not entirely certain where things stand with him. We're trying to work past the bump."
**
"I'll bet your mother just loved that," Serafine remarks.
"You did?" Serafine feigns surprise. Kieran told her what happened, but she's not going to reveal that. It's better if Brooke things some things aren't shared by Kieran. She shakes her head, "I don't mean that Kieran wouldn't want to fool around with you, he just made such a point that he was approaching this relationship with you differently." Because he needed to keep her on his arm, but also, Sera thinks because he wanted to keep the witch on his arms. Kieran does like his witches, and Serafine still isn't certain where and how she came to be his interest and his Child sometimes.
**
Brooke chuckles and lifts her shoulders upward slightly. "I'm surprised she didn't start leaving me at home when she came to the city, or getting me one of those children's leashes or what have you." The witch can almost see herself tangling people up in it in her attempts to scrabble away from her mother.
"That's likely because I was a little bit shocked with my behavior when he took me to Purgatory. I quite literally didn't want to keep my hands off of him, and it got to the point where I just wouldn't."
**
"You sound like you were something of a handful," Serafine observes with a quiet chuckle. Their conversation is interrupted only long enough for their snacks to be delivered and then they're alone again.
"That sounds familiar," Serafine muses, sipping at her drink again. "I can't honestly say that I blame you for not wanting to keep your hands off of him. He has an undeniable appeal." It's hard for Sera to resist him and keep her hands from him, and she thinks it's only partly due to their Maker-Child bond, and mostly due to Kieran's attractiveness.
"It's very difficult for me to keep my hands off Bryn. If Kieran hadn't intercepted me that night at Purgatory, after you left, I would have gone straight to Byrn's penthouse."
**
"I was. Lord help me if I ever have children like me." Brooke blinks and then shakes her head. "Though that's less likely to happen now, as vampires can't have children in the traditional manner." That didn't occur to her until right that moment, but then again she really doesn't think she's even able to have children anyhow.
"He does, doesn't he? God that man is sexy. He oozes sex from his pores."
Beat.
"Why did Kieran intercept you?"
**
"No, we can't," Serafine sighs softly. She knew what she was choosing when she chose this unlife, but there are moments of wistful nostalgia. She can still remember what it was like to hold her son to her breast and bury her face in his soft curling hair, and to watch him grow up. "It's one of those things that we surrender when we turn."
There's a low laugh, "Don't tell him that, please. His ego is large enough."
Finishing her glass of wine, Serafine reaches for the one of the glasses of water that came with their snacks. "He knows me, and he knows that I wouldn't have wanted Bryn to see me like that. I would have been horribly embarrassed and regretful later." As drunk as she was, Serafine would have let her full vampire instincts out, and as much as Bryn accepts what she is, the vampiress knows that he still needs to be eased into certain things.
**
"Or we surrender it when we involve ourselves with a vampire," Brooke says quietly. Looking up at the ceiling, she counts to ten before sighing and glancing at the authoress again. "I'm sorry you had to make that choice, Sera."
Beat.
"He's a good friend then. Ensuring that you don't make a fool of yourself when drunk."
**
"Yes, there's that too." That leaves Serafine quiet for a long moment as well. Until Brooke said it, it hadn't really occurred to her all that Bryn would be giving up if he chooses to remain with her. She nibbles on a stick of celery, and knows that it's something that they'll have to talk about eventually.
"Thank you for that, but I was dying, Brooke. I already had one son, and this was a chance to see him grow up even if it was from a distance." Serafine smiles a bittersweet smile. "He grew up to be a handsome, intelligent, resourceful young man that I am proud to say was my son." Beat. "And I had grandkids. And great-grandkids. And so on, and so forth." She got to see them all, as well, though the majority of them have no idea whom she is. Only two lines are aware that the matriarch of their line still lives, in a manner of speaking.
"He takes care of me and looks out for me when he thinks he needs to do so. He always has. I didn't lie when I told you that he's my best friend and my family, Brooke."
**
It is something that Brooke is going to have to think about. It's not something she was looking for, but it's something that may be expected of her down the line, and she will have to have that conversation with Kieran if things grow more serious.
Glancing at the finger foods, she picks up a fry and lets some of the cheese drip off of it. "At least you had that. It must make you happy to see your son's line still living on."
After nibbling on the fry until it's gone, she nods. "I didn't think you lied to me, Sera. The story, perhaps wasn't entirely truth, but the feelings you have for Kieran and he for you are pretty evident."
**
"It does. One of his lines actually knows about me. It's been helpful and useful over the years." There's a light, indulgent smile on her face because Serafine loves the little ones and enjoys coming around when her grandchildren are infants, toddlers and young children. She's the odd cousin or distant aunt who spoils them before taking off into the wilds. "One of my grandchildren works with me at the Galerie."
"Well, he did know me when I was younger," Serafine winks.
**
"I have to admit, I'm envious." Until they started this line of discussion, thinking of a family that would exist generations after she's gone just wasn't something she wanted. Now it seems that she's been harboring that deep dark desire.
Which is only going to make things even more difficult for Kieran and I…
"He did. That much was true at least," Brooke says with a chuckle. "Every author is allowed their little bits of embellishment."
**
Reaching out, Serafine gives Brooke's hand a squeeze. "Don't be. There are always ways and methods if you want to have a child." Even if Brooke and Kieran are soulmates, the human woman has options. Artificial insemination, surrogacy. Bryn has those same options in a way, but it makes her uncomfortable to think of another woman carrying his child, if he's with her.
"Some of it was quite real, it just didn't happen with Kieran. I did tend to get into quite a bit of trouble for the confines and requirements of my time."
**
"But would he?" Brooke shakes her head and laughs. "Look at me being all maudlin and I'm not even drunk tonight." Poking the straws into her club soda, she takes a sip, looking everywhere but at Sera for a moment. "I'm getting ahead of myself anyhow. Things are rocky as they are. I doubt this is something that I need to think about for a long while."
Grinning in indulgence at her friend, she says, "Even so. You did it to protect each other. I can't be upset with that."
**
"I honestly don't know. I'm pretty sure no one's ever asked that of him before." Because Kieran has never been involved with a human in the way he could potentially be involved with Brooke. "Yes, both of us might be letting our thoughts wander in directions where they shouldn't just yet." Both of them are involved in fairly new relationships.
"Well, we a big part of the underground scene during prohibition. Running alcohol, gambling, whores. Kieran actually was part-owner of a speakeasy with a sorcerer named Teddy."
**
"I can see him running a speakeasy," she comments. Though she does find it amusing that Kieran would have associated with a sorcerer years ago. Brooke smiles, thinking she may just have to bring him out to a decades night at Decades, and then reaches for another fry.
"He had a family in the past. I'm sure that he doesn't want another."
**
"It was something fun to do," Serafine says. Also, it made hunting and feeding very easy. People there were into walking on the edge and indulging their illicit pasttimes. The young, single (and some of the married) women adored Kieran, and his bed was never cold, and he was always well fed. Not that Serafine fared badly either. "I was a torch singer." She grins at Brooke.
"He had a wife, once, but that was all."
**
"You realize you've just sealed your fate, right? You have to sing tonight now." Brooke chuckles, and eats the fry. Then sips at her club soda. "Since you were such a big singer at the speakeasy, it's only fair."
Raising her brow, she nods. "Even so, if he'd wanted something like a family, he's had four hundred years to choose to have one."
**
"Me and my big mouth," Serafine sighs in a mock-put upon fashion. She dips a fry into the cheese sauce on the side and eats it. "I'd lie and say I wasn't that big of a deal, but you'd only ask Kieran and he'd probably make it up to even more than it was."
"I think that it's just not something we think about as vampires."
**
"Well I'd offer to sing with you, but I'd make puppies cry." Brooke wrinkles her nose, laughing at herself. She's not a completely horrible singer, but she's more of the type that would prefer to sing in the shower. In the car. Anywhere that isn't public. "You don't have to sing if you don't want to."
Beat.
"Then it's likely not something that he'd want. I'm not going to lose sleep over it. It's just good to have an idea of where things might stand in the future."
**
"I doubt that," Serafine chuckles. "But, the gauntlet has been tossed and I've picked it up." Besides, it's highly unlikely that Lane will allow her to leave anyway without getting up on the stage once.
"It's just not how we're wired to think, Brooke. It would be like you spending your life wanting to fly like a bird or teleport. It's not something you can do naturally and your brain doesn't waste time trying to figure it out and do it. You accept it and move on."
Serafine is not saying that it is something that Kieran would consider, but she knows that there's likely more of a connection between Kieran and Brooke than Brooke imagines. The future is long for the two of them. It's better if Brooke doesn't shut down the idea right away, or at least has it in the back of her mind for later conversation.
"But no putting the cart before the horse, right?" Serafine reminds the witch. It's not as though she and Bryn have that option either, and she really doesn't want to think about what will happen if that's something Bryn wants. To be a part of the continuation of his dynasty.
**
"You're far braver than I am." Brooke may be good in front of a crowd, and she may be able to make eloquent speeches and introduce people easily enough, but she cannot sing.
"Not entirely true. People wanted to fly, and they sat down wasting time until they developed a way to do it." Perhaps not by flapping their arms, but as close as humanly possible to getting that feeling. Airplanes, gliders, skydiving, parachuting.
"Of course not. It's just something to have in the back of my mind. To remind me that Kieran is worth it regardless of whether or not I can have a family with him."
**
Serafine waggles a finger at Brooke, "You know what I meant."
She has a few more fries, listening to Brooke talk. "You've got it bad."
**
"I do. I honestly wouldn't have even considered trying to make things work with him if I didn't l — care for him so much." Stuffing her face full of fries after that, she washes them down and then glances at the television.
"It's ridiculous, I know."
**
Serafine catches the almost slip, but says nothing about it. "No more ridiculous than I am. We can be ridiculous together." She chimes her glass of water against Brooke's club soda in a mock toast.
