Full Circle

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr slapped the bell on the counter, pondering the very merry sound of it as he then shoved his hand back in his coat pocket and waited for someone to appear and direct him as to where he should go.  He looked down at his feet, rocking ruminatively back onto his heels for something to do.

Deciding what to wear had posed quite a few problems for him tonight.  He didn\'t want to be too formal, because he wished to show that he was relaxed with being in the presence of the Oligarchy.  The Shifter Oligarch - who he\'d come the night before to make an appointment with - was far less intimidating than the Luminary, after all.

By the same token, he didn\'t want to make the mistake he had when he came to meet with Shiroan and be too casual.  He\'d settled on dark blue jeans, leather boots, a pale blue coloured cashmere turtleneck jumper and his calf-length black coat over it all.  The deep pockets of his coat would also provide somewhere convenient to stick his hands, in case he got nervous and started to fidget.

His attire finally sorted (and three changes of clothes strewn across his bed to prove how much he\'d deliberated), Kerr had set off for his meeting.  It had been two nights since Tag had left but he\'d still been recovering from the traumatic final discussion last night, so had only been up to making an appointment for tonight.  He was ready now, though, and had worked out what he\'d say to the Shifter Oligarch (who didn\'t know the Mandy/Ben history) by way of explaining why Tag had left his care.

He looked up as he heard footsteps, expecting to see the tall, feline man he\'d met last time he was here and summoning a polite smile to greet him with.

[Trillian]

A small demon that stood perhaps a full two feet when it was standing correctly upright, but lost half a foot due to its hunched position, flew lazily from the back room and along the counter, landing close to where Kerr stood and landing with a scrabble that left behind long clawmarks into the marble before its talons dug in.  The thing looked like it belonged on the side of a building, taking the position of a gargoyle, especially due to its stone gray skin with some moss-green liver spots upon its back.
 
The creature crouched on the counter and stared intently at Kerr, so that the vampire could sense an air of curiosity about it - though it was not from body language, but rather a mental sensation, much like empathy.  Kerr was reading what the gargoyle was feeling, rather than communicating in words.  It desired to know who he was and what he wanted, and there was a strong sense of impatience.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr blinked, realising he hadn\'t heard footsteps at all but... claws hitting the counter?  Perhaps just wing beats.  He raised his eyebrows at the little being, wondering if it would get into trouble for damaging the counter and exactly how it managed to convey it\'s wishes through feelings, rather than words or gestures.  How very odd.

"Oh... uh, hello," he suddenly exclaimed, realising he\'d been staring and thinking, rather than answering.  Speech seemed the easiest form of communication with which to respond, so he went with that.  "M-my name\'s Kerr Galvin.  I came here last night and made an appointment with the Shifter Oligarch for... " he paused to look down at his watch, to check that he was on time, "well, for ten minutes\' time.  I\'m a bit early but I thought I should be so... well, I don\'t want to hold him up, my business here is pretty simple, really."

He found himself breathing a laugh and smiling awkwardly, knowing his mouth was running away without him.  He was babbling and hated the fact that he never knew what he\'d be looking at when he came to this Godforsaken building; every time he thought he was ready to face what they threw at him, he was surprised anew.  This little grey thing had to be a Gargoyle but... gargoyles moved??

"Do you know where I should go to meet with him?  Is he ready yet?"

[Trillian]

The beating of wings likely sounded like the stepping of feet, and the scrabble was perhaps likened to a scuff of a shoe.  There was no mistaking that the noises had come from this little critter though, that smirked at Kerr knowingly before grumbling a raspy noise and then pointing a wrinkled and bony arm in the direction of the lifts.
 
A desire to wait came to Kerr\'s mind, but there was a strong urge to go downstairs and wait.  There was also a pull for a soft seat, maybe a lounge chair of some kind, certainly something soft and plush.
 
The gargoyle stopped pointing and took a few steps backward before it crouched to all fours and took a running leap off the counter, falling halfway down before its wings beat a rhythm strong enough to carry it to the lifts.  It hovered by the button and pressed it before letting itself fall to the floor with a thump.  Flying didn\'t seem to be the easiest thing for it, and as it turned a weary head in Kerr\'s direction, the vampire received a vibe of age.
 
This creature, this gargoyle... was very old.

[Existentially Odd]

When it looked at him, Kerr\'s stunned expression turned into a hasty (if a little forced) smile once more and then he chose to stare at the elevator doors until they opened.  It only took a few moments, after which the vampire stepped in with long strides.

Automatically, he turned and hit the button for downstairs, something groaning within at the acknowledgment that he was going through this process again, and then he noticed that the gargoyle had followed him in.  Although he wondered why - or if there was something wrong - he didn\'t say anything as the doors closed once more, and the elevator slid smoothly downward.  He stared at the lights as they moved, trying not to think too much.

When they reached their destination and the exit was open to them, Kerr gave the gargoyle a questioning look, even while he made a flourishing gesture towards the hallway ahead.  "After you?"

[Trillian]

The gargoyle sat in a hunched puddle on the elevator floor until the doors opened and Kerr motioned for it to leave first.  It leapt forward much like a frog would, though it looked a lot closer to a winged toad.  There was a sense of it feeling somewhat undignified as it glanced back over at Kerr, before its wings flapped and it did a running jump into the air, leading the way with a beating of wings (much like the first sound of footsteps that Kerr had initially heard upstairs, like slippered feet on tiles), and it grunted when the pair of them reached the waiting area.  Two sofas lined a corner wall and the gargoyle gestured at them mid-flight, changing course without meaning to and Kerr received a spark of surprise and disorientation as the gargoyle projected this emotion his way by mistake.
 
It gripped the knob of the door and its wings stopped flapping, allowing it to land and turn the handle at the same time, dropping to the carpet with an audible \'plop\'.  The door opened without a squeak and the gargoyle frog-leapt in, only for the door to shut behind itself, without any prompt - as though there was someone standing at the door.
 
A long time passed, no voices could be heard, and the gargoyle didn\'t return.

[Existentially Odd]

Hiding his grin, Kerr walked over to the couch that faced the door, so that he would know as soon as he was required to enter.  He wasn\'t so eager that he sat at the end closest to the meeting room entrance, though - rather, he went to the far end to sit, his right leg stretched toward the other couch and looking idly at the interesting table type structure that filled the corner space.  On closer inspection, it was more of a shelf, protruding from the wall, but he appreciated it for far different reasons than its aesthetic value.

Kerr liked it because it gave him something to think about besides what it would be like once he entered that huge room yet again.  In a way, it was cathartic that he returned to the place where he\'d lost Mandy and Ben, once he knew (sort of) what had become of them.  It was also ironic that he was here to sever the tie that bound those fates.

He shifted uncomfortably, finding his thoughts straying to places he didn\'t wish them to go, looking away from the corner piece to the door, hoping that it would open soon, or he\'d see the Shifter Oligarch steo out of the elevator.  Kerr\'s gaze flicked towards that, too... but his thoughts were unable to summon his desire.  He checked his watch, finding it was ten minutes beyond when the appointment should have started and slouched down a little, doing his best to fight his impatience.  What could be taking so damn long?  He definitely didn\'t want to be here all night.

[Trillian]

A further fifteen minutes later, where Kerr had been waiting for twenty-five minutes after the scheduled appointment, the door opened and a large and unyielding looking earth-demon was glaring at him from the doorway, looking like he wouldn\'t be able to fit through the smaller opening due to his expansive chest and shoulders.
 
"Inside," he demanded, not apologising for Kerr\'s lapsed appointment time, moving aside but holding onto the door with chunky fingers so that he could shut it once the vampire moved through.
 
Halen was at his customary position at the far end of the room, but the place had undergone a redecorating.  The large circular table that had seemed to hover in the air like a godly discus was gone, a more practical horseshoe shaped table replaced it, the colour of golden oak.  Kerr was gestured to stand in the middle of the room, where the horseshoe table wrapped around him, most seats empty but some idle gazes were cast his way as Oligarch members peppered the seats.  Demons of varying type, colour and size stood around the room acting very much like guards.  The gargoyle was nowhere to be seen.
 
The Shifter Oligarch was seated at Halen\'s right, and the being that was known as the Luminary leant forward with interest upon Kerr\'s entrance.  He linked his fingers together before they moved on their own, twirling a large amethyst ring as his eyes flashed their curiousity.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr\'s mouth ran dry as soon as he saw the veritable crowd gathered in the room.  He was glad his feet carried him smoothly to the assigned spot but beyond that... he felt lost.  His hands snuck into his pockets like cowed puppies and he took a few moments to meet some eyes but generally didn\'t get very far before he came back to the luminary.  The man looked positively gleeful, which only served to scare the vampire witless.

"I... only needed to speak with you," he said (after he cleared his throat of nerves), looking accusingly into the bright blue eyes of the man to Halen\'s right.

Tau grinned slowly - almost as if he had a secret he didn\'t wish to share - and glanced to his left before he responded.  "I know," he said simply, looking far more elegant than he had at their last meeting, now sporting a dark suit and tie that matched his light irises nicely.  Eerily, Kerr\'s jumper matched, too.

"Well then, do we need everyone here?" Kerr asked stiffly, not bothering to look anywhere but into the muted red-gold of the Luminary\'s eyes.

[Trillian]

"Stop wasting time," Halen said brusquely.  "You requested a meeting with a member of the Oligarchy, what does it matter if more are here?  There are no secrets within our leadership."
 
Halen wasn\'t pleased with Kerr\'s questioning, though he was attempting to sound more gruff than he truly felt.  He didn\'t mind Kerr too much, in fact, though he doubted the vampire would think that way.  He liked the way Kerr had bowed to the higher order when found out, that he had accepted responsibility despite his protest against Ben and Mandy taking his punishment, and he hoped Kerr would end up well, for an obediant supernatural deserved a break.

[Existentially Odd]

The pained expression that graced Kerr\'s usually-appealing face at that moment was far from attractive.  He obviously didn\'t wish to blurt everything out in front of everyone - despite the boss\' insistence that there were no secrets amongst the Oligarchy ranks - and he shuffled his feet a little, now taking the time to look around.  It was as if he was hoping that some of them might succumb to a heavy sensation of guilt and leave of their own accord; but none did.

He swallowed, cleared his throat, chewed his tongue stud briefly, then finally squared his shoulders and looked Halen in the eye.  There was no fighting the Luminary and he knew it; best just to get it all over with.

"I came to discuss Tag with you - the wolf shifter I\'ve been caring for these past months."

When he fell quiet, Tau decided he\'d prompt.  "What about him?"

"He\'s... not living with me any more.  He\'s confident enough in his own independence that he prefers the company of mortal friends now.  He\'s at the Winchester Townehouse Suites, a-apartment C1," Kerr said hastily, internally cringing when his voice wavered over Mandy\'s apartment number, hoping his interviewers wouldn\'t notice.

"How long\'s he been there?" Tau frowned, only slightly perturbed by this change of circumstances.  He\'d leaned forward and opened an organiser of some sort, that had been on the table before him.  He seemed to be taking note of where Tag was living now, a pen moving in his hand and gaze directed downward.

"Oh, a couple of nights now.  I didn\'t want to leave it too long before I let you know," Kerr responded airily, pleased when all the Shifter Oligarch did was nod.  Not ask why, the question Kerr had been dreading.  He began to feel lighter in the wake of that nod, like he\'d actually got away without giving a fuller explanation of things.  "Well then," he said almost cheerfully, his right foot lifting to take him back out of the room, his hands exiting his pockets to rub together in satisfaction.  "If anyone else wants to speak with Tag, you all know where to find him - he\'s got clothes and money enough for a while but that... Mister Umbra?  He seemed keen to get some instruction into Tag, so if you could give him that address, I\'d be most appreciative.  Just thought I\'d let you all know how it was."

Kerr smiled, the close of his business at hand.  In his opinion.

[Trillian]

Halen could tell by Kerr\'s body language that he was leaving something out.  There was most certainly a story behind why Tag was no longer living with Kerr, but due to the fact that he was feeling lenient with Kerr right now (and the vampire had done the correct thing to come to them and report Tag\'s latest whereabouts), he let it go.
 
The shifter wasn\'t the most prominent thing on his mind, really.  It was the phone call he\'d received while Kerr was in the waiting area, ready to come in.  The reason he\'d been kept waiting was not because Tau or himself had been busy with anybody else, but because Halen had wanted some time to pass, to allow for a reunion of sorts.
 
An appointment had been requested of him, a spontaneous one regarding the siring of a new vampire.  Normally he would call one of his vampire Oligarchs, but his Primary was out of town again and his Secondary wouldn\'t be able to remain unbiased.  Not when the request came for a young man named Ben Samson.  It seemed the lad was more resourceful when it came to being sired than he would\'ve believed.  Declan had only informed him that Ben was released a matter of weeks ago, and now Ben had a potential sire already.
 
It just went to show how powerful the knowledge of the supernatural could be.  In any case, Kerr had proved himself a good caretaker, for Tag not to have been found in the papers already, and upon meeting this new candidate for Ben\'s siring, the boy might be told that he would be sired, but had to be sired by Kerr, depending on whether Halen was impressed with this Arles fellow or not (and the name wasn\'t one he recognised, but then, there were a lot of supernaturals in the city).  If Arles was suitable, well, the youth would have a choice.
 
Getting permission from Halen about being sired wasn\'t going to be the tough call.  He\'d already decided that Ben would be more appropriate in the folds of the supernatural, considering he already had the knowledge.  It was who would sire him that concerned the Luminary the most.  He was intrigued as to why the youth hadn\'t returned to Kerr in the first place, after Declan had released him.  That was something he intended on finding out, but he would do it best with the scene unfolding before him.
 
"Take a seat, Kerr," Halen invited, gesturing at a chair on the far end of the table, out of the direct line of sight once a guest entered the room.  Kerr hadn\'t looked all the way around until he was in the middle of the room, and neither had anybody else.  Halen was looking forward to Ben and Arles doing the same.  "I would like you to hear this next case and to offer your opinion."
 
He waited for Kerr to sit.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr\'s eyebrows lifted in surprise, his stomach dropping at an equal rate.  Why would he be requested to sit in on an Oligarchy case?  He could think of no reason other than that there were similarities to what he\'d been through, could only surmise that the Luminary was instructing him to stay and give an opinion on a vampire who\'d given away information to mortals without permission.

He didn\'t need to go through that all over again... but how could he refuse a direct order?  \'Take a seat\' didn\'t allow him the luxury of refusal; he knew Halen\'s opinion of being argued with and was loathe to antagonise the man when everything had gone so smoothly.

Kerr glowered but nodded, turning to head for the seat that had been pointed out to him but stopped suddenly by the Shifter Oligarch.  He\'d raised his left hand for attention, still writing in his organiser and frowning with concentration.

"Just a moment - if I could," Tau interjected in his smooth voice, casting an apologetic look towards the Luminary before looking back at the vampire.  Some colouration had entered his cheeks simply because he was embarrassed.  He wasn\'t a very fast writer or speller - these things having come to him only with recent diligent study - and so it had taken him this whole time to think about and record Tag\'s whereabouts.  His need to stay focussed had been so great, he hadn\'t had a chance to complete his questioning until he\'d been close to finishing his sentence.  "I was just wondering about the mortal friends."

Kerr stiffened and remained where he was, half turned towards his next destination.  "Oh?"

"Yes, well, you didn\'t make it clear whether Tag was living in this apartment alone or not?  Have you paid for him to be there?"

"No.  He\'s living with... a woman.  It\'s her apartment, I don\'t believe Tag needs to pay anything to be there."

"And she\'s mortal?"

"Yes."

"Aware?"

"Excuse me?"

"Is she aware of supernaturals or does she not know Tag is a wolf shifter?"

"Oh.  She\'s aware."

"How do you know?"

Kerr glanced at Halen, then back at Tau, a feeling of resignation creeping through him.  Tau\'s pen was poised over his paper, like he wanted to record more details, and the vampire could see that he wasn\'t going to be able to avoid giving them.  He was a fool to have thought he would.

"I know because Tag met her when she was staying at my house, recuperating from being whipped for me telling her about being a vampire, without permission.  Her name\'s Mandy Lynn.  I don\'t know how long they\'ve been...

fucking

in a relationship but I do know that her level of awareness is... significant."

Tau nodded, smiling slightly, apparently happy that he knew everything he felt there was to know.  This time, he deliberately thanked Halen and Kerr before he started writing, confident he\'d remember the name to record it accurately.

Kerr, on the other hand, felt suddenly ashamed and couldn\'t bring himself to look either of the Oligarchs in the eye.  He hastened towards the chair that had been pointed out to him, hoping (almost praying) that he wouldn\'t hear the smooth, rich voice of the Luminary that he was dreading, as he went.

Halen would know now that there was more to the story of he and Tag going their separate ways, but the Shifter Oligarch didn\'t know enough of his history to question it.  He didn\'t want to go through all that ugliness - especially when he was about to watch some poor vampire defend their stupid decision to confess to someone they cared about - and he could only hope that Halen concurred.  Kerr stepped quickly towards his chair, just in case - like it was a lifeline that would magically shield him from further questions once he was there.

He could dream.

[Trillian]

Upon hearing this information that meant a great deal more to Halen than it did to Tau, he smiled so broadly that he felt compelled to hide it.  There was a dreadfully amusing side to the completion of Kerr\'s tale, that the woman he\'d cared about had taken in his charge, and obviously there was a romantic side to the relationship Kerr had mentioned, due to the tight quality of his voice and tension in his muscles.  Failing to make eye contact was fine by Halen, he felt almost sorry for this vampire who\'d faced his punishment with dignity.  He would be intrigued to see the second half of the story open up before him, and on the same night no less.
 
Kerr\'s life had a fascinating circular quality to it.  Some coincidental, some not, for Halen was orchestrating very carefully the opportunity of Ben and Kerr having their reunion.  He was joyful as he picked up a phone and buzzed upstairs.
 
"They here yet?"  He listened for a moment and his rich coloured gaze found Kerr as the vampire sat.  "We\'re ready for them.  Send them in."
 
He leant back in his chair as the door was opened by a demon for Ben and Arles to pass through.  He felt the air change with electric suspense, likely caused by his own anticipation.

[Noctambule]

For some reason, Arles was insanely tempted to take Ben\'s idea of going outside city limits for a time and abuse it without mercy. Of course he knew that was technically a loophole; should the Oligarchy not approve of this little venture no doubt they would still be displeased even if all the technical rules had been followed.

He wasn\'t used to appearing before ruling bodies in general. The out of sight, out of mind principle had been followed by him for quite some time and he had a forboding sense that all of his wishes were about to change. No way he could ask for permission then fade off the radar again.

At least he didn\'t have any wild fledglings running about the city. That had to be good. And all the ones who were still alive were quite old enough to care for themselves...also a plus since he was pretty sure abandoning fledglings was a bad thing.

The blond hadn\'t put much thought into his wardrobe and selected simply what he\'d wear on a more formal night. Dark slacks and a dark blue shirt, similar to the one he\'d been wearing when he met Ben. Flaxen hair was combed and pulled back neatly and at long last he decided it was acceptable enough.

Everything had been tense up to waiting to be summoned. The vampire didn\'t speak much, keeping watch over Ben absently and trying not to let his own nervousness show. When at last they were called in, Arles put his hand lightly against Ben\'s back, probably to steady himself more than the mortal as they walked through the doors.