Penalty by Arrogance

[Existentially Odd]

The Oligarch for Vampires was undeniably nervous.  The machinations of a transgressor being apprehended were not something he was involved in - in fact, his only participation thus far was to be told that the Ancient was incoming and he should read the file and get ready - but he was certainly part of the final stage.  The trial.

It was his first and God but it brought back horrible memories.  The thought that it was now his role to sit on the other side of the table and ask the questions while two beings stood on the other and were forced to explain themselves and their actions to him actually made him queasy.  It wasn\'t helped by the knowledge that the woman who\'d transgressed was an Ancient (and one who\'d led a wild and interesting life, judging by what information the research department had managed to garner in the past many weeks) and he\'d be roughly six centuries her junior.  He\'d have to overcome his automatic deference to older blood, ignore her justifiable arrogance and question her as if none of that mattered.

It wouldn\'t have mattered to Declan.  Why couldn\'t it be his night?  The other Oligarch had an ego and an attitude that would rival any Ancient\'s; he wouldn\'t be phased by the fact that he\'d have to interrogate someone eight hundred years older than him.

Kerr stopped pacing the carpet in the centre of the horseshoe-shaped table when one of the aides slipped quietly into the well concealed door at the back of the room and nodded at him.

"They woman has arrived, sir," the fae told him in a voice that had a natural lilt to it that made him sound happy, but which didn\'t hint at his actual state of mind or emotion at all.

"The woman?"

"The fledgling has yet to be located, I\'m sorry.  I will bring you word as soon as I have it."

"Thank you," Kerr nodded at the bow he received and moved around the end of the table, towards his position at the top of it.  He smoothed his clothing as he went, buttoning his black suit jacket and touching the knot of his emerald green tie, wanting to look entirely professional for this.  He did, of course.  The black suit was designer, the mint green shirt beneath it crisp and the tie a funky accent, livening it up.  As he sat, he smoothed his shoulder-length hair, wondering if it shouldn\'t be up in a pony tail, deciding it was too late for such fussing.

He had time to straighten the papers on the desk before him before the doors to the lower conference room were opened and he looked up.  A strikingly beautiful

regal

woman was being led in, flanked by two of the Oligarchy\'s retrieval specialists.  Kerr gestured towards the carpet he\'d so recently been pacing and the demons continued walking until they were just on the inside of the horseshoe, standing about three metres away from him.

Others sat at the table with him, but they were both at the ends of the table.  They were representatives of the research department and reconnaisaance departments respectively - present in case a question of the information\'s validity arose.  There was also a stenographer in the room, as well as two other demons (without wings) flanking the double door.  Others came and went from time to time, sometimes sitting and observing, sometimes whispering messages to someone else in the room, sometimes backing out when eyes turned their way.  This was obviously a busy place.

"Ms. Turkevich," Kerr began in a calm voice (a calm he didn\'t genuinely feel, since he could feel her pull, read her fire and know the angst this process would provoke), his Irish accent gentle but there.  He spoke before either of the bounty hunter demons did; their voices hurt his ears and if he could pre-empt that, he would.  "Welcome to the Chambers of the Oligarchy," he bade emotionlessly, looking her over.  The hunters weren\'t holding her and he wondered if that would prove wise; he knew they could snatch her up if she so much as gathered her muscles to leave, though, so he supposed it was safe enough.

"You are here to stand trial for the crimes of revealing the existence of vampires to an ignorant mortal and of siring said mortal, James Logan Hamilton," Kerr announced immediately, wishing to get on with the proceedings as quickly as possible.  His agenda was transparent; after a quick glance down at his notes, he continued.  "How do you plead to these charges?" he asked, brown eyes directed unblinkingly at her as he waited for an answer.

It annoyed him that the fledgling was not already present, that the sire\'s capture was easier than the childe\'s, but it was she who had triggered the trap\'s closure and he supposed that James had simply not been in one of his usual places of interest at that time.  He would be found and he would also be tried, but they would start things without him.  Kerr doubted it would take very long before the fledgling turned up.

[The Cedar Witch]

Nothing about the short journey to the Chambers left an imprint on the woman’s mind. Most, if not the entire time that she and the creature were airborne, Sonya’s eyes remained closed tightly. No, fear wasn’t the issue, control was. She was well aware of how uncooperative she was in her worst moods, tonight being one of these instances. Had it been anyone else, a human or a younger immortal, she wouldn’t have even left the club. But this was not someone insignificant; this was ‘the law’, whose detailed purpose she had yet to comprehend.

Even as the creatures landed, taking her from the sky with them, the immortal still was in the process of forcing herself into a more stable and agreeable mindset. Her jaw was ridged and had not moved to speak since her last words before taking to the air. Cold, masked eyes scanned the surroundings with only a vague, jaded interest. The building strongly resembled a hotel, and if she passed it during her long night rides she couldn’t recall the details of its appearance. The ancient could not make a greater effort to take in her surroundings, and was relatively unimpressed by its construction. There were other things on her mind, such as her effort to control her temper that currently was simmering just below the surface of her skin.

There was an unknown flicker in the pit of Sonya’s stomach, something she could only attribute to nervousness. But what had she to worry for? She had done nothing wrong, committed no crimes that she was aware of. There was still confusion in her expression, if any were observant enough to catch it flitting in-between the cracks of her carefully placed mask. She was hardly aware of where the creatures were leading her, only when she made her entrance into some sort of conference room.

Jade eyes locked instantly on the one who obviously held a place of power in this room, studying him with an extremely critical eye. This was who she had to fear? An immortal who wasn’t even half her age? If anything she felt utterly embarrassed to be reprimanded by someone who was so much younger. Despite this Sonya was still noticeably tense, ignoring the others in the room and choosing to keep her attention on the one in the center of all the activity as he bade her welcome. Lips pressed tightly together she merely nodded in acknowledgement, waiting patiently for some sort of explanation.

What he said next did little to eliminate her confusion. James? This was about James? The ancient hadn’t even seen James in at least over a month, and to tell the truth she had lost track of the passing time. He had not crawled back to her, begging for forgiveness, nor had she heard any word of him since she left him the night after his creation. Though she had not admitted to even herself, the immortal had been worried, feeling as though she scarcely had enough time to enjoy his presence and his thought-provoking conversation. Genuine company.

But a crime? Fledging humans was a crime in this city? James was her first fledgling since arriving in the United States, and he didn’t even stick around long enough for her to feel as though he really was hers, much to her dismay. She had expected a different reaction from him, a fascination or appreciation. Plus she was beginning to become desperately lonely, not that she was about to tell anyone that.

“I wasn’t aware,” she began respectfully, still managing to retain a sort of personal power in her voice, “that fledging was illegal in this city.” That was the honest truth. She scarcely remembered what she had done to register upon arriving in this city, given that it was one of her most turbulent emotional eras of her life. Again, nothing she was eager to admit to anyone, much less someone who was six-hundred-years below her. As far as revealing her existence to a human, that had only occurred after she had made up her mind to either kill or fledge him. It didn’t matter what he did and did not know, he had already begun to suspect without her doing.

How harsh would the penalty be? Surely nothing more then a slap on the wrist, a reminder never to do it again, and then she would be sent on her way? As far as Sonya was concerned, she had done nothing harmfully wrong.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr\'s grin was wryly scornful and his head rocked back slightly on his neck as he snorted condescendingly.  "I\'m afraid that ignorance does not equate to innocence," he told her bitterly, knowing from personal experience that this was the case, "and the Oligarchy\'s Guidelines are clearly posted in prominent Supernatural gathering points, such as Risk."

At that moment, the fae aide who had originally alerted him to the woman\'s presence in the building, slid up behind the Oligarch when his words came to a natural pause.  Kerr\'s head tilted unconsciously towards the interrupter, nodding as he was informed that the fledgling had been located and secured and would be in the room very soon.

The Irishman thanked the aide quietly and then turned back to the woman before him with a subtle straightening of his broad shoulders and a lifting of his chin.  Her allure was strong; not just her blood but her eyes... her body... her beauty drew him, and it was a compulsion to present himself as precisely and well as he could, instinctively wishing to please her.  Mentally, of course, he berated himself and tried to unlock his spine, soften the line of his shoulders, but nature was a bitch to fight and he could not stop the automatic deference.  His only rationalisation was that at least it was subtle and could be passed off as pure professionalism.

"That said, siring without permission is illegal in this city, by Oligarchy law.  Therefore, I require you to state your full name for the court and enter a plea to the charges you face, so that we can begin properly."  His words fell somewhere between impatient and friendly and he stared at her expectantly.  The impatience was partly directed at himself; he\'d forgotten to get her to state her name at the very start and was chagrined to have remembered to instruct her to do it now.  At least he did remember - eventually - though.

[The Cedar Witch]

Posted in Risk? Like she payed attention to the fliers posted on the walls when she had better things to do with her nightly hours. Sonya\'s eyes narrowed, but her jaw remained locked as another creature entered the room, taking the Oligarch\'s attention. Without difficulty the woman heard what words passed between the two: James had been brought here. James, who she had known for scarcely three days before he took off, who surely couldn\'t stand the sight of her, was inside of the building. If at all possible, her body stiffened further with high-tension, eyes rekindled with new fire.

If she had the tongue and the gall at this very moment, the woman would have uttered some sarcastic comment about having to report to the authorities the details of her private activities. But she was silent, feeling the building for James\' presence, as if it would make any difference when he stepped through the door. And as far as her plead, she didn\'t feel the least bit guilty for her initial actions, save the fact that she had lost her temper and rushed things. However, this was not the answer that the other immortal was looking for, and Sonya wasn\'t about to bullshit her way through this trial.

"Odessa Irena Turkevich," the ancient responded softly, still retaining her air of dignity. Her eyes scanned the room briefly, flickering over the faces of \'the court\' before settling more permanently on the one in front of her. No, she did not feel guilty. She had acted freely as she always had, with a moderate level of control but nothing too restrictive. Who was she to answer to someone hardly half a millennia old? Play their game, by their rules, you live in their city now.

"And I plead guilty." came her simple, conclusion.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr blinked as the woman pleaded guilty to her crime, having not expected such honesty from one so aged and arrogant.  In fact, his hands stilled momentarily as he moved to mark her words down on the proceedings sheet before him, staring at the beautiful ancient almost as if he\'d misheard her.  He hadn\'t, though, and he knew it, so after a few moments he continued with his anecdotes, gaze directed downward.

He didn\'t see the demons guarding the door move in perfect accord at that precise moment, but others in the room who were not looking down would have.  They moved to open the double doors simultaneously, one on each side, and revealed two more demons standing outside the threshold.  Between them was the fledgling in question, and one nudged the youngster forward as they stepped into the large meeting room, side by side.

The trio walked to the centre of the space allowed by the horseshoe-shaped table, where the vampiress stood her ground, and waited until the Oligarch for Vampires looked up.  They didn\'t speak and if James attempted to move, they would have detained him, insisting that he stand where they\'d positioned him - to Sonya\'s right (though there was still a demon standing between sire and fledgling for the time being).

Kerr looked the three newcomers over, nodding his acknowledgement and dismissal.  Unfortunately, the demon between the two vampires on trial decided that that wa his cue to make an announcement, causing any and all with supernatural hearing in the room to wince - even the Oligarch himself.  "The fledgling, sire," he said unnecessarily.

"Thank you, Gil, you\'ve done well to get him here so quickly," Kerr told the human-appearing man gratefully, dipping his head once more.  The demon appeared pleased with this compliment - for the task of retrieving the criminal had been his alone and when the newling hadn\'t been located with the primary lawbreaker, nore at his place of residence... things had looked ominous for the success of his job.  Through skill and hard work, success had been uncovered and the Oligarch only paid him his due with the acknowledgement.  Without another word, the two demons backed away from the sire and her childe, leaving them no more than three feet apart from one another.

Looking the pair over thoughtfully, Kerr paid close attention to how the duo reacted to being reunited, before his dark brown eyes settled for looking solely at James.  "Please state your whole name for the record," he instructed, keeping things in their proper order this time, geared up to read the charges once the fledgling had identified himself.

[skeggsismad]

James hadn\'t expected his sire to be present. But of course, what other reason was there for him to be dragged here but her? She was the sources of all of his problems, why couldn\'t she cause another? His first good guess, and only guess, was that he was here because of his self conceited Sire that was Sonya. It was probably the right one.

There was no doubt what was occurring here. Strong escorts had been sent to pick him up and deliver him to the right hotel like a FedEx package, who were still sticking around to retrieve their reward. While it made him slightly aggravated to feel their bodies pressed so closely to him without permission, he was relieved all the same that they blocked his view of the elder vampire. Just by instinct he knew that the strangers were waiting on him, and whatever the reason was it was of great importance. They needed him for something.

 Not a single human was in sight, and this further infuriated James. How many innocent lives have these monsters taken away? How many human beings have they used for their own personal amusement? How many have they killed? He quieted his thoughts and reverted to a more attentive state of mind. This was serious business- he had no time to be caught up in such trivial things.  Even though he hadn\'t seen her last since their night at Risk, the mere mention of Sonya made his body still and his discomfort with the current situation was hard to contain.

But, despite the overwhelming temptation to snap at her now, James managed to control himself for the sake of formality. This didn\'t look like any casual event, where a few Supernaturals met up to say hi; he was attending some sort of trial, and he assumed it would be in his best interest to act accordingly. It won\'t make much of a difference since she\'s here. Her venomous words and lack of tact has likely already gained me the death penalty. When he found that the demon-like beings had left him and Sonya mere feet away from each other his eyes focused on the other strangers in the rooms. James couldn\'t even stand the sight of her. In response to the question, he opened his mouth and pushed the words out with careful precision.

"James Logan..." He stopped himself as his words began to drag into a distasteful growl. The next few moments he took to compose himself, so he could say his full name properly.

"James Logan Hamilton."

[The Cedar Witch]

Sonya made no move to greet him, feeling the disdain from across the room. To be expected, she mused darkly, forcing her eyes to remain locked on the Oligarch. Without looking at him, she could already tell that James had just fed. Old blood, something older then a human anyway, and it was female. Besides the spark of jealousy, it was surprising to the immortal that he was even interacting with others of his kind, given how terrifically bitter he was about his new life. If you preferred death, darling, then why didn\'t you take it? Not that she would have ever admit it to anyone, the Ukrainian was relieved that he had been feeding, at least enough to keep him alive, or at least whole.

No, he wasn\'t supposed to be whole to begin with. The woman had every intention of killing him that night she met him in the park. To feel his heart stop in her teeth as his blood served to further her own existence. He was a dead man until he opened his mouth. Sonya would not admit her weakness for the unadulterated mind, someone so unaware of what shadows lurked beneath the city. Further still she would not admit that she had a terrific weakness for human who acted as anything but fodder, humans with minds that thought on their own despite the stupidity that had infected society. And still, she would never admit to how lonely she actually had grown. But there was no regret to speak of, no remorse for taking him. As far as she was concerned, she had given him a terrific opportunity.

Perhaps if James had reacted differently, appreciating the opportunity he was given through her ancient blood instead of hating everything about it, maybe she could have greeted him as a civil creature. But there was silence, and the woman did very little to acknowledge that he was even standing beside her. She could not, however, keep the fire in her eyes from flickering when he spoke, showing the smallest trace of care for him that she had left to offer. The immortal was not one to force her compassion on any, fledgling or not, especially if there was no desire for such a thing from her.

It would be completely incorrect, however, to say that she didn\'t give a shit about him.

The immortal\'s expression remained generally unaffected, being the composed ancient that she was. Her jaw remained locked, though she could have said a great deal to the childe at her side who hadn\'t shown her a shred of respect since she took him. The sooner the two were out of this situation, as soon as the Oligarchy were finished with reprimanding the results of her rash behavior and short temper, the sooner the whelp could return to avoiding her like the plague. She had better things to do anyway.

[Existentially Odd]

"James Logan Hamilton," Kerr intoned seriously, "I am the Oligarch for Vampires, Kerr Galvin.  You have been brought before this council as both a victim and a witness.  You were sired under circumstances that are not acceptable to the Oligarchy - which is the council for supernaturals that oversees all supernatural activity in this city - because we have strict guidelines pertaining to the sharing of information with mortals and to siring them without permission.  Your sire, whom I believe you know as Sonya, has pleaded guilty to these charges."

Kerr took a moment to let his opening statements sink in, to allow James to adjust his thinking now that he understood why he\'d been brought to the Oligarchy Chambers.  He made a show of straightening the papers before him, gaze flicking over the myriad of information on them, detailing the progress of James and Sonya\'s relationship to date.  He\'d had no time to make notes about how he wished to proceed, but he was confident regardless.  His brown-eyed gaze lifted once more and this time he looked at the ancient.

"Ms. Turkevich, you need to be aware that the Oligarchy takes the crimes you have committed to be very serious aberrations as far as our expectations go and the punishment is... stern.  Generally, the process would be punishing the transgressor by destroying their fledgling and imposing strict boundaries within which you must operate for a designated period of time."  He watched her face - both their faces, actually - closely as he revealed that James was slated for destruction to teac the ancient one a lesson she wouldn\'t soon forget, another minor pause adding weight to his words.

"That said... the punishment is, in fact, my decision entirely, and I don\'t advocate destruction without due cause.  For this reason, I need you to explain in detail your relationship with James.  He should feel free to add to your story," Kerr hinted, glancing at the fledge to the woman\'s right as he said this.  The more input he had, the better, for Kerr believed that only then would he get a true picture of what the two of them were like and whether they cared enough about each other to fight to stay together and even whether Sonya gave enough of a shit about the boy to warrant his destruction as a viable punishment in the first place.

"Tell me everything - how you met, how long you\'ve known each other, your motivation for siring him," Kerr invited, making a gesture with his right hand that seemed to encourage words to come from the ancient\'s mouth as well as including James, before he rocked back on his expensive, high-backed leather chair, elbows resting on the padded arms and fingers steepled beneath his chin thoughtfully.  He watched the pair of vmpires avidly, obviously anticipating an interesting and involved story to come from the two of them, to entertain and influence him.  He hoped they would put on a show that\'d allow him to be generous, in fact.

[The Cedar Witch]

What?! Her face fell, her composed features dissolving for a fraction of a second before she managed to slide her cold mask back into place. Never in a hundred years would she have expected a penalty so unnecessarily harsh. And what were they reprimanding her for? Her weakness in her moment of passionate anger mixed with the longing for a companion? Who were they to control her? How dare they even imply that she needed a consequence for such an action? The brief, angry feeling that flared up soon died down, leaving Sonya to her cold and detached feeling.

No, she wasn’t about to lose James to this. Even if he still possessed feelings of disgust toward her.

Skillfully and quietly she controlled her thoughts, exaggerated specific memories and dulling others. Lying? Not quite. She wasn’t going to lie. Not while she was under such strict observation. It was more or less, making things more noticeable then others. The immortal watched Kerr sit back, studying his face for a moment before flickering her gaze to James. It pained her, though she would never admit it to anyone, that he had been dragged into this situation because of her. Of course she would have held off on his siring had she realized the repercussions. It was a strange feeling, this breed of guilt. Never before had she had someone destroyed for her sake. Well, not since her husband anyway. But that was over a thousand years ago.

"We met in the park in the middle of the night," Sonya began, her voice extremely controlled. "At first I had intended to feed from him without causing much of a stir. But the conversation he was having with himself caught my interest. I\'ll admit that I have been especially lonely lately, longing for something remotely intelligent apart from the scum that occupies the city on a nightly basis." she paused, relaxing her body position into something more casual and less tense. But there was something about her that still seemed on edge and even anxious about the outcome of this trial.

"We had a discussion about the supernaturals that were rumored to inhabit this city, things he had already begun to figure out on his own. It was his intelligence that pulled me in. There was something," she made an offhanded gesture, "Interesting about him. Something that made me think. Of course there was physical attraction. I still had every intention of feeding from him, given the next possible opportunity. But that was only in the back of my mind at this point.

"I took him home with me. We had a heart-to-heart discussion that made me feel more attached to him then I was willing to admit to myself. He figured out that I was, well, what I am. He is smart, and undoubtedly knew from the very beginning." The ancient felt completely ridiculous having to recount this in a way for a group of others to understand. It was something entirely private, and the fact that she was uncomfortable with revealing such \'intimate feelings\' was clear in her body language and her voice. Emotion was evident in her eyes, nothing fabricated although it may or may not have been exaggerated.

"We shared a moment of passion, where I did feed from him. He spent the night and we went to his place when he woke up the following evening, since it was nearby. I cannot speak for his feelings, but I myself can say that the more we spoke the more attracted to him I became while feeling so incredibly lonely at the same time. I cannot say that I doubt there was attraction on his end as well. After all, he had followed me home, hadn\'t he?

"We discussed things that made me think of the endlessness of this life and how much of it I had spent alone. I could already see him aging, fading, and dying as a human. And the thought of losing such intelligence and beautiful company was too much for me to bare. What a waste it would have been to let him slip through my fingers after so many years of loneliness.

"Had I been aware of the exact repercussions of changing him, I would have waited. But I am, by nature, a passionate woman, easily swayed by the intensity of my own feelings and emotions. This includes anger and rage, something I have little control over the stronger the emotion. I will admit that I have been known to act quickly without thinking, which is, I am sure, his reason for our separation as of late. But where was I...

"We made love, that night, and he willingly took my blood when I offered it to him. The next night I gave him clear instruction and watched over him as he fed. I am impatient, and we got into an argument. But I did not leave him without being sure he was given enough instruction to survive on his own. I am not entirely irresponsible." She ended on her usual stunning smile, never once looking at anyone else except for Kerr. Throughout her speech she gave adequate opportunity for James to step in and insert his own thoughts and opinions. If he spoke during her own story she listened and waited respectfully for him to finish. After all, she wasn\'t entirely uncivilized.

There was a strong feeling of desire in the woman\'s eyes, the will to keep James alive and to make Kerr understand that she wasn\'t entirely reckless and would not have acted differently toward her fledgling even if she had acquired permission from the Oligarchy. It wasn\'t as if she were siring twenty at a time, building a clumsy army of immortals that possessed the potential to cause chaos in the city. She had chosen James because he had a head on his shoulders and because he was aware. Had she had the slightest suspicion that he would be reckless, she wouldn\'t have taken him.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr merely quirked an eyebrow at her apparently-heartfelt story and looked towards the fledgling for his comments.  He doubted that James knew what she was from the beginning and the Oligarch didn\'t approve of the way she brushed over the revelation of their kind to an innocent mortal, justifying her rash actions with loneliness and the poor excuse that he probably already suspected.

Yeah, right.

It wasn\'t that he didn\'t understand her emotions either, but the fact that she was so self-absorbed that she made a fledgling to stopper them didn\'t do her any favours in Kerr\'s eyes.  She was ancient, lonely and irresponsibly and conceitedly spontaneous.  The more she talked - especially when she also glossed over the fact that she was temperamental and she and James argued so she just let him go (oh, with enough instruction to survive on, of course) - the more the Oligarch saw that she needed to be taught a lesson - pushed, until she cracked one way or the other.  She was a loose cannon, from the way she told her story, whether she believed herself to be or not.

A lot hinged on what the boy said, though, so Kerr was resolved to listen to it all before he made up his mind.

[skeggsismad]

They were going to kill him? For all of the blabber that his Sire had spoken, all of the heart-felt words she had just pushed out, James\' thoughts completely opposed this idea. The reasoning behind it was faulty.

Why on earth would such a creature, a cold, calculating monster learn from such a \'punishment\'? Even the delusional pride she tries to pass of as honest and sincere concern is bullshit.


He stood without motion for the entire length of Sonya\'s speech. She seemed as if she held true concern for him, as though she cared so deeply about him that she would do anything to see him live. That story held many flaws, and while he listened James scrutinized every detail.

It isn\'t genuine, for if it was, she wouldn\'t have turned me without consent. She wouldn\'t have forced me into something I might later hate her for. After all, she isn\'t a parent. If she desired to be my companion- which, when we spoke so \'deeply\' she made clear that I was not worthy of such a position- she would have asked. She simply would have asked.

For some reason he felt that these thoughts were something he should have told Sonya long ago. Even if she was a selfish bastard, at the very least he would have eliminated all of the stress that had come out of not tying up the loose ends. He\'d simply blown up on her and left.

Just like I always do to the people I become close to. Like always.

In ways he saw what had happened partly his mistake. He could have made things much smoother, after all. But to be killed for something that he had entirely no control over to teach someone a lesson who hadn\'t learned over the past thousand years was severe. He wanted to argue the charges against him. That would be better than lying, wouldn\'t it? But he had to save his skin, and if aiding Sonya is what it meant to keep his life, he\'d do it.

"I moved to the city a few months ago. Things were different, strange. Unlike where I had once lived, Jacksonville Beach in the Orange festering Florida. I began to realize, unwillingly, that there were inhuman things that lurked the shadows. When I met my Sire at the park, my suspicions had rose to the breaking point. I knew there was something about her that drew me in- lured me. Unnatural beauty and scent.She wasn\'t human, as I came to learn while lounging in her extravagant estate. We talked a bit, yes. Then she proceeded to feed from me. I was revolted, naturally I\'m a very healthy person and such an event was sickening. But, I did wake the next morning and talk with her a bit. I didn\'t leave her house when I had the opportunity to; so you see, she wasn\'t holding me captive. I invited her to my house, so that I could eat and take care of a few things. After I had cleaned myself up, I again felt drawn to my Sire and we had sex.  I was persuaded into taking her blood after she fed from me deeply, after the sex. It was curiosity, I suppose. I remember very little from after the turning, that night. It felt as if I went into a coma. I woke the next night and she took me to Risk, teaching me how to feed. I fed, became infuriated by her instruction and Sonya allowed me to leave and figure things out for myself. I regret nothing that has happened."

He didn\'t lace his voice with any particular emotion. There was no resentment, no fondness; nothing. He stated the facts, though chose to recite his story in an outlined rather than particularly detailed in specific emotions he may have felt as a result of these events. Logically speaking, there was no reason for Sonya to be punished if his words were believed. In his point of view, she hadn\'t done anything cruel or unnecessary in the altered version he had dealt. He didn\'t want to die, and for some reason, his Sire didn\'t want that either. Though that minor detail was a mystery in itself, James didn\'t dwell on it for he didn\'t care much about her intentions. She had to be playing some sort of game with this Kerr. Who knew, perhaps she saw him as intelligent too. He just hoped that the other Vampire would watch his back; for as charming as she seemed, the woman had made his life out to be a nightmare in as little as two nights. That had to be a record.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr sat forward, frowning deeply.  The automaton-like delivery of James\' speech was unnerving and Kerr suspected mind control, but his own mental fingers pressed upon their minds revealed no connection beyond their blond bond, and James was far too young to use that to communicate (though receiving was possible, he was simply too young and unskilled to mask the fact that it was happening, especially with Kerr\'s highly skilled probing).

"James," he said, almost as if he was confused, his head even shaking slightly, "how do you feel about your sire?"  He kept the question simple, for he wanted a straightforward answer.  Sonya was pouring on the emotion for the kid, yet all he could muster was a very politician-style, \'I regret nothing that has happened\'?  That didn\'t gel at all.

The way Kerr heard it, James had been disgusted by being fed from - rather than aroused - and seemed repulsed by vampirism itself, only tolerating Sonya because of her magnetic pull (something an ancient like her could easily manifest without any effort, pressing on the vulnerable sensory centres in a mortal\'s brain, manipulating his thoughts, provoking him with daring conversation).  He didn\'t seem to like her, didn\'t seem to enjoy being a vampire, couldn\'t even appreciate the handicapped position he was in, having a sire like her.

In short, James didn\'t seem happy, but he also didn\'t seem willing to explain why without further prompting and that was exactly what Kerr intended to do.  He glanced at Sonya even though his question had been for the boy, prepared because she seemed the type to have her say no matter the prudence of such a thing, and he fully expected she was about to tell her fledgling exactly how he felt about her.  That would be the tidiest way for her to handle things... and keep complete control.

[skeggsismad]

What in the world was he feeling right now? Over the short period of time since his turning, he had felt more than he had ever felt in his entire human life. Instead of being stoic and fluently sweeping his emotions under the rug, he had been forced to face them after his death. But it wasn\'t a death; the truth was that it was a birth, of a new creature, living and breathing beauty. James just didn\'t see it that way yet. For him, it was a loss of control. Every day was a battle against his only enemy: himself.

Standing there silently for so long, only one conclusion could be drawn from his facial configuration. It was a flood of confusion, puzzlement, and absurdity. He\'d felt so much, but he could say so little in words. Especially when the very words could be he is undoing. Forget Sonya, forget being angry; forget everything. This isn\'t about that- it\'s about me. it\'s about finding a way to survive this. Talk a way out of it, tell the truth, it doesn\'t matter. Just do something!

"With all due respect, Mr. Galvin...That\'s an absurd question to ask. I don\'t know my sire; It had hardly been two days before I took off. To ask how I feel about my Sire is an answer which is impossible to determine. Perhaps if we had been together for a longer, I would be able to make a proper analysis- but that isn\'t how the events unfolded."

It had been spontaneous; he\'d talked without thinking much about it, and had resisted saying anything about his Sire at all. Upon finishing, the Supernatural passed a look to his Sire for the first time. His eyes spent longer than he thought they would have, tracing the features that looked so similar to his own. Did he dislike her, or was it only his own actions that had led up to this that he detested?

[Existentially Odd]

The frown on the Oligarch\'s face didn\'t abate as he processed the fledge\'s words - followed by that look towards his sire.  In all honesty, Kerr didn\'t think this pair were made to last and he didn\'t think they\'d even communicate clearly unless James\' shock about becoming kindred was allowed to play out.  He needed guidance and support and it didn\'t seem to Kerr that Sonya was the poster child for either - the fact that she had made a fledgling out of purely selfish motivations and based on physical attraction (primarily) only convinced him that she was too shallow to do James any good at all.

Once his thinking on the matter was concluded, Kerr found it surprisingly easy to make a decision, and he didn\'t hesitate in announcing it.

"Right, I believe this council has heard enough."  He glanced around him, to one of the vampire underlings who were present mainly as clerks but who also provided another perspective if things got too confusing or convoluted in the boardroom.  He received a nod and so the Irishman turned back to the two vampires on trial before him.  "Ms. Turkevich, I find you guilty of corrupting an innocent and turning him without full and proper counselling - in essence, against his will.  I rule that you are henceforth banned from having all contact with your fledgling, James Logan Hamilton, for a period of at least five years.  After that time, you are only to have contact with him if he initiates it."

The look he gave her was enough to tell her that she should keep her mouth shut.  His decree was final and she could argue \'til she was blue in the face but it wouldn\'t change his decision; these facts were right there in his face for her to behold.  After a very brief moment, he looked at the fledgling, ready to pronounce his fate also.  When he spoke this time, his tone was nowhere near as harsh as it had been when he condemned Sonya to solitude; it was, in fact, comforting.

"James, it is my opinion that you have been brought into a supernatural life under duress and false illusions.  You have no abiding attachment to your sire and I think that this is a very good thing indeed, from your perspective.  Due to the rapid and almost predatory way you were turned, I grant you leniency for your transgressions against this council and also decree that you should be given another sire - a surrogate sire, if you will - who can counsel you and train you properly."  At this, he couldn\'t resist another scathing look towards the beautiful ancient standing to James\' left, before his gaze settled on the male once more.

"You are also banned from any and all contact with your true sire for a period of at least five years and it will be your responsibility to initiate contact with her after that time.  Understand, such a thing will only have to happen should you wish it.  As for a new sire, I would like you to return to these Chambers on another night - after this has all sunk in - and request an audience with me.  I will take you through the options as far as kindred willing to train and look after a fledgling go and we will find you a sire that better suits your temperament and specific needs.  When you\'re ready," he repeated, with an encouraging nod.

Straightening in his chair, he cleared his throat and began closing the file before him.  "Right, now you\'re both free to go.  Rest assured that the Oligarchy will be watching to ensure that you abide by my ruling.  If you would leave first, Ms. Turkevich?" he prompted, raising his eyebrows as if she had a choice in the matter.  The fact that she didn\'t and that she was not even permitted to have a conversation with James now became painfully clear when her two previous demon escorts stepped up and began herding her in the door\'s direction.

"James, if you require any transportation or an escort of any sort, it\'s yours, just say the word, alright?" Kerr told the young man, making it clear who he was favouring in this situation.  He smiled in a buiness-like way, maintining eye contact with the fledgling even if Sonya took it upon herself to shriek her way out of the room - she would be met with quieting force if that were to happen and she would just be evicted anyway, whether she liked it or not, so the Oligarch certainly hoped she retained a semblance of dignity upon her exit.