A New Appointment

[Existentially Odd]

With a teasing laugh - that earned him a glare from Ben - Kerr left his fledgling in the master bedroom of the penthouse suite in the Chambers, as soon as he heard the lift arrive.  The phone by the bed had buzzed not two minutes earlier and he\'d picked it up to be told that he had a visitor already; Jake McCloud.  He\'d told the desk clerk to show Jake up and warned Ben that he\'d be leaving him to the clothes to have a quick meeting with a potential oligarch.

Understandably, Ben wasn\'t overjoyed by the news.

Their night had begun in a flurry of phone calls and demon arrivals - the penthouse had been cleared, cleaned and was ready for the new Luminary to inhabit.  Demons had arrived with a removalist\'s truck at the Capital building and carried armload after armload of Kerr and Ben\'s belongings downstairs in a very short amount of time.  The price for speed was a lack of organisation, however, and the results at the other end were dubious to say the least.

Not knowing what furniture was in the penthouse (only that Ben recommended it be replaced), Kerr had decided to take only their clothes, manchester and personal belongings such as wall art, his precious antiques and CD/DVD collection (he assumed there\'d be a TV in the place) until he figured out if he\'d want anything else. He wasn\'t sure whether he\'d sell or keep the Capital apartment yet - keeping it intact seemed wisest at this stage.

When he and Ben had finally got upstairs at the Chambers - after gaining permanent access to the penthouse via a rather strange process - they found pretty much everything piled around the spacious apartment, in piles that could have been considered neat.  The CDs and DVDs were stacked on the living room floor, all the photos and art were on the couch and everything that was soft and clothing-like was in an enormous pile on the bed.  Their toiletries were scattered across the expansive sink in the bathroom.

Just as they\'d begun sorting the clothes, the phone had rung to say Jake had responded already to the note he\'d sent just an hour before, when they\'d first arrived at the Chambers, and he\'d had to tell Ben he\'d be leaving the wardrobe arranging to him.  The lift arriving had him laughing and scooting out of the bedroom as quickly as he could (imagining Ben flinging a shirt or two after him), and into the foyer.

He reached the doors just as they opened and smiled as Jake stepped away from his guide, leaning a hand forward to shake his guest\'s.  "Jake!  It\'s good to see you," he said warmly, stepping closer to the other vampire in order to grasp his upper arm with his free hand and give it a squeeze.  "I\'m pleased you could come so quickly but please excuse the mess, I\'m still getting settled here - it\'s been a pretty rapid turn of events.  Come this way and I\'ll tell yo all about it," he enthused, letting go of Jake in order to lead him into the living room of the penthouse.

Kerr went first, steering his guest around the CDs and DVDs and towards the very long lounge, pleased there was room for them to sit and converse without having to move the artwork.  Noticing that the pencil drawing Mandy had done of his naked back and tattoos was on top, he was relieved it wasn\'t the more pornographic one; Jake would\'ve known what he was looking at in that case.  Kerr sat and indicated Jake should sit close by on his left; he didn\'t look very regal or bossy tonight, just wearing blue jeans, sneakers and a dark blue T-shirt, but he mentally justified that he was moving house and who moved house in a suit?  Not this Luminary!

[Black Philip]

Jake McCloud was a nervous wreck. He was never the smooth type but tonight especially he was jittery as hell. He walked to the doors of the Oligarchy with a mix of determination and queasiness. Why was he so uneasy? He considered that it might be that he was going to see Kerr for the first time since the warehouse. Kerr had proved to be a important part of Jake’s plan. He’d saved Conner’s life and helped bring down a flesh monster of untold horror. It was clear Kerr deserved to be the ruler of this city. Jake had been staying in as of late. The events of the warehouse had made him wary and on edge. He’d left Dante’s Inferno only to feed. Conner had been moved into his Suite and Scott had taken a studio on one of the lower floors. Jake had noticed that Scott and Conner had not seen each other since the warehouse and Jake couldn\'t help but wonder why. Still it wasn\'t his concern. Overall Jake’s life was pretty normal now that the Sabbat had been removed.

In all honesty only two things plagued his mind. The first was the dying words of the Tzimisce leader. The concept of She had left Jake quite on edge and the information obtained by Benny had not proved useful. It left Jake to wonder who She was, what She wanted and most importantly, when She was coming. Jake’s job was never done and if She came Jake would stop her too. The other matter at hand was Jake was concerned he wouldn’t see Kerr again. Kerr had been thankful of Jake’s efforts to save the city at their last parting but he hadn’t heard a word from him since. That was until he received a message from Kerr this very evening.

Jake,
I\'d really like to see you to discuss a few changes with you.  If you could come to the Oligarchy\'s Chambers at your soonest convenience, I\'d be very grateful - just tell the staff at the front desk your name and they\'ll show you to me.
Kerr
P.S. You don’t have to worry about Lazarus.

With out a wink Jake grabbed his blade and was out the door. He made good time getting to the Oligarchy. Jake didn’t own a car so he relied on speed and knowledge of back streets he could move through. It took about an hour to reach the front steps of the old hotel and as he reached it the nerves set in once more. Why did Kerr summon him? He left his name with a human looking woman at the desk and waited for a few minutes. A large blond haired demon told Jake to follow him to an elevator. Once they were there he invited Jake inside, inserted a key into the panel where the numbers were and punched the penthouse button. The demon remained inside the small box as Jake emerged in the suite of the Luminary, the doors closing near silently and the elevator descending. Jake was so on edge he could have broken the wings off a fly.

Jake was enthusiastically greeted by a very energetic Kerr. The arm clasp made Jake want to collapse into the sexy Kindred’s embrace. Jake fought the urge and instead let Kerr lead him through the maze of DVDs. Who knew Kerr liked movies so much? He always pegged Kerr for the book type. Was this where the vampire Oligarch lived? The information Benny had gotten put Kerr in the Capital building. Why was he moving here, why now? When indicated to sit, he did so. After a brief pause Jake spoke up, “It’s good to see you too, Kerr.”

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr smiled broadly at Jake, feeling very happy to be in the other\'s presence.  He was grateful and admiring of Jake\'s savvy and fighting prowess, impressed beyond belief by his skill with a sword (though somewhat taken aback he\'d chosen to bring it tonight) and very keen to work with him on a more permanent basis.

Completely unaware of the younger vampire\'s feelings towards him, he placed a hand on his thigh in a friendly manner, preluding his dramatic news with a dramatic action that was sure to get the immediate attention of a warrior like Jake.

"I have something surprising to tell you; last night, I became the Luminary of the Oligarchy!" he said, his pleasure in the news causing his brogue to become more pronounced and the words to have an innate rhythm that made them melodic to listen to.  "It wasn\'t my decision - it was more a vote of support from my colleagues.  They insisted Lazarus vacate the position and the building and now, here I am!  No longer an Oligarch but the Luminary!"

He waited for Jake\'s reaction to the news before he continued; he rather wanted the younger man to draw his own conclusions about the fact that Kerr\'s promotion left a hole in the Oligarchy\'s ranks of service.

[Black Philip]

So Lazarus had fallen. Kerr had been promoted. Well this was good news. The hand on Jake\'s thigh was met with an awkward look; first at the thigh in question and then to Kerr\'s face. Jake did his best to hide the fact that he was enjoying the hand placement.

“Well that’s wonderful Kerr. I don’t mean to sound bold but if you are no longer the Vampire Oligarch then I theorize that’s why I’m here. Otherwise, I don’t see a reason for someone as newly busy as you to summon me. Don’t get me wrong I’d make time for you any day of the week but I suspect that’s why I’m here. Is it not?”

Jake leaned in closer, trying to read Kerr’s expression. The thought of becoming the Vampire Oligarch was both exciting and scary. Jake had ruled as Baron of both L.A. and New York but that had been under his terms. Also he was very familiar with the cities and with those around him. Jake was still a stranger in this city. If offered to him though his clan’s lust for power would force him to accept.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr raised his eyebrows, grinning calculatedly at Jake and tapping his tongue stud against the inside of his teeth.  He\'d wanted him to draw his own conclusions, but boy was he ahead of the game!  Kerr supposed that that was why he liked him for the job.

"Well, you are bold, I\'ll give you that - but you\'re also correct and I suppose we might as well cut to the chase.  I want you to be a Vampire Oligarch and work for me.  I\'ve been really impressed with your knowledge, your initiative and your skill and I think you\'d be an invaluable addition to the Oligarchy; I\'m planning a lot of changes in the ranks and they all begin with you," he stressed, giving Jake\'s thigh a squeeze and leaning slightly towards him for emphasis, his smile filled with a meaning the young vampire likely wouldn\'t understand.

"I\'ll tell you, the pay\'s not great, the hours can be long and you\'ll probably only get one night a week to yourself until I can find someone else to share the position with you, but I sense you have the type of selfless dedication that would be perfect for the job.  We can negotiate if it\'s not all you wanted but... do you think you\'d consider it?" he asked, hope fluttering inside him and in his dark brown eyes as he gazed intently at his companion.

[Black Philip]

Jake suddenly turned into a fifteen year old girl. Kerr was so close now. Jake did his best to hide his excitement from his new boss but he was probably doing a bad job at it. Kerr’s words entered Jake’s head but due to the rush of blood to another part of his body it took the Ventrue a few beats to actually understand what he was being told. He would have to find a time to express his feelings for Kerr, even if he could just seduce him.
 
Now it was time for business. He already knew he was going to say yes and he wondered if there was anything in particular he could ask for. Working with Conner would be nice. His day off would have to be Friday or Saturday. After thinking of all the possibilities he decided to ask for only one thing.
 
“I accept. I only have one small request. I take my sword with me everywhere. It’s a large part of who I am and without it I feel rather exposed. I would like to be able to carry the blade with me while at work. I doubt I’ll ever use it but still; after you carry something for 150 years you begin to grow attached to it. Other than that you may use me in any way you see fit. I’m at your disposal.”
 
Jake leaned into Kerr and looked directly into his eyes. He wondered if Kerr found him attractive. He decided to make a slight move, nothing too risqué. Jake placed his hand on top of Kerr’s and squeezed it. At the same time he flexed his thigh to show how toned it was. Jake tried not to sound overly sexual in his next sentence.
 
“I’m really glad we’ll be working together, boss.” With that he released his hand and leaned back; the only evidence the move had been a come on the happy grin stretched across his face.

[Existentially Odd]

There was a flare of... something between them and, very suddenly, Kerr was highly aware of Jake as a person. As a man. The meaningfully-spoken words that Jake was at Kerr\'s disposal and he was really glad they were working together - complete with a touch and a squeeze of his hand - didn\'t miss their mark and the Luminary\'s eyes were very suddenly open to what was happening.
 
Jake was coming onto him. He probably thought that he was being propositioned himself, considering the way Kerr was sitting close, looking at him intently and touching his leg in the first place. He removed his hand as casually as he could, shifting around on the seat so that his left leg became tucked beneath his right and his left elbow was resting on the sofa back.  this way, he could face Jake more directly, his right hand kept in his own lap. He hoped it appeared a blasé move and not too calculated, but there was now a modicum of space between them now, rather than their legs brushing and Kerr leaning in. He\'d just got too excited about the offer he was making, that was all, he hadn\'t meant anything by it.
 
Of course, now that he\'d been alerted to the fact that the Ventrue was interpreting his enthusiasm that way, he\'d be more careful; still, a flutter of awareness and guilt tingled its way down his blood bond to Ben and he knew his fledgling would be aware of what he was feeling. He was ruffled, flattered, embarrassed and inexplicably nervous all at once, knowing he was crossing a line but unsure when and how it had happened.
 
He didn\'t even think of Jake that way! Well, he hadn\'t until this moment. Now, he couldn\'t help noticing how kissable the man\'s lips were, how pretty he was, really - even if he was a bit too skinny for Kerr\'s liking. It was more his persona that Kerr was attracted to and making him aware of the younger vampire on a physical level (that certainly brushed shoulders with sexual) only confused him. That would\'ve been communicated to Ben, too, and he knew he had to stop it before his embarrassment increased tenfold and his fledgling came out to see what the fuck was going on. What had Jake even said?
 
"Uh... no problem," he smiled, laughing a little because he couldn\'t even remember what Jake had asked for, only that something inside him said it wasn\'t a problem and he should just agree. "I\'m glad we\'ll be working together, too, I\'m really keen to strip off all the excess this place is carrying and get back to important things. Your world and way of doing things may not be what I\'m used to, but with the very real threat you opened my eyes to, I\'ve realised the Oligarchy can\'t afford to remain ignorant - without you, this city could already be lost and we\'d be back where we were in the Apocalypse," he finished grimly, his lips thinning as he pressed them together, thinking about Lazarus and his influence back then.
 
It had been the reason he and his family had come to the city, but it hadn\'t really turned out the way they\'d hoped, in the end.
 
"When do you think you\'d be ready to get familiar enough with the process to start? I\'m planning to walk you through everything personally, so you know how I coped, and my old office is yours, if you want it - we\'ll find you a room you prefer, if you don\'t. In fact, if you want to live here (I know your place is excellent, though), you\'re more than welcome to. The office has a bed I occupied more than once when things ran over time, though, and that\'s all you\'ll likely need," he chuckled and then stopped himself, feeling paranoid about mentioning a bed. Would Jake think he was implying something? Oh, God! Another burst of guilt flared through him and if he\'d fed recently, he would\'ve flushed.

[Trillian]

Ben was busy straightening their button-up shirts onto hangers, assigning them to their locations in the built-in mirrored closet, sorting them into whether they belonged to him or Kerr and then if they were dressier or casual.  He\'d buried himself into the task and hadn\'t been paying attention to what was going on in the living room - even though he would be able to hear their conversation, he blocked it out simply by focussing on the task at hand.  What he was really trying to block out, however, was the fact not long ago he\'d spent some time entertaining Lazarus and the two mortals they\'d picked up at Risk on the bed he was now about to sleep his days through with Kerr.
 
The first guilt spark he felt travelling along the blood bond between himself and Kerr didn\'t make him think twice, thinking he must be generating his own emotions - even though he hadn\'t felt guilty about it before.  Kerr knew about it, they weren\'t together then, they were together now, no big deal (except they were about to sleep in the same King-sized bed Ben had his sexual adventures on, despite the change of linen).
 
It was only when he felt the second tang of guilt thrumming along his spine that he realised it was disconnected from himself and felt more like second-hand emotions from Kerr.  Guilt and embarrassment, actually, was what he received.  He stopped halfway through his task of hanging clothes and stood motionless, seeing if he would sense something else but nothing more was sent his way.
 
He could hear Kerr talking over the aspects of the Oligarchy role with his newest recruit to be, and nothing seemed out of place there.  Ben, to be more social, knew he should really come out of the bedroom and introduce himself, but that could wait until Kerr was finished with his whole assignment thing.
 
Still, that guilty spark intrigued him.  He wasn\'t suspicious of it, but he was certainly curious.

[Black Philip]

Jake had won a small victory. Kerr had suddenly become quite tense and seemed very embarrassed. What was it he was feeling? Jake hoped it was physical attraction. He barley heard the words Kerr said because he was to busy planning his next move. Kerr seemed in a ripe position for a kiss. A kiss would tell Jake a lot about Kerr and about whether he liked Jake or not. He considered Kerr might get angry and throw him out, take away the job. Then he thought that was preposterous. Kerr may object to Jake kissing him but it would change the fact Jake was the most qualified Kindred for the job. He would slap Jake on the wrist and inform him that he wasn’t interested. Then the two would just have a professional relationship. He decided he needed to take care of business first.  

“Your office sounds fine. I don’t require much in that way. Thank you for the offer to live here but to be honest Dante’s Inferno has a much older feeling to it. My clan likes old world tastes and living in the past to an extent. Also I really don’t feel like bringing my work home with me.” Jake let out a brief laugh. The irony was Jake didn’t know how not to bring his work home with him.

“I’ll need a week or so to organize my business affairs and my private life. I can start training in about five days, if that’s alright. If you desperately need me however, I can start tonight. I know you’re not used to the way I do things or the world I live in but maybe that’s a good thing. We can learn from each other.”

With that Jake McCloud stood up and walked in front of Kerr. A moment of silence cam over the penthouse as Kerr looked quizzically up at him and, with a brazen smile, Jake reached out to grab Kerr by the shirt collar.  Moving swiftly, he would then attempt to hoist the Luminary up to eye level and kiss him, hoping Kerr wouldn\'t fight him... and that his reaction wouldn’t involve a slap.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr was caught up in Jake\'s reply, nodding and telling him that what he said was fine when his words trailed off.  He looked up as Jake stood before him, startled as always by the younger vampire\'s sudden and un-precedented move, only having time to frown curiously before his shirt collar was grabbed and he was pulled to his feet with strength.

It said a lot about the amount of faith and trust that Kerr had in Jake that he went with the movement; his instincts screamed at him to pull back, even if it ripped his T-shirt, but he didn\'t.  Again, that flutter of awareness - whether it was prescience or simply curiosity in the end - went through him and he conceded after a brief tug backwards.  He got to his feet, not really surprised to find himself pressed up against the Ventrue.

"What-?" was all he said before lips were pressed to his own and he was silenced.  It was very surprising turn of events - surprising enough that the Luminary merely stood there and allowed the kiss to happen for a few moments (and that guilty feeling was back, wasn\'t it?  Thrumming through him harder than ever) before he placed his hands on Jake\'s hips and pulled back.  He looked down at the pretty vampire before him warily, unsure of what to say.  "Jake... I\'m flattered, uh... " he began and then trailed off, unsure where to go from there.

Talk about their relationship being soured?  Talk about Ben?  Talk about how it was nice but he really shouldn\'t?  He didn\'t know!

[Trillian]

He\'d been listening, and conversation had stopped flowing.  With a shirt in his hands, he moved to the door - not exactly creeping, but he wasn\'t making a lot of noise either, with his bare feet on the carpet.  From the doorway, it didn\'t take much to peer out and see what was happening.

By the time he reached the doorway and looked, the kiss was in full progress.  The pair of them were oblivious to the one spying on them - and if either of them did look, they\'d only see a sliver of the person peering their way.  Before the kiss ended and he was noticed, Ben backed up a couple of steps so that he was out of sight.

There was a huge wash of guilt again, and he rode the emotion which he knew was from Kerr, without sending anything back.  There was nothing to send back.  He wasn\'t upset, he didn\'t feel betrayed, he didn\'t feel much of anything at all except for a tingling of confusion.  Kerr had broken up with Jenna to be with him, which Ben hadn\'t asked for but hadn\'t minded either, he was willing to let Kerr have whoever he wanted as well as him, but Kerr had made grand statements about it all.  They\'d committed to each other, that there would be nobody else except one another, which was what Kerr wanted and so Ben had agreed, figuring he needed something normal.

Was Kerr changing his mind?  Or did he mean for Ben to commit to him in order to stop the meaningless sex while Kerr could continue to have sex with others?  He\'d have to ask, later, after the new Oligarch was gone.  He considered excusing himself now, so that if Kerr wanted he could take the other into the guest bedroom and progress further from their kiss.  The guilt made him think there would be no progression, but maybe it was because Ben was still in the apartment?

The easiest way was simply to ask.  He did it mentally, not to alarm Kerr\'s guest.

Do you want me to leave so you can have sex with him?

The question was blunt, but not asked in a manner that was accusing.  The tone Kerr would get in his mind was one of genuine curiosity.  He would know his fledgling was serious yet not offended.  He could\'ve been asking Kerr if he was to fetch a coffee for him and Jake, rather than the intimate suggestion he was making.

[Black Philip]

Jake moved in and silenced Kerr with a kiss. When his lips made contact he felt such a release of tension. Yet even though Kerr accepted the gift, Jake felt like he wasn’t really into it. He wasn’t surprised when Kerr gently pulled his hips back. He didn’t resist. If anything he assisted. The kiss had not been what he’d hoped for. Kerr said that he was flattered and was about to say more when Jake cut him off.

“No, I get it. It wasn’t my place, I’m sorry.”

Jake sat back down in his chair, unsure what to do now that he’d smooched his new boss. He only hoped Ker didn’t think bad of him for it. Silence filled the room and Jake looked at Kerr. The proud Anarch warrior now resembled an awkward human boy. This sate of vulnerability was not something Jake was used to feeling.

“Should I…… ugh, go now,” Jake asked sheepishly.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr was busy reeling from the message Ben had sent and merely blinked uncomprehendingly at Jake while he tried to sort through what the fuck his fledgling was on about.

Leave so I can... WHAT?  Why the fuck would you just leave so I could have sex with someone other than you?!  That\'s insane! No, do not leave, I will be right in there

He fixed a smile to his face, wanting to reassure his newest Oligarch even while he couldn\'t really concentrate on what had happened.  "Look, it\'s fine," he assured Jake, reaching out a hand in order to help him to his feet - a friendly gesture whereby he could ensconce the younger vampire\'s hand between his as he led him back towards the elevator, if the other complied.

"As I said, it\'s flattering and I do find you attractive, but apart from us needing to have a professional relationship, I have a partner, Ben and... well," he broke off with a coy laugh and a shrug, letting Jake draw his own conclusions about him already being in a relationship.  He could hardly say that he was not the unfaithful type when his lover was offering to let him fuck anyone he showed an interest in though, could he?  He was thoroughly thrown by the very idea of it!  Would Ben expect he could go out fucking whomever he wished, despite their committment?  His insides twisted with jealousy at the thought of it and he frowned even as he looked at Jake.

"We\'ve discussed all we need to for now, so you may as well leave and I\'ll, uh

go and see what the fuck is up with the guy in my bedroom that I thought I was monogamously committed to

see you when you\'ve got everything in order and you\'re ready to be shown around!" he finished brightly, his smile suddenly enthusiastic as he contemplated getting Jake out of his new penthouse.  He wasn\'t even thinking about the kiss and it wouldn\'t occur to him to dwell on it until much later.

[Trillian]

Ben blinked at the ferocity of the reply, reeling mentally and withdrawing physically further into the room with some more backward steps, closing off mentally by throwing his blocks up in place as soon as Kerr

threatened

told him he was going to join him soon.

Stupid boy
Stupid foolish boy
Always saying the wrong thing

Themba\'s voice in his mind was the soft and dying echo of a ghost.  He knew he was conjuring up the accusations himself, haunting his own head because he\'d upset Kerr with his offer.  He couldn\'t understand the guilt though, couldn\'t understand why Kerr was angry at him.  Had he not wanted Ben to know?  Was he angry because Ben wasn\'t supposed to figure out what he\'d wanted from Jake?  He wasn\'t supposed to see the kiss, of course, but why was he angry that Ben had volunteered to get out of his way?  He didn\'t understand, but got the impression that Kerr was about to make him.

He heard Kerr\'s voice approach closer, though he was obviously speaking with Jake, ushering him out.  Ben backed up one more step, which took him to the edge of the bed.  He sat down on it slowly, holding the shirt in his hands and fiddling with it with nervous anticipation of the berating he expected to get.  Kerr had sworn at him, declared his idea a crazy one and then told him he was going to deal with him soon, in one quick mental declaration before giving Jake a polite boot out. Ben sat patiently waiting and numbing himself in preparation of whatever was going to come next.

[Black Philip]

Kerr had a boyfriend?

Jake listened intently on the words being spoken and couldn’t help but feel cheated. The mighty vampire had been reduced to emotional rubble with only one kiss. Kerr was the mean high-school quarterback and Jake was the chess club nerd. Jake became seriously infuriated as Kerr asked him to leave.

Jake felt like Kerr had stabbed him with a very tiny dagger right between the ribs. He stood slowly and took a pause before speaking.

“Don’t worry Kerr,” he lied, “from now on I promise to keep things completely professional between us. I hope you can forgive me? I miss read you.”

Jake flashed a big plastic smile and without waiting for a response, turned and left the penthouse. Once he was far from Kerr’s ears Jake cursed loudly. He’d made a fool of himself. He needed a drink and he needed to blow off steam. Jake pulled his blackjack from his pocket and dialed the number of his ward Scott. The phone rang several times before a beep told Jake to leave a message.

“Scott, it’s Jake. Meet me at Risk when you get this. I need your help with something. Bye.” With that Jake made his way back into the streets of the city.