A Summoning

[pinkroses]

The previous night had been a whirlwind and Murphy’s head had been spinning when he’d finally gone to bed a couple of hours after the sun had risen. The trial hadn’t gone on for as long as he had expected. After Jake’s testimony Lazarus had just seemed to have… given up. Murphy wouldn’t have thought that likely from what he knew of the ancient from Ben, but after a few things had come up during Jake’s time on the stand, Murphy had realised there was a lot about Lazarus and Jake that he hadn’t known.

The mortal had gone straight home and started writing up his notes, wearing his headphones so he could replay parts of it. He had to stop himself every now and again though, when he realised his writing had too much feeling. Ben was his best friend, it was difficult to write objectively about something so horrible that had happened to him, but Murphy kept going. He went back and re-wrote parts, removing the emotion and skimming over the more detailed parts of the description.

The Doctor was interesting and Murphy highlighted his parts a little more than maybe necessary. He’d run into plenty of vampires and some of those could probably do with a trip to a therapist so mentioning he was available couldn’t be a bad thing.

Just as he was finishing, his email dinged and a smile lit up his face as he read it:

Murphy Hilton,

Attached are several sketches from the trial for your article.  I would like to see the article when it is published.

Astrid Kragen

Murphy hadn’t really expected her to send anything over, especially not so quickly. But this was plenty of time to get one or two included in the article. He examined the photos carefully, trying to pick which should be included.

Murphy eventually settled on the sketch of Lazarus cross-examining Ben – it had been difficult for Ben, but he had stayed firm and Jake was proud of him.

The other sketch he chose was of Jake. Murphy didn’t want to let himself think about the youthful looking vampire at the moment. He would be going round to see Jake the following night and at the moment he was pretty confused about what he wanted from that. It was only the previous night that Jake and he had spent hours chatting, getting to know each other, and that kiss…

But when they had met Jake had been with Lazarus and Jake had never thought it should come up. Murphy couldn’t help feeling that those meetings just hadn’t meant as much to Jake as they had to Murphy – but it hadn’t felt that way at the time. Jake had been pushing to get to know him, asked to kiss him. Maybe he had just been a bit of fun that first night. Finding out about Lazarus like that during the trial had been difficult though.

Pushing those thoughts from his mind Murphy responded to the witch’s email.

Good morning Astrid,

Thank you for sending over those pictures so quickly. They look amazing. I’ll send you the published article and ask for the payment to be forwarded on to you.

Kind regards,
Murphy

Once that was done he took a final read over the article, tidying up a few bits and bobs before writing the email to forward it to his editor. His finger paused over the send button though and instead saved it as a draft. It wasn’t often he wrote about people so close to himself and he wanted to get some sleep before a final review.

Once he finally crawled into bed, Murphy fell asleep quickly, worn out from the activities of the previous few nights and his body clock being messed up from the usual hours of his companions.

He awoke a couple of hours before sunset and busied himself with showering, then eating a bagel smeared with peanut butter as he re-read the article. He didn’t make any more amendments, but something still kept him from pressing send. He was going to see Jake tonight and it was that which was making his hesitate. He wouldn’t let Jake read it first, but… maybe something would come up in their conversation which would add to it. Something about that relationship which hadn’t come up in the trial.

Oblivious to the theme of the night at White Rabbit, and intending to speak more privately with Jake tonight, Murphy dressed in black jeans and boots, teamed with a dark red shirt over a white t-shirt. His hair was clean and roughly styled and he felt comfortable and confident, rather than going all out to impress.

At the last moment Murphy grabbed his tablet and shoved it in his bag – if there were amendments to be made he could do it on the move and get it sent off ASAP and if there was nothing to change then it could go as it was. Murphy locked the door behind him and headed downstairs just as the sun was setting.

Murphy set off in the direction of the White Rabbit, but popped into the newsagent at the end of his block to grab an iced coffee drink. As he was handing over the money in the empty shop, he realised the shopkeeper was watching him a little more carefully than usual and Murphy raised an eyebrow slightly.

“Charon would like to invite you to Penbrook tonight,” the shop keeper said conversationally as he handed over Murphy’s change.

“Thanks,” Murphy replied with a nod, pocketing the coins and turning to leave quickly. He hadn’t set a time with Jake and to be honest maybe it would be best not to turn up just as the sun had set. Jake probably had loads on anyway, and depending on how the conversation went Murphy might not want to rush off from the Prince.

He paused outside the shop, opening his glass bottle and taking a long drink of the sweetened coffee as he mulled over the change in his evening plans. The message hadn’t indicated timings either – but it was definitely ‘tonight’. Without any more hesitation Murphy stepped towards the road and hailed a taxi to take him to Penbrook.

The ride didn’t take too long and Murphy was soon stepping out in front of the manor and the door opened as he ascended the stone steps. He'd been here plenty of times, most recently only a few nights earlier, but it had been a while since he'd been summoned like this and it made him nervous. He tried to swallow down that fluttering in the pit of his stomach though, to focus on why he was actually here.

[Trillian]

A young woman dressed in tailored grey pants and a pastel pink blouse greeted him at the door. The last time Murphy saw her, she'd been serving canapes and glasses of wine at Sabrina's announcement party. She smiled and closed the door behind him before leading Murphy out the back door into the garden and turning a sharp right, following the path that led towards the outdoor pool. Beyond the pool was a second greenhouse, for Murphy knew there was a conservatory attached to the manor itself. The greenhouse glowed with soft light. Murphy could see Charon moving around in there. He was ushered to the springed door and she gestured for him to go inside before turning on her heel and leaving.

Charon beckoned him with a hand as Murphy stepped inside, the smell of flowers and fertiliser overpowering. When he approached, the smell lessened and he would see that Charon was trimming a miniature tree. A bonsai.

"Murphy, it has been too long since we've last spoken," he said whilst still looking at the tree. "Do you have any news for me?" With the shears in his hand, he carefully cut a thin branch away that was trying to take hold.

[pinkroses]

Murphy have the young woman a word of thanks as she left him to enter the conservatory alone. It had been a while since he’d spoken to Charon; his visits had become less frequent since he’d finished the task they’d set him several months ago. He’d  thoroughly enjoyed learning the history of the family and hoped they’d give him more interesting work along those lines in the future.

He took in a deep breath as he entered, acclimatising himself to it. It was amazing how condensed that scent became in close quarters - more overpowering than going to the park or areas surrounding the city.

“Charon, it’s good to see you again,” Murphy said,respectfully giving a bow of his head to the patriarch of the Sacramentum.

He hesitated at the question posed, unsure of exactly what Charon was looking for.

“I don’t imagine much you don’t already know,” Murphy said, stepping closer and watching Charon’s fingers as he carefully tended to the small tree.

“You were at the trial last night, I was going to see Jake McCloud this evening. Hopefully he’ll be able to tell me the final outcome so I can finish my article on it more satisfactorily than it currently is.” That was one thing he wasn’t pleased about his article currently, not being able to detail what the result of the guilty verdict would have on the ancient.

Of course, that wasn’t the only reason for going to see Jake, but Murphy didn’t think Charon would be interested in his (potentially failed) attempt at having some kind of relationship beyond friendship.

[Trillian]

He was pleased that Murphy offered up his plans and that he'd dropped McCloud's name, though by his words it was obvious that the journalist was downplaying his relationship with the District Leader. He saw benefits and liabilities with Murphy befriending or becoming Jake's lover (if he wasn't already). The pillow talk could potentially offer up a lot of information about the family, though Murphy hadn't been offered the kind of secrets that they didn't want spread. Still, Murphy had spoken to multiple members of the Sacramentum, including some long-serving staff, and had been well-liked by everyone he met. Perhaps others had divulged secrets. How loyal was he to them?

"You should be paid well for that article. Do not let your former employer bully you into a lowered fee," Charon suggested, glancing at Murphy momentarily before returning his attention to the bonsai and plucking a few leaves here and there. "And does Jake McCloud know of your affiliations with us or are you not yet at that stage in your romantic relationship?"

[pinkroses]

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Murphy said with a smile. The payment for Astrid’s sketches might come from his cut, but they were good and added to the feel of it.

His gaze lifted to watch Charon’s face at the final comment, surprised by it and looking for any hint of Charon’s feelings on the matter. Of course he knew – Jake had fed from him and kissed him in this very garden. How could he not have thought of that?

“I didn’t mention it, it didn’t come up,” Murphy said honestly. He liked Charon and was grateful for everything they had done for him to help him keep afloat after everything had happened. The fact that Charon’s first question about his and Jake’s relationship had been whether they’d spoken about the Sacramentum indicated he might not be best pleased with it, which Murphy hadn’t even considered at all when he had been with Jake.

“And it’s not…” romantic? A relationship? I’ve met him twice “I don’t know if it’s anything. I found out a lot last night I didn’t know about. Him and Lazarus, what happened with Ben, I don’t know if I even want anything more with him now.” Jake hadn’t lied to him as far as he knew, but he’d left out some pretty important details which Murphy would have liked to know straight away. And he didn’t just want to be some bit that Jake picked up when he wanted him. That spark was there, undeniably. That didn’t mean it was for Jake too.

“If it did turn into something, would that be a problem?” he asked, not confrontationally or defensively, just curious. He didn’t want to make relationship choices based on what the Sacramentum wanted, but it would be something to consider. After all, they’d basically saved his career (whilst Ben had saved his financial situation) and he wanted to show respect. But he had felt something with Jake he hadn’t for years, if ever.

[Trillian]

"The trial was confronting," Charon agreed and that was where he'd properly noticed Murphy and Jake together. He'd been informed by other family members that something was growing between the pair. He also knew of Ben's promise to sire Murphy once the Academy was built. It had been something Charon had seen in his mind when playing the part of Kerr, but he hadn't spoken to the young vampire about it. Ben was too young to support a fledge of his own for he was barely out from being a fledge himself. Now with Kerr back, he wasn't sure if that promise would be fulfilled since the promise might have been hastily given to fill the hole of grief. "It revealed a lot of private information to you that was unlikely to be shared until later. Imagine if Jake McCloud found out without you directly telling him that you have intimate ties with us and that you had agreed for Ben to sire you."

He looked at Murphy to guage his reaction before adding: "I plucked that out of Ben's head purely by accident but it illustrates my point. You do not share everything with Mr McCloud so perhaps you should be more forgiving of what he hasn't shared with you. I believe it would be in your interest to pursue something with him. He is vulnerable and needs someone honest in his circle. Someone like you."

Charon figured Murphy would understand now, from his suggestion, that a romantic relationship with Jake was far from being a problem. Charon and Jeanne had discussed at length the multiple paths that could occur from Murphy getting closer to Jake. They believed Murphy could be a stabilising force in Jake's life, at a time when he needed it most. There was a lot of see-sawing going on in Jake's circle, and he needed someone's gentle, guiding hand. Murphy was not a mouse - he would speak up against injustice, and when it came to Jake, he needed someone reasonable to influence him.

[pinkroses]

A frown flickered across Murphy’s face at the mention of Ben siring him – not because Charon knew, but because thinking about Ben siring him hurt at the moment. They still hadn’t properly spoken about it since the party here, when Ben had accused him of wanting Jake to sire him. Ben had apologised and they’d mostly made up, but nothing had been resolved, not really.

“Maybe I should be, but that’s different. History and future plans that might not even happen come out in time. Starting up a relationship when you’re already in one, that’s different. I don’t even know if he wants anything real.” Murphy reached out to pick up a stray leaf from the table, turning it over in his fingers. He really needed to talk to Jake about all this. There was more stuff to tell, and Jake would have more as well, and a proper conversation about what they both wanted out of this, if anything.

He mulled over Charon’s words, turning them over before he glanced across at the vampire.

“Why do you think it would be in my interest?” He realised it sounded like a selfish question, but Charon was the one who had mentioned that, but then had gone on to say how it would benefit Jake. Of course, it would be nice to have a relationship, Jake seemed so caring, fun, sexy, but it would cause conflict too.

[Trillian]

Charon smiled, liking Murphy's clever focus. He naturally asked the questions that were the most pertinent, and he'd zeroed in on the one Charon hadn't wanted to answer. But he would, though Murphy might not be ready to hear it.

"It is always good to have options available. I know you are interested in being sired, but joining the Sacramentum requires you to jump through a lot of hoops. Not everyone manages to share our blood... and not because they're not worthy, there have been many worthy individuals that have been passed over... but because we have found a formula that works for us, and meddling with it has only led to pain." Charon looked at the bonsai but was no longer in the mood to prune it. He turned to face Murphy directly. "While Ben has good intentions in siring you, his own sire has returned which has muddied the waters for you. If Kerr is anything but welcoming, you will not wish to be bonded to him. And what of Ben's other connection, to Ichabod? I rarely see them together. Joining a functional famly makes sense, but a dysfunctional one? And Jake... he has no fledglings around, no brothers or sisters, and no sire to interfere in his choices. You might balk at considering an end goal before you've even paired up with him, but what is the point of starting a relationship if there is nothing to strive towards?"

If Murphy were to be sired, he would be marrying three camps together; Ben, the Sacramentum and Jake. It would be a beneficial union for all of them. That concept, however, he kept to himself.

[pinkroses]

Murphy lifted a hand to scrub through his hair as Charon spoke, first of the Sacramentum, then Ben and his “family”, then Jake. How had this suddenly turned from maybe Ben doing it one day, but probably not now Kerr was back, to there being three options? The writer knew the history behind the Sacramentum, how difficult it was to be considered a viable candidate, which Charon was again pointing out, but the fact that he felt the need to say it indicated he must have considered it in even the vaguest way and that was an honour.

“Jake has Sam,” Murphy corrected softly, but his mind wasn’t really on that. He hadn’t seriously considered being sired by anyone other than Ben and he didn’t know how he felt about suddenly being pushed in the direction of considering Jake for a sire. Going into a relationship with Jake, with the final intention of being sired… if he didn’t talk to Jake about that from the off that would be just using him, no matter what else was behind it.

“There’s a lot more to having a relationship with someone than just getting something out of it,” Murphy said, mirroring Charon by turning away from the tree to face him. “If I decide to attempt a relationship with Jake, it’s not going to be with the aim to have him sire me. I want to fall in love, I want to spend my life with someone, whether or not that life turns into an immortal one. If it works with Jake, if he asks, then maybe, but that’s not how I want to choose someone to be with, just because they could sire me.”

He gazed at Charon for a moment, wary of how the ancient would take his statement. Murphy knew some of Charon’s family had sired people for love, but there were also those picked because they were the right choice for the family. “Thank you, for even including the Sacramentum in this discussion, even if I don’t fit your formula,” he said, giving a small smile and hoping Charon wouldn’t be annoyed by his declaration that he desired love more than just getting someone, anyone, to sire him.

[Trillian]

Ah, Sam, of course. He'd had very little to do with her and she was so rarely seen with Jake that he'd forgotten she was of his blood. He murmured his acceptance of Murphy's correction. He liked the way Murphy spoke instead of excusing himself for correcting the ancient's mistake. A lot of the mortals did that, and while it was respectful and Charon would never put a stop to it, he also liked that Murphy was different.

Charon let the journalist's sentimentality and romance wash over him. It was a very Murphy thing to say and want. The final thing said to him was an error in assumption, however.

"You do fit the formula. We have discussed bringing you into the family," he said, though this was the first time they'd told Murphy this so directly. He was surprised that Murphy hadn't realised he was being considered when given the task to speak to every member of the Sacramentum to glean their history. Perhaps the young man was too humble. "Ari has only one fledge and he is allowed two. He is of age. You've spoken to him very briefly and didn't pursue more communication with him at the time. I thought it was because he failed to make an impression, but he'd expressed an interest in you - especially after you wrote up our family history and we had it bound." Charon sighed. "Something is happening with Ari at the moment, however. I sense discontentment so perhaps I am dangling a spoiled prize, now. Once again, this illustrates my point. You have not pursued your goal. You wish to be sired but have such an apathetic attitude towards it that you have let opportunities slip through your fingers. People who are successful do not merely 'let it happen'. Perhaps Ari would have been a bad choice for you, but because you didn't investigate further with siring on your mind, you'll never know if perhaps he would've been a good one."

He hadn't meant to tell Murphy off, but his attitude was typical of young men through the ages. They behaved as if they were already immortal and had all the time in the world. They didn't.

[pinkroses]

“Oh,” Murphy breathed as Charon pointed out his mistake, his eyes widening slightly and his mouth suddenly feeling dry. Charon was so choosey about who could join them, Murphy had assumed no one really could, at least not in this generation, not after what had happened with Taylor.

Ari? He’d really been interested? Murphy tried to think back over any sort of hint or clue that might have shown him that was the case, but nothing sprung to mind. He felt a sudden urge to apologise, to be given a second chance. If Ari was no longer an option, which ones were? He ran over the family quickly in his mind – which were old enough, which already had two fledglings. There weren’t many options left in the family, not who fitted the rules. Although those rules had been broken before. That wasn’t what he wanted to focus on though.

Murphy knew he was being reprimanded, but it was for not seeking out a sire where he’d seen no hope which seemed unfair. Why ask when you thought you would just be shot down? Asking the wrong person in this family could have led to a rejection from all of them. And although he’d liked most of the members, some more than others, none of them had truly felt like friends, people he could go to just to… be.

Murphy realised he’d been silent for some time in his effort to not blurt out all his idiotic thoughts and pleas and he tore his eyes from where they’d settled on the twisted branches of the bonsai to meet Charon’s gaze again. He could feel his heart pounding and hear the blood throbbing in his ears and knowing Charon would be able to hear it as well made his cheeks flush.

“Maybe there have been opportunities I missed, which I will try to learn from and open my eyes a bit more.  But I’m not apathetic towards it,” Murphy said. “I asked Ben. He cares about me, I care about him and Ari, he didn’t exactly show me he was interested.” Maybe if Ari had shown some interest, invited him to talk more, gotten to know him, this would all be different.

“If I don’t talk to Jake about this and he later asks me, I’d feel like I’d manipulated him into it,” Murphy said, frowning to himself as he thought out loud. There was so much else to discuss, and this could trump all of it if Jake got offended by it, even though it hadn’t been Murphy’s idea in the first place.

[Trillian]

Charon waited him out, listening to his heartbeat and seeing the rising colour in his face as he thought out the implications. Ari had been impressed with Murphy, had thought him clever. Charon had seen the thoughtful look on his grandfledge's face but not inquired after it. Perhaps Ari would have sired him, perhaps not. Both of them - Ari and Murphy - were as bad as the other. Perhaps it would've been a hellish pairing after all. Neither of them would've pressed the point. They were too similar. Charon had lost his patience with Ari on multiple occasions for his odd sense of humour, his unrushed manner and almost daydream-like decision-making process... though Ari was practical in many other ways. And he was a gentle soul.

"Murphy, ever since I have known you, you have been upfront and honest. You are not secretive, like your best friend Ben, who hides things even to his detriment. You are a good influence on him. You are not ruthless, like Jake can be, who makes quick decisions and pays tenfold for them afterward. You would be a steady influence on him. And you are not cynical, like I can be, where I can dismiss people too soon because I have seen so many behavioural patterns throughout the ages. You are an inspiring influence on me." He let his words flow over the mortal. "You will always have security with the Sacramentum, if things go wrong elsewhere. But I would like you, as a special favour to me, to give Jake McCloud every possible chance you can. Including forgiveness."

He watched Murphy closely, hoping to extract a promise from him - even if it wasn't in so many words.

[pinkroses]

Murphy couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable with the praise and he shifted his weight from foot to foot, but he was pleased by it too. To be honest, despite the amount of time he’d spend here, he’d thought he was just considered an employee to them. To learn it was more did give him a happy glow (even though he’d fucked up something that could have changed his life).

“Well… thank you, for all of that. It means a lot,” he said, feeling himself relax at Charon’s promise of safety here.

“I will speak to him about all of this, but I don’t think it’s forgiveness that will be the problem, I’ve forgiven more than I should have in my life,” Murphy said with a small shrug. He’d spent most of his life forgiving the way his father treated him, it hadn’t got him anywhere too good, but when someone meant so much to you, you did it.

“Do you think I can trust him?” Ruthless was not a great way to hear Jake being described, but ruthless wasn’t necessarily untrustworthy. Murphy respected Charon’s opinion and would take his advice as much as he could.

[Trillian]

"Of what I've seen so far, he rushes into things without thinking the consequences through," Charon said. "But he appears trustworthy. His emotions are open and obvious even when it is not in his favour. That shows me he is not afraid of being honest. I have also been deceived by him and initially I thought the move a manipulative and political strike, but since then I have re-assessed that it was another rushing forward without thinking, moment. Not a good character trait but certainly not the worst," Charon said, then chuckled. The laughter was like a choking, raspy cough and didn't last long.

[pinkroses]

Murphy raised an eyebrow at his words, but couldn’t help but smile when Charon laughed. He wasn’t sure it was something he’d ever heard before. The ancient’s words weren’t exactly reassuring, but also not too much of a warning. It felt more useful than Ben’s sniping about him, like there was more truth behind it than just a dislike.

“I’ll have to let you know how it goes then,” Murphy said, feeling like a child being sent to his first day at school. “Maybe I can slow him down a bit, if I’m such a good influence,” he added with a smile. He was keen to get moving now, to find out what Jake had to say for himself, but he didn’t want to leave without Charon’s dismissal. It seemed weird to think he might have been summoned here just to talk about love and siring, but it had given him a lot to think about.