In A Gazebo With My Friend

[Trillian]

(for Ro, but we welcome others to join)


BEN HAD ALWAYS LIKED THE small white painted wooden structure that sat in a sheltered corner of the largest park in the city.  There were many much more secretive and private places in the park for a person or a couple to sneak away to, but Ben wasn't really hiding away from anyone (though he didn't want Murphy and himself to be interrupted) so much as wanting a pretty and quiet location to talk with his friend and maybe (most likely) drink from him.

They'd already discussed the Masquerade Ball that was due to be held tomorrow night.  Ben had invited Murphy to it quite some time ago, but the journalist now had the official invitation in his pocket, explaining that masks would be supplied and could be retained as a keepsake of the event.  Ben had grabbed the invitation instead of it being mailed out with the others because he'd meant to see Murphy much earlier than this, but tonight was the eve of the event and it was the first time they'd seen each other in ages.

Ben was all talked out.  They'd chatted about all sorts of things; trivial and serious, on the way here.  Murphy had met him in the city at the tailor's place (where Ben had given him a sneak peek of the costume he was going to wear, so that they would be able to find each other at the ball - and likely Kerr wouldn't approve of someone else seeing it before he did, so Ben wasn't going to tell him), and they'd opted to walk, ending up at the park after dawdling in front of the movie-house for a while.  Nothing was playing that Ben or Murphy wanted to see, so they'd moved on.

The gazebo was an octagon, so it could comfortably sit fourteen - since one of the walls was an opening without a two-person bench.  There was plain latticework at his back that travelled a short way up the posts, and the same latticework that formed the roof.  Someone who was Ben's height could simply tip their head back and rest it atop the beam where the lattice ended.  Someone a little taller (like Murphy) had to scoot forward a little to gain the same position.  It was good for star gazing through the latticework.

Star gazing through the latticework. It sounded like the beginning of a poem.  Or a title of one.  Shame Ben wasn't creative enough to go further with it.  Whatever he thought up would sound corny and stupid.

"Star gazing through the latticework," he piped up suddenly, breaking a comfortable silence.  "In a gazebo with my friend.  It inspires poetry in me, which drives him 'round the bend."  He finished the last line with a growing smile, knowing he was probably going to get hit or teased for his silliness.  That was okay.  That was stuff he liked.  Joking with friends.

[pinkroses]

Murphy chuckled at Ben’s poor attempt at a poem, acting predictably and reaching out to hit Ben’ in the chest with the back of his hand in reprimand.

“That really was rubbish. You need to work on that, or just stop,” Murphy said with a grin, tearing his gaze away from the stars to glance sideways at the blonde. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d tried writing poetry, he much preferred prose although he liked to think that on occasion parts of what he wrote could be quite poetic. That generally wasn’t what was called for in reporting though.

He stayed quiet for a few seconds, before returning his gaze upwards, comfortable to just be quiet with Ben - he always felt more at peace with him than with anyone else - human or vampire. He’d enjoyed listening to the ancient’s stories, but there was the nagging feeling he wanted more. He’d wanted to know more about Ben. Murphy hadn’t mentioned that to his friend, he had no idea how to bring it up or even if he should. Maybe it would get back to Charon somehow - but maybe he could just say someone had been asking questions, and not specify who.

He’d even considered cancelling tonight, so that when he next saw Charon there would be nothing to tell. But given the choice between spending time sat in the office, or an empty house, or being with Ben, there had been no competition, whether or not it was wise.

“There was a star that shone so bright, Gleaming in the darkest night. It was seen from shore to shore, Until one day, it was no more; The star fell from its height.” He had no idea where that had come from, maybe he’d heard it as a kid once, or read it somewhere, but staring at the stars and thinking on the politics of the vampires of this city brought it to mind.

“Limericks are always better when they’re dirty,” Murphy added with a smile.

[Trillian]

Ben laughed when he was smacked and insulted, but his chuckles died away in the thoughtful silence that followed.  He listened to the short poem that Murphy recited and ended up frowning at the end of it.  He'd never heard it before, didn't know its origin, had assumed it was a nursery rhyme, and then there was the surprise ending.  He gave Murphy the tiniest of smiles, to acknowledge the limerick line that was thrown at the end later, but it quickly disappeared as he considered what such a poem might mean, and why Murphy chose to tell it to him.

Without realising he was going to recite his own poem in response, because it floated to the surface of his mind from a depth he hadn't yet had time to acknowledge, Ben spoke again, only this time in more sombre tones than while making up his own silly poem.

"Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray thee Lord my soul to sweep; yes, sweep it with your mighty broom, until it's like a tidy room; all neat and clean with doors shut tight, and windows drawn against the light; my neatest, darkest piece of gloom, my soul, my locked and empty room."

Looks like they were going to be sharing morbid poetry tonight.  How the hell had it gone down this path?  Still, Ben was comfortable enough around Murphy to not be judged for this piece of sharing like he expected he would be judged by his sire or blood brother.

[pinkroses]

His smile faded slowly as Ben responded with another poem, steadily getting more chilling as they went on. Both of them had enough crap going on without making each other more miserable, but oddly it wasn’t depressing - Murphy found it calming. Knowing he wasn’t the only one having a hard time with things made it a little better.

Murphy reached out to take Ben’s hand, his own feeling hot and clammy against Ben’s cool skin, but he felt the need to hold onto something, someone. And Ben was there when he needed a friend.

“Do you think when people die, or even when vampires eventually die, do you think there’s anything after that? For our souls or whatever part of us that might live on? Or maybe it’s just, if you don’t become a vampire, that’s just it, you’re dead, completely. Gone.”

It was definitely a more morbid conversation topic than their earlier chatter about the ball, but it was something Murphy hadn’t been able to stop himself from thinging about recently and he guessed he had a pretty good reason. He couldn’t exactly imagine his father floating around like Casper, or sitting in a cloud in heaven.

[Trillian]

It was an interesting question, and one Ben was burning to discuss, and his answer was quick at hand because he'd already thought about it.  A lot.

"I always used to think no, that there was nothing, but the Oligarchy has a Dark Angel in it, and there are such things as regular Angels, but I don't think they're anything like what the bible says.  If you believe a vampire called Lazarus, the bible is nothing but a hoax anyway."  He paused for a moment, in order to think about his next words.  "I don't think people go to heaven or hell, but I do believe in other worldly planes.  I know the Mimics come from one of those planes, and I've read all about fire demons and other demons coming from other planes.  I think they're a sort of parallel world, and that's where all these supernaturals are coming from, and why they're in our city, because of the leylines.  I think all those Angel types come from one of those planes, and it's probably a really nice, pretty garden kind of plane.  But I think, that when I die, though, that death will be a finality.  I don't think my soul will continue on in another plane.  I think you might have a chance at getting something more, but I've already made my choice.  I've already changed species."

[pinkroses]

Murphy listened quietly, his head tilted back to rest against the post behind him as he listened quietly to Ben’s views on it. It was all fascinating to think about, but Murphy guessed there was no way to really know. So many creatures had different views, different experiences - but they all had a slightly different perception of things. What they described could mean one thing to them but be completely different for the listener. Taking the Bible even, maybe it had been written as just a load of stories with a moral, but so many people read it in so many different ways.

“It would be so amazing to be able to move between the planes like that, and between worlds,” Murphy murmured before he frowned slightly, glancing towards Ben.

“You think you only have one chance? You’ve made your choice and that’s it?” he asked.

[Trillian]

"Maybe not entirely, there's a lot of stuff out there I haven't yet explored,"

but now I have the time to, he thought but did not say, because it was a given.

"but I've certainly limited my options."

He turned his head to look at Murphy, his ear folding beneath the weight of his head against the gazebo railing, and he had to lift it and adjust so that he wasn't too uncomfortable.  The shift demanded he wiggle his shoulders a little too, and he re-settled after a quick movement.

"Are you in the middle of a new investigation?" he asked, knowing full well it could only be Murphy's curiosity that was taking them down this road, but also interested to know if Murphy had anything new on the boil too, and this was a good segway to hear about it.

[pinkroses]

Maybe his options were limited now, but it wasn’t like he’d chosen badly. Murphy knew how much Ben had studied vampires, how much he’d wanted to be one, and he’d got his wish. And it meant he had all the time in the world to explore other ideas and theories, even if he wasn’t able to become anything else. Some people never had a choice to be anything else.

Murphy had on occasion considered the option of becoming a vampire, but it always felt like something that would happen a long time in the future, something he didn’t need to think about yet or even put too much thought into. But Charon’s summon had got him thinking. It had started off abut Ben, which worried Murphy, but after that it had turned into something more, and Murphy couldn’t help wondering if he was being considered by Charon as a new member of their family. Maybe it was big headed, but you didn’t spent so long talking about an ancient’s fledglings without the thought crossing your mind.

“Hmm? Oh, no,” Murphy said, shaking his head as he realised what Ben was asking. He hadn‘t really planned this chat turning the way it had, it had just brought up thoughts he‘d been having recently. “No, I just… I was just thinking, y’know, about my dad and stuff. At least I know he’s not going to rock up at my door as a vampire,” he said, giving a wry smile, still staring upwards before he mimicked Ben’s shift, turning a little more towards his friend.

“Do you regret it? Becoming a vampire because you think it’s limiting?” he asked, knowing that might not be a route he should go down but unable to help himself.

[Trillian]

"No, no, not at all," Ben said with a slight laugh.  "Further options to become something else or go somewhere else are limited, but I don't think being a vampire is limiting, per se."

He looked at Murphy closely, studying his face because they hadn't really discussed this deeply.  At one point in their past, Murphy had divulged that he might one day want to become a vampire, but it didn't seem like something he was intent on, because of the way he'd said it in passing.  Ben had believed at the time that Murphy had only said it as an afterthought or not been serious, but now he considered the idea that Murphy might want to continue along as a human for a while longer before embracing eternity and nightfall.

"It's the right time to be a vampire, it's so easy now, with clubs like Risk and organisations like the Oligarchy to go to for help or keeping the bad ones in line.  I'm a bit sorry that I missed out on all that history - like seeing the pyramids being built or talking with famous Greek philophers or even seeing first hand how the industrial revolution changed the world - but imagine what I'll see from here.  Maybe I'll eventually be a vampire in space."  He laughed.

[pinkroses]

Murphy met Ben’s gaze for a couple of seconds before he glanced down shyly. He knew he was easy to read usually, he’d always been terrible at hiding his feelings - mainly because he rarely saw the point in denying it so he had very little practise.

But at least Ben wasn’t launching into a lecture about how it was a terrible idea being sired, when Murphy hadn’t even made up his mind what he wanted - or even been offered a chance if he didn’t want it. It was just… a thought.

“I bet everyone throughout time, in some point in their life has thought ‘wow, I would have loved to have lived then and seen that’,” Murphy said with a chuckle, smiling at the thought of Ben bobbing around in space. It would definitely save on the oxygen requirement sending up vampires.

“And I bet in a hundred years you’re going to be able to look back on stuff and surprise people by saying you did see that. You did do that, even if it doesn’t seem that extraordinary now. Maybe time will be harder for vampires and you’ll be looking back on the good old days,” he added with a grin.

[Trillian]

"Maybe," Ben agreed, and even though he was predicting that the future was more likely going to be a dystopian one, he would be pleased enough to see it come and hopefully see it pass.   Everything passed, if given enough time.  Just look at history, at how entire civilisations had fallen and risen, how language had changed, how life had continued on.

He looked back up at the sky, at the stars, and thought to himself that unless space exploration had a lot of donors going up available for him to feed from, he didn't think it likely he'd be charging out there after them.

"Maybe, in the future, vampires will be outed, vying for equal rights, and drinking synthetic blood."

He knew that hospitals were carrying blood plasma product already, to extend the blood supply they had, but he didn't think there was artificial blood yet.  If there was, would he be able to drink it?  If it could sustain life, could it sustain him?  What if it couldn't, and someone he drank from had been given it; would it poison him?

That was a scary thought, so he pushed that hypothetical away and just listened to Murphy talk (or if he wasn't talking, listened to Murphy breathe).

[pinkroses]

“I imagine a lot of people would just think it was all a big hoax if you did come out of hiding,” Murphy murmured in reply. “I mean, I know there’s a relatively high amount of people in this city who know, but… if it was everyone there would probably be panic. Like if there was a zombie apocalypse or something. I guess it would be hard to organise too, and not all vampires would be happy about being outed,” he said, knowing he was beginning to ramble, but that was one of the things he liked about Ben - the blonde seemed content to sit and let him chatter on without making Murphy feel like he should keep his mouth shut.

“I’d love to be able to write stuff about vampires, for vampires, without it having to be all hush hush and coded, covering up stuff that’s happened, or crappy fiction - or truth people think is fiction. There’s no vampire version of gossip mags you’re hiding from me, are there?” he asked with a grin, letting his head fall sideways to look across at his companion. It would be so freeing.

[Trillian]

Ben wondered if Murphy was having him on.

"We-ell, there are the newspapers and magazines that the Oligarchy has in their waiting room," he reminded the journalist, "but I thought you got paid double for what you did - you know, from the newspaper you work for and the... uh, supernatural quantity that wants you to work there."

Ben hadn't ever asked about the bosses Murphy worked for, though he had heard the term Sancramentum out of Murphy's lips, he hadn't heard it often and therefore had forgotten it.

[pinkroses]

“Oh yeah, I guess. I don’t get to see much of them though,” Murphy said with a smile as Ben reminded him about the magazines available and rolling his eyes at his own forgetfulness. But he hadn’t been in an Oligarchy waiting room for years and they weren’t exactly easy to come by for a human. Although Murphy guessed with his connections it wouldn’t be as tricky as it might have been. Maybe he could put in an order to get them delivered or something.

“Yeah, I do get paid quite well, and yeah, it’s good, my job I get quite a bit of freedom, but it’s…” It suddenly all felt a lot more restrictive. Murphy wanted to supply the name Ben had missed but was very aware that Charon had known about their friendship, had been interested in it, might well have someone watching now. He’d enjoyed hearing Charon’s stories, but the ancient made him nervous as well and Murphy instinctively glanced around, wondering again whether someone was actually watching.

“I’m being stupid, I do love my job,” Murphy said, dropping his head back to rest against the pillar behind him.

[Trillian]

Ben grinned at him.  "But it could be better," he said, nodding and agreeing with Murphy.  Anything could be better, with a bit of tweaking, and he could understand that.  There was a lot in his life right now that he was happy with, and he wasn't necessarily wishing for anything more, but of course it could be better.  His relationship with his fledge brother could be better, the opinion others had of him in the Oligarchy could be better, his modelling income (which he was purposefully keeping low key, but only for notoriety's sake) could be better.  Understanding such a thing didn't necessarily make him unappreciative of what he currently had.

"You're freelance, right?" he asked, but continued speaking because he already knew Murphy was freelance.  It was a little bit of a weird setup, because he knew Murphy had a fixed position at the paper, but he also hadn't signed off exclusive rights to his articles.  Murphy had explained how it had all worked and Ben had understood it at the time, but now it was lost to him.  He got the gist, and that was all he needed.  "There's a few copies available, nobody will notice a few of them gone.  You can see how to submit work from them," he offered, looking up at the gazebo roof and listening closely to Murphy's words and tones for his reaction.