It was now a relatively mild night that marked the beginning of September there in Los Angeles. On that particular evening, Eliot found himself with the urge to head outside for a bit of air as a dizziness and pounding in his head had been plaguing him for the entire day.
He lost track of how long he had been sitting on the steps outside Sean’s home while somehow both shivering and sweating despite the pleasant seventy degree air that night. Resting his burning forehead against the cool wrought iron banister, he barely even acknowledged the sound of dainty footsteps exiting the home behind him.
“Well you don’t seem well at all” was the greeting he received from a young female voice that seemed to share his own French accent.
At that fact, he made himself turn to look back up at the owner of the voice, despite how any movement on his part just made the dizziness worse. “Thanks for pointing that out” he stated, his mood obvious.
Eliot then narrowed his eyes as he took in her appearance, trying to guess at why there was some young French girl exiting Sean’s home that night. She stood at about five nine, with jet black shoulder-length locks that were a striking contrast to her ice blue eyes and porcelain complexion. She wore an expensive looking gown over what was an unhealthily thin frame, the true mark of a dancer’s body.
As she stepped closer to get a better look at the sickly young man in the moonlight, her expression immediately turned to one of sudden recognition, “what on earth are you doing here?” she asked him before suddenly remembering to curtsy before him., “my lord” she quickly added.
Eliot only looked further confused by her sudden reverence, as well as a greeting he hadn’t heard bestowed upon him much at all since he had boarded that ship with Claire now seven months prior, “I’m assuming you must think you know me?” he stated warily.
She offered the slightest giggle, as if embarrassed by the question, but answered quickly nonetheless, “I don’t expect you to remember me. I was only one dancer of many, after all” she told him sweetly, “but our company came to perform for your father a while back. I remember seeing you there that night. It was shortly after... the scandal” she added the last two words in a whisper, then quickly backpedaled, “I’m so sorry. I hope that doesn’t offend you” she added worriedly.
“The mention of my father always offends me” he scoffed, “but that can’t be helped” he added wryly. He then looked her over once more, “and what is a dancer from France doing here of all places?”
“I was wondering the same thing about the son of the emperor” she smiled again.
“Touché” Eliot returned.
It was then that Minna and Lissa appeared through the gate. Lissa gave Eliot a curious look as Minna stared off into the night as though she wasn’t aware of much of anything at that point. Lissa then stepped forward, her arm linked with Minna’s as she addressed the young woman, “I assume you’re Emma?”
“That would be me” Emma replied with another curtsy to the two women, despite Minna’s obvious distraction.
“This is Minna. She’ll be your Primogen” Lissa informed the young girl with a smile.
“I’m sorry. My what?” Emma responded with a somewhat blank look, Eliot also looked rather lost at the sound of a word he was not familiar with himself either.
Lissa then looked down apologetically, “oh yes, Sean did mention that you may not be... aware of the way things work here. Suffice it to say that she will be a sort of guide and mentor to you during your stay in Los Angeles.”
“Her?” Emma asked with a wary look as Minna continued to appear to be a million miles away from the conversation, lost in a miasma of her own thoughts, as she always was.
Lissa swallowed slightly as she forced a smile, “come, we’ll show you to the house you’ll be staying in.”
Emma sighed softly before offering Eliot one more smile. “I hope you feel better soon, my lord.” She then moved to follow the other women back through the gate, looking less than thrilled by the prospect, but dutifully doing so nonetheless.
That was when Lucian stepped outside, looking after the women as they departed. He then looked down at Eliot as he watched them leaving as well. “I’d be careful around that one” Lucian offered as he noted Eliot’s eyes on the new arrival as she moved away.
“Excuse me?” Eliot stated with a slight bite to his tone as he looked up at Lucian’s statement.
“It was just a friendly warning. You seemed to have an interest in her” Lucian offered as he moved to take a seat further down the step from the other man.
“My only interest was due to her being from my country, and apparently having recognized me from some point at which we had met in the past” Eliot explained, his current physical discomfort only contributing to the sharpness of his tone when dealing with Lucian once more.
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“Fine. Warning rescinded” Lucian scoffed.
Eliot shook his head again before replying, “and why is it that you’re making an effort to deliver any such warnings anyway? What problem do you have with her in the first place?”
Lucian just smirked at having so easily gotten under Eliot’s skin with one offhand comment, “she has what those in my profession call a 'personality disorder.'″
Eliot raised a brow, “then maybe you should be the one having an alleged interest in her” he mumbled as he wiped away more sweat from his brow while closing his eyes against another bout of dizziness.
“Funny, but I’m sure the actual definition doesn’t match up with your implication” Lucian returned smartly, “and speaking of medical issues, you seem rather unwell yourself this evening” Lucian added more gently.
“So now you want to be my doctor again?” Eliot bit back, “because it went so well last time.”
“Despite your lingering distrust for me, I still am a doctor, Eliot, and I can see that there’s something obviously wrong” he told him firmly.
“Let me guess, I’m dying again?” Eliot returned bitterly.
“Well, I wouldn’t be able to determine that without actually examining you. But that shouldn’t even be the case as long as...” his voice trailed off before he more quietly added, “I suppose it has been over three months.”
“I think you skipped the middle part of that sentence” Eliot mumbled as he closed his eyes against another wave of dizziness and cold sweat.
Lucian sighed heavily as he took another moment before offering a response, “well, the good news is, I don’t think you are actually dying again.”
“I assume that means there’s bad news as well?” Eliot returned as he finally made himself meet the other man’s eyes.
Another sigh as Lucian stood, “just a little more fallout from my spectacular failures” he mumbled, “but you’ll be fine after a day or two of feeling like absolute shite. So I suppose there’s that” he added sadly before heading back off toward the Toreador haven once again.
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By midnight, Eliot had made his way back inside, though not much further than that. Due to his current physical state, he had only gotten as far as the plush sofa in the massive ballroom-sized entry hall. At least the room itself was lovely, Eliot wryly thought upon collapsing to the thick cushions. If you were a centuries’ old vampire Prince, anyway.
The room itself was circular, with deep red and black marble floors which matched high walls. There were a few exits, all framed with massive black double doors. The large room contained doorways leading to the foyer, Sean’s office, the conference room where the council met, the kitchen where the servants took their meals, Sean’s practically abandoned art studio, and of course the large ornate staircase that led to the upper floor of the home.
Eliot’s attempt at concentrating on his surroundings rather than how horrible he was still feeling was soon interrupted though. Sean himself had now exited his office once more, easily noting Eliot laying there upon the sofa, a small groan passing his lips as he took note of Sean’s arrival as well.
Sean sighed as he took a few slow heavily booted steps closer to where Eliot’s current discomfort was obvious. He looked down at the young man with a shake of his long blonde locks before finally speaking, “you do realize that there’s a simple cure for how fantastically horrible you’re feeling right now?”
“Didn’t realize you were a doctor too” Eliot murmured, though he couldn’t force much strength to his statement at all due to his own weakened state, as well as the intimidation that Sean’s very presence inspired even when he wasn’t directly speaking to him, which was a rather rare occasion in itself.
Sean shook his head once more, “believe me, I have very few things in common with little lost Lucian” he stated, his own opinion on their newest clan mate obvious then.
The only reason Sean had tolerated Lucian’s presence at all was due to his own desire to get to the truth about that very suspicious blank spot in Lucian’s head. And the fact that Sean and Eliot both shared a bit of distrust for the same man was likely one of the only things he and Eliot had in common either. Though despite that one commonality, there was still a heavy dose of chilliness between Sean and this young man as well. Though almost all of that chilliness was due to Eliot’s continued unbound status.
Sean had of course programmed the young man to never harm any of his Kindred acquaintances while they slept, but Claire would not allow any further tampering with the boy’s head. So, Sean was still less than pleased with the entire situation. Though his desire to avoid any undue tension between Claire and himself always seemed to win out in the end. That was something that hadn’t changed at all in three centuries.
Sean allowed another sigh, his gaze moving over Eliot as the young man shut his eyes tightly against the next bout of withdrawal symptoms. Sean then continued from his earlier statement, “as I was saying, you could make all this end very easily.”
“I suppose you’re going to tell me more about this supposed cure-all?”
“All you have to do, Eliot, is take another drink. Simple as that” Sean stated with what almost looked like a shrug.
Eliot finally pushed himself up to his elbows as he gave Sean a bit of a dark look, “that’s your idea of simple?”
“Of course I don’t mean from Lucian” Sean returned, “but there are many others whose blood could solve this current problem of yours. And I’m sure Claire’s explained to you that one drink does not a bond make.”
“Considering Claire’s reaction to the ‘one drink’ I already inadvertently took, I’m guessing this cure of yours wouldn’t exactly please her” Eliot returned.
Sean sighed heavily again, “Claire is used to being displeased with many things. But this particular one is for the greater good. Do you remember how it felt when you thought you were going to die? How Claire felt?” Sean stated with an oddly sad tone, “there will inevitably be a day coming when you’re in danger of pushing off this mortal coil once more. And I don’t think either of us wish to see the tears in Claire’s eyes when that happens. Mortals and Kindred all eventually have to bid each other farewell, but you could postpone that sad fact for a very long time if you wanted. It would only take a sip from one of us every few months, when you feel the first symptoms of withdrawal. And you’d still have that free will that is so precious to you and Claire both. Think about it” Sean finished with another sigh as he began moving toward the stairs to leave Eliot to ruminate on all of his words.