InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "your mom goes to college"

Daren Shankley (the_pretender) wrote in haunted_roads,
@ 2008-04-28 00:17:00

Entry tags:

daren, maggie

Week Six: Tuesday
When: Afternoon
Where: Daren’s Condo
Who: Daren and Maggie

Poor Maggie was all in a fluster. That’s what happened to good girls when they attempted to juggle both a husband and a lover. Of course, Maggie would have none of that. No. She was far too moral to keep it up no matter how tempting, and no matter how Daren might get hurt because of it.

Of course he’d bat his eyes, but otherwise he’d keep a stiff upper lip. Strong man of bearing after all. His pain would be a private thing and Daren would be far too well mannered to let Maggie see how she hurt him. No, it was her happiness that concerned him, her well being and she should of course, do what was best for her, and for her family.

Of course he’d understand. Daren was a sensitive, modern man after all.

Hadn’t he been there when she needed him? Even helped in the search. Of course he understood. Maybe one day he’d even find it in his heart to be happy for her.

Oh, this was all too easy.

Never mind that she was fucking him over and he, by all rights, should challenge Bastian to a duel and put Maggie over his knee. This was an amusing thought, and it was this that he had in his mind when the bell sounded and he answered the door. Of course, he’d cleared his face of the evidence of any amusement. Nope, it was all about concern for his darling, flustered Maggie.

“Darling. Come inside.” He kissed her cheek and put a hand out for her to take if she would, and follow him in to the livingroom. “Is everything okay with Sophie? She’s not gotten into any trouble, has she? What’s wrong?” Was it his fault the rebellious brat of a daughter was so easy a target? But all spoken with the deepest concern and love, of course.

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mother_maggie
2008-04-28 06:27 am UTC (link)

Everything about this was going entirely wrong. There was a reason Maggie believed so strongly in the truth. To avoid it or to bend or twist those words that needed to be spoken never turned out with any result other than pain for someone... for everyone. And this was exactly that sort of situation and it was written all over Maggie's face. She'd just wanted to speak with Daren in person... to have this very conversation with him not over some impersonal medium such as the phone or an email. Maggie just didn't do that. She'd wanted to speak to him first... perhaps that had been the mistake. She'd wanted simply to be able to tell Bastian the truth of the situation but not with any unanswered questions lingering over the conversation.

Good intentions or not they had amounted to nothing more than pain and worry.

Maggie hadn't slept in far too long. An overnight shift, only to come home to the panic of Bastian's disappearance. That had only grown into her worry and guilt over what had happened. It all wore on her and made her feel like she was walking into some pit of doom as she made her way off the elevator and towards Daren's condo. It was nothing quite that dire... but it was not something she was looking forward to. She cared for Daren and the very last thing she wanted to do was hurt him and yet that was exactly what she'd be doing.

She'd barely rung the bell and the door was opening and Daren was being far too kind to her already, just making it all that much harder. She was a bit stiff as he leaned in to brush his lips over her cheek. Maggie lifted a hand, the one that should have gone into his outstretched palm but didn't, and moved it in a waving gesture. "Sophie's fine, as far as I know that is." What Maggie needed to do was sit down. Her feet were killing her from the hours at work followed promptly by hours of pacing her apartment.

"Daren..." Maggie began as she walked on autopilot towards the living room where she could sink into a couch and just get off of her feet. Though it would probably be far easier to say all this standing. "Please, don't be so... sweet." She finally said with a bit of a laugh, though it was just filled with nervous energy as she gave in and did sink into that chair. "I... you think I'd know better how to say this with all this time... but I don't." Maggie looked up and over to where Daren stood. "Bastian's... he's back." She said like it explained everything, and it did.

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the_pretender
2008-04-30 05:02 am UTC (link)

Of course that was what Maggie wanted. Good woman that she was… she wanted to do everything the right way. How very very predictable. Made every little action, or inaction from Daren, that much easier. No accident that he’d been so difficult to find when she’d needed to find him the most. No. He could have made this so much easier on her by being available to her on that very first day after she knew her beloved had returned.

But why on earth would Daren wish to make it easy on the woman that was seeking to break his heart? Certainly everyone could understand his predicament. Certainly everyone could sympathize.

And now all those good intentions had dug her in deep. Poor thing. Daren wished he’d been a fly on the wall when dear old cold hubby found those flowers. No, he’d not addressed them, the better to imply familiarity, and also to perhaps leave room for question. But who would send a child such an expensive bouquet? Not any man that had any business with a child. Either way, no matter what Bastian believed, it wouldn’t be good.

By Maggie’s urgent need for an audience, Daren’s money was on Bastian guessed correct. And that he wasn’t happy.

Tsk. So many troubles in pleasant little lives.

With perfected shock, Daren attempted not to look offended by the brush off. No, he was far too much the gentleman, far too much the consummate professional… always poised, no matter the situation. After all, in his hard line of work, so often also in the public eye, one learned early not to show their disappointment too keenly, or to wear their sorrow on their sleeve.

No, there was no dejection on his face… only worry. Though his brows did knit slightly when she asked him not to be so sweet. He was going to speak but Maggie continued and so he was silent. And then he was in shock.

“Oh.” He sat in the chair nearby rather than the couch just beside her. “I see. Well then,’ he nodded, obviously saddened, but keeping a stiff upper lip, of course. “That… Well, that’s good news then, isn’t it? He looked over at her as he’d been sort of in a daze. “Sophie must be thrilled. As must you.” He rose to his feet again. “Well… we should celebrate.”

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mother_maggie
2008-05-01 05:53 am UTC (link)

In the world Maggie had always assumed was the norm there was nothing so wrong with predictable, nothing so wrong with wanting to do the right thing whenever possible... Aside from the potential for boredom. But Maggie was unfortunately far too unaware of the world that Daren actually operated in consummate actor that he was. Would it even matter if she knew? Did it ever matter that she knew bad things happened? That she knew all too well but still she expected more of herself and those around her.

All Maggie knew here and now was that it had all gone on far too long. Too many people were hurt by this and there was no true way to rectify the situation. A fact that ate at Maggie. Ate at her and showed on her face. It was definitely one of those days she felt everyone of her years and then some.

She could only hope she didn't look it, though she had little doubt that she did. She had at least changed clothes since she got home from work. That was something.

It felt like there was a ton of books in her stomach. A weight that just made the prospect of the conversation all that much more difficult. It of course held little weight when it came to watching Darens face as he smiled and welcomed her in, expressed concern over Sophie... Well in his own way but she couldn't fault him with the differences hed had with Sophie. But in the end none of that mattered. The conversation was long overdue.
Her hands were clasped tightly in front of her as she spoke. She was trying not to notice the painful way his expression changed as she mentioned Bastians name. Maggie sighed, her chin dropping for a moment. All the words in the beginning that explained how divided her heart truly was didn't seem to matter now. At least not to her.

As he spoke Maggie stood up quickly, her features drawn together tightly. "Daren..." She crossed over quickly to where he now stood her hand lifting up to cup his cheek. "Please don't." She began haltingly. It was almost physically painful to hear him trying be so... nonchalant about it all. "I'm sorry Daren. I never meant for this. I do care for you but..." Maggie shook her head and pushed up on her toes to brush a chaste kiss to his cheek. "I'm just sorry and you really are too kind right now."

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the_pretender
2008-05-05 01:15 am UTC (link)

Oh yes, there was always that potential for boredom. Fortunately for him Daren had never been so wrapped up in the nurse he hadn’t many other outlets to ensure he that boredom wouldn’t eat him alive. How it didn’t seem to bother her he’d never get. But then, a lot of humans tended to be that way. Especially the pious ones. But humans didn’t have the market on boredom. Some vampires could start religions based on their tediousness. And don’t even get him started on the elves.

Not that Maggie was really boring. In fact, sometimes she was a tiger. It was all a matter of finding, and tapping into, that passion she usually kept so tightly under wraps.

There was temptation, to turn and take that kiss on the mouth, to remind her of what she was throwing away. But such gestures were the acts of desperate men. Daren was never desperate. Though this week really did suck for him losing women. Fortunately his little girl would never leave him. No, Daren would make sure of that.

“Don’t what?” He took her hand from his cheek, his own perhaps a bit tight on her wrist. “Put on a brave face? What else can I do? You think I’m hurt? I won’t deny it. But I guess we both knew one day it might come to this. I should congratulate you, shouldn’t I? Or at least Sophie.” A low dig for the teen brat that never had wanted him around. “I only hope he doesn’t hurt you again, Maggie, that he doesn’t fall off the face of the earth for another ten years.”

He turned and filled a heavy crystal tumbler with a scotch older than the city they now stood in. He lifted it to his lips. “Scotch?” He offered before taking a drink of his own. In one drink he finished half the glass.

As he spoke Maggie stood up quickly, her features drawn together tightly. "Daren..." She crossed over quickly to where he now stood her hand lifting up to cup his cheek. "Please don't." She began haltingly. It was almost physically painful to hear him trying be so... nonchalant about it all. "I'm sorry Daren. I never meant for this. I do care for you but..." Maggie shook her head and pushed up on her toes to brush a chaste kiss to his cheek. "I'm just sorry and you really are too kind right now."

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mother_maggie
2008-05-06 02:39 am UTC (link)

Other outlets... Maggie was a bit oblivious to that whole concept and probably more the better. The last thing she'd want to have to worry about at this point in her life would be any things that could be passed between individuals looking for 'outlets'. Though, in some perverse way it probably would have lightened the load that was currently weighing on her shoulders to know that he was in fact having needs that she couldn't meet... met elsewhere. She had always felt as though she was shorting Daren in too many ways.

And this was just proof of it. As much as she did care for him, it didn't even require thought to let him go now that Bastian was back. Daren had never deserved a person that could do that to him. Well at least in Maggie's eyes he hadn't.

Maggie's jaw clenched slightly as he removed her hand from his cheek. The gesture alone expressing how he felt about it and it pained Maggie. It likely wasn't quite fair how it easy it was to find Maggie's soft spots. Though if she had any that weren't was perhaps the better question. Her chin dropped for a moment as he spoke. "I'm sorry." She said simply before finally raising her chin. "You don't need to offer any congratulations. Though it is something for Sophie to have her father back. She missed him." As much as Maggie had but that wasn't the most appropriate thing to bring up with the man she was breaking up with.

Maggie's head jerked slightly, as if the words were barbs that wounded her. What did she say in response to that? He wouldn't? Not if she could help it? That he hadn't fallen off the face of the earth that he'd been taken? "As do I, but it was never his fault..." She said as he moved toward the crystal decanter that held what Maggie knew to be Scotch. Though it's age was quite unknown. "Anything stronger?" she asked with half a laugh. Maggie wasn't exactly a big drinker but there were moments in life...

Though she needed to get back soon. Soon was relative though.

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the_pretender
2008-05-11 01:08 am UTC (link)

Always other outlets, in every incarnation Daren had lived. A new city, a new life, a new woman. And always a need for more. He had a certain taste in women after all, a taste built more on practical need then desire... though desire was of course, a part of it. He chose wisely, a woman to play a role they never knew they were playing. A woman like Maggie, beautiful, upstanding, socially exceptable. Desired by men and admired by women. Such a woman seemed a completion of a successful man such as himself. But such women rarely, no never, shared his most secret and depraved urges. There were many who did however, and it was with those he found an outlet.

Lately though, that outlet had come from a completely unexpected source.

Were those seeds of doubt Daren saw in her eyes? Didn't exactly appear to be, though she had every logical reason to doubt. She didn't seem capable, as though she'd follow blindly, and deaf and dumb, even if she witnessed Bastian in a maddened feeding frenzy. Her faith disgusted him. So completely senseless, so utterly human. Though the idea of Bastian and that feeding frenzy did seem especially interesting. It would be priceless if Daren could witness the horror in her eyes. Even better yet when she came crawling back to Daren for protection.

"Yes, but I rather keep you alive and breathing." He smirked, appearing almost jovial. A glass was poured for her as well, and offered over. "Not too fast. It's so smooth it's easy to forget it's strength.

So very like himself, he thought.

He took a rather large swallow then himself, draining the glass and then refilling it. Why not? He had every reason to want to drown himself in it after all. Maggie would likely have the guilt of that on her shoulders as well.

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mother_maggie
2008-05-20 03:14 pm UTC (link)

Maggie wasn't enough of a full to truly think she was meeting his every desire. Could she? No. But she didn't think so for likely the right reasons. Her reasons were perhaps... more pure though as in how could she meet everything for him when she couldn't even give him her whole heart. Clearly they were not on the same page when it came to matters such as that and whatever depraved urges he may have... Maggie was far better off not knowing. Not that prudish Maggie didn't have her moments, she just didn't talk about that.

She was a woman that still had the ability to blush.

Maggie would be the first to say that it wasn't doubt, that it was far from doubt. That it was just fear and concern for the future. How could she not worry for herself, or more importantly worry for Sophie when so many questions were still unanswered and things so uncertain. Daren had never been that open ended question in her life and for that she the weight of what she was doing pulled that much stronger on her. But he was also not Bastian. Not the man she'd loved through thick and thin.

Maggie's eyes fell closed for a moment as his light banter fell across her ears. "Well I suppose it is something that you aren't wishing me dead on the spot for this... this whole situation." Maggie tried to reply with her own sense of levity though it was clearly lacking. Maggie's brow merely arched slightly as she did take her sip that was perhaps too fast, but she liked to think she knew what he kept in his stores and could handle it.

Of course though, she didn't really know the half of it.

Her fingers smoothed over the edge of her glass before she set it back down on the countertop. His second glass had not gone unnoticed but she also knew that he was a strong man and that was likely all she would see of any of this. And maybe that was for the best. Before he could lift the glass again, Maggie placed her hand over his. "I'm sorry it had to be like this Daren. I truly am," She said lifting her eyes up to his. "If there is anything you ever need..." She left it as that, her lips pressing together for a moment before she released his hand. "I-I should go now." She finally finished and quickly turned on her heel to head out of his condo. Back down to her apartment to wait.

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the_pretender
2008-05-22 09:37 pm UTC (link)

Whereas there was so much purity in the woman before him, there was none in the demon she had spent her time with. Had she known anything about him she might well have been forced to rethink every choice she’d ever made in life, and all the people she’d ever known. Ignorance really was bliss, for these poor pitiful humans. Obvious her man had not yet disclosed his true self. She didn’t look near… scared enough. Or bewildered.

Though Daren rather liked her ability to blush. And also to exploit it.

And now she was going. And Daren, the consummate gentleman, would do nothing to inhibit her from doing so. She’d made her choice after all. “Yes. Perhaps you should. But know you’re always welcome back. I know Merryweather will miss you.” He set his own glass down but did not follow, only watched as she moved away.

“Merryweather.” He spoke, without truly raising his voice. And in a moment the servant was there at Maggie’s side, tears welling in her eyes as she hugged the taller woman and bid her best wishes.

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