InsaneJournal

Tweak says, ""I have many skills.""

Helena Kelly {mina harker} (old_fashioned) wrote in bellumlogs,
@ 2010-01-11 14:11:00

Entry tags:

dracula, mina harker, red riding hood

WHO: Helena and Boyd; EDIT: now with more Vlad!
WHAT: Run in! Awkwardness! Thinly veiled jealousy! The good stuff.
WHERE: P3
WHEN: Sometime after this, early evening
WARNINGS: ~~None, per usual.~~ EDIT: Who knows. Vlad's pretty mad.

Insanely curious, that’s what Helena was. She wasn’t sure what had been going on lately but the usual anonymous rumor mill wasn’t doing anything to squash her curiosity. But she knew Vlad was involved somehow, that much was blatantly obvious, and she made note to ask him about it when she saw him next.

The opportunity came sooner than she thought. Peter was busy, again, but she didn’t mind the last minute change to their dinner plans. This was a perfect opportunity to pay Vlad a visit. Her last had emboldened her, so much that she didn’t even think twice about going upstairs. Nor did she consider messaging or calling to see if he was busy. If he wasn’t there, he wasn’t there. But this would be a surprise. A pleasant one, she hoped.

As soon as she came to the door she knocked twice and smoothed down the folds of her clothes. And even though hardly any time had passed at all, she knocked again. She was eager. It couldn’t be helped.

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ex_sanguine300
2010-01-12 01:18 am UTC (link)

Boyd slid onto the couch gracefully, folding her long legs beneath her. "Oh, no. Me and Vlad, we ain't kin. Hardly." She looked at Helena curiously. The woman was pretty, in an elegant way, but she was fairly certain Vlad didn't have any romantic attachments. "Do you work for him? I know he ain't been 'round much the past few days. I been keeping him busy," she said apologetically, because that was the logical conclusion, discounting the rest. But she couldn't ignore the lack of warmth in the greeting, and she leaned on the arm of the couch. "Or is it something more than that? It's alright, honey, you can tell me. Our arrangement, it ain't affected by something like that. Don't you worry." She added, smiling and trying to coax words from her. "He's a real handsome man, ain't he?"

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old_fashioned
2010-01-12 01:53 am UTC (link)

Hardly kin? Keeping him busy? Arrangement? Helena should've been laughing about how ridiculous this all sounded but instead her lips just tightened into a thin line. The word 'handsome' did soften her features for a moment but it was more bittersweet than anything else. "He certainly is. Many seem to think so, if discussions in the recent anonymous post are any indication." She hadn't forgotten about the many prying comments about his sex life and that just pulled a sigh from her. She really had no leg to stand on. She had been curious as well.

"I do work for him, in a way," she admitted. She rifled through the stacks of paper on the work table, Peter's half of course, acting like she was really looking for something. "Which means whatever you two have been up to is hardly my business. Truly." Another tight smile. "You don't have to explain anything to me."

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ex_sanguine300
2010-01-12 03:42 am UTC (link)

Boyd's gaze caught, fuzzy sharp as she looked at Helena. "You're real calm 'bout wanting me to think our business ain't yours," she said, having caught the softening of Helena's features. "I don't love your man," she finally said. It was a long-shot, since she had no concrete proof to back up the suspicion other than Helena's words and the softening look and the nervous rifling. "But he's a real good catch, if I do say so myself. And real pretty."

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old_fashioned
2010-01-12 04:19 am UTC (link)

She stiffened and her hands slowed but she didn't look up from her search. "He's not my man," she said quietly, trying to curb the hint of disappointment that crept into her voice. "He's an extremely good catch. He's handsome, yes. But much more. So much more than that." More even tones, more rifling through. "And he's single. And the penthouse can be quiet sometimes. Perhaps lonely. If he wants to have guests over to keep him company that's his business." Saying the words allowed was supposed to help her to believe them, but she was having trouble on keeping her voice even. "And you're quite pretty yourself. It's hardly a wonder that he's..." More words that refused to come out so finally she just shook her head, took a deep breath, and pulled her polite smile back into place. "He's a wonderful catch."

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ex_sanguine300
2010-01-12 04:25 am UTC (link)

Boyd leaned forward, elbows on the arm of the couch, and she listened to Helena. Dear heavens, this woman was in love. Boyd knew that look, knew those words, knew it plain as the day was long. It was written all over Helena's face. Whether Vlad knew, whether Helena even knew, that she couldn't tell. She didn't even know if Helena was single. "You live in Bellum?" she finally asked, adding, "alone?" and leaving it at that for the moment.

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old_fashioned
2010-01-12 05:02 am UTC (link)

Helena knew the question was going to be asked eventually and was thankful for when her smile stayed in place. She briefly entertained the idea of lying, or even just skirting around the truth but what was the point? This girl wasn't competition, because Helena wasn't even in the race. "Yes. My husband and I live on the eleventh floor." There. That was settled. Helena was married and Vlad had a very attractive, very young, very not dressed girl living with him now. There was nothing to discuss.

She turned back to the stack she was going through and found that most of her energy had drained out of her. She quietly re-stacked everything how it once was and pushed them all back into place. "I seem to have been mistaken. I shouldn't have come up at all."

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	ex_sanguine300 2010-01-12 05:06 am UTC (link)
	"You sure? I could go wake him. His bedroom's real close," she said, motioning to the hall that led to it, as if she knew where it was when Helena didn't. The woman was married, but she was also in love with Vlad, and even drug-fuzzy as she was, the gears in Boyd's mind were turning. "You like him? Vlad I mean? You been married real long?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

old_fashioned
2010-01-12 05:33 am UTC (link)

"No, I really shouldn't. It's early yet and I haven't known him to be much of a sleeper. He probably needs all his rest." Helena couldn't help but try to throw familiarity around as well but even she didn't know where Vlad's bedroom was. Yet one more thing Boyd had over her. Yet another reason why Helena should just go. Her feet were already guiding her back to the door but she slowed long enough for Boyd to walk her out. Since she was practically a lady of the house and all now. "A year, almost. Next week in fact. And what's not to like? About Vlad, I mean. He's very nice. Wonderful, really. But I'm sure you already know that."

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ex_sanguine300
2010-01-12 05:39 am UTC (link)

Boyd smiled as she walked Helena to the door. "He is real sweet. One of the nicest men I ever did meet, and he's real handsome, and he sure knows how to treat a lady," she said, trying to turn Helena's eye more toward Vlad, and not realizing she was probably having the opposite effect. She opened the door, and she leaned against it again. "I'll tell him you came by, when he wakes up. I'm sure he'll be real pleased." She paused, added impulsively. "Ya know, it ain't a crime to be interested in someone you ain't married to."

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old_fashioned
2010-01-12 06:08 am UTC (link)

Her praise of him only made Helena's stomach turn to knots, seeing this more as proof that something was going on between Vlad and his new guest. And when she offered to tell her she came, Helena shook her head. "That won't be necessary. Really. It should be as if I was never here at all." She lingered in the doorway for a moment and shook her head. "Crime is hardly the word I would use, but... well, it doesn't matter what I think. Besides, he has you now." She gave her a small smile, warmer than the one when they first met, somewhat. "It's lovely to have met you Boyd. Take care of him?"

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ex_sanguine300
2010-01-12 06:12 am UTC (link)

Boyd smiled. "He's talking care of me, honey," she said sweetly. "I'm gonna tell him you came by anyway, Helena," was her determined reply. "And I'll tell him how pretty I thought you were too." And that you're in love with him, she added in the back of her mind. "We're gonna have a dinner here next week," she said impulsively. "Can I talk you into coming? You can bring your husband. I'd love to meet him."

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old_fashioned
2010-01-12 06:31 am UTC (link)

"Oh no, I wouldn't dream of imposing." Helena couldn't imagine a more awkward evening. A dinner with Vlad and his young guest? There were many things she'd rather do. "But I'm sure you'll meet Pete sometime. Since you're living here now." The penthouse was big, but it wasn't that large. She gave Boyd a little wave and added, "I'll see you around," before heading out the door.

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	ex_sanguine300 2010-01-12 06:34 am UTC (link)
	Boyd frowned as she closed the door, and she made a determined little sound as she turned for the bedroom area of the penthouse. Time to find Vlad. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

nobleblood
2010-01-12 06:50 am UTC (link)

Vlad hadn't intended on sleeping - he needed to lay down the rules of staying in his apartment for Boyd, but after at least three days without sleep, he was surprised he managed to stay standing. He'd also intended to shower, but once his head hit the pillow there was nothing he could do to fight off the quickly approaching darkness. His sleep was dreamless; at least, he couldn't remember his dreams if he did indeed have any. At one point he thought he heard voices, but they sounded so far away and the effort of getting up was something he couldn't be convinced to do.

When he finally did awaken he was momentarily disoriented, seized in a brief moment of panic before everything flooded back to him. Daniel, Boyd, Shane - the trip to the pharmacy, the schedule that Jude had thought up. He felt rested but still bleary, and it took him a few moments to realize Cain and Abel were sprawled out on the bed with him, still fast asleep.

Boyd. He'd left her alone out there, and God knew if he had remembered to lock everything he was supposed to. He pushed himself off the bed and shuffled towards the door, barely remembering to grab his shirt off the back of a chair and pull it on.

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	ex_sanguine300 2010-01-12 07:01 am UTC (link)
	She didn't knock. She pulled open his bedroom door as he was slipping on the shirt, and she whistled all slow and impressed when she looked around the room. She'd seen the dogs from far off, but she hadn't actually met them, and she moved past Vlad - unconcerned for her attire - and she climbed onto the large bed. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

nobleblood
2010-01-12 07:06 am UTC (link)

He blinked, processing events slowly, still half-lost in his sleepy haze. Vlad honestly thought that he was still sleeping and this was some kind of a dream, or even a hallucination. The door was locked, wasn't it? Hadn't he locked it before he fell asleep?

"... Boyd?" He turned towards the bed, his mind struggling to catch up. "What--" A pause as his eyes adjusted to the shadows of the room and he caught sight of her attire. "What are you wearing?"

The fact that the dogs didn't seem to mind the addition to their master's bed wasn't helping matters, either.

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ex_sanguine300
2010-01-12 07:11 am UTC (link)

She scratched the dogs' ears, and she looked over her shoulder at Vlad. "Clothes," she answered, as if Vlad was very silly for asking that question. "Who's Helena?" she asked then, casually, looking back at the dogs as she pet them. They seemed to like her, and she laughed when one of them nuzzled her cheek with his cold nose. Canines were fond of her; they always had been.

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	nobleblood 2010-01-12 06:10 pm UTC (link)
	"Clothes," he repeated, shaking his head. The last remnants of sleep were disappearing, returning him back to his usual level of alertness. "Thank you, Boyd; I am well aware of the fact that you are wearing clothes. What I meant was--" He stopped again, his gaze sharpening. "How do you know Helena?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	ex_sanguine300 2010-01-12 06:20 pm UTC (link)
	She sat against the headboard of his bed, smiling as the dogs settled beside her, one of their heads on her lap. "She came calling. She's real pretty, don't you think?" she asked, looking at him with a gaze that was all pure and innocent. "I think she's real pretty." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	nobleblood 2010-01-12 06:28 pm UTC (link)
	"She what?" Vlad took a step forward, caught himself, and inhaled deeply. He needed to stay calm, however difficult it might be. "Helena came here?" Dismay washed over him as he realized what Boyd's shirt said, and he could only imagine what Helena had thought when the door had been opened. "You spoke to her?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ex_sanguine300
2010-01-12 06:56 pm UTC (link)

She caught the step forward, and she thought that was a very, very, very good sign.

"'Course I spoke to her. She came on in and was looking through some of the papers at that working area you got, and we visited a spell. Said she sort of worked for you. I told her she should come have dinner with us," she said with a smile that was nothing but trouble. "You never said if you thought she was pretty."

She snuggled down into the bed, climbed under the covers and grinned at him. "Well?"

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nobleblood
2010-01-12 07:08 pm UTC (link)

Us. Us. There was no 'us', and why Boyd thought there was in the first place was beyond him. Wasn't he clear enough about their arrangement?

What he thought of Helena was no business of hers, but if he answered her questions then maybe she would be more forthcoming to his. "Yes," he said, rather reluctantly. "Yes, I do. Boyd-- what did you say to her, exactly? Did she ask why you were living with me?"

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	ex_sanguine300 2010-01-12 07:28 pm UTC (link)
	"She didn't ask that," she admitted, pillowing her head on the warm fur of one of the dog's bellies. "She didn't ask much, really. She told me 'bout Pete, who she didn't sound in love with. Is she in love with him? And she looks real elegant, don't she? Kinda like you'd think a queen should be." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

nobleblood
2010-01-12 07:39 pm UTC (link)

The fact that she didn't ask was worse than if she had. Vlad knew why - Helena hadn't asked because she already thought she knew the answer, and didn't want to hear it out loud. She thought he and Boyd were some kind of... item. God only knew what she thought of him now, having a child in his apartment walking around in her underwear.

"Peter... Peter is her husband. He works for me, and I have no idea whether she is in love with him or not. That is hardly the sort of thing she would discuss with anyone, least of all me." He told himself there was no need to panic, that he could explain everything to Helena, and surely she would understand. She had to.

But what if she didn't? What if this was one too many explanations for her?

"A queen," he echoed absently. "Yes - like a queen. Did you tell her why you were here?"

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	ex_sanguine300 2010-01-12 07:53 pm UTC (link)
	She shook her head, and she didn't voice what she was thinking; that jealousy might be a good thing in this case. "Why, do you think I shoulda?" she asked innocently. "I just told her I'd go wake you, 'cause you were sleeping." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)