Charlie Burghard (charlieburghard) wrote in tiberiusswann, @ 2010-07-27 09:55:00 |
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Entry tags: | charlie, hope |
Thursday: July/3/08
Who: Charlie and Hope
When: Thursday night
Where: out on the school grounds
What: walking and chatting
Charlie quickly changed clothes and downed a mug of warm blood before grabbing his phone, keys and leash. The leash was rarely if ever attached to Cassius' collar, it was mostly just for emergencies or if Charlie was around someone who didn't like dogs and felt more comfortable with Cass being restrained. It was also a signal to Cassius that it was time for a run, though they'd be moving at a slower speed once they met up with Hope. But en route from the apartment to the south lawn, Charlie and Cassius jogged rapidly.
What exactly did one wear to go on a walk? That was the question that Hope had to ask herself first of all. Her normal attire, nice skirt suit or a dress with a pair of kitten heels, would certainly be ill advised in this situation. Finally she found herself settling on one of the few pairs of jeans she owned and her favorite Journey t-shirt before grabbing her keys, phone, and etc to head out. She was halfway out the door before she remembered that she should probably drink something first. And so she downed a glass of blood before heading out, the taste of it still thick upon her lips as she headed out to the south lawn to meet Charlie.
Charlie was busy playing fetch with Cassius when he smelled Hope approaching. He threw the stick as hard as he could, sending it zipping through the air, giving Cassius absolutely zero chance of catching it before it hit the ground. Poor dog, he was no longer faster than his master. As the boxer ran off to claim his prize, Charlie turned to Hope and offered her a smile. "I'm guessing you don't own a pair of sweats?" he asked, looking at her choice of clothing. Charlie was dressed in red mesh shorts and a white tank top. Unlike Hope and most other vampires, he was not pale, because Charlie simply couldn't stand it. He made weekly visits to a salon to get a spray on tan.
The question caused a slight bit of a flush to cross her cheeks as she shook her head. "None that I would wear in public, at least." She took the last few steps over to where he stood and then noted, "You're tan." That was odd. She'd never actually noticed before, but she hadn't really been paying that much attention. But now she was. She found that her attention to details had only seemed to become more enhanced along with everything else these days. "Where's Cassius?" She could smell the pup, but she couldn't see him.
"It's fake," he said casually, glancing down at his exposed arms and legs. "Born and raised in California... so I really can't stand being pale. If you ever feel the need to look like you're still able to go in the sun, I'll give ya the name of the spray tan chick I visit." Who was extremely good looking and flirted shamelessly with Charlie. "He's fetching a stick. Might take him a few minutes to find it though." Charlie glanced in the direction where he saw Cassius vanish and listened carefully. He could hear the dog rummaging through some bushes, and then Charlie heard soft paws running toward him again. "He's coming."
"Oh," Hope laughed and shook her head. "No thank you. I'm.. well I'm practically English. I lived in England for years before I came here so... I've never really had much of a tan." Her pale skin was nothing unusual. It gave nothing away. She looked essentially the same as she always had though she looked more healthy than she had when she'd left for her "vacation". Maybe people would simply think that the time away had done her some good. She glanced in the direction the dog was heard to be coming from and frowned a little. "I always wanted a dog."
"I look horrible without a tan." Not entirely true. Charlie was good looking no matter what you did to him, and he'd always be as handsome as he was right now. One of the few perks of being a vampire. Though, if he went about saving bleeding angels on a regular basis, that might change. Normal people might not notice the scars on his arms and legs in this dim lighting, but he was sure Hope could see. "Then get one. Hell, get two. Dogs are great. I can't remember a day when I didn't have one." Cassius jogged up to Charlie and dropped the stick at his feet. "We'll play more later, buddy. Walking time." Cassius seemed to understand everything Charlie said, because he immediately headed in the direction they normally took their runs.
Yes, Hope noticed the scars, but for now, she didn't say anything about them. She may later on. It wasn't that she wasn't curious about them, after all. But at the suggestion, she shook her head. "No. That.. A dog was part of another life. I don't really..." No, she wasn't going to get upset right now. "I don't want one anymore." And that was all she said on that subject before she began to walk, taking Charlie and Cassius' lead.
Charlie didn't understand what the big deal was. If Hope wanted a dog, she should get a damn dog. How was something like that upsetting and/or complicated? It wasn't like she didn't have the time or money to be a pet owner. "I could see you with a big dog. Rottweiler or a mastiff."
"I wanted a Great Dane." She had given it some thought. "Blue or maybe Brindle." She smiled a little as she added, "Gentle giants, good with kids." That part made her frown a little and then she laughed. "I could just see me trying to walk one of those though. It'd drag me all over the place."
"Yeah... I can see that. Great danes are classy looking." The part Hope added about kids clued Charlie in to what the real problem was. For Hope, a dog was probably part of a bigger life plan. Husband, kids, nice house, dog. She wanted all that. "You can still have all the things you want. Get the thirst under control first, and then get back on track with the goals you had before."
Hope gave a small laugh and then shook her head. "I... don't want to talk about that." Not that that plan wasn't ruined before she'd ever gone and died. But now, it was so much more complicated not only by what she was but... There was this nagging voice in the back of her head that told her that there were other reasons she'd never have those things, reasons much more complicated than being dead. "Besides, I have.. too much work to do to think about any of that right now." Yes, that was a brush off. Both for his benefit and her own.
Charlie nodded in understanding. "Work. Right. I use that as an excuse a lot too." He'd let Hope off the hook with discussing it, but not without getting that little jab in there first. "So are the cravings getting more manageable?"
Hope quirked a brow and glanced over at him, giving him that look that he would become familiar with should they spend much time around one another. And then she looked forward and frowned a little. "Maybe.. a little?" She caught her lower lip between her teeth. "It's becoming less... general and more... specific." In other words, all she could think about was the way that Godric's blood tasted, and how badly she wanted it again.
"Could you be a little more specific?" Now Hope had lost Charlie. He didn't get what she was dancing around. His cravings had been specific as well. He wanted human blood and lots of it, but Charlie had a feeling that wasn't what Hope was getting at.
Hope sighed, a hand moving up to run fingers through her hair which caused her to nearly trip from trying to do two things at once, but she caught herself. Grace wasn't something that was enhanced, it would seem. "I just... the blood you gave me is great. It's good but..." She groaned. "I had.. the other night..." She was having a hard time finding the words. "My.. sire." Hopefully he would understand it now.
Yes, Charlie understood now. He sighed. Though it was hard for him to focus suddenly on Hope's problems, because he began thinking about how Val's blood tasted. Charlie stopped walking as his mouth watered. Pavlov's fucking dogs. He craved the psychopath's taste so badly. Cassius noticed something wrong and turned around, coming back to Charlie with a whimper as he put a wet nose into Charlie's palm. It was enough to pull Charlie out of his thoughts for a moment. He looked down at the dog before stroking Cass' muzzle. "You can't survive off your sire's blood."
Hope noticed him come to a stop and she was glad for it, taking this time to look off into the distance and try to refocus her thoughts onto something else. But his words struck her and the first thing that came to mind was the first thing that came from her lips, "I know that, but I'm also not sure if I can survive without it." And then she cleared her throat just before she laughed. "Talk about some serious irony..." Not that he would really get it since he didn't know to whom she was referring.
Nothing about what Hope said was funny to Charlie. His gaze remained unfocused, thoughts still lingering on Val. He'd been 'dead' since being turned by her, but now that he was trying to exist in her absence, he finally felt dead... at least a part of him did. "Distance helps... sometimes. It's easier to focus if you can't feel them close by." Though that wasn't the case anymore for Charlie. He'd been okay when Val was many miles away, but now that she was an eternity away, the absence caused anguish. Why was that?
"I can't even imagine..." Hope paused, frowning a little before she finally just settled on this, "I know that what happened had to happen. I know you had your reasons and so I'm not saying this because of.. because of her, but... For you, and solely for you, I'm sorry for your loss." Because she could understand now how significant a loss, a sacrifice, that had been.
Charlie shook his head. "Don't be," he said softly but with a firmness to his voice. He didn't want pity, because Charlie had brought it all upon himself. Everything bad that had happened could be traced back to Charlie being an absolute idiot. His self-indulgent, childish lifestyle, driven by a misguided sense of invincibility that most young men possess, put him on the path of destruction, and now he was paying for it. He should feel fortunate for all the good still in his life, because Charlie really didn't deserve the rewards he'd been given. A bit of pain was the very least he deserved. "I hope for your sake... you can find peace with your sire. You don't have to be friends, but I wouldn't recommend making an enemy."
Little did he know, it was probably too late for that. So she said nothing about it and instead just started to walk again, assuming he would fall into step behind her. She needed the quiet right now, but that didn't mean she didn't also need the company. It was odd how comforting it was just having someone who somewhat understood around.
Charlie took pause before following Hope, and only then did Cassius begin moving as well. He was loyal to Charlie, and he did what Charlie did, unless instructed otherwise. The trio walked in silence for a bit, because no one really had anything to say. Finally, Charlie realized it would be up to him to lighten the mood. "I'm thinking we should send Nox to pick up any students who are arrested tomorrow night for setting off fireworks. It's bound to happen."
"Arrested?" Hope clearly didn't realize what he meant. And then it dawned on her. "The fourth." The realization spread over her face as she shook her head. "Kids. I swear. Especially when most of the ones that get into trouble are the adults." She gave him a pointed look at that. "I haven't talked to Nox in a while." She should. But she didn't want to have the necessary conversation with him about what had happened, what she'd done. He'd lost enough respect for her already, she was sure of it, and this was only bound to make it worse.
"Well, rules were made to be broken. I can't recall a time in my life when I didn't want to do something... simply because someone told me I couldn't." He paused. "Which makes me feel really stupid for posting a note on the journals telling everyone not to set off fireworks. Dumb move," Charlie confessed. He was practically begging the kids to cause trouble! "I talk to him every other day or so. He's alright. Bit stiff, but cool otherwise." Nox and Charlie got along well. Charlie's military experience and Nox's police experience helped them see eye to eye on some things. When it came to work, Charlie was good at following orders (usually), and he's had a lot of respect for Nox as temporary director. The guy seemed honorable and just, and Charlie appreciated that in a leader.
"I guess I've always been quite the opposite." Hope admitted this with a sheepish smile. And then she shrugged her shoulders slightly. "Though I don't think it's always been about following rules, honestly, I've just normally been too concerned with other things to bother." Until recently. She frowned a little at that thought and then laughed. "Right. Thanks a lot. When someone sets something on fire, I'm taking it out of your paycheck." And she gave him a small nudge with her shoulder just to show that she was joking. But on the topic of Nox... "I dread telling him." She laughed a little. "I dread telling everyone really but... it's not like I can really keep this to myself forever."
Charlie laughed at Hope's threat. "I guess it's a good thing I married a rich woman. I gots a sweet suga mama!" he declared. Charlie didn't really take advantage of it though. He lived off his own hard earned pay. But he wasn't one of those stubborn men who felt uncomfortable accepting help from his wealthy wife. When appropriate, Charlie was more than okay with Ava paying for shit, he just didn't want her to ever think he needed that help. It was a perk, nothing more. "Yeah, you're gonna have to spill the beans eventually. I know you're keeping a low profile right now, so it's hard for people to notice, but as soon as you make yourself more visible, it's going to be obvious. Other vampires will know almost immediately, and the lycans will smell you a mile away."
Hope rolled her eyes and laughed. "You know.. that's not a bad idea. I mean, I'm rich. I could just buy myself some companionship." She was joking again, of course, though it was true that she had money. And now that she was going to live for a very long time, that was defnitely a good thing. But she'd have to figure out how to handle the whole identity change issue as well. She couldn't stay Hope O'Shea forever, after all. Maybe Nox would be able to help her with that. "So I can't just.. hide in my apartment forever?" She asked with a small laugh and then sighed. "This is far more... I'm just not used to not having all the little aspects of something nailed down beforehand." And she had definitely jumped the gun when it came to this.
"Absolutely! And in addition to being rich, you're hot and gonna stay that way forever. I'm sure you could buy a few cabana boys to massage your feet... among other things. Granted, the best man... that would be me... is already taken. You'll be forced to settle for less. So very sorry." And the ego was back. Charlie had developed a bit of a split personality. One minute he hated himself, the next he was drooling over his own reflection. Seemed Hope was struggling with being a vampire as well. Was there any vampire that didn't struggle? "It gets easier. Well, overall. You might take a few steps back along the way... but you'll figure it out. As far as telling people is concerned, might be best to take the bandage approach. Do it fast and get it over with. People will gossip like crazy for a week or so, and then they'll move on with their lives."
Hope had to laugh at that. For one, he called her hot, and then for two, there was that ego again. He really was a bit of a trip. "Alas, so sad. But I suppose I shall just have to suffer." She gave a dramatic sigh and then grinned again, shaking her head. But then they were on to a more serious topic and she frowned a little, thinking about it. "You may be right. Maybe I should just.. post an announcement or something, get it over with. Then hopefully, by the time Fall semester starts, everything will have died down." It sounded like a solid plan.
"Now really would be the best time to drop the bomb. Not as many people here, and you could continue to hide out after telling everyone. Besides, if anyone gives you shit, just send them to me. I'll take care of it. I'm the hired muscle... it's my job." He winked at Hope and gave a whistle to Cassius as the dog got a little too far ahead of them. The dog immediately jogged back to his master.
"You've trained him really well." Hope remarked, referring of course to Cassius. She then looked over at Charlie and smiled. "Thank you. You've been.. really amazing and understanding and I appreciate that." And people said that being nice didn't always pay off. But this was proof that it did. Had she been less than understanding during the course of his situation, she wouldn't have his support now. And he was definitely helping her keep it together right now.
Charlie nodded. "He's a good dog. Best I've ever had." Cassius adored Charlie and would do anything to please him, and Charlie in turn took damn good care of his dog. If there was a way to ensure Cassius lived forever and stayed young and healthy, Charlie might consider it. "You're welcome. I know what it's like to not have someone to talk to. When I first arrived at Halcyon... it felt like I was alone in that experience. All the teachers... they'd been vampires so long they'd forgotten the pain and confusion that come with being new. I didn't even know about the supernatural world until I was thrown into it. I missed my family, I was scared of my sire... I was scared of myself," he admitted. "And I didn't feel like anyone was listening to me. I didn't feel like they could relate." Sydni was the closest thing Charlie had found to a sympathetic ear. Her struggles were different, but similar in a lot of ways.
"I'm scared of my sire too." Which was funny because she had never once really been intimidated by Godric, but then again, she had never seen that side of him before. He was... so very different. "Though not as scared of myself, I guess, just because... well I'm an empath. And I'd imagine it would be very difficult for me to feel what someone else felt and still..." Though maybe she was wrong. Maybe she'd turn dark, like Godric had the potential to be, and enjoy it. Already she felt so... different around him than with anyone else, and that potential scared her deeply.
"You should be scared of yourself," Charlie cautioned. "You haven't been tested yet... so you can't understand how hard it is to hold back. Wait until you kiss someone for the first time and nick their tongue with your fangs. The sound of their blood pumping is probably loud enough to drown out their fear, and your animal instincts are probably capable of shutting down any sympathy you might feel." Hope hadn't been a vampire long enough to understand the power of the monster within.
Just talking about that, the whole image that he painted, made her shudder a little. It turned her stomach and made her feel unimagineably cold. She wrapped her arms around herself as they continued to walk, falling into a state of silence one more.
Charlie couldn't provide any comfort in the form of warmth. He was as cold as Hope. But he still put his hand on her back for a moment, trying to tell her silently that he was there and understood her struggle. "I think... we all have the potential to morph into monsters. Being a vampire gives us a push in that direction. But there's a lot to be said for having a good heart and good intentions... and good will-power."
"I think I'm gonna...." Hope looked back over her shoulder and then gestured towards the direction from where they'd came. "But thank you for the... Just thanks." She gave him a small smile and then turned to head toward the school.
Charlie gave a nod and smile, understanding that Hope might want some time alone now. "Anytime." But Cassius wasn't quite so willing to let the woman walk away. He trotted after her, nudging the woman's leg with a whimper.
Hope hadn't expected the dog to come after her, and she had to stop when he nudged her. She smiled, crouching down to scratch behind his ears. "I forgot to tell you bye, huh? I'm sorry." She traced her hand down his spine, giving him a good back scratching.
Charlie jogged over to Hope and Cassius. "Yeah.. he gets upset when you forget about him." When Hope had given Cassius enough attention, Charlie patted the side of his leg for the dog to come over, and Cassius did so without hesitation. "See ya later, Hope. Call me if you need anything."
"Well that's because he knows he deserves it." She smiled as she stood up, staring after Cassius for a moment before she looked up at Charlie. "Yeah, okay. I'll... see ya." She waved at him and then turned, heading unhindered this time back toward the staff housing.
Charlie gave Cass a little whistle as Hope walked away, finally signaling a run. A second later, both boys were off at top speed, trying to out do one another.