fifty shades of stefan } { don't believe the lights are shining, any place but there [1904]

[somanyadjectives]

[Continued from here.]

Ten years, as promised, and Stefan doesn't forget. Evening of the first night of the World's Fair has him standing on the bridge facing the statue of Saint Louis, hearing the faint sounds of revelry in the distance. There is so much he wants to do and see, but a promise is a promise, and he isn't going to abandon his date for the evening.

Provided, of course, that she remembers and elects to attend, but that's another matter entirely. For however long it takes, he will wait.

The past decade hasn't been a particularly easy one. The absence of his brother is starting to weigh on him, and while he wishes he knew where Damon is or what he is doing, he also knows that Damon promised him an eternity of misery. That is a promise that he knows Damon fully intends to keep, no matter how sorry Stefan is. He can only hope that he can keep being better, top prove to him that he isn't the burden that Damon believes to be saddled with.

Damon left because Stefan couldn't control himself. Clearly allowing Lexi to teach him control and prove that to Damon is the only way to try and bridge that gap between them.

All the same, he stands and waits for Diana, the first thing he's been excited for in almost ten years. If she doesn't arrive on the first night, he'll continue to wait for every night until she does arrive. Hopefully it will be sooner rather than later, though. There is so much of the fair to see.

[Continued here.]

Comments

[somanyadjectives]

Stefan grins a bit as he moves closer to her, looking up around at the rest of it. "Maybe we'll be able to one day. The world is always advancing. Maybe we'll get the chance to see it."

[diana_abel]

She brazenly put her hands on his shoulders, giving him a gleaming grin. "Do you really think so?" It was an interesting thought. "Like da Vinci's flying machines?"

[somanyadjectives]

He nods a bit, his eyes moving up to the ceiling as he watches the birds fly. "Why not? The only thing to limit them is themselves, really." And humanity has never really been one to impose limits on itself.

[diana_abel]

Diana laughed. "Perhaps someday soon there won't be such a thing as limits. Perhaps we'll return to Eden."

Although she would have blushed--if she still could--thinking about the idea of men and women walking around without any clothes on.

Maybe...

She kissed his cheek, then pulled back, looping her arm through his. "I wish I had more than one night."

[somanyadjectives]

He nods as he takes that a sign to continue their stroll through the house. "I do as well. But sometimes things don't always work out in our favor." It would be nice to see her for more than one evening for once. As much as he enjoys these meetings of almost chance a little consistency would be nice.

[diana_abel]

She gave his arm a small squeeze. "I wish I could take you with me," she mused. "But I think California might be a bit far for someone with a family he cares about in Virginia."

For however long that lasted. Which reminded her...

"I've been thinking," she said. "As much as I'm able to think, anyway. And someday, I do want you to come west with me. I suppose you could say I have a business proposition for you." She giggled. "As they say."

[somanyadjectives]

His eyebrows raise a bit as he considers that. "I am suitably intrigued. What kind of business are you looking to get into?" And while he does have family he cares about in Virginia, he does like to travel all the same. Going west might not be such a bad idea, at least for a little while.

[diana_abel]

"It's not something I'm looking to get into," she replied. "More something that I've been into for a very, very long time."

There was a quick, furtive glance around. She heightened her senses, searching for any potential eavesdroppers. But they seemed surprisingly isolated, even in a crowd such as this.

"You remember my sister?" she asked. "The loon from the opera house?"

[somanyadjectives]

He pauses for a moment as he thinks back, before nodding. "Artemis?" Not the other sister who she had to get back to when they were running from hunters way back when.

[diana_abel]

"Artemis."

There was a lot in that one word. Because Artemis was an entity unto herself. Half-warrior, half-goddess.

Full lunatic.

But with such good intentions.

"Yes. My little sister. The one who started spouting off prophecies." In the old-fashioned accent she insisted on keeping. Diana rolled her eyes a little at that thought. "She runs...I guess you could call it an organization. One that I thought might be of interest to you..."

[somanyadjectives]

"An organization?" His eyebrows climb slightly, and there's a hint of curiosity creeping into his tone. "A 'secret' organization?"

[diana_abel]

She laughed. "Is there any other kind, where vampires are concerned? All vampires are in a secret society. I suppose you could say that we're a secret society within a secret society." Like a nesting doll.

[somanyadjectives]

He laughs a bit at that as well. "I suppose we are. It's amazing we manage to do so well with so many secrets." Most people would have probably gone mad by now, all things considered.

[diana_abel]

Going mad was often misjudged. At least, that's what Artemis always said. She thought it was the sanest thing in the world to just give in to madness, on occasion.

Diana was still skeptical about that.

She reached into the neckline of her dress, pulling out a pendant from her bosom. It was a sun and crescent moon of gleaming gold and frosted silver, respectively. She was sure Stefan had seen it before. About ten years ago in a certain forest. But both of their minds had been rather occupied with something a bit more carnal than jewelry. And she hadn't bothered to hide it or explain it.

"It's called the Order of the Silver Crescent."

[somanyadjectives]

And he hadn't asked for an explanation because he thought it was simply a piece of jewelry. A lovely piece of jewelry, but a piece of jewelry nonetheless.

"What do they do?" Which is the more important part of a secret organization, after all.

[diana_abel]

"A great many things," she admitted. "Although, perhaps it would be best for me to explain my part."

Even if she convinced him to join, she couldn't imagine he'd want to stay on the west coast. His life was tied to Virginia, whether he would admit it or not. But that didn't mean there wasn't a role he could play.

In part, her role.

"Did you know that Cainites can have children?"

[somanyadjectives]

That particular question catches him completely off guard. It's not tat he wouldn't have considered it on some level, but the idea that vampires can't procreate has been something of a comfort over the years. To hear that someone undead can have children is unsettling.

"No. I didn't."

[diana_abel]

Her eyes flitted from side to side once again, before settling back on Stefan. It was a rare occasion--especially these days--for Diana to wear a serious face. But this was a cause that mattered.

"They're called dhampir," she said softly. "The poor things. Born of Cainite and mortal parents. Most of them grow up thinking that they're human. But they can learn Cainite abilities and become powerful. All the benefits of being a vampire without any of the side effects."

[somanyadjectives]

That sounds incredibly dangerous. And incredibly lucky. Stefan actually doesn't know quite how to feel with all of it, because of the complications it meant, but on the other hand - all of the benefits with none of the downsides is not a bad thing.

"I take it that things aren't necessarily easy for them." Nothing in this world ever is.

[diana_abel]

"There are some of our kind who think of them as a sign of the Apocalypse," she said softly, making it very clear in the twist of her lip what she thought about that idea. "I think they believe that killing them will delay the inevitable, somehow. Stupid goops."

Sadly, the Sabbat weren't the worst of it. At least they just out and out killed their dhampir victims. What the Children of Eden did? So much worse.

"Others," she said softly, "want to use them. After all, when you have all the benefits of being a vampire without any of the side effects, you know what you're singularly built to do?"

[somanyadjectives]

Stefan can't imagine being singularly built for anything, but he's so completely out of touch with this world that he doesn't know how to even begin to process that information. He pauses for a moment, trying to think what witches would do if they had something with all of the benefits, none of the weaknesses.

"I'm assuming some kind of soldier?"

[diana_abel]

"Yes," she said softly. "The kind that destroys vampires. They're utterly stripped of their own individuality. They believe that they exist only to kill. To open windows and doors and let in the sunlight."

It was normally such a beautiful thought. She could still imagine what the sunlight looked like.

But that happy little sentiment was twisted now. With the thought of how it could happen to her without warning.

[somanyadjectives]

He frowns at that, understanding exactly what she means but not liking any of it. "Children shouldn't be used for things like that." No matter what kind of children they are.

[diana_abel]

She'd known, somehow, that Stefan would see it that way. Which is why she'd broached the subject in the first place.

"That's what the Order of the Silver Crescent does," she told him gently. "We see to it that no children are forced to be used like that. That they know how to use their powers for their own sake. Not for anyone else's."

A twittering over her head caught her attention. She turned to see a sparrow flying away from them. It was a pretty picture. It made her think of some of the dhampir they protected. Sparrows with broken wings. They were taught how to fly.

And most of them left.

"I'm not saying you need to make a decision now. You shouldn't. But...promise me that you'll think about it, all right? About joining us some day?"

[somanyadjectives]

Stefan nods slowly in agreement. He isn't sure what he'll want or when but this definitely sounds like something that could be of interest to him. He nods in turn, letting the information filter over in his head as he does. "I'll consider it. Provided that I can learn more about it."