Beauty in the Darkness

Mr Badger

The two sat in the dark corner of the Cafe. They watched the mortals around them chat and laugh at one anothers jokes. Smoke drifted across the room but this bothered neither of the two silent partners. They talked quietly amongst themselves but the sound of laughter was absent. After a while they turned and stared at the crowd again.

Across the room stood a figure hidden in the shadows. He ignored the life around him and watched the two in the corner. He sneered as they sat in silence, wrapped in the misery they generated. His senses adjusted and he could see them only as a blaze of light. Their auras were joined and both emmitted the grey and sliver of the unhappy. Mr Badger snorted and strode across the room toward Handel and Parr.

Handel sat up in a start as the shadow loomed above him.

"Shit Badger, you nearly gave me a heart attack," Began Handel, the joke fell flat and the silence began again.

"Get up you two we're going for a walk," commanded Mr Badger.

"Get a drink and join us for a while. There's no hurry, I mean who's going to be waiting for us?" Sighed Handel.

"That's it. Out the door or through it Handel, your choice," whispered the Badger.

Parr looked at the two and ended the fight before it began. She got up, put her arm through both Handel's and the Badger's.

"OK, where're we going anyhow?" She asked.

"You two need to see something before I drown in the angst," replied Mr Badger.

With that the three left the room and wondered the streets. Soon they came to a dark alley, where inside could be heard the sound of a struggle. Soon there was a strangled cry, a scream and the sound of footsteps running in the opposite direction.

"Inside, and you'd better cloak us Handel," commanded Mr Badger.

Down the alley sat a broken body. The man was covered in his own blood and his limbs were at odd angles to the rest of his body.

"That's horrible Badger, why'd you bring us here?" Sobbed Parr as she hid her face in Handel's shoulder.

"Look into his mind before his soul leaves. He's still alive but not for long." Said Mr Badger.

The three looked as the thoughts from the man grew dimmer. Before the waves of oblivion claimed the mortal his last thoughts were of his family and of how he knew he had gained them the time to escape. His last thoughts were of happiness and joy. Then the mind went out for the last time.

"See, we in the Sabbat pride ourselves on our strength. We honour the strong in mind and body, the weak are destroyed. The man before us was mortal. He had no powers and could hardly ignore a wound with but a thought and some stolen blood. He knew there was no escape from this alley and yet he stayed. He delayed the attackers long enough for his family to get away. They would be too late to get help yet rather then regret his last thoughts were of them. You two have been gifted with more then that. We could shrug off such wounds and laugh in the faces of our accusers. Why do you wish for more when this mortal makes a mockery of you with his strength? He gave his life for others just as weak as himself and yet you two refuse to live your own lives? What will it take to show you how much more we can be if you just get over your own death? Come there is more." Spoke the Badger.

They left the cooling body and journeyed on to a graveyard on the outskirts of the city. They stood amongst the graves in the moonlight and waited.

"Living the cliche eh Badger?" Asked Handel bitterly.

"Wait then you'll see," replied Mr Badger.

Time passed and soon the cold reached even the limbs of the undead. They shivered as the dew collected on the ground. Eventually, when the moon was at its peak and the Yard bathed in the sliver light and door of a mausoleum opened and out came a hideous hag dressed in what once might have been a ballgown. She limped out of the stone monument and from out of the rags took crafted flower sculptures. One by one she place a creation on each grave. When all were covered she limped back to her Haven and sealed the door again, ready to start the creation process a new for the next night. The three looked at the flowers in the moonlight and were struck slient, not by the misery of before but the wonder of a new discovery.

"They're beautiful," cried Parr as she held one in her hands.

"She does this every night. She doesn't know who these people were or even cares but still she honours them with a piece of her love. Sometimes I come and leave some flowers on the step of her Haven. As a mortal she took so much from the world she now spends her time giving what she can back." Began Mr Badger, as he stared at the two Malkavians before him. "We live only in the night and you seem to think all that is beauty is lost. Look around you and tell me this is nothing worth your notice. Tell me that you'd rather be sound asleep in bed rather then share in this. There is so much to see and do yet you two mourn what is not, forgetting what can be if you but try. Wake up and smell the coffee," said the Badger.

They left the graveyard and ventured back into the city. Soon they came to a popular nightspot surrounded by the young and beautiful.

"This place is run by a rich fuck Torry but he'll hardly notice us amongst all this. Come inside," said the Badger in black.

They entered past the crowd and past the Bouncers at the door. The crowd didn't notice the urge to open a path and the Bouncers had been conditioned not to notice such things. Inside the music was loud and continuous. The heady sent of Alcohol made Handel's mouth run but the shuddering arm of the Lady Parr held him close. People were every where and there was little room to move. The crowd parted for the Obfuscated Three and soon they were in the bathrooms.

"In here," pointed Mr Badger at the Ladies Bathroom.

Parr blushed and was rapidly joined by Handel.

"Through the door or the wall people," menaced Mr Badger, rapidly losing his patience.

Inside the room was filled with women, some young, many not. All were readjusting clothing and make up. Mr Badger led them to a rear stall from which came silence. From under the door came a sticky puddle of red. Mr Badger ripped the door off the wall and dropped it on the floor. Women screamed at this and the sight inside. The cubicle was filled with blood from the wrists of a young want-to-be Gothchic. She was dressed in the standard lace and velvet and couldn't have been over 16 years old.

"She wanted to live our lives. She wanted to be one of us so bad she died rather then not be. All you curse yourselves for each evening and cry at the injustice of was all that she wanted and couldn't have," explained Mr Badger.

"No! It's you who don't understand Badger! You may like to live this way but we don't. We prey upon innocence and all we love dies while we stand alone. I've had more before HE came for me......but....but.." stammered Handel.

Mr Badger looked inward at Handel again and could see a bar across his aura. Something was denying him the memory. Handel's aura pulsed as the geis struggled against the emotion Handel was feeling. The memories were close but still blocked. "Let's see how far this can be pushed," thought Mr Badger. Badger focused his dementate and drove a lance of fury into the open wound that was Handel's mind. All that was Handel was shattered as the block crumbled under the weight of attack, above and below. Handel sank to his knees and sobbed at the pain as his world was destroyed from without. Soon the remains of Handel's mind reformed and took on the same stucture of before. The block renewed itself but this time imperfectly. Once broken it could never be as strong. "Close enough," chuckled Mr Badger.

Parr looked on nervously, she struck at Badger with her fists.

"How could you do that to him!" She screamed as she drew blood. "I thought you two were friends!"

"Stay your hand Lady Parr," said Handel as he regained his feet, "I think this time he may actually have helped me."

Parr stood confused as the groggy Handel rested against a sink.

"Anything more or can we go?" She asked.

"One more thing and then I'll leave you with your misery," replied Mr Badger.

The last stop was a roof top not far. It had a clear view of the ocean and light could be seen gathering on the horizon. The three grew sleepy as the dawn gathered its forces to banish the night.

"Don't you think we'd better be leaving soon Badger?" Asked Handel nervously.

"Wait." Was all that was replied.

The three shielded themselves in the shadows as the dawn began. Yawns started and soon stopped only for an instant before beginning again. Parr leaned sleepily on Handel as the first rays marched across the horizon and hit their roof top. The sun glowed red as it struck the clouds and before them sat the sun, moon and stars all at once. Parr cried out as the light struck her and Mr Badger leapt in front of her. As she slid into sleep her mouth formed the words "....so beautiful..." and then she was silent.

Between clenched teeth Mr Badger ushered Handel down stairs. "You two will be safe here for the day," said he.

As the two Malkavians slept Mr Badger stood over them.

"See, not everything is lost if you have the will to try for them anew. Unlife doesn't have to be painful. Forget about the then and there's and worry for the now's. With that the burnt and wondered Badger crept into his own hole to sleep the day away.

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