Home amog Snakes (Leila)

Samuel smiled.
"Certainly Hasani wasn't wrong by selecting you as a Follower. A person so used to being unseen, who had known the darkest and more filthiest side of human kind. You're such a valuable acquisition for our Clan." he said in sincere awe, still changing the subject once more.

"By the way, I have some news that might be of your interest. Hasani is comming back to town, he'll be here tomorrow night I think." said like reading the newspaper.

She grins widely and leans in, her hand under her chin. But she finds her smile a bit joyless as she thinks about Hasani, her lips never quaver or reveal this anxiety.

"It is good that he is returning, I have missed his presence in my existence."

She knew that Samuel expected her to be full of glee regarding this information but she could not help but feel a bit torn. She did not "love" Hasani as she once had it made her feel awkward but she did not wish for Samuel to know of her conflicted feelings about him.

"I am glad to know that you understand me. That makes you a perfect companion. So who will you be? What is our connection? How did you take me to be yours?"

Leila smiled at his compliment though she had to think a bit about how he derived that conclusion. At the very least he understood her and that thrilled her. She didn't want to linger on thinking about Hasani, she had so many other things concerning her.

Leila recognize the glint of understanding in his eyes about her feelings or lack there of for Hasani, but was glad he was kind enough to ignore it for now. Curiously though as he talked she couldn't quite understand why he was constantly changing the subject and why he was avoiding talking about his new "Toreador" self.

"Ah poetry!"

She inclined her head and studied him more before she responded fully.

Spoiler:

Samuel continued.
"Still since I'm not a famous poet as many in the Toreador ranks would know isn't likely to have poetry as my main business, it would more like a hobbie. Also I'm not especially versed in Auxpex as a discipline, even as I know it's rudiments I couldn't be an ancillae and surely not close of being an Elder among them.

What about this? We could be partners instead of Sire and Childe, lovers if you prefer, I could still be a poet, you an activist as since we're both very young vampires we can just enjoy our company while we travel."

Leila nods agreeing to the new relationship.

"I think that having a relationship of lovers would divert prodding into our personal lives from those possibly interested in pursuing either of us. But I do have a question, what is the Auspex discipline?"

Samuel nods.
"Toreador Elders are able to even read our thoughts. We can't lie if they focus their attention on us. That's why we need to keep our selves below the radar, to pass unoticed."

Leila frowned and then chuckled.

"You seem to be avoiding every question I've asked about the Toreador of Dr. Samuel Garrison. Is there a specific reason why my love? Are you perhaps trying to educate me on on being elusive?"

She mused and edged her finger along the bottom line of his jacket.

She grimaced lightly. Samuel had always been a great teacher for her and this was proving just as difficult as his many other lessons.

"Yes I recall the information you have given me and it has all be very general. Unless..."

She looked at him and really tried to read between the lines.

"Unless you are telling me that you wish to take on the identity of Hasani..."

Her expression wa wrought with confusion but perhaps she finally did get his meaning. And if it were true the real Hasani was not coming back just yet, which was beginning to sadden her oddly.

Samuel smiled and said.
"Sweartheart, how many times before have I called you sweetheart? or behave like this?"

"Ah well never, and though you can try to emulate him you have much to work on. Firstly, he called me his desert flower and although you are a lovely specimen of a man, Hasani was sexy and powerful while being suave and gentle."

She leaned her head over the sofa back and considered a few memories of Hasani. Recalling times he'd absolutely taken her breath away with just a look.

"How much do you know about him?"

She asked after several seconds of contemplation. Then she realized she could absolutely ask herself the same thing and no sooner have an answer.

Samuel contemplated in silence Leilas feelings for Hasani, he was absorbed within his inner self just admiring what seemed to be an espectacle. The expression in his face was an unliving poem of admiration.

Just silence.

Leila looked upon him with questions he couldn't answer. Question about love and her own life. Her value now and then. Emotions were beginning to sprout in her mind that if left unchecked could be devastating for her. But she couldn't express them here. Not with the threat of Pillar or her clans insistence on being bare of emotions. Her eyes flickered to Sam showing her desperation.

"Sam. Can we possibly practice somewhere else?"

Leila wanted to be put off by his display she truly couldn't be. This was supposed to be an exercise in expressing emotions. Even if these emotions were real and stung her deeply she needed to act like it was an act.

She shook her head and let the weight of her "grief" overtake her.

"We only had a year together, he was the love of my life I was sure of it. I lost him the day I was embraced, they took him from me and drained us together. He didn't survive it. You can't imagine the sorrow of awakening to this new existence and your lover lain dead before you. The image is forever burned in my mind, he was so pale and listless. My God!"

She put her hand over her heart and just let the grief of losing him spill from her body, her lids lowered, her lips curled downward she was lost in it.

Samuel kept silence again, this time he considered Leila's words in a different fashion, and finally spoke.
"You're lying" with outstanding self-assurance in his voice.

Samuel's body language, attitude and tone of voice made obvious that he was certain, not an approximation, not a hunch but totally sure about an objective fact.

Leila slumped a little lower her back curving around ever so slightly. She had more luck going off of emotions she really knew. She grimaced and looked sorrowfully at Sam. She knew he was upset knew she had failed that one. Know she needed to figure out if she should fix it or admit her failure. What would she have done if she did this in front of an actual Toreador? Well she had to salvage this. She didn't look nervous but more like she was faced again with an awful truth that she'd tried to hide from. She shook her head and looked like she'd resigned herself to reveal the truth. Her voice had soften with the dread of thoughts about Hasani and how her one and only love had vanished without even a good bye or a see you soon. Just gone, torn from her fingers. She let her body ride that emotion.

"Yes, you are right, I am lying. No, he wasn't dead when I awoke. Just gone... slipped from my fingertips. I haven't seen him since... Knowing that he's possibly out there and not with me or trying to be with me is harder to cope with than the thought of him being dead. So I've just allowed myself to believe this lie so I don't feel the pain."

Leila smiled softly but didn't drop the act. It was like someone was congratulating her for being able to breath air. It was something she would have had to do according to this persona and to the truth.

"I don't know my darling."

She wanted to chuckle but she just kept her small grin. Eventually her brow raised and she looked to Sam with concern.

"You're not going to be using that fake girly voice as my lover are you?!"