Surround the Prey

Grigor listened to Nicoli silently, waiting until he completely finished to speak.

"My first point is this," he began, "Closeted, not human friendly--those things do not matter. They can be hidden, smoothed over. I will make apologies if necessary. I want you as a representative to do outreach. I want you to talk about some of those things that you do in your blog, about how gay vampires are hated for stupid reasons. You would be a refreshing case of honesty. You could give the people an honesty that I cannot because of the reputation I have built as a brick wall with no emotions and little passion for much else besides vampire rights. It's time that the Coalition had someone like you--brash, obnoxious, honest--that is willing to say what they have to, what is on their mind. You had no trouble telling me last night. You had no trouble giving me suggestions, though you knew who I was and what power I had. I may have thought you were an idiot at first, but there's no doubt that you thought I was an asshole at first, or at least something similar. First impressions are never what the lasting impression is. My lasting impression of you is much different."

Vincent nodded a bit as Zane moved the painting, having missed that piece, and moved to sit at the spot indicated.

"I'm not that skilled," he denied, blushing a bit at the compliment. "I missed the painting after all. How you moved it truly opened up the room... Um.. I don't know anything in particular, but I don't know many people that really enjoy it.. No one in my class took to it like I did.."
 
The young vampire rose from his seat and started to pace, watching the floor as he moved. He didn't think he could do it. Grigor made it seem so simple. He finally turned to look at Grigor, his light eyes confused and seeking help, though he didn't verbalize it. Instead he crossed his arms and looked down at the ground, letting his dark hair fall over his face for a moment. "You make it very hard to decide, Gri," he said, unconsciously giving the other vampire a nickname, before turning away from him and scratching the side of his head before stretching.

He could help more people this way. He could help those vampires that were afraid of coming out realize that it would be a fight but that they shouldn't have to fear it. "What happens if someone decides that the representative is causing too much trouble by outreaching to gay vampires and 'riling them up'?" he asked, pulling out the threats he had gotten already and tossing them onto the table in front of Grigor. "This is just from my blog. There are a lot of people that don't like us. They would rather see their sons or daughters marry a werewolf than have sex with a gay or lesbian vampire." He leaned on the chair he had been sitting in before, keenly aware that he had said 'us' rather than 'them'. Grigor knew. There wasn't much he could say to refute that. But he was far more used to saying them than 'me' and it felt weird on his tongue.

"Missing something doesn't mean you aren't skilled Vincent," Zane told him with a kind smile as he moved to sit on the opposite side of the couch, giving the human as much space as he could so as not to freak him out. "I was surprised that you came actually. From your reaction last night, I thought I would have to go down to your home and speak to you there. You, I have to say, have been the most interesting human that I've met in a while." Zane somehow managed to curl his legs up around him and relax back in his corner of the couch in such a way that he seemed to be much smaller than he was when he stood. To keep his hands moving he pulled his hair out of the pony-tail it was in and began to braid it, using his fingers as a comb. It didn't make a perfect braid for some strands popped out and the top of his hair was also bad. He didn't plan on going outside with his hair braided so it didn't bother him all that much. As he braided he tilted his head to the side and looked out over the room.

"Thank you, Vincent," he said suddenly, turning to look at the human with dark eyes, "You are the first human to reach out like this--coming to speak with me I mean."
 
Gri, he thought, perplexed as to why the other vampire couldn't simply call him Grigor--it was only one extra syllable after all. His brow furrowed a bit, but he made no comment, choosing instead to simply watch Nicoli as he spoke. His points were very valid. Many people were so displeased with gay vampire community--even some humans who themselves were gay and lesbian. He picked through the messages, reading each threat and comment before he set them aside and looked at the younger.

"There are unique perks to being a representative, Mr. Wei. One is my protection. There are six to ten representatives at any given time and I am there for each of their conferences. I am the one who makes sure that none of them are hurt. I would do the same for you. I know that it is a much more sensitive topic for people, but it needs to happen. I knew that before you suggested, but I was, admittedly, putting it off. Quite a few vampires remain closeted and so I did not feel the need to take immediate action. In light of finding your blog, however, I find the hatred strong and it is quite apparent that something must be done."

"Ah... Well.. I wasn't quite.. Um.. I just thought that..since you're new and all... And you're not..as terrifying as I thought most vampires would be.." Vincent rubbed the back of his neck a bit nervously and tugged at the sleeves of his t-shirt. "Everyone needs someone to be neighborly, is what I mean, vampire or not.."
 
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(The other person has decided that she wants to try taking over the boarding school roleplay. If you want though, I'd be more than happy to start one with you [: ))

Nicoli looked at the chair beneath his hands and swallowed the fear back that was rising in him. If he did this, anyone could find out who was writing the blog. He'd never get any peace. But at the same time, he dealt with these issues online, why couldn't he deal with them at conferences or whatever way he was supposed to as a representative? Getting to know Grigor was also a perk--but in a different way. Nicoli--as much as he hated to admit it--had always looked up to Grigor Romanov, sexy leader of the Coalition. Even though he had thought that Grigor was straight at the time, Nicoli had always felt that if he were ever to take a leader position he'd want to be like Grigor--straight and to the point about the injustices to his kind.

"My blog is only one," Nicoli said, raising a hand and running it through his hair lightly, ruffling the black waves. Was he ready to come out of the closet himself? It would be hypocritical to preach coming out and standing together while he remained closeted. "But if I can help the masses realize just how idiotic it is to segregate vampires based on sexuality, then I'm in. I'm not sure how well I'll do Grigor, but I'll try my best." He looked up and gave a fools grin. "I won't have to shut down my blog will I? I know your Coalition doesn't like people saying that the masses are stupid idiots that need to learn how to think logically or natural selection'll kill 'em all, and I have admit that I've said that once or twice in there. Despite those threats," he motioned to the printed pages, "I get far more that are thankful for my help. If I got a penny for each I'd be rich enough to live for a century without working. I don't want to give that up."

Zane refused to look at the boy when his hand went to his neck. He may be three hundred years old, but he still had a hard time looking at any human's throat without ideas of attacking them hitting him full forced. And so he just refused to look. "I'm not terrifying hm?" He asked with a chuckle before looking around the room and sighing. In an instant he was hovering over the human, his eyes searching Vincent's. He could smell the soap that the boy used, the uncomfortableness around him. He was no more than an inch away from the human's face. He would probably scare the boy away doing this to prove his next point.

"You call this not being terrifying? Vincent, you are a smart human. You are also kind, I can tell that much. But do not feel forced to come and be neighborly to me. I am a creature of darkness no matter how the public tries to glorify us or tear us to pieces for being hell spawn. I would rather have a friend that wanted to speak with me about interior decoration than felt sorry for me and felt they had to be neighborly," Zane told the human before pushing himself away and going to stand against a wall as far from the human as he could. It had been a mistake getting so close to the boy. he could still smell the blood pumping through the veins of the human and it was making him ache for blood. The best way to keep from doing that was to stay as far away from the human until he calmed down.

"I won't hurt you Vincent. But you must understand that I am not a tame dog either. I can only attempt not to hurt you should you try to get closer to me. I cannot make a guarantee no matter how much I wish I could. We like to say we are civilized Vincent, but deep down I don't think any one of us vampires really are. What civilized creature would drink from another that which makes it live?"
 
The closest thing to smile that Grigor had let cross his lips in a long time, flittered across his face before he settled on a slightly smug smirk.

"You will not regret your decision Mr. Wei. You will be helping a whole community and the world with your contribution." He held out a hand to shake Nicoli's hand. "You can keep your blog, of course. I can see how it has helped people and I want you to continue it. You will be free to talk about what you wish on it, unlike the press conferences you will be attending once I announce you to my companions. I would not take that freedom of speech from you. However, I will be drawing up a contract, so I would ask if you will accompany to the press conference tomorrow night, at 8:30. There is a small meeting that I can introduce you at and we can make decisions on payment and scheduling and such."

"Well, n--" Vincent began, but his heart rate spiked as Zane hovered over him. His eyes widened and his pupils contracted, and he felt the familiar wave of fear that perpetuated all of his nightmares about vampires. This was what scared him--the thought that vampires being so fast, so dangerous, so able to kill him in a second. He felt... He didn't know he felt. Yes, he was attracted to the vampire (who wouldn't be), but...this was terrifying.

He exhaled without having realized that he had even been holding his breath, as Zane moved away.

"I..." But he couldn't finish his sentence. His heart rate was still high and he couldn't think of any response, he couldn't even register for a moment that it all had happened in such a small time.
 
"Gosh, you make it sound like I'm running for a presidency or some such thing," Nicoli said with a roll of his eyes before he took the offered hand and shook it. "8:30, meeting someplace, conference, right. Should I visit your apartment before then so you can lead me there or will you be giving me directions? And I'm not going to need to say anything tomorrow? At the press conference? I really suck at speeches. I mean, worse than sucking blood the first time sucking. It would make you want to fire me before I even signed a contract." He was starting already to feel nervous. He was making a big move for him. Almost as big as having started the blog in the first place. It was then, as he was shaking Grigor's hand that he once again remembered just what his attire was at that moment.

"I'll... be right back," Nicoli said before disappearing from view. A door slamming open could be heard down a hallway before Nicoli walked back in, this time with a shirt on. "I probably should have put this one way before now, but to tell you the truth I didn't really notice. Sorry for putting you through that. Um, well, is there anything else that you wanted to, um, discuss, sir? Do I have to call you sir now that I'm going to be working for you? Because it sounds odd when talking to you. Sir. It just doesn't seem to suit you."

Zane moved away from the walk and walked into the kitchen, taking the pie tin from the counter and looked at it. He returned and put the pie tin on the coffee table in front of the young man. Unlike when he'd hovered over the man, he moved slower at an almost human pace. The stench of fear was coating the walls of his apartment and it was obvious that he had made his guest even more uncomfortable in his display. Slowly he sat on the floor on the other side of the table, to give the human some space. To keep himself busy as the human decided what he wanted to do, he undid his braid and let it fall around him rather than put it up in a style. He hated his hair being down. It draped around him like a curtain smothering a person from view. Even if it framed his angular face just right, he had never liked it, but he had never had the guts to cut it, just like he didn't have the guts to throw out the good luck shirt his mother had made him. It was a part of his past he wasn't ready to get rid of.

"Vincent I-" Zane said his dark eyes flicking up to him before he lowered his gaze again. "I shouldn't have done that, I am sorry."
 
(I did it again D: I typed up my post and pressed cancel instead of send T.T I'm sorry about that. And I would love to start another with you, if ya want :) )

Nicoli Wei's hand in his set an odd spark through Grigor's body and, as soon as it was polite to, he pulled his hand back. Clearing his throat that had quite suddenly become dry, he answered the younger's question.

"No, you won't be expected to say anything. I will introduce you to my colleagues, to the cameras, and then you will be free to retreat to my office, if you wish. The conference will last an hour at the most and you will only be expected to stay for the first ten to fifteen minutes. I would not dream of letting you give speeches without some coaching. As for how you will arrive, we will be taking a..car..for appearances sake." He grimaced slightly at this, finding that one invention that truly got on his nerves were those automobile things. He preferred an old fashioned carriage to them any day.

"Yes, of course," he intoned as Nicoli left, waiting. When the vampire came back, Grigor tried not loose a slightly disappointed expression. It had been quite a long time since he had seen anyone but himself half-naked and Nicoli was certainly something to look at. Still, he did as expected and made a noncommital noise as a dismissal of his apology.

"Do not worry about it... And please, do not call me 'sir'. Mr. Romanov, if you must strive for politeness, but I let most colleagues call me by my first name. You are welcome to join those ranks as we will be working rather closely until I feel you are able to prepare and such on your own. I will still attend every conference and speech, however. I do that for even my most experienced employees."

When Vincent could regain some of his thought process, he hastily moved to his feet. He had to get out of the place--that was the most he could think of doing. His whole body screamed, panicked and frightened as he was.

"I..have.. I have to go. I have to go." He didn't bother grabbing the pie tin as he ran out, fumbling with the door and darting down the hall. He took the stairs two at time, tripping and falling occasionally, but far too scared to truly care much about the potential bruises and slow down. He didn't stop until he had flung himself into his home, slammed the door shut and darted to his room to hide beneath the covers.
 
Nicoli sat in the chair he had occupied earlier and started to think of what was ahead of him. It seemed like such an impossibly big task to accomplish. Why had he suggested it in the first place? To keep himself occupied while he thought about it he leaned forward and started to pile the threats up again. "I don't know where to start Grigor. I mean with my blog all I have to do is type what I'm thinking. To organize a section to deal with these kinds of things seems important but I can't think of where to start. I could use my blog to recruit people but at the same time I just-- It's going to be nice having you there. I think I'm going to need a lot more help than you might believe," he said with a nervous smile before sighing and taking his laptop out of the cabinet and putting it on the table while he stuffed the sheets of paper away.

The laptop went back into the cabinet on top of the papers once it was more organized. He didn't like admitting helplessness. In fact he hated it and didn't want to do it ever. But he couldn't very well say that he wasn't frightened. After all, he'd never even considered coming out to anyone but the one he was most interested in at the time. "So, what got you looking into the blog Grigor? You can't tell me that you just popped online and deicded to look at some random blog that was about gay rights out of the blue. Even with my suggestion, you must have had a reason to pick my blog."

Zane waited until he couldn't hear to noisy clatter of steps going down stairs before he rose from the position on the floor. He'd screwed up. Badly. Moving through his apartment he collected the things he would be using that evening. Closing his eyes, he pulled his hair down to the base of his neck and tied it there. Then he moved from the apartment and locked the door behind him. Silently he went down the stairs and put the tin and a note in front of the door. He knocked on the door to alert the human that someone was there before walking off. He had to go see a chinese man about a cleaning solution.
 
"You do not have to know where to start, Mr. Wei. It is what I am here for, to guide you along when you need my help," here, Grigor gave a reassuring look, but no true smile tugged at his lips. "We will begin with how press conferences work, what type of questions that wi, mold l be asked. Reporters are notoriously predictable, so it will be no problem giving you a sheet ahead of time with a list of questions that will come up. We will go through how to write and deliver speeches, how to present things like power points and short videos in a manner that is not overbearing.. Basically, I will give you political training and you, Mr. Wei, will simply take it and run with it, mold it until it suits your style. Your first ten, maybe even fifteen conferences, depending on how often we do them, will be awkward and uncomfortable, but I will be there every step of the way. You will be successful, Mr. Wei. I can see it and I've been told that I'm rather good at predictions when it comes to people."


Grigor paused and shifted in his seat to relax a bit more, having delivered the sentences with such confidence and reassurance that it was almost mind-boggling. He knew that Nicoli probably needed that though, someone to be strong and confident until he himself was the same in the subject.

"As for that question.. I clicked a few, but yours seemed the most genuine. It caught my eye and I could see clearly who the person that wrote those words would be like. I could picture in my head a snapshot of his personality. Your blog was well-written and well-formed, if a little rough around the edges."
 
"A picture in your head Grigor? I'm pretty sure that person was not me. After all, the person you meet when I'm out and about is different than that that I put forth on my blog," Nicoli said, eying the other man carefully. For some reason he had the strangest feeling that this wasn't the only reason that Grigor had wanted to talk with him. Instead he turned away and looked away towards the kitchen, frowning. He moved away from the table, chairs and couch, pacing slowly.

"From the way you are talking, I'll pretty much be spending the next few weeks with you for the most part. You might want to hire someone else though Grigor. I'm a horrible student. You'd probably want to get someone that has a patience the size of the world. My brother is always telling me that I could do with a little bit more studiousness. I'm more of a person that gets told how to do things and turns around and asks why. Very hard to work with me I've been told. I'd rather not get on your nerves. Who knows I might end up thrown in the sun or some such thing," Nicoli warned. While Grigor's speech had definitely improved his attitude about the thing, Nicoli didn't want to disappoint the man whom he had admired.
 
"Perhaps not in appearance, no, but if you had been stupid, I would not have wasted my breath speaking to you," Grigor said, very frank about it. He honestly would not have bothered should Nicoli had been a complete idiot, no matter how intelligent the blog was.

"First, I will not throw you into the sun. Second, you will learn, horrible student or not. You will find that I am not willing to let you fail because I have hand-picked you.. However, if you truly feel after one month that you cannot continue, I will allow you to resign. But please allow at least a month to make your decision. I have quite a bit I can teach you."
 
"I think I can go for a month. It isn't like I have much of a life here to begin with. maybe doing this'll help take up some time of mine. Otherwise it'd be covered with my brother looking over my shoulder all the time because I'm doing things he doesn't like," Nicoli said, though he doubted very much that Grigor wouldn't want to throw him out into the sun at some point or another. The only thing he had ever been natural at was sleeping with another person and riding horses. He looked around his half-unpacked room and sighed,

"So should we start these lessons tonight or do you have someplace to be, people meet, a lover, anything?" Nicoli asked, not really expecting any answer. After all, why would Grigor tell him anything about his personal life. They'd only known each other a little over twenty-four hours.
 
"Good," Grigor stood, calmly stretching a bit, his body slightly upset at him for sitting still so long, a bundle of tightly drawn muscles. He had practiced sitting for hours for press conferences, but it became uncomfortable when you did it a few times in a row, even for someone as old as him.


"I have no lover. Much like your brother, I have not taken one in...quite some time. However, I do believe I will let you finish your unpacking first. If you finish tonight, we shall start tonight. If you do not, simply come to apartment when the sun goes down. That will give us some time before the conference to get you acquainted with procedures.Until whichever time, goodbye, Mr. Wei, " he turned a bit towards the door to start moving to it.
 
Nicoli blinked up at him. Grigor Romanov didn't have a lover? Now that surprised him far more than it had surprised him that Grigor was gay. Nicoli rose and followed the other man to the door, blinking several time as he thought about what he had gotten himself into. "Is there a particular reason you haven't taken a lover Grigor?" He asked as he opened the door for the older vampire. He leaned against the wood and looked at the other vampire, pure cuiousity taking control of his face.

From his experience there were a lot of reason as to why a vampire would not take a lover, but for a man that was so old and so well liked among the popular of vampires both those that were gay and weren't, it didn't make since to Nico why he wouldn't take one. There would obviously be many should they know, that would take that position without a second thought.
 
A slight frown graced Grigor's lips a moment as he considered the question, pausing inside the door frame with one hand absently placed on the wall outside of it. Why didn't he have a lover? Yes, he had been jilted and jaded and forgotten, but who hadn't? Perhaps... Yes, perhaps it was the other thing indeed.

"...No one..appreciates my true personality, I suppose. They appreciate everything but my personality, actually--my money, my power, the respect I have garnered in this world because of my hard work.. But my personality is always found lacking, and I always found their empty confessions lacking as well."
 
Nicoli looked at the man and frowned, "I see nothing wrong with your personality. You are hardworking, dedicated. You may keep the fact that you are gay quiet, but you feel strongly about it. You wouldn't have come down here if you didn't. You wouldn't have looked it up on the internet if you hadn't. You don't let others in as quickly as most, but that's never a problem--sometimes it's even better that way," Nicoli told the other man.

"If a man, or women in the case of straight or lesbian vampires, doesn't appreciate their partner for who they really are, then they are either idiots, or they simply are narcissists with a bad god complex. But for someone to hide who they truly are from someone they are interested in because they are afraid of hurt and pain, then that person is no better than asking the other person to like them for their false personality." This was said in an almost philosophical way, as if he were speaking to himself about something and not to another vampire. He blinked back to the present and smiled at Grigor. This wasn't a side he showed most anyone and only let out occasionally when he wrote in his blog.

"Maybe I'll talk about that next on my blog--relationships based off falsehoods or as you put it empty confessions. I'm sure a lot of people feel the way you do," the younger vampire told the other with an incline of his head.
 
Seeing Nicoli speak about something, tell him that he was "hardworking" and "dedicated", talking about relationships like he actually knew the key to happiness. Grigor envied that.

"Perhaps you should. Well, Mr. Wei.. This has been a lovely conversation. I shall see you tomorrow, yes?" He bowed just slightly as a sign of respect, then straightened up and turned to leave.
 
Nicoli looked at the young man and blinked a few times. "If you don't want me to call you sir, then you have to call me Nicoli. Please, Mr. Wei makes me feel like you are talking about my older brother. Tomorrow it is, unless I get all my things unpacked quickly," Nicoli said before bowing in a deeper bow showing more respect.

((Sorry I'm in the middle of club but I thought I should reply none the less. It just... I felt like I needed to reply. ))
 
((It's okay :) Sorry about the short posts though, I'm doing some homework but I didn't just want to leave you hanging 'cause I haven't really been on except for once or twice a day since school has been busier. ))

"Nicoli..." Grigor let the name roll of his tongue, finding himself suprisingly pleased with how it sounded, though he hid a slight smile by turning his head again to look out across the street. "...Well, Nicoli, then. I will see you tomorrow or later tonight. Thank you for enduring my company."
 
"You make it sound like it was annoying to have you over," Nicoli said softly with a smile before shrugging, "Until I see you again, Grigor, may you have a good evening." His turned and left the door open. He wasn't going to shut the guy out. If he wanted to stick around then he could. Rolling his shoulders he turned and walked away into his house. He pulled out his laptop and put on a music station. Once again alone, he took off his shirt and started to clean and work. He ignored the people on his website for the time, focusing on cleaning instead. They would still be there when he got done.

Five hours later, around three a.m., the young man stepped out of his home and found the note. Rolling his eyes he turned around and saw his brother entering his own home looking ultimately defeated. Sticking to the shadows, Nicoli waited until his brother had returned to his room and shut the door before going up the stairs towards Grigor's house. There would maybe be an hour before he would have to leave in order to make it there without worry of the morning sun. OH well, maybe he would have some things he'd want him to gather for the next evening.

Knocking on the door, he looked around, making sure that no one saw him.
 
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