Dream a Little Dream of Me - Locked to Cesare (Late September)

[greenevoices]

Imogen's been offered a job, and she thinks she'll take it. Not that she particularly wants to spend her days teaching magical teenagers how to sightread--as someone who's only barely in her twenties herself, she thinks that's far below her--but because the pay is decent and, combined with her weekly performances at the Angelo, it means she might even be able to move out of her aunt and uncle's house. Or at least start paying rent.

Two days after her meeting with Sylvia Redbright, Imogen is back under the spotlight at the Angelo. She's "gifted," whatever that means. Something about her voice is magical. It should be earth-shattering news, but somehow it makes sense as much as anything in a world that is suddenly peopled by witches and vampires in addition to regular humans makes sense. It seems right.

Halfway through her set, another person walks into the lounge. Imogen is too much of a professional to register her surprise, but it's actually the first time that Cesare Borgia, her mysterious employer and benefactor, has come to see her sing. She smiles to herself. Gifted, huh?

Between songs, she whispers something in the ear of the pianist, and he signals to the rest of the band. They're going to change things up a bit.

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[greenevoices]

Imogen starts when she sees him, her hand unconsciously flying to her neck. She nods and accepts the wine, but doesn’t drink it.

“Thank you,” she says softly.

Then, before she can stop herself, she blurts: “Are you going to kill me?”

[longterm]

"Why? Do you think I should?" he asks as he pours himself a glass and drinks it easily. "Do I have reason to?" It's a genuine question, one he would like to know the answer to. He wants to know what's going on here, why she did what she did and if anyone else is involved. The fear that she has right now is helpful. Though he doesn't want to kill her. If he wanted that then he would have done it while she was still in his bed.

[greenevoices]

Does he have reason to?

Imogen frowns at the wine glass. “I...manipulated you. I have this power and I experimented with it on you. I didn’t mean for it to go as far as it did.” The rush of magic had been intoxicating. She’d gotten so caught up in it...

“I’m sorry.”

[longterm]

Cesare pauses for a while, gives himself some time to think it over and let her sweat. Eventually he nods.

"Very well. Are you working with anyone else?" His eyes flicker up from his drink to meet hers, his look still serious. She had better not lie to him. After all, he'll know.

[greenevoices]

Imogen can’t lie. She’s never been able to.

She shakes her head, no. She isn’t working for anyone else. “I was stupid. It was entirely me. Finding out about this world, about being a, uh, metahuman...I got caught up in it.”

[longterm]

Cesare can't help but laughing a little, closing his eyes and pressing his lips together.

"You aren't a metahuman, Imogen. You're fae."

He swallows thickly, still able to taste it in his throat. His body still craves it.

"Fae blood is highly addictive for vampires." Though really that's a bit of an understatement. Suddenly her attack makes so much more sense.

[greenevoices]

“...what?”

Imogen’s eyes go wide. “But that’s not true. I’m human—I’m from Essex. I have parents and little brothers and sisters, a family. I’m human. We’re all human. I can’t be a...fairy. Fae. I would know, wouldn’t I?”

When Cesare mentions fae blood, she looks confused. Was that why he had run from her? “But...I’m not...” She protests, weakly.

[longterm]

"Trust me. I know what fae blood tastes like," Cesare responds with a wry smile. You can never quite forget what it's like, how it feels once it hits your tongue and how it makes your body feel like there's electricity running under your skin.

"You're going to need to be careful around vampires..." Including him, to be fair.

[greenevoices]

Imogen shakes her head, too preoccupied with the bombshell Cesare had just dropped to pay attention to his warning about vampires.

“But I can’t be fae. I’m normal. I’m just...Imogen.”

[longterm]

Unfortunately Cesare doesn't intend to give Imogen any time to sit with her revelation. Instead he's already moving on, talking business with her as he pours himself a second glass of wine.

"Now, being a fae doesn't necessarily mean you have to join the Unseelie or Seelie. After all, you have lived as a human all your life. Why should you switch now? Within Islington, you could be useful. Particularly useful, in fact."

[greenevoices]

“What’s Islington?” Suddenly Cesare is name dropping and none of it makes sense. Seelie and Unseelie...those are terms for types of faeries, aren’t they? Imogen’s head is spinning. She finally takes a large swig of wine to calm her nerves.

[longterm]

"A group of vampires and their supporters. There are factions. And it would be in your best interest to join mine." And his best interest too, but it could be mutually beneficial.

"I can look after you, but if you join the fae....well, they can be capricious at best." Cesare is nothing if not stable. He keeps to his word, painfully so. He's too stubborn not to.

[greenevoices]

"...Why are you doing this?"

Imogen looks down at the wine glass. "You've kept me here for a week. You were interrogating me--and now you want to look after me? Why? To stop me from going to anyone else?

"You tell me that I'm a...a...fae and that I'm not human and suddenly it's okay and you want me to join your vampire club?"

[longterm]

"Would you rather I didn't? Because I can stop..." he asks with a bit of an unimpressed look. Maybe she shouldn't question the good things that come to her, or they'll start getting taken away.

To be totally honest, he would rather keep her around. She's pretty and a fae and maybe there's still a remnant of her powers that are working on him even now. But if she wants to complain, he can very easily end it all. It's no major loss for him...

[greenevoices]

“I’m confused, Cesare.” Imogen’s voice grows stronger. She’s trying to be more assertive, and only partially succeeding. “If you want me to join your vampire club, I will. But I want to know why you want me first. You didn’t want me the other night. What changed?”

[longterm]

Cesare's eye twitches ever so slightly. Whether she intends to or not, he feels as if his sexual prowess is being attacked and he doesn't like it.

"I didn't know you were fae before. I thought you were going to be a decent lay for one night that I would keep comfortable for a few months until we both got bored." Hey, if she wants honest, he'll give it to her. "Had I known you were meth, I would have kept my hands off."

[greenevoices]

Despite herself, Imogen cracks a smile.

“First I’m a decent lay and now I’m meth? Really? Christ, Cesare, you really do how to make a girl feel wanted.”

She sighs. “So if I do joint your vampire club, what then? Do I get turned into a vampire too or does my being meth mean I’m just the fae girl you’ve got on the side?”

She doesn’t want that. She wants to be involved. In the ten minutes since she found out she isn’t human, she’s felt...stronger, somehow. More determined than ever to exploit this for her own gain.

[longterm]

"You will never be a vampire," Cesare clarifies. "It's physically impossible. And as I've explained, I don't want you on the side." As tempting as she is, and boy is she, he has no interest in being a fae blood addict again.

"I want you in Islington because you could be helpful politically, a branch between factions. It's in my interest to show people that I'm amicable with other communities."

[greenevoices]

“‘S too bad, really, because despite being meth I’m a very fun side piece to have,” Imogen replies, smirking. Oh, she’s not going to let him forget that comment. She’s not surprised that she can’t be a vampire. Her life has become one giant sideshow in the last two weeks, so why not? Maybe this shitty urban fantasy novel she’s found herself in has rules after all.

“And why do you care about politics? Are you the head of the vampire club?”

[longterm]

Oh no. What an absolute perfect question for Cesare to answer. The smirk that curls on to his lips looks incredibly smug.

"I'm head of everyone's club. I'm president of the entire Night Council. That means vampires, metahumans and even fae like you. So it helps if I can show I can get along with them." He conveniently misses out the fact that he's been trying to present an image of a polite man of virtue.

[greenevoices]

Imogen gives him a flat look. “So I’d be a prop, is what you’re saying. The posterchild for getting along with vampires.”

[longterm]

Is Imogen really reacting so negatively to the idea of being a prop when she's trying to be a lounge singer who slept with her boss? Cesare thinks if anything this is a promotion.

"Or a representative. A bridge between factions."

[greenevoices]

Imogen sniffs, somewhat mollified. “That’s better. Now...”

She takes a deep breath.

“...what are we going to do about the fact that you shut me up in a room for a week, Mr. President of the Night Council?”

[longterm]

Cesare can't help but laugh. She's trying and she has to respect that but she's definitely not very good at it.

"Careful, Imogen. You're still in here. I would suggest trying to threaten me once you're out instead." Perhaps she doesn't realise quite who she's dealing with.

[greenevoices]

Imogen flushes slightly at Cesare’s comment, but gamely continues on. “You are going to let me out, though, and once I’ve joined—Islington, wasn’t it? Once I’ve joined Islington you will want to keep this under wraps. Won’t you?”