death is only the beginning - TULIO

[Deleted]

Tulio’s eyes narrowed. He knew the pain Glinda was in, knew better than anyone, but the sympathy he had felt for her had faded. He understood how she felt; they were sharing the same pain, the same love for the same man, and he could have easily offered her guidance to help her through what he had had to deal with centuries ago, but at that moment he would have just as soon torn her throat out.

“Do not speak of what you do not know,” Tulio ground out, glaring harshly at her. “I demanded something of him that he could not give me, and he wasted no time in finding you. I ‘came back’, as you said, not long after, but it was too late.”

It was all part of the process, blame, but she was not the only one hurting right now, and he was not about to sit there and accept any of it from her. He had blamed himself enough over the years for how his own life had turned out.

Unfortunately, Glinda didn’t stop there. Once again she missed the entire point, so wrapped up in herself as she was. His eyes going black, his own teeth extending, he sneered back at her.

“I never claimed you didn’t remember, it was you that accused me of such, of finding it so easy to move on. It was you who dared insinuate that my feelings were less than yours because I was not willing to end my existence for losing him. Personally, I believe it proves them stronger that I am willing to live for him even when I am not with him.”

He knew it was a low blow, but it as what he had always felt, one of the reasons he had loathed Glinda so much. She was far too weak to be what they were. With a final snarl, Tulio leaned back and rose swiftly to his feet.

“Always so naive, dear Glinda,” he chuckled humourlessly. “He would accept either of us willing to swallow our pride and return to him.”

((meh, sorry for slowness and fail, muse isn't cooperating))

[glinda]

Glinda flinched and was silent for a long moment. At a loss for words, she struggled to gather herself. When Tulio pulled away she quickly got to her feet and crossed her arms over her chest, turning away from him with an air of hurt and indigtation, with slight bitterness as well. The low blow had hit its mark and her stone heart felt as though it had starting beating once more just for Tulio to hurt it and shatter it again.

"I am not willing to end myself. It is merely a thought, one I do not intend to carry out anytime soon. An empty threat. Besides, it would be considered foolish. There are three vampires on this station - and I've lost one, I won't lose you as the . . . almost friend?"

She sighed softly.

"I've extended my hand toward you in friendship, Tulio. We've both been hurt, and I'll admit it's hurt you more than it's hurt me, but that's not a reason for us to rip each other's throats out." She said softly, still facing away from him while she collected her thoughts, wrapping them tightly back together so she could indeed focus.

"And I don't know about you, but even I'm not so willing to swallow my pride and return to him."

[Deleted]

Almost friend? Well, that was certainly one way to put it. Personally, Tulio would have went with something much different. Perhaps not enemies, but hardly even acquaintances, though even he could not deny that they did share a bond. They were bonded through blood, one could say, but now also through experience. Now, Glinda knew the pain he had been living with for centuries. She knew the agony of knowing the one she loved cared for another, and she knew that the life she have lived and loved was one he envied, one that should have been his. They had the same sire, loved the same man, and now felt the same heartbreak. It was almost poetic.

Tulio chuckled.

Still, he could not completely deny her words. There were so few of them around, and though that could always be easily remedied, Tulio knew it was not something he wished to partake in again. Strength in numbers, they were weaker divided, but could he bring himself to accept the offer she was making?

No more than he could repeat her last words. Perhaps he had pride enough to keep him from tracking Vlad down, but if the other man were to come to him...

“You know, I do believe this has been good for you,” he said. Maybe there was some cruelty to his words, but he meant them in truth. “Independence just might suit you.”