Astral
By: Emily Jorrey
All rights to the characters here are the property of Anne Rice, Knopf and anybody else who profits from what she does. Except for Astral of course. This is for the sole purpose of entertainment.
Spoilers up to TOBF
Part 1
Astral looked around the smokey bar. Nothing out of the ordinary. Ordinary customers, wearing ordinary clothes, making ordinary conversation. Even he didn't stand out tonight. A dark purple shirt and black jeans. He was wearing sunglasses, but so where many of the other customers. But unlike them he had a reason.
Astral turned and caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. Long wavy brown hair, a pert mouth, a slightly crooked nose, on a face that was a bit too long to be good looking. Or maybe not. There had been those who had called him pretty, even beautiful. But that was a long time ago and those lovers where long dead
"Ugly-pretty. Too ugly to be beautiful. But to pretty to be ugly." She had hissed that into his ear. He had hated that, that mocking, yet so loving tone.
Astral had determined that he was what people tended to called androgynous. He had been able to, on occasion, pass for a woman. Sometimes he just liked to confuse people, keep them wondering excatly what he was.
But tonight, that wasn't his intention. He just wanted to relax. He had fed early so he could spend the rest of the night observing mortals. Such beautiful creatures. Even in this place of conventionalism.
A woman with bleached blonde hair, hugged her lover, caught up in the thrill of hard whiskey. Her lover smiled and stroked her hair, whispering to her softly.
"You have to stop doing this!" He didn't mean it, he liked her drunked. He liked her drunk and she knew it.
"But I like it," she argued playfuly "I love the way it makes me feel!"
Astral thought about sinking his fangs into her neck. What would he see? What joys, what tragedies, what experiences? And what about the man that stood hovering over her? Astral could find out about him too.
Then something caught his eye. Another vampire! Astral tried to look without really staring. A gorgeous creature indeed, like something out of a painting. He was tall and thin, beautifully formed, a sculptor's dream. The face so lovely and yet so sad. Black hair and stunning green eyes.
"Green eyes?" Astral thought to himself, "could it be?" He quickly masked his thoughts less, the other one realize his presence. "Could it be him. Louis? Of those books? It has to be!"
Astral looked up. "Dammit!" The green-eyed one was looking right at him! Slowly Astral rose, taking off his sunglasses, and walked up to the black haired beauty standing before him. "Hello." he said, it was the only thing he could think of. Astral wanted to say more but he was in awe. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt this way.
The black-haired beauty, said nothing for a moment, and then "Who are you? What are you doing here? I've never seen. . ."
Regaining his silver tounge, Astral felt the words flooding out of him, "Never seen me before? That's because I've never been in this bar before! As for who I am? Remember what they said about the cat." Astral gave a dramatic bow and walked out of the club.
Once his foot hit the exit, Astral began to run, all the while laughing. "It is him! It is Louis De Pointe DuLac!" He dove into an alley and leaned against a wall. "I really can't believe my luck!" He let out another laugh. "I must see him again. And I will of course."
The chocolate eyes gleamed with excitement. "Wouldn't my mistress be just livid with me! But she doesn't know where I am. If she does find me. . .ahh well I have some more important things to worry about."
Astral (2/?)
By Emily Jorrey
1999
Louis sat on the steps of the bar feeling very confused. The night had been a desperate attempt to "escape." To escape the great love of Lestat and David. The bar seemed boring and quiet. A place where he could sit alone and think.
And this happened. Another immortal had crossed his path. And one of the strangest looking ones he had even seen.
At first he had been repulsed. It seemed to be a walking skeleton, or a Picasso painting come to life. But when this mysterious creature had walked up to him,and looked him right in the eye, he saw the glimmers of beauty. The deep chocolate eyes that glowed with a childlike innocence, the mouth that was so small and seductive. Features that could have belonged to a man or a woman. And then there was the voice. Throaty and soft. Even when it mocked him, it was still entrancing.
Louis wondered who this creature was, he wondered if he would see it again.
Astral didn't go out the next night, nor the night after that one either. He stayed in his house only venturing out to feed. For he had to plan this carefully. This was a chance he might not have again. Not only that but Louis might be cautious about venturing out now.
His mistress had been so angry over those books. And as each one was published she would become more disgusted. When she would find his copies she would tear them apart. . .but not before reading them herself. And after, give her own cold commentary.
"If I was Lestat I would have taken a strap to Louis."
"How delighted I was when that horrible child died. Children, a damn waste of time."
"I like how Lestat made his last child the best. Force, that's the best way. I mean, it worked for you."
His mistress. Only 4'11 with white blonde hair down to her ankles. She was quite beautiful, with a gentle looking face that hid her true nature. She had terrified him for years. Tossing him down stairs, slashing him with knives, burning him with pokers, and too many other forms of abuse to mention.
On the other hand something in him had always liked the abuse. He could remember those strange tingles of pleasure when she has slapped him across the face. Sometimes he provoked her just to have her toss him on the floor, leap on him and scream in his face.
"You are mine Astral! You belong to me and don't you forget it!" She would beat him then, pounding her fists into his chest, slapping his face and yanking his hair. It would end of course with her sinking her teeth into his neck. It was at those times that he loved her the most.
And there where also the times when she would apologize, blood tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry my Astral, I don't mean to hurt you."
Then what in the hell did she mean to do?
Astral sighed. He wasn't beautiful, he was hideous. There where red tears welling up, he quickly brushed them away. Tomorrow he would go out. And tomorrow he would find what he was looking for.
Astral (3/?)
By Emily Jorrey
Louis walked through the street, desperately trying to stop the tears that he knew where coming. Every minute in that house was murder. He didn't how much longer he could take it.
"Oh, poor forlorn soul." came a voice from behind.
Louis turned around, before him where a pair of brown eyes. It was the vampire from a few nights back. But this time it looked quite different. The shirt was silk, the color of wine, the pants where black vinyl that clung to the thin legs, molding them perfectly. The eyelids where painted silver, as where the lips. It's smile was gentle. . .or was it cruel?
"Who are you?" Louis asked, "Tell me."
"My name is Astral. And unless I'm very much mistaken. You are Louis De Pointe DuLac?"
"Yes. What do you want?"
Astral laughed softly, "You're scared of me. Don't worry. I have no intention of hurting you. I would like to hear what's on your mind."
"Can't you read it and find out?"
"Yes. But I don't want to. I want you to tell me."
Louis knew that wouldn't be wise to start telling this stranger about his deepest feelings. But somehow those chocolate eyes, unloosened his tongue, a tear glistened down his face and he whispered "Lestat."
"Lestat!" Astral thought, "How could have I been so stupid not to remember Lestat! Louis' lover." Astral got scared, how could he stand up against Lestat?
That was until Louis told him about recent events. Told him about David, told him about how lonely he was, told him about the confusion. Astral listened, although Louis's beauty was so utter hypnotic, that it was very hard for him not to lose himself in it.
"So," said Astral as the sat in a darken corner of a bar, "has he abandoned you for David?"
"No not entirely. When David and Lestat fight. . ."
"Then he comes to you." Astral sighed, "And when he has gotten his rocks off he goes back to David."
"That's a highly distasteful way of putting it."
"Unfortunately it's all to true."
"No! Lestat loves me!" Louis began to rise, Astral realized he had made a mistake, he had to say something or Louis would leave.
"Wait. I'm sorry, forgive me. I tend to speak before I think. Sit down please."
Louis slowly sunk back into his seat. "Can we talk about something else? This is far too upsetting." he reached up and ran a hand through his hair.
Astral felt a chill go through his spine. It was wispy as smoke, and so black that it could make the night outside jealous. If only he could touch that hair. He wanted to feel it run through his fingers. He wanted to stare into those green eyes as they where clouded over with passion. He wanted everything, the lips on his own, the arms around him, and the fangs in his neck.
"Astral? Astral?"
"Huh?" He shook his head, trying to snap out of the dream that surrounded him.
"I wanted to talk about something else. Like where you came from?"
"Where I came from? I will tell you that I was made into a vampire in 1740, at the age of 23. As to where I came from. . .it's hard to say." He tried to give Louis his nicest smile, "Should we leave? I haven't fed yet."
Louis felt the wind on his face, warm, almost comforting. He cast a glance to Astral. The brown wavy hair flutter in the wind, and a slight smile was on the lips. "Astral?"
"Yes?"
"What are you thinking about?" Why did he ask that? He hardly knew this vampire, what was Astral doing to him?
"I'm thinking about the sky. I'm thinking about velvet and thinking about emeralds." He looked right at Louis then "emeralds are supposed to be bad luck. I don't think that's true though. Do you?"
"I don't. . ." then he stopped, emeralds. Louis wished he could have sunglasses.
"I've embarrassed you again. You can leave. You've fed, and if you have other things to do, I'm not stopping you."
"No. . .no!" Louis blurted out, despite the fact that his mind was screaming at him to leave
"Good. Because I see her." Astral pointed. It was an old woman sitting in a rocking chair on the porch of her house. "I've been watching her for a few days. Her family leaves her out there for hours, while they watch T.V." Astral explained, "I read her mind. Or what's left of it. Everything is hazy and clouded. But she was once a great beauty. She had beautiful red hair. Let me show you."
Louis saw an image appear in his mind. A woman with long red hair lay on a bed. She wore nothing but a pair of panties. Her skin was milky white, the breast where full with large pink nipples. She sat reading, a cheap pulp magazine. The somebody else walked in, a another woman. This one had black hair, cut into an elegant bob. She was wearing a bright red flapper dress, her body was small and elegant. She closed the door behind her and let her dress fall to her knees. The redhead drew her on the bed and they kissed. The redhead laughed, letting her lover slip her panties off. They fell back on the bed together.
"Lovely isn't it?" Astral whispered, "that's her only clear memory." He made his way up to her.
The woman turned and smiled, "William? I've missed you so. Come and kiss me."
Astral did embracing the woman tightly and sinking his fangs into her neck, all the while the woman smiled. Soon her eyes grew heavy and closed. Astral quickly placed her back in her chair and hid the teeth marks.
"Who was William?" Louis asked.
"Another one of her lovers. Committed suicide, I think. Could have been someone else, she was pretty jumbled up. Beautiful woman, so many great stories. To bad her family never cared to listen to them. And when she couldn't tell them, they abandoned her." Astral looked so forlorn that Louis almost forgot his pain.
He reached out and stroked Astral's flushed cheek. Astral smiled and ran a thin hand through Louis hair, drawing them closer together. That throaty, low, sensual voice whispered in his ear, "If you said yes to me Louis, I would throw myself at your mercy. I would obey your every command, cater to your every whim. Or are you to afraid to take the reins?"
That was when Louis pushed Astral away.
Astral (4/?)
By Emily Jorrey
"Stop!" Louis saw Astral stumble back, right into a lamppost. He couldn't believe it. He shouldn't have had the strength to do it. Then again Astral might have let him. Still he felt terrible, then he heard a laugh.
"You look so sad." Astral giggled.
"I thought I hurt you."
"No. No you didn't."
"What's so funny?"
"When most people hurt me. They don't feel bad about it."
"Hurt you? Who has hurt you? Tell me."
Astral stopped laughing and he lowered his head, "Too many people to name. But I guess I deserve it some way."
"I'm sorry."
Astral held his hand up, "Don't say you're sorry for things that aren't your fault. Anyway it isn't important." He grinned, but his voice was still sad. "Maybe you should be going home. Lestat might get worried."
"When can I see you again?"
Astral's eyes lit up, "You mean you actually want to?"
"Yes."
They kissed and this time Louis, didn't even think about pushing Astral away.
"Where the devil is he?" Lestat stared out the window, "this isn't like him." Louis had been acting strange the past few days, the fact that he hadn't returned yet was troublesome.
David looked up from his paper, "Lestat, it's only 1:30, the sun won't come up for a while."
"David. What you have apparently failed to realize is that Louis is not the type to run around the city in search of a good time. He goes out, he feeds, he come back, he sticks his head in a book, then he goes to sleep. The next night it's the same thing."
"I fear I don't have any answer for you. He'll will come home, trust me."
As if on cue the sound of Louis footsteps was heard.
Lestat leaned against the wall, "Oh this should be fun!"
"Now Lestat. . ." David started to warn.
"Well, well, well!" Said Lestat as Louis entered the room, "And what have we been doing tonight?"
Louis shrugged, "Nothing that would interest you."
David walked up to Louis and touched him on the cheek, "Is anything the matter? You seem rather flushed, did you just feed?"
"No. I would like to go to my room now."
Lestat grinned wickedly "Wait there's something else. . ." He pushed David gently aside, "There's something on your neck. . .silver. You have silver lipstick on your neck."
Louis tried to make his way past Lestat "I really have to go. . ." but he was held back.
"No yet Beautiful One." Lestat proceeded to examine Louis face, "Ahh! You have it on your lip and on your cheek too! Why Louis!"
"Lestat!" Louis jerked his head away, "I would like to go and read, if you don't mind." Louis made his way to his room, slamming the door behind him.
"Who is it? Tell me!" Lestat called after him playfully "I won't tell a soul!"
David shook his head, "You really didn't have to do that."
"Come on David! Don't be so serious. Whoever it was, they're no longer a threat. Unless Louis is having some affair that we don't know about." Lestat laughed again, "Could you imagine that ever happening?
"Strike dear mistress. . ."
Astral sat at a mirror brushing his hair. He had come so close. But Louis had been afraid. He remembered the feeling he got when he hit the lamppost. He had wanted to beg for more, but that would have only hurt things, not helped them. The music blared on the CD player:
"Kiss the whip, now bleed for me. . ."
Astral closed his eyes, drifting back to times long ago.
"Whore!" His mistress slapped him hard, knocking him to the floor "You're a damn whore! You think you can give yourself to whoever you want? Well I have other plans." That was what she said to him before she had made him into a vampire.
She threw him on the bed and sunk her fangs into his neck, it was pure pain. She had made sure of that. The nails scraping against his back the fangs cutting him. The stinging slaps. And all the while she made him look into the face of his lover, his lover who was lying in a bloody heap on the bed.
"Look at him!" She hissed, "Look at him you stupid whore. Every time you think of him I want you to see a corpse! Look at him!"
"Nathaniel. . ." Astral let out a choking sob, "Forgive me. I tried to save you, but she was too strong."
Astral picked up the knife nearby, he unbuttoned his shirt, exposing the pale, thin chest underneath. Taking a deep breath he drew the knife across it. Astral let out a moan, his skin had become tougher, it took more force to cut, but he could still do it. The wound unfortunately closed quickly, but there was blood.
Astral smiled thinking back to a time when she wasn't his mistress but his mother. A time when she was sweet and gentle, a time when he loved her, without fear and without confusion.
"Mama?" he was seven years old again, standing in that gigantic room of hers.
"Yes dear?" she was sewing, her fingers making quick punches in the fabric.
"Why do we sleep during the day and wake up at night?"
"That's just the way we do it."
"Mama, do you love me?"
"Why Astral! Of course I do! Come here my child." He had crawled upon her lap and put his arms around her. "When the nuns brought you to my house, the first time I laid eyes on you, that was when I fell in love with you."
"You'll love me forever?"
"Of course."
"Liar," Astral hissed his mind returning. "Liar."
The next night, Louis stood waiting in the back of the bar. What was he doing? It was dangerous, foolish. This wasn't like him at all. He was about to get up and leave when he saw Astral enter the bar.
Same vinyl pants, but the shirt was red and flowing. Astral's lips where just as red as his hair and his eyes where a mass of black eyeliner. The hair was loose and wild, and Louis could see little jewels glowing on the strands.
"Come with me." Astral whispered.
Louis nodded and took Astral's hand.
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