Make it a Double [Kennedy]

[Levi DAmico]

It’s easy to identify a hypocrite. They’re the person in the room flapping their jaws saying one thing while doing the complete opposite - and usually behind your back.

For some, the very definition of hypocrisy is in the detail of exposure. As long as no one is around to witness the sin, then the sin doesn’t really exist. Yet, to most people, it’s a lot more simple than that. It’s about being honest and devoted to your word: preaching your truth and honestly living up to it. And to judge from a more contemporary political discourse, there’s no vice less forgivable or more rampant than that of hypocrisy. It is a charge hurled at just about every comer, and yet, while exposing our partisan enemies as hypocrites gives us undeniable pleasure, such accusations leave their targets unscathed. Even rank hypocrisy largely goes unpunished in American politics, and as the media projects this bile over the nation and the world, it gets massaged into the folds of everyday living. Soon it just becomes normal to say and do whatever the hell you want without repercussions.

Levi could count on his one hand how many vendettas he had outstanding. They were like debts against his profit margin; unsightly marks that needed to be put right when the time was more favourable. In one case, it had been a few years since the original source of the red marker in his ledger. In fact, he hardly even gave a **** about what had happened between them. Still, that didn’t mean that the little prick was just going to get away with what he’d done. The Italian didn’t take insults lightly. He remembered them, festered on them, and always delivered his own form of justice for the slight. It didn’t matter to him how large or small the act was, what mattered was that he cared enough to make the ****** pay for what they’d done to him. It largely didn’t matter whether the other party knew exactly why Levi was coming for blood either - it was all about his satisfaction in the end. He just needed that closure before he could move on for good.

The past always had a funny way of always catching up with him, after all. It seemed like there was a never-ending line of ******** out there that was ready to **** up his day. They bobbed to the surface like corpses from a bog; their swollen mugs looking no better from what he remembered anyway. Still, it wasn’t all a pain in the ***. Sometimes - and this was a rarity for the laconic and unfriendly Vampiro - he could find some entertainment in the reemergence of old faces. He hadn’t exactly expected to find that in Kennedy, not after his experiences with the rest of Prudence’s bloodline, but it was an opportunity unworthy of snubbing. In fairness, the woman had never pissed him off or done anything that required putting the barrel of his revolver against her temple - an absolute feat in itself given their mutual heritage. Which was probably what magnetised them; a bond of agony from the fires of living in the fresh hell that was CC’s Harper Rock.

While it had initially been Ken’s idea to invite his grumpy *** out for a drink, the Italian was adamant in taking the reins on when and where they’d meet. The Climber’s Tavern in Honeymead offered something in the way of discretion whilst maintaining an air of intimacy. It was a somewhat popular destination for mortals, but most of the patrons knew well enough to keep to themselves. It was not going to be Ken’s scene at all - or so he imagined, as he thought the girl would prefer the glamour of a strip pole and a flush of green. Well, tough ****. The Italian preferred the sepulchral quiet, which the tavern delivered handsomely within walls of rough red brick, gaslighting, and a smouldering hearth. There just so happened to be a set of Chesterfield sofas and a matching chair around the fireplace; its cracked burgundy leather exposed the tan cloth beneath, showing its age and adoration.

Many an *** had sat itself down on that chair and Levi didn’t mind being among them so long as he got a few drinks out of it. Everything else would be an unexpected little gift he would have to unwrap and determine just which one of his many reactions would be appropriate for the situation; rage, disappointment, or maybe even a complete lack of feeling altogether. Provided Ken was on her best behaviour, he could be too. After all, there was more to his personality than a hot-headed, brooding sociopath. Not much, but, there was enough to scrape out at the bottom of the bottle if one was determined enough.

[Kennedy]

Each day had become seemingly more mundane than the day before. Kennedy was on Mortll's payroll and worked on the weekends performing. She had moved on from pole dancing years ago and now she did aerial work then during the week, she practiced so that her shows weren't always the same. When she wasn't dancing. she was out doing her forced duty at killing the beasts that created terror for not only their kind but also the human race that continues to threaten them. Building new weapons from the parts that she gathered from weapons that she would gather on her hunts. Everyday was the same and it was draining her.

Rolling over in her bed with a groan as decided that she was just not going to deal with the same old **** that each day presented to her, at least today anyway. Reaching over and feeling the continually empty space next to her, she sighed. The bed was fairly new and foreign to her but she slowly had been staying further away from Mordie's apartment as there was no point in her going there everyday like she had when she first woke up, he wasn't there and there was no sign of him returning. It frustrated her that she was bothered that she was alone as she never was the one that felt that she was dependent on anyone. It would be a lie if she felt that she didn't have undying need to serve another and she had that with Mordie when he claimed her as his pet but when she fell into a strange yet long slumber, he had moved on to God only knew where. Hell CC had made her feel dependent on her until Mordie had helped her break free of the toxic relationship that she had been stuck in with her sire and boss. CC had gotten jealous and took it out on her while trying to lay her claim. Horrid words and acts that couldn't be forgiven. Only good thing to come out of CC was the life that Kennedy found herself stuck in and the sibling of sorts that accompanied her.

Levi had been turned after her, not long after she walked away from CC when she was done with the abuse. She stayed close by to watch over Levi and when Prudence took both Levi and Kennedy under her wing, saving them from CC and terror, she had gotten to know him. He had been dating a young woman at the time but she didn't get to know her. Kennedy thought she was flaky but in reality, she didn't give her a chance. It was for the better as the woman seemed to be removed from Levi's life. She wouldn't deny that she was happy about it but did wonder if there was another in Levi's life, however, wouldn't ask him about it unless he brought it up.

Forcing herself from the bed, she ran her fingers through her hair before pulling it up into a ponytail. Groaning as she got up and half-assed threw the covers over the bed to cheat on making the bed. She didn't care today. Slipping on a pair of her super skinny jeans and a sweater crop top that allowed her mid-drift to taunt and tease anyone that might look her way. Once she dressed her feet with socks and pair of knee-high boots with a 4 inch heel, she grabbed her phone and just stared at the messaged that awaited her. Kennedy had said that they should get drinks but as sometime had passed, she thought maybe he didn't want to see her. Hell she had to admit that it was a surprise when she saw him at the boat party in May. Over come with joy that she wasn't entirely alone, she had jumped on his back but moved quickly before he punched her. It would have made her laugh but chose to be smart instead.

Smiling as she pocketed her phone without a reply and grabbed her debit card, shoving it into her other pocket. It was finally time to have a sit down with Levi and drink as much alcohol that she could handle and maybe even more. If she was honest with herself, it might not take even half a bottle of the good stuff with her damn curse but she was ready to drown her woes and try to forget. Slipping out of her house at Sparrow, she made quick work to Honeymead to the bar that was directed in the message. Walking through the doors, she looked around until her eyes laid on Levi in a chair by the fireplace. Smiling to put on the front that she was the happy woman he would know her to be, she stopped at the bar and paid for a bottle of top-shelf whiskey and two shot glasses. Setting down the bottle and two glasses before she took a seat on the couch. "Hiya Levi. About time we grabbed that drink."

[Levi DAmico]

When the click and stomp of heeled footsteps approached, Levi looked up from his cellphone and leered at the woman that was bothering him. It didn’t entirely matter that it was Ken he’d been staring daggers at just microseconds before he recognised her; he was a stubborn ******** and had the male equivalent of resting ***** face. So, rather than adjust his trademark look of annoyance, the Italian bobbed his head at her and then indicated for her to sit down with a glance to the couch opposite. He finished the message he was composing - authorising a job that, frankly, should have been sorted out by now and didn’t need his ******* hand-holding - and then tucked the sleek piece of technology back into his suit jacket. He could ignore work for an hour or two and catch up with Ken.

Truth be told, the Vampiro didn’t know what to think of her. Looking her over and acknowledging her choice of less than conservative attire, gave him several things to judge, sure, but it was all surface ****. He was pretty shallow and lazy and more often than not relied on those superficial perceptions because people were more often than not one-dimensional and not worth wasting time on. Levi was giving Ken a shot here for a number of reasons; she was a Vampire, she had been sired by CC too, and he wasn’t exactly swimming in contacts in this savage community of theirs. It would benefit him to play nice and make friends, as it had already benefited him just by being more vocal and visible and acquiring the names of a few useful individuals.

“Thanks for coming,” he opened with before his umber eyes caught sight of the whiskey she’d brought over. A smile twitched in his lips and he sat back awhile, looking more comfortable. “I’m that easy to read, huh?”

It would be interesting to hear her insights on the matter; it was a challenge in his mind. As of right now, the Italian had experienced next to no saving graces toward their bloodline. Or, to put it more bluntly: every single *********** who’d ever been sired into their lineage had turned out to be a complete ****. It had been obvious with CC because their meeting had been fabricated out of violence and continued that way for years. It took him a long time to get over what she’d made him into, how that factor was still ******* over his plans, and yet he still hadn’t quite forgiven her. He was willing to no longer reach for a weapon at the sight of her, but, that didn’t mean he liked her or that he wasn’t necessarily going to kill her. There was just no point in arguing with the ***** any longer; freaks like her could never see when they were wrong.

Prudence was one of those wishy-washy cunts. Depending on her mood and whether or not her tampon was inserted properly, she could be tolerable or not. When he first met her, he wasn’t in the best place and obviously not willing to bow to her self-imposed authority. Suffice it to say, they didn’t get off on the best of feet. Regardless of the fact that Levi loathed having people reign above him, it hadn’t been the right time for that chat and it hadn’t been delivered well. After another few years, though, it seemed like the redhead had forgiven him and ushered him back into the family. This was no doubt a consequence of his relationship with Lorelai at the time rather than anything he’d done to absolve himself or any soul-searching on her part.

Lorelai was a whole chapter in his story. She had been able to open the curtains and bring light into his life, like that mystical and beautiful princess in old legends and tales who could tame ferocious beasts. He’d changed for her, enough to acknowledge he had feelings and a heart, and he’d even given hope to the idea of marrying her and adopting a child to raise. But, there’s no space for fairy tales in the real world and Levi soon recognised her for the **** that she was too. Siring Robin had been the nail in the coffin of their dreamworld. She should have never have brought another man into their relationship, lied to him that he meant nothing, and then secreted herself away. If she wasn’t guilty, why run? He would never have put a hand on her and she knew that well enough.

And so it all went to hell after that. Anybody daring to defend Lorelai or Robin got themselves immediately put on his kill list. It seemed a bit rich to side with a pair of cunts and then call him the bad guy. Either those people were stupid ******* cunts for making snap decisions without knowing all the details, or they were stupid ******* cunts for siding with a pair of cheating cunts. It was simple really.

Kennedy had been absent for a lot of that **** and the only real memory he had of her was when they first met. She hadn’t exactly made a bad impression, but he remembered that her connection with Mordechai made him anxious. If there was anyone shooting for head honcho at the time, it was definitely that brute. Levi preferred to keep a limit to his visits to the Shadow Realm after CC had killed him twice-over and ended up costing him precious time. So, in a way, keeping Ken at a distance had seemed like the right thing to do. The only thing any Vampiro really knew about Levi was that he was a miserable son of a ***** and prone to acts of violence, but that wouldn’t necessarily stop them from coming at him. True to his path: the Shadow kept a low profile. So, what would the Allurist do?

[Kennedy]

There were times that Kennedy had hoped that she was closer to Levi and been there to help him as he embraced this eternal life but she had chose to steer clear of their sire. Prudence was okay but she had her world of issues too that she had to deal with so why add any stress by being around the family for an annoying amount. She wasn't a needy woman but she did like having company. It was the thought of being eternally lonely that crushed her soul but she would never admit to it because she was always strong willed, at least that was what she lead everyone to believe. The only person that she was ever vulnerable with was no longer around and she wasn't sure what she would do.

It was probably the thought that she didn't feel there was anyone that she could confide in. There was maybe Zodiac but she didn't want to bother her with her issues or even complain that Mordie was gone as Zo was close to him as well. The struggle seemed to real and so she decided that she would keep it to herself but now...here was her sibling of sorts wanting to get a drink. It seemed hopeful and maybe they could rely on each other.

A forced smile dashed across the table to Levi a he thanked her for coming. "Of course, it's my pleasure. I wouldn't have mentioned it if I really didn't want to get a drink with you." Popping the top of the whiskey, she poured each glass like a pro before she slid one over to him. "To be fair....we both are and I got us the good stuff." She took a quick shot before she poured herself another one. They might need another bottle or two before the evening was done.

If she was being truly honest, Kennedy had to admit that she was feeling guilty that she wasn't there to help Levi more when he was just starting out. She knew how both CC and Pru were and how they could be especially towards members of their family and more so if they didn't fall in line. Kennedy was saved by a lot of that angst because of Mordie as he was best friends with Pru so if she did anything wrong, she might get shot but he was there to protect her more often than not. She should been there for Levi to help protect him from the crap but when you have a life of eternity...was it ever to late to try and build a good relationship? Well she was about to find out.

[Levi DAmico]

While the Shadow didn’t appreciate being told he was easy to read, he only smirked outwardly and accepted the drink that had been slid his way. She was old enough to have it figured out; that people like him were rarely ever 100% who they appeared to be. However, Levi couldn’t fault her perception of his drinking habits because given the choice, he would always reach for the top shelf whiskeys. Maybe it was because those aged, smokey bottles matched his soul, or maybe it was because he was an elitist scumbag convinced of his entitlement to the good stuff - much in the same way he dressed and equipped himself. The fact of the matter was that the Italian drank to be social or to get drunk, so it didn’t really matter if it tasted like day-old piss so long as it served a purpose. Getting drunk was pretty much impossible when his regenerative abilities outmatched his ability to imbibe that much fluid without swelling up like a balloon. And since becoming an incredibly handsome version of Violet Beauregarde wasn’t really all that appealing, all that remained was routine and posturing.

The Italian leered at the Allurist again as he took a mouthful of that liquid fire. She wasn’t making this socialising thing any easier. Frankly, he was expecting her to talk his ear off and was actually relying on her overzealous nature to make its glittering appearance tonight. Levi held his words as closely as his bank card; he spent both sparingly, and usually only when he had no other choice to get what he needed. After all, nobody ever became rich or stayed that way by dolling out what they had. If Ken was going to have him lead the charge, then he’d do it his way. Perhaps that would inspire her to speak more earnestly. Or, perhaps it would inspire her to get up and leave. It was hard to tell which just right off the bat, but Levi suspected that she’d tolerate him in the effort of being nice to family.

“So…” he began, slow and surly, “what is your take on this whole immortality business?”

It was a subject he’d been toying with since he’d been turned and it was a subject that kept coming up in their community. Everywhere he looked there were Vampiri in need of putting down permanently, but these fuckers were like cockroaches; everytime you think you’d cleaned them out, they came scuttling back into the picture. It was another reason why he couldn’t be bothered with his kind. What was the point, really? The majority were thick as ****, incapable of being educated, refused to see sense, and couldn’t stay dead. Darwinism didn’t apply to Vampiri and it was all he could do was to whittle away the potential dumbshits from becoming part of their hellish tribe.