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[allgotrabies]

Hey, it's Annie, you know what to do.

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[loveisall]

Godric chuckles at that and shakes his head. "It was not that simple for him," he assures her. "He was manipulated, too. He was hurt. Changed against his will. Used and abused by the Vampire Authority, the same people who I hated."

[allgotrabies]

She looks up at him. The thing about her is she doesn't want to hate--not anyone, not for more than a beat or two--and she wants to believe there's no reason to hate Steve, either.

"You never told me much about the Vampire Authority. What's their deal?"

[loveisall]

"Mostly because I only dealt with them when I had to. They came about out of a religious and political necessity, but I was far too feral for the likes of them. But as the centuries made the world smaller and smaller, they became more and more difficult to ignore. When they asked me to take a position of power, I accepted. But I never agreed with their stance. I never agreed with how they chose to go about things."

He leans back.

[allgotrabies]

She turns, leaning back off the couch so her feet are propped up by his hips, while her back is on the ground and she can look up at him. "What is their stance? What do they even do with the power?"

[loveisall]

"Think of them like your government. I am Sheriff. Above me is King or Queen. Above them is the Authority. They govern all vampires. Right now? Or, at least in my time? They want mainstreaming. For vampires to have equal rights."

He looks down to her.

[allgotrabies]

"I didn't think there was anyone above you," she admits. "You're just such a strong force of nature. But equal rights doesn't sound so bad?"

[loveisall]

"There is no one older or more powerful than me, save one," he tells her with no trace of bragging in his tone. It just is. "But I never wanted power. I simply wanted to be left alone."

Not by himself, but alone with Eric. With Nora. With his people. To be left to his own devices. "But that wasn't possible. And equal rights aren't bad, no. But we are wolves asking equal rights from sheep, Annie. There is only so long before we stop asking and begin demanding. And that is what I saw happening after my time."

[allgotrabies]

"I can get that." She sighs softly and looks up at the ceiling. "Why do vampires want equal rights when they could just take over? I mean...you guys are harder to kill than wolves. God, I'm tired of being hunted. Humans must feel the same way."

[loveisall]

"I'm not a strategist," he admits softly. "That's partially why I agreed to change Nora. She was brilliant at strategy. I - just know how to survive. Exist. I don't know what their game is."

[allgotrabies]

"Our pack won't need strategy. We'll survive and we'll be wild and we'll be peaceful," she says, feeling the first stirrings of optimism in a very long time. "I'm good at surviving, too. So we'll be okay."

[loveisall]

"I know we will be," he answers. "That was never a worry of mine. Once we're sorted here, we'll be fine." He sits up.

"Now, did you want that tattoo?"

[allgotrabies]

"Yes!" She sits up and strips off her shirt. "Where should I be?"

[loveisall]

He laughs and stands up. "Go to the table. I'll draw it first and let you see it. Where do you want it?"

[allgotrabies]

"On my ribs," she shows him: left side, just under the breast. "So when I'm a wolf it'll be over my heart."

[loveisall]

"Oh, then you'll need to lie down," he says. "Go make yourself comfortable somewhere." He doesn't need to tell her that this will hurt. He just goes to retrieve a needle and ink. At least they don't need to worry about infection.

[allgotrabies]

She obediently grabs a blanket, and sets herself up on the floor. Less chance of movement that way; their couch cushions are soft.

"I'm excited. And nervous. Mostly excited." She's grinning, at least. "Did I tell you I've been sleeping over at Steve's sometimes? I can't wait to show him."

[loveisall]

He laughs softly. "Hopefully you don't heal too quickly. That's my problem with tattoos," he says. "Though I've been reading on it, and I think there's a way I can do it. A very, very old way."

Kneeling down beside her, he sketches out Vegvísir for her and shows her. "And this is what you want?"

[allgotrabies]

"Old way, best way," she assures him. She studies the drawing, thinks about how comforting it will be to have Godric's art with her whatever happens. She raises her eyes to his. "I want that."

[loveisall]

He nods and moves her hand to her breast so she can hold it out of the way. "Be very still," he tells her. "Breathe slowly and tell me a story while I work."

He traces the outline of the drawing on her skin and then dips the needle into her skin slowly, drawing it through.

[allgotrabies]

She has a very high threshold for pain, but even the change is done quickly. This will take some work.

She's glad for it.

"I told Ellie I don't like to read, so she gave me a comic book that I do like. It's about space. And B found out, so he came over with a stack of books that I really like so far. And then? I found one," a breath in, careful, slow. "Called The Stinky Cheeseman. Wanna hear it?"

[loveisall]

"Yes," he answers without looking up. He just dips the needle in the ink again, intent on his work, his hands steady.

[allgotrabies]

"Once upon a time there was an old couple, and one was hungry and one was lonely. So the wife made them a little man made out of stinky cheese. She made his face out of olives and bacon." Deep breath. "And the cheeseman came alive in the oven and he leaped out when she opened the door, but the smell knocked her on her ass.

"The cheeseman dared them to catch him but since the smell knocked them gagging no one chased him. He ran across a cow, and the cow decided none of its three stomachs could handle it. ...Cows have more than one stomach.

"And then he met a fox, because there's always a fox in stories. And he needed to get to the other side of the river so he asked for a ride and the fox said, sure, in a deeply suspicious sounding voice. I'll take you safe across the river."

[loveisall]

Godric keeps working, the smell of the blood mixing with the ink and the sound of her voice. He wipes it away, keeping his focus.

"I don't trust that fox."

[allgotrabies]

"You shouldn't. He learned from that scorpion that stung that frog, you remember that story?" She looks down carefully, smelling her own blood. It's not so bad. And it doesn't smell human; hopefully that helps Godric.

"But they got halfway across and a downdraft made him smell the stink off the cheese, so he gagged and he shook and the cheeseman fell into the water and fell apart."

[loveisall]

"I do," he says. "And then what happened? Was that the end of the story?"

He isn't bothered by the smell of it. It's not new to him and he's under enough control.