Bella and Nic - Penance
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THREADID
49
POSTS
1 - 10
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Nicolo paces like a caged animal within the walls of his haven, waiting for Bella to arrive. It was suppose to to be about "them" tonight, and now the focus would be on him. He had to ask something of Bella he really, really didn't want to ask. He wished there was someone else he could go to. Anyone else...
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Bella knocks on the door, after parking her new baby. She had never been one for cars, really, but driving the new joy Kaeda and Coda had given her made her appreciate a nice car all the more. She tried to make sure it was taken care of as best she could. She really needed a regular mechanic. Maybe she should ask Nic or Elle about one. They seemed to have the hard on for cars.
She waited for Nic to answer, wondering exactly how this night would turn out and what she would say to him. There was definitly an attraction there on both ends, but the friction may prove to be a problem. Then there was the difference of their views. Maybe now would be a bad time to do the "feelings" talk. She thought she might be able to stall him for a few more weeks as she had not considered what she felt, if anything, for him. She hadn't had the time.
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"Buona sera, Bellisima." He couldn't help himself. He saw her and it made him smile. Please come in. He closed the door behind her and led her to the pristine couch, where not one pillow was out of place. In fact not one item in the room was out of place, the design a stark minimalism, reflecting his psyche. He wouldn't offer her blood wine or any such thing – he only drank from the vessel God intended blood to come from, and only when he hunted it down, except on the rare occasion it was required for a ceremony.
"Bella, we should talk about happened the other night. I said some things that I probably shouldn't have. I have no right to call into question your devotion or your way of worshiping God or Longinus. That was sinful on my part. I've prayed about it, actually, and I think I understand better now. We come from two different backgrounds and we just approach it differently. There is room in the Church for everyone, and everyone's unique view is special and necessary. I was very wrong, and I am quite sorry. I hope you'll forgive me."
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Bella sits on the stark couch in this stark room and stares at Nicolo like she has never seen him before. For one thing, he was apologizing, something she is pretty sure he does not do often. Two, he is babbling. She knows what it means when people babble.
He is nervous. Why?
"You are forgiven. Now, why are you so nervous Nicolo? Has something happened?"
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Fuck! A simple apology and she reads him like an open book? His hackles begin to raise as he formulates his normal biting retort...
No. That would be foolish, wouldn't it?
"Bella!" Too harsh, calm down. "Bella... I was simply apologizing to you. I'm not nervous about anything. I thought you wanted to talk about us tonight and I thought perhaps beginning with where I might have gone wrong the other night would be a good place to start." He looks into her eyes, and knows he can't keep her at bay for long. She actually does make a pretty good Inquisitor.
"Fine. Bella. Something did happen. Sort of. I had asked if I could speak to you a while back and we got so wrapped up with all the plant business, it just never happened. And now my Sire has reminded me I have not fulfilled my obligation that he assigned me, so I must do that now. I need to," Was he really going to do this? Really going to sit here and submit himself to a woman for penitence? He could feel his muscles tightening and the room getting smaller. He stood and began pacing again.
"I must admit, this is a little harder than I thought it would be. No, that's not true actually, I knew this would be very hard. I need to ask you if you would act as my confessor, Bella. I have some things I must confess and submit myself to penance for."
Well, there, he'd said it. No taking it back now.
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Bella frowns. Confession? Shit. I have not taken a confession in years and I have no theban with which to punish him. Fuck! He will see me as weak and useless now. But, there is no help for it. I must perform this duty as there is no one else here.
She regains control of herself, sliding her face into the blank perfect mask of an Inquisitor and sliding her mind back into that role. At least he had told her the truth.
"All right, Nicolo. I will hear your confession. Begin whenever you are ready."
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Holy shit. This was really going to happen. Be a man Nicolo.
"OK, well..." He had stopped pacing, and stopped himself from staring at her. Now he moved slowly over and sunk to his knees before her, genuflected, then folded his hands together.
"Bless me, Father," Wait. Mother? Sister? Oh, why was this happening to him. "Bless me, for I have sinned. It has been 6 months since my last confession." A long time, but he had been traveling a lot, and he was a priest. He often found his own penitence for his transgressions. "I have committed numerous sins in that time. Losing my patience with fellow Damned. Not always taking advantage of our vampiric purpose here on earth and not scaring kine while I feed as much as I could. I have been actually paying a kine to let me feed from her when I should have been simply hunting her and taking what is rightfully mine in the Lord's eyes." At this, Nicolo lowers his eyes so he will not have to meet Bella's curious looks. '''And, finally, I made disparaging comments about several high ranking members in our Covenant that were completely unfounded. Comments that could have seriously damaged their reputations I suppose. "For all these things, I am truly repentant."
Nicolo sighed heavily and opened his eyes. "That's about it. Do you want to discuss these now? Or would you like me to recite my Act of Contrition?"
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Bella watches Nicolo, having never seem him like this before. It was......distressing. However, she still had to do this for him and for the church. She had never delivered the penance before, Orifiel had always done this. This time though, the pleasure would be hers.
Too bad this time it is with someone I do not wish to harm.
"Explain to me how you are paying some mortal for blood, please." She says evenly. This crime is the only one Bella can see that is strictly against the testaments
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He knew this was coming. He knew it was an unforgivable indulgence. And the worst part was, he wasn't sure he was truly ready to give it up yet. Not just yet. He would probably lie and tell her he was truly contrite and be done with it. The trick was to figure out how few details he needed to disclose before they could move on. Funny, how the Cardinal seemed to feel she'd be so concerned about the careless words he'd said about her...
"Well, it certainly is a sin for which I'm truly sorry – a crime against the very gifts God bestowed upon us. I guess I just had certain desires, and designed a way to meet them."
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Bella frowns. "Uh huh. I am still waiting for an explanation, Nicolo. Having certain desires is all fine and well, but one does not pay for blood. That is........horrendous. A good reason would make your penance more tolerable."
Penance II - Think like a Gaurdian
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