Samantha Cassidy

Samantha had just about given up all hope that Dorian might so care enough to come visit her. And truly, she couldn't blame him in the slightest. This evening had been so important to him. Sebastian was so important to him. And Samantha was unable to piece together enough compassion to think of someone other than herself for one evening. Dorian had every right to hate her. Hell, she half hated herself for the events of tonight. And yet she couldn't help the way that her heart had seized up at the very sight of the vampire that had drank from her. That memory, she supposed, was simply far too powerful. Surely Dorian would forgive her, right? Or at least, she had hoped so when she first climbed those metal stairs up to her bedroom. As the time ticked by, she was starting to believe that perhaps he would just go to bed. If he did that, Samantha would have been devastated. And yet... Samantha wouldn't fault him for it.

At the tapping on the door, Samantha found herself looking up at the rather exhausted looking Fae King, her stomach seeming to settle all the way down in her stomach. Dorian didn't look angry exactly. Just frustrated. Annoyed. All emotions she expected, though she tried her best to keep her affinity from reading his emotions. A frugal attempt, really. She could still feel the awkwardness between them as though it was a real, tangible thing. She scooted over as he sat down on the edge of her bed to make plenty of room for him. And she expected him to scold her. She expected that loud, sharp voice that she'd heard downstairs to continue to berate her for ruining their evening. But instead she was presented with... silence. She bit her lip as she hugged her knees closer to her chest. "Dorian, please say something." She whispered. As it turned out, the lack of his voice was worse than the scolding.

Fortunately for her, she only had to wait seconds before Dorian spoke. She expected that scolding, but the apology she got was entirely unexpected. She shook her head, letting out a breath. "You don't have to apologi..." She started, reaching up to tug on a lock of her hair. She trailed off, listening to him continue to speak. She knew that she and Dorian came from entirely different worlds. Even the most lavish of parties she attended growing up in New York City were nothing compared to the world that Dorian - and even Sebastian - had grown up in. There was a manner of etiquette that Samantha herself would never understand. And even... even then, perhaps what had occurred was entirely shameful. Perhaps she should have kept her mouth shut.

"I'm sorry," Samantha said quietly as he continued. She should have waited. She should have not said anything at all. She should have forced a smile on her face and pretended it never happened. That's what friends did, and Samantha had done anything but that tonight. It was, however, the notion that he didn't want to choose sides that had Samantha turning her head away, a soft huff escaping her mouth. He had done just that. The moment his words had turned on Samantha herself he had chosen Sebastian over her. And yet... even then, he was sitting here with her and not having followed his consort off to wherever it was that they could have gone for the evening. There was care for Samantha in Dorian's actions, and that alone had Samantha softening just a little. "I'm sorry," She repeated, reaching up to run her fingers through her hair. It was his final words, asking of what had happened that made her pause. Did she want to explain? Would he believe her? Would he hate her for it?

"It was right before I met you," Samantha said quietly as she moved to settle herself right beside him. She leaned over to rest her head on his shoulder, her eyes closing as she leaned into him for comfort. "My power... I can read emotions. All the time. I can't turn it off even if I want to. It makes... everything very overwhelming. It makes my head hurt when I'm around a lot of people. Especially when I'm around a lot of people." She sighed softly, remembering that night with such clarity. The burlesque was so new then. Her tolerance for it so low. "I got off work one night and I went to the woods. It was quiet. I could think. And I... I felt something. Fear, I guess? I went to check it out and it was this girl. A hunter... she... she couldn't have been more than seventeen. Just a little thing."

Samantha turned her nose into Dorian's shoulder, shivering slightly at the memory. "I wasn't the only one that found her. Two vampires. One was... Sebastian. And one was this little girl. A child. I wanted to save the hunter. I could feel how hungry the little girl was. But I couldn't do anything. I just stood there and watched her die. And... and then she wanted Sebastian to drink." Samantha let out a pitiful noise as she recalled the memory. "He didn't want to. I know that. And I try to remind myself that. But I just remember that I couldn't move... his power... or hers... I guess I don't know for sure... I tried to move but I couldn't even blink. And the child... told him to drink from me. And he did... and I could feel that he didn't want to."

She sat up, dropping her head into her hands. She knew he hadn't wanted to. She knew that he had felt disgusted and hesitant. "I knew he didn't want to. I could feel it. But he still did Dorian. He didn't stop. He came and he bit me and..." She swallowed, looking up at her companion. "And I don't know why or how... but he made me feel like I wanted him. It almost felt... good. And I don't... I don't understand that night. I don't understand why he didn't want to bite me but he did it anyway. I don't understand, and I'm sorry I couldn't just smile tonight... but he scares me, Dorian. That night scared me. I still have nightmares about it."