Ridgefield Planetarium (clutch only) Today on Maury

It was confusing, to say the least, the story that brought this group of vampires to Beauregard's office. Ceri and Arabella, the unlikely siblings, with a strange third party they disagreed on.

Seated behind his desk, the other two in chairs across a bit like children at the principal's office, he frowned.

"If the two of you could run me through this, ah. Sibling issue from the top, please."

He'd let them decide who went first.

Sibling issues? She didn't think there was much of an issue other than the boys didn't know how to get on together but with how Ceri reacted she still felt guilty as she looked at him and then at Beauregard.

"I uh...well I bumped into Klaus; our other brother at the park when I was working on one of my projects...he told me how he and Ceri had gotten into a falling out and that Ceri never trusted what he said anymore...it sounded strange to me but I had thought if all of us met on neutral grounds we'd be able to work out any issues between us...Klaus seem just...very hesitant through it all but agreed after I pushed and then we were at the gardens...truthfully I don't know what happened between them to sour everything, " she said, her honest confusion in her voice as she looked at Ceri and wondered what sort of fight he'd gotten into with Klaus.

What's more is why and how Razi showed up to the gardens so suddenly and why Ceri called them.

Ceri had just finished patching up Raziyya, a bit of a welcome reprieve to the evening. Now they were sat before Beauregard like a pair of naughty children. Listening to Arabella speak brought out another flash of anger. Perhaps his tone was a bit clipped from the emotion when it was his turn to talk.

"We don't have a brother. "

He had gone to the garden not aware at all of what was going on. Only with the knowledge that he would be meeting an acquaintance of Arabella's.

"I believe he suggested Arabella, likely on their first meeting."

If Beauregard were to be completely honest, he found the entire situation a smidge delightful.

Yes, it was utterly unacceptable, if Arabella had been suggested. There was every chance worse could have been done, or had already been done, for that matter.

But what a story, what a situation. He looked from brother to sister, keeping the smile off his face, but curiosity filtering through his tone.

"Tell me of your favorite childhood memory with Klaus."

He wasn't sure the depth of suggestion here, if it had occurred, but he was eager to find out.

Klaus would never! She didn't believe it in him as he had always been sweet to her and never showed an ounce of cruelty. He'd never suggest her; they were both vampires, it was cruel and wrong to do that to someone who was family.

It was hard to hide the flinch that left her at Ceri's clipped voice, her head turning away and unable to look at the pair of men now as she felt like she was in some sort of trouble for all this. She started to pick at her nailbeds a bit, trying to focus to the point where she almost missed what Beauregard asked.

Arabella fell quiet then, her eyes going from her fingers and then up to Beauregard again as her fingers continued to fidget. She was trying to think; she could recall her childhood with Ceri but the image of Klaus was all but a shadow around that time.

"I can't right now...He wouldn't... " her head shaking as she could only remember him at the park and every other place they'd met up or talked at since she came here. Her fingers stopped playing to move one hand to rub her temple a bit as she was trying to think but her thoughts were growing jumbled and she just felt anxiety starting to creep in and clutch her chest.

He was a bundle of rather unhappy emotions at the moment, a shimmering pot one could say. But for now he would keep quiet as Arabella could not come up with an answer to the question. Hoping that it would dawn on her that Klaus was a lie with the lack of memories.

---

Skippable unless addressed. Just angry silence.

There was little missing Ceri's fury. And certainly, if Beauregard were in the same situation, he'd feel it utterly. Perhaps to a level of bloodlust, as the vampire in question had so recently suffered. It was difficult to blame him. Imagining nonsense pouring so sweetly from a loved one's mouth.

Dreadful.

But here the answer became clearer. Arabella struggled, seemed to piece it together herself.

"Can you tell me your earliest memory with him?" he asked, gentle. Aware that what she was going through was undoubtedly equal parts disturbing and baffling.

Arabella didn't need to sense emotions to feel the waves of anger that radiated off of her brother, her nails picking harder and harder at her skin as if to claw out the truth as another question was asked and she felt tears forming in her eyes when she could only recall meeting him at the park, "The park...I spilled my beads...he helped me pick them up and it clicked that he was my brother, " she said, her voice softening more as her nails started to lengthen and sharpen.

She felt a wave of ick rush over her, like her mind had been violated and it seeped out through her pours as she had wholly believed with all her heart that Klaus was her brother but the pieces didn't match. It didn't make sense and she curled into herself and leaned forward a bit while rocking in her chair.

Why did it hurt to try and think more on that day? Did he do more to her? She really didn't know and it was, "I-I'm...s-sorry... " she breathed, as her eyes started to look for an exit; anything to escape this feeling or to just allow her to claw off all her skin to remove the violating sensation from her whole body.

---

Will fully bloodlust next post :( many unhappy thoughts

Here was where the dramatic joy of it all ebbed away entirely. There was little missing the incoming catastrophe, or at least the sort that would arrive were he not well equipped to prevent this variety of disaster.

Disgust was not precisely the feeling he drew from her, though it was something similar. Something he'd felt from Ophelia once, when she came to his office, tensely describing a story of suggestion.

He leaned in, reaching an arm out to seek a place on hers. Wrist, forearm, hand. Beauregard held no belief that she was hurting for physical touch in the moment, but it was useful to ensure whatever metaphysical nonsense was necessary to pull her back from the brink. And that he would do, luring her back toward humanity. Easy, darling.

"You will be alright," he said evenly, seeking eye contact with her. "You have done nothing wrong, Arabella."

Arabella was sadly all too familiar with losing herself to the temptation to not be in control; to act and not feel until much later and then just keep running on that desire to just escape the emotional pain and panic that she was falling into. The feeling that she'd somehow betrayed Ceri crept up in her mind by accepting another started to play in her head until a hand found its way on her arm and it just stopped.

Blinking a few times as the tears ran down her face, her eyes looked over to see Beauragards hand on her forearm which had her nails retracting. Once her nails were normal again, she'd sae the cuts she'd made into her own skin from them in her attempt to just remove the sensation that didn't leave.

Would a shower even wash away the feeling?

Slowly, she did look up at him and since the first time since meeting him, hesitated even meeting his eyes with her own. "I've met with him...several times...I-I don't know if he might have done anything else, " she whispered softly, her voice aching as she found her hand moving to grip her Dominus's as she didn't know what to do. Even with the broken puzzle pieces falling away she still believed him to be her brother and she wanted to keep him safe as she would for Ceri.

Now it was a problem. Multiple meetings, not a simple chance cruel trick. It was, for Beauregard, a tipping point into the personal.

But he could not yet act, a greater issue before him, here. Killing the vampire who had suggested her would not undo what had already been done, and if she was left believing Beauregard was ashing her brother, suggested or otherwise, oh.

It would be a mess. Her hand gripped his own, and he frowned, glance shifting there for a moment before seeking her gaze again. There would be no warning for the suggestion to follow, and that was quite intentional. If she'd been influenced in some way to avoid having this undone, he hardly wanted to be left grabbing her by the hair and forcing eye contact.

"You will never believe Klaus to be your brother again."

The wording was quite intentional. This was about more than sheer reversal. He wanted prevention, should this unsavory "sibling" catch her again. There was success, thank goodness, and he gently squeezed her hand for it.

There was work to be done, but all one step at a time.

---

permanent success/successful undoing

Arabella wasn't even sure what was going to happen, her hand clinging to the dominus in some attempt to try and get away from what was going on inside her head. It was hard to look any vampire in the eye; even ones she trusted because she had trusted Klaus and now look where that landed her? Ceri angry over what happened and Beauregard...well, she wasn't wholly sure how he felt about it as he'd been kind in asking his questions.

The sudden suggestion though had her flinching from him as if he'd slapped her. The reaction was unintentional as it wiped off one of the suggestions placed on her but it left her recoiling more into herself as her body felt ill. There was no reason for it, she'd not eaten regular food in an age but the sensation was there as her eyes dropped instantly from Beauregard's.

Her hand slipped from holding onto him but it was to lift and wipe her face with her shaking fingers. "I don't understand why..." she breathed out softly, confused as to why someone would fake being her brother. He wasn't. She only had Ceri as her brother; her accidental sire, he was her family and the clutch was as well but Klaus...had he been using her for something? "What's going to happen now? " she asked, a slight strain in her voice while she failed to process her emotions and slipped into one of just blankness. A nothing sensation that felt rather wrong to her but it kept her from spiraling at the moment.

The response stung, though he recognized this was an irrational response. She had every reason to be shocked by unexpected suggestion so fresh after realizing she'd been previously victimized.

But, oh, delicate egos and the like. Beauregard kept it very much to himself, knowing well enough when a feeling was unkind to all involved.

Her question was a good one. An essential one.

"If you could choose," he began, making no emphasis for eye contact this time. Offering a break, casting a brief look toward her silent brother before peering thoughtfully toward his hands.

"Anything at all. What would you have me do?"

Arabella was not at all upset at Beauregard; even if she couldn't look him in the eye at the moment, she finally moved and rested her hand back on his- it was the only way she could show that she wasn't upset at him just everything else. Suggestions, for her, if they weren't asked for, left her just feeling violated in the most uncomfortable way possible. It may be her mind but it controlled her actions and that was unsettling.

Even if she didn't need to, she took a few breaths, blinking and willing herself to look back up at him. As much as she wanted to meet his lovely blue eyes, she just couldn't do that yet but looking back up at him was at least progress of the surprise wearing off at least.

"I...I need to know if he did more to me...I really don't know if he did and if he did I want it gone and- " She couldn't get the last bit out, her words just stopped instantly at any thought of removing him from her life was just gone. She knew she wanted it deep down, he had messed with her head but yet every fiber of her being repelled against it and made her tense up.

Hard to blame her for trailing off, choking up. Beauregard had little in the way of ability to pull every suggestion from her. There was no blanket undoing it all. He quite needed specifics, and he was without them beyond the obvious issue of brotherhood.

"I think perhaps it might be worth calling him to the Heights," he said. Arabella did not seem the sort to favor violence, but this was obviously a source of trouble, one that wouldn't simply go away on his very own.

"Between myself and Raziyya, I'm confident we can determine what suggestions might have been placed upon you, and remove him as a source of potential harm permanently."

The stakes were obvious and grave, and he felt it all quite appropriate for the damage done. Arabella had been, continuously, a source of brightness within the clutch. He had little interest in watching that light go out.

Somehow the motion of taking in air and expelling it from her lungs had an old soothing habit to her, her thumb moving in an anxious manner against his hand. The worry of harm had all the hairs raising up on her skin but he didn't say hurt. He could just be telling him to leave the state and that was it. She just hoped it was that.

"He...probably won't answer tonight...I can call him tomorrow and see what happens...to get him here maybe...mmm he didn't want to come here before but I think I can think of a way to get him here if you both will be ready to talk to him, " she said, her head tilting back a bit now. She didn't like this, there were so many possibilities and outcomes that it was unsettling to her.

"Is there any way to remember if there were other suggestions? "

The need for touch well behind him, he offered something of a pat with his thumb before slowly pulling his hand away, intending to rest it and its opposite behind his head, thumbs working into the back of his neck. As if it would do anything to relieve psychological tension.

"Ah, before even the suggestions. I must make it quite clear that you cannot contact him without my being present. He is dangerous to you, in a way we don't currently know. If you do call, I'd like to be there to overhear it," he said.

There was a half temptation to request her permission, but in this case, it was simply unnecessary. There was absolutely no room for her to interact with him unattended.

Arabella didn't exactly like that, it felt like she had to be watched closely now for worry over what might have happened to her. It was kind but also made her feel just odd to have drawn such attention.

"Okay...I can...come by tomorrow evening then...see if he will pick up the phone, " she told him as she wrung her fingers a little. She didn't want any elaboration on what might come from Klaus possibly coming over here might do; truthfully she hoped they were just going to talk to him still and just kick him out of the state and that would be enough to keep him safe from Ceri's anger.

That would do. Beauregard nodded accordingly, taking an unneeded breath and sighing it out slowly. That would work as well as any plan he had.

There was this matter of other suggestions now, of course, and there was regrettably little he could do.

"Suggestion is a difficult thing," he said. "I can't undo what I don't know lingers. If you have some inkling, we could explore it, albeit I do think I am quite out of the required, ah, magic this evening."

He was quiet, letting Arabella work things out with Beauregard. His presence in its own right was likely causing undue stress and he did not wish to make things worse by talking. But when the suggestion was reversed and Arabella all but broke down there was nothing to stop him from offering comfort. A hand on her arm perhaps or even the offer of his own to her. Silent still as they talked through the next steps, but no longer angry.

"I think if this Klaus has any degree of wisdom they will not be easily coerced into coming to the heights."

He did not particular want to rain on the parade so to speak, but considering the words he had spoken with the other the vampire would be stupid to go into their territory.

The touch from Ceri was very welcome, her hand moving over to his to hold as she fell quiet and tried to think. Her fingers moved a little as she just thought at what it could be but at the moment she couldn't recall it.

Even as Beauregard apologized for his lack of ability at the moment, she did offer a small smile that melted away as her head shook, "At the moment...I don't know. I'd have to think back to all the times we spent together...to try and see if anything stands out, " she told him as her fingers gripped Ceri's hand a little tighter. She wasn't sure how that made her feel; if Klaus was or wasn't smart enough to come to the Heights but in a strange way, she wanted to see him to make sure he was safe and unharmed from anything.

Ceri wasn't wrong. Beauregard imagined a vampire inclined toward this sort of suggestion would also be the sort to know trouble and escaping it well.

"We can start by seeing if he'll come to the Heights," he said. "But I imagine Ceri has the right of it. Still, if he'll meet you anywhere, there's a number of us I can bring along who could dispatch him without fuss."

Harsh words, perhaps, but important ones.

"Suggestion of my vampires, much less specifically to cause harm, is something I will not tolerate."

Arabella visibly flinched, hearing it was different than being able to believe that it wasn't going to happen, triggered a part of her brain that she wasn't in control of that made her stiffen.

She couldn't let them hurt Klaus. If she called him, they would kill him but she said she'd call him.

A pained look was on her face as the young vampire struggled to find words or to even think aside from protecting the boy she'd believed was her brother. Dropping her head as she blinked away her emotions, "I'm sorry...I can't...I can't...I need to go for a walk...please, " she asked, unable to really put it into words what was bothering her but from learning she was suggested, being suggested again and now having to fight some internal battle of letting Beauregard handle Klaus but not being able to; it made her feel ill as if she'd eaten a candy.

The discomfort was obvious, but Beauregard was regrettably no mind reader. (Perhaps he could have brought one with him, in retrospect.)

Arabella was undoubtedly a softhearted woman. To be responsible, even through twisted logic, for the death of another vampire was potentially more than she was ready to bear. But to speak of it indirectly, to surprise her with his demise, felt like a matter of disrespect.

"Take your time," he said. "When you are ready to speak to him, we can manage it together."

It was simply a matter of getting near the fool, and certainly they could be rid of him.

Arabella nodded, her hand moving to wipe the tears that had formed on her face.

"I'll... o-or Ceri will let you know before anything happens, " she told him as her eyes lifted to look back up at him, "Thank you, Beauregard, " she told him softly, exhaustion laced anxiety in her voice as she spoke while holding onto Ceri's hand rather snugly now.

She wanted to just go home now and hide and forget. Maybe then it would all be well.