99 bottles of wine on the wall....

Kem had meandered out along the beach again, not in quite as bad a mood as he'd been in the other night, but still not exactly perky. He'd turned to head back up the hill toward home, but a movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention and pulled it to a lone figure sitting on the beach.

He paused.

Whoever it was probably wanted to be left alone.

Step, step...

But then again, Kem had wanted to be left alone the other night as well. And look where that had almost gotten him.

Pause.

Moments of indecision warred with each other as a chill wind rose. Something about the silhouetted figure further caught Kem's eyes. Hair, long, dark hair. It was fluttering loose in the wind, and the sight triggered recognition. There was only one person he'd ever seen hanging around with hair like that - although he didn't know him well at all, he'd seen Artemis Bellezone on occasion.

But what was he doing out here in the cold on the sand?

With a definite sense of deja vu Kem approached Artemis, standing beside him and looking out at the ocean. Definitely deja vu.

"A wise man once told me that freezing your ass off in the sand isn't really the best remedy for your problems."

Artemis lifted his head slightly at the sound of the voice. He was too drunk and grumpy to be startled or to care about being startled.

"hmph. Your wise man obviously never tried it. Doing nothing is a plan. And the one favored by the older and wiser population apparently."

He finally looked over at the man who had spoken. The other man looked like an older version of Alfarinn. Kem. Great just great. I am in no mood to play match maker. He was also fairly certain he didn't want to give two cents for who the wise man spouting drivel was. Aishe, and now Kem by default, only reminded Artemis of why he had become a vampire. They forced him to think about the whole complicated mess. If there had been an anniversary song, he would have sarcastically began singing it about now.

Kem nodded in response to Artemis, although he wasn't sure if he saw. He continued to look out at the ocean, unsure about staying. Half of him wanted to give the man the privacy he so obviously desired, and the other half of him wanted to prod until whatever was bothering him spilled out. If there was one thing Kem could sympathize with, it was having your own issues bog you down. Granted, he was no empath, but what other reason would one have for hanging out here like this?

"Most of the time I'd agree with you. But if what you're doing out here - or not doing out here - is anything like how I ended up in the same position a few nights ago, then the two of us would give lie to the fact that older is synonymous with wiser."

In his head, he sighed with the irony of his being the one to offer any sort of advice whatsoever. Ah well, that was academic. He was here, and Artemis was here, and regardless of who knew what, they were both Evenhet and therefore family, of sorts.

With a resigned shrug he sat down on the beach as well, not too close but not so far that he would have trouble hearing anything over the gentle slap of the waves.

"I'm hardly the one to offer advice, but believe me. It doesn't get any better for holding it all in."

Had he really sat out here for hours the other night? The sand was cold!

Artemis looked over at Kem and raised a long dark eyebrow before turning his attention back to the water. It is bad to freeze your ass off in the sand for your own problems, but apparently it was ok to do so when tormenting someone else. He released a long tired sigh. Fine, if Kem wanted to know, he would tell him. no doubt Kem's solution would be the same as everyone else's. Do nothing. artemis picked up a shell and tossed it hard into the water. Deep within his heart he might understand the reasoning, but that didn't ease the rising guilt within him.

" It is my wedding anniversary. Or near enough. With the changing of the seasons and time, it is hard to be exact anymore. We were wed just after the winter solstice celebration. And just before I was drafted to war. Her name was Cyrene after the water nymph. We fell in love not long after her family came to shore from Capri. She could have chosen any man for a husband. Why she chose one that could not form a coherent sentence I will never know."

He stopped there, lost in the past. A small sad smile crossed his features as he thought about their brief courtship.

Kem blandly ignored the look Artemis gave him, drawing his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around them, tucking his hands into the sleeves of his heavy pullover. He could be patient, if he didn't freeze to the sand first.

Finally Artemis sighed, throwing a shell into the water. Kem glanced at him as he began to speak, watching his moonlit face. There must be much more to this tale; Artemis couldn't have given him any more than the tip of the iceberg.

"Your anniversary... she sounds like a wonderful woman. Why would her memory seem to haunt you so?"

He hadn't quite intended to say that out loud but he was curious. His own wife, Sennwy, he remembered with nothing but warmth. It wasn't the thought of her that upset him, but what he had done to her himself. So, by association, Artemis must have something more to say. He couldn't imagine that the mere thought of his wife could drive the man into such a mood.

"And why question your own worth? You said you were both in love. It's a very powerful emotion. Well-suited to the disregard of trivialities such as being able to speak coherently."

Disregard for whether your loved one was a vampire, too, he thought as Aishe popped unbidden into his mind. Perhaps he and Artemis had something in common. He waited quietly for Artemis to continue the tale.

Artemis looked around him, with minimal effort. There were no more shells or bits of glass within reach for him to throw. With only clumps of sand available, he would have to start acting his age, or at least closer to it. it was part avoidance and part need to keep his hands busy that prompted him to start sculpting a mound of sand in the space between himself and Kem. Half turned as he now was, more of his hair was blown in the direction of the water. Artemis took it as a sign that he was sobering up as he noted how much trouble it was going to be to wash the wet sand from his hair.

He had been expecting Kem's next question. what caught him off guard was the effect it had on him. His hands froze over the mound of sand for a moment before resolutely continuing their work. It wasn't a question that could be answered by the retelling of a single event.

" Cyrene was one of the most beautiful women in our town. She was also quite patient. she would have to be, married to me as she was. After my time at war, I returned home. hailed as a hero no less. Her patience was severely tested then, as I also returned broken."

Thinking of that time did little to improve his mood. Cyrene had waited for him to come to his senses and to her. For the first couple of weeks after his return, he spent most of his time working himself to exhaustion by fixing everything in town that needed fixing. hindsight being what it was, that was probably what had drawn attention to himself. Still, Cyrene waited either in the kitchen or sewing by the fire. Artemis could still picture her sitting there with needle and thread singing. She was always singing. when they were in town, he could always track her down by listening for her voice. Hindsight again said that that was probably what drew attention to her as well. When Artemis finally went to his wife, he told her what had happened. She and Alfarinn were the only ones who truly knew. Cyrene had listened, and she had let him weep for his fallen friends, for the men he himself had killed, and for the senselessness of all of it.

Artemis shook himself from the memory. what had happened during the war, the ambush and his role in the aftermath, was not something he was willing to share. Looking down at his creation, he gave it a rueful smile. It was starting to resemble a car, though currently it seemed more suited to the Flintstone era than anything modern. He continued working as he skipped over the war discussion and went on to what happened afterwards.

" When I finally came to myself, she told me of a new nobleman that had taken up residence a day's ride out from our own land. From her tone it was clear that the man had taken an interest. I assured her everything would be fine now that her husband had returned. Normally it would be. My father was a war hero before me. We had a closet full of pretty cloaks in my family," his voice was dripping with sarcasm as he finished the last statement. " With the vineyard, only a fool would have caused trouble. A nobleman that far out from Rome had to be minor. This made it even less likely that there would be trouble now that I had returned."

Artemis paused and let Kem catch up. He half wondered if the other man would make the connection. Silently he focused on his sandmobile, and smoothed the hood a bit more.

The floodgates were slowly opening, apparently. Artemis' story touched a raw nerve for Kem, perhaps because although his wasn't exactly the same, he could truly understand the emotions involved thus far.

He simply listened without interrupting as Artemis spoke, nodding every now and then. As the man's capable hands began making a mound in the sand between them, Kem tilted his head to get a better look, but kept his arms wrapped around his knees.

The things Artemis mentioned, like returning home broken for one, weren't that far-off for Kem either. They might have come about the feeling in different ways, but it seemed that at least Kem wasn't the only Evenhet who couldn't seem to get beyond his past.

He sensed that there was a great deal being left out of Artemis' story, but he certainly didn't expect every bitter detail from someone he hardly knew. However, he couldn't help but wonder what more must have happened. Artemis' tone of voice and choice of words belied the fact that everything 'should have been' all right after his return home. Obviously, that hadn't been the case.

He cleared his throat softly when Artemis paused. "So... I'm assuming this nobleman continued to be a problem..."

Kem's curiosity was piqued. Awkward as he felt being the listener, odd as it was to pry, he was caught up in wondering what about this person had contributed to the way Artemis was feeling right now.

Artemis almost snorted at Kem's last question. The poor man didn't know he had just crowned himself the king of understatements. Artemis deftly rounded a corner on the front of his sculpture. It now looked like the front end of his second most favorite toy, MARI being the first.

" If he continued to make public advances, Cyrene never told me. He was however not quite through with us. I became the object of his interest."

The pause was pointed, allowing the statement take its full effect. In a gesture reminiscent of Alfarinn, Artemis bowed his head allowing his face to be shadowed by his hair. The slight twitch at the corner of his mouth was completely hidden by this display of embarrassment.

" I was courted with all manner of complements and courtesy. I believe now that I probably could have asked for anything and it would have been given to me. Provided I fulfilled this man's desire. I am one who tries to be honorable. I am also overly honest, or so I have been told. I could not do as he asked."

He did not look up as he paused in his story to shape the roof of the car. Looking out towards the water, he watched the waves for a moment.

" I was....propositioned."

Artemis reached to scoop up some more wet sand. This he placed near his work so that he might add the extra sand as needed. He ran a flat hand over the top, further smoothing the roof. Satisfied, he began focusing on the sides.

" He had heard of my many talents. The offer he proposed was to further fund my winery so that I might expand. In return, all I had to do was...."

Artemis again paused, as he pulled his long hair out of the way.

" invent a machine that would allow the man to become one of the greatest musicians. Naturally this in not possible. And, 1500 years ago it could not be faked either."

A very small ghost of a smile crept across his features. The first all evening. Artemis was quite twisted when overly inebriated.

Kem was very glad for the darkness, for the more Artemis spoke, the more he had to work to conceal the astounded look on his face over what sounded like a sexual proposition. How... disturbing.

It was only a little later when Artemis finally mentioned the nature of the man's desire when he realized he hadn't meant anything of the sort.

Gods. What gutter had Kem's mind crawled into? Artemis was speaking of an innocent musical invention and Kem was thinking dirty thoughts. He stifled a little groan, appalled at what he figured must be another low point for himself, and managed a stilted nod at the other Evenhet.

He completely missed Artemis' smile, or he might have realized he'd been led to think that way. Instead, he stared out at the ocean himself, wondering what sort of man this nobleman was, wanting the impossible. What point was there to such selfish desire? Particularly music... it was a thing from within. No machine, no creation could make a man a musician.

"But such an unreasonable request," he said, trying to understand the mysterious nobelman's motives, "why make it at all? Why demand such a thing? And what made him think he had the right to demand it of you?"

Certainly there was so much more to be told. Kem turned to Artemis after asking that question, as if he could probe the man's expression with his eyes and get the answers.

The smile faded into a bitter grimace as Artemis turned his face upward toward the stars. It was a humorless scowl, full of dark hatred. Such emotion was unusual for him, so to those who knew him its presence now would have been even more poignent. This was another Artemis. This was the man who could, who had slaughtered anything that moved in a fit of blind rage. Closing his eyes he breathed deep, relying on the techniques Mai had taught him long ago. When his opened and he looked at Kem, he was calm but there was still a touch of hardness.

" This man....Let's just say he was the type to play the fiddle while Rome burned."

He looked down, and returned to work on the forgotten sand. Artemis remained busy for a long moment. Artemis continued to work the sand as he spoke.

" After the request was made, I answered him quite honestly and rather bluntly. I told him that science could not give a man a talent that he did not naturally posses. He did not take it well."

Before him, the mound of sand, like his story, was beginning to take shape. with each delicate stroke of his fingers it began to resemble a Delorean. Likewise, with each phrase the story was beginning to resemble the horrors of his past. As the climax neared, Artemis found himself wavering. The images of what he saw flashing unbidden into his mind. All this time and he still could not forget it. The words that followed were hollow, broken, a whisper.

" There isn't much use in a winery if you do not sell the wine. I went into town and a few of the outer farms. I was gone for two days. When I returned.....When I returned, Cyrene was dead."

Kem watched as Artemis' face passed through a range of emotions that wasn't completely foreign to him. There was, in his own history, a gap of time before joining Evenhet that he rarely spoke about, a period he was not proud of, when the anger that crossed Artemis' features had been too often on his own as well. He watched it work its way out, as Artemis seemed to control it with commendable restraint.

It was when he mentioned the death of his wife that Kem truly understood, in full, the emotions Artemis must still experience over it. And even so, even knowing how it felt himself, the responsbility and guilt that came with the death of a loved one, he still couldn't think of anything to say that didn't sound forced.

He was quiet for a few moments, absorbing the story, drawing conclusions and making guesses, some of which he then posed to Artemis.

"Who was this 'nobleman', then? Is he still alive?" It only made sense, to him, to assume there was a vampire involved; Artemis hadn't mentioned it until now, but as far as Kem was aware he was still human at the time of his wife's death. So, more of Artemis' story remained to be told, but Kem was starting to assemble the pieces to get the whole picture.

Artemis paused his sculpting and looked at Kem. He couldn't say that telling his story had made him feel any better. There had been no cathartic release thus far. Still, he had started the tale, he might as well finish it.

" When I said that he was the type to play a fiddle while Rome burned, that is because that is exactly what he did. He was Nero. Though you may have also heard him referred to as Sorin."

Artemis completed the sand model of his Delorean. With his index finger he wrote off to the side 'Zonemobile'. Without any other distractions, he had no choice but to continue with the story.

" After I buried my wife, I naturally went after the one responsible. When I reached his land, I destroyed everything in my path. I didn't get very far. I was stopped by the insurmountable force known as Morrigan."

Looking at the ground in front of him, he considered making a model of his other car. deciding against it, he again turned his attention to the water. There were times when he would have liked to walk out into the sea and keep going. Artemis chided himself for being so morbid and for the fact that the long walk wouldn't have done him a bit of good anyway.

" I was offered the strength to avenge my wife. I accepted without question or hesitation."

Kem had remained still while Artemis spoke. Now the names were familiar to him. Sorin... he'd heard of Sorin. It was a name that was spoken on par with that of Ellis. And Morrigan, too, he had heard of. So Artemis had been turned by her... interesting. Intentionally, and for the purpose of revenge.

He couldn't say he might not have done the same if he'd been in Artemis' shoes, as disagreeable to violence as he usually was. Once more he recalled the first few hundred years of his own life, when he'd truly been a monster in every sense of the word. He could understand Artemis' desire for revenge; it sounded as though he'd truly loved Cyrene. And any love so strong that it lasted beyond life, into undeath, was bound to have an effect on the actions of the one who felt it.

Kem regarded the other man for a few moments. The story was so different from his, but it touched the same nerve. He stretched his legs out in front of him, leaning back on his hands now and staring up at the sky.

"We all bear our crosses and wear our scars differently," he finally said, voice softer than he'd intended. He raised it a bit. "So Sorin still lives. Have you changed your mind, then, about revenge? And is this what Cyrene would have wanted - a lifelong quest for vengeance? Or would she have wished you well instead?"

His quiet questions weren't judgmental; rather, he was more interested in why Artemis, so obviously driven to revenge his wife, had come to be what he was today. Why wait so long? Why change his mind, if that was what he'd done? Why join Evenhet? It was almost as if the more Artemis said, the more questions were revealed.

Artemis turned toward the water and pulled his legs to him. he was again sitting in the position that he had been when Kem arrived. The questions kem asked brought about a conflict of emotion. There was the part of him that remained bitter that his quest was still unfullfilled. But he also understood the reasons he had been stopped. artemis laughed quietly at himself, he had somehow managed to find himself a new family and friends inspite of himself. When all else failed, they were there to tackle and sit on him until he saw reason.

" I doubt he ever told you, but Alfarinn and I were friends before I was turned. He found me dazed and confused after a battle. I was the only one who survived on either side. Alfarinn had been fighting for the other side. He had no reason not to kill me other than I must have looked rather pathetic. Somewhere along the line he decided to befriend a reluctant warrior and I decided the tall blonde kid that knew far too much for his own good wasn't that bad either."

Again Artemis did not go into the details of that battle or the ambush that had preceded it. When Artemis and those he was with were ambushed, his friends were killed. In a rage over the loss of his friends, he had slaughtered the attackers. It was afterwards, when he saw what he had done that he became the broken man that returned to Cyrene. As far as Artemis remembered and comprehended what he had been told, Alfarinn had gone in search of the group that had not returned to base. Instead he found Artemis and managed to pull out of him what had happened and to restore him enough that artemis was able to return home. Trying to explain to Cyrene why the enemy would be visiting for the winter was a conversation that he never got to have. Alfarinn and Morrigan were just two among a mismatched group of friends and 'family' that refused to let him get himself killed.

" To answer your next question, no he did not tell me what he was until after I had been turned. To answer your previous question, no I have not changed my mind I still want Sorin very much dead. It is Alfarinn and Morrigan, among others, that stop me."

Artemis watched the waves roll in. His mood was improving slightly. Thinking about his friends and family had mellowed him. He continued to gaze out toward the horizon while he spoke to Kem.

" Do you know what happens when a vampire kills another vampire, in particular and elder?"

Kem raised his brows at that. Then again, Artemis probably didn't realize that Kem had well over a centuries' worth of years behind him either. They'd never really had occasion to meet in the past, even in spite of being from the same clan. And of course, Kem's joining Evenhet was more recent than Artemis'.

Kem simply nodded and replied, "Indeed. Revenge is an emotion that often transcends reason, however. It's admirable that you've controlled it so well throughout the years."

He had to wonder, though... Artemis bore a hatred for Sorin that had lasted for centuries. Although the question was hypocritical, how could the man move on when he still bore such a burden? And in the eventuality that he had his revenge, what would he do with himself afterward? Kem realized the parallels as they applied to his own situation, for like Artemis he also dwelled upon the events of the past. He didn't want to sound like he was prying too far, but here was someone who dealt with similar issues as he did, and Kem very greatly wanted to enjoy his life rather than dwell on death.

"How then, do you manage to reconcile your desire for vengeance with your life now? What is it that you live for?"

He was openly curious, for there must be some very positive things in Artemis' life that kept him thinking with reason rather than emotion.

The look Artemis gave Kem was somewhat quizzical. It hovered between not being sure he heard right and being amazed the question was asked.

" If anything were reconciled, I wouldn't be sitting here freezing my ass off on the cold sand as you so aptly put it."

Artemis offered a sardonic smile to no one in particular. There were plenty of times when he was ready to go all out to kill Sorin and not care about the consequences. If he killed Sorin the other elders would have no choice to kill him in return.

" I lost everything that was important to me when Cyrene died. If I died in the process of avenging her death it wouldn't have mattered to me. But apparently it would matter to others. Somewhere along the line I discovered that I cared how they felt. It wasn't all white lights and shiney hope, but it was enough to convince me to wait until a less detrimental opportunity presented itself."

Over the years, the others became more than just sanity for him. He enjoyed his friends and 'family', his lab, making and breaking things. A life almost normal. He didn't mind living and he was in no particular hurry to die. Artemis knew Sorin would get what was coming to him eventually. So long as he was there to do it or to smirk when it happened he would be happy. So why was he sitting out here freezing his ass off in the sand?

Kem decided Artemis was a study in contradictions. Constantly wanting revenge but being convinced to wait it out, he had managed to keep the desire burning without letting it consume him... or rather, being willing to listen to reason when it did, it seemed.

"There is something to be said for good friends," Kem said in agreement when Artemis mentioned caring how they felt. "I'm fairly certain I'd be far worse off than I am without one or two of them."

He considered that a moment, but didn't exactly want to dwell on where he would be if not for Alfarinn's timely intervention several times over the years. Instead, he glanced down at the well-sculpted sand-car between the two of them.

"At least in this case, your introspection has led to the creation of the world's first sandmobile. If you're going to sit out on the freezing sand, you may as well do it with style."

Kem looked at the dark-haired vampire next to him. "I hope you get what you're looking for," he offered, not necessarily meaning Sorin's death. Perhaps there were other ways the man's drive for vengeance could be satisfied. "It's... difficult to move on when such things are constantly holding you back."

Although in Kem's opinion, Artemis had held up rather admirably throughout the years. According to what he'd heard tonight, Kem wasn't sure how he'd fare under the same circumstances.

" Guilt will do that to you. Real or otherwise I would imagine."

Artemis lay back and looked at the stars. He rested his head on hands having long given up on trying to reduce the amount of sand in his hair. Having actually talked things out, he realized a few things. Only one question really remained. Why on earth was he sitting out here?!

" I have been wondering why I am out here. For all appearances and as near as I can tell, I have been content with waiting. Doesn't mean I hate the bastard any less mind you, but I have all the time in the world to be patient."

He continued to stare at the sky. There was not much there that was going to give him any answers. Gas. Dust. Orbital junk. Vacuum. Sounded a bit like his lab, yet when considered it as the sum of its parts it was really something special. A beauty truly unique....

" Pak. It's all her fault. I was quite content in my miserable quest before she found my lab. Of course if she heard me say that, she would kill me....again."

Thinking of Pak made him smile in spite of himself. He had promised her wine and good company tomorrow after he had taken care of something. He hadn't really known what that something was then, only that he needed to face it. Now he knew, and that didn't make it any easier.

" How do you find happiness with one woman, when you have not avenged the other? How do you say goodbye?"

Women, Kem thought, listening to Artemis. It always came back to women. Why was that?

Not knowing Pak well at all, he couldn't do much more than speculate, but he did wince when Artemis asked,

He gave a weak shrug of his shoulders at that. "If you ever find out, let me know," he mumbled. "All these years and I can't manage to do it myself. How many lifetimes gone by, and I haven't even begun to put it behind me, or make up for the things I did so horribly wrong back then."

He was trying to avoid dwelling on that topic, but things always seemed to come back to his past, and to Aishe as well. How was he ever supposed to move on? This line of thought was simply going to have him sinking back into a listless depression.

"As for sitting here on the sand, it seems we're both freezing our asses off needlessly. You're welcome to come back to my place if you like. Not much to entertain there, unless you're into gadgets and strange mechanical odds and ends. But it beats the hell out of cold sand and there's usually a decent bottle of wine around."

In truth, Artemis was only half listening to what Kem had said. Just enough to register that there were words spoken and they had some sort of meaning. The truly personal nature of his dilemma meant that ultimately he would have to resolve it in his own fashion. The mixture of love, loss, regret, not to mention vengeance and hatred was not a combination that would be resolved quickly. He was slowly coming to realize that he had been given an abundance of what he truly needed - time. From his position on the sand, he turned his head in Kem's direction.

" Hmph. You're no help."

Some of Artemis's usual humor was returning. Kem had offered no solutions or grand revelations, but in forcing Artemis to talk about the past he forced Artemis to also think about it and what it truly meant for him. It was also becoming clear that Kem was not the one he needed to speak to on this mater. If you wanted to know how to say goodbye to a woman who had died, then you needed to speak to a woman who had....well died. He needed to talk to Pak. He owed her answers anyway, and perhaps he would find a few while he was at it. Along the same line of thinking, Artemis decided it was passed time he spoke with Morrigan, he had gone too long without checking in. Perhaps while he was visiting he could play a game of chase the stoat with Mai.

Artemis smiled at the fond memories as he sat up. It seems he had been slowly moving on all this time without realizing it. He couldn't say that he would pass on the opportunity to kill Sorin if it presented itself. In fact he still wanted the other vampire dead. That hadn't changed, nor was it ever likely to. What had changed was the peace he had made with waiting. The real trouble, he decided, was the inaction. He could not justify doing nothing to Cyrene's memory anymore than he could deny the foolishness of rushing headlong. Had he not just counselled Aishe to wait and to think things through? The time would come, even if it meant playing a bit of Sorin's own game in the meantime. Artemis shook his head, espionage and coy mind games were not his forte, he was far too honest and blunt for that. 'Hi, I'm Artemis I am here to spy, so tell me what you know.' No, he would have to gather information in his own way. He would learn what he could while waiting for the proper moment to act. Artemis now had a plan of action for while he was inactive.

Artemis took another look at the water. He did not have a wedding ring or any other symbol of love and marriage that he could throw out to sea in a grand gesture. He told himself, and the Cyrene that he kept in his heart, that he would have made the gesture if he could. Complete with a moving speech on love and devotion. A part of him would always love her, but he was now certain that the other women in his life would understand that.

" Well Kem, as much as I have not enjoyed this conversation I must say you are not pretty enough to solve my problems."

He gave the other man a good natured grin before standing up and brushing himself off. Reaching down, he offered a hand to help Kem up.

"Actually the weather isn't that bad. I am fairly accustomed to it as it isn't much different from Italy. Though perhaps you have the advantage when it comes to being accustomed to the 'sand in your shorts' aspect of beach sitting. O.k. let's go. You bribed me with toys so that we could leave the beach, now you have to make good."

(ooc: Artemis out)