Gaze on the sunburst

The smoke begins to rise
A sea of staring eyes
Gaze on the sunburst

Bob Seger- Bring On the Night

We were in the livingroom of the house, having drinks and chatting. The tone of the tale unfolding before us was more complex than any we had seen for a while, and I was more than worried as I sat back with my wine glass and wondered how our Vampires were fairing.

“So, Bill can’t daywalk,” said Barrister.
“Apparently not,” said Aolani. “When he is in the transcendental state in the alternate reality, he cannot seem to grasp what is real for him in one world and not real in our reality.”
“So he does not know what is real?” asked Len, seeking clarification.
“He understands what is real in whatever reality he is in, he just doesn’t know when it translates from world to world,” said Aolani. That seemed clarification enough for me, but Len just shrugged.
“There was a method to his madness, though, he had to find out if he could day walk. Then the solution was right in front of him, he could just siphon off his blood and give it to his friends and allies in his world and they would be protected too,” I said.
“But did he have to have his ass completely in the wind? Couldn’t he have just stuck his big toe out to test it?” asked Renee. I nodded.
“But he was so sure, he had faith he could do it. She said to trust what he saw,” I said. “But when he wasn’t immune he went to Sookie, the only other creature he had ever drunk from that allowed him to be in the sun for any amount of time.”

“She had that coming, but still he was a little rough on her,” said Aolani. “The best he could have done was at least ask her some questions and explain what the trouble is.”
“Sookie is just done with him,” said Barrister.
“Bill might have been rough with her, but he could have done worse,” said Renee. We all nodded, we knew he could have just forced her, but he didn’t. Maybe that meant there was some hope.
“He was sort of a scary prick though,” I said. Barrister looked at me. “Well, he was. I’m not taking up for Sookie, but now he is sniffing Andy’s faerie children.”
“Yeah, this will not get Bill invited to the Bellefleur family reunion anytime soon,” said Minnie. Aolani filled my wine glass again. “And then the law is abusing their extended powers. You know they know something weird is going with Alcide and the pack.”

“That boy has got to be the sorriest excuse for a pack master ever,” said Len, a werewolf himself with the Moon Singer pack. “Everyone in the community is talking about it.”
“Is this because he didn’t snack on JB when he beat him?” asked Minnie.

“Maybe,” said Len. “And what the hell was Eric Northman thinking when he stole Willa Burrell?”
“I don’t think he was thinking much at all,” I said. “And Eric needs to give Ginger a mercy shag, maybe she would calm down a little and not scream so much.”
“Nah, she would scream,” said Barrister. “She’s a screamer.” I punched him on the arm and he made a face at me.
“Well, it was stupid for him to leave the phone around so anyone could pick it up and answer it,” said Aolani.
“And then Tara ran off with Willa,” said Minnie. “Wonder where she will take her?”
“Well, they could take her to Sookie’s. Eric’s cubby is sort of a dungeon,” I said. “She might take her to Lafayette, she probably thinks Sookie or LaLa owe her one.”

“Who are those Vampire Unity people and why aren’t there Vampires running around with them?” asked Renee. “And why are they fooling around with shifters and weres”
“I am with Sam, they should steer clear of them people,” said Aolani.
“What’s wrong with Jason?” asked Barrister, motioning for a cigarette. “It seems like either Niall’s moving from world to world, or the presence of Vampires is causing the hamster to change directions on the wheel.”
“I could not say, but I put money on it being Niall,” said Len.
“Mine too,” said Aolani.
“I believe it is Vampires,” said Barrister.
“I do too,” I said.
“Renee, you and Minnie want to be the tie breakers?” asked Len. They looked at each other and shrugged. “A three way tie, a definite who the hell knows.”

“Not us,” I said.
“Amen,” said Aolani.