Prompt: Trust
Faye wasn't afraid to trust people. The fact is, she didn't know how.
From a young age, she was exposed to the superficial world of the debutante. Faye didn't suffer the malicious attacks from popular girls, or the vicious rumor mills that circulated amongst her peers. Quite the contrary - she was always the one participating in these lively gossip sessions, twisting speculation into fact when another girl would come to her with any juicy tidbits on an agreed-upon enemy.
The fabulous thing was, people would be frothing at the mouth to come to her with the latest scandal - Faye would reward them with something to confirm whatever ridiculous rumor they heard was true. However, she would also come to them with 'concern' over a horrible rumor she heard about them - of course delivered in the same method.
And of course, that person would be shaken up, and determined to find out whatever dirt they could that would bury their flaws - and their insecurities - deep beneath the flaws of the other.
By the time Junior High came around, Faye's entourage of girl friends had been nurtured under an environment of gossip and back-stabbing - but fear kept them together. They were like a family - stuck with each other, but silently aware of each other's screw-ups, secrets, and weaknesses. If one of them dared to leave, the others would close in on her and ruin her utterly.
They all assumed that the other had dirt of Faye - but it could never be spoken of - none of them showed any sign contradicting loyalty to the leader of their group. After all, approach the wrong person about it, and word would definitely get back.
This was not friendship. This was a hierarchy, and Faye was on top. And she knew it, and she powered through High School and University - the girls would change, but they were essentially the same. They wanted to be part of something 'fun,' something 'sexy,' and something 'cool.' All Faye had to do was act as though she knew how to get that, and they would follow her like ducklings to a mother.
Even with her parents - from early childhood on to her teenage years, she would watch her mother be hospitable to guests and then complain about their oafish ways to the first person who would listen. Her father would shake hands and smile at businessmen and politicians, and the very next morning push legislation to put them out of business. She was taught early on that if you don't do it, someone will do it to you, so you always had to be one step ahead.
Vampires are liars. Not that human beings aren't - but there are far less redeeming qualities in a Kindred to neutralize that aspect of their nature. Moreso, there is less need for a solitary creature to pursue and nurture those redeeming qualities, and giving any particular individual insight into too much of your own personal truths gave them power in which to control you. Progress could not be made when someone was holding you in the shackles of your own imperfections.
"Just need someone you trust enough with your body and rhythm..."
"Trust?"
"You trust me."
"Is that a question or a declaration?"
"Trust me. It's big, but it'll be ok."
"Faye, I will show you how I feel, I will give you what you want... but you have to trust me. Do you trust me?"
"Until you give me reason not to"
Is this a game they play? Are they even capable of the very thing they ask for? Or perhaps they can because they think she is too stupid to know any better? Did they trust anyone, completely? Everyone has to trust the other to a minor extent, right? She had to trust her sire not to change his mind and eat her, or bind her to him. She had to trust Santos to teach her up in the ways of the Dragons, and not sacrifice her to some twisted experiment. She had to trust Chastity not to steal her man. She had to trust Amelia not to reclaim her Praxis on any given night. She had to trust Nate not to trick her in some way into threatening the State with his contradicting ideals. She had to trust Charles wouldn't see her place as a Meritocracy Prince as a trophy once conquered...
All these things required trust. Wasn't that good enough for them?
From a young age, she was exposed to the superficial world of the debutante. Faye didn't suffer the malicious attacks from popular girls, or the vicious rumor mills that circulated amongst her peers. Quite the contrary - she was always the one participating in these lively gossip sessions, twisting speculation into fact when another girl would come to her with any juicy tidbits on an agreed-upon enemy.
The fabulous thing was, people would be frothing at the mouth to come to her with the latest scandal - Faye would reward them with something to confirm whatever ridiculous rumor they heard was true. However, she would also come to them with 'concern' over a horrible rumor she heard about them - of course delivered in the same method.
And of course, that person would be shaken up, and determined to find out whatever dirt they could that would bury their flaws - and their insecurities - deep beneath the flaws of the other.
By the time Junior High came around, Faye's entourage of girl friends had been nurtured under an environment of gossip and back-stabbing - but fear kept them together. They were like a family - stuck with each other, but silently aware of each other's screw-ups, secrets, and weaknesses. If one of them dared to leave, the others would close in on her and ruin her utterly.
They all assumed that the other had dirt of Faye - but it could never be spoken of - none of them showed any sign contradicting loyalty to the leader of their group. After all, approach the wrong person about it, and word would definitely get back.
This was not friendship. This was a hierarchy, and Faye was on top. And she knew it, and she powered through High School and University - the girls would change, but they were essentially the same. They wanted to be part of something 'fun,' something 'sexy,' and something 'cool.' All Faye had to do was act as though she knew how to get that, and they would follow her like ducklings to a mother.
Even with her parents - from early childhood on to her teenage years, she would watch her mother be hospitable to guests and then complain about their oafish ways to the first person who would listen. Her father would shake hands and smile at businessmen and politicians, and the very next morning push legislation to put them out of business. She was taught early on that if you don't do it, someone will do it to you, so you always had to be one step ahead.
Vampires are liars. Not that human beings aren't - but there are far less redeeming qualities in a Kindred to neutralize that aspect of their nature. Moreso, there is less need for a solitary creature to pursue and nurture those redeeming qualities, and giving any particular individual insight into too much of your own personal truths gave them power in which to control you. Progress could not be made when someone was holding you in the shackles of your own imperfections.
"Just need someone you trust enough with your body and rhythm..."
"Trust?"
"You trust me."
"Is that a question or a declaration?"
"Trust me. It's big, but it'll be ok."
"Faye, I will show you how I feel, I will give you what you want... but you have to trust me. Do you trust me?"
"Until you give me reason not to"
Is this a game they play? Are they even capable of the very thing they ask for? Or perhaps they can because they think she is too stupid to know any better? Did they trust anyone, completely? Everyone has to trust the other to a minor extent, right? She had to trust her sire not to change his mind and eat her, or bind her to him. She had to trust Santos to teach her up in the ways of the Dragons, and not sacrifice her to some twisted experiment. She had to trust Chastity not to steal her man. She had to trust Amelia not to reclaim her Praxis on any given night. She had to trust Nate not to trick her in some way into threatening the State with his contradicting ideals. She had to trust Charles wouldn't see her place as a Meritocracy Prince as a trophy once conquered...
All these things required trust. Wasn't that good enough for them?