Vampire's Kiss 2/6? (Bennet/Claude, Teen)

[ninamusing]

Title: Vampire’s Kiss 2/6?
Author: nina_ds@ninamusing
Fandom: Heroes
Characters: Bennet/Claude, traces of Bennet/Sandra, Claude/Peter, Claude/various OCs, even a wee hint of possible-maybe Sandra/Claude; also Claire and, as requested, Mr. Muggles in a cameo
Rating: Teen
Challenge: written for brave_new_slash’s Morally Grey November, to prompts by hearsawho: “I'd love something set in the

Comments

[veetvoojagig]

Dude. Again, can't wait for more. This story has me on the edge of my seat. Well done!

[nina_ds]

Thank you! I'm hoping to work on it over Christmas. I've got some of the bits, it's trying to decide which order. Nonlinearity hath its privileges - and its problems.

[veetvoojagig]

Mmm. I can imagine. I've only done one story with any kind of major flashbacks, and they stayed linear. That was difficult enough.

I'm very impressed.

[runningondreams]

Whoa, Bennet is distracted if he's not involved enough in the family to remember the name of Sandra's dog. I think sometimes we forget that Bennet really can be a bastard, so nice job of revealing that side of him. I love that little tidbit about the ages- it's easy to forget, but I can totally see Claude playing that up, and *hee* a hint of Company!manipulation! *.* Also, the instant rapport between Claire and Claude even after 7 years? I am so looking forward to the fallout of that:D.

[nina_ds]

I think sometimes we forget that Bennet really can be a bastard, so nice job of revealing that side of him.

I'm glad that came across. To be honest, sometimes I think fandom gives Bennet too easy a time. I can never really forget the bastard part. With what he did to Sandra, shooting Claude, and failing to nurture Claire, I'm still not ready to forgive him, in large part because I don't see much, if any, remorse about it. It's very similar to my problems with the Tenth Doctor - I never believe him when he says he's sorry.

[runningondreams]

Bennet and fandom are odd sometimes- he is a bastard, and he has done terrible things, but he's also hypnotic. So's Claude for that matter, and we seem to forgive Claude pretty easily- possibly because he's martyred, in a way. But they've both done some pretty horrible things in the name of the greater good. On the other hand, I don't think forgiveness is really the way fandom treats it- it's a rare fic that doesn't have some mention of morally-grey going ons, and I think that's part of the appeal. They're truly complicated characters and we can't depend on them being good the way we might with Peter or someone like Monica or Micah (though I reallyreallyreally want some dark!Peter fic because he is just begging for that. Not 5YG, but dark). Just because fandom as a whole hasn't gotten around to torturing Bennet much doesn't mean he's forgiven, really. It just means those fics have yet to be written

[ninamusing]

So sorry for the delay in responding to this interesting discussion - I'm only getting some notifications from this journal, for some reason...

we seem to forgive Claude pretty easily- possibly because he's martyred, in a way.

I think that's part of it. I think it's also because he "saw the light" and was trying to get out - and then his partner shot him because he was "just following orders", so the betrayal is pretty intense. It's true, we can't rely on either HRG or Claude to be "good", although HRG's motivations are likely to be more expedient or manipulative (as well as protecting his family, I'm not disallowing that, it's just a matter of degree); Claude can be counted on now to do what he needs to protect himself, even if it might hurt others (running out on Peter), though he probably won't feel good about it. Still, at some time in the past he shifted from being a Company Man to someone working for the greater good, at least of "his people" - I suspect he always thought he was, and the shift came when he realized that he

[indyhat]

“You’ll be out for a while.” Bennet leans a hip against the side of the bed, carefully taking the hand on Claude’s chest in both of his, laying it back by his side and checking the IV connections. “I misjudged your weight.”

I really like this little exchange ... it feels utterly real and is exactly the sort of thing Bennet would say.

Claude being unfussed about stripping in front of Bennet = made of win. I can practically taste Bennet's discomfort! And way to build up the UST. Love it.

The Claude/Claire reunion was very sweet.

More, please! :)

Tense police: safe now that the penetrating eyes were closed. - think this should be are closed, or possibly have closed.

And again (though this one is really splitting hairs): His special powers were often unnecessary, and Bennet would use the term “lethal” if he weren’t such a stickler - I think in context of the rest of this section, that should probably read His special powers were often unnecessary, and Bennet would have used the term “lethal” if he hadn't been such a stickler

[nina_ds]

It's interesting - the paragraph you pulled out as "real" was also one that my beta really liked. That's kind of neat. It just seemed so obvious that that's what he'd do.

I can practically taste Bennet's discomfort!

He's going to be doing his share of squirming in this one, it must be said. And a good deal of it is his own fault.

And way to build up the UST.

There's something else besides sex that he'll see if he only looks at Claude...

Thanks, too, for the comments on the verb tenses - as you might imagine, this fic is a bit of a nightmare (wait until you see the first section of the next part - I need verb tenses that don't even exist for some of it!). Especially since I have sometimes changed my mind about what tense certain sections should be in. Erm, I don't suppose you'd be up for beta-ing the rest of this? I'm imposing on a friend at the moment...

Will fix verbs tomorrow! (With God as my witness, I shall never go tenseless again! ) I must be tired, I'm doing movie quotes now.

[indyhat]

I love it when characters write themselves to the point where everyone agrees that "yup, that's so-and-so" :)

Looking forward to more Bennet squirmings!

And yes, I'd be happy to beta for you, though be warned that I'm going away for a week on Jan 2 ... but I'll gladly look at whatever you've got before then or after the Jan 10 :) My username here at livejournal dot com. Looking forward to it!

[indyhat]

After the Jan 10? *headdesk*

[redlight_artist]

I can't wait to read more. I love your characterizations.

[ninamusing]

Thank you! (I am not getting some LJ notifications, I'm sorry for the delay in response!)

Part three is up now, if you're interested.

[liritarofrohan]

Wowza. Well done again.

[nina_ds]

Thank you very much!

[liritarofrohan]

Any time. *grins*