{"id":19081,"date":"2021-12-12T08:00:31","date_gmt":"2021-12-12T16:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/?p=19081"},"modified":"2021-12-01T15:22:11","modified_gmt":"2021-12-01T23:22:11","slug":"sylum-advent-2021-december-12th","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/sylum-advent-2021-december-12th\/","title":{"rendered":"Sylum Advent 2021: December 12th"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Title: Eternal<\/span><\/p>\n

Author: Gil Grissom<\/span><\/p>\n

Character: Brian O\u2019Conner<\/span><\/p>\n

Pairing: Dom\/Brian (background)<\/span><\/p>\n

Rating: G<\/span><\/p>\n

Summary: Brian contemplates what eternity means as a newly Turned Vampire.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>
\nBrian was never a boy scout. Not in the literal sense, and certainly not in any metaphorical way. That wasn\u2019t to say he couldn\u2019t or wouldn\u2019t follow the rules. Hell, he\u2019d follow them to the letter if they made sense, if it didn\u2019t cause damage in their wake. But he hated being expected to follow along blindly, to toe a line at the expense of others. To look the other way or stand back and do nothing while innocent people got hurt. There were all kinds of shades between black and white and the majority of the population lived within those shades.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Knowing this about himself, maybe that should have been the first clue that perhaps a career in law enforcement wasn\u2019t really for him, because often the things they had to just let go of due to various reasons baffled and infuriated him. The law was very black and white on its own. Either you broke a law, or you didn\u2019t. That wasn\u2019t the part that he hated, though. It was the darker shades of corruption, the <\/span>people <\/span><\/i>that interpreted it and allowed evil to walk free and carry on with going out there and doing it again and again that made him want to hit something.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

So no, dealing with law enforcement probably wasn\u2019t the best idea for him. But the security gig with Border? That he could get behind. While the rules by which they lived were pretty straightforward and basically boiled down to \u2018don\u2019t be a corrupt and malignant bag of dicks\u2019, there was far more room for extenuating circumstances and nuance, but at the same time, his ass couldn\u2019t be paid off to look the other way as someone did something terrible. He didn\u2019t have to stand back and watch powerful assholes with more money than morals buy or strong-arm their way out of whatever reprehensible thing they\u2019d done.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He probably shouldn\u2019t be as jaded as he was by his mid-twenties, but it was what it was.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When Nathan Bridger had come to him about taking over as Head of Security because he\u2019d had other avenues he wanted to pursue, Brian had jumped at the offer. Sitting around and doing nothing was never something he enjoyed. He preferred being productive and contributing, making things better for those around him, so he\u2019d dived in wholeheartedly.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was a good thing he was so driven, because in spite of giving him the time he needed, it was a lot. It wasn\u2019t just the security position he had to learn. He needed to know everything. What Vampires were capable of, how their society worked, how Clans operated, known enemies and their usual targets, and thousands of other things.<\/span><\/p>\n

That need to know so he could do his job led him to this moment, where he was looking over the make-up of the different Clans and their members, and each Vampire\u2019s general information.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou look like you\u2019re a little freaked out, kid.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Brian looked up from his binder as Bridger walked into the room and sat across from him. \u201cConceptually I knew that Vampires are long-lived. That while there are means to do us in, we\u2019re basically immortal. And I understood that the Vampires in this Clan, timewise and otherwise, have been around the block more than a few times.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut there are Vampires in some of these Clans that are thousands of years old. Hell, there are some that were born thousands of years before Christ was even a concept for Christians. I don\u2019t…even know how to wrap my head around that. How do you wrap your head around the idea that you might be around to see the year 4000 AD? I can\u2019t get myself to accept that unless something goes wrong, I\u2019ll live to see 2100!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Nathan laughed. \u201cI was born in 1620, Brian. Believe me, I understand exactly what you\u2019re going through. Back then, I was an outlier for longevity as a human. Most of us just didn\u2019t live that long because of a variety of reasons. But there was no way that I could have ever conceived of being here to see the 21st century come into being. And yet, here we are.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow did you deal with that? I know you\u2019re not anywhere near as old as some of these people are, but you\u2019re one of the oldest in this Clan. How do you handle knowing that you have basically eternity stretched out before you like it is?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly? I don\u2019t. It\u2019s always there in the abstract, but I don\u2019t wrap myself around the axle about things that might happen. I might see the year 2100. I might see the year 5000. But I might not see next Tuesday. No, we won\u2019t grow old and die of old age or disease like the majority of humanity, but we\u2019re nowhere near invulnerable. Yeah, there are some perks to being a Vampire, but death can come just as easily and swiftly to us as anyone else.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll admit, the concept of immortality, of being here for the long haul did occasionally keep me awake at night at first. But like anyone else, we have to live in the now, and now is not a bad place to be.\u201d He snorted. \u201cIt\u2019s at least a lot more entertaining and easier to get around and keep in touch with people than it was even fifty years ago. Humanity has come a long way in a very short period of time. All I can tell you is to enjoy it, because we never know what\u2019s coming our way from one day to the next. Embrace the idea that you have the whole world and a great span of time before you, but don\u2019t let it consume you. Accept it and live in the now. I can guarantee you that the immediate future is more than enough to deal with and to keep you occupied. Let the far future stay right where it is until you get there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Nathan smiled sadly at him. \u201cI know it\u2019s a daunting concept now, because you\u2019re so new to it all, but it will never be more apparent than the first time you lose one of your contemporaries to old age. When you see someone you grew up with, were a child with, wither away and die. We all deal with it. It\u2019s something Han has struggled with a lot in recent years, because older friends and relatives are now passing on, while he remains young and hale. It\u2019s…not easy, but it\u2019s the nature of our life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Brian thought of his parents and Rome, and his heart clenched a little, but he put it aside. \u201cI get what you\u2019re saying. But somehow I think it\u2019s easier said than done when you put it into practice.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Nathan laughed. \u201cIt really is, but when you immerse yourself into life and live it, it gets pushed to the side and to the back of your mind. You forget about it and move on to more important things, and time marches on. You simply…live your life, and occasionally the angst surrounding our eternal life comes back to slap you in the face like a dead fish and you flail and fret over it for a bit before it gets pushed away again in deference to living that life.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He shrugged. \u201cAnd next thing you know, you\u2019re ringing in the year 2000 and a whole new century and the next millennium is spread out before you trailing off into the distance in a billion possible directions. You can\u2019t control it. The only thing you can control is your own actions, and then you hope for the best. It\u2019s daunting, terrifying, sometimes lonely, occasionally agonizing, never truly easy, but if you\u2019re adaptable and accept the world for what it is and how it flows around you, it\u2019s extremely rewarding and you can find great joy in it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou make it sound not so bad,\u201d Brian said, laughing a little.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not, not when you\u2019ve lived as long as I have. Most of those here were Turned in the last couple hundred years. They\u2019re still babies as far as Vampires go, so these are things they\u2019re still learning to deal with as well.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Brian bit his lip and nodded. \u201cI guess that\u2019s true. I mean, to me they\u2019re old all things considered, but I mean\u2026 This dude, Methos, over in the Vampire Council, was Turned in 3666 BC. That is a long fucking time to just be chilling in the world! I ain\u2019t got that many hobbies! I don\u2019t think there are enough hobbies in the world.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Bridger laughed. \u201cNo, I think you\u2019d have to get really creative. But think of all the time you\u2019d have to really hone your skills.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Brian made a face at that. \u201cI don\u2019t even want to think about it. The concept of 2100 is more than enough for me to angst over, thank you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAlso remember that you\u2019re fortunate to have your Mate with you. He\u2019ll always be there with you for as long as you\u2019re alive. No matter where life takes you and what you do, you\u2019ll have him there by your side. Judging you for your choices, no doubt, but he\u2019ll be there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Brian laughed and put his binder aside. \u201cI think I need a break and to clear my head. The reality of my situation has smacked me in the face enough for one day. I don\u2019t need my brain to start leaking out of my ears, too.\u201d He stood up and stretched. \u201cI think I\u2019ll go find that Mate of mine and bother him. Maybe take the opportunity to traumatize Vince if it makes itself available.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAlways a fun time,\u201d Bridger said, shooing him out the door. \u201cTake a day off tomorrow. You\u2019ve been working hard. Fuck your Mate. Start looking for a hobby.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Brian grinned at him and headed out, determined to find Dom and live in the moment. Eternity could wait.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Title: Eternal Author: Gil Grissom Character: Brian O\u2019Conner Pairing: Dom\/Brian (background) Rating: G Summary: Brian contemplates what eternity means as a newly Turned Vampire.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1003,137],"tags":[1016,1004,86],"class_list":["post-19081","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sylum-advent-2021","category-sylum-events","tag-story-eternal","tag-sylum-advent-2021","tag-writer-gil-grissom"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2Da1M-4XL","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":519,"url":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/sylum-advent-december-13th-on-the-shores-of-cape-sounion-by-gil-grissom\/","url_meta":{"origin":19081,"position":0},"title":"Sylum Advent – December 13th: On the Shores of Cape Sounion by Gil Grissom","author":"Nicolaus Meridius","date":"December 13, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"December 13th \u00a0 Title:\u00a0On the Shores of Cape Sounion Author:\u00a0Gil Grissom Pairings\/Characters:\u00a0Dom Toretto\/Brian O'Conner Rating:\u00a0FRAO Summary:\u00a0\u00a0Dom and Brian take a little trip to the Clan's villa. Art:\u00a0taibhrigh \u00a0 Link to Sylum Archive \u00a0 Please reply to this post for comments\/observations","rel":"","context":"In "Sylum Advent: 2012"","block_context":{"text":"Sylum Advent: 2012","link":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/category\/sylum-events\/sylum-advent-2012\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/banner_advent2012-final.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2278,"url":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/sylum-advent-december-3rd-building-mysteries-by-gil-grissom\/","url_meta":{"origin":19081,"position":1},"title":"Sylum Advent – December 3rd: Building Mysteries by Gil Grissom","author":"Nicolaus Meridius","date":"December 3, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"December 3rd \u00a0 \u00a0 Title: Building Mysteries Author: Gil Grissom Summary:\u00a0Dom seeks out Brian a few days after Christmas. \u00a0 Link to Sylum Archive \u00a0","rel":"","context":"In "Sylum Advent: 2013"","block_context":{"text":"Sylum Advent: 2013","link":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/category\/sylum-events\/sylum-advent-2013\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"banner_advent2013","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/banner_advent2013.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":506,"url":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/sylum-advent-december-9th-the-perfect-gift-by-gil-grissom\/","url_meta":{"origin":19081,"position":2},"title":"Sylum Advent – December 9th: The Perfect Gift by Gil Grissom","author":"Nicolaus Meridius","date":"December 9, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"December 9th Title:\u00a0The Perfect Gift Author:\u00a0Gil Grissom Pairings\/Characters:\u00a0Dom\/Brian, Daniel Boone, David Crockett Rating:\u00a0FRAO Summary:\u00a0Daniel and David's gift on their fifth-year Bonding anniversary wasn't anything they'd ever expected, but it was more than welcome. Art:\u00a0taibhrigh \u00a0 Link to Sylum Archive \u00a0 Please reply to this post for comments\/observations","rel":"","context":"In "Sylum Advent: 2012"","block_context":{"text":"Sylum Advent: 2012","link":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/category\/sylum-events\/sylum-advent-2012\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/banner_advent2012-final.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":15369,"url":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/sylum-advent-2019-day-twenty-one\/","url_meta":{"origin":19081,"position":3},"title":"Sylum Advent 2019: Day Twenty-One","author":"Nicolaus Meridius","date":"December 21, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Artwork: Mates Wallpapers (Dominic Toretto & Brian O'Conner) & (Jack McPhee & Doug Witter) Artist: Gil Grissom \u00a0","rel":"","context":"In "Sylum Advent: 2019"","block_context":{"text":"Sylum Advent: 2019","link":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/category\/sylum-events\/sylum-advent-2019\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/bar-banner_advent2019.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":488,"url":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/sylum-advent-december-3rd-say-goodnight-not-goodbye-by-gil-shep\/","url_meta":{"origin":19081,"position":4},"title":"Sylum Advent – December 3rd: Say Goodnight, Not Goodbye by Gil & Shep","author":"Nicolaus Meridius","date":"December 3, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"December 3rd \u00a0 Title:\u00a0Say Goodnight, Not Goodbye Author:\u00a0Gil Grissom and John Sheppard Pairings\/Characters:\u00a0Dom\/Brian, various characters from Border, The Vampire Council, and Sanctuary Clan Rating:\u00a0FRAO Summary:\u00a0A new threat darkens Border's doorstep and attempts to break the Clan's spirit, while chaos erupts half a world away. 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