Welcome to Our World [M]

DragonSong · April 08, 2018, 08:59:29 AM

Gwen froze, one leg thrown over the window sill. She stared at the door, then quickly scramble down to stand in the room.

Well fuck.

"Uh, who's there?"

quaggan · April 08, 2018, 11:33:04 AM

"My name is Sharrow, but I don't know if it tells you anything, and it doesn't even lend itself well to knock knock jokes" he sighed. He could hear some sounds from behind the door, so he decided to play it safe. "May I come in?" He liked the 'are you decent' line better, but didn't want to bet on their guest's morals.

DragonSong · April 09, 2018, 10:28:09 AM

"Yeah, um...sure." Gwen quickly darted toward the massive four poster bed she'd been giving to sleep in- seriously, what was with this place?- and jumped up to perch on the edge of the mattress, trying to look like she hadn't just been testing how easy it would be to make an escape out the window in an emergency.

quaggan · April 09, 2018, 01:20:53 PM

Emboldened by his small success, Sharrow cautiously entered. The woman was sitting on the bed - perching on it would be a more apt description. Her narrowed eyes and tense posture brought to mind a comparison to a hunting predator, waiting to pounce on her unsuspecting prey. He did his best to put the idea out of his mind - after all, Lord Saroian didn't have the habit of starving his guests, and no human servants were attacked, so it was unlikely that she would pounce upon him to suck his blood.

His gaze flicked towards the open window. "If you were attempting to get some fresh air, may I suggest an alternative? Your horse has been quite energetic, the grooms think taking her out on a ride would be a good idea."

DragonSong · April 09, 2018, 06:49:06 PM

The fledgling blinked. That...was maybe not the last thing she'd expected, but it was very low on the list.

"Um...sure?" She couldn't really think of a reason to tell him no that wouldn't possibly offend her host. And while she wasn't sure she wanted to stay here, she wasn't sure she wanted to burn that bridge either.

She started to stand, then hesitated, scenting the air. "Oh." She blinked again, a little startled. "You're human?" She'd thought dhampir, maybe- she hadn't actually met a full human servant here yet.

quaggan · April 10, 2018, 10:48:55 AM

"I am" he confirmed. There was little point lying to her, especially about that - she could smell the blood coursing through his veins with every breath she chose to take. She was eyeing him with suspicion - probably a well-warranted one, he would have assumed the same attitude in her place. "Are you thirsty?" he asked. He was about to suggest that they stop by one of the castle stores, but stopped himself. It was unknown whether she would be an ally, but she certainly wasn't one yet, and showing her what was where in the castle could be problematic.

She could probably sense his suspicion, and he knew they wouldn't get anywhere if they kept being on guard. He could make the first move. "Shall we go?" he began. "I can answer your questions, if you have any."

DragonSong · April 12, 2018, 08:33:12 PM

If she could have blushed, she would have. Scowling, the young vampire glanced away and muttered almost petulantly, "No."

She sighed and stood from the bed, shoulders hunched and eyes still flickering warily. "Look, let's just go to the stables, if that's where we're going. Not really much for small talk," she grumbled.

quaggan · April 13, 2018, 05:47:48 AM

He nodded and turned around, opening the door and leaving through it. He hoped to hear her follow - according to Lord Saroian, she was newly turned, so perhaps she wouldn't be able to walk completely silently. Perhaps it would be smarter to just turn around and check, but from what little he saw of her, he had a feeling she wouldn't appreciate being monitored.

That was another problem. Perhaps it would be hypocritical of him to find her attitude an inconvenience - should he find himself in a similar situation, he would have approached it from the same angle. Pressing at this point would only worsen the current state of affairs - she was to be an ally, the least he could do was to respect her boundaries. But he couldn't fail. He could only hope that a ride would put her in a better mood, one more suitable to having a discussion.

DragonSong · April 23, 2018, 10:06:24 AM

Gwen huffed quietly and followed the man at a safe distance, eyeing his back warily. Yep, definitely human.

Weird.

"What are you doing here?" she asked abruptly. "How'd you get mixed up in all this vampire nonsense."

quaggan · April 25, 2018, 04:13:32 AM

How should he approach this situation? The vampire appeared to be highly cautious and independent, probbing her with inane questions would only make her dislike him. He should be patient, but he probably didn't have the time to just wait. He wanted achieve success, to finally be useful and- Oh. She was talking to him.

Most of the time, he'd react with suspicion - information was power, and while there was nothing in his past really worth hiding, he wasn't so arrogant as to think that a clever enemy wouldn't be able to find something damaging through his lack of caution. But Lord Saroian wanted her to be an ally, and Sharrow would never forgive himself if he turned her into an enemy instead.

"I was brought here by the master of this castle. In a way, I'm just a part of this place's staff - a human part. How about you?"

DragonSong · April 25, 2018, 09:05:04 AM

She snorted under her breath and looked away. "He brought you here? What, kidnapped you?" she asked, avoiding answering his own question.

quaggan · April 25, 2018, 02:57:21 PM

He noticed that he didn't get an answer to his question, but it was good enough that he got a reply at all. "I wouldn't say, 'kidnapped'" he quickly followed up to amend his wording. "I can't recite the word's definition off the top of my head, but... It wasn't exactly unlawful, as I'm pretty sure all the Thanati government would do was to thank him for removing an Untouchable off their soil. And it wasn't against my will - not exactly. I might be a fool to just follow a stranger into the unknown, but the way I saw it, I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. I know - human children aren't exactly the titans of intellect."

DragonSong · April 26, 2018, 08:31:43 AM

Gwen paused, her eyes widening a bit. "Wait-- you were a kid? And you just, what, decided to go willingly with a vampire, a monster?"

quaggan · April 26, 2018, 09:53:12 AM

Did human kids change so much between those years? Or did she come from a place that was so different from the gutters? "What kind of a kid wouldn't go on an adventure with a cool person? I thought I had the opportunity of a lifetime. Is it so strange? I agree, I might have lacked... foresight back then, but I think I'm better off here than being caught by law enforcement, ending up in a gang, or starving on the street. Maybe I have unusually low standards, but I think I got a good deal."

DragonSong · April 26, 2018, 02:57:57 PM

"But-- but he's a vampire!" Gwen exclaimed, incredulous. "How could you just..."

She shook her head, exhaling sharply. "Madman," she muttered.

quaggan · April 27, 2018, 01:25:35 PM

Sharrow chuckled. "I am glad that my life choices are at least amusing. And well, back then I didn't even know vampires existed, let alone what they were. And if I did, I doubt that would deter me. My thought process was pretty simple, 'hey, this guy looks rich, if I manage to steal something from him, I will get to eat for weeks'. This whole vampire stuff would go over my head. But I'm happy with the choice I've made, and I suppose this is what counts."

DragonSong · April 27, 2018, 06:47:28 PM

"So he doesn't..." She paused, debating how she should ask the question, then barreled on, "He doesn't feed on you or anything, does he?"

quaggan · April 28, 2018, 12:33:39 PM

Ah yes, here was the question. He supposed he should expect it, it was coming since she realized he was a human. "Not from me" he responded. He would be fine with it - it was the least he could do, and it wasn't even such a huge sacrifice to make - blood was blood, it would regenerate. But he had a feeling that if he explained it, she would just give him a look and think he was even crazier. Best not to make a potential ally doubt his sanity even more.

"I don't think I would have anything to fear anyway" he continued. "I never saw or heard of him feeding from someone who didn't agree to it."

DragonSong · May 02, 2018, 06:40:19 PM

Gwen huffed and dropped her eyes, falling silent again. She just didn't get these people.

"Alright, just-- whatever. Let's go to the stables if we're going."

quaggan · May 03, 2018, 09:05:25 AM

Looked like what his rhetorics teacher called an 'agree to disagree' outcome. He supposed it was better than turning her completely away from the idea of an alliance, but it wasn't a success, either. He really should work harder - this morning was just full of failures. If that kept up, she would just hop on her horse, flee, and never be seen again.

He couldn't afford to dwell on his failures when he still had an assignment to complete. He led her through the courtyard to the stables. "I believe your horse is... over there."