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Post by Mini on Sept 21, 2019 8:41:49 GMT -6
It seemed that her early morning visitor truly had no concept of what time it was. She often worked odd hours, though, so it wasn't all that crazy for her to think of eating a big, stuffed rantan at this time of day. Shrugging and smiling good-naturedly at him, she nodded as he explained that he'd be fine eating something a bit lighter and didn't mind waiting for her to whip him up breakfast and then show him to his room. A considerate man - what a pleasant surprise!
"How does a big plate of scrambled eggs and sausage sound?" she asked, smiling brightly. "It'll take me no more than five, maybe ten minutes to cook up for you, then I can show you up to your room. Feel free to just sit out here and have a seat out here and I'll be right back. There's a mild chance that the boys might show up for their morning coffee, but..." Her voice trailed off as she glanced out the window. "Mmm, but considering how late they were all here last night, I doubt they're even up yet," she chuckled. "All right, sir! You just wait right here and I'll be right back!"
With that, Cassidy vanished into the back, presumably towards the kitchens. A few minutes later a delectable scent wafted out into the main area. A few minutes after that, Cassidy reappeared, this time holding a large tray on the top of which was a large plate with what looked like at least half a dozen eggs that had been scrambled up. A variety of meats and vegetables looked as if they had been tossed in as well. Also with them was a large plate of toast and three giant sausages.
"If you head straight up the stairs, your room will be the second one to the right. I'll let you go first so you can go ahead and open the door for me," she chuckled. "That way we can get you settled in. I'll check and make sure you have enough blankets, then I'll leave you to enjoy your breakfast."
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Post by Nitari Windrider on Sept 23, 2019 19:43:25 GMT -6
At Cassidy's suggestion of food he nodded pleasantly and took a seat in the dining room as indicated. She would be all too happy to prepare him appropriate food for this time of day and show him to his room. There was a mild chance of company, which would be a bother, but upon consideration they weren't likely to be awake as yet. Being on a time schedule didn't much suit him, but once again he was being forced into undue haste by his weakened state. Perhaps he would need to be content with less than he'd initially hoped. No one would blame him for prolonged convalescence, but he would still need to clear himself out of this town before Fiona's trail went cold. There was still the matter of that map.
What was that strange aroma? Meat, he supposed, and something else. Must be that breakfast she was preparing. The more she made the better, he figured, as it wasn't really intended to be his main source of energy intake this morning. Despite the relative facility with which he navigated human society he still had so little knowledge of things like food which were really not of great concern to his people. As such, he had no idea what to expect when she finally emerged from the kitchen. The tray she held carried more food than he'd ever consumed all at once, but he imagined it would be suitable for a hapless human traveler who'd had a trying day thus far and would need the energy. Apparently he'd be eating some of it after all.
As she approached where she sat she gave instructions for how to reach room three, second on the right. Human things never managed to make much sense, but this is why he'd asked for guidance. He walked up the stairs, located the indicated door, and unlocked it with his key, measuring his stride to avoid making her rush at all.
The room was practically bare by his standards. A bed hardly large enough for a grown person sat against the wall looking serviceable but uninviting, the table nearby made from the same kind of wood and sturdy but somewhat crude. Something he assumed was a wardrobe or closet nearby for those intending longer term stays but from its haphazard construction it was difficult to be entirely sure. No other furnishings of any kind were in the room, leaving one to walk on bare wooden floor looking at bare walls. Admittedly his upbringing was coloring his opinions but even the most humble Nosferat home would be a laughingstock to contain such a room as this. He did his best to suppress these misgivings, taking particular care to avoid letting Cassidy perceive any of it. He set his bag down on the bed and did his best to stay out of Cassidy's way until the tray was safely placed down. He smiled politely and gave an inclination of the head as thanks for her consideration, trusting the gesture to be as universal as he'd seen thus far.
Once she'd accomplished her goals and was moving to leave, he reached out a hand to catch her arm. All he really needed was for her to look in his eyes and hear what he said, but he had to be certain. Gentle pressure would guide her to face him, which would naturally provide him with the requisite eye contact. He drew on the last ounce of his stored power and spoke once again in his mother tongue.
Visim ga alda...
The rest was up to luck. If she had potent enough mental guards she could throw off the entreaty and look away. If that happened it would be strength against strength and he would have to make very unpleasant decisions very quickly to avoid dying in this backwater village. If he was fortunate, however, she would be drawn into his eyes and his true meal could soon begin.
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Post by Mini on Sept 23, 2019 21:38:35 GMT -6
Up the stairs they processed, leaving the emptiness and relative safety of the open ground floor of Teague's. Up the stairs went D'Mytri, who seemed oddly silent now that breakfast was so close at hand. Up the stairs followed Cassidy, who simply shrugged her shoulders at the lack of conversation that came from her only guest of the day so far. He must be really hungry. Good thing I added some extra eggs, she thought with an inward chuckle.
Humming softly to herself, she gave her guest a soft smile as she slipped in the door past him and began busying herself with setting the tray down and spreading plates and silverware out on the small little round table that rested close to the fireplace. That job done, she slipped past him and opened up the wardrobe. After a bit of digging around, she procured a large, fuzzy green blanket that looked as if somebody's great-great grandmother had taken great care to knit together many eons ago. By some miracle of The Three the blanket was still clinging to life. With the tray tucked under one arm, Cassidy spread it over the bed and took a step back to give it a look. It seemed that for the first time in her long employment at Teague's she noticed just how very threadbare the blanket was. For just a moment, a look of such judgmental revulsion had flashed across D'Mytri's face that she didn't quite know what to do. Perhaps it was just a trick of the light, though, because a second later he seemed more than happy to be setting his bag down on the bed and step back to let her finish doing her thing.
"Well, sir, I'll leave you to your breakfast. Remember, the firewood is right out back if you need some. There should be some matches around, probably on top of the mantle." Cassidy smiled and bowed a bit, then started to walk backwards out of the room. "If you need anything at all, please don't hesitate to--"
With no warning at all, he reached forward and grabbed the arm that had been about to reach for the door. The grasp on her arm was strong yet gentle. He pulled her forwards towards him ever so slightly, which caused her to turn around and give him a perplexed look. Why had he grabbed her arm like that was the question she was about to ask him when something very strange happened. She heard a voice - a deep, rich voice - but she didn't see his lips move. Three little words whispered from everywhere and nowhere. The words weren't any words she had ever heard before, yet there was something strangely compelling about them.
Cassidy found herself staring straight into the softly glowing eyes of a Nosferat.
"I... um... S-Sir?" she stammered, realizing that she had never asked for the man's name. Too late, she realized she hadn't bothered to ask him any of the important questions she always asked guests staying at Teague's - who were they? Where did they hail from? What was their reasoning for visiting? How long were they planning on staying for? What in the world had come over her that she had just forgotten to ask any of those questions and record all of that very important information in the guest book? Her thoughts felt all jumbled up as she thought about how stupid of an oversight she had made. Desperately, she tried to right this very awkward situation by trying to step back away from D'Mytri. She didn't seem able to bring herself to pull her arm out of his grasp, though. Was it just her imagination or was he suddenly standing much closer to her?
"Um... What... Why did you grab my arm like that? Do... Do you... Do you need something... something else?" she asked, surprised to hear that her voice sounded high and squeaky, like she was some kind of nervous little school girl.
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Post by Nitari Windrider on Sept 23, 2019 23:35:44 GMT -6
In truth, he hadn't really expected her to fall prey to the ethha as easily as that, but it would have been convenient.
She was the consummate hostess. Even a Nosferat hall would find her service more than adequate. It had relieved his ancestors to find some things in common with the strange creatures to whom this world belonged. She'd brought out an overlarge rag that he belatedly recognized as a blanket so worn it was barely holding together. He'd hoped that she hadn't noticed his instinctive disapproval. He wasn't so sure he'd been able to keep it from her but she seemed to dismiss it readily enough.
She had been in the middle of giving him parting thoughts when he'd grabbed her. In retrospect it had perhaps been an overly forceful move to make. When he was recovered he would perhaps contribute more than coin to this place to balance things. Her hospitality had been cut short by his hasty action, but by then it was too late to do anything but go forward with what he'd already committed himself to do.
He hadn't really noticed giving the command mentally rather than verbally, but belatedly appreciated that he'd done so. The words of his birth language slid through her mind like water through a sieve and had left as much trace. She stared directly into the jaws of the trap and even then could only scarcely feel it closing slowly around her. Fear sliced through her so forcefully that he could practically feel it himself. She stammered, realizing at last that he'd never given her his name. He pulled her closer ever so gently so that his words would be only for her ears.
"Um..." she began, noticing their sudden proximity, "What... Why did you grab my arm like that? Do... Do you... Do you need something... something else?"
He spoke calmly, his voice even and courteous.
"I'm sorry for grabbing you. I have much to explain, it seems, and I regret that there isn't time for the customary pleasantries."
He loosened his grip a little, not quite enough to be simply allowing her to walk away but loose enough that regardless of her strength she'd be able to pull herself free of him if she wanted to.
"My name is D'Mytri Nostre. I have traveled far and lost much, and I need your help."
He took a breath, trying and failing to find better words than the bare truth.
"I...I crave your pardon and your indulgence as I speak plainly. If you listen until I've finished I promise it will be worth your while."
This isn't how it should be done, but as long as she keeps eye contact and listens to my voice I can still salvage this mess.
"Everything I told you was true, but it wasn't the whole truth. This excellent breakfast you've brought will give me some strength but the truth is I'm Nosferat. What you know of my people is distorted by your folk tales and I admit we are partially to blame. By the time we understood your misconception it was already too late. Yes, excessive light is uncomfortable for us because the world we came from was much darker than this one. No, garlic and symbols of faith do not repel us. Yes, we primarily draw sustenance from blood. No, we never take life when feeding. We are not animals, nor slavering beasts. What I ask of you is that you accept my vow to neither harm you nor compel you to harm anyone. I ask your trust, although I've done nothing to deserve it. I will answer any questions you have honestly in exchange for your forgiveness for doing what I must in order to survive."
Throughout this explanation he maintained eye contact and did not disguise his discomfort with the situation and his genuine regret that his desperate circumstances were forcing him to make a mess of things. Even if he couldn't afford to let her refuse him, he would still follow the words of the goddess. The spirits of those upon which Nosferat prey must be respected always. Their souls are no less precious for being the hunted rather than the hunter. Most importantly of all, he needed to know before he took what he needed if she was dhanei.
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Post by Mini on Sept 24, 2019 21:41:34 GMT -6
For once in her life, Cassidy was speechless. Her job came with many hats, as the expression went. She was a hostess, a bartender, a maid, and a chef - often times all of these roles in a single day. Although she preferred to be quiet and keep to herself, her job required her to do a lot of talking. Part of the reason she had taken the job in the first place was to become more of a well-balanced person. Learning how to talk to people of all ages and backgrounds would do a world of good for her, everyone had told her. Working at Teague's had proved to be one adventure after another. After nearly five years in, she thought she was now well prepared for whatever it was life could throw at her.
Boy, was she wrong.
Nobody had ever prepared her for what to do if a real-life walking, talking vampyr showed up in her tavern! That certainly hadn't been covered in training, nor had it ever come up in the various talks she had had with Teague himself (which, to be fair, were mostly one-sided conversations in general. "Teague, the third step going out back broke clean through! You need to fix it! No, I don't know how. No, I don't want to know how. And no, don't tell Nicolai to do it because he won't and you know it!" "Teague, we're completely out of milk! Are you going to send anyone out to get more? Are you even listening to me? How am I supposed to make a big pot of stew without any milk?!" "What do you mean you don't know where you put the extra five boxes of canned yams the general store sent over here by mistake?! How do you misplace five boxes of canned yams?!")
Rumors always flew around town about vampyrs and the war, but they were always sourced from people who had overheard someone whispering about something they had overheard their aunt telling their step-mother, who heard it from so-and-so who had just traveled up from you-know-where. The only actual useful information she even paid the slightest bit of attention to was the latest intel reports that came from the traveling bands of Knights and Templars and, of course, the monthly briefings the Church gave out at Town Hall meetings on how the war effort was going. Even then, a lot of that was the same-old, same-old time after time again. The vampyrs were on the move but only at night. The vampyrs had attacked another town but were pushed back before the death toll got too high by the valiant efforts of the troops. Thank the Three that High Templar Somebody-Or-Other had had the courage and strength to break through the enemy lines out west and storm a secret base.
He pulled her closer. She didn't even try to stop him. She should have.
But she didn't.
In a very surprising move, he loosened his grip on her. This gave her the freedom to pull away from him. She should have screamed, slapped him, kicked him in the shin, smacked him upside the head with her tray, then run down the stairs as fast as she could and run out into the streets screaming her head off about the vampyr in room number three.
But she didn't.
By all accounts, Cassidy should have been terrified out of her mind. However, she just... wasn't. Yes, there was no doubt at all that she wasn't nervous and afraid - her heart was pounding louder than a ceremonial drum! Surely he could hear it pounding away, as close as the two of them were currently standing. Why wasn't she freaking out? Why wasn't she trying to run away? Fight or flight! She could do either one! But no, she did nothing but stand there and stare up at him with very wide eyes and a slightly agape mouth.
It was almost like her brain was being overloaded by information. Her mind could scarcely keep up with this sudden turn of events and absorb whatever it was that this D'Mytri Nostre was even saying to her (and by the Three, was it a whopper of a tale!). Everything happening to her felt like it was happening to somebody else and Cassidy was simply along for the ride. On the one hand, she was now in a position to really look at D'Mytri. His eyes, which really did seem to be glowing with some sort of otherwordly power, were soft and gentle. The eyes were the window to the soul, she had heard once, and his eyes didn't look at all like they belonged to some deranged, monstrous, blood-thirsty beast. Neither did any other part of his face. As a matter of fact, Cassidy found herself thinking that his features reminded her very much of the beautiful marble sculptures she had seen once on a visit to the capital city. Behind the facade of a meager, weak, lost traveler, was that some kind of hint of nobility shining through? Not to mention, the way he formed words was almost as intoxicating to listen to as it was to drink at least six rounds of the house special. Gone were the short spurts of pleasantries and small talk. His carefully chosen words had taken on a new, lyrical tone. Each and every syllable rolled off his tongue with a deep, rich, and exotic lilt that definitely had not been there before.
Gods, his eyes were captivating.
At some point, D'Mytri had stopped talking. Now he was just staring at down her with an imploring look on his face. He still had a firm but gentle grip on her arm. Cassidy realized that the tray had slipped out of her arm at some point and had tumbled to the floor several feet away. When had that happened? She didn't even register the noise from when it had fallen. She blinked several times but made no effort to turn away from D'Mytri. In all honesty, she had no idea if she could move if she even wanted to.
"Nosferat... Vampyr... You're... You're truly not human, are you?" she whispered, staring up at him with wide eyes. She gulped audibly. "What exactly is it that you're asking of me, D'Mytri Nostre? Are... Are you saying that you want to... you w-want to drink my... my..." She couldn't bring herself to say it. The thought filled her with such dread and revulsion that she very nearly pulled away from him. He would notice her sway a bit as her body tried one last attempt to escape the predator that had charmed its way dangerously close. "B-B-But... But won't that... w-won't that really hurt me? And how am I supposed to believe that you won't kill me?" she asked, although even as she said it, some part of her knew it was a silly question to ask. Why bother going through all of this strife in the first place if he was just going to kill her? Why bother asking for her trust in the first place? Why not just knock her out and be done with it?
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Post by Nitari Windrider on Sept 24, 2019 22:44:33 GMT -6
Sweet goddess what he wouldn't do for a little more power to put into his ethha right now.
The girl's heart was pounding, her eyes wide, her mouth trying for several moments to form words, and her tray dropped to the floor. It was an unconscious motion if ever he'd seen one. Evidence that she was almost his. A little more power was all it would have taken for the last of her resistance to crumble. Yet it was not to be.
"Nosferat..." she began in a whisper, looking up into his eyes as she put everything he'd said together, "Vampyr..."
Being called vampyr always vexed him a little, but he couldn't show irritation or raise his voice now. Any sudden start would break the spell settling upon her mind. Only comforting ideas and soft words could be used here. Someone on the verge of trance was teetering between waking and sleeping, the smallest push potentially enough to send them one way or the other.
"What exactly is it you're asking of me, D'Mytri Nostre?"
And that was the last coherent sentence she spoke. He continued looking into her eyes as she continued, his ethha starting to fade as what remained of his energy began to run dry. She swayed. He moved as if to catch her, certain on some level that it was not unsteadiness causing the motion.
"I have no wish to kill you, miss Cassidy, nor to harm you in any way. There is much about your vampyrs that is not true of us. For example, I fully intend to enjoy the excellent meal you prepared for me. Also I only take life when it cannot be avoided. I ask for your trust because I understand how difficult it is for you to believe that I truly mean you no harm. I'm sorry I'm being so clumsy about this, but I used up all my energy escaping from some very unpleasant creatures. I need to feed and I regret that my body can't draw as much energy from your fine cooking as it can from you directly. If it helps, I don't intend to take very much. At most you may need to sit down for a moment. Please trust in me and please forgive me for making such a hash of this."
With that his eyes returned to normal. He was as a newborn once again, returned to the brink of starvation by fate's cruel machinations. Either she'd looked long enough for her mind to succumb or she had not. Either way, his life was in her hands now.
He said a prayer to the goddess of his homeland in his mind as he waited for what was to come.
If I have failed, lady of the dark star, please let my end be quick and let word of my demise reach my people in time. Protect your people in our hour of need, great lady, and guide our steps from this day unto the final day. May the red river ever flow back to you.
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Post by Mini on Sept 25, 2019 7:03:52 GMT -6
Cassidy was vaguely aware that D'Mytri's arms had shifted around her so that one of his arms was wrapped gently around her waist, almost as if to support her should her knees decide to quit working on her. With the way her head was spinning and her heart was still pounding away, that was a very real possibility.
Some small part of her mind still seemed to be very aware of what was happening to her. This was exactly the kind of situation that the church lectured their devout listeners about avoiding - the terrifying Darke Artes that vampyres controlled. They had powers to ensnare the innocent, bewitch the minds, and befuddle the senses. They could make an innocent victim think literally anything in the world with no more than a whisper. Wasn't that exactly what was happening here, that small voice was screaming at her?
No. No, it really wasn't. D'Mytri had had a hundred and two different opportunities to have overpowered her since he had walked into the front door. Why hadn't he just pinned her back against the piano and lulled her into a state of blissful unawareness, or snuck up on her while she was cooking in the kitchen? Why was he so desperately staring into her eyes with that strange mixture of sincerity, pity, remorseful, pleading look?
Over the years, Cassidy had become an expert at reading people's emotions in a very short amount of time. It was how she could tell who needed a sympathetic ear or several large beers at the bar late on a Tuesday night. It was how she could tell who needed a stern talking to or a swift kick out the door. There may have been some kind of strange, mystical, otherwordly power at work here, but at the root of it was an honest man who was truly on the brink of starvation. Besides, wasn't one of the Seven Cardinal Edicts to always be sure to help those in desperate need? Who was she to refuse a starving man a meal?
Whether it was the last ebb of power spluttering out of D'Mytri finally taking root in her mind, actual pity for D'Mytri and his sad situation, or simply sheer, dumb luck, Cassidy squeezed her eyes shut just as the glow faded out of D'Mytri's eyes. Gulping audibly, she gave him a meek little nod.
Ye gods and goddesses on high, what was she about to do?
"A-Alright then. Just... Just hurry up b-before I lose my nerve, okay?" she stammered nervously.
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Post by Nitari Windrider on Sept 25, 2019 13:44:24 GMT -6
"A-Alright then. Just... Just hurry up b-before I lose my nerve, okay?"
D'Mytri was stunned. Her mind hadn't succumbed, but for whatever reason it didn't matter. He froze, his eyes focused on her tightly shut ones. She really meant it. She was afraid, but she was willing to help anyway. This woman still thought he meant to kill her, regardless of what she might say to the contrary, and had no intention of turning him in.
After several seconds of silence and stillness, D'Mytri started to move. His mind caught up to the moment at last, he knew exactly how he wanted this to go.
"I'm going to guide you to a chair. If it brings you courage, please feel free to keep your eyes shut."
Whether she opened her eyes or not D'Mytri grabbed her arms gently and slowly guided her to a chair and helped her get to a seated position.
"There now. If it's all right with you I'd rather drink from your wrist than your neck. It will be easier for you to hide the mark that way, yes?"
He knelt in front of her, waiting for her response. The artery in her neck would provide a stronger flow, but in his half starved state it would be better to drink from a less potent source. It would be difficult enough as it was to only drink a little. Besides, it would be helpful in the long run to challenge as many of the images she had in her head as possible. He'd still have to see about completing his mesmerism once he'd fed, of course, but maybe she was dhanei after all.
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Post by Mini on Sept 25, 2019 21:14:21 GMT -6
Cassidy was stunned. Had those words really just come out of her mouth? Did she have some sort of death wish that she had never acknowledged until that morning? Was this some kind of strange and fantastical dream? Any second now, surely she would wake up and find herself buried under a pile of blankets back in the safety of her home, right?
Alas, this was no dream. It took D'Mytri some time to speak. Was he perhaps just as stunned as she was over what was going on? While her mind was busy screaming at her to do something - anything - he gently took her by the arms and guided her to a nearby chair. She knew exactly which chair it was, too. The smell of the eggs and sausage were still just as delicious as when she had plopped them out of the skillet and onto the serving plate for her guest. She didn't dare let herself open her eyes. Something told her that if she looked him in the face while he was busy... you know... that she would lose her nerve, scream, start flailing around, spray blood everywhere, and likely cause herself to pass out from blood loss. The racket would surely attract attention, then with her luck the scene would be discovered and Teague's would have been set on fire and burnt to the ground before the church bells struck high noon, quite possibly with both herself and D'Mytri still inside of it.
D'Mytri was saying something now - something about drinking from her wrist?
"Oh, yes, of course, because I've had so much experience with hiding Vam-- er, um, Nosferat bites on my wrist before," she muttered, not realizing she had spoken her sarcastic thoughts out loud. Coping with socially awkward situations with humor was how Cassidy had learned to break the ice with customer after customer who walked through Teague's front door. In some ways, she imagined that this situation wasn't all that different. Pursing her lips so tightly together it was a wonder she didn't draw blood from biting down on her bottom lip, she gulped audibly again and started squirming around a bit in the chair. A soft whimper slipped out of her. "D'Mytri, I... I'm afraid I meant what I said. If you don't get on with it, I-I think I might be sick. Or I might scream. Or I might do both at the same time. So just... just get on with it, okay? Besides, I... You... Uhhh... Th-The eggs are going to get cold, and cold eggs are gross, a-and I'm not making you a new order of eggs, okay??"
That being said, she rolled up one of her sleeves, took a deep breath, balled both of her fists up tightly, then stuck her wrist straight out in the general direction of where she assumed D'Mytri might have been. If she accidentally punched him in the face with her sudden movements, then it was entirely his own fault.
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Post by Nitari Windrider on Sept 26, 2019 0:44:22 GMT -6
Her first response to his consideration for her employment and general welfare was substantially more acerbic than he was expecting. She was probably not entirely serious, but it was difficult for him to discern the subtleties of human language. Her squirms gave her away, however. Her discomfort was growing now that she wasn't under the ethha, although it should be noted that she was apparently still willing to let him feed. Very interesting.
When she'd stopped stammering about eggs and things she rolled up a sleeve, balled her fists, and stuck out her arm in his general direction. He moved slightly to dodge the suddenly extended fist. It would have been rather embarrassing to be caught by so ridiculous a thing as being laid low by someone who wasn't intending to hit him. Her nerve was failing her, but if he acted now she would still consent.
Saying nothing, he took her wrist. With gentle hands he held it and brought his mouth down to it. He gently licked her skin, hoping to convince her that he wasn't going to cause her pain if he could avoid it. Besides, he'd heard a rumor that the saliva of a Nosferat served as an anesthetic to humans. Anything that would simplify things going forward was fine by him. Just before he would have begun feeding in earnest he stopped himself. Here was another chance to differentiate himself from the vampyr of the human stories. What he'd been about to do was a distinct point of similarity and an aspect of his biology he couldn't deny, but there was no need to be vulgar here. Especially given the circumstances. If he used the knife on the plate...yes. He reached over, took the utensil, and made an incision as gently as possible in the area he'd licked earlier. If the rumors were true, she would feel only pressure.
Setting the knife aside, he gingerly brought his mouth over the wound and began to drink the crimson flow. His first taste of blood in days was like lightning in his mouth. Every part of him came alive all at once, awakened by hunger, electrified by the taste of blood freely given, and suddenly cavernously empty. Every cell craved the sustenance of the ruby drops and as he drank his hunger blossomed within him, as though the feeling of starvation he'd been experiencing was merely a taste of the true level of thirst within him. It took everything he had to break away and tear a strip from his shirt to bind the wound. Warmth flowed through him as the blood he'd received spread through his body as delicious energy. His strength returned gradually, but he felt now more alive than he'd been since the Uroika attack.
Once the wound was properly tended, at least to the limits of his current abilities, he withdrew a little. Perhaps when she could no longer feel his touch she would draw the correct conclusion. Before she could speak or act on this information, he spoke gently again.
"It would be best if you remained seated for the time being. You might feel weakened or faint, but the feeling will pass in time."
If she had nothing to say to that he would add a ritual prayer of gratitude older than either of them.
"Thank you for the gift of life freely shared. I am enriched and humbled by your generosity and hope to one day repay your kindness."
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Post by Mini on Sept 26, 2019 12:29:56 GMT -6
It felt like the minutes ticked by as Cassidy waited for something to happen. In reality, it probably had only been closer to thirty seconds for D'Mytri to move from numbing her skin with his saliva and gingerly slicing a tiny cut in her wrist. She didn't know what she had been expecting, but it certainly wasn't that. The warmth of his tongue had startled her. The second she felt it she tensed up, expecting to feel two pinprick canine teeth ripping her wrist open. What happened next was puzzling indeed. His mouth moved away from her and she felt... well, nothing. Nothing at all. Wasn't this the part when he was supposed to dig his fangs into her skin and start sucking her dry? When that didn't happen, she forced herself to take several deep breaths.
What was going on? Had D'mytri lost his nerve? Wait a minute... Had he passed out from starvation? She squirmed around a bit more in her chair, feeling like she was on the verge of having a panic attack.
Don't look. Don't look. Do. Not. Look.
Allowing her curiosity to overcome her, she finally allowed herself to open just one of her eyes a teeny, tiny little slit of the way. What she saw caused her to gasp in both surprise and alarm. D'Mytri was hovering over her wrist with a knife! Both of her eyes snapped wide open now. Before she had a chance to freak out about it, for he was carefully holding her wrist down against the arm of the chair, he very deftly slid the blade right across a very small bit of her skin. She expected it to hurt a lot. She had unfortunately sliced herself open a few times too many while chopping vegetables and knew exactly what it felt like to have a sharp blade slice your skin open.
Instead, she felt... nothing. Maybe a bit of pressure, a vague awareness that something was brushing against her skin, but that was it. Transfixed by both horror and fascination, she watched as a crimson line of fresh blood formed against her pale skin. Before even a single drop could spill down her wrist, D'Mytri was on her. Again, she barely felt anything. If she hadn't bravely opened her eyes and watched the scene playing out in front of her then she would have had no idea what was even happening.
It was one of the strangest sensations she had ever experienced in her life. Although she couldn't physically feel much, she was still very much aware of the fact that blood was being drained out of her. She heard, more than felt, every greedy, desperate swallow D'Mytri made. It reminded her of weary travelers who stumbled into the tavern after the long and often treacherous way through the forests and mountains who finally sat down for a warm meal and a large glass of water or beer. They drank like they were on the verge of death. D'Mytri drank her blood in a similar fashion. He was thirsty.
Eventually he pulled away from her just as she became aware of a fuzzy feeling in her mind starting to overtake her, similar to the feeling of waking up one morning and knowing you were about to come down with a cold. Her breathing was heavy and shaky, too. Funny, she hadn't noticed that until he had stopped drinking. How much blood had she lost?
He ripped off a part of his shirt and wrapped it tight and snug around her wrist. He mentioned something about making sure she stayed seated and she simply nodded to him. He did something very surprising next - he prayed. Was it... Was it a prayer to The Three? It was certainly no prayer she had ever heard of. This on top of everything else was a lot to take in. The Church always painted their enemies as such heartless monsters, but D'Mytri... he was different.
"You... You didn't drink for long," Cassidy finally said in a soft and willowy voice. "It didn't even hurt. Not even a little bit," she murmured. She was staring down at the makeshift bandage wrapped around her wrist. Finally, her hazel eyes drifted back over to D'Mytri. "Are you... Are you going to be all right?"
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Post by Nitari Windrider on Sept 26, 2019 18:11:30 GMT -6
He almost laughed aloud when she gasped in alarm. She'd opened her eyes, then, and was watching the entire procedure. The fact that a gasp was all it had elicited was remarkable. As he understood it most humans would balk much more noticeably at being cut and having someone drink from the wound. Very interesting.
After he'd finished drinking she either didn't entirely notice or wasn't surprised by his comments about staying seated, but the prayer visibly threw her off. More than likely her people viewed his with as much misunderstanding and hate as his did hers.
"You... You didn't drink for long," she said finally, her voice soft and more thready than before, "It didn't even hurt. Not even a little bit."
So the rumors were true. That was very good to know. Before he could respond to her she spoke again, her eyes fixed on his.
"Are you... Are you going to be all right?"
D'Mytri nodded.
"It's true. I didn't drink as much as perhaps I could have. I wouldn't call myself restored necessarily, but that small drink certainly helped. With your cooking in addition, I'll be fine."
He took a breath, taking stock of his rising energy.
"With your permission, I'd like to entrance you and help you not remember this. I will remember your kindness, of course, but you're still human and I'm still Nosferat. I can't afford for someone to learn the truth from you, especially a templar like our friend Fiona. I will also be teaching your subconscious a keyword which will unlock these memories if there is need going forward. Does that make sense?"
He paused just then, prepared to use his ethha again but waiting to see what she would say first. If she had questions or objections those took priority for the moment.
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Post by Mini on Sept 26, 2019 19:44:02 GMT -6
A hint of a smile flashed across Cassidy's face as D'Mytri mentioned her cooking. It felt like so long ago now, but really it had been what, maybe five or ten minutes at most since she had been minding her own business down in the kitchen? Funny to think that it had only been ten minutes ago before she had discovered that she was housing an enemy of the Church.
And you willingly gave him your blood. What are you thinking?
Now that the rush and shock of what had just happened were starting to wear off, Cassidy tried to figure out what in the world had come over her. Her eyes lingered back down to her freshly bandaged wrist. Why had she so willingly agreed to give anything at all to this Nosferat? Aiding and abetting a known enemy of the Church? What was going to happen to her? The weight of her actions starting crushing her spirits. The Three spare her, what had she done? Or perhaps... what had D'Mytri done? She remembered those whispered words that were in no tongue she had ever heard before and those strange, ethereal, glowing eyes of his. Had he done more than just plead with her?
She leaned forward in her seat, clasping her clammy hands in front of her as she leaned against her knees. Her eyes flickered back up to D'Mytri as he began speaking. It seemed his mind had drifted down the same dark path as hers. The instance he said the word "entrance," she gasped and shot upright in her chair.
"What?!" she exclaimed in apparent outrage. Some color came rushing back into her cheeks. "No!" she immediately added, childishly shaking her head as if that would make everything better.
Ah, but there it was: they were enemies. Despite what events had transpired against two individuals, the bottom line was that her people and his were at war.
"No," she stated again rather adamantly as soon as he had finished speaking. "No, it is not alright with me for you to use any... any more of your darke magyk on me to mess around with my head," she said, practically spitting the words out. A hint of terror had crept back into her voice. There was hurt in her eyes as she looked up at him.
"For one thing, I don't want to forget what happened here. For another thing, how do I know that you won't do something you shouldn't? Drinking blood is... well, it's blood. It's... It's something that I think I would have had control over. You gave me opportunity after opportunity to turn you down and say no, and I didn't. But letting you... letting you mess around with my head? Entrance me? Make me lose my memories?" she whispered. "Do you know how terrifying that is to think about, to know that your people have that kind of power over us?"
Pursing her lips together, she held her bandaged wrist up. "Letting you drink my blood was one thing. You... You were on the verge of starvation, and it... It was... I..." Here, her words failed her. No, that wasn't the right argument to make. Feeling frustrated, she closed her eyes and sighed heavily. "What do you think I'm going to do, run out the front door and tell the first person I see that there's a dangerous vampyr staying in room 3 at Teague's? I'm not... I... I wouldn't... I... I..."
Her voice trailed off again as she tried to tell herself that she would never reveal D'Mytri, but even as she said it, she knew that she couldn't make that promise. D'Mytri knew it, too, which was exactly why he had shared his proposal with her. She wasn't about to admit that out loud, of course. Her cheeks and her ears felt hot, and she feared that there might be tears welling up in her eyes. She desperately hoped that there weren't. Out of valid arguments, she let out a sad little sniffling sob and looked up at him.
"Please... I don't want to forget you."
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Post by Nitari Windrider on Sept 30, 2019 0:50:48 GMT -6
There were reasons why many Nosferat chose not to talk very extensively with those upon whom they fed.
Cassidy's reaction to his proposal ran the full gamut between overt speciesism and almost calm bargaining by way of fear and anger. It annoyed him greatly when her prejudices reared their ugly heads. He'd been a fool to think he'd find a dhanei here. Angels were rare and wonderful creatures, and not every person kind to a traveler was necessarily as wonderful as they appeared.
He could practically feel the moment her mind clicked over and remembered that his people and hers were at war. While the two people in this room were not enemies per se, all she had to do was shout from the window and he would have practically no time at all to try to engineer an escape with his life. Despite her fear and anger they both knew she wouldn't. Not unless he reminded her again that the free will humans cherished so much could be so very easily subverted by the gifts his people had been given to survive the harsh world they'd been born to all those centuries ago. Part of him wanted very much to just put her under right here and now, cut off the argument, entice her to forget all about what had transpired, and return to being just a friendly tavern keeper and a traveler in need of help to whom she was rendering much needed and much appreciated aid. The rest of him knew it was not that easy.
"Please..." she said with a sob, eventually reaching the core of her feelings on the matter, "I don't want to forget you."
He took a breath, his own anger leaving him in a heavy sigh. He knew what had to be done, she knew it as well, so why did it have to be so difficult?
"Let's say I let you remember. We both know you have no intention of bringing templars down on me and I appreciate that very much. But say someone notices you have a fresh wound today. They ask, you tell them you had a little accident preparing food, nothing to worry about, everyone goes about their day. Except someone notices you looking paler than usual and observes that someone as skilled at cooking as you wouldn't slip with a knife so badly that it would cut your wrist. Hushed whispers spread from person to person that something is amiss in room 3 at Teague's. A traveler in need of healing had taken up residence and rested all day, barely ever emerging, and our Cassidy is tending him like she would anyone in need. Someone from the church stops by to check on you, just some friendly concern from one churchgoer to another. Without any conscious action on your part the church has become involved. If they sense you hiding something they'll press. If they decide it's dangerous they'll press hard. The church has ways of making people tell them things, and even if you manage to keep my secret through all of that people will start to wonder why our Cassidy has started acting so strangely and they'll notice that it all started around the time that sickly traveler came to town."
He paused for half a breath.
"I'm not meaning to speak ill of your town, mind you. I'm sure it's a lovely place that I simply haven't had the time to explore as yet. What I am saying is that I've traveled to many towns and the one thing I find more than anything else is fear. War makes people afraid and frightened people are much more dangerous than they every would be otherwise. That's why I'm offering to suppress your memory. If you don't remember that I'm anything more than a traveler on the verge of starvation you did the kindness of feeding and sheltering you won't have anything to hide besides a small injury caused by the most unlikely of small knife accidents. I'm not only trying to protect myself, miss Cassidy. You've been very kind to me and I don't want to force anything on you, so I'd like to find an acceptable compromise if possible."
Really, it would be so easy to slip into her mind and put her memories of learning his true identity and giving him blood into a box and tuck it under a pile of other things. He really should just do that instead of all this bothersome trying to convince her to do what they both knew was the only reasonable course of action.
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Post by Mini on Oct 1, 2019 21:00:24 GMT -6
Cassidy had crossed her arms rather stubbornly across her chest despite her emotions getting the best of her towards the end of her little outburst. All of those angry and upset emotions combined with the excitement and fear of the situation at hand had momentarily taken control of the rational and reasonable part of her mind that was usually in charge of sorting out what to say and what to keep to herself. What was it her grandmother had often told her when she was little and came to her crying about bullies and mean-spirited children at the school yard?
'Always taste your words before you spit them out for others to sample.'
Her words had decidedly not been flavored with anything sweet. To make matters worse, D'Mytri had been growing steadily angrier and upset as she had been half-screaming at him. She had caught hints of it in his eyes, but she had chosen to ignore it and instead focus on her own self instead. When her fear and anger had boiled out and given way to the raw fear that was the source of this whole situation in the first place, his anger evaporated away with a heavy sigh. If she was reading his body language correctly, it seemed he was stuck in the same boat and floating helplessly down the same river as she was. As she sat in silence and listened to D'Mytri's surprisingly calm and patient explanation of why having him use his powers to suppress her memories of all of this really was the best option, she felt even worse about what she had shouted at him. He painted a very vivid and very accurate picture of a very terrible situation for both of them.
"War makes people afraid and frightened people are much more dangerous than they every would be otherwise," he stated knowingly. At this, she slowly nodded in agreement and lowered her eyes, suddenly ashamed to meet his.
"I..."
Her voice abandoned her for a moment. She took a deep breath, cleared her throat softly, and tried again.
"You're right, and I'm sorry," Cassidy said softly, her eyes trained down on the floor as she spoke. "You mentioned fear several times, and I'm afraid that I'm no better than anyone else of my people. You've been nothing but kind to me, and then the second you offer to use your... your magyk on me to do something that's helpful to the both of us, I... well, I'm afraid that I let my fear get the best of me," she admitted. "Please understand that what I said earlier about you and your abilities, I said out of fear. I try to be a good person and not let fear, hatred, and untruths cloud my judgment, but I'm afraid that I'm no better than anyone else. All the wishes in the world can't change the facts," she sighed softly.
"Magyk is terrifying to me. I've never told anyone else that before. It's not an excuse for what I said, though," she added quickly, finally daring to look up to meet D'Mytri in the eyes once more. "I don't know how much you and your kind know about human magyk, but it's not something that all humans have. Most of us are totally powerless. I've seen people do some truly amazing and truly terrifying things with magyk before. It's mind-boggling to me to think that with the flick of a wrist or a hard thought that someone can turn a bucket of water into a beautiful ice sculpture or trick a person's mind into forgetting an entire person. People fear what they don't know. Maybe that's how this whole war got started in the first place. I guess at the end of the day, everyone would much rather be the hunter than the prey, right?"
The biggest thing that jumped out at her was not so much any of what D'Mytri said, but rather something he wasn't doing. It had to have been easy enough for him to use his strange magyk on her to simply make her forget that any of this ever happened. Doing so would have been easy. She was certainly in no position to fight him or stop him. Truth be told, she didn't even know if she would if she could.
So why didn't he just do that? He had taken the time to be so kind, so sweet, and so gentle with her earlier. What was the point in telling her all about himself and his people if he was just going to wipe her mind of it all a few minutes later?
She heaved out a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry," she apologized again. "I'm probably making this very difficult for you, aren't I? If I were to put myself in your shoes, I can't imagine being so patient with me." Cassidy paused for a moment to brush some of her hair back behind her ears. "You know, I just can't stop thinking about that. With all the powers and magyk that you have, wouldn't it just be easier for you to wave your hand or say some magykal words and make me forget this whole thing ever happened? It must be. And yet here you are, being so kind and sweet, taking the time to both tell me and then show me all about how you're not some blood-thirsty psychopath monster vampyr. You never once forced me into letting you drink my blood. You could have easily overpowered me or knocked me out or used your magyk on me to just let you have your way with me, but you didn't. You didn't bite my neck because you seemed genuinely concerned about making sure I could cover up the wound. You made sure it didn't hurt and that I wasn't scared. You bandaged the wound and stopped the bleeding with a piece of your own shirt. You asked my permission to make me forget you, and now..." She hadn't realized it, but she was starting to get a bit worked up again. Her voice broke and tears welled up in her eyes once more. Fighting back the urge to cry and yelling at herself - why in the world was she getting so emotional about this?! - she fanned herself with her hands and forced herself to continue talking.
"And now you're so patiently and calmly explaining all the reasons why it's a good idea, why it's really the only option possible, and... Oh, D'Mytri, you're nothing at all like the terrible things the Church tells us about vampyrs," she whispered, smiling sadly as a tear trickled down her cheek. "You're being so nice to a simple small town tavern girl like me, and it will truly be a crying shame to not remember any of this."
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