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Post by Nitari Windrider on Nov 22, 2019 19:52:09 GMT -6
His reaction seemed to be the entire reason Teague had paused after speaking those words. He laughed and clapped his hands, enjoying this immensely. D'Mytri had to admit that the man was infectiously jovial and his storytelling was making an evening's drunken antics into the stuff of legend.
"You would think that, wouldn't you?" he began once his laughter died down enough to continue, "Who would be daft enough to go out anywhere without at least four layers of clothes in two feet of snow in the middle of a blizzard, right? But remember what I said at the very beginning of this story? Jerry McGillivray is a proud man. He had given his word, and by The Three, he was going to stick to it."
He leaned back in his chair, getting comfortable again while D'Mytri quietly ordered food. This tale was perhaps nearing a middle, so additional refreshment was in order.
"So, sure enough, Jerry disrobed. It is my understanding that he did this right in the middle of his own tavern without a single care in the world. I have it on good authority that he then proceeded to down two full pints of ale, kicked the front door of his place open, and marched across town with a whole gaggle of drunk, bewildered, and slightly concerned onlookers following behind him. Despite all the odds, he walked the entire way here. One way or another, he worked his way from there to here and by the time he got to my front door, he was naked. My sneaking suspicion is that he did not, in fact, walk all the way here naked, but stripped down once he got to the front door. Those who were present for the whole thing seem to have rather foggy memories of the exact timing of events, of course."
"Of course," D'Mytri added. This rather summed up the degree of disbelief he was holding for the entire story, as they hadn't even reached the part where Teague himself had been present. The rest would have been pieced together from hearsay and the drunken recollections of those who had chosen the competing establishment. Teague almost seemed not to notice his words as he continued.
"You can imagine my shock when my own front door is shoved open and in staggers Jerry, completely naked for all the world to see. His body was trembling and he was soaking wet from all the snow that had gathered around him. 'TEAGUE!' he screams as loud as possible, pointing at me. "TEAGUE, THERE YOU ARE!' I was behind the counter at the time. He starts screaming utter nonsense at me with a giant smile plastered on his face the whole time. His friends rushed in, trying to both stop him and throw blankets, jackets, scarves, whatever they had handy on him, but he shoved them all away, tells them to shut up, and just walks straight inside. 'Teague, I'm twice the man you are! I've been running my business twice as long! I have twice as many recipes! Twice as many beers! Twice as many ales!' He wouldn't shut up about twice this and twice that. By this point, I had heard more or less what had happened from those who had followed him inside and were desperately trying to get him to calm down and put some clothes on so he wouldn't catch his death of a cold. He just kept right on going until he was close enough to jab me in the chest with his pointy little finger, the whole time spouting off more rubbish. 'Well? Aren't you going to say something?' he finally said. He hadn't noticed that it had gone very quiet in the tavern here, you see. He was too busy staring me down."
D'Mytri once again doubted the veracity of Teague's tale. How could he have assembled all that information while Jerry was yelling at him about how much better his establishment is? It made for a good story but strained credulity. It was at this point, however, that Teague leaned in and lowered his voice, as if the next part was some great secret.
"Finally, I said to him in a very quiet voice, I said, 'Jerry, whatever you do, please don't turn around.' Confused, because this was not what he expected to hear, he starts to turn... and sees Cassidy standing in the doorway to the pantry, holding a crate of jelly jars, staring straight at Jerry and all of his glory. She was... ohh, she was red as a tomato, she was. You see, Cassidy never worked late evenings. It was only ever me. Nobody thought she would be there. On account of all of the snow, though, I wouldn't let her walk home alone. Too dangerous, I said. Nobody should be out in this. I talked her into spending the night, because of course we had nobody here so she had her pick of the rooms, but bless her heart, she had wanted to do something useful since she was here, so she decided to clean and inventory the pantry before turning in for the night."
D'Mytri put on exactly the expression that belonged in the pause that followed. He knew Cassidy well enough to know exactly how she was likely to react to such a sight and his mental picture was not pleasant for Jerry. Teague shook his head and laughed to himself.
"Chaos ensued after this. Cassidy screamed and threw the whole crate of jelly at Jerry as she went running back into the pantry, screaming at him at the top of her lungs. I tried to grab him and turn him away from her, though he swears I punched him. At least ten horrified others jumped in the way between the pantry and where Jerry stood, knocking over chairs, tables, and everything in the way. Someone slipped on the broken jelly jars, crashed into someone else, knocked Jerry over, and, well... A bit of a scuffle broke out, but I had the place cleared out in less than a minute. Jerry was unceremoniously carried away, wrapped up in at least three jackets, two scarves, and a hat. To this day, I'm not sure how the idiot didn't wind up losing his toes and, hrmm, other tender and exposed bits of himself to frostbite. He was quite ill afterwards, though. It was three days before he dared to show up over here to make an effort to apologize. He had the unfortunate timing to show up when Cassidy was here, though, and... Let's just say that both of them do their best to avoid each other."
Teague chuckled again, leaning back in his chair. D'Mytri was laughing a little as well, bemused and entertained by the foolishness of drunkards past.
"And that, my friend, is why Jerry now has his own special sign outside of my tavern."
His story concluded, Teague sat satisfied in his chair. D'Mytri shook his head.
"Part of me is sorry I asked and the rest is sorry I wasn't there. I understand why you never cleaned the graffiti off, and why the idea of Jerry entertains everyone I've asked except Cassidy."
He spared another moment to chuckle to himself.
"Thank you for your story, mister Teague. I wonder how much of it has been embellished in the telling, but I'm glad I asked you for it."
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Post by Mini on Nov 23, 2019 11:34:34 GMT -6
While waiting for D'Mytri to finish absorbing the story's end and allowing him time to also share in collected laughter, Teague gave his mustache an absent-minded little twirl. This lad was a good listener and Teague appreciated that. He chuckled knowingly when D'Mytri brought up asking Cassidy about the sign. Being a rather public place, he knew full well that the sign would likely confuse and intrigue those who were passing through. Here was evidence that it had done exactly that. The sign had stirred up many questions among the townsfolk as well. After all, there weren't too many who went by the name of Jerry in Cairnbaan, so it hadn't taken long for just about the entire town to figure out which Jerry the sign referred to.
"Ach, I imagine you must have asked Cassidy about the sign when you were checking in? Of course you did, of course you did. I wouldn't be able to help but ask about such a sign if I were in your shoes. I can only imagine she spluttered something about it and quickly changed the subject. That is one memory she would rather forget, I'm sure. Unfortunately for her, it's not the case with most everyone else in town," he hooted with laughter. "So anyway, I hear that once they got Jerry back to his house, he tried to--"
"'Oi! Teague!!" a man with a mess of curly black hair shouted from up at the bar. "Quit yer gossiping and get back up here 'afore I die of dehydration!" He slammed an empty stein down on the bar good-naturedly.
Teague turned around and waved a dismissive hand towards the man. "Aye, quit your bellyaching, Fitzpatrick! I'll get there when I get there!" he roared back.
"By the Three, Teague, you know how he gets when he's thirsty," another man sitting a few stools down from Fitzpatrick added. "First come the whines, then the begging. It'll be hell for all of us if he starts singing! For the love of everyone's ears, you'd better get up here soon." This remark was meant by a chorus of laughter, over-exaggerated groans of pain, pantomimed acts of covering ears, and snide quips from just about everyone seated anywhere close to the bar.
Rolling his eyes, Teague pushed his chair back and stood up. "Good Korro knows he's right," he chuckled. "You'll have to excuse me, Dmitri. Duty calls. Oh, and by the by," he added, winking at D'Mytri. "There ain't no 'mister Teague' in this establishment, you got that?" He took a step forward and then paused as he glanced down, noticing D'Mytri had a plate of food in front of him for the first time. Had he truly been talking that long? He shrugged inwardly at himself. "At any rate, enjoy your dinner. Looks good enough that I might have to get myself a plate," he added, grinning from ear to ear as he strolled off towards the bar, 'accidentally' elbowing into Fitzpatrick as he walked by.
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Post by Nitari Windrider on Nov 23, 2019 13:41:07 GMT -6
From the sounds of things one of two things was true: either Teague himself had written the message about Jerry or he had left it up intentionally to give himself ample opportunity to tell the story. This conclusion was supported by Teague's satisfied mustache twirl, his knowing chuckle when Cassidy was mentioned, and the fact that he almost launched into another story before he was interrupted by one of the other patrons among other things. At the insistence of one of the other patrons, Teague started to get up to go.
"You'll have to excuse me, Dmitri. Duty calls," the man said as he stood, "Oh, and by the by, there ain't no 'mister Teague' in this establishment, you got that?"[/i]
He punctuated that question with a wink and paused as he turned to leave, noticing the plate of food that had appeared in front of D'Mytri while they were talking.
"At any rate, enjoy your dinner. Looks good enough that I might have to get myself a plate."
D'Mytri nodded.
"Completely agreed. Thank you again for the story."
He wasn't sure if Teague had heard all of that, as the man was making his way back to the bar elbowing the thirsty patron good naturedly as he went. It didn't matter, though. D'Mytri started to eat, making every outward indication that he was enjoying the meal. Inwardly, however, his mind and stomach had drifted to pondering another kind of sustenance. He couldn't drink from Cassidy again so soon, but another opportunity had presented itself.
As he ate, D'Mytri ever so gently tugged on the psychic thread connecting him to Cassidy. In her current state she probably wouldn't recognize it for what it was but it would cause her mind to innocently drift his direction and create a very subtle inclination to come speak to him. Just because she couldn't safely give him blood right now didn't mean she couldn't help him in his quest for a snack. This dinner was tasty enough but it wouldn't give him enough energy to do much more than ensnare a proper meal.
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Post by Mini on Nov 23, 2019 15:04:48 GMT -6
"Ughhhhhhh this is so stupid!"
Cassidy sighed to herself as she stirred the very large pot of stew simmering slowly on the fire in front of her. This was the sixth-- no, seventh-- complaint she had overheard from Lilian in the last thirty seconds. If nothing else, the girl's disgust and dislike of doing any actual kitchen work was impressive in its own right. Had she been this... whiny... as a teenager? With the patience of a saint, Cassidy smiled to herself as she finally answered the lamentable moans and groans coming from the far corner of the kitchen.
"Miss Lillian, now what in the world could be so truly awful about being asked to peel a handful of potatoes for your uncle?" she asked, glancing up from her pot.
Lilian scowled darkly up at Cassidy from where she was sitting. There were three wooden crates in front of her. One was filled with potatoes, the middle had four tiny pieces of potato skins in it, and the last was empty. The sleeves of her blouse had been rolled up. In one hand she held a small knife, and the other she held a potato that looked as if it had been the unfortunate victim of a botched homicide.
"A handful?! There's like ten thousand potatoes over here!" Lilian whined loudly. "There's no way I can do this all before dinner. This will take me like a whole year to do! This is cruel and unusual punishment!"
Cassidy gave the stew one final stir and then banged the excess broth off of her wooden spoon, then set it down carefully on a wooden cutting board on the counter next to her. She wiped her hands on her apron and turned around to look at Lilian. She couldn't help but laugh when she saw the potato. "Good gods, Lily, have you ever sliced a potato before? You want to peel the skin off of it, not hack it into eighteen pieces," she giggled.
"Ugh, don't laugh at me. This is really hard!" Lilian sulked as Cassidy approached her.
Cassidy knelt down next to her and reached to take the potato and knife from her. "Here, let me help--"
"No, I'm fine, I can-- hey!" Lilian shrieked as Cassidy deftly whipped both the knife and the potato clean out of Lilian's hands.
"Look. Firstly, you're holding the knife wrong. You're not trying to stab it. You just kind of want to glide the knife right underneath the skin, like this, and it helps a lot if you rotate the potato with your other hand while you apply pressure with your knife hand. Don't chop at it," Cassidy said, demonstrating this as she swiftly peeled nearly the entire skin clean off of the potato in a flash. "Then you just kind of have to slice the ends off, check for any spots you missed, and presto!" she exclaimed, dropping the neatly peeled tuber into the empty crate.
Her feelings now deflated, Lilian brushed some stray strands of hair back of her face and hesitantly reached out for the knife. "That... You made that look really easy. Umm... thank you."
Cassidy smiled brightly as she stood up. "It was my pleasure. You know I'm more than happy to help show you the ropes, Lilian. You only need to ask."
Lilian murmured something quietly as she picked up a potato, already trying her best to copy exactly what Cassidy had done.
Smiling to herself, Cassidy was about to say something else when a strange thought popped into her mind. Dmitri Noster, that man who had checked in much earlier this morning... how was he doing? It had been quite some time since she had left him alone with breakfast. Was he up and about yet? It was a bit early for dinner, but she hadn't seen or heard a peep from him during the lunching hour. She knew how the townsfolk could be when a new person showed up unannounced and unexpected, too. What if he was sitting out there now, all alone, while everyone and their mother stared at him and whispered about him, conjecturing awful backstories about where he came from and what kind of horrible person he might turn out to be?
Without so much of a word to Lilian, Cassidy turned and decided to head out into the tavern to make rounds and see if Dmitri was up and about yet. She slipped out the double doors, smiled a bit as she noticed Teague leaned over the tavern in the middle of some ridiculous story about a fish the size of a horse, and stood at the edge of the bar as she scanned the tables. It didn't take her long to spot her pale new acquaintance tucked away at his own quiet table. Something about seeing him eating made her happy. Smiling politely as she exchanged greetings with a few of the others in the tavern, she stole quietly into the seat right across from D'Mytri and smiled brightly at him.
"Well, good morning, sunshine!" she said with a bright and merry twinkle in her eyes. "I'm glad to see you up and about. You missed lunch, you know. I guess you must have slept right through it. Have you settled down into your room all right? Feeling any better now that you've gotten some rest?"
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Post by Nitari Windrider on Nov 23, 2019 17:13:27 GMT -6
As she approached D'Mytri did his best to swallow the bite of food that was in his mouth and set his utensils down so that he could greet her properly. He stood as she reached his table and almost bowed formally before he stopped himself.
"Well, good morning, sunshine!" she said as she sat down across from him. He sat as well and smiled. He was about to greet her in return when she continued. "I'm glad to see you up and about. You missed lunch, you know. I guess you must have slept right through it. Have you settled down into your room all right? Feeling any better now that you've gotten some rest?"
He chuckled at the flurry of questions thrown his way.
"I was quite tired, yes. I'm feeling a little better now that I've gotten some rest and nourishment."
He gestured to the plate.
"Compliments to the chef, by the way."
He took another bite for emphasis.
"To answer your other question," he continued once he'd chewed and swallowed, "I have settled in all right, although I was surprised by the amount of afternoon sun my room receives. I hadn't expected to be able to see it out my window."
He pondered inducing her right then, but elected to wait and actually speak to her a moment before sending her back into her trance state. His plan would involve using her in a semiconscious state so the trance would only need to be momentary, but there wasn't any particular need to rush. He wasn't desperately hungry, after all, merely peckish after spotting a delicious morsel. A little afternoon snack before he went to explore Cairnbaan a little, maybe see if he could find a way into the cathedral.
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Post by Mini on Nov 23, 2019 21:56:51 GMT -6
A bright smile spread across Cassidy's face as D'Mytri shared that he was both feeling better and enjoying the food. It had felt like she had been cooking nearly all day, and it was very nice to hear that her efforts were appreciated. "Oh, thank you so much! I'm so glad you like it. The freshly caught fishes we're lucky enough to get from a local trader really makes a difference. Trust me, you stay here long enough and you'll be a pro at telling the difference between a freshly caught fish, a kind of fresh fish, and a fish that's been on the ice for a week or more," she chuckled.
What he said next struck her a bit odd. To the best of her knowledge, that was the first time she had ever heard such a complaint. It was a surprisingly sunny day, and the sun did tend to reflect pretty brightly on the freshly fallen snow. Maybe D'Mytri just wasn't used to how bright and harsh the sun could be sometimes on a clear winter's day?
"Huh. Interesting," she remarked, tapping her cheek thoughtfully. "That's a new one on me. I suppose most of our guests don't sleep during the morning and afternoon, so I guess I've never really ever noticed how brightly the sun shines through the curtains. The sun sets early enough and it's plenty dark at night, so you won't need to worry about it tonight, at least. Once you catch up on sleep it shouldn't be a problem. I can always take a look around and see if we have some darker, heavier curtains up in the attic, if you'd like. Hmm... throwing an extra blanket over the curtains might work, too," she said with a shrug. "Maybe I'll ask Teague if he has any ideas."
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Post by Nitari Windrider on Nov 26, 2019 20:54:50 GMT -6
D'Mytri nodded as Cassidy commented on the town's excellent fish supply.
"I very much believe you. I'm glad your fish aren't the ones that are on ice for weeks on end."
When she began to suggest solutions for the afternoon sun he waved his hands. Best nip this in the bud before anyone got ideas about why he preferred darkness.
"Oh no, miss Cassidy, I was only meaning to say it surprised me. I'm not used to waking up with afternoon sun on my face."
He pondered triggering her right there and then, but waited. Avoiding conversations by putting her in trance was a bad habit.
"If it continues to be a problem I promise I'll let you know right away. In the meanwhile, I have a question if you don't mind my curiosity. Who's the girl who came over first? I think Teague said she was his niece? She didn't seem like she wanted to be here is why I'm asking."
From his tone he was definitely trying awkwardly to change the subject rather than further confront the misunderstanding. He hoped he was also managing to sound like his choice of topic was completely innocent and random rather than the result of some kind of interest in that antisocial hors d'oeuvre. Why wasn't he just using that trigger phrase already? He needed the Cassidy who knew his secret anyway. Why was he spending all this effort to have a regular conversation with normal Cassidy? As he waited for either the story he'd asked for or some sign that she was about to leave the table he prepared himself to quietly speak the trigger phrase if she decided on the latter. It was okay if she seemed as though she was about to get up and decided against it, but he definitely needed it to appear as normal as possible when he did put her under again.
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Post by Mini on Nov 27, 2019 20:10:44 GMT -6
"Oh," was Cassidy's reply to D'Mytri waving his hand and insisting that he had merely been mentioning the curtains and the afternoon sunlight as... a conversation starter? Who struck up conversation about the quality of curtains? Try as she might, she couldn't resist chuckling to herself over the idea. Making small talk and idle chitchat had been drilled into her for as long as she had been employed at Teague's. She forgot that it didn't always come naturally to others. Over the years she had heard many a strange (and many a drunk and flirtatious) one-liners and attempts at striking up innocent conversation, but talking about curtains was a new one. She smiled at him. "Well, all right then, if you insist."
Thankfully, he decided to switch topics over to the girl who had apparently waited on him earlier, or at least attempted to. Cassidy chuckled again, shaking her head a bit as D'Mytri went on to describe her.
"Ah, that would be Lilian. And Teague, bless his heart," she added with a soft giggle. It was obvious she had a soft spot for the owner. "I'm surprised he didn't give you his entire family tree if he already told you that Lilian is his niece. Lilian's father is Teague's younger brother. Lilian is the oldest of three, I believe, and so her parents thought it would be good for her to get a job. Teague can't quite say no to his little brother and decided to give Lilian a trial run here at the tavern to see how she'd do. I don't think Lilian had much say in the matter. She just started two days ago and, well, between you and me, I don't think she's ever so much as dusted above the mantle at home before. I believe she thought that the fine profession of waiting on tables would be a whole lot of sitting around and talking. She's finding out that it's actually hard work. I don't think she quite realized that somebody has to clean the plates, the glasses, and the silverware, keep the fires going in the kitchen, remember who ordered what foods and drinks at what table, and also cook all of the food, which means doing things like chopping vegetables."
Cassidy gasped, suddenly seeming to remember that she had just left Lilian alone and unsupervised with a pile of potatoes. "Oh, speaking of, I'm afraid that I really must get back into the kitchen. I left a big pot of stew on and it's probably about to come to a boil, and poor Lilian is back there trying to figure out which end of the knife to use to slice the potatoes with." She gave D'Mytri an apologetic smile and looked as if she was about to stand up. "Do enjoy the rest of your meal, though, and please let me know if there's anything else you need."
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Post by Nitari Windrider on Dec 2, 2019 10:36:44 GMT -6
"That would be Lilian," Cassidy said when the conversation turned to the reluctant girl. She spared a fond chuckle for the owner before continuing. "I'm surprised he didn't give you his entire family tree if he already told you that Lilian is his niece. Lilian's father is Teague's younger brother. Lilian is the oldest of three, I believe, and so her parents thought it would be good for her to get a job. Teague can't quite say no to his little brother and decided to give Lilian a trial run here at the tavern to see how she'd do. I don't think Lilian had much say in the matter. She just started two days ago and, well, between you and me, I don't think she's ever so much as dusted above the mantle at home before. I believe she thought that the fine profession of waiting on tables would be a whole lot of sitting around and talking. She's finding out that it's actually hard work. I don't think she quite realized that somebody has to clean the plates, the glasses, and the silverware, keep the fires going in the kitchen, remember who ordered what foods and drinks at what table, and also cook all of the food, which means doing things like chopping vegetables."
Cassidy gasped suddenly, remembering something.
"Oh, speaking of, I'm afraid that I really must get back into the kitchen. I left a big pot of stew on and it's probably about to come to a boil, and poor Lilian is back there trying to figure out which end of the knife to use to slice the potatoes with."
The apologetic smile she gave him told him it was time to act.
"Do enjoy the rest of your meal, though, and please let me know if there's anything else you need."
"Actually there is one more thing you can help me with," he said conversationally, "It'll only take a moment."
He waited just a moment for her attention to return to the conversation before continuing.
"Etten helvesse."
When her eyes showed her as returned to her trance he spoke quickly, lest someone wonder why the waitress suddenly looked so vacant.
"When I tap twice on the table you will wake still in trance but aware and remembering everything about me."
He tapped twice on the table, making it an almost casual movement.
"I have a favor to ask of you. As you are aware I only took a little sustenance earlier. I would like your opinion on a potential second donor, the girl Lilian."
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Post by Mini on Dec 2, 2019 14:28:13 GMT -6
Just as she was starting to rise, D'Mytri said that he did actually have something he wanted her to help with. She hadn't been expecting him to say anything like that, but of course she was happy to hear him out. Before she could respond, he said two very strange sounding words that echoed deeply in the deepest recesses of her mind.
A strong wave of relaxation washed over her out of nowhere. The voices in the tavern became indistinct from one another. They all started to muddy together and fade into the background. The rest of the tavern seemed to blur out of focus as well. Her focus was now on nothing else except D'Mytri. Her limbs felt like they weighed five hundred pounds each. Her legs swayed beneath her unsteadily. It was a good thing that she hadn't made it quite to a full standing position, otherwise there was a very good chance she might have toppled over. As it was, she sank back down into her chair and stared at D'Mytri with wide, blank eyes and a vacant expression.
Two quick taps on the table roused her from the deeper trance D'Mytri had dropped her into. She blinked twice, shaking her head as if she had just lost her concentration for a moment and was trying to regain it. Confusion filled her face for the briefest of moments as she stared at him. A moment ago she had just been about to head back to the kitchen. A moment ago, she had had no idea that she had been casually conversing with a vampyr-- no, a Nosferat. She needed to remember that there was in fact a distinction between the two! And yet now, all of a sudden, here she was still sitting at the table across from D'Mytri, fully aware of what he was and what had transpired between them this morning. To think that he had that sort of power...
The confusion shifted to concern as she quickly glanced around them, almost as if to reassure herself that yes, they were indeed sitting in the middle of the tavern surrounded by at least twenty other people as D'Mytri calmly brought up the subject of a second blood donor as casually as if discussing the weather.
"Wha... D'Mytri?? What are you-- why am I-- A-Are you insane?!" she whispered, leaning forward a bit to try and keep their conversation as private as possible.
She took a deep breath and forced a polite smile onto her face, more to keep up appearances in case anyone glanced over at the two of them. "Listen, I'm not entirely sure what typically happens when you broach this subject with others, but I can assure you that 99% of the people you talk to are not going to be as, um, well, as open-minded to such things as I was... am... still am trying to be," she tried to explain. "Even discussing something like this with this many ears around is a very not good idea."
Her eyes drifted down to the make-shift bandage that was still wrapped tightly around her wrist. "I'm just... I'm worried about what happens if you... mingle... with too many others. And just because I was willing doesn't mean that Lilian will be." Was that a hint of jealousy she heard in her own voice? No, surely it wasn't. D'Mytri had explained to her that morning that he couldn't take as much as he truly needed from one person without causing them significant harm.
Nervously, she glanced over her shoulder up towards the bar. Teague was deep in conversation with some of the men sitting across from him. Her attention shifted over to the doors that led into the kitchens. One of the other waitresses was just coming out with a big tray of piping hot food. Sighing, she brushed her hair back behind her ears and turned back towards D'Mytri. "Not counting Lilian, there are three of us working right now, plus Teague. That means that at any given moment, there's a very good chance that someone who is not me will come back into the kitchens, which is where Lilian is right now. What exactly did you have in mind?"
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Post by Nitari Windrider on Dec 4, 2019 21:19:16 GMT -6
Cassidy's first words when she awoke were not what he was expecting. They were as inarticulate as expected, of course, but their content was not what he had anticipated at all.
"Wha... D'Mytri?? What are you-- why am I-- A-Are you insane?!"
They were whispered, but she might as well have been shouting for the force and vehemence in her words. She took a deep breath and he waited patiently for her to assemble her thoughts. It was jarring, he was told, to have memories sealed and unsealed. The mind was being expected to deal with a lot of things it really wasn't designed for, after all.
"Listen, I'm not entirely sure what typically happens when you broach this subject with others, but I can assure you that 99% of the people you talk to are not going to be as, um, well, as open-minded to such things as I was... am... still am trying to be. Even discussing something like this with this many ears around is a very not good idea."
Fair points, save for the fact that the tavern patrons found him curious but ultimately uninteresting and for one other fact he hadn't shared with her yet.
"I'm just," she began, continuing her thought, "I'm worried about what happens if you... mingle... with too many others. And just because I was willing doesn't mean that Lilian will be."
Another fair point, save for that second thing from earlier. In addition, he thought he was hearing jealousy in her voice. He'd known this sort of thing might happen, but that didn't make it any less frustrating to deal with in the moment. She glanced nervously toward the bar, no doubt looking for her coworkers.
"Not counting Lilian, there are three of us working right now, plus Teague. That means that at any given moment, there's a very good chance that someone who is not me will come back into the kitchens, which is where Lilian is right now. What exactly did you have in mind?"
"Firstly, I'm not insane. The other people around are occupied with their own business and are only interested in me insofar as I am an unknown in the routine. If I do anything besides sit here and eat my meal they'll certainly notice, but talking with the kind miss Cassidy doesn't really qualify. I imagine you could sit here for another couple moments before anyone starts to really take note of the time you're spending at my table. Expect people to solicit your opinion of me later. Some of the patrons are already planning to ask you what you've learned about me once they can get you out of my earshot."
Now that he wasn't starving that would prove quite difficult, as the senses of a Nosferat were noticeably more acute than those of a human. No matter.
"Secondly, I chose to trust you and make you g'lath because I felt that you were someone who would listen with your ears rather than your religion. I do not extend that honor to everyone."
Or really much of anyone, for that matter. A g'lath was a liability and a responsibility in addition to the benefits of that relationship. Taking one was generally reserved for long term habitation, as they tended to become somewhat unpredictable when separated from the one to whom they were bound for too long. Given the nature of his task in this part of the world it was primarily a move born of desperation rather than considered action but what he'd told her was still true. He wouldn't have kept her if he'd felt she was unworthy.
"As to my plan, I mean to go about this a bit differently. As you say, this is a busy place just now and there isn't really much privacy to be had."
He pulled something out of his pocket and set it on the table between them. It was a rather plain looking stone, unremarkable save for the subtle hum she'd be able to detect coming off of it.
"Keep this with you for now and when the time is right give it to her. Any contact between this stone and her skin will do. I've charged it with psychic energy which will either put her in a deep trance or render her unconscious depending upon her level of mental defense. She won't be hurt in either case unless you fail to catch her should she fall. If it only makes her sleep I'll have to induce her again but we'll deal with that when it happens. When you've used the stone signal me and we'll work it out from there. I'm leaving much of the plan in your hands because I need to remain in plain view doing boring and inconspicuous things while you prepare her for the next step of the plan. This is something only you can do for me, which brings me back to what I said earlier. I need your help because I'm still quite hungry and I trust your wisdom and experience with this place. If I should be ordering something else in order to maintain my cover here, incidentally, please have the appropriate items sent over. I am no longer starving but I must still rely on you quite a bit until I am completely restored. Do I make sense?"
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Post by Mini on Dec 4, 2019 22:42:56 GMT -6
Try as she might, Cassidy couldn't keep the worry from creeping across her face as she listened to D'Mytri calmly explain why he believed that he was not insane. She begged to differ, but then again, what did she truly know the way that Nosferat did anything? She pursed her lips together as she glanced around at the other customers. Just like he said, nobody was really giving him any notice at all. He was just another face in the crowd, and she was more than likely coming off as her normal, friendly, chatty self. He went on to explain that he had apparently done something different with her - made her a... galosh? He made her a boot? No, surely that couldn't be right. Her mind tripped up upon hearing the foreign word, the way it had earlier in the day when he had been using other exotic sounding words from that strange sounding language of his.
"You made me a what? Ga... Ga Loth?" she tried to repeat, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "What does that even... ohh, you know what, never mind. I probably don't want to know, at least not right now, anyway."
Her attention was drawn down to a smooth looking stone that D'Mytri slid across the table to her. It looked as if it could have been one of a billion stones that could be found resting on the ground. Intrigued, she picked it up and gasped as she felt something similar to a static shock pass through her fingers as she touched it. It was strangely cold to the touch - colder than it should have been - and she could almost swear that she could hear a very soft, subtle, mid-range hum coming from it.
She listened with growing apprehension as D'Mytri explained what he wanted her to do. Ye Gods and Goddesses, just what in the world had she gotten herself into?! Her poor mind was still trying to wrap around the fact that D'Mytri had somehow managed to make her forget an entire morning's events and then magically made her remember everything with just a whispered word and a rap-a-tap-tap on the table, and now he was expecting her to sneak around and knock Lilian out with a rock. But not by hitting her on the head with the rock, of course. No, the rock had magic powers and would just knock her out. Maybe. Lilian was only at risk of getting a concussion if she fell over and knocked her head off of something if Cassidy didn't catch her. What could possibly go wrong with this plan?
Groaning softly, Cassidy rubbed her temples as she stared down at the rock. "Do you make sense?" she repeated, laughing nervously. "By the grace of The Three, D'Mytri, I... You... This is all so... Ohhhh boy. You put an awful lot of faith and trust into little old me." She sighed loudly, gulped audibly, then lifted her head to face him. She looked concerned and perhaps a bit overwhelmed, but she made no efforts to talk him out of the idea. Rationally speaking, she should have told him no. Maybe that's what she should have told him this morning. It was far too late for that, of course. Instead of arguing or whining or standing up and screaming that there was a vampyr sitting across from her, she simply reached out, wrapped her fingers around the rock, and slipped the rock into one of her apron pockets.
"Right. So. I have questions. Maybe too many, but I... I've never done anything at all like this," she fretted, poking her fingers together absent-mindedly. "Firstly, how long does this stone of yours work? Will it keep her unconscious until you undo whatever it does to her? Secondly, just what in the world am I supposed to do after it works? Let's say it works and she's totally unconscious, and there I am holding her up to keep her from smacking her head off of the fireplace hearth. You said to send you a signal, but what should I do? I can't exactly leave her back there to come out and tell you. Someone's bound to come back and find her sprawled out on the floor or something, then that will be a huge fiasco. And finally, where exactly are you planning on... you know," she whispered as quietly as possible. "Surely not back in the kitchen? And I don't think that I have the strength to pick her up and carry her out the back door. Besides, there's snow on the ground. That would look mighty suspicious if there are--"
Cassidy stopped mid-sentence and gasped as her eyes lit up. "Wait! That's right! D'Mytri, we have a back door! It comes right into the far end of the kitchen. Do you remember this morning when I told you about the firewood? You can get there from walking out the front and following the path around to the back. There's a big shed filled with firewood out there, and the door is right next to it."
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Post by Nitari Windrider on Dec 5, 2019 0:54:25 GMT -6
Cassidy sure had a lot of questions. It occurred to him that perhaps he hadn't explained very much to her this morning. It simply never occurred to him that she wouldn't just understand it the way he did. They would certainly have to have a conversation about this in the future. For now, however, there were more pressing concerns.
"Right," she began, still clearly trying to wrap her brain around the situation, "I have questions. Maybe too many, but I...I've never done anything at all like this."
That much was to be expected. In a more reasonable scenario she'd be introduced to the idea of being g'lath gradually, introduced to the nuances of the connection between them and how it could be used at either end in various ways. As it was she'd come upon him in his very lowest state and he chose her with equal parts desperation and hope, and now he languished weakened and diminished near one of the church's secret strongholds. Fiona could not possibly be the only Templar in this region and he'd need to be ready when they made their move. No Nosferat could nest in such a town as this and expect to be safe. Just one more drink, and then he'd be more cautious. Certainly no one would notice one more drink.
"Firstly, how long does this stone of yours work? Will it keep her unconscious until you undo whatever it does to her? Secondly, just what in the world am I supposed to do after it works? Let's say it works and she's totally unconscious, and there I am holding her up to keep her from smacking her head off of the fireplace hearth. You said to send you a signal, but what should I do? I can't exactly leave her back there to come out and tell you. Someone's bound to come back and find her sprawled out on the floor or something, then that will be a huge fiasco. And finally, where exactly are you planning on... you know,"
She trailed off, not wanting to say it out loud but trusting that he'd take her meaning. He elected to just let her talk for now. When she was done he'd form a more thorough plan.
"Surely not back in the kitchen? And I don't think that I have the strength to pick her up and carry her out the back door. Besides, there's snow on the ground. That would look mighty suspicious if there are--"
She alighted upon an idea just then and her face shone with inspiration.
"Wait! That's right! D'Mytri, we have a back door! It comes right into the far end of the kitchen. Do you remember this morning when I told you about the firewood? You can get there from walking out the front and following the path around to the back. There's a big shed filled with firewood out there, and the door is right next to it."
He nodded.
"Yes, that could work well. Could you carry her even a little ways, or should I meet you around the back there? It's a bit risky but it's a good plan. Here's what we'll do. When you're about to give her the stone send me a mental signal. If everything goes perfectly no one will be the wiser and we can proceed with the original plan and take her out of sight. If there's some kind of noise involved or if someone happens to notice her pass out and fall, behave as though all this happened on its own and help in whatever manner you usually do in such situations. If you should need to deviate from the plan like that, signal me again and we'll figure something out. This isn't usually how I prefer to do this, but this is a difficult situation. It's okay to say you can't do this, you know, but if that's the case I need to hear you say it now. I am no longer starving thanks to you, so if we need to wait for a better opportunity say so now."
With that it was all up to Cassidy. He was asking a lot of her, he knew, and would need to come up with a way to make it up to her later on. Her goodwill was valuable even if he did need to keep her knowledge of him locked away for their mutual protection.
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Post by Mini on Dec 5, 2019 18:41:44 GMT -6
If it was at all possible, Cassidy looked even more confused than when D'Mytri told her to knock Lilian out with a rock that had somehow been filled with magic. Or was it psychic powers? Psychic energy? Was that the same thing as magic or something else entirely? Now D'Mytri wanted her to send him a signal via... mental signal? What did that even mean?
Frowning, she looked up and looked him in the eyes as he finished talking. He said he was no longer starving, but for some reason she didn't quite buy it. She narrowed her eyes a bit as she studied his face closely. He certainly wasn't on the brink of starvation, but somehow she could just tell - he was still ravenous. This wasn't just a request for a midnight snack. He needed more blood. How did she know that? It made her wonder just how long he had gone before he had stumbled into their tavern and found her. Did Nosferat need to drink blood every single day? Was it like water for them?
"I'll do it," Cassidy said after a short pause. "I can maybe carry her as far as the door, I think. Just plan to be by the door as soon as I signal you. But... I have two more teensy questions. First question - Are you absolutely positive that Lilian won't get hurt from doing this? And second question... Um..." Here, she pursed her lips together as she tried to figure out the best way to phrase her last question. "How am I supposed to signal you? What in the world is a 'mental signal?' And how am I supposed to send it to you? There's, like, at least three or four walls between here and the kitchen. Is it like magic or something? I'm not a Templar or anything like that. I don't have any magic. O-Oh, um, gosh, I guess that was more than two questions, huh?" she added with a soft giggle.
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Post by Nitari Windrider on Dec 5, 2019 19:51:43 GMT -6
If the look on her face was any indication Cassidy did not in fact understand the plan. Again he was stymied by the irregular situation he'd found himself in. A proper g'lath would be able to sense his hunger and understand what needed to be done. She likely knew how hungry he was, but she hadn't been taught any of the things that were common knowledge in his homeland.
"I'll do it," she said eventually, "I can maybe carry her as far as the door, I think. Just plan to be by the door as soon as I signal you. But... I have two more teensy questions. First question - Are you absolutely positive that Lilian won't get hurt from doing this? And second question... Um...How am I supposed to signal you? What in the world is a 'mental signal?' And how am I supposed to send it to you? There's, like, at least three or four walls between here and the kitchen. Is it like magic or something? I'm not a Templar or anything like that. I don't have any magic. O-Oh, um, gosh, I guess that was more than two questions, huh?"
He let her continue speaking until she was finished, then elected to solve all those problems at once.
Did it hurt you when I put you in trance this morning? he sent through the psychic thread that bound them one to the other, We are bonded psychically. Within a certain radius you will hear me in your mind as though I were next to you. Simply send your thoughts through the connection and I will hear them as long as I'm near enough.
"That was more than two questions," he said aloud, "But don't worry about it. Have you any others?"
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