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Post by Mini on Dec 5, 2019 22:36:42 GMT -6
Poor Cassidy's eyes nearly bulged out of her head as she heard D'Mytri's voice in her head. She heard him clear as day. He was talking to her but his lips weren't even moving!! She leaned backwards in her chair, nearly lost her balance, then let out a startled squeal of alarm that was much louder than it should have been. This caused her to quickly clamp a hand over her mouth. Not wanting to draw attention to herself for the completely unexpected and rather uncharacteristic outburst, she quickly feigned having swallowed wrong and started coughing loudly. It was a terrible act and would have likely not even fooled a small child, but thankfully D'Mytri was still right - it seemed that nobody was paying the slightest bit of attention to the pair of them.
"Immaculate Ishzari on High help me," she exclaimed in a quiet little whisper, shaking her head in disbelief. Her eyes were still filled with shock and amazement. "That... That was..."
"Everything all right, Cass?" came Teague's very loud, very stern, and very 'if this man is bothering you just say the word and I will tear him limb from limb' from back behind the bar. His head was turned towards her, but his attention was focused on D'Mytri. If looks could kill...
Cassidy swore under her breath. At least one person had noticed her squeal. Throwing a smile on her face, she turned towards Teague as she stood up from the chair. "Oh, you know, it's nothing. I only just almost died because you insist that none of the chairs in here are wobbly, flimsy, and or falling apart," she called back, sticking her tongue out and winking at him as she grabbed the chair she had been seated in and shook it to demonstrate how wobbly and unstable it was. This caused several of the men seated up at the bar to roar with laughter.
Teague's entire demeanor shifted as soon as he saw that Cassidy was apparently not in danger of receiving unwanted attention. He scoffed loudly and waved his hand at her. "The chair's still standing, isn't it? There ain't a thing wrong with it."
"Just get someone over here to fix them already, would you?" she called back, rolling her eyes at him. Teague ignored her and went back to finishing a story of how he and his cousin one time survived an encounter with a pack of were-badgers using nothing but two sticks and a handful of raspberries. She turned back to D'Mytri, grabbing his empty plate. "Sorry about all that commotion, Mr. Noster. It's been lovely chatting with you. It's always so fascinating to hear stories from outside our quiet little neck of the woods. I do hope you enjoy the rest of your evening," she said with a bright smile, flashing him an apologetic look as she turned and walked away from him.
I am sorry about that, she attempted to think out to him. As silly as she felt doing it, she realized that if she focused hard enough, she did seem to be vaguely aware of him in her mind. In much the same way he had just slipped his way into her mind, she felt her thoughts drifting out of her mind and gliding off towards his. I just... I wasn't expecting to hear your voice in my head like that. I had no idea you could do that. I didn't know I could do this either.
As she made her way towards the kitchen, occasionally stopping at other tables to scoop up empty dishes and make a bit of small talk, she found herself smiling as her mind drifted back to her morning. It was hard trying to remember all of the exact details of falling under D'Mytri's powers and slipping into a trance. It was like trying to remember all the vivid details of a dream shortly after waking up. It was easier to remember feelings and emotions than the actual sequence of events. She remembered feeling relaxed and peaceful, warm and safe. Nothing he had done hurt her - not even when he had used the knife to break her skin open. Even now, the cut barely even throbbed. Remembering that, she knew that D'Mytri was being truthful. There was no risk to hurting or injuring Lilian. She wouldn't be hurt in the slightest, and it even sounded like D'Mytri was planning on making sure that Lilian was unconscious or in a trance the entire time. The young girl wouldn't remember a thing and, asides from possibly feeling a bit woozy and light-headed, she would be absolutely, positively fine. That was the only reason that she felt comfortable helping him get more blood.
Okay. I'm back in the kitchen. Let me see what's going on, she said, smiling to herself as she mentally checked in with D'Mytri. Her heart was pounding hard and fast in her chest. She idly wondered if D'Mytri could sense that. Sneaking around like this was both terrifying and exhilarating!
Cassidy dropped off the dirty dishes in one of the large wooden tubs filled with soapy water and looked around. Nobody else was back in the kitchen at the moment. Lilian was still sitting exactly where Cassidy had left her. There were now at least ten peeled potatoes in the farthest bin. Lilian must have heard the dishes clattering into the wash basin, for she glanced up at Cassidy and was giving her a strange look.
"Sheesh, where'd you go? Clear to the other side of town?" the young girl asked.
Cassidy sighed, wiping her hands on her apron. "Lilian, one thing you'll learn is that things... things always have a way of becoming interesting when you least expect them to."
Lilian scoffed, sounding much like her uncle as she did so. She flipped a piece of potato skin off into the middle bin. "Tch. What's that supposed to mean? Did Naked Jerry show up again or something?"
Cassidy's face turned beet red. "Wha-- Y-You-- B-But-- H-How do you even--"
Lilian cackled. "Hah! You should see your face right now! And everybody knows that story."
"In any case," Cassidy said, clearing her throat loudly. "What I meant by that is that... well... you see, sometimes... ooh, let me start over. Have you ever heard the saying the customer is always--"
Lilian suddenly gasped. "Whoa! Hey! Is that your stew boiling over?"
"Eh? My-- OH GODS, THE STEW!" Cassidy shrieked, running towards the large pot of stew that had just started boiling over the sides of the pot and spilling down into the flames of the fire below. Molten stew was bubbling up everywhere. One bubble caused broth to splatter all over her apron. Cursing under her breath, she grabbed for the lid and let out another stream of curses as she nearly burned her hand off in doing so. Using her apron as a pot holder, she grabbed the lid with one hand, grabbed a wooden spoon with the other, and began to rapidly stir the contents of the pot. Steam poured off the top of the pot. A few tense minutes later, the stew cooled enough that it ceased its bubbling and broiling. Sighing with deep relief, she set the lid back down halfway over the pot, giving the stew lots of room to breathe.
Unbeknownst to her, Lilian had gotten up and was standing several inches behind her. She peered over Cassidy's shoulder at the contents of the pot. "Is it ruined?"
Cassidy jumped a bit, whirling around to face her. Placing a hand over her pounding heart, she heaved out another sigh. "Lilian! Pure Puruto, you scared me. Don't sneak up on me like that!"
"Sheesh, you're jumpy," Lilian giggled. "Well?"
Cassidy shook her head. "Thankfully, no. It just got too hot. It looks mostly okay to me. It might just taste sliiightly burnt. That can happen with soups and stews if you let them sit on the fire for too long covered up like that. That can happen with any liquid, actually. I had no intention of being out there for so long.I'll just throw in some more onions, maybe add a dash of pepper." This was no good. She didn't want Lilian standing when she gave her the rock. She definitely didn't want her anywhere near the boiling hot stew or very hot fire. She paused, looking thoughtful. "More potatoes might be helpful, actually. How many do you have peeled so far?"
"Uhhhh..." Lilian frowned. "Not... a whole lot."
Cassidy gave her a warm smile. "Well then, chop chop. Or rather... peel peel!" she laughed.
With a loud groan, Lilian trudged back over to her corner as if she had just been condemned to Death Row. "But my hands hurt!"
"Oh, you'll be fine. Peel at least six more for me."
"Six?!?"
"Peeling six more potatoes won't kill you. I promise," Cassidy said. And as soon as you're focused on potatoes, you won't even need to finish peeling one. Come on, Lilian, quit paying attention to me, she thought to herself... which then idly made her wonder if D'Mytri could overhear her thoughts to herself. That was an interesting question. She would have to ask him that later. She turned her mental energies towards D'Mytri. Okay. We had a little stew emergency, but everything is back on track. If all goes according to plan, Lilian should be unconscious in maybe two minutes or so. Don't come in the door until I tell you to, though. You never know.
Cassidy pretended to rummage around on a shelf as if she was looking for something to add to the stew as she waiting for Lilian to pick up a potato. Any moment now, she would be thoroughly distracted. Cassidy's hand drifted down into her apron pocket. Her fingers brushed the icy-cold stone resting there. All she had to do was touch it against Lilian's skin. Her ears perked up at the sound of the knife peeling chunks of the potato skin off. Oh so slowly, she turned and walked towards Lilian. She had to make this look as normal and natural as possible. She was ten steps away from her... eight steps... five steps... Cassidy's fingers closed around the stone. She both heard and felt it pulsing in her fist. Three steps... two steps...
"Caaaaaaass-i-dy~!" a shrill, singsong voice called out from the front of the kitchen as the doors swung open.
Cassidy gasped, spun on her heels and quickly bent over and grabbed the sack of flour sitting on the floor right next to Lilian, who looked up and seemed quite startled to see Cassidy several inches away from her. She stood up, hugging the heavy flour sack against her body. "Annabeth?" she called back, looking up as a girl with curly brunette hair who looked to be close in age to Cassidy came skipping into the kitchen. The girl threw another armful of dishes into the tub then quickly started untying her apron.
"Heyyy, I'm gonna take my lunch break now, okay?" she asked, smiling brightly at Cassidy. "Ohh, hey there, short stuff! Didn't see ya down there! How's it going, squirt?"
Lilian shot daggers at the new girl. "Don't. Call. Me. That."
Ignoring Lilian, Cassidy sighed as she set the flour down on the counter. A big puff of flour exploded out the top, raining down onto Cassidy and the counter. "Annabeth, didn't you just get here not even an hour ago?"
"Wellll, yeah, but Peter just got here!" she said, sighing rather romantically. "And he's hungry! And he asked me if I wanted to eat with him! And I said of course I would! He asked me to EAT with him, Cassidy!" she squealed as she made up two plates of very generous servings of pot pie.
"Doesn't he ask you to eat with him every single time he comes here?" Cassidy asked in a flat voice.
"Okay, so, I'm gonna go eat! Ciao~!" Annabeth called, skipping back out of the kitchen.
A long silence followed. It was broken by Lilian, who simply said, "There's flour all over your hair, just so you know."
Cassidy groaned. This was not how she had envisioned her day going at all. "Mmm... job hazard," she murmured.
Another long moment passed before it seemed to register in Cassidy's mind that Lilian had gone back to peeling potatoes. All was finally quiet in the kitchen. Without wasting another moment, Cassidy reached back into her pocket for the stone. This time she didn't even hesitate or try to disguise her movements. She walked right over to Lilian and dropped the rock right in front of her. "Oops! Oh, I dropped my lucky stone."
Lilian paused long enough to look up and give Cassidy quite the look. "You have a lucky stone?" The judgment and criticism dripped off of every single word she spoke.
"Yes." Cassidy said without hesitation. "Yes I do." Oh, gods and goddesses, she hoped that this actually worked. "Would you pick it up for me, please? My back is killing me from standing all day," Cassidy said, smiling sweetly.
"Uhh... yeah, sure," Lilian muttered, rolling her eyes and leaning over to reach towards where the stone had fallen. "I don't know why you think a dumb rock is luhhhhhhhhhh..."
The word died in her mouth as a jolt of D'Mytri's black magyk shot through Lilian's body. Her thoughts grinded to a halt. The moment Lilian's hands touched the stone, every single non-vital muscle went totally slack. Her body spilled forward as she crumpled towards the ground.
By some miracle, Cassidy dove forward and caught her before Lilian's head hit the ground. The stone clattered to the ground. Cassidy knelt there for a few long moments, holding her breath. Did it work?? Did it actually work?? She adjusted her grasp on the young girl, allowing her head to rest in her lap. Lilian made zero efforts to move or speak. Her eyes appeared to be more or less closed, but she couldn't tell if that meant that she was sleeping or was actually in a trance.
D'Mytri! D'Mytri!! I think it worked!!
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Post by Nitari Windrider on Dec 10, 2019 21:11:50 GMT -6
He could have sworn that she knew about the psychic link between them but apparently he'd missed a very important part of what that involved, because when he spoke into her mind she practically jumped out of her skin and almost fell out of her chair. Her cover left something to be desired and Teague asked in a worried tone if she was all right. He didn't bother looking over at him but could tell that Cassidy was very well protected indeed within these walls. Good to know. What followed was a brief and comical exchange that seemed to put the man more at ease. When she got up and very audibly thanked him for the conversation and hoped he'd enjoy himself or some such, he got up out of his chair and bowed a little. The whole motion could easily be mistaken for him adjusting his chair by the untrained eye, but if anyone was paying sufficiently close attention it was unmistakably a partial stand and a small bow. His manners were as much a part of him as his hair or his teeth and no amount of effort could hide the truth of what he was completely.
I am sorry about that, she replied at last, her face apologetic as she walked back toward the kitchen, I just... I wasn't expecting to hear your voice in my head like that. I had no idea you could do that. I didn't know I could do this either.
That's my fault, he responded, I had thought you were aware of the sorts of things that can be accomplished with a psychic connection. It's very much a part of our society, to the point where I have to remind myself that this is all very new to you.
Cassidy made her way back to the kitchen area, stopping at a few tables along the way to perform the various functions of her job. He went back to the food and drink before him, noting that he was running low on both and would require an additional excuse to loiter at this table.
Okay, Cassidy's mental voice began, I'm back in the kitchen. Let me see what's going on.
She seemed on edge. It was very likely that she was unaccustomed to keeping secrets from people and he certainly had her performing a task unlike anything she was used to dealing with. It bothered him a little how much desperation was driving him, even as he did his best not to dwell on it. He would need to be very careful after this little adventure, perhaps venture into town and locate his own prey as he restored himself slowly but surely. Even with all the power he was using he still hadn't yet expended the energy this morning's sip had given him. There was no need to succumb to haste or greed as long as he chose his times and targets carefully. Skalte but it was hard to think when he was this hungry. He fervently hoped Cassidy was having success.
He had just finished the last of his food and drink when Cassidy's voice reached him yet again.
Okay. We had a little stew emergency, but everything is back on track. If all goes according to plan, Lilian should be unconscious in maybe two minutes or so. Don't come in the door until I tell you to, though. You never know.
Oh good, the next course was almost ready. Human food was delicious in its own way, but the ruby river made one feel so much more alive. He took a breath to steady himself as he stood. A likely excuse had formed itself in his mind as he walked toward the bar.
"Pardon me, Teague. Remind a person where the wood pile is? I'd like to get some for my room while I can still walk straight."
He gave the man a game smile as he implied a night of inebriety to come. The patrons would pay him less mind that way and that was all to the good.
Once he had been properly directed he made his way outside into the cold and walked around the building. Now that he'd eaten and, more importantly, had some blood the cold weather bothered him substantially less, but he made a show of struggling through the weather toward the wood pile anyway. If anyone was out they would certainly remember a man walking through the snow as though it were a fine spring afternoon. He lingered by the wood pile for several moments, trying to figure out if he'd simply gotten to the wood pile too fast or if there had been some delay he needed to be aware of. He was just about to reach out to check on Cassidy when he felt an inaudible thump in the air. The stone had discharged the power he'd invested in it. The seconds that followed were incredibly tense. Had everything gone to plan? Was she in some kind of trouble? He barely breathed as he waited for Cassidy's voice.
D'Mytri! D'Mytri!! I think it worked!!
A sigh of relief. It had worked. He was about to rush in to whisk Lilian to a more private place when he brought himself up short. There were a number of patrons at Teague's tonight, and there was at least one other girl waiting the tables tonight. He approached the door and trained his senses on it, trying futilely to will it into revealing the positions of everyone within the building. He reached out to Cassidy.
Listen carefully. If you're absolutely certain no one heard Lilian fall we only need to get her somewhere that will be private for a moment. If you believe that there's a real possibility that someone will walk in on us, I want you to shout for Teague. Lilian has just fainted and you very urgently need his help. No one will doubt you if you sound panicked. She's unhurt and unresponsive, after all, so there's nothing to be done but to move her somewhere until a healer can be summoned. Do it now.
Regardless of what she chose he'd look a bit suspicious without an armful of wood, so he selected a few pieces and took what he believed to be about three quarters the amount a human could carry in their arms. If he heard her panicked call for help he'd simply try the door and see if he could burst in with a worried expression and offer to help somehow. If he heard her voice in his mind he'd pick the armload back up on his way around to the entrance. He moved quietly toward the door in preparation for what was to come next. His hunger rose in anticipation, making it harder to maintain focus. So close now. His next meal was nearly before him and he couldn't wait to taste the liquid lightning of her mortal essence. Just a little more...
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Post by Mini on Dec 11, 2019 19:24:21 GMT -6
Cassidy heard D'Mytri's voice in her head once again. It was very hard to think her own thoughts while she heard someone else's thoughts in someone else's voice in her mind. She found herself spacing out ever so slightly as she focused on his words. They filled her mind as he gave her her next set of instructions. She was getting the hang of this whole psychic connection thing. Now that the novelty of it was wearing off, she found that this was actually an extremely efficient way to communicate. Oddly enough, she also discovered just how easy it was to let her own self focus entirely on what D'Mytri was saying. It felt almost natural to let him do all the thinking. in fact, as he ended with the command to "do it now" if she needed to summon Teague, she very nearly felt compelled enough to just start yelling for him simply because that was the last thing D'Mytri had told her to do.
She shook her head, trying to find her focus. Annabeth was on break, but where was Nora? Cassidy hadn't seen the other server in a while. Did that mean she might have been at the bar serving drinks? If Teague had wandered off to talk to someone sitting at a table, that was entirely possible. Or did that mean that she was bound to come bustling in to grab food at any given minute?
Nora wasn't here now. Nobody else had shown up either. It had been several long moments since Lilian had passed out. Cassidy could thank her lucky stars that she hadn't knocked anything loud over when she had fallen. She had scarcely even made a noise as she had passed out. Pushing the surge of panic that had started to well up deep inside of her as far back down as she could manage, she shook her head to D'Mytri. It took her a moment to realize that D'Mytri was actually nowhere in sight and couldn't even see her. She would have smacked herself in the forehead for being so stupid had she not been holding Lilian's fallen form.
"No, I don't think--"
Stupid! D'Mytri wasn't actually in the room! She grimaced, rebuked herself internally one more time, then tried again.
No, I don't think anyone heard Lilian fall. I can't promise that the kitchen will stay empty for more than a few minutes, though, but I think there's enough time to get Lilian to the door. Just hurry up. I'm coming now.
Cassidy slipped one arm under Lilian's legs and the other under her backside then stood up with her, although it took quite a bit of effort on her part. Lilian was light but completely unconscious, but Cassidy wasn't exactly a world renowned heavy weight lifting champion. Groaning softly under the weight, Cassidy scurried over to the door. Years of lifting heavy boxes of vegetables seemed to have paid off. At least she didn't drop her! She knocked into the handle a few times before she successfully managed to get it unlatched, then she nudged it open with her foot and silently prayed that the door wouldn't smack D'Mytri in the face if he was standing on the other side of it.
With flour caked all over her hair, face, and shoulders and splotches of stew splashed all over her apron and shirt, Cassidy stood triumphantly in the open doorway with D'Mytri's second course in her arms.
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Post by Nitari Windrider on Dec 13, 2019 23:00:55 GMT -6
The wait was agonizing. He still wasn't used to the mental silence that came with being apart from his people and situations like this made it cut all the deeper. She was thinking and he had to trust her judgment and patience was one of many things that hunger inhibited. Then her voice sounded in his head.
No, I don't think anyone heard Lilian fall. I can't promise that the kitchen will stay empty for more than a few minutes, though, but I think there's enough time to get Lilian to the door. Just hurry up. I'm coming now.
Excellent. He was so hungry. As he looked around idly, as if having heard his name spoken, he almost didn't wait until he'd confirmed that no one was paying attention to him before dropping the wood in his hands. He could pick it back up after he'd eaten. His stomach was hardly empty, of course, but the living wine he was about to partake in would do him so very much good. Between the two meals he hoped he could make a lot of progress toward a full recovery. When he was back to full strength he could take it far more easy in this little town. A luxury, truly. Where was that second course, by the way? Cassidy had said she was coming...
The door made a sound. She was at the door. Fumbling with a latch perhaps. This was taking too long. He could tear the door from its hinges easily enough if he was willing to expend some of his limited power on it. Part of him wanted to. He moved close to the door and stood to one side so that if it opened with some force he wouldn't be struck. So close now. If Cassidy could just get the door opened she'd be delivering a young morsel into his waiting jaws. He wanted to bite the smooth flesh and let the life run down his throat like honey. He took a breath, hoping the hunger wouldn't be evident in his eyes when Cassidy finally managed to get the door open.
The door opened a crack, then a little more. Cassidy was covered in a number of things and held Lilian in her arms. The girl's limp body excited him. So defenseless. Such easy prey. He tightened his control a little more.
"Stew emergency? Did something explode?"
He moved to take Lilian from her as it seemed he would have a somewhat easier time of it than she was. He approved of Cassidy's strength, but holding the girl's unmoving weight was likely not as easy as it looked. As he reached with his arms he reached with his mind as well. He was gentle, like a thief in the night stealing a glance through a window. He was pleased to find her mind blank and receptive. Her trance was deep and she awaited his command. Perfect. There was only one thing needed now.
"What kind of wound would she not think twice about? It needn't be large but it does need to not be suspicious in nature."
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Post by Mini on Dec 13, 2019 23:33:35 GMT -6
Hunger was emanating off of D'Mytri like steam rising from a hot spring on a cold winter's day. Cassidy felt it the second the door swung open. It was much stronger now than it had been just a few moments ago back inside the tavern. As he reached out and gently took the unconscious form of Lilian from her grasp, she started having her very first doubts about this whole affair. Was this truly the right thing to do? What if something terrible happened?
But nothing terrible had happened to her that morning. D'Mytri had been on the brink of starvation then. If he could control his hunger then, he could certainly do it now. He hadn't shoved her out of the way, ripped Lilian from her arms and sank his fangs into her neck. He wasn't some vampyr monster - he was a Nosferat. There was apparently a difference.
"Hmm? Stew explosion?" she repeated, glancing down at the hot mess that was her current appearance. "Oh... wow. I look charming, I'm sure. There were a few, um, minor situations in the k-kitchen but everything is fine," she said as her teeth started to chatter. "G-Gosh, it's c-cold out here," she muttered as she rubbed her arms. "Oh, you're not just going to bite her? Hmm... Let's see, let's see. A cut she wouldn't notice? Maybe on her upper arm? Or leg? Leg might be difficult to get to. Maybe her hands? I bump into things sometimes and don't notice knicks and bruises. Where are you planning on, erm... you know?"
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Post by Nitari Windrider on Dec 16, 2019 20:44:45 GMT -6
D'Mytri couldn't help but notice Cassidy's temporary doubt as he took Lilian from her. It was almost as obvious as her almost immediate shivering. Regardless of what else was true of her Cassidy was still human and still faithful to the church. This thought connected nicely to the one he voiced in response to her questions.
"While I am physically capable of drawing blood with a bite I find it draws the wrong kind of attention to my feeding. Physiological necessity doesn't need to inflame the tensions between our two peoples. If I must drink from an unknowing donor, it's both prudent and respectful to make the feeding as subtle a thing as possible. If there is no disruption to Lilian's life and nothing present she would associate with my predation she need never know that I stole blood from her."
He looked around to survey the area. He hadn't exactly staked out a prime position. He gestured off to his left.
"Perhaps over there? It seems to be out of view, as long as no one else decides to trudge through the cold for wood."
He looked back to Cassidy.
"Would you prefer to stay inside where it's warm? You don't have to be any more a part of this than you already have been. I could even put you back to sleep, as it were, if you'd prefer that."
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Post by Mini on Dec 16, 2019 22:42:53 GMT -6
D'Mytri's calm explanation of why he wasn't planning on sinking his fangs deep into Lilian's neck and feasting like some starved heathen was both eloquent and succinct. His reassuring manner did much to calm her ever-so-slightly frazzled nerves and soothe the worries that had been slowly rising up in the back of her mind. Years of hearing all about the dangers and evils of Vampyrs didn't just go away overnight, unfortunately. The situation that Cassidy found herself in now was one she never expected to be in, and it certainly wasn't one that they warned everyone about at those silly monthly meetings. No, she certainly didn't recall the standard operating procedure for what to do if a Vampyr recruited your help in knocking a co-worker trainee out with a magical rock in order to serve them up as dinner.
"I g-guess you have a point," she replied, glancing down at Lilian's... sleeping?... form. "In a sense, I guess what she d-doesn't know won't hurt her. Behind the wood shed sh-should probably be a good place, s-so long as you hide out of s-s-sight of the d-door. Not t-too many people come back here. J-Just, you know, try to hurry up and b-be careful."
Still shivering, Cassidy shook her head in response to D'Mytri's rather odd offer to put her back to sleep. He must have been referring to what he had done to her that morning. She vaguely remembered feeling incredibly sleepy and relaxed at one point in time. That must have been the moment when he actually hypnotized her into forgetting all about him. She hadn't realized that she must have fallen asleep during the process. Before she answered, she blew some hot air into her hands, rubbed them together, then rubbed her hands up and down her arms. Had it been this cold when she had walked to work earlier this morning?
"I-If you don't mind, I think I will just duck back inside where it's n-nice and warm. I d-don't know why, but I c-can't stop shivering," she said, her teeth chattering loudly. "Oh, and, um, while I appreciate the offer, I d-don't think letting me f-fall asleep on the floor of the k-k-kitchen is such a great idea. I am still supposed to be working, you know. Though actually, as s-soon as the stew is done I can finally g-g-go home."
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Post by Nitari Windrider on Dec 18, 2019 21:31:57 GMT -6
(Lilian borrowed with permission for the sake of expediency)
His explanation seemed to have calmed her. He considered it common sense, but apparently it was reassuring for her to hear that he wasn't intending to eat her like some dumb animal. She even pointed out that as long as he was out of sight of the door the wood shed would provide plenty of cover. She did have a good point, though. Lilian would freeze out here just as readily as Cassidy was. At his offer to put her back to sleep, however, she shook her head and seemed confused.
"I-If you don't mind, I think I will just duck back inside where it's n-nice and warm. I d-don't know why, but I c-can't stop shivering. Oh, and, um, while I appreciate the offer, I d-don't think letting me f-fall asleep on the floor of the k-k-kitchen is such a great idea. I am still supposed to be working, you know. Though actually, as s-soon as the stew is done I can finally g-g-go home."
He nodded.
"Go inside and warm up. I'll signal you when Lilian is ready to come inside. I'll be quick so she doesn't freeze."
With that he turned and took Lilian behind the wood shed and settled her on a stump he brushed clear of snow.
"Lilian, do you hear me?"
"...yes..." came her distant answer. His power must have hit her hard.
"I'm going to make a small cut on your arm. You will not feel it. Understand?"
"...won't feel it..."
He paused a moment, realizing that he had nothing to use to make the incision. Last time there had been a knife brought up with the tray. This time all he had to hand was his weapon, possibly still bearing Uroika blood on it, and his fangs.
Needs must, he supposed.
With great care he took her arm and bared his fangs. He would bite carefully. If done correctly it could be mistaken for an accidental brush with something pointed but not terribly sharp. Such accidents happened all the time. He positioned his fang near her flesh and used his hands to force the point into her arm, attempting to angle it such that it made a small shallow gouge in her arm. He did his best, but it would require some creative memory alteration to cover for. No matter. He fastened his mouth to the wound and lapped up the crimson flow. The moment the first drops touched his tongue a shock passed through him and his hunger rose. No small sips this time. He would drink until he was satisfied. He drank greedily from the wound, determined to drink as much as she could give, until he brought himself up short. He was not a monster. He took his mouth away from her arm, starting to scoop snow to stop the bleeding. The snow that turned red he of course consumed to keep it from giving him away, but once snow brought to her arm came back only melted he looked back into her eyes.
"When you hear your name you will gradually waken disoriented and with no memory of what happened after you touched the stone. Do you understand?"
"...I won't remember."
"Yes, that's right. And when you look into Cassidy's eyes you will forget about the stone entirely and notice the wound on your arm. You will wonder where it came from but more importantly you will feel unwell and want to rest. Do you understand?"
"...see Cassidy...forget the stone...notice my arm...want to rest..."
"That's a good girl. When you hear my voice in your head telling you to sleep you will no longer be in your trance but will be simply sleeping. Understand?"
"...yes..."
He left it at that and picked the entranced girl up. As he prepared to signal Cassidy he considered Lilian's sluggish responses. Perhaps he'd used too much power on her. Good to know for the future.
Cassidy, let me know when it's safe to bring Lilian back into the kitchen.
He waited patiently for Cassidy's signal, bringing Lilian out from behind the wood shed when he was sure they weren't being observed. The timing would be important here. Lilian would already be a little too cold for his overall comfort, but he'd taken a drink and that was the important part. He'd need to be extra careful over the next couple of days, drink only when he knew it would be safe to do so and only from sources with no reason to suspect anything. The next step would be to get both Lilian and Cassidy back inside and back to their usual selves. The rest would come later. Although perhaps he'd revisit this Lilian girl in the future. Her mind was so very pliant, as though she'd been waiting all her life for him to claim her.
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Post by Mini on Dec 19, 2019 22:31:29 GMT -6
The moment D'Mytri had reached out to Cassidy, the other waitress came bustling back into the kitchen with a tray full of dishes. Cassidy made sure to look incredibly preoccupied with stirring and occasionally tasting the stew. She fielded the other girl's small talk questions with relative ease, but when she inquired about Lilian's whereabouts, Cassidy very nearly slipped up and dropped her spoon into the stew. Thankfully, she recovered her wits quickly enough to mention that Lilian had excused herself to visit the restroom a short while ago and hadn't come back just yet. That seemed to appease the other waitress well enough, but then she idled around warming herself up by the fire and sneaking a fresh roll for a snack. Finally, she picked her tray back up, grabbed a few plates and bowls of food, then set back off towards the eatery.
Nearly two whole minutes passed before Cassidy finally responded to D'Mytri. When she finally answered him, her mental voice sounded flustered.
I thought she would never leave! Ugh. The coast is finally clear.
Wiping her hands off on her apron, she hurried over to the back door and opened it, sticking her head out into the cold and blustery evening. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't get Nora to leave. She took a bunch of food back out, so hopefully she stays out there at least a minute or two. Oh, oh dear, Lilian looks dreadfully pale," Cassidy gasped as she laid eyes on the entranced young teenager. She held her breath for a moment until she saw the soft rising and falling of her chest. It wasn't that she thought D'Mytri would have done anything dastardly, of course, but it was still a reassuring sight. "Quickly, bring her in by the fire. It's so cold out there today. You must be half frozen yourself, lurking out there in the cold like that."
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Post by Nitari Windrider on Jan 2, 2020 21:50:04 GMT -6
When Cassidy didn't immediately respond D'Mytri grew concerned. What was taking her so long? Lilian was only getting colder. He considered signaling again but thought better of it. There must have been someone around who needed to be gotten rid of. He held the girl a little closer, hoping his comparatively little body heat would help stave off a chill. If he were well fed his body would have heat to spare for her, of course, but life was never so simple.
He had an eternity in which to stress over things before Cassidy finally signaled. While startlingly productive all things considered, it was very much for the best that she opened the door.
"I'm so sorry," she said as she let them in, "I couldn't get Nora to leave. She took a bunch of food back out, so hopefully she stays out there at least a minute or two."
She seemed at that moment to finally notice the girl in his arms.
"Oh, oh dear, Lilian looks dreadfully pale."
She paused a moment and he allowed her to confirm that he hadn't killed the girl. They would need to discuss that silliness when there was time. He wasn't a child but she was so ignorant of his culture she seemed to treat him like one sometimes.
"Quickly, bring her in by the fire. It's so cold out there today. You must be have frozen yourself, lurking out there in the cold like that."
He was already doing just that as she spoke. The kitchen was quite warm that day, so maybe she would warm up quickly. Hopefully she would.
"The cold doesn't bother me. Anyway, once I send her the trigger she's going to be sleeping until you say her name and rouse her. Do you need me to suppress your memories again or can you handle this next part until she's safely tended to?"
He spoke with urgency, knowing as well as she did that time was of the essence at that moment. He had at most one of two more minutes before his cover would begin to challenge credulity. He needed to be as unconnected as possible from the day's kitchen accidents just as much as he needed to be very very careful about where and when mysterious wounds appeared on people in this town. The church was so very nearby and their attention would be very very bad.
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Post by Mini on Jan 3, 2020 22:49:26 GMT -6
Cassidy's eyes flickered curiously over to D'Mytri as he offhandedly mentioned that the cold didn't bother him. It wasn't until he said such a casual comment that she realized that that was something that had been weighing rather heavily on her mind. Everyone had heard the tens of thousands of rumors about vampyrs being cold-blooded, being undead and unnatural creatures to exist in the world of the living. That was supposedly one of the reasons they preferred the colder, northern, darker parts of the world. They needed to avoid the purifying rays of the run and they needed the blood to sustain their undead bodies, or so the stories always went. Was that why the cold didn't bother him? Was D'Mytri actually some kind of undead, non-living creature? But if that was true, why did he also need to eat "human" food, too? He looked plenty alive to her. He had walked into Teague's that morning in broad daylight, too. Well, it hadn't been a beautiful, bright, clear and sunny day, but it was still light out.
Instead of trying to think about things she couldn't possibly understand (even if she asked for an answer) in the span of twenty seconds, she instead decided to focus on something she could do. Lilian had just lost a substantial amount of blood and had been outside exposed to the elements for several long minutes. While outside, she had more than likely been completely lethargic. She hadn't been outside quite long enough to be worried about things like frostbite and hypothermia, but Cassidy didn't know if things like that had a higher likelihood of happening if one had just lost a large amount of blood.
"So she's still entranced right now? I'll be careful to not say her name aloud until you tell me that it's safe to do so. Here, let's set her right here."
She helped him maneuver Lilian back down to the chair she had been sitting in earlier while she was peeling potatoes. She had to shift her a bit so that Lilian's unconscious (or was she entranced? Sleeping? It was hard to tell the difference, if there was any difference to tell at all) form rested against the protruding warm rocks of the fireplace mantle. It was then that she noticed a singular puncture mark on Lilian's forearm. There was the tiniest scrape next to it as well. It had stopped bleeding, but it was still very red against Lilian's very pale skin. Cassidy couldn't help but gasp slightly when she saw it. Knowing what it was and where it had came from made her very obvious to her, but she told herself that nobody would possibly guess the truth behind such a tiny, insignificant little wound. It looked just like the sort of scrape one might get brushing up against a nail or something like that.
The urgency in D'Mytri's voice was hard to miss. Cassidy sensed it as well. It was a true miracle from the Three that nobody had discovered what was going on in the kitchen yet. He would probably be able to sense her wince mentally at the notion of having him suppress her memories once again. She knew that eventually he would make her forget all about him again - the real him, at least - but she didn't want to. Not yet, anyway. Just like she had assured him that morning, she had no ill will and no malicious intent towards him at all. The last thing she wanted to do was flag down the first priest or templar she saw in the streets to tell them about the crazy and dangerous vampyr on the loose in town. She hoped beyond hope that D'Mytri would be able to sense that.
"No. You don't need to repress my memories. I'll be fine," she said, surprised at how calm and in control of the situation she sounded. "As quickly as you can, walk me through what to expect when she wakes up. Then hurry up and get out of here before someone sees you. Grab some firewood and go back up to your room. Start a fire, even if you don't need it. It would raise suspicions not to have one. As soon as I get Li-- her-- safely taken care of, I'm off for the evening." Here, she paused for a half of a moment before a rather resigned smile spread across her face. She couldn't make herself look into his eyes as she said the next part. "If you have to make me forget about you again, call for me once I leave here."
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Post by Nitari Windrider on Jan 12, 2020 17:02:47 GMT -6
Cassidy's thoughts were almost impenetrable to him, such was their tangled nature. Offering herself as a blood donor was one thing while clearly offering someone else was quite another. She'd also never seen an entranced person from an external perspective which was more understandable. When they'd finally gotten Lilian properly situated in her chair near the fire Cassidy paused a moment to think on what he'd asked her.
"No," she said at last, "You don't need to repress my memories. I'll be fine. As quickly as you can, walk me through what to expect when she wakes up. Then hurry up and get out of here before someone sees you. Grab some firewood and go back up to your room. Start a fire, even if you don't need it. It would raise suspicions not to have one. As soon as I get Li-- her-- safely taken care of, I'm off for the evening."
She paused again, a rather resigned smile spreading across her face.
"If you have to make me forget about you again, call for me once I leave here."
As she spoke that last sentence she didn't seem able to bring herself to meet his eye. He'd have to worry about that later.
"When I send the trigger to her, she'll come out of her trance and be just sleeping. When you speak her name, she'll wake up feeling disoriented and with no memory of what happened after touching the stone. When she looks into your eyes she won't remember the stone at all anymore and will notice that her arm hurts and she'll see the wound. She'll want to know where she got it but more than that she'll want to rest. Can you handle that?"
He only barely paused to allow Cassidy to answer the question. There wasn't time for more than that. He'd been gone long enough already. He started walking toward the back door.
"Signal me if you need me."
With that, he exited the door and quickly gathered up the armful of wood he'd gathered earlier. Once he'd gotten it in his arms he walked back around the building and entered the bar perhaps faster than was strictly necessary, trying to look chilled as he hastily crossed the common room but pausing by the fire to "warm up" a bit before heading up to his room to start a fire of his own. Not that he needed it, of course, but as Cassidy had said it would seem extremely odd for a man on the verge of frostbite and hypothermia to not want his room quite warm. It took him a moment to get the wood to catch, but he did successfully start a fire, and turned a chair so he could sit near it not needing the warmth but appreciating the fire nonetheless. Fire was mesmerizing even to Nosferat. The artistry of the flames could hold any creature's attention for a long time indeed. While he stared into the flames he allowed his focus to drift away from his sight and focused on extending his other senses to perceive as much of what was about to happen as possible. With luck, nothing of interest would happen today. His recent misadventures warned him not to trust his fortunes and so he sat ready to handle the next crisis.
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Post by Mini on Jan 13, 2020 21:19:56 GMT -6
"...you okay? Lilian?"
Someone was gently shaking her awake. Awake? Had she dozed off?
With a soft moan, Lilian's eyes fluttered open. She found herself staring out at a very large kitchen. Where was she? This wasn't her home. Who was talking to her? It definitely wasn't either one of her parents. It took her a moment before she recognized her uncle's tavern. Right. That's where she was. It seemed she was leaning quite awkwardly against the side of the fireplace. Her body felt stiff and sluggish as she tried to move. With a groan, she managed to at least sit up enough to smack away whoever had been shaking her. She went to move to sit up but groaned again, leaned forward slightly, squeezed her eyes shut, and started rubbing her temples. Her whole body ached.
"Ooo... what... what happened?" Lilian murmured, surprised to hear how weak and raspy her voice sounded.
"I think you passed out. I came in and saw you on the floor. I managed to at least get you up into the chair," the woman's voice answered. She sounded a bit panicky and worried. Lilian knew her. The woman started talking more, but Lilian tuned it out. Her brain didn't want to focus on listening right now. Too much effort. Gods, she felt so queasy all of a sudden. Why was this woman talking so much? It was one of the waitresses who worked for her uncle. It was... It was...
"Cassidy?" Lilian interrupted her, glancing towards her for the briefest of moments.
"Yes?"
Oh, shoot. Cassidy mistook that as a question. Lilian frowned, looking back down. She didn't exactly have another question ready quite yet. "Ooo... my head really hurts," she muttered. "You... You said I passed out? That's really weird. I... I don't think I've ever just passed out like that before." She shuddered, realizing just how cold she was for the first time. Her hands and arms were shivering. "G-Gosh, it's super cold in here. Mmm... What was I doing before I passed out? Let me think, let me think. I... I was..."
"Lilian, can you--"
Lilian ignored her, shaking her head a bit as she tried to remember. "I was peeling potatoes. I remember doing that. Then... Then you... You were acting kinda weird," Lilian suddenly said with a soft gasp. "Oh. Oh yeah! You were acting really weird."
Cassidy laughed. Was it just her imagination, or did it sound like a nervous laugh? "What are you talking about? Lilian, I think you might have--"
"No, I remember now. You dropped that weird, stupid rock and then you told me to pick it up." Frowning, Lilian lifted her head up to meet Cassidy in the eyes. "You..." Lilian's voice trailed off as she locked eyes with Cassidy.
Cassidy stared straight at Lilian as the girl finally lifted her head up and met her face to face. Cassidy watched in fascination as Lilian's own face momentarily went totally blank. The confusion, the disorientation, the suspicion, all of it simply melted away in the blink of an eye. A long moment passed before Cassidy dared to speak.
"Lilan?" she asked softly. "Are you okay?"
Lilian blinked twice. The confusion returned to her face. "Cassidy?" she asked, giving her an odd look. "What... What happened?"
Cassidy heaved out what sounded like a soft sigh of relief. "Lilian, I think you may have passed out and bumped your head. I came in and found you lying on the floor. What's the last thing you remember?"
The last speck of color that had been in Lilian's flushed face drained away when she heard that she had possibly passed out. "P-Passed out? That... I..." She shivered again, barely able to keep her teeth from chattering. "I remember peeling p-potatoes..." A sudden twinge in her arm made her look down. For the first time, she noticed a small gash in her arm. It looked as if it had been bleeding earlier, but had stopped. She didn't remember ever noticing that before, nor did she remember how she might have gotten such a strange injury. "Oh... My arm," she remarked in confusion as she gently touched it with her other hand. "Where did that come from?"
"I'm not really sure," Cassidy said, shrugging a bit. "Oh, look up at the fireplace mantle. See where some of the brick is chipped away and cracked? Looks kind of sharp. Maybe you just scraped your arm on there." Cassidy stood up, glancing around as if looking for something. She took a few steps away and returned with a large cardigan. She draped it over Lilian's shoulders, then knelt down in front of her. "Lilian, listen, you don't... You don't look so great. You just stay right here. I'm going to get Teague, okay?"
"I... Uh, sure," Lilian answered, glancing back up at Cassidy. "I... I don't feel so great, actually."
Cassidy gave her a sympathetic smile, then vanished from the kitchen. In less than a minute, Teague came thundering back into the kitchen and was down in front of Lilian in a flash.
"Lilian, lass, what in the world happened?" he asked, frowning at her as he pulled her in for a hug.
"Cass... C-Cassidy said I passed out, b-but I honestly don't remember," Lilian said, shivering against his warm embrace. "Uncle Teague, I... I d-don't feel too good. I'm sorry. I promise I'm not just s-saying it to get out of slicing potatoes, but I really don't feel good," she added in a soft whimper.
"Shh, don't you worry, lassie," Teague said, patting her head gently. "It's all right. You're going straight home. Mmm, what happened here?" he said, gently taking her injured arm.
Lilian just shrugged. "Scraped it on something, I guess? P-Probably when I passed out. Cassidy said she f-found me on the floor."
"You're lucky you didn't stab yourself with your potato peeling knife," Cassidy said, poking her head out from around Teague. She had some bandages in her hand, which she offered to Teague. "Teague, why don't you walk her home? I don't think it's a good idea to let her walk home alone the way she's feeling, especially with how cold it is out. I can hold down the fort until you get back," she said, cutting him off before he could even protest. "It's not quite dinner rush yet, and Annabeth can certainly not take a two hour long dinner break tonight," she added with a chuckle. Teague opened his mouth to argue but once again, Cassidy cut him off. "Just go. It's fine. Yes, I promise, no, I don't mind, and yes, I'll leave the moment you return because I know I've been here since dawn."
Five minutes later, Cassidy was walking towards the front door with Teague and Lilian following closely behind her. Lilian was as bundled up as could be. Word traveled fast in the tavern, as a few concerned citizens called their well-wishes after Teague's niece as she walked past. The poor girl really did look terrible. Cassidy couldn't help but wonder if it was the cold, the blood loss, the effects of being hypnotized and made to forget things in such a way, or some terrible combination of the three. Lilian was such a small, tiny little waif of a girl. What if she couldn't afford to lose as much blood as a normal person? But surely D'Mytri would know things like that and act accordingly... right? She sighed, forcing such thoughts out of her head. Nothing could be done about that now. What was done was done. Lilian probably just needed some rest. Cassidy was already back on her feet and feeling more or less fine, and she had made a donation of blood just that morning. Speaking of D'Mytri, it would probably be best to give him an update of what was going on. If nothing else, the ability to communicate with someone like this was truly remarkable.
D'Mytri? Can you hear me? Just wanted to check in. Teague is taking Lilian home. She doesn't remember a thing, but she really doesn't look too good. Her arm has been bandaged up and the scrape blamed on her passing out and falling. As soon as Teague returns, I'll probably head home for the day.
Cassidy gave both Teague and Lilian reassuring smiles as she held the door open for them both. An eerie early evening fog had started drifting into town. It had started flurrying outside, and it was already dark enough to need to light the lanterns. She watched Teague wrap an arm around Lilian and vanish into the gloom, then turned around to fetch the supplies necessary to light the lanterns. She was on the last one when she heard a voice behind her.
"Sure is turnin' int' a gloomy night out, aye? Ah dinnae 'spect it t' go 'n start snowin' agin."
Cassidy almost dropped the candle straight out of her hands as she whirled around in shock and surprise. "Fiona?!"
Standing on the porch just in front of the door stood none other than High Templar Fiona Gagliardi, pulling the hood of her fur-trimmed cloak down off of her head and shaking out her long, blond twin braids. She grinned at the surprise on her friend's face. "What's tha' surprised look fer? C'mere, ye hen!" she laughed, giving Cassidy a warm hug. "Ah, lookit ye, practically runnin' this place now, aye? Was that Teague ah saw jist a minute ago leavin'?"
"Oh, Fiona, please, you know I'm not doing anything like that," Cassidy said, turning bright red at the praises of one of her dearest friends. "And yes, it was Teague. His niece just started working here but unexpectedly got sick. Nothing serious, of course. Just probably something she ate. Not here, of course," she added, laughing nervously. "Let's hope not, anyway. Nobody else has gotten sick yet. Um, uh, anyway, he's just walking her home. It's only a short walk from here. I'm sure he'll be right back. Fiona, what are you doing here?? I had heard you were in town, of course, but it sounded like you were super busy."
Fiona grinned. "When in all th' years o' ye knowin' me have ah ever been not busy, Cass?" she laughed, waving a hand dismissively. "O' course ah'm busy, but ah shifted some things 'round a bit an' have jist enough time t' grab dinner 'fore ah'm off once more. Ah was hopin' ye'd still be here, an' lucky me, here ye are!"
"Well, come on in, then! At least let's get out of this dreadful cold weather," Cassidy said, smiling brightly as she held the door open for her vampyr-hunting, vampyr-hating, vampyr-killing-machine friend. Cassidy didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. Was this crazy day ever going to end?
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Post by Nitari Windrider on Jul 7, 2020 10:41:02 GMT -6
If he hadn't been expecting something else to go wrong, Fiona's sudden appearance would have made him spit his drink all over the room. As it was he nearly fell out of his chair as he gave a start in surprise. What was she doing here? She'd specifically said earlier that she didn't have time to come for dinner, and now here she was after he'd already started making himself comfortable. He'd been careful, right? Only a child would leave marks that were unmistakably Nosferat in origin. He had nothing to worry about, right? Then why was a cold sweat running down his spine? He took a calming breath. It would be all right. He hadn't left anything to be suspicious of. If he played his cards carefully she wouldn't suspect a thing. He settled back in his chair with a lap blanket, prepared at a moment's notice to play the recovering traveler with a chill seeping into his bones, and returned to expanding his awareness. Cassidy was extremely nervous as she brought her friend inside. He wasn't sure how finely honed Fiona's senses were at the moment, nor if the mind-to-mind communication between them could be detected by a Templar, but he could risk a quick message.
Breathe, Cassidy. I see her.
He tried to pour as much calm into his mental voice as he could, giving the sense as much as he could that he was not concerned about Fiona. He had reason to be and they both knew it, but it wouldn't help at all if Cassidy's nervous energy set the warrior on edge.
He would need to get closer to Fiona to probe her defenses, which was for the best in the end. He wanted very much to remove Fiona's vigilance as a threat to him, but he'd made too many moves today as it was. He needed to play the long game here. For now he was a recovering traveler. Once he'd been here long enough to allay suspicions about his health he could worry about where the Templar was going and what that strange map led to, but for now he needed to lay low. This town was as good as any for a hasty nest. He could subvert a few people here and there, take time to learn what he could here before worrying about following Fiona into the wilds of winter. He would want to wait a while. Too much too quickly and people would notice. Small moves, subtle expansion, careful feeding. It was a dance all Nosferat knew these days, even if many refused to partake in the intrigue of it. Another problem for another time. For now his only concern needed to be watching and listening to Fiona Gagliardi and learning what he could while keeping her from becoming suspicious.
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Post by Mini on Oct 20, 2020 21:25:27 GMT -6
Cassidy held the door open for one of her dearest friends, but her gaze rested on the edges of the street in either direction. She half expected the streets to fill with soldiers, priests, Paladins, Templars, and the Royal Vanguard. What was Fiona doing here? This was too much of a coincidence. Did she know that the man she had rescued was a vampyr? What were the odds that a Templar would unwittingly rescue the enemy? She couldn't have known. How would she had known? If she had known, D'Mytri would have never made it into the front door of Teague's. Fiona certainly hadn't known. She hadn't suspected a thing. Maybe something about their adventure to get into town had tipped her off. Something he had said, or maybe the way he said something. Maybe it had just been something small, something little, but it had gnawed away at her senses this whole time and now she was coming to investigate further. What would she do if she found out the truth? What would happen to D'Mytri? What would happen to her? And what would happen to Lilian and Teague? Oh, great stars above, what would happen to Teague if they found out that he had housed a vampyr under his roof?! He would lose the tavern! They couldn't DO that to him! This tavern was his whole life! But that might be the least of his worries, because surely--
"What are ye gawkin' at, Cass? Are ye gonna jist stand there until Th' Three come struttin' int' town?" Fiona joked, giving Cassidy's sleeve a little tug.
Cassidy gave a little jump as she was startled out of her panicked pensiveness. She slapped her best Customer Facing Smile onto her face and gave a little laugh as she stepped inside behind Fiona, letting the door slam loudly behind her. She hoped Fiona didn't notice how the sound made her jump a second time. She also hoped that Fiona didn't notice how much she jumped when quite suddenly, she heard D'Mytri's voice crystal clear in her mind as if he were standing right behind her.
"You see her??" she whispered in surprise, not realizing that she was speaking out loud.
"Eh? See who?" Fiona asked, giving Cassidy an odd look.
Cassidy bit back a curse. Thankfully, it seemed her friend was distracted by a roaring chorus of a greeting from some of the men seated closer to the fireplace.
"See... uhh... Annabeth! You know what, you go socialize and then come have a seat up at the bar. I need to..."
Her eyes swept over the room as she tried to figure out if it was safe for her to answer D'Mytri while also wondering how in the world he knew what was going on without being in the room. He wasn't down here, was he?? No, it didn't look that way, but... Gosh, there were a lot of folks here tonight. When did they all get here? She needed to shove the mountain of problems out of her mind for the time being and focus on getting through the next few minutes. Teague would be back shortly, then she could go home and finally have a moment to sit down and process this insane day. Right. Teague was gone, so that left herself, Annabeth, and Nora to wait on an almost full house. Nora was over in the far corner, but actually... where was Annabeth?
Oh, there she was, feeding Peter a forkful of pot pie from across the table.
Annabeth squeaked in alarm as she felt a very cold hand grab her wrist. "Ahh! Cassidy, what--"
Cassidy gave her the kind of smile that spoke volumes of how close she was to committing a crime. "Annabeth, dear, your break is over. Should have been over quite some time ago, actually. Lilian had to go home and Teague is walking her there and, in case you haven't noticed, we're a little, ah... busy," she said, batting her eyelashes as she continued to smile so much it was actually hurting her cheeks.
Annabeth blinked twice and slowly looked around the room. "... Oh." Without another word, she shot Peter an apologetic look, wrestled her wrist free, and scooped up both of their plates. He started to protest that he wasn't done, but then he caught a glimpse of Cassidy's face and muttered something about how delicious the meal was. Cassidy stood up, expertly shifting her stack of dishes to one hand. "Sorry," she added with a wink as she turned to start collecting dishes from other tables.
Cassidy heaved out a sigh as she watched Annabeth go. That was at least one tiny crisis averted, then. She walked up and slipped behind the bar, working her way down the line to refill drinks. She couldn't help but smile when she got to the end and looked up to see Fiona sitting there with her chin planted on her folded hands.
"Stressful day?" Fiona asked with a soft chuckle.
"You have no idea," Cassidy said, laughing softly at the irony of her statement.
"Well, yer doin' great," Fiona spoke softly, patting the top of Cassidy's hand. It was then she noticed the bandages and frown. "Hrmm? What's this? What did ye do t' yerself?"
Cassidy quickly pulled her hand away and tugged her sleeve down. "Oh, uh, it was nothing, really. Just... Just nicked myself washing some knives. It's fine, honestly. It doesn't even hurt."
"Mmm... if ye say so," Fiona mumbled, giving her a suspicious look. Her face quickly lit up as Cassidy handed her a mug with steam pouring off the top of it. "Oooh, is tha' what ah think it is? Ah dinnae know if ah'd be too late in th' season or not!" She took a swig and let out a yelp as it surely burned her esophagus on the way down. "Ahh, THA'S th' STUFF. Tch, those southerners dinnae know what they're missin'!"
Cassidy couldn't help but chuckle and shake her head at her friend. "Well, the trek this far up north this time of year is definitely a turnoff for just about everybody except traders, natives, and you crazy soldiers," she teased. "Speaking of trekking! I heard a bit about your adventurous morning. Tell me what happened!"
Fiona took another long swig before looking up and grinning. Her cheeks were bright and rosy red. "Ahh, so Dmitri Noster made it clear in through th' door, did he know?" she asked with a chuckle. "Not much t' tell, honestly. Found 'im passed out in th' snow. No tellin' how long he'd been out there. Said he got lost an' chased by Uroika, kin ye believe it?? Somehow he made it this far in life, so who knows," she said, shrugging. "So ah picked him up, gave him some food, an' marched him straight here. Ah must admit, ah was nervous t' jist leave him at th' door. Poor thing. How is he, by the way?"
Cassidy hoped her face didn't betray her as she puzzled over the strange way Fiona said D'Mytri's name. It wasn't just her accent that made it sound off. It was something else, but she couldn't quite place her hand on what it was. "Hmm? Oh, D'My-- er, Mr. Noster? He's well enough, I guess. He looked half dead when he came in, honestly. Didn't say much except to mention you. I got bits and pieces of what happened out of him. I think he spent most of the day sleeping. He did come downstairs a while ago for an early supper and was treated to one of Teague's hunting stories, but he must have snuck back upstairs because I don't see him down here now."
The Templar nodded, please to hear that her temporary ward seemed to be doing well. "Ah. Shame ah missed him. Ah had hoped t' maybe see him in person once more. Jist make sure 'e got a good meal in him, ye know?"
Cassidy cleared her throat loudly. "Oh, haha, yeah. T-Trust me, I think he did."
"Good. Well, ah'll leave him t' sleep an' recover in peace. If luck is on mah side, ah might jist catch 'im on mah way back through town in a few days from now."
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