His whispers were like a fog horn to her new hearing, blasting through the air like a shotgun in a small room. But the more he spoke, thankfully the more she adapted to the volume, quickly learning to tune out the background noise. That was until there was a growing rumble, quiet at first but it soon became a roar, like white noise in her head. Her stomach was craving sustenance as the turning had burnt out most of her energy, but she'd gone days without food before, she could survive this too right? Oh how little she knew.
She put a hand to her chest, moving it round frantically, trying to find the familiar 'thump' of her heart but it was gone, the organ lay still, slowly rotting away in her chest. He had told the truth, she was dead, but not dead. If her family saw her like this they'd freak, hell they'd probably paint her up and sacrifice her for something. Or use her as the next center piece for Día de Muertos. Her eyes moved up to his and that smile, like he was proud of himself! Then again.. he could bring the dead back to life, that certainly was something to be proud of.
Spying the offered hand, Leah slaps it away and pushes herself up, using the wall of the child's plaything to steady herself, despite her new state of being, her personality hadn't changed and no man would help her to her feet, she was just as capable of helping herself. And was stubborn to boot, so god forbid anyone who woke her Latina temper. She rested her head on her forearms and tried to breathe, it came naturally but was still forced so she soon stopped, it felt strange but at the same time, if she had to force her body to do it, it was clear that it wasn't needed anymore. His introduction wasn't ignored though and she simply muttered her own reply as she leant over the side of the toy ship, trying to shake off the dizzy sensation and regain her footing.
"Leah Alvarez."
Wrong night, Wrong street.
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Leah (DELETED 5369)
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Re: Wrong night, Wrong street.
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Jesse Fforde
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Re: Wrong night, Wrong street.
Of course I would have helped Leah up had she required it, but the offered hand was more of a greeting than an offer for help. It’s what people do when they meet each other, right? They shake hands as they are introduced. Leah, however, shows no interest in shaking hands; instead, she hauls herself to her feet upon her own merits, and lurches toward the edge of the little ship – as if we are on a real ship and she is suffering from sea sickness.
My boots echo on the wood as I step over to her; as I take up position on the railing beside her. I imagine that we are on an ocean, that the slight breeze is tainted with the smell and taste of salt. I’ve never seen the ocean. I don’t really know what being on a ship like this would feel like. Whatever the case, I like the location that I have picked. At least it’s quiet and calm, and I can explain things to Leah in a timely manner.
”Nice to meet you, Leah. I think you and I will be seeing a lot of each from now on,” I tell her. I feel no need to give her an explanation for what I have done. A reason why. Not until she asks. I know my reasons well enough, and they probably won’t be flattering to her – though I suppose I wouldn’t have done it had I not thought she was cut out for it. The thought would never have crossed my mind if I’d had an inkling that an eternity at this woman’s side might be tedious. At the moment, I don’t know her well enough either way. What I do know is that she’s got balls, and those are the kinds of people I can learn to respect.
”Thing is – I’m a vampire. And now you’re one too. Basically? Stay out of the sun and away from fire. Keep clear of the Hunters until you learn how to kill them. And learn how to fight and defend yourself. And at all costs, whatever you do, don’t go near the Fae. Those, at the very basic level, are now you’re only weaknesses. Your strength? Sky’s the limit, depending on how hard you work,” I say. As I talk, I keep my eyes on the darkness, the shadows drifting between the shrubbery of the park spread out in front of us. When I finish, I arch a brow and turn a curious gaze to Leah.
Sure, she’s probably going to think I’m insane, but soon enough she’ll learn the truth.
My boots echo on the wood as I step over to her; as I take up position on the railing beside her. I imagine that we are on an ocean, that the slight breeze is tainted with the smell and taste of salt. I’ve never seen the ocean. I don’t really know what being on a ship like this would feel like. Whatever the case, I like the location that I have picked. At least it’s quiet and calm, and I can explain things to Leah in a timely manner.
”Nice to meet you, Leah. I think you and I will be seeing a lot of each from now on,” I tell her. I feel no need to give her an explanation for what I have done. A reason why. Not until she asks. I know my reasons well enough, and they probably won’t be flattering to her – though I suppose I wouldn’t have done it had I not thought she was cut out for it. The thought would never have crossed my mind if I’d had an inkling that an eternity at this woman’s side might be tedious. At the moment, I don’t know her well enough either way. What I do know is that she’s got balls, and those are the kinds of people I can learn to respect.
”Thing is – I’m a vampire. And now you’re one too. Basically? Stay out of the sun and away from fire. Keep clear of the Hunters until you learn how to kill them. And learn how to fight and defend yourself. And at all costs, whatever you do, don’t go near the Fae. Those, at the very basic level, are now you’re only weaknesses. Your strength? Sky’s the limit, depending on how hard you work,” I say. As I talk, I keep my eyes on the darkness, the shadows drifting between the shrubbery of the park spread out in front of us. When I finish, I arch a brow and turn a curious gaze to Leah.
Sure, she’s probably going to think I’m insane, but soon enough she’ll learn the truth.
FIRE and BLOOD
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Leah (DELETED 5369)
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Re: Wrong night, Wrong street.
She didn't pretend it was a ship, she didn't care much for the smell of the ocean, or the rolling of the waves and truthfully her head was already spinning. She just leant over the side and tried to not puke, spitting out the last remnants of her stomach as if it was something poisonous now. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand as she listened to his ramblings, shaking her head quietly.
"Si.. Si.. no sunlight, how do I know what a hunter is?"
The no sunlight was a common thing for vampires as she'd seen Dracula before and guessed that Sunlight meant one pile of smouldering goo at the end of it all. Which would be a rather ugly way to die. The Fae she'd never heard of before and hunters she'd guessed looked just like regular old humans so there'd be no way to discern them from the crowd. He was insane, but so far his words had held truth, scary truth but honest all the same, so what was to say it wasn't the same now? Why would he show her what he can do, just to lie about something else. He wouldn't. So there really were other things out there, she wasn't quite top of the food chain yet.
"Si.. Si.. no sunlight, how do I know what a hunter is?"
The no sunlight was a common thing for vampires as she'd seen Dracula before and guessed that Sunlight meant one pile of smouldering goo at the end of it all. Which would be a rather ugly way to die. The Fae she'd never heard of before and hunters she'd guessed looked just like regular old humans so there'd be no way to discern them from the crowd. He was insane, but so far his words had held truth, scary truth but honest all the same, so what was to say it wasn't the same now? Why would he show her what he can do, just to lie about something else. He wouldn't. So there really were other things out there, she wasn't quite top of the food chain yet.
Art by Jesse
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Jesse Fforde
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Re: Wrong night, Wrong street.
There’s one thing that I didn’t consider. I think back to the scene in the alleyway; I had licked blood from her hand, and even when I bit Leah, she did not call me insane. She did not rail against the things that I did. Even when I told her I could bring her back to life, she didn’t scream that such a thing would be impossible. And now here she is, calm as water on a dead night. I arch a brow and it takes me quite a few long seconds to reply.
What if she knows all about vampires already? What if this is something she expected might happen one day – or she’s so calm because none of this is a surprise to her? I’ve just changed her life forever and she’s already asking the pertinent questions, rather than screaming at me. I am far more curious about this creature now than I was two seconds ago. Who is she, and of what stuff is she made that she should be so ******* calm?
It’s kind of relaxing, actually. Compared to the rollercoaster of a few nights ago, this is a blissful walk in the park.
”Sometimes you won’t be able to recognise them. You’ll think they’re food and then BAM, they’ve shot you in the heart,” I say. ”They hang out in the sewers mostly, though – certain types have tattoos, too. Like tribal tattoos. Runes, almost. You’ll learn to recognise them. I wouldn’t worry too much – you seem to already know all about guns, and they’re not so hard to kill once you’ve practiced,” I say.
I’m not really used to talking so much. But I know it’s a necessity, as far as childer are concerned. I cant my head to the side as I realise this is the first time since getting my voice back that I’ve actually been able to teach verbally, rather than by action and writing alone. Perhaps it’ll be a bit easier.
I don’t say anything else, however; I let the information about Hunters sink in, and wait for any further questions before launching into anything else more complex.
What if she knows all about vampires already? What if this is something she expected might happen one day – or she’s so calm because none of this is a surprise to her? I’ve just changed her life forever and she’s already asking the pertinent questions, rather than screaming at me. I am far more curious about this creature now than I was two seconds ago. Who is she, and of what stuff is she made that she should be so ******* calm?
It’s kind of relaxing, actually. Compared to the rollercoaster of a few nights ago, this is a blissful walk in the park.
”Sometimes you won’t be able to recognise them. You’ll think they’re food and then BAM, they’ve shot you in the heart,” I say. ”They hang out in the sewers mostly, though – certain types have tattoos, too. Like tribal tattoos. Runes, almost. You’ll learn to recognise them. I wouldn’t worry too much – you seem to already know all about guns, and they’re not so hard to kill once you’ve practiced,” I say.
I’m not really used to talking so much. But I know it’s a necessity, as far as childer are concerned. I cant my head to the side as I realise this is the first time since getting my voice back that I’ve actually been able to teach verbally, rather than by action and writing alone. Perhaps it’ll be a bit easier.
I don’t say anything else, however; I let the information about Hunters sink in, and wait for any further questions before launching into anything else more complex.
FIRE and BLOOD
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Leah (DELETED 5369)
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Re: Wrong night, Wrong street.
Learn to recognise them great, what did that mean? She'd learn the hard way? Wait until one shoots her in the chest and commit it to memory? That would suck! But hey, if that was how it was done round here, she'd have to suck it up and deal. Something her mother always taught her 'life isn't fair, but don't let it beat you.' and yet here she was, standing on a child's toy, beside a man who'd taken that life away and replaced it with a new, darker, equally unfair one. And yet her mother's words still rang true. She wouldn't let it beat her, not yet, not now, not ever.
Her eyes slid over the tattoos on her hands and fingers, each one a different story, each one a different event, promotions, deaths, kills, her entire life written out in ink over her body. She'd need a new one to mark this turning, a new piece of art to show her life had taken a rather sudden twist and she wasn't sure if it was heading down, or up hill.
"Si I know about guns, I know which end to not look down, and where the bullets go."
That was about it for her experience with firearms, of course she'd shot people before, she knew first hand what being shot felt like too, she could tell a shotgun from a pistol but other than that? She was practically useless. Unless you actually wanted someone to get shot, that she could do. Body disposal was sort of a rookie thing too, dumping them in lakes or pre-made unmarked graves. This curse, or gift he'd given her was nothing more than a chance for her to continue her work, if eternal youth and permanent beauty came with it then huzzah right? Who cared what the cost was, humanity had so long chased the dream of immortality and here she was, gifted with it for something that would have normally got her arrested.
Her eyes slid over the tattoos on her hands and fingers, each one a different story, each one a different event, promotions, deaths, kills, her entire life written out in ink over her body. She'd need a new one to mark this turning, a new piece of art to show her life had taken a rather sudden twist and she wasn't sure if it was heading down, or up hill.
"Si I know about guns, I know which end to not look down, and where the bullets go."
That was about it for her experience with firearms, of course she'd shot people before, she knew first hand what being shot felt like too, she could tell a shotgun from a pistol but other than that? She was practically useless. Unless you actually wanted someone to get shot, that she could do. Body disposal was sort of a rookie thing too, dumping them in lakes or pre-made unmarked graves. This curse, or gift he'd given her was nothing more than a chance for her to continue her work, if eternal youth and permanent beauty came with it then huzzah right? Who cared what the cost was, humanity had so long chased the dream of immortality and here she was, gifted with it for something that would have normally got her arrested.
Art by Jesse
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Jesse Fforde
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Re: Wrong night, Wrong street.
”Alright, then,” I say. She’s giving me nothing. It’s times like this that it would really be handy to be able to read a person’s mind. But I figure – if she’s going with the flow and her calm outer edge is a genuine reflection of what’s going on within – immediate acceptance without anger or despair – then all the better for me. I flash a grin and gesture for Leah to follow me. I have a whole lot more talking to do, but I’m not going to lecture her and expect her to remember everything. No, lessons are best learned via practice rather than via lecture – maybe a bit of both.
”You will live forever. Harper Rock is the hub. There’s a tear in the fabric between life and death in Harper Rock. You can die, but if you are strong you can crawl your way back to life again. If you die outside of Harper Rock – too far away from the tear – then you die permanently and you cannot come back,” I start from the beginning, the very basics. And I walk as I talk, intending on taking Leah back to Larch Court where I will find her some better weaponry. After which, I will introduce her to the enemies that she will find easiest, to begin with. Zombies. Larch Court isn’t too far away – just a stone’s throw over into the next suburb. I keep my voice low, knowing that she will hear them. It’s no good being overheard.
”You must keep our kind a secret. It’s called the Masquerade. You can’t tell anyone – not even the people closest to you. It’s best you give up your old life, now,” I say, hardly skipping a beat. I asked for this life, and for me it was easy giving up my old one. Easiest thing I have ever done, if it meant getting this gift in return.
”Do not feed in public. Do not use your powers in public. Do not get caught by the cops or the guards if you plan on stealing things. In short – don’t do anything that will give you away as anything other than human. If you do, I will hunt you down and punish you myself,” I tell her. I don’t yet explain the faction that I am apart of and the job that we do. The basics, first. The complex answers can come later.
”Any questions yet?” I ask. So far she has only asked one. I wonder if she’s waiting for permission.
”You will live forever. Harper Rock is the hub. There’s a tear in the fabric between life and death in Harper Rock. You can die, but if you are strong you can crawl your way back to life again. If you die outside of Harper Rock – too far away from the tear – then you die permanently and you cannot come back,” I start from the beginning, the very basics. And I walk as I talk, intending on taking Leah back to Larch Court where I will find her some better weaponry. After which, I will introduce her to the enemies that she will find easiest, to begin with. Zombies. Larch Court isn’t too far away – just a stone’s throw over into the next suburb. I keep my voice low, knowing that she will hear them. It’s no good being overheard.
”You must keep our kind a secret. It’s called the Masquerade. You can’t tell anyone – not even the people closest to you. It’s best you give up your old life, now,” I say, hardly skipping a beat. I asked for this life, and for me it was easy giving up my old one. Easiest thing I have ever done, if it meant getting this gift in return.
”Do not feed in public. Do not use your powers in public. Do not get caught by the cops or the guards if you plan on stealing things. In short – don’t do anything that will give you away as anything other than human. If you do, I will hunt you down and punish you myself,” I tell her. I don’t yet explain the faction that I am apart of and the job that we do. The basics, first. The complex answers can come later.
”Any questions yet?” I ask. So far she has only asked one. I wonder if she’s waiting for permission.
FIRE and BLOOD
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Leah (DELETED 5369)
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- Joined: 18 Apr 2014, 23:28
Re: Wrong night, Wrong street.
--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--
<Leah> She wasn't going to give him jack, inside she was one swirling ball of confused fear and hate but she'd have to remain calm if she wanted to get out of this thing alive right? Maybe there'd be a cure, if she had to give up her past life there'd have to be a cure, no way in hell would she give up the Cartel, and she was pretty sure they wouldn't just ignore it if one of theirs suddenly upped and vanished with their guns, their money and their drugs. She followed him for now though, she didn't know why, it just felt like the best idea. Listening to him ramble on though was like listening to a broken record skipping constantly, part of her knew deep down she'd need to know this, her brain secretly whispering that there was no cure for her anymore. But the rest of her? Wanted to throttle him. "No one lives forever. It's impossible! Do you really think if I give up my past, that they won't come looking for me? I can eat wherever I want." She nods with indignation, she didn't understand what he meant and that much was clear by her blatant disregard for the secrecy and still content with eating in public, no one ever gave her funny looks before when she whipped out a cheeseburger, why would they do it now?
<Jesse Fforde> I laugh. I probably shouldn't laugh. Here it is - the thing that I have expected. Denial. There's outright rebellion, too, and all I can think is that I might have got my hopes up prematurely. I don't know what I'm going to do if this turns out to be another Aria - scold myself, probably, and try to remember next time to never do this on a whim. I thought it was instinct telling me that this one would be a good egg. But maybe it wasn't instinct. Maybe it was just that voice inside of me that so much wanted to sire, lying to me. I whirl around so that I facing Leah. Dead serious. "You can live forever, if you play your cards right," I say. My face does not twitch, and I hold her gaze steady with bright blue eyes. "Plenty of ways to make sure they don't come looking for you. And you won't 'eat' wherever you want. You're a vampire, I told you this. You know that means, right? No more food. You drink blood. From humans. Or from animals or blood bags - whatever tickles your fancy. You do that in public? You get a bounty on your head and hunters on your *** - and they won't show mercy because it might be a pretty ***, either," I say.
<Leah> She wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention so when he stopped to stare, she walked right into him, her face bouncing off his chest, causing her to double back and hold her nose like she'd just been punched "Ow.." She shook her head and scrunched up her nose a few times before nodding to herself, staring up at him with a look that was akin to someone trying to steal your very life. She knew when to and when not to do something, she knew bad situations when she saw one, she was as he thought, a good egg. Just not quite fully learnt yet. "Ha, you think my *** is pretty Si? That's why you did this to me!" She shook her head, figuring if he wanted her that badly he could have just asked, or bought her several drinks. Instead here she was, immortal and dead. "Blood.. yeah, fangs, scary ********. I'm still gonna have my damn burgers though."
<Jesse Fforde> I know there's no doubt a twinkle to my eye. "Not so much your ***, no. I like your ink, though," I say. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that the ink has a large part to play in why this woman appealed to me from the very beginning. Although she might have an ample chest and an *** most men might kill for, it's not what I'm attracted to. "As for the food, you can try," I say with a shrug. I'm deadly serious, too. "There are some who seem to be able to hold down food. There are paths, see. I don't know who named them," I start to walk again, with a gesture that she ought to start following. I'm keeping to the back streets. "Shadow, Killer, Necromancer - that's me - Mystic, Telepath, and Allurist. If you're an Allurist, you will be able to eat. If not, however, you will become violently sick. Give it a go. It'll help us figure out which path, you've landed on," I say, checking left and right before crossing a street that is bereft of traffic anyway.
<Leah> Leah kept ambling along behind him, muttering under her breath about how he was a madman and how the insanity he spewed better not be infectious. She didn't stop to check the road, if what he said was true, she'd survive anyway right? "So you wanna see me eat, just to see if I puke? Pretty gross fetish if ya ask me"
<Jesse Fforde> "No. I'd like to see you eat, so that if you puke I can rule out one path. The more we rule out, the easier it'll become to figure out where you are so that I can help you," I say. I stop again, on a street corner just shy of the street light. There's no one else around. I reach inside my jacket and, from a holster under my arm I retrieve a dagger. I have an idea. "You strike me as a woman who can withstand a bit of pain. If you give me your hand... one small cut, and I can determine whether you're a shadow or not," I say, arching a brow as I wait.
<Leah> "Oh yeah 'cause taking my blood from me wasn't enough? You wanna cut me again?!" She inhaled with a faint rattling noise but held her hand out anyway, he wasn't wrong, she took pain like a champ. Tapping her foot impatiently as she eyed the street light, that was a mistake and had to shield her eyes with her other hand, the light was a little brighter than she remembered, practically burning a hole into her eyes. "You owe me after this.."
<Jesse Fforde> The frown that I give her is one that a parent might give to a child who is overreacting. I take Leah's hand within my own callused fingers, and make the smallest incision at the base of her palm. The blood that bubbles forth is red and glistening. The scratch is already beginning to stitch up in front of our eyes. "See what I gave you? I cut you, and you heal. We'll see how much you think I owe you once you get used to this," I say with a wink and a mischievous grin. I truly do think this is a gift. I put the knife away and begin to walk again. "You're not a Shadow. If you were, your blood would have been as black as ink and would have disappeared in a wisp of smoke," I tell her, glancing over my shoulder if only to gauge her reaction.
<Leah> She watched closely as the wound simply healed itself, she walked along behind him slower this time, apparently very distracted now with this new thing she could do. Taking out her own flick knife she dug it into her skin a little, holding it up so she could see clearer as the skin melted together again, like nothing ever happened "That's loco.. That will happen every time Si? It's not got like.. limited usage or nothing?" She had to run to keep up now, until she was beside him this time, deciding to no longer fall in line behind the guy.
<Jesse Fforde> I cast a sideways grin at her as she catches up. That's better. I'm sure we make a rather intimidating sight, stalking down the street as we are. It makes me proud and I lift my head a little higher. "No limited usage, no. Some wounds, obviously, will take longer to heal than others, depending on how bad they are. Limbs grow back. I had my eyes stabbed out the beginning of last week," I say, turning to Leah now to show her how perfectly they have healed. "Some wounds might slow you down a bit - won't let you feed, until it's done healing. But, in the grand scheme, we're ******* hard to kill," I say with a very broad grin.
<Leah> Hard to kill, she liked the sound of that, she was difficult to get rid of as a human, coming back time and time again from various wounds, now she didn't even need to rest, she could just heal and keep going. It was awesome! "How would a wound stop me eating? Shotgun to the gut..?" She sounded hesitant, clearly a woman who enjoyed her food. Yet one of those rare beings that could eat and eat and never gain weight. Now she'd never have to worry about that. Or much of anything else, again. "Can I eat now? I'm starving man.."
<Jesse Fforde> "Oh, ****," I stop again, dead in my tracks. Stupid of me to have completely overlooked - so intent was I on trying to introduce as much as possible, and it'd completely slipped my mind that, of course, she would be starving. "Yes," I cast my eyes to the neighbourhood. A bit close to home, but for tonight it would have to do. I'm on a high. I'm not as languid as I might usually be. I feel like I'm on crack - yeah, sure. This is why I'm addicted to his, isn't it? Up ahead, I spot a lone man. He has his hood pulled up over his head. He's coming toward us. I move forward again. There's a little alcove - I need to get to him before he passes it. "A shotgun? No. Hurts like ****, but no. Head wounds. Sunburn. Those kinds of things slow you down," I say. I make to pass the lone human, but at the last minute I shove him with shoulder, push him stumbling into the shadowed alcove. A doorstep to some grand building, but no one's home. It'll serve our purpose. I cover the guy's mouth to keep him from shouting; I keep him shoved up against the wall as he struggles, and wait for Leah to join me.
<Leah> Leah watching him walk away, her eyes followed before leading ahead to the human, she could smell him.. even from a distance and the smaller that gap became, the more she was able to tell, hear his pulse, hear the blood pouring through his system, it was enough to drive her insane but she kept a tight grip on reality and frowned when Jesse shoved the man into the darkened alcove, she caught up quickly and shoved her sire hard "Hey, I meant proper food, not this ****!" She sighed then eyed the human, her hazel orbs drawn naturally to his throat, subconciously knowing that this was real food now, her stomach knew it and her brain was slowly coming round to the same way of thinking.
<Jesse Fforde> This is the hardest part, I suppose, for those who don't choose this, who are surprised with this particular gift. I myself quite enjoy the act of feeding; the rush of that hot blood gushing over my tongue, sticking to my throat on the way down. The way it linger under my tongue for an hour afterwards. It's like my tastebuds changed, and blood doesn't taste like copper. It tastes like pure life, however that might be described. I am serious as I explain it to Leah: "Even if we discover that you can eat real food, it won't sustain you. This will," I say, tightening my grip on the struggling human as he renews his efforts. With my hand still over his mouth I tilt his head up, push it to the side. "Feel your teeth - canines are sharper now, right? Follow your new instinct. Go for the vein. You don't have to kill him. I like to," I say. "When I first started, I could feed and they wouldn't remember. We can leave him here, passed out. The wound will heal and he won't remember a thing. Something changed for me, and they remember. So I kill them," I explain.
<Leah> She watched the struggling human and it suddenly dawned on her.. No less than a few hours ago this was her, stuck and struggling in a futile effort to survive, except this man wouldn't be so lucky, she didn't plan on leaving witnesses and if Jesse said people remembered him for whatever reason, then this guy had to go. Within seconds, her teeth were embedded in the human's throat, she'd pounced like a snake, striking hard and fast. That first taste was a shock but then more came and it flowed with ease down her throat, filling her with new energy, new life and a new taste for flesh. She bit down harder and carried on drinking, despite his words about not needing to kill them, she didn't stop until she'd bled him dry. Pulling away to poke at her bloodied fangs with a finger "He won't remember you now."
<Jesse Fforde> "He wouldn't have anyway. I didn't bite him," I say, though I'm smiling. She bit, and she drank without complaint. That's my girl. The body has slumped in my grip, dead as a doornail. I wipe away any smeared blood on the corpse's neck - show Leah how the bite mark has disappeared. "Less evidence of vampires. But we still need to get rid of the body," I say. "How do you think is the best way to get rid of a body?" I ask, curious to know whether she's done this kind of thing before. She sees rather desensitized to death. I wonder if she ever actually shoots people for their jackets, or whether she was just bluffing.
<Leah> She wasn't going to give him jack, inside she was one swirling ball of confused fear and hate but she'd have to remain calm if she wanted to get out of this thing alive right? Maybe there'd be a cure, if she had to give up her past life there'd have to be a cure, no way in hell would she give up the Cartel, and she was pretty sure they wouldn't just ignore it if one of theirs suddenly upped and vanished with their guns, their money and their drugs. She followed him for now though, she didn't know why, it just felt like the best idea. Listening to him ramble on though was like listening to a broken record skipping constantly, part of her knew deep down she'd need to know this, her brain secretly whispering that there was no cure for her anymore. But the rest of her? Wanted to throttle him. "No one lives forever. It's impossible! Do you really think if I give up my past, that they won't come looking for me? I can eat wherever I want." She nods with indignation, she didn't understand what he meant and that much was clear by her blatant disregard for the secrecy and still content with eating in public, no one ever gave her funny looks before when she whipped out a cheeseburger, why would they do it now?
<Jesse Fforde> I laugh. I probably shouldn't laugh. Here it is - the thing that I have expected. Denial. There's outright rebellion, too, and all I can think is that I might have got my hopes up prematurely. I don't know what I'm going to do if this turns out to be another Aria - scold myself, probably, and try to remember next time to never do this on a whim. I thought it was instinct telling me that this one would be a good egg. But maybe it wasn't instinct. Maybe it was just that voice inside of me that so much wanted to sire, lying to me. I whirl around so that I facing Leah. Dead serious. "You can live forever, if you play your cards right," I say. My face does not twitch, and I hold her gaze steady with bright blue eyes. "Plenty of ways to make sure they don't come looking for you. And you won't 'eat' wherever you want. You're a vampire, I told you this. You know that means, right? No more food. You drink blood. From humans. Or from animals or blood bags - whatever tickles your fancy. You do that in public? You get a bounty on your head and hunters on your *** - and they won't show mercy because it might be a pretty ***, either," I say.
<Leah> She wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention so when he stopped to stare, she walked right into him, her face bouncing off his chest, causing her to double back and hold her nose like she'd just been punched "Ow.." She shook her head and scrunched up her nose a few times before nodding to herself, staring up at him with a look that was akin to someone trying to steal your very life. She knew when to and when not to do something, she knew bad situations when she saw one, she was as he thought, a good egg. Just not quite fully learnt yet. "Ha, you think my *** is pretty Si? That's why you did this to me!" She shook her head, figuring if he wanted her that badly he could have just asked, or bought her several drinks. Instead here she was, immortal and dead. "Blood.. yeah, fangs, scary ********. I'm still gonna have my damn burgers though."
<Jesse Fforde> I know there's no doubt a twinkle to my eye. "Not so much your ***, no. I like your ink, though," I say. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that the ink has a large part to play in why this woman appealed to me from the very beginning. Although she might have an ample chest and an *** most men might kill for, it's not what I'm attracted to. "As for the food, you can try," I say with a shrug. I'm deadly serious, too. "There are some who seem to be able to hold down food. There are paths, see. I don't know who named them," I start to walk again, with a gesture that she ought to start following. I'm keeping to the back streets. "Shadow, Killer, Necromancer - that's me - Mystic, Telepath, and Allurist. If you're an Allurist, you will be able to eat. If not, however, you will become violently sick. Give it a go. It'll help us figure out which path, you've landed on," I say, checking left and right before crossing a street that is bereft of traffic anyway.
<Leah> Leah kept ambling along behind him, muttering under her breath about how he was a madman and how the insanity he spewed better not be infectious. She didn't stop to check the road, if what he said was true, she'd survive anyway right? "So you wanna see me eat, just to see if I puke? Pretty gross fetish if ya ask me"
<Jesse Fforde> "No. I'd like to see you eat, so that if you puke I can rule out one path. The more we rule out, the easier it'll become to figure out where you are so that I can help you," I say. I stop again, on a street corner just shy of the street light. There's no one else around. I reach inside my jacket and, from a holster under my arm I retrieve a dagger. I have an idea. "You strike me as a woman who can withstand a bit of pain. If you give me your hand... one small cut, and I can determine whether you're a shadow or not," I say, arching a brow as I wait.
<Leah> "Oh yeah 'cause taking my blood from me wasn't enough? You wanna cut me again?!" She inhaled with a faint rattling noise but held her hand out anyway, he wasn't wrong, she took pain like a champ. Tapping her foot impatiently as she eyed the street light, that was a mistake and had to shield her eyes with her other hand, the light was a little brighter than she remembered, practically burning a hole into her eyes. "You owe me after this.."
<Jesse Fforde> The frown that I give her is one that a parent might give to a child who is overreacting. I take Leah's hand within my own callused fingers, and make the smallest incision at the base of her palm. The blood that bubbles forth is red and glistening. The scratch is already beginning to stitch up in front of our eyes. "See what I gave you? I cut you, and you heal. We'll see how much you think I owe you once you get used to this," I say with a wink and a mischievous grin. I truly do think this is a gift. I put the knife away and begin to walk again. "You're not a Shadow. If you were, your blood would have been as black as ink and would have disappeared in a wisp of smoke," I tell her, glancing over my shoulder if only to gauge her reaction.
<Leah> She watched closely as the wound simply healed itself, she walked along behind him slower this time, apparently very distracted now with this new thing she could do. Taking out her own flick knife she dug it into her skin a little, holding it up so she could see clearer as the skin melted together again, like nothing ever happened "That's loco.. That will happen every time Si? It's not got like.. limited usage or nothing?" She had to run to keep up now, until she was beside him this time, deciding to no longer fall in line behind the guy.
<Jesse Fforde> I cast a sideways grin at her as she catches up. That's better. I'm sure we make a rather intimidating sight, stalking down the street as we are. It makes me proud and I lift my head a little higher. "No limited usage, no. Some wounds, obviously, will take longer to heal than others, depending on how bad they are. Limbs grow back. I had my eyes stabbed out the beginning of last week," I say, turning to Leah now to show her how perfectly they have healed. "Some wounds might slow you down a bit - won't let you feed, until it's done healing. But, in the grand scheme, we're ******* hard to kill," I say with a very broad grin.
<Leah> Hard to kill, she liked the sound of that, she was difficult to get rid of as a human, coming back time and time again from various wounds, now she didn't even need to rest, she could just heal and keep going. It was awesome! "How would a wound stop me eating? Shotgun to the gut..?" She sounded hesitant, clearly a woman who enjoyed her food. Yet one of those rare beings that could eat and eat and never gain weight. Now she'd never have to worry about that. Or much of anything else, again. "Can I eat now? I'm starving man.."
<Jesse Fforde> "Oh, ****," I stop again, dead in my tracks. Stupid of me to have completely overlooked - so intent was I on trying to introduce as much as possible, and it'd completely slipped my mind that, of course, she would be starving. "Yes," I cast my eyes to the neighbourhood. A bit close to home, but for tonight it would have to do. I'm on a high. I'm not as languid as I might usually be. I feel like I'm on crack - yeah, sure. This is why I'm addicted to his, isn't it? Up ahead, I spot a lone man. He has his hood pulled up over his head. He's coming toward us. I move forward again. There's a little alcove - I need to get to him before he passes it. "A shotgun? No. Hurts like ****, but no. Head wounds. Sunburn. Those kinds of things slow you down," I say. I make to pass the lone human, but at the last minute I shove him with shoulder, push him stumbling into the shadowed alcove. A doorstep to some grand building, but no one's home. It'll serve our purpose. I cover the guy's mouth to keep him from shouting; I keep him shoved up against the wall as he struggles, and wait for Leah to join me.
<Leah> Leah watching him walk away, her eyes followed before leading ahead to the human, she could smell him.. even from a distance and the smaller that gap became, the more she was able to tell, hear his pulse, hear the blood pouring through his system, it was enough to drive her insane but she kept a tight grip on reality and frowned when Jesse shoved the man into the darkened alcove, she caught up quickly and shoved her sire hard "Hey, I meant proper food, not this ****!" She sighed then eyed the human, her hazel orbs drawn naturally to his throat, subconciously knowing that this was real food now, her stomach knew it and her brain was slowly coming round to the same way of thinking.
<Jesse Fforde> This is the hardest part, I suppose, for those who don't choose this, who are surprised with this particular gift. I myself quite enjoy the act of feeding; the rush of that hot blood gushing over my tongue, sticking to my throat on the way down. The way it linger under my tongue for an hour afterwards. It's like my tastebuds changed, and blood doesn't taste like copper. It tastes like pure life, however that might be described. I am serious as I explain it to Leah: "Even if we discover that you can eat real food, it won't sustain you. This will," I say, tightening my grip on the struggling human as he renews his efforts. With my hand still over his mouth I tilt his head up, push it to the side. "Feel your teeth - canines are sharper now, right? Follow your new instinct. Go for the vein. You don't have to kill him. I like to," I say. "When I first started, I could feed and they wouldn't remember. We can leave him here, passed out. The wound will heal and he won't remember a thing. Something changed for me, and they remember. So I kill them," I explain.
<Leah> She watched the struggling human and it suddenly dawned on her.. No less than a few hours ago this was her, stuck and struggling in a futile effort to survive, except this man wouldn't be so lucky, she didn't plan on leaving witnesses and if Jesse said people remembered him for whatever reason, then this guy had to go. Within seconds, her teeth were embedded in the human's throat, she'd pounced like a snake, striking hard and fast. That first taste was a shock but then more came and it flowed with ease down her throat, filling her with new energy, new life and a new taste for flesh. She bit down harder and carried on drinking, despite his words about not needing to kill them, she didn't stop until she'd bled him dry. Pulling away to poke at her bloodied fangs with a finger "He won't remember you now."
<Jesse Fforde> "He wouldn't have anyway. I didn't bite him," I say, though I'm smiling. She bit, and she drank without complaint. That's my girl. The body has slumped in my grip, dead as a doornail. I wipe away any smeared blood on the corpse's neck - show Leah how the bite mark has disappeared. "Less evidence of vampires. But we still need to get rid of the body," I say. "How do you think is the best way to get rid of a body?" I ask, curious to know whether she's done this kind of thing before. She sees rather desensitized to death. I wonder if she ever actually shoots people for their jackets, or whether she was just bluffing.
Art by Jesse
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Jesse Fforde
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Re: Wrong night, Wrong street.
--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--
<Leah> This was far from her first rodeo but her methods were outdated and dangerous. Obviously only designed for the poorer murderers. "Si, but we need a car and a carpet." She smiled then rooted through the dead human's pockets, looking for anything of value before they got rid of the body, pulling out a phone and an empty wallet "Great.." she wiped the phone off in her shirt before putting it back again and looked at Jesse "How would you get rid of it?"
<Jesse Fforde> "Fire," I answer, almost immediately. Fire. I love fire. Moreso lately, for whatever reason. I grew to love its destructive power. These days I happen to be a bit of a pyromaniac, even though the urge to start a fire has lessened since turning Aria. Curioser and curioser. "We need to find a dumpster. Here," he says, pulling the hood back over the human's head and lurching to the side, pulling one of his arms over his shoulder. "You take the other arm. If anyone asks, we laugh - completely drunk, passed out. Can't hold his liquor," I say. A dumpster shouldn't be too hard to find.
<Leah> Leah went into her pocket and pulled out a tiny, shot sized bottle of Tequila. Dabbing it onto her hands before rubbing it over both her own neck and Jesse's like aftershave, dumping the rest of the liquid down the human's shirt before nodding, now they at least smelled like their story was true. Ducking down under the other human's arm to lift him, dragging the body along as her eyes scanned each passing side-street for a dumpster, one far enough out of sight that no one would notice a flame, or the smoke.. or even the smell.
<Jesse Fforde> I arch a brow as she rubs tequila - it smells like tequila, anyway - over my neck. Nice. I don't think I'd have thought of that. And the way she dumps the rest down the human's shirt? Fuel, for later. Something for the fire to catch hold of. Genius. At this time of night, though, we don't run into anyone much. One person gives us a bit of a curious look, and I just laugh and sway a bit. They don't look so curious over that. Maybe a little disgusted. It's not too long before we weave down into a narrow alleyway - one set behind a bunch of shops that have closed for the night. Department stores. There's a big metal dumpster about halfway down that they all share. I leave Leah with the human as I heave the lid open and peer inside. Lots of cardboard. Perfect. "Alright. Up and over," I say, reaching for the human's arm again in order to help haul him up over the edge of the dumpster.
<Leah> "So.. which one did you say you were again? How do you know which one I am? So far you only said one can eat, one has.. weird blood. That's it man, is that all?" She shouts the last part after him as he hauls the dumpster lid open, watching him return, she holds out both arms for him to take. "Why so many ones anyway? Vampire's a vampire ain't it?" She moved round and took the body's legs. Lifting it up to rest on the side of the dumpster, ready to be pushed in before she looked at her sire with a frown "Is it random? Did you know when you did this to me, which one I'd be?"
<Jesse Fforde> The body drops heavily into the mess. I leave it there as I turn back to Leah. Answers to her questions can come before we light the ****** on fire. "I don't know why so many. I think personality has something to do with which path you land on. It's complicated. There are different powers, abilities, for each path. But after you've learned all your own you can go track down these wraiths - ghosts of vampires long dead - and they help you to unlock bridges to the other paths. You can, eventually, cross over. Maybe they were just named to make it easier to figure out what's going on," I say with a shrug, not sure that I'm explaining it properly. "I'm a Necromancer. I have a fascination with death, I suppose you could say. If I knew which one you were, I wouldn't be testing you," I say with a wink. "By the way, you have my lighter. You going to do the honours?"
<Leah> Ghosts of dead vampires.. so they could die, they weren't immortal at all! She had what? A couple hundred years before looking forward to floating round teaching people in her current situation? That was a great future... Not! But it was all she had so it'd have to do. If she could 'cross over' into the other types, maybe one would have the ability to avoid dying all together and she'd be fine.. maybe. "I have your..." She blinked then delved into her pocket, pulling out her previous prize with a grin "Oh yeah, I do.." With that, she pulled a bit of cardboard from the dumpster and set it alight, watching the flame grow closer to her fingers before dropping the card into the metal bin and stepped back as the flames took hold, licking up the sides of the dumpster. "Should we close that?"
<Jesse Fforde> "Nah, let it breathe," I say. "Fires need oxygen. Let it become a bonfire. I've done this so many times - people hardly blink at a fire in a dumpster. They just think it's the homeless, trying to get warm," I say. I watch as the flames catch hold of the edge of the human's jacket. I watch as they slowly climb... and then whoof!, as the fire finds the tequila. I grin. "That should do. We can go now. How do you feel? Better?" I ask, shoving my hands into my pockets as I begin to lead the way out of the alleyway.
<Leah> Leah eyes the burning dumpster then the man walking away, silently regretting putting the phone back, she could have sold that! Too late now though as the flames engulfed the body. She turned heel and chased after the man "Hey hold up man, I'm not so hungry but it tasted weird.." She seemed to hold no remorse for the murder of an innocent man, no guilt, not even a morsel of shame as she plodded along quite contently. "What other tests can we do? To tell which one I am.."
<Jesse Fforde> "We not be able to figure it out, straight away," I say with a frown. "We ruled out Shadow. It might take some time - we have to wait for your first power to manifest," I say, flashing another grin and a wink. Powers are the best bit, by far. "Necromancer - you'll be able to do things like... heal yourself, and heal others. Bring things back from the dead, if only temporarily. See spirits, curse people. Telepath - you'll be able to speak directly to other people's minds. Mystic? Ah..." I have to think for a second. "Things like... feed in crowds without being seen, cause earthquakes. Killer, you'll... well, be a more proficient killer, I suppose. You can grow claws, jump really high, crush bones, run really fast. Allurists are how they sound. Really ******* alluring. They can inspire - give a boost to confidence and energy. Intimidate, just with a look... creepy fuckers," I say. The basics, I know, but enough to work with.
<Leah> She nods slowly at first then blinks, did he say powers? Like superman and stuff? Cool! She listened to the list then held up her cut hand "I can heal myself super fast, does that mean I'm a necromancer?"
<Jesse Fforde> I laugh, and shake my head. "If only it were that easy. I suppose it's not really healing. But it's kind of like - say next time you get that itch in the back of your throat, that ache, that need for blood? I could make that go away. I could feed you, kind of, without you having to stick your fangs in anything. And I can do it for myself, too - though I really do prefer it fresh from the source," I say. I turn a corner. We're getting closer to Larch Court.
<Leah> "You ain't stickin' **** down my throat!" She apparently misunderstood his words and had become defensive, though she didn't know why. Half tempted to stop and walk the other way out of pure spite, she didn't though and continued marching onwards, she didn't have a faintest clue where he were leading them, but she followed anyway as if by force, her feet simply shuffling along on auto-pilot. Almost like the blood in her system could sense where it came from was nearby and wanted to get back, she couldn't explain the pull, like a child in the supermarket, close on it's mother's heels to not get lost.
<Jesse Fforde> I laugh again. Oh, the imagery is just priceless. "It's not like that. It's .... evangelical, almost. I just gotta lay may palm on your shoulder, focus a bit, and ...." I laugh again, a low chuckle under my breath. Fill you up from the inside sounds almost too crude. Though I don't think this woman would be offended. Still, I rearrange my response. "...and the urge just goes away. You wouldn't have to feed," I say. The gates to Larch Court loom. "I have a house in here. Anyone who's connected to me, or who I trust, who I think need a place, they have access," I say. It's a gated community, almost, though we can just walk right in. Tiny, immaculate streets run in a square around the houses, though I begin to lead Leah down a path that runs right down the middle, between the houses. "Ours is number 12," I add.
<Leah> Hands on shoulders certainly beat what she had thought of. Nodding quietly as she followed along without question, that was until they entered suburbia! She shifted nervously on the spot and frowned "We stick out here man.. you crazy? Keep us a secret you said, and you live here! Have you seen this place man?" The truth was, having come from one the many Mexican Favelas, this place was a little too up itself for her, and he expected her to live here? Hell she'd eat her way through most of the neighbors before the week was done
<Jesse Fforde> I shake my head. "It's not really. You see the suburbs we just came out of next door? This place used to be the same - grungy and full of thieves. Now, however, it's been made all nice because the thieves decided to put their money to good use," I say. "Trust me, there are more vampires in this neighbourhood than humans," I clarify. When we reach number 12, I slip the key in the lock and gesture through the open door. Ladies first. The lights are already glaring - someone must have already been there tonight. But there's no one here now. Just inside, to the right, there's a kitchenette with a bar, for those in the line who can actually drink, and eat. In the far left corner is a very large TV set up with a few gaming consoles, couches and beanbags scattered over the floor. In the middle of the room there's an air hockey table. And in the far right back corner is where I have the chair set up, with my drawing desk, and all my inks and needles. A few sketches are pinned on the walls aroundabout. I step in after Leah. "The door on the left goes through the rituals area. There's a computer in there, too, if you need it. Door on the right leads through to the communal bedroom, and the bathroom. There are bunk beds. Like a backpacker's hostel, I suppose," I say.
<Leah> "Cant say I ever stayed in a hostel before." She shrugged then saw the bar, her eyes lit up and she moved over immediately, rooting through it for something worth drinking. Brandishing a bottle of Sambuca she cheered quietly and unscrewed the cap, placing the bottle to her lips before anyone could stop her and took a large gulp, wiping her lips with a happy sigh, right before putting the bottle down and holding her stomach, she knew when something was off and now was one of those moments "sink.. sink sink.." She span round and leant over the sink, the alcohol she'd just consumed was out of her system again within a minute of it reaching her stomach.
<Jesse Fforde> I don't stop her from finding whatever might be her poison. I saunter closer to the bar, just to watch and see what might happen. What happens is exactly what I expect would happen; no sooner does she swallow than she's spitting it back up again. I laugh, but force myself to stop. "Yeah, okay. That's one downfall. No way to get drunk anymore," I say. I push away from the bench and wander over to a chest, where I keep all the spare weaponry. I open it up and pull out two of the better quality items inside. I lay them on the floor for Leah to inspect - the Katana, with its sheath, and the gun. "You'll need these. Tomorrow night we can go hunting," I say with a wolfish grin. "I'll can teach you the basics, how to use the sword, if you've never used one. I'll keep an eye out for a better one, too," I say. There are definitely better swords out there than this little old katana.
<Leah> This was far from her first rodeo but her methods were outdated and dangerous. Obviously only designed for the poorer murderers. "Si, but we need a car and a carpet." She smiled then rooted through the dead human's pockets, looking for anything of value before they got rid of the body, pulling out a phone and an empty wallet "Great.." she wiped the phone off in her shirt before putting it back again and looked at Jesse "How would you get rid of it?"
<Jesse Fforde> "Fire," I answer, almost immediately. Fire. I love fire. Moreso lately, for whatever reason. I grew to love its destructive power. These days I happen to be a bit of a pyromaniac, even though the urge to start a fire has lessened since turning Aria. Curioser and curioser. "We need to find a dumpster. Here," he says, pulling the hood back over the human's head and lurching to the side, pulling one of his arms over his shoulder. "You take the other arm. If anyone asks, we laugh - completely drunk, passed out. Can't hold his liquor," I say. A dumpster shouldn't be too hard to find.
<Leah> Leah went into her pocket and pulled out a tiny, shot sized bottle of Tequila. Dabbing it onto her hands before rubbing it over both her own neck and Jesse's like aftershave, dumping the rest of the liquid down the human's shirt before nodding, now they at least smelled like their story was true. Ducking down under the other human's arm to lift him, dragging the body along as her eyes scanned each passing side-street for a dumpster, one far enough out of sight that no one would notice a flame, or the smoke.. or even the smell.
<Jesse Fforde> I arch a brow as she rubs tequila - it smells like tequila, anyway - over my neck. Nice. I don't think I'd have thought of that. And the way she dumps the rest down the human's shirt? Fuel, for later. Something for the fire to catch hold of. Genius. At this time of night, though, we don't run into anyone much. One person gives us a bit of a curious look, and I just laugh and sway a bit. They don't look so curious over that. Maybe a little disgusted. It's not too long before we weave down into a narrow alleyway - one set behind a bunch of shops that have closed for the night. Department stores. There's a big metal dumpster about halfway down that they all share. I leave Leah with the human as I heave the lid open and peer inside. Lots of cardboard. Perfect. "Alright. Up and over," I say, reaching for the human's arm again in order to help haul him up over the edge of the dumpster.
<Leah> "So.. which one did you say you were again? How do you know which one I am? So far you only said one can eat, one has.. weird blood. That's it man, is that all?" She shouts the last part after him as he hauls the dumpster lid open, watching him return, she holds out both arms for him to take. "Why so many ones anyway? Vampire's a vampire ain't it?" She moved round and took the body's legs. Lifting it up to rest on the side of the dumpster, ready to be pushed in before she looked at her sire with a frown "Is it random? Did you know when you did this to me, which one I'd be?"
<Jesse Fforde> The body drops heavily into the mess. I leave it there as I turn back to Leah. Answers to her questions can come before we light the ****** on fire. "I don't know why so many. I think personality has something to do with which path you land on. It's complicated. There are different powers, abilities, for each path. But after you've learned all your own you can go track down these wraiths - ghosts of vampires long dead - and they help you to unlock bridges to the other paths. You can, eventually, cross over. Maybe they were just named to make it easier to figure out what's going on," I say with a shrug, not sure that I'm explaining it properly. "I'm a Necromancer. I have a fascination with death, I suppose you could say. If I knew which one you were, I wouldn't be testing you," I say with a wink. "By the way, you have my lighter. You going to do the honours?"
<Leah> Ghosts of dead vampires.. so they could die, they weren't immortal at all! She had what? A couple hundred years before looking forward to floating round teaching people in her current situation? That was a great future... Not! But it was all she had so it'd have to do. If she could 'cross over' into the other types, maybe one would have the ability to avoid dying all together and she'd be fine.. maybe. "I have your..." She blinked then delved into her pocket, pulling out her previous prize with a grin "Oh yeah, I do.." With that, she pulled a bit of cardboard from the dumpster and set it alight, watching the flame grow closer to her fingers before dropping the card into the metal bin and stepped back as the flames took hold, licking up the sides of the dumpster. "Should we close that?"
<Jesse Fforde> "Nah, let it breathe," I say. "Fires need oxygen. Let it become a bonfire. I've done this so many times - people hardly blink at a fire in a dumpster. They just think it's the homeless, trying to get warm," I say. I watch as the flames catch hold of the edge of the human's jacket. I watch as they slowly climb... and then whoof!, as the fire finds the tequila. I grin. "That should do. We can go now. How do you feel? Better?" I ask, shoving my hands into my pockets as I begin to lead the way out of the alleyway.
<Leah> Leah eyes the burning dumpster then the man walking away, silently regretting putting the phone back, she could have sold that! Too late now though as the flames engulfed the body. She turned heel and chased after the man "Hey hold up man, I'm not so hungry but it tasted weird.." She seemed to hold no remorse for the murder of an innocent man, no guilt, not even a morsel of shame as she plodded along quite contently. "What other tests can we do? To tell which one I am.."
<Jesse Fforde> "We not be able to figure it out, straight away," I say with a frown. "We ruled out Shadow. It might take some time - we have to wait for your first power to manifest," I say, flashing another grin and a wink. Powers are the best bit, by far. "Necromancer - you'll be able to do things like... heal yourself, and heal others. Bring things back from the dead, if only temporarily. See spirits, curse people. Telepath - you'll be able to speak directly to other people's minds. Mystic? Ah..." I have to think for a second. "Things like... feed in crowds without being seen, cause earthquakes. Killer, you'll... well, be a more proficient killer, I suppose. You can grow claws, jump really high, crush bones, run really fast. Allurists are how they sound. Really ******* alluring. They can inspire - give a boost to confidence and energy. Intimidate, just with a look... creepy fuckers," I say. The basics, I know, but enough to work with.
<Leah> She nods slowly at first then blinks, did he say powers? Like superman and stuff? Cool! She listened to the list then held up her cut hand "I can heal myself super fast, does that mean I'm a necromancer?"
<Jesse Fforde> I laugh, and shake my head. "If only it were that easy. I suppose it's not really healing. But it's kind of like - say next time you get that itch in the back of your throat, that ache, that need for blood? I could make that go away. I could feed you, kind of, without you having to stick your fangs in anything. And I can do it for myself, too - though I really do prefer it fresh from the source," I say. I turn a corner. We're getting closer to Larch Court.
<Leah> "You ain't stickin' **** down my throat!" She apparently misunderstood his words and had become defensive, though she didn't know why. Half tempted to stop and walk the other way out of pure spite, she didn't though and continued marching onwards, she didn't have a faintest clue where he were leading them, but she followed anyway as if by force, her feet simply shuffling along on auto-pilot. Almost like the blood in her system could sense where it came from was nearby and wanted to get back, she couldn't explain the pull, like a child in the supermarket, close on it's mother's heels to not get lost.
<Jesse Fforde> I laugh again. Oh, the imagery is just priceless. "It's not like that. It's .... evangelical, almost. I just gotta lay may palm on your shoulder, focus a bit, and ...." I laugh again, a low chuckle under my breath. Fill you up from the inside sounds almost too crude. Though I don't think this woman would be offended. Still, I rearrange my response. "...and the urge just goes away. You wouldn't have to feed," I say. The gates to Larch Court loom. "I have a house in here. Anyone who's connected to me, or who I trust, who I think need a place, they have access," I say. It's a gated community, almost, though we can just walk right in. Tiny, immaculate streets run in a square around the houses, though I begin to lead Leah down a path that runs right down the middle, between the houses. "Ours is number 12," I add.
<Leah> Hands on shoulders certainly beat what she had thought of. Nodding quietly as she followed along without question, that was until they entered suburbia! She shifted nervously on the spot and frowned "We stick out here man.. you crazy? Keep us a secret you said, and you live here! Have you seen this place man?" The truth was, having come from one the many Mexican Favelas, this place was a little too up itself for her, and he expected her to live here? Hell she'd eat her way through most of the neighbors before the week was done
<Jesse Fforde> I shake my head. "It's not really. You see the suburbs we just came out of next door? This place used to be the same - grungy and full of thieves. Now, however, it's been made all nice because the thieves decided to put their money to good use," I say. "Trust me, there are more vampires in this neighbourhood than humans," I clarify. When we reach number 12, I slip the key in the lock and gesture through the open door. Ladies first. The lights are already glaring - someone must have already been there tonight. But there's no one here now. Just inside, to the right, there's a kitchenette with a bar, for those in the line who can actually drink, and eat. In the far left corner is a very large TV set up with a few gaming consoles, couches and beanbags scattered over the floor. In the middle of the room there's an air hockey table. And in the far right back corner is where I have the chair set up, with my drawing desk, and all my inks and needles. A few sketches are pinned on the walls aroundabout. I step in after Leah. "The door on the left goes through the rituals area. There's a computer in there, too, if you need it. Door on the right leads through to the communal bedroom, and the bathroom. There are bunk beds. Like a backpacker's hostel, I suppose," I say.
<Leah> "Cant say I ever stayed in a hostel before." She shrugged then saw the bar, her eyes lit up and she moved over immediately, rooting through it for something worth drinking. Brandishing a bottle of Sambuca she cheered quietly and unscrewed the cap, placing the bottle to her lips before anyone could stop her and took a large gulp, wiping her lips with a happy sigh, right before putting the bottle down and holding her stomach, she knew when something was off and now was one of those moments "sink.. sink sink.." She span round and leant over the sink, the alcohol she'd just consumed was out of her system again within a minute of it reaching her stomach.
<Jesse Fforde> I don't stop her from finding whatever might be her poison. I saunter closer to the bar, just to watch and see what might happen. What happens is exactly what I expect would happen; no sooner does she swallow than she's spitting it back up again. I laugh, but force myself to stop. "Yeah, okay. That's one downfall. No way to get drunk anymore," I say. I push away from the bench and wander over to a chest, where I keep all the spare weaponry. I open it up and pull out two of the better quality items inside. I lay them on the floor for Leah to inspect - the Katana, with its sheath, and the gun. "You'll need these. Tomorrow night we can go hunting," I say with a wolfish grin. "I'll can teach you the basics, how to use the sword, if you've never used one. I'll keep an eye out for a better one, too," I say. There are definitely better swords out there than this little old katana.
FIRE and BLOOD
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Leah (DELETED 5369)
- Posts: 33
- Joined: 18 Apr 2014, 23:28
Re: Wrong night, Wrong street.
--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--
<Leah> No way to get drunk? Now he tells her! She frowns and reaches for the bottle, ready to launch it, ready to smash it over his head for letting her drink it knowing it wouldn't do anything anymore. But she didn't, no there were other ways to get payback. She'd mix it with something. It was during her thoughts of revenge that he placed a rather large rifle and a sword infront of her, she'd handled guns before but swords? They were new ground for this Mexican. Bringing the blade to the fore as she turned it over in her palm slowly, bouncing it in her grip before taking a single, short swing.
<Jesse Fforde> The experiment could have gone differently, I do admit. But it was an easy way to determine certain things. "That rules out Allurist, remember," I say with a wink, able to see the irritation clear as day on the Latina's face. I go about things differently, I know - she'll get used to it. She seems the sort who's able to have a good laugh. "Tomorrow night, we'll go to the Quarantine Zone. There you'll meet zombies. Lots of them. They're good target practice," I tell her. She probably doesn't believe me, but she will tomorrow night.
<Leah> He was right, it did rule out another of the seemingly countless groups of vampire that were out there. Making what she was, on the shortlist now. Her eyes shot up when he mentioned zombies and she nearly laughed, putting the sword down before shaking her head "I believed you on the whole vampire thing after you showed me.. I even fed for you, but zombies? You think I'm loco? They aren't real. Just some film fanatic's imagination."
<Jesse Fforde> I nod, slowly. "You say that now. If vampires, why not zombie, huh?" I ask. I lean against the bench, fingers splayed at the edges. "I don't know whether it's some science experiment gone wrong. But we've got zombies. Feral vampires - those who aren't turned properly, I suppose, or who lose their minds. These beasts called Mooncalves. They're nearly as gruesome as the Fadebeasts. It's like something out of a video game," I say.
<Leah> "Right.. Si si.." She nods slowly as if dealing with a mental patient, even her tone was softer. This guy was whack, must have eaten some bad blood or something, she'd heard of zombies sure, in nearly every horror movie she saw. But Mooncalves? Fadebeasts? So he was telling her aliens were real too? At least that was her logic to behind why it'd be called a 'Moon' calf.
<Jesse Fforde> I am a patient person. She doesn't have to believe me straight away. I just nod and grin. It will be worth it tomorrow night, to see the look on her face. I saunter over to the couch and flop down into it. I roll my shoulders and close my eyes momentarily - I haven't fed, and I lost blood, giving it to Leah. I focus on the previous power that I told her about - the one that allows me to boost my own blood. Once that is done, I turn my attention back to Leah. "Any questions?
<Leah> "Si, why are you giving me these? Why are we here? Why didn't you kill me?" She picked up the sword again and pointed it at him with a smirk "You give me a weapon after I tried to shoot you. What makes you think I won't try again?"
<Jesse Fforde> "I am giving you weapons so I can teach you how to use them. So you can defend yourself - so you can beat the bigs bads I intend to introduce you to. We are here, because this is a house that I bought for all my progeny, and those that they might turn - or anyone I believe needs a safe haven. You have a bed here, should you need one, and you can always come back here. I didn't kill you because you seem to have gumption - don't prove me wrong. I assume you won't try again - but you can, if you like, and then you can see first hand just how little chance you have against me," I say, answering all questions, one after the other, with a smile dancing at the corners of my lips.
<Leah> Leah paced back and forth in the kitchenette area, tapping the sword every so often against one of the work-tops, getting a feel for it, getting used to the weight, the force needed to swing it, it was much more complicated than a simple point and shoot device. She listened to his answers in their entirety before asking another bombardment of questions "What's gumption? What happens if I prove you wrong? How do I already have a bed here, did you know you would turn me? Can you tell the future?!"
<Jesse Fforde> "Gumption. Guts. Strength. The kind of person who could embrace this life and make the most of it, rather than cry about it. I suppose nothing will happen if you end up crying about it, but that I'll maybe regret my choice," I say with a grin, teasing. "You already have a bed here because there are about ten of them in the other room - just down the hall," I say, gesturing to the right hall. "They're not always in use. You can pick one, any," I say. "I wish I could tell the future, but as yet, that's not something I know is possible," I add. I arch a brow. I bet she's got more.
<Leah> She did have more, many more in fact and the tirade didn't seem to end. "What can I do? Can I fly? Can I turn into a bat? Do I have to sleep in a coffin? How long will I live for now?" She paused, and out came what to her, was the most important question of all. "Will I get older or stay like this?" She didn't aim to sound vain, but if she had to grow old and live forever in a wrinkly body, she'd probably shoot herself.
<Jesse Fforde> I laugh. Now come the usual questions. "As I said, depends on your path, but the longer you're around and the more you learn, the more you'll discover you can do. I can't tell you yet what you'll be capable of. Flight? Not that I know of. But you can one day learn to jump really far. Kind of the same thing? Maybe one day you can turn into something. Bat, maybe, if that's your calling. I know others who can change into animals. You don't have to sleep in a coffin but if you want to be safe from the sun, make sure the room is light tight. You will live for as long as you keep your *** safe. You will stay exactly as you are," I answer. And then I elaborate: "If you die in this city you can come back. We call it the Shadow Realm. If you are strong enough you can haul outta there. The rift between this world and the Shadow Realm only exists in this city, though - you die outside of this city, and you're dead for good. No coming back," I clarify.
<Leah> She repeated his words to herself, as if clarifying it, cementing it in her head. "Can't fly, can't turn into anything.. Yet. Don't need a coffin, do need to avoid the sun, don't die." She nods with a smile, almost like the last one on the list would be the biggest fun for her. "Have you ever died?"
<Jesse Fforde> I smirk. "No. But I've been close a couple of times," I say, again rolling my shoulders. There's no need for anyone other than the pertinent few to know about my particular curse. Not unless it starts happening to them - otherwise I'm going to keep those specific details to myself. "Though I do have the nifty trick of being able to visit the dead, down there, in the Shadow Realm. They call it Fadewalking. So if you ever do die I'm going to come down there and haul your *** back out again, okay?"
<Leah> No way to get drunk? Now he tells her! She frowns and reaches for the bottle, ready to launch it, ready to smash it over his head for letting her drink it knowing it wouldn't do anything anymore. But she didn't, no there were other ways to get payback. She'd mix it with something. It was during her thoughts of revenge that he placed a rather large rifle and a sword infront of her, she'd handled guns before but swords? They were new ground for this Mexican. Bringing the blade to the fore as she turned it over in her palm slowly, bouncing it in her grip before taking a single, short swing.
<Jesse Fforde> The experiment could have gone differently, I do admit. But it was an easy way to determine certain things. "That rules out Allurist, remember," I say with a wink, able to see the irritation clear as day on the Latina's face. I go about things differently, I know - she'll get used to it. She seems the sort who's able to have a good laugh. "Tomorrow night, we'll go to the Quarantine Zone. There you'll meet zombies. Lots of them. They're good target practice," I tell her. She probably doesn't believe me, but she will tomorrow night.
<Leah> He was right, it did rule out another of the seemingly countless groups of vampire that were out there. Making what she was, on the shortlist now. Her eyes shot up when he mentioned zombies and she nearly laughed, putting the sword down before shaking her head "I believed you on the whole vampire thing after you showed me.. I even fed for you, but zombies? You think I'm loco? They aren't real. Just some film fanatic's imagination."
<Jesse Fforde> I nod, slowly. "You say that now. If vampires, why not zombie, huh?" I ask. I lean against the bench, fingers splayed at the edges. "I don't know whether it's some science experiment gone wrong. But we've got zombies. Feral vampires - those who aren't turned properly, I suppose, or who lose their minds. These beasts called Mooncalves. They're nearly as gruesome as the Fadebeasts. It's like something out of a video game," I say.
<Leah> "Right.. Si si.." She nods slowly as if dealing with a mental patient, even her tone was softer. This guy was whack, must have eaten some bad blood or something, she'd heard of zombies sure, in nearly every horror movie she saw. But Mooncalves? Fadebeasts? So he was telling her aliens were real too? At least that was her logic to behind why it'd be called a 'Moon' calf.
<Jesse Fforde> I am a patient person. She doesn't have to believe me straight away. I just nod and grin. It will be worth it tomorrow night, to see the look on her face. I saunter over to the couch and flop down into it. I roll my shoulders and close my eyes momentarily - I haven't fed, and I lost blood, giving it to Leah. I focus on the previous power that I told her about - the one that allows me to boost my own blood. Once that is done, I turn my attention back to Leah. "Any questions?
<Leah> "Si, why are you giving me these? Why are we here? Why didn't you kill me?" She picked up the sword again and pointed it at him with a smirk "You give me a weapon after I tried to shoot you. What makes you think I won't try again?"
<Jesse Fforde> "I am giving you weapons so I can teach you how to use them. So you can defend yourself - so you can beat the bigs bads I intend to introduce you to. We are here, because this is a house that I bought for all my progeny, and those that they might turn - or anyone I believe needs a safe haven. You have a bed here, should you need one, and you can always come back here. I didn't kill you because you seem to have gumption - don't prove me wrong. I assume you won't try again - but you can, if you like, and then you can see first hand just how little chance you have against me," I say, answering all questions, one after the other, with a smile dancing at the corners of my lips.
<Leah> Leah paced back and forth in the kitchenette area, tapping the sword every so often against one of the work-tops, getting a feel for it, getting used to the weight, the force needed to swing it, it was much more complicated than a simple point and shoot device. She listened to his answers in their entirety before asking another bombardment of questions "What's gumption? What happens if I prove you wrong? How do I already have a bed here, did you know you would turn me? Can you tell the future?!"
<Jesse Fforde> "Gumption. Guts. Strength. The kind of person who could embrace this life and make the most of it, rather than cry about it. I suppose nothing will happen if you end up crying about it, but that I'll maybe regret my choice," I say with a grin, teasing. "You already have a bed here because there are about ten of them in the other room - just down the hall," I say, gesturing to the right hall. "They're not always in use. You can pick one, any," I say. "I wish I could tell the future, but as yet, that's not something I know is possible," I add. I arch a brow. I bet she's got more.
<Leah> She did have more, many more in fact and the tirade didn't seem to end. "What can I do? Can I fly? Can I turn into a bat? Do I have to sleep in a coffin? How long will I live for now?" She paused, and out came what to her, was the most important question of all. "Will I get older or stay like this?" She didn't aim to sound vain, but if she had to grow old and live forever in a wrinkly body, she'd probably shoot herself.
<Jesse Fforde> I laugh. Now come the usual questions. "As I said, depends on your path, but the longer you're around and the more you learn, the more you'll discover you can do. I can't tell you yet what you'll be capable of. Flight? Not that I know of. But you can one day learn to jump really far. Kind of the same thing? Maybe one day you can turn into something. Bat, maybe, if that's your calling. I know others who can change into animals. You don't have to sleep in a coffin but if you want to be safe from the sun, make sure the room is light tight. You will live for as long as you keep your *** safe. You will stay exactly as you are," I answer. And then I elaborate: "If you die in this city you can come back. We call it the Shadow Realm. If you are strong enough you can haul outta there. The rift between this world and the Shadow Realm only exists in this city, though - you die outside of this city, and you're dead for good. No coming back," I clarify.
<Leah> She repeated his words to herself, as if clarifying it, cementing it in her head. "Can't fly, can't turn into anything.. Yet. Don't need a coffin, do need to avoid the sun, don't die." She nods with a smile, almost like the last one on the list would be the biggest fun for her. "Have you ever died?"
<Jesse Fforde> I smirk. "No. But I've been close a couple of times," I say, again rolling my shoulders. There's no need for anyone other than the pertinent few to know about my particular curse. Not unless it starts happening to them - otherwise I'm going to keep those specific details to myself. "Though I do have the nifty trick of being able to visit the dead, down there, in the Shadow Realm. They call it Fadewalking. So if you ever do die I'm going to come down there and haul your *** back out again, okay?"
Art by Jesse
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Jesse Fforde
- Registered User
- Posts: 3487
- Joined: 30 Jun 2012, 09:32
- CrowNet Handle: Fox
Re: Wrong night, Wrong street.
--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--
<Leah> "You can do that?" she stared at him, both the sword and her jaw falling at the same time before shaking herself back to her senses "How come no one's heard of you guys? How come you're all in this one city.. why's there not so many? If you can go into the place of the dead and bring us out again, are you? Or do you leave some people in there?"
<Jesse Fforde> "Some people choose to stay there. They don't want to live forever," I say with a shrug. "No one knows because we keep the Masquerade. I am a part of a faction called Tytonidae. There's also a thing called The Crownet. The Crow... well, he's everywhere. I don't know how to explain him, but if you do something to draw attention to yourself a vampire, you can get yourself a bounty. We hunt those who have gotten themselves noticed. We punish them. We kill them. There are severe consequences for not keeping the secret," I explain. "And there are quite a few of us. I'll introduce you to a few."
<Leah> "So you keep us a secret?" she nods, understanding a little better before she perked up, the idea of killing someone appealed to her heightened nature and she grinned, tapping the edge of the blade against the counter to a soft metallic ting. "You kill people who share our secret? Can I help? What about the humans who know about us? Do you kill them too? Can I help?"
<Jesse Fforde> I laugh. Well, this is unexpected, and entirely welcome. I lean forward, elbows on my knees and hands clasped in front of me. "I'll introduce you to Velveteen. And Micah. They are like mentors to me - people who I respect, and am very proud to know. They are heads of the faction. We can let them know that you're interested. And we can take it from there," I say. I ponder the question. I think about the mudrun that new members have to go through. Maybe, given time, when she's a bit stronger... "I was going to introduce you to them anyway. And yes - humans who know, die. Or we turn them. Usually the former."
<Leah> Leah nods again "So you're introducing me to someone, you were already gonna introduce me to.. because I want to keep us a secret and not die? That makes perfect sense.." She shook her head, then moved onto the gun, it was heavier than she expected but still had no problems lifting it "You don't turn them if they know? Why not? It'd be easier Si? Then you wouldn't have to do all this explaining to them."
<Jesse Fforde> "It depends. If they know and they hate us, what's the point in making them stronger? It gives them more opportunity, more power to bring us down. To work from the inside. And no - I was going to introduce you to them because you are my new childe. I'm not going to just abandon you. They are important to me, and I want them to meet you. And you them. If you want to join the faction, we can kill two birds with one stone," I say.
<Leah> "If a human came to you and asked to be turned? Would you kill them? How do you know which ones really really hate you, and which ones don't?" She smirked, hoping her questions would have him stumped. Though killing 2 birds with the same rock sounded like a good idea, she'd get to meet his friends, and learn all his dirty secrets. And be doing something productive to stop herself being killed by a rampaging human with a loaded gun.
<Jesse Fforde> "You know, all this really does depend on the human, and the situation at hand. I can't answer those questions. Sometimes I don't know. In fact, I'm pretty sure I've never turned anyone who asked for it. They were all like you. I seem to have good instinct - none of them hated me, to begin with," I shrug. "Except for one. But I never chose her, someone else did," I add.
<Leah> Leah looked confused, sure she could understand why someone would hate him for drinking their blood and preventing them from getting drunk ever again, but it was a small price to pay for the ability to live forever! "Si? Maybe they don't hate you, maybe they're just upset? I could stab you for not telling me alcohol is bad for me now, but I don't hate you."
<Jesse Fforde> "No, they all settled easily enough. If they are disinterested now, I think it might have more to do with me than with what they are - what I made them. Or maybe not. I'm going to try to track them all down - but there are two, specifically, I can introduce you to soon. Siblings, I suppose you can say," I tell her with a smirk.
<Leah> She arched a brow at the sibling comment, that would make them related, which they weren't, were they? Was it possible? They did share blood, apparently. Especially if they were all turned by this one man. She put down the weapons and moved to sit opposite him, the questions grew in her mind and she had to get them out, she had to know things, like a kid with a book stuck in the 'what's that' phase. She asked, and Jesse, well he did his best to answer the curious childe. Though not every answer she believed, or took seriously.
<Jesse Fforde> I relax, willing to sit and talk to the new childe for hours. Hours, until the sun comes up and I direct her to a bed, where she can sleep whenever she likes. I tell her everything I think to tell her - everything I think she ought to know. Everything that I know about the history of Harper Rock, and why there are only a few vampires who are older than human lives permit. The rest of us are new. I explain about all the different creatures, the different areas of the city; I tell her about Ffode versus Altaire, about my own sire and how we do not get along - but that, should she be approached, I will not make her choose. I do not have anything against other Altaire. Just the one. I talk until my throat is dry and my voice is hoarser than usual. Because I will not take any chances with this one.
<Leah> "You can do that?" she stared at him, both the sword and her jaw falling at the same time before shaking herself back to her senses "How come no one's heard of you guys? How come you're all in this one city.. why's there not so many? If you can go into the place of the dead and bring us out again, are you? Or do you leave some people in there?"
<Jesse Fforde> "Some people choose to stay there. They don't want to live forever," I say with a shrug. "No one knows because we keep the Masquerade. I am a part of a faction called Tytonidae. There's also a thing called The Crownet. The Crow... well, he's everywhere. I don't know how to explain him, but if you do something to draw attention to yourself a vampire, you can get yourself a bounty. We hunt those who have gotten themselves noticed. We punish them. We kill them. There are severe consequences for not keeping the secret," I explain. "And there are quite a few of us. I'll introduce you to a few."
<Leah> "So you keep us a secret?" she nods, understanding a little better before she perked up, the idea of killing someone appealed to her heightened nature and she grinned, tapping the edge of the blade against the counter to a soft metallic ting. "You kill people who share our secret? Can I help? What about the humans who know about us? Do you kill them too? Can I help?"
<Jesse Fforde> I laugh. Well, this is unexpected, and entirely welcome. I lean forward, elbows on my knees and hands clasped in front of me. "I'll introduce you to Velveteen. And Micah. They are like mentors to me - people who I respect, and am very proud to know. They are heads of the faction. We can let them know that you're interested. And we can take it from there," I say. I ponder the question. I think about the mudrun that new members have to go through. Maybe, given time, when she's a bit stronger... "I was going to introduce you to them anyway. And yes - humans who know, die. Or we turn them. Usually the former."
<Leah> Leah nods again "So you're introducing me to someone, you were already gonna introduce me to.. because I want to keep us a secret and not die? That makes perfect sense.." She shook her head, then moved onto the gun, it was heavier than she expected but still had no problems lifting it "You don't turn them if they know? Why not? It'd be easier Si? Then you wouldn't have to do all this explaining to them."
<Jesse Fforde> "It depends. If they know and they hate us, what's the point in making them stronger? It gives them more opportunity, more power to bring us down. To work from the inside. And no - I was going to introduce you to them because you are my new childe. I'm not going to just abandon you. They are important to me, and I want them to meet you. And you them. If you want to join the faction, we can kill two birds with one stone," I say.
<Leah> "If a human came to you and asked to be turned? Would you kill them? How do you know which ones really really hate you, and which ones don't?" She smirked, hoping her questions would have him stumped. Though killing 2 birds with the same rock sounded like a good idea, she'd get to meet his friends, and learn all his dirty secrets. And be doing something productive to stop herself being killed by a rampaging human with a loaded gun.
<Jesse Fforde> "You know, all this really does depend on the human, and the situation at hand. I can't answer those questions. Sometimes I don't know. In fact, I'm pretty sure I've never turned anyone who asked for it. They were all like you. I seem to have good instinct - none of them hated me, to begin with," I shrug. "Except for one. But I never chose her, someone else did," I add.
<Leah> Leah looked confused, sure she could understand why someone would hate him for drinking their blood and preventing them from getting drunk ever again, but it was a small price to pay for the ability to live forever! "Si? Maybe they don't hate you, maybe they're just upset? I could stab you for not telling me alcohol is bad for me now, but I don't hate you."
<Jesse Fforde> "No, they all settled easily enough. If they are disinterested now, I think it might have more to do with me than with what they are - what I made them. Or maybe not. I'm going to try to track them all down - but there are two, specifically, I can introduce you to soon. Siblings, I suppose you can say," I tell her with a smirk.
<Leah> She arched a brow at the sibling comment, that would make them related, which they weren't, were they? Was it possible? They did share blood, apparently. Especially if they were all turned by this one man. She put down the weapons and moved to sit opposite him, the questions grew in her mind and she had to get them out, she had to know things, like a kid with a book stuck in the 'what's that' phase. She asked, and Jesse, well he did his best to answer the curious childe. Though not every answer she believed, or took seriously.
<Jesse Fforde> I relax, willing to sit and talk to the new childe for hours. Hours, until the sun comes up and I direct her to a bed, where she can sleep whenever she likes. I tell her everything I think to tell her - everything I think she ought to know. Everything that I know about the history of Harper Rock, and why there are only a few vampires who are older than human lives permit. The rest of us are new. I explain about all the different creatures, the different areas of the city; I tell her about Ffode versus Altaire, about my own sire and how we do not get along - but that, should she be approached, I will not make her choose. I do not have anything against other Altaire. Just the one. I talk until my throat is dry and my voice is hoarser than usual. Because I will not take any chances with this one.
FIRE and BLOOD