OK Mr. Mom, Teach Me (Jesse)

[Tara (DELETED 5814)]

OOC: Back dated, after her turning

Tara paced back and forth, there was still a lot of things she didn't know about being a vampire. Renee had to leave town so she asked someone else to take over taking care of her. Money had showed up in her account, she used it to get some weapons since this place was clearly dangerous. Though she didn't know how to fight besides basic things to get out of trouble.

She looked back at Bryant then got up, she didn't bother to leave a note as she was sure her not clinging to him would be welcomed and not questioned, and he most likely be asleep the whole time. She left the apartment, at first it was just a walk but she knew she also needed to buy some blood. She needed to be kept fed in order to keep Bry safe, and it was so hard not to try and bite him while they were being intimate. She was so scared of hurting him.

She was paranoid now, looking around at every sound even though she was the top of the food chain now. She still wasn't happy about what happened but one just had to deal with the hand they were dealt. And the only good card in her deck has been Bry.

She sat down, she needed to learn more about what was going on here though so she would have to talk to this Jesse. She took out her cell phone and typed out a message.

"Hey this is Tara, Renee said you'd be taking over for her awhile she is away. I could really use a low down of vampirehood and this place. Can we meet somewhere?" she sent.

[Jesse Fforde]

The process by which one installs a fadeportal is almost far too mundane given the magical ability the thing holds. One needs only to go to a shop to buy… what? How could one even explain this thing? A doorway, almost, but ethereal. Though that particular person must be present to impart the doorway with its magical abilities; to whisper into it and tell it where it must take its traveller. And then all Jesse has to do is bring this thing home and install it where he wants it to be. Like throwing a firecracker at the ground and Tada! a sudden shimmering portal that will transport their bodies across the damned city.

The one that Jesse has just installed will take him to the Castle. He had dithered, for a while. The occupants of Foucault Castle are a challenge even for him, and there are fledglings wandering through Larch Court who could take this portal by accident. In the end, he decides that if they do and they get their asses kicked, it’ll only give them more motivation to make themselves stronger, better. Maybe inspire them to want to go back and take revenge for the ***-kicking.

On the table nearby, Jesse’s phone vibrates, dancing across the surface. Jesse wanders over and picks it up, swiping to read the message. He remembers the conversation he’d had with Renee not too long ago. He arches a brow and concentrates; tries to find the essence of Tara through the ether. He clings to her, spiritually, and tugs. To his delight, he finds that the girl must trust him. At least enough to let him summon her to his side. A broad and gleaming grin spreads over his lips.

”Welcome to Larch Court, Tara,” he says. He doesn’t bother introducing himself. If she has any common sense, she’ll realise who he is without even having to think about it.

[Attire]

[Tara (DELETED 5814)]

Tara sat there, swinging her legs a little as she waited for an answer, then again he could be busy. She wasn't sure what to do with herself now. A simple move to a smaller town turned into her dying because she saw some vampire killing someone. She wrapped her arms around her stomach and sighed, she hoped that Bry and her would be alright here. She closed her eyes tightly. She lifted her head and went to get up but suddenly she was pulled somewhere else.

When she looked around, "Ah.." she said, she put her phone away. She blinked, so what was that? She focused on the man now, "So...hi, Jesse." she said, who else would this be. "I guess that was some kind of power? That was freaky."

She stuck her hands in her jacket pockets, normally she was far more out going but now that her whole world was flipped upset down, she wasn't so sure of herself. "So I guess I got a lot to learn about this place. Where do we start?" she asked.

[Jesse Fforde]

Jesse nods.

”That is what we like to call Summon Ally. I’m glad to know you consider me an ally,” he smirks, before clearing his throat. He has a feeling he’ll be doing a lot of talking, and he regrets not filling up on blood before starting. But, perhaps in trying to fill Tara in on the things that she may or may not know, they’ll be able to sit down with a jug of blood. Just maybe.

”First – this is Larch Court number 12. I will make you a tome so that you can come and go as you please. A tome is a magic script that you read, and it’ll bring you to this very spot—“ he says, gesturing to the bottom of the staircase, ”—no matter where you are or what you are doing,” he says. The room they’re standing in isn’t small, but nor is it massive; there are some bunks in a corner, as well as a door that leads through to a small bathroom. In the other corner are some couches and comfortable-looking duvets. Jesse turns away from the girl to begin to lead her down the hallway.

”This is the basement, and in here you’ll find everything you need. If you’re low on blood, there’s always blood packs available. Computers, forge, crafting table, ritual table… whatever you need, it’s here. And if there’s something you think should be added, let me know and I’ll procure it,” he explains, and clears his throat again. His voice is husky, at some points nearly a whisper.

”There are also portals. They’ll take you to every pertinent point in the city. This here is like a hub of transportation. You’ll almost never have to walk or drive anywhere ever again,” he says with a smirk.

”Upstairs there are some more bunks and a more spacious kitchen and bathroom. You can stay here whenever you like. As for everything else? I don’t know. We can start from the very beginning, if you want. What has Renee told you already?”

[Tara (DELETED 5814)]

"Summon Ally?" Tara said curiously. She wondered what other powers vampires had. "Even though I was killed...I have to trust someone or I'll be at a complete lost and get myself into trouble.." she said.

She listened to him explain where she was and about tomes. It sounded interesting. She was sure she wouldn't have anything to add to this place, it sounded like this was its own little city of everything someone would need. "Blood.." she said softly, she hadn't fed and would be a good idea to do so soon so she didn't make a snack out of Bry. Though she wondered if she stayed here and didn't return for the day if Bry would notice. Not that she has been able to stay awake when the sun came up but she had always liked the night better.

She looked over the portals, tilting her head. "Hum, not much since she had to go out of town so suddenly." she said, she looked at him. "Is it normal to get really tired when the sun comes up? Like its common for vampires?" she asked.

"Can vampires eat normal food?" she asked, she hadn't tried to eat since she was killed. "What about other vampire stereotypes?" she had guessed the mirror thing wasn't true as she had saw herself when she got cleaned up from being killed and all.

"I guess start from the beginning." Tara said, "Like you had sired me and have to explain like, well everything."

[Jesse Fforde]

Jesse takes a deep breath. From the beginning. That’s easy enough. He nods in response to the first question. ”Generally, yes. Vampires are rendered weak and useless by the rising of the sun. Some are able to walk in it, and stay awake—you need to be on the Killer path for that—and others can learn to just stay awake. I practiced, and I fought against it. I broke past some kind of wall, and I can at least stay awake. I’m not as strong, though,” he says with a shrug. He had mentioned the Killer path, which now leads him onto the second question.

”We all have paths that we are born into,” he says. Born, because it makes sense. It’s as if the vampiric blood picks up on traits that are already inherent in the human personality, psyche, or DNA. Jesse is slightly curious about how it works, but he never met a person he didn’t seem to suit the path that they walked. Born with them, rather than sired into them.

”They are specific traits that the vampiric blood seems to heighten in us. For example—I am a Necromancer. I have a fascination with Death and thus I appear more dead than others. I have a connection to the Shadow Realm. I can heal myself and others but I can also prevent healing, too. Renee and Axel are both Mystics, and have a connection to natural forces. The point I’m getting to? No, the majority of the paths cannot eat. And if they do adapt to the ability, they cannot taste anything. The only path that can eat and still taste—with practice, I’m told—are Allurists. Allurists are… charismatic, I suppose, and appear more human than the rest of us. As if they had never died,” he explains. After which, he narrows his eyes at Tara and reaches up to poke at her cheekbone with his forefinger. Tara, for example, does not look nearly as death-warmed-up as most other vampires that Jesse knows. For Allurists, though, there’s one simple test. As there’s one simple test with Shadows, too—both of which he will try on Tara.

”Can you see yourself in a mirror?” he asks.

[Tara (DELETED 5814)]

Tara tilted her head, Killer path? She wasn't sure how she was going to explain to Bry as to why she completely passes out during the day now. She knows she needs to tell him but there was that fear that he would leave her, not love her anymore, though times in the back of her head she wondered if he did. She closed her eyes a moment.

She listened as he explained about the paths, "I haven't been hungry....I haven't tried to eat." she replied, "Well hungry for food anyway..." she added. She blinked when he poked her cheek, was he trying to figure out what path she was. "Yes, I can see myself in the mirror...after I was killed I had a lot of blood to get off before my boyfriend noticed.."

[Jesse Fforde]

Jesse spreads his hands out in front of him, palms up and fingers splayed in a there you have it type gesture. "No other path can see themselves in a mirror aside from Allurists. Not all peaches and roses, though I'm afraid," he says. Every now and again he catches Grey staring at herself in a mirror. Why she does it to herself, he doesn't know. Some kind of mental masochism? Nostalgia, maybe, for what she had lost? He clears his throat and focuses on the topic at hand; Tara, and telling her what's what.

"As time passes your reflection will degrade. Like Dorian Gray, almost. Your reflection will degrade. It will start to look like a corpse. It will decay like a corpse. So it's best you avoid mirrors like the rest of us. Silver lining? We know you're an Allurist. So if the fancy strikes, you can eat a truckload of Oreos and you can enjoy every bite," he says. It's what Grey does. He'd be envious, if he didn't crave blood so much. If he didn't love it so much.

[Tara (DELETED 5814)]

Tara listened intently, an Allurist? Then there was truth to the whole mirror thing. She frowned when she was told that her reflection would act like Dorian Gray, she had heard of that story. That was going to make it hard to put makeup on, only seeing a corpse then again, better than seeing no reflection at all she suppose.

She lit up when she was told the silver lining though. "Really? I can eat? That's great. I love cooking and eating." she said, she wondered if she would ever feel hungry though besides that nagging need for blood. She wondered what Bryant would be if he was turned. She couldn't help but think about Bry, what was she going to do.

She looked at Jesse again, "Okay, so, are there any rules I need to know about? Sure don't want to be getting into trouble.."

[Jesse Fforde]

Jesse nods once. And then twice.

”Yes you can eat, but from what I know, it takes practice. For all intents and purposes, your body died and your organs shut down, so they have to… I don’t even ******* know. Learn how to digest all over again? So you’ll have to practice and you’ll probably feel ill a bit to begin with,” he says. The second nod is in regards to the rules. There’s only really one rule that needs to be adhered to; a rather large one that dictates a lot of one’s actions.

”Don’t be seen. Don’t be seen feeding, don’t be seen using your abilities. Basically, do not in any way, shape or form give humans any notion of our existence. There’s a thriving society of vampires in Harper Rock but there are cogs beneath the surface. There’s a bounty system. There are people—and I am one of them—who will hunt you down and slaughter you if you violate our secrecy in any way. Should you slip up by accident, you come and tell me. There are ways to work off a bounty and make up for whatever mistakes that might be made,” he says. He clears his throat. These sessions always feel a little long to someone like him; someone who hadn’t used his voice box for over a decade. Long speeches aren’t his forte and his voice is starting to give out on him.

He arches a brow; he waits for more questions, if Tara has them.