Connections [Invite]

[Myk]

Myk watched Robert Pratt’s eyes as they looked him over with a kind of cautious sympathy. It was only natural to respond to strangers this way, especially strangers that had come seeking you out to talk of something you had no idea of. If anything, Myk was surprised by how open and welcoming the man was. Considering Robert Pratt’s history, considering how Myk was something of a shadow in the city, it was certainly interesting to see the man agree to meet with him so easily. Myk wondered how naïve the man was because sometimes, meeting someone with no reputation can be more risky than meeting someone whose reputation you know. What was that saying? Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t? Robert Pratt didn’t really have any idea what Myk’s motives were, who he came on behalf of, if he was just a lure to bring this fish out of hiding. On the other hand, perhaps it was Myk who was being naïve.

Sure, he had seen the man’s activities online, he had heard the rumours, and telepathically appraised him, but that was all he knew about the man. Myk had no idea what Robert Pratt was actually up to, what his intentions were, if he was dangerous; he might very well never make it home alive. Nevertheless, when the man proposed he’d come inside, Myk smiled softly, nodded to the question and went ahead. When he closed the gap, they walked side-by-side into the building and paused. Robert Pratt stood expectantly, still at his side; his height making Myk feel like a way-ward teenager in his presence. He tore his eyes from the man and looked around the area.

It was a large room, communal, reminding Myk of a Student’s Union or government sponsored youth centre – well, what he imagined those might be like. There were Humans everywhere and ironically, their carefree attendance made him slightly nervous. He didn’t prey on the feelings too long though, narrowing down their origins to the fact that he was still trying to make a good impression on Robert Pratt, hating the thought of ruining the tranquillity within these walls. He looked back to the man and spoke in a small voice.

“Thank you for inviting me here, Mr Pratt.” He paused, scanning the faces around them, aware that he had to be more careful with his words than he usually was. “So this is The Sanctuary… I wonder about the ‘for whom’ and the ‘from what’.”

[Robert Pratt]

He didn't answer the question as to if he got there ok, so Robert let it pass as he presumed there had maybe been an incident or something he didn't want to talk about. Or he found the question so banal that it was beneath him to answer it. There were all sorts of people in the community, with all manner of peronalities and quirks, and Robert found it very interesting to meet them all and see who was which and why. It wasn't an important question, so he didn't give it a second thought as he wandered by the shop and then on by the door to the gym and salon, ignoring the corridor to the crafting room, ritual room, computer lab and swimming pool, around the stairs and to the door to his office. Opening the door, he let Myk walk in first and then followed in after him, closing the door behind them both. The noise of the table tennis competition someone had organised, had made it impossible for him to reply until he was behing the door.

"Please, call me Robert."

He smiled, looking around and gesturing to one of the sofas to offer Myk a seat.

"Can I get you anything to drink? Are you able to eat and drink 'normally', or just blood. I have some here that I could have heated or left cold if you prefer?"

He'd answer the questions after he'd done the whole hosting thing, so simply stood and smiled, waiting.

[Myk]

Instead of responding to Myk’s observations and thoughts, and carrying on a conversation as was generally anticipated in such a scenario, Robert Pratt proceeded into the building. Myk cocked his head to the side, his face a picture of confusion. Had he said something profanely stupid? He couldn’t really decipher the stink-bomb in his words as he ran them over again and again in his mind, but he was convinced that he’d done something wrong. It didn’t make sense that such a polite and generous man would just walk off from him for any other reason, sure the building was loud verging on rowdy, but it wasn’t impossible for them to get their voices across. When he’d managed to pull himself out of his thoughts and realised that Robert Pratt was almost entirely out of sight, Myk hurried after him.

Ordinarily he was lithe and quick on his toes, but with his mind being what it was – distracted and still very much over-thinking – he tended to be clumsy, missing such obvious obstacles as a Ping-Pong ball heading right for him. The small plastic sphere struck the side of his crown, ricocheting back into the room with a comical pop. Myk gave a low growl, pausing to rub the affected area, but his pride stung more than his actual head. He heard a few merry apologies, the kind that might add fuel to the fire if he were genuinely annoyed, but as it was, Myk just smirked, shrugged it off and continued on after his fellow Vampire.

He followed Robert Pratt past a few doors, around some stairs and then finally to a room which looked fairly innocuous. The world had been a genuine blur in his mind, his focus solely on the man he was trying desperately to catch up to. He’d just managed to close the gap between them when Robert Pratt had come to a stop, so he stopped too, holding himself still and tense so that it appeared like he’d been right behind him all along. When Robert Pratt opened the door, revealing the room for what it was, Myk stepped gingerly inside. It was then, when the door was closed behind them, that Myk finally heard the man speak – though he didn’t bother to pick up on where they’d left off. It appeared that Mr Pratt preferred to be known simply by his first name and while Myk was a little perturbed by the sentiment, he figured he would concede. He also sat on the sofa as directed, albeit uncomfortably, and ran his hands along the tops of his thighs as Robert asked about his drinking preferences.

“I’m fine, thank you. You don’t have to go to such trouble.”

He felt the questions were a little intrusive and such unease was reflected in his voice. Myk hadn’t meant to behave so oddly, so timidly, but he couldn’t really help himself; he was trying too hard to be good. After a little while, Myk bowed his head, letting his pewter eyes sink into the dark fabric of his trousers. He crossed one leg over the other and laid his hands to rest, fingers laced together atop his knees. He looked back into those sympathetic brown eyes with a bit more confidence and smiled provocatively.

“Please take a seat with me. You’ll make me feel just awful if you don’t.”

[Robert Pratt]

Robert had indeed been completely unaware that Myk hadn't been with him, let alone that he'd been smacked by a ping pong ball. However once they got into the room, the man was a little.... odd. The politeness had a forced quality to it and it just didn't ring true in Robert's ears. However, this wasn't a meeting that Robert had requested, and Myk wasn't being forced to be here - so there had to be a reason of some sort. Something the man wanted to get off his chest. So with a nod and a smile, he sat himself down in the chair opposite and rested one ankle on the other knee, leaning back and looking the quiet man over.

"So, you wanted to know for whom and from what. Does there have to be something specific that has been itemised and quantified by me? Who am I to say what it is people need a break from? Everyone has their own problems, and what might be a huge problem for one person, is nothing to another. It's all about personal experiences and how far your boundaries have been pushed. You see?"

His hand reached up and rubbed through the hair he had left before he continued.

"So for whom - anyone and everyone, so long as they come here peacefully and leave the violence at the door. From what - anything they wish a break from. Even if it's just a couple of hours, all the way up to years. And for the record, there's not much that's too much trouble. So never worry about asking me for anything you might need."

He offered Myk a winning smile, giving a little nod of his head at the same time.

"So, how can I help?"

[Myk]

The smile in his pale lips softened when Robert took a seat in the opposite chair and began to answer Myk’s earlier question concerning The Sanctuary. Robert talked at length, but Myk only sat back, smiling as he listened. Of course it might seem that Robert talked to such an extent because he liked the sound of his own voice, enjoyed bragging about his extensive knowledge, but it really did depend on the perspective of the listener. If, perhaps, their minds were not as broad as they should be, perhaps if they had a negative opinion of this man, they might think that. On the other hand, the opposite affect was just as likely. Myk felt that the reason Robert talked at such lengths was because the question required a broad answer, an answer that would cover all the bases. Maybe Robert had been a victim to misunderstanding in the past and he didn’t want to repeat those mistakes. Myk could sympathise with the logic.

When Robert had covered all the bases, he seemed to relax a little; he smiled and directed a question to Myk:

"So, how can I help?"

Ah, another broad question. Myk shrugged his shoulders in a demure fashion.

“Well, I was hoping… Or should I say, I just wanted to reach out to you because—” he exhaled irritably “—Well, I just wanted to meet you, really. That’s all…”

He averted his gaze then, partly because he was embarrassed and partly because he was afraid. Oh how he wished he could be cool and collected – as other Vampires were. They were all so perfect, they never made mistakes, never slipped up. They said the right things at the right moments as though such words were gifted to them by other-worldly beings. They were puppets of success and him, well, his puppeteer must have been doing this **** for the giggles or they very urgently needed to seek help and/or medication. Myk sighed dully to himself with the thought of being cursed and how his ineptitude might have stirred some frustrations in Robert. He hoped it would be pity rather than frustration because he could live with pity. In fact, he could weave it into sympathy and eventually knit together some kind of a relationship. There wasn’t much he could do with frustration; little beauty came from hate.

“Oh what you must think of me…” Myk spoke with his eyes still very much astray from the other man. “A strange man come wandering, fool-hardy and clumsy and air-headed, into your life. I really didn’t mean to make such a poor impression.”

[Robert Pratt]

The way Myk answered, and his body language said that he was lying. Or that was how Robert read it. It didn't seem like 'just wanting to meet him' was all there was to it - and that made Robert curious. He didn't feel in danger at all, not from this man before him at least, and he tried to think about why someone might want to meet him. He wasn't special or important in any way. The only special talent he had - if you could call it that - was dying. Then came the self-effacing comments and Robert just shook his head, still smiling slightly.

"Naw, don't be silly. You're not making a bad impression. But, why did you want to meet me? How did you hear about me. And I guess - what did you hear about me? I mean - there's a few opinions of me out there. So I'm intrigued to know which it was that made you want to seek me out."

[Myk]

Pewter eyes fell on the other Vampire at last, something in Robert’s tone had made Myk feel pandered to. It was a fatherly vibe that Robert gave off, that protective, kind and nurturing character which made one want to live up to their expectations. Myk was something of a sucker for that kind of treatment and didn’t realise he was blushing when he spoke.

“Well… I hear rumours mostly,” he said, unhooking his leg from over the other so that the rubber soles of his shoes met the floor with a soft squeak. “And it’s never good to rely on rumours. Still, can’t say I wasn’t… intrigued.”

Myk’s habit was to keep his cards close to his chest. He didn’t like to speak too much, despite being the sort whom spoke aloud so frequently. When it mattered and when he could help it, he’d keep quiet, remain vague and hope that nothing he did and nothing he said would cause too much controversy. Of course he realised how this behaviour made others suspicious of him, made them wonder if he was dangerous or not. Myk had the occasional malicious thought and did many malevolent things, but his motives were often harmless. Most of all, Myk was curious and it was the desire to unravel the mysteries of the world which kept him going. In this case, he wanted knowledge from this man. First, he wanted to establish whether or not the man would be of any use, however, which meant he had to get to know him better.

“I’ve… been watching you. Er, over the internet that is. It’s not like I hang out in the bushes… Doesn’t do well for the hair,” he said with a softened cackle. “But anyway, you seem… interesting. I wanted to know more about you, wanted to decide for myself whether those things I’ve heard and seen were things to be believed. It would be pointless to ask you to explain them directly, I think. I’m not sure we can trust each other at this moment in time. We are, after all, strangers.”

[Robert Pratt]

"I'm an open book Myk."

Robert said with a smile, watching the man curiously still.

"I have very few secrets, and the secrets I keep are kept in the protection of others. Not myself. I care very little about what should happen to me, so long as I am able to help or protect another, then I will sacrifice myself as many times as is needed to ensure the safety of others."

He changed his position as well, switching from sitting with both feet on the floor to raising one and resting it's ankle upon the opposite knee. He was obviously relaxed and at ease, trusting even. The only thing he was feeling at this moment was curiosity. About the man before him, his intentions, and what it was he'd heard before coming here.

"Would you share some of these rumours with me? It is after all, always amusing to hear what tales are being told. And you can ask me anything you like, anything you need me to explain - or wish me to explain - or simply want to know. I won't lie to you. Not when you have come seeking answers."

He chuckled softly, a rich tone that had been described before like a hug.

[Myk]

Myk relaxed to the sound of Robert’s laughter, his eyes becoming a little hazy. Without thinking too much about it, he took a section of his hair between the fingers of both hands at chest-level and began to stroke it, twirl it around his fingers and observe how the light of the room made the tiny filaments sparkle like platinum.

“You’re curious about these rumours then?” Myk raised an eyebrow at him. “Couldn’t possibly fathom why…”

Of course, he didn’t really mean that and his sarcastic tone suggested this perfectly. Myk could think of many reasons for why someone would be curious about rumours circling around them. For this man in particular, Myk figured it was probably because of this whole sanctuary get-up. If he was there to protect people, he needed a bullet-proof reputation which would inspire the confidence and trust that was necessary. He also needed to avoid painting a target on his back, but Robert’s actions over the Crownet – those things that Myk had seen done in this man’s name, at least – they seemed to do the opposite. Robert appeared to be a man of justice, intelligence, honour and the like, but his need to speak out and defend his ground made him vulnerable. Myk wondered just how many times this one had been to the Dark Place and how it had affected him, but he wouldn’t be able to tell such things without asking directly and this was neither the time or the place to ask. For the meantime then, Myk made do with finally answering the man’s query.

“To be frank, I heard you were anti-Masquerade – anti-Vampire in fact.” He released the strand of hair and put his hands in his lap, his eyes set on Robert’s. “You protect Humans, give them shelter, share our identities with those who hunt us and generally think we’re a bunch of monsters.”

[Robert Pratt]

Robert watched the man as he seemed to play with his hair absentmindedly. The man's hair was in pretty good shape from the little Robert knew about hair. Because surely he would have to bleach and dye it regularly to get it that white colour - which should ruin it. He was really calling upon the snippets of conversation he'd heard over coffee when the hairdressers were in doing their thing for the residents. He chuckled softly as Myk asked if he was curious about the rumours, canting his head as he waited. However when Myk shared the 'rumours' he'd heard, Robert all out guffawed heartily.

"Those aren't rumours Myk. Those are true."

He leant back in his seat and finally finished chuckling as he relaxed.

"You just have to look at the community and their actions to see how right I am in my opinions. The community on the whole are a mess and totally out of control. They've given in to the Darkness and have lost their humanity, turning instead to the more animalistic side of their nature which always ends in violence. I would end the whole race if I could - to keep humans and the good safe. I make no secret of that. Ever."

He grinned, watching Myk carefully to see how he would take that revelation and waited for the violence to show itself in the man as he fully expected to be attacked.