Re: Here with you

vr mei 18, 2018 11:15 am

We're standing face-to-face

with our own human race

We commit the sins again and our sons and daughters pay. Our tainted history is playing on repeat, but we could change it if we stand up strong and take the lead

Lexa stood still when his hand touched her cheeks and showed a faint smile when he had spoken his words. “It’s not just that,” she stated. “It’s as if…” She put her hand on his, thinking her words through for a second. “As if I am only allowed to care for my people once I put it on.” And he made that quite impossible for her. She left her village behind without a second thought, abandoning her duties for a day. Giving herself a day off, just because she had been enlightened with his presence. Another reason Arawn would have her head.

Mort explained to her how his brother had physically surpassed his age, which made her smile. “It must be strange. Watching him grow old while you stay the same,” she noted. It seemed like a strange occurrence. Would he turn his brother? Or was he doomed to outlive the person he cared for so much, doomed to watch him die of the same thing he was never going to experience? Watch his body give up before his mind did? It was a saddening sight and for a vampire, it must be worse. “Though I do guess that being forever young has its perks.”

NOTES, none
TAGS, precious vampire ~

FL*

vr mei 18, 2018 1:01 pm

FELT LIKE A SECRET

collecting all your different pieces

It was hard to see her struggle like that. Especially because he didn’t know how he could help. He had no idea what she was thinking, even though she shared her thoughts with him. She must have a thousand reasons to have them, reasons Mort could only guess. Probably related to her past. He could try to help her as much as he wanted, but dealing with that, she would have to do on her own. Her words had made him quiet. He had no clever reply to this. ”It’s hard to imagine how you feel”, He therefore admitted honestly. There was no use in pretending he could understand.

Sharing the news that he had found his brother, was also one of the reasons he wanted to come see her. It wasn’t something to casually mention in a letter. He slowly nodded at her observation. ”It is. I try not to think about it too much”, He shrugged. He had seen many people pass over the years. Not due to old age, but because of Edmund and what he was. People he had bonded with. But he loved none of them as much as he loved Kaspian. So that would be.. No. Her next question distracted him right on time. ”It sure has. With all the enhanced stuff from being a vampire, it’s nice to have a body that can keep up with that”, He said. ”And I’m forever this handsome”, He then chuckled. Honestly he couldn’t care less. But he was curious how she would react to that.

vr mei 18, 2018 1:34 pm

We're standing face-to-face

with our own human race

We commit the sins again and our sons and daughters pay. Our tainted history is playing on repeat, but we could change it if we stand up strong and take the lead

She realised it was a dumb way of thinking. A painted mask should not have any effect on how she felt. Yet, when she woke up, it was as if she turned into a different person once it was put on. She shrugged her personal problems off her shoulders and forgot about her doubts, her feelings. All that mattered was her people, the people she would fight and die for if need be. Standing here with her mask was weird, as it made her realise it was not the mask that gave her confidence. What was it, then?

Mort said that he was glad his body could keep up with the enhanced stuff, whatever the hell that might have meant. She wanted to respond, until he told her his next words. ‘And I’m forever this handsome.’ She looked up at him, her lips making a straight line, before she sighed. She took her nose between thumb and index finger. “I am unsure whether I consider that a blessing or a curse,” she told him, making an effort to sound dramatic, before a slight smile appeared on her face. He was not wrong, after all. He was a sight for sore eyes and the thought that this was something that would never change, was almost terrifying. “I met another vampire,” she told him. “With your speed and strength… It could make the ultimate warrior,” she murmured, shaking her head. She could only imagine her best fighters having those capabilities. Her army would be feared more than it already was.

NOTES, none
TAGS, precious vampire ~

FL*

vr mei 18, 2018 1:51 pm

FELT LIKE A SECRET

collecting all your different pieces

The young vampire was completely unaware of the fact that his presence caused her to have an existential crisis. He could not get in her head, or imagine what she was going through. And that he was the one who made her feel like this. If he had known, he would have probably stayed out of her life after that one night. It would take a lot of self-control to do so, especially when she was only a few days away when it came to vampire-travel. If it was necessary though, he would push himself to leave her alone. She still had her duties, to her people. He didn’t want to be a distraction.

The fact that their conversation flowed so easily, could have made him realise that. But he was still oblivious. ”We are designed to be the perfect predators. Being handsome is one of those traits. It’s easier to..”, He took a short break, looking for the correct words. ”To seduce prey. It makes the hunt more smooth”, He continued. ”So it’s a part of the curse”, He nodded. Her following words forced him to think about even less pretty things. ”I don’t know if that would work though. It’s hard to stay focused once blood starts flowing. I’ve never been on a battlefield, but..”, He shrugged lightly. He could paint himself a picture, and he didn’t want to say it out loud. ”My sire trained me to be the ultimate runaway. Dodge and flee”, He chuckled. Hopefully he wouldn’t have to use those skills too often. He preferred to stay out of trouble all together.

vr mei 18, 2018 2:01 pm

We're standing face-to-face

with our own human race

We commit the sins again and our sons and daughters pay. Our tainted history is playing on repeat, but we could change it if we stand up strong and take the lead

It was part of the curse. The commander rolled her eyes, though the amused smile stayed on her lips. “Oh no, you poor, poor thing. Forced to live in a good body. Forced to make a girl melt as you look at her,” she spoke, sounding as dramatic as she could. She put her hand on her chest to give some more power to her words. No. That was probably one of the parts most vampires seemed to adore. The… aura around them. It was alluring. Interesting. She could see how this would help them seduce their prey. Was that why she was sitting here next to him? Was it just the curse, his damned aura? How sad that would be.

Mort shared the problem that would exist with turning all her most fierce warriors. Fair. “Not even the biggest issue, sadly,” she sighed. “I am quite certain that vampires exist against our Mother’s will. Something about how death should be permanent, how we should not be capable of fleeing its embrace.” The Mother chose when you died. You just had to accept it. There was no other way. “I can safely assume that you have never wielded a weapon?” she decided to ask. It was a strange idea. How they had lived their lives without needing to protect them in the ways that her people had to.

NOTES, none
TAGS, precious vampire ~

FL*

vr mei 18, 2018 2:19 pm

FELT LIKE A SECRET

collecting all your different pieces

His words were clearly amusing to her. Her reply was supposed to be a joke, or so he hoped. Still he couldn’t help but feel hurt by them. Either way, he was indeed forced to live like this. It wasn’t all fun and games. Especially in the first year he had felt horrible enough to consider killing himself for good. Even after going through the whole transformation, which hadn’t been pleasant either. More often than not he had been asking himself the question. Was it worth it? True, he now had looks that were a bit enhanced by his supernatural condition. In return, he had to drink human blood to function and outlive everyone he loved. Now he was the one with a crisis, great. To avoid getting caught up in it, he decided not to reply to her words. Only a forced little smile and a nod.

The discussion about having vampire warriors, wasn’t as light-hearted either, but it was slightly better. Yet again, he was confronted with the fact that his mere existence was a disgrace. As if he would spit in the face of the Gods. ”We can still die permanently. It just takes some more effort”, He said, in his defence. Why did he feel like he had to answer for his condition? ”No, I have not. But I don’t need one either. I don’t block attacks. I dodge them”, He replied. ”Not a single blade has marked my skin after I’ve been turned”, He continued. ”Though that can be due to the fact I just don’t get myself into fights”, He then chuckled, shaking his head softly. Couldn’t get hurt if there was no one to hurt you, right?

vr mei 18, 2018 3:55 pm

We're standing face-to-face

with our own human race

We commit the sins again and our sons and daughters pay. Our tainted history is playing on repeat, but we could change it if we stand up strong and take the lead

A brow was raised as the Commander noticed the forced smile. There it was. He did not seem to think it was all good. She wondered if he struggled with it, still. Was it still too sensitive? Had she made a mistake joking about it? She put her hand on his lower arm, a smile on her face. “I am sorry,” she told him, squeezing his arm slightly. “I am just certain that your attractiveness has very little to do with… your condition.” A wink followed these words. She believed them to be real. He was a good man, yet one with a lot of charm. That was not part of being a predator.

“Care to see how you would do in a friendly fight?” The Commander raised a brow, pulling a sword and holding it in two hands. She had been raised with weapons, after all. She did not think that anyone who wielded a blade had to be violent, or had to need one to protect themselves. She often trained alone, just to let it all out. Just to get rid of some of her thoughts.

NOTES, none
TAGS, precious vampire ~

FL*

vr mei 18, 2018 4:14 pm

FELT LIKE A SECRET

collecting all your different pieces

Was he being too dramatic and overthinking a harmless joke too much? Probably. Could he stop himself from doing it? Nope. Sometimes he was just too sensitive. It was also almost impossible to hide it. Where he would be joking around and outgoing, he quickly shut down, failing to give a proper reaction to her words all together. It gave away that he was feeling different. And she noticed, of course. Her hand was placed on his arm, after which she apologised. ”It’s alright, you didn’t have the intention to hurt me”, He smiled weakly. As long a she could keep that in mind, he couldn’t be upset about it for too long. ”Smooth”, He chuckled after her next comment. There, all better.

“Care to see how you would do in a friendly fight?” She then proposed, pulling out one of her swords and offering it to him. He looked at her in doubt. ”You really want me to fight back?” He asked, not so sure if he wanted to do that. Carefully he picked up the sword, weighing it in his hand. He wouldn’t even know how to use it, and she suggested a friendly fight. What if he hurt her in the process, by accident? He wouldn’t be able to do it on purpose, that was for sure, but who knew what could happen when a weapon was held by someone who didn’t know how to handle it properly.

vr mei 18, 2018 4:29 pm

We're standing face-to-face

with our own human race

We commit the sins again and our sons and daughters pay. Our tainted history is playing on repeat, but we could change it if we stand up strong and take the lead

Mort took the sword and asked her if she truly wanted him to fight back. “Once you know how to properly hold it,” she told him, as she pulled a dagger from the belt around her upper leg. She took a few steps away from him and smiled. “I have taught many children how to wield a sword,” she spoke calmly. She had put many against her, had them practice as they swung a sword at her head. She had gotten hurt before as she had been too careful to not get them hurt, but at this point… a scar more or less would not matter much. She doubted that Mort would actually hurt her. He had been nothing but careful until now, but who knew. She might be underestimating him.

“So show me how you hold a sword,” the woman said, clearly amused. She knew that everyone held it wrong the first time, after all. A sword was worth nothing if you did not use it the way it was intended to be used.

NOTES, none
TAGS, precious vampire ~

FL*

vr mei 18, 2018 4:41 pm

FELT LIKE A SECRET

collecting all your different pieces

There was a huge difference between dodging attacks and actually answering with his own. Besides, he was kind of nervous about it too. A weapon was in his mind linked with pain and suffering. He didn’t want to be the one to inflict it on others. Simply holding it was already a scary thing. Blue eyes inspected the sharp blade. It was deadly, that was for sure. Not in his hands, perhaps, but surely in hers. She was sure of her case though. First he had to learn how to hold it. A simple start, but not a step that should be skipped.

Mort got up when she encouraged him to show her how he would hold a sword. She was clearly amused by all this. ”You’re just waiting for me to make a mistake, aren’t you?” He chuckled. That was alright. He wasn’t too proud to admit he had no idea how to do this. Standing in front of her, he lifted up the sword, gripping on to the hilt tightly while he bent his wrist upwards. It didn’t feel quite right, as he could feel tension in his hand when he did it like this. So he looked at her, anticipating a correction.

vr mei 18, 2018 4:49 pm

We're standing face-to-face

with our own human race

We commit the sins again and our sons and daughters pay. Our tainted history is playing on repeat, but we could change it if we stand up strong and take the lead

Everyone did the same thing. “It is not a stick. Don’t treat it like one,” she told the vampire, repeating the words she had spoken to Helios. She trusted Mort a lot more than she had trusted the other vampire, obviously. She knew that he was not here to cause harm to either her or the people she cared for. He had made his way here to spend some time with the Commander and she would show him the other side she had. She would show him what a Commander truly looked like. Dressed in black, warpaint on and a dagger in her hand. She felt… alive.

“You hold it between your thumb, your index- and middle finger. The others are not meant as support,” she explained. “Keep your wrist in line with your forearm. You need to feel the weight of the weapon in your shoulder, not in your lower arm,” she went on. An interested smile appeared on her face as she explained this to him. “Keep your leading foot slightly forward,” she then said, nodding towards his feet. It was a lot to take in and they usually did it wrong the first time. Though she might take it a bit easier with this vampire and not kick his leg to get it in the right position.

NOTES, none
TAGS, precious vampire ~

FL*

vr mei 18, 2018 5:05 pm

FELT LIKE A SECRET

collecting all your different pieces

Learning new facts or skills was one of his favourite things to do. Still, he was a bit conflicted about this. He had been a bit reluctant when Edmund had tried to train him in fighting as well, but the elder had eventually convinced him. And so did she. He would take this seriously. If he would ever use it outside this lesson, was another matter. For now he tried to be a good student and follow her instructions. It felt like she had said the exact same thing a thousand times before, but she still explained it patiently.

After her instructions, he readjusted his grip on the sword. He could still feel some tension, so he probably didn’t exactly right yet. But he hadn’t expected to get it right in one try. So with a small frown that gave away he was focussing, he tried again. He could feel the weight shifting, and only now noticed how the balance of the sword could actually work in his advantage. Lastly, he put his leading food forward a bit. This he could have known. Edmund had taught him a similar stance. ”Better?” He asked, looking back at her again. She seemed to be in her element, and he didn’t want to disappoint her.

vr mei 18, 2018 5:12 pm

We're standing face-to-face

with our own human race

We commit the sins again and our sons and daughters pay. Our tainted history is playing on repeat, but we could change it if we stand up strong and take the lead

She could see how he adjusted his stance as she spoke, how he carefully took in this new information. She knew the man was not a violent one, that he would probably avoid any kind of violence if he could. But still, everyone needed an outlet. Everyone had some built up anger, somewhere deep inside of them. Actually being able to get rid of this was a beautiful thing, the woman thought. Maybe the lack of an outlet was why foreigners always seemed to fight, mentally backstabbing each other at each opportunity they got.

“Decent,” the Commander decided to answer when Mort asked if it was better. “Now come at me. Remember that you are wielding a sword. Not a stick,” she reminded him again. “Both edges are your friends,” she then told him. Her blade was sharp: recently sharpened, even. Both sides were strong enough to cut open the fabric of her clothing and turn this day into a bloody mess. “Try not to cheat, though.” A grin appeared on her face. No vampire tricks here.

NOTES, none
TAGS, precious vampire ~

FL*

vr mei 18, 2018 5:28 pm

FELT LIKE A SECRET

collecting all your different pieces

Step one was over. Probably the easiest step. Because now she said he was ready to attack her. Again, the doubt was visible in his eyes. He knew she could surely defend herself so she wouldn’t get hurt. But what if. Both edges were his friends, she had said. He didn’t really feel the same way. He was kind of unsure how to feel about them. His whole life, he had tried not to hurt people when it wasn’t extremely necessary. He had hated himself more than any man could ever hate him when it had happened by accident as well. When he had lost control.

So he would try his hardest not to today. He wanted to make her happy though. Take her mind off of her worries, as he had done on their first ‘date’ (her words). If this was how she liked to spend her free time, then he would not refuse. She had joined him on duck-watching as well, so it was only fair. Mort slowly breathed in and out to push away his feelings. "Of course, no cheating", He managed to say with a genuine smile. He lifted the sword and stepped closer, feeling how his footwork was still quite decent even though training with Edmund seemed months ago. He aimed simply for her left upper arm, as he was holding the sword in his right. Just to get a feeling, a taste, of how it was to use a weapon against another person.

vr mei 18, 2018 5:42 pm

We're standing face-to-face

with our own human race

We commit the sins again and our sons and daughters pay. Our tainted history is playing on repeat, but we could change it if we stand up strong and take the lead

The doubt was visible in his eyes, something that interested her. It was strange to see it in someone’s eyes over something as simple as a sword. The only times she had seen doubt in the wielder of a blade, was when it was against a stronger opponent. Their eyes reflected their worries, already made it so that she could predict their next movement. It was a part of battle that most forgot. They thought being swift and strong was all of it. Anticipating the next move of your opponent, however, was perhaps the most important.

‘Of course,’ the vampire agreed. He lifted the sword and his eyes had already given away where he was going to aim the sword, which would have made it easy to step aside and avoid the blade. Instead, she pulled the second dagger from her leg and crossed them, blocking the sword and leading it to the side, taking a small step backwards as she lowered her arms again. “You’ve had practice before. Not a sword, though,” the woman noted, before she smiled again. “You won’t hurt me. Try again.” For a second she was quiet. “If you’re truly terrified of doing so, catch the blade with your third and fourth finger once it is supposed to hit,” she explained. It was commonly used when they had friendly fights. You held the blade with your other fingers while swinging, but stopped it with those two. Your elbow would reflexively lock, causing you to pull the blow and leaving the other unhurt. Luckily, the commander was quite confident in her skills and did not expect it to be needed.

NOTES, none
TAGS, precious vampire ~

FL*