Re: A return to life. (Open)

[Rodry Pol]

In Rodry's long life he had been called many things. One thing he had never been called however, was a coward. The old fellow had extensive experience with vampires, even more with other predators. Well aware of the fact that turning tail and leaving would only rouse that hunger in a proper predator. Prey was only fun when it ran, was it not? Courage or simply knowledge leaving the old fellow going against what most would consider their better judgement.

The cane was conspicuously absent, as were much of his clothes. With only that thin nightshirt and the thick bear-footed slippers, he looked the part of deranged looney, no doubt. His bearing however was the same, that upright, respectful solidarity that was so rare among most now a days.

"I am sure if you meant me harm, my being across the street would do little to stop you."

At least over there, he wouldn't have been quite so potently tempting. The production of that golden case had his eyes keenly studying it. Admiring the craft behind the ingenious little item. After having it presented, he carefully fished one of the cigarettes free of the clasp. Holding it a moment as if in deep thought before bringing it to his lips.

"That is a nice piece you've got there."

Indicating the cigarette case with a nod, tipping his head to the flame at her finger. Briefly puffing in order to cherry the tip, though once it had reddened, he pulled the cigarette from his lips. Slowly exhaling smoke from his nostrils while he mulled her words.

"As I said. If you meant harm my being near or far would hardly matter. Though, depending on who you ask, they are one in the same bravery and foolishness I mean. Those who are brave simply approach a problem with stoicism. Fools with ignorance."

Waxing poetic was the old man? Not even bothering to mention the guards. Personally he didn't particularly care for guards, because they rarely seemed to do much good with the truly big problems ... really drunks and petty theft were things that Rodry felt that the community could better deal with. Guards should have been upholding higher morals. Though perhaps that was just his experience and his own morals coloring his judgement.

He only smiled slightly at her assuring him of her own safety. He had mentioned it in an ironic manner. He didn't expect that she would be unable to defend herself if need be. The question was, was she safe from herself in ways other than physical damage? Jodi and Carolyn had talked of her losing her mind.

Rodry took another drag of smoke, humming approvingly at the old sensation that had been absent for so long. Though he almost sounded like his old self, coughing and hacking up smoke. Though it had not been from the irritation of the smoke on his once ravaged lungs. It was just complete and total surprise at her tone. Rodry could remember more than a few times in his life, when he had heard such a flattering compliment.

"Thank you, I suppose. If I had a copper piece every time I heard that from a vampire.. Though you seem in control enough..."

While Rodry was inclined magically, his ability to sense aura's, the fundamental good and evil of a creature or being at glance, was rubbish. The skill had simply never come to him during any of his studies. So while he could sense that Venis seemed ... strained, he didn't know of whatever it was that consumed her and drove her to murdering. Her admission of the deed left him raising one bushy brow. Looking almost surprised at her willingness to accept blame. Especially since she actually sounded almost consigned to the fact. As if it couldn't be helped.

"I am surprised. To say the least. You seemed perfectly level headed last time we spoke."

Well, maybe that had been a bit of an exaggeration. However she hadn't killed anyone or seemed so tense last time. Though her next words did much to explain it away, considering the fact that she had been well aware of what had transpired. At having a 'private' conversation brought up. The old fellow briefly tensed, before taking another pull from his cigarette. The warmth hanging low near the first joint of his index and middle finger drawing his attention to how much of it he had already smoked. After a final puff he tossed it aside, breathing out the smoke in a long, drawn out sigh.

"My distaste for your kind is nothing but the product of old prejiduce and bad experiences. I simply assume the worst until proven otherwise. Distrust and disapproval. Not pure hate."

There was hate there, but it was not a blind pure hate that was a blanket for all vampires. He had unfinished business with one, in particular. As for the problem with her being a murderess and possibly mentally unhinged, the old man did not address. For whatever reason, he seemed to not let those two issues weigh too heavily upon his mind.

"I've always been seen as a bit unusual."

Rodry was one who was most peculiar, those who had known him had seen much and learned much from the old fellow. A firm nod dipped his head close to his chest on the subject of Jodi and Carolyn being good girls.

"I know that they are. I could tell when I first bumped into them. They remind me of my daughter. Other than the whole, hitting on me bit. Again, you flatter me."

Offering a faint dip of his head. Rodry couldn't help but wonder how she could sound remorseful and strained one moment, then the next simply claim those mistakes with an almost flippant attitude. Deities. The old fellow offered a faint curl of his lips at the offer to answer his questions. While he had questions galore, the old fellow only really had one that he wanted answered sooner rather than later.

"If you are such a danger to others, why are you in New Haven at all?"

Rodry couldn't help that faintly accusatory tone. If she truly wasn't in control of herself, the last thing she should have been doing was lurking among people who could not protect themselves. His visage was set in stern disapproval. She was risking many lives and it was something that Rodry felt was more than just a little irresponsible. His shoulders squared faintly, as if he expected her to get hostile at his tone and the fact that he was scolding her.

While there were other things he wanted to know, it could wait until he had a satisfactory answer to his first question!

[Venis Jordianthan]

When Rodry commented that his being across the street wouldn't deter her from getting him if she had meant him harm, Venis' only reply was to arch her eyebrows and blink slowly with a slight tilt of her head. It was a gesture that was commonly used to indicate that someone was correct in their presumption.

As to his comment about her cigarette case she gave a soft smile and replied. "Thank you. This particular one was a gift from an ex-boyfriend. You should go out to the Keep and play in my vault some time. You would find many a treasure in there." And she imagined that he would fancy a good number of them. Some she might even be willing to part with.

The corners of Venis' lips curled up as she heard him 'waxing poetic'. "Ignorance is bliss. Hence the stoicism of the brave. Their ignorance to their being fools is what allows them to be brave." She
gave a soft chuckle. "And I have not meant anyone harm in many years." She had emphasized the word meant because it was the truth in quite a literal way.

A grin to his joke in regards to his having a copper piece for every time a vampire told him that he smelled good. Then Venis chose to whisper a slight comment to the rest of his remark. "A facade, I assure you. Things are not always as they seem." Her comment indicating that she might appear to be in control, at the moment. But the key word in that thought would be appear.

A smile was given for his compliment. "Thank you. When last we spoke, I was completely level headed. Level in every way in fact. Unfortunately, my own anger has tipped the scales since then." She was speaking of that added darkness again. Rodry might not be able to feel it, or smell it, or sense it, but it was there. And at that current moment, it was screaming at her in her head. He might notice the slight bunching of her brow from the headache that she was getting from said fight.

She gave a slight not despite the pounding in her head. "I understand distrust and disapproval. And I am happy to hear that you don't have a blanketed hate for us all." Though, she was sure that if this conversation went badly, he would have another bad experience to add to his list, provided he survived the encounter. Venis would much rather prove otherwise than to prove the worst.

She gave another soft chuckle when Rodry spoke of being seen as a bit unusual. "Haven't we all by someone at some point?" Yes, even Venis had been seen as rather unusual by others. After all, given who and what she was, could there be anyone who is more unusual? So Venis understood completely.

Venis' compliment had been meant, so when he thanked her for it, she smiled and nodded her head once. "Be forewarned, Jodi will attempt her advances again. It is her way. I have come across her many a time, not directly of course, and she has always had an affinity for men of more maturity
and wisdom." Though, to Jodi's friends, they simply would call her a grave robber. Jokingly of course, though it was meant to pick on her for dating older men.

Of all the questions ... Venis had no intention to lie to Rodry. So she thought carefully of how to answer his question as honestly as possible without him thinking she needed to be committed to a mental institution. "To put it plainly, I am not in control of where my portals take me at the moment. I am finding that I must pick my battles, and the destination of my portals did not seem important enough to waste energy on when I needed the energy for other things." Like trying to avoid killing people. But the darkness was not happy with the blood of animals. It wanted human blood, and lots of it.

And to make things worse, Venis had bargained for the life of another. She now had to keep up with her end of the bargain. And the cost was rather high. She had barely made a dent in her quota. It was proving to me more morally challenging than she had previously anticipated. She only hoped that she could bring herself to fill her quota. Because if she couldn’t, the consequences would be dire.

[Rodry Pol]

While Rodry might have been an old fart, he was neither stupid or ignorant of certain fundamental facts. Even if he had been in his prime, it would be awful hard for him to escape beyond a gods reach. The old fellow wouldn't kid himself about the likely hood of his getting away from Venis without a fight right now.

"Looks to be of fine quality. While I appreciate the offer, I believe I would have to consider long about that. While I would find it a rather ... interesting experience ... I tend to find looking through other peoples collected belongings a chore."

Mainly in self control. While Rodry Pol was the honorable sort, at least in his own opinion, he did have more than a little issue when it came to coveting other peoples valuables. Though, the thought had reminded him why he had come to the Inn in the first place. To be among people and friends, not to wallow among material possessions. Had he wished to do that he would have just remained home, rather than traveling across the face of Rhy'Din in order to reach New Haven!

The old fellow would have suspected her of slipping a jab in there, had he not expected better of her. After all, he had 'bravely' come up to her. Rodry certainly didn't believe himself a fool, but that was the eternal crux of the issue. A fool rarely realized that they were the fool in their story.

Bush brows only lowered pointedly shadowing his eyes with their iron gray crouch. Not meaning someone harm while causing harm seemed a little redundant. Especially considering Rodry himself had to exhibit a considerable amount of self-control much of the time!

"Facade or not. I would think that you would do whatever you could manage to ensure the safety of those around you or at least those who worship or know you."

Gesturing towards the apartment building he had just ducked out of, then towards the still distant inn respectively. She was supposedly a goddess of protection, seemed more than a little counter intuitive for her to be murdering people in her free time. While on one hand, he understood her need as a vampire, there was that part of him that still distrusted them. Held distaste for any who fed on another like that with so much waste...

"Have you maybe tried counting backwards from ten?"

If simple anger was the cause of all this trouble, of her killing innocents and warning him that getting near might not be wise, then it would be the logical course of action to try and dispel or dissipate such anger! The old fellows acute sense of body language did indeed belie her almost casual air. Leaving his lips tightening in a grim line, leaving them paling faintly.

The old fellow however made no other outward sign of acknowledging her struggle, since if she was fighting whatever it was, that at least meant there was still part of her that was still 'human' or at least humane. Rodry's bright sapphire eyes studied Venis as she acknowledged his outlook. It was just unfortunate, considering the fact that he had also had many good friends who were among the vampiric hierarchy, he just had gradually been burned by the parasitic humanoids. There was more than a small amount of blame upon those beings for his current plight, the unnatural illness that had robbed the once proud man of his full strength and might.

"If one simply hates for the act of hating, what goodness can they expect to come from resultant actions?"

Carrying hate in his heart, simply to hate all vampires regardless of their personal responsibilities, Rodry would have been the greater monster.

A faint tip of his head, acknowledging her point. Yes, all could be considered odd to one person or another. The old fellow was just used to being thought of as peculiar from those that considered themselves normal.

"Oh and here I thought I was special."

Despite the negative connotation, there was a faintly amused smirk upon his lips. Rodry Pol wasn't a cradle robber and had never been the victim of a Grave Robber either. While it would likely be a fun experience, she had the unfortunate luck to have come upon Rodry after he had withdrawn from such masochistic liaisons.

"I am sure that I can handle Jodi if it came down to it. I'm a little more sturdy than I look."

Maybe not the best word choice if the old fellow was trying to make his intention to leave the girl wanting clear, but perhaps Venis would pick up that Rodry wasn't exactly the type to 'hit and run'.

Of course Rodry would ask the one question she hadn't volunteered an answer to, as she had about those lycanthropic males that had been murdered in the Earthen Realm or the why behind the murders. He was willing to overlook all of those infractions against what he thought was heinous. Instead, going for the one question he had felt could not wait for the end of their conversation.

He had the audacity to laugh at her when she spoke of having trouble with controlling her magic, her portals. The old fellow could relate. Probably a hell of a lot better than the deranged Goddess would think or expect. The question that could not be asked of course, was what this darkness wanted with all of this human blood and how hard of a rule the idea of human blood was. After all, there were dozens of races in Rhy'din that looked human yet were not human at all.

"You know that despite your likely dependance upon them, that portals are not the only way one can travel... it is good to actually let your body take the responsibility of taking you from place to place at times."

Rodry offered his hand, as if to help her down from the green utility box she had been sitting upon. To one whose vision could see as well in dark as in light, the odd almost scar-like markings upon his flesh were clear. The skin was reddened, almost as if the old fellow had suffered severe burns in his youth. Though it would likely bring to mind the fact that Rodry had been wearing gloves the last time they had spoken. Despite being in the toasty warm bar of the Inn.

"There are ways to work through ones anger. If you do not release it, it will only fester in your breast like a poison and leave it coloring your everyday actions. A walk would certainly help and from your words, it makes me think that you haven't given yourself to chance to just see where your feet will take you in some time."

His head dipped faintly, the loose strands of hair tickling across his cheekbones with the motion, obscuring his eyes partially as they raised back up to her own.

"However, I would suggest taking those off, unless you want to risk breaking your neck on the cobbles."

Of course he was referencing the six inch stiletto's she was wearing.

[Venis Jordianthan]

"That's too bad, I'm always looking to liquidate." Venis' quick response to Rodry saying that he found the task of going through the collected belongings of other to be a chore. "I am constantly getting gifts from others, beings that I've never met. Most that give the gifts think that if they offer me a gift, I will be pleased and they will have my protection. My protection doesn't come with a price tag, but some are set in their ways and continue with the gifts none the less." And it always bothered her, even in her current state.

Ice blues followed his hand as he gestured towards the apartments and then the Inn. Before she could answer, he added to his comment. And what was added made her chuckle. "Oh how I wish it were as simple as counting to ten." After all, it wasn't her anger of the moment that was driving her mad. It was the effect of what she had done out of anger some time back. And her laughter only served to anger the darkness that was already driving her mad. It did not want her happy, it wanted her feeding, sedating it's hunger.

He had a good point about the hating just for the sake of hating. Her response was a slight nod with a slow blink. When he had commented about being special because people found him odd, Venis laughed again. And this time the darkness was so angry that it caused her pain. She winced again as she brought a hand to her head. As soon as she realized she had done it, she removed her hand from her head and placed it back under her leg. She left her eyes closed for a second more before opening them and smiling at Rodry. "Of course you're special." Her smile widened into a grin and she left off the fact that everyone was special.

Her smile widened when he said she could handle Jodi. "Oh you are huh?" Since he had mentioned being a little more sturdy than he looked. She could just picture him with his hand on her head while she tried to run at him and was sliding backwards rather than making forward progress. In this mental image, he was yawning and looking at the nails on his other hand thinking he needed to clean out from under them. All the while, he never budged no matter how hard she pushed her head against his hand trying to get to him. For a moment, she thought of sharing this mental image with him, but not everyone is open to receiving images that way. But she couldn't resist the urge to giggle about it.

The giggle cost her. Another headache, this one sharper and more focused. She managed to avoid putting her hand on her head, but a blood tear ran down her cheek from one of her eyes as she squinted tightly. These involuntary reactions to the pain were getting very annoying. Not to mention, harder to hide from Rodry. And now, on top of everything else, the voices were screaming for food again. The rat blood was not making them happy. In fact, it was pissing them off too.

She heard him, despite the voices, and shook her head as she wiped at that tear. "If I use other means of transportation, other can catch up to me. I am trying to stay away from those who could get hurt by my present state. Which sounds rather odd even to me. I mean, after all, I am hurting others. I guess I'm just trying to avoid sinking fang into my loved ones, or hurting them in some other way." She had even confused herself with that. But that was how it was. "I'm trying to stay away from those who are strong enough to stop me. My son, my husband, my lover, my best friend. I don't want to go to battle with them when they try to stop me. I don't want them to fail."

A look was given to his hand when it was offered. He was a fool after all. She fought the urge to chuckle at her thought. But she did lean back away from the hand. "No offense, but I don't think going for a walk would be a good idea. Obviously, you trust me more than I trust myself." She was so worried about hurting him that she didn't register that he wore gloves the last she had seen him. But she did see the scars and she focused on them. They interested her. So much in fact that she almost didn't hear his last remark. Which made her bust out laughing.

As soon as the laughter ensued, so did the pain. It suddenly felt like her head was in some sort of vise. Both hands shot up to hold her head and she cringed as she cried out. Her nose began to bleed and crimson tears fell from her tightly shut eyes. She growled and swung her fist towards the brick wall of the building beside her. Her fist went through the brink making a nice little hole. She shook her head and then reached into the bag behind her. Nothing more wonderful than a bag of holding. She pulled out some moist wipes and wiped her nose and cheeks to rid her face of the blood.

When she was sure she had it all she looked at Rodry. "Sorry, the comment about breaking my neck was funny to me. I've walked some great distances in my life, and almost always in heels like these. I am not a fan of flat shoes." She sniffled a little to clear her nose of the residual blood. But it was a quiet sound, nothing like when a person tried to suck a bunch of snot further into their nose. "I could run in these if I had to. Though, the heel could break with the repeated severe impact." She smiled again, but did not laugh. She had learned her lesson with that last attack. No more laughing.

"There's something that you have to understand about my situation. It's not that I'm angry at the moment, even though I am angry about the headaches. I was trapped in my Keep not too long ago. I got angry with the situation." She almost couldn't believe that she was telling him this. "I cast a spell Rodry. A very bad one, with very selfish intent. The result was a darkness taking up residence within me. In the place that would have normally been occupied by my soul, if I had one. With that darkness came voices and urges and ..." She sighed. "And I'm spiraling out of control. Even I can only take so much pain. And the darkness is giving me one hell of a dose of pain whenever it's upset with my choices."

She ran her palms over her legs for a moment. "But I'll tell you what." She placed her hand in his and made sure it was secured there before she hopped down off the box. "I will take you up on your offer of a walk. After all, you said yourself that you are more sturdy than you appear. And you obviously have trust in that I will not harm you. A walk could do me some good, perhaps distract the voices from what they want." Or maybe trick them into thinking that she was going to go find them something. But she didn't dare entertain the thought that it would be trickery. His hand was released as she grabbed her bag off the box and threw it over her shoulder. "Lead the way." She presumed that he would be accompanying her on this walk.

[Sponsored content]