Night Walker War

[psychotic__Gal]

”I think you will be well after your rest.” Daphne agreed softly to Sephiroth, ”You may stay wherever you feel most comfortable.” She added, slipping off the bed to grab her jacket. While her outfit wasn’t the most formal thing she could have put on, it wasn’t casual either. She felt it was appropriate for the occasion. If she were meeting Cian’s sire that would have been different. But then, Cian’s sire was her relation. Without her, Daphne’s vampiric life would have never began. She would have died from smoke inhalation in the 17th century.

Once the three vampires began walking, Daphne asked about the taste of fear. ”So it’s similar to adrenaline?” Daphne heard Cian ask.
”I don’t think that’s right, love,” She responded, without waiting for Veni’s reply, ”I think this is something completely different.” She couldn’t quite explain why she felt like Veni was trying to explain something different than adrenaline…it was just a feeling. A feeling she hoped was correct.

In her early days Daphne had loved the taste of adrenaline. She had known no difference. She could remember the approximate time period when the taste had changed…it had been the late 1800s. This time period when in the west things were well and safe. It was then that she had lulled a human into feeling peaceful and content…none of those revolutions were getting in the way…the western wars had not begun. She had noticed the difference, as slight as it was. She had found that the constant taste in the blood was not the blood itself. It was a hormone. Adrenaline. Sure, she would give in to the chase every once in awhile but what predator could escape it?
 

[psychotic__Gal]

Cian nodded after what Daphne was saying about where Sephiroth should sleep. He was really okay with any of it...Mid-nod he paused. A thought had occured to him. The only chance he and Daphne had of surviving an attack from Veni's maker was Sephiroth. They probably couldn't beat the older vampire so they would have to run. He definitely cared where Sephiroth stayed. But he couldn't let Daphne or Veni hear him ask Sephiroth to stay.

They made their way out into the hall when Cian made a quiet excuse to go back to their room, "Oh, I forgot one thing..." He said to Veni and Daphne. He walked back into the room, shutting the door softly behind him. "I think...it might make me feel more at ease if you stay." He said softly to Sephiroth, "Strategically thinking, we couldn't count on Veni's help if his sire were to attack us...but we might be able to count on yours. Do you think you would be able?" He asked this with humility but also with frankness.

When Cian returned to the two others, Veni was talking about the taste of fear. Cian listened carefully to the explanation. Perhaps Veni was just trying to explain the presence of adrenaline…. ”So it’s similar to adrenaline?” Cian asked. He was genuinely curious if he was in the right ballpark of an answer. He was slightly surprised when his mate answered him. As far as he knew, she couldn’t taste fear. And yet…what she said may have made sense when he considered the power of Veni’s family. He shrugged but they were near the entrance of where they would be meeting the Roman’s sire. He looked up, noticing the shadow for the first time. He was perturbed but not really frightened… His wife hadn’t noticed it but that was to be expected. ”I think I may follow up on this discussion later.” He commented quietly.  

[psychotic__Gal]

Daphne watched the exchange between Ma and Nefretiri with rapt attention—would she be expected to act similarly to her own grandmother? She studied the interaction as a social scientist might with a focus group—sensing the subtle cues and slight differences in vocal tenses and meanings. Nefretiri had not acknowledged them yet but Daphne was not naive enough to assume she hadn’t noticed them at all. The older vampire had probably even heard them coming the moment they left their room…Daphne did not had much experience with much older vampires (such as Nefretiri). As far as she knew, not many still existed in the world.

Ma handed the older vampire a bag of sweets from Limbo. Daphne could almost taste the treats out of memory and smell. Out of the corner of her eye, Daphne noticed Cian’s posture—straight and stiff. She glanced over at him; his eyes never left Veni’s sire. He was more focused, his eyes catching every movement.

Finally, Ma excused himself. He greeted Veni with a bow and a quiet word and Cian with a bow. He acknowledged Daphne with only a glance. She knew better than to feel offended, however—it was only a cultural difference. She understood. As Ma left the room, Veni introduced Daphne and Cian to Nefretiri. Cian bowed his head slightly in respect and Daphne’s body went down in a small, awkward curtsy. Nefretiri offered them a candy and while Daphne’s mate declined…Daphne’s attention was once again drawn to the burn on her arm. She was at war within herself. She knew she shouldn’t bring it up but then…she wasn’t always known for her restraint. She cleared her throat. ”Excuse me…but that burn…I wonder, would you like me to heal it?” She felt her husband’s quick glance on her. If she had been human she knew her face would be flush with a red blush. Once again, she was glad she wasn’t.
 

[psychotic__Gal]

Cian studied Nefretiri’s movements with care and precision. She may have promised xenia but Cian would not be caught off guard. He did not mean to be rude or unappreciative, it was simply done out of habits born out of a volatile and revolutionary history where caution kept one alive. He watched the exchange between vampires with even more attention than his mate. He knew he wouldn’t stand a chance against Nefretiri if he wasn’t prepared, and even then…Chances were bleak. He would have to trust in her promise.

As Ma left, the Chinese vampire bowed slightly to him. Cian nodded his head in response. Next, Veni introduced Cian and Daphne to his maker. Out of respect for the leader of the household, Cian bowed slightly. He heard movement to his left and was relieved to see Daphne sink into a small, if awkward curtsy. Her outfit wasn’t ideal for one. Internally, Cian smiled. Externally, his expression never gave way to emotion.

”Candy?” Nefretiri offered, her arm positioned in such a way that Cian could see her burn even more clearly. ”No, but thank you.” Cian responded politely. His wife didn’t respond. That’s odd… His eyes focused again on the burn. Would his wife share his caution?

”Excuse me…but that burn…I wonder, would you like me to heal it?” Before the last word left her lips, Cian was staring at her. He had his answer. She would notbe as cautious as he was. He acknowledged that he should have known this…When had she ever been cautious around their own kind? He turned his attention back toward the Egyptian vampire, awaiting her response. He heard footsteps behind them but with a sniff of the air, he determined it was Sephiroth. He wouldn’t turn just yet…He needed to wait until he was satisfied that the older vampire had not taken offense.  

[Rosemary Mori]

As the party of three approached Nefretiri, who was standing a couple paces away from her chair, caught a whiff of a faint, but familiar smell coming from one of the strangers. She was a little put down by the declining of her offer to share her gift by the one whom she realized his hands smelt of cinnamon, jasmine, and wild blackberries. He might have had these before and didn’t like them. Or maybe he was afraid to be within arm’s length of her. Yes this one was a little afraid. She did have a reputation of being suspicious of and not being the most welcoming to outsiders. Knowing of her own reputation she pondered on which potential sire would even allow them to be in the area unless they were independent and he was the top. It was possible. His daughter seemed less afraid. She couldn't quite place the scent at the moment and as she was thinking about it, the girl offered to heal her. What an unusual gift. The wound barely bothered her. Surely there was some sort of catch. Nefretiri stared at Daphne and her expression was one of considering it.

She glanced towards Veni who was next to Cian. Veni gave a slight nod. He wasn’t surprised. What would have surprised him is if she didn’t ask. He wanted to reassure his friend as he knew he’d be nervous in his spot so he assumed Cian was too. He briefly thought to use the shadow on the other’s back to make the sensation of a hand being there, but he wasn’t sure how the other would react to that so he didn’t.

Rosemary!

Yes? Rosemary was sitting out of sight behind Nefretiri’s chair and listening and oh man was that ‘Rosemary’ from Nefretiri so loud that it’s a wonder no one else could hear it. But of course they couldn’t. The others couldn’t hear thoughts like that unless she acted like an open channel.

As Veni was less likely to hear her thoughts even if she directed them at him, Nefretiri decided to secretly ask Rosemary about this strange offer of the girl’s. Nefretiri turned her gaze to the man who just entered. What do I make of her offer?

An innocent offer to heal you. There is no ulterior motive when she offers to heal someone.

She looked back at the girl. “I take it he is well thanks to you?” she said slowly in an eerie unearthly yet sultry voice. She put her palms up in front of her with the elbows resting at the side. “Proceed.”

As the girl put her hands above her arms she watched what she did, but kept the Greek in her peripheral vision. It was impressive she could do this twice so early in the night without eating, but maybe this was a source of food to her. (Looking back on what she did earlier) The girl’s hands glowed. Nefretiri’s eyes widened a little and then were back to normal. (You can describe how it feels as I don’t think we’ve gotten into that as most characters she has healed are either unconscious or too hurt to notice)

When the girl was done and about to pull away, one of Nefretiri’s hands shot up and grabbed the arm. She kept part of her vision on the man and even glanced at him. She turned the girl’s palm up and stared at it for a moment almost expecting part of the trick was a transfer of the wounds. But no, no transfer…this was a sort of healing magic…magic… she brought her other hand over the palm and placed the candy she had offered into it. She closed her eyes as she took a deep breath taking in the smell on the man’s hands…that was the same combination…..she opened her eyes. “Thank you, you are most kind.”

When Nefretiri grabbed Daphne’s arm Veni paid more attention to Cian’s subtle movements than he was already. He was watching him to make sure he didn’t do anything unusually hasty since it was his wife she just suddenly grabbed. He would put a reassuring arm on him or a wrist grip depending on what he sensed from Cian to try to bring him back to reason. Daphne was his main weakness. He knew this very well for his own wife was his main weakness. It hadn’t slipped past him that Cian protected her from certain things. He was fairly sure that it wasn’t a material item Cian forgot earlier, but a slight piece of mind and that piece of mind had entered the room soon after Daphne’s offer.

“I apologize for my rudeness,” she said as she closed the girl’s fingers around the candy, much like she had done with Ma Jianshen, and let go. She faced the man. “But how fares Priestess Eydís?” She had apologized for the rudeness of this question as she had asked this type of personal question sooner to a stranger than what was appropriate for one offering xenia.  

[psychotic__Gal]

Cian nodded his thanks to Sephiroth as he spoke. ”I understand needing time. You did just recover from an injury.” Cian allowed. Again, he nodded. This time he was agreeing. ”I would. I would never leave him without support facing my sire. I suppose I could trust him to do the same for me. I just learned to always air on the side of caution rather than to just assume people would be of the same mind as me.” He said, ”Where ever you feel most comfortable or most, forgive me for my word choice, useful. On the one hand, staying here would offer us security during the day. On the other, She is a vampire and vampires need to sleep during the day—if only for a short period of time. I’m sure you’ll know where to go. Please let me know when you decide so I can plan around that. Thank you.”His eyes, although bright and calculating, also held a certain amount of gratitude in them.  

[psychotic__Gal]

Daphne’s eyes were on Nefretiri after she asked if the other woman would like to be healed. She looked wary of the offer—considering the different elements of it. Daphne did not have to wonder why she would question it. In her place, Daphne would do the same. An almost intimate offer from a complete stranger was something to question. Nefretiri’s question startled her. Daphne glanced behind her, noticing Sephiroth. Her eyebrows knit in concern. He shouldn’t be out of bed yet. She thought. She wanted to tell him so but it probably was not the best time…

”I did.” She stated, matter-of-factly. She was trying not to feel uncomfortable by Nefretiri’s voice. There was a haunting quality to it. She couldn’t stop the small shudder rise up the lower portion of her spine with Nefretiri’s next response. ”Proceed.” Daphne did not let her own discomfort prevent her from approaching the vampire to heal her forever.

Daphne put her hands over Nefretiri’s arm, her eyes closing. It took a moment to get in tune with the vampire’s body…like a television station becoming clearer and clearer with the help of rabbit ears. Once she had the body’s rhythm down, her hands began to glow. She could picture each tissue, each cell. The angel’s fire was stubborn. It would stay in place. Perhaps for life, if Daphne did not act. The vampire’s body wanted to heal, however, much like Sephiroth’s. It was different, however, it was easier. Daphne had experienced this before. Vampires were easier for her to heal because they were easier to get her mind in tune with. She took a deep breath, almost soothing the angel’s fire with a soft, cool whisper. Veni’s sire would have felt warmth beneath her skin at first, before a feeling similar to goose flesh appearing on the skin (but there were none to be found), before a cooling sensation.

The cells knit themselves back together on Daphne’s soft command. They wanted to please her. They knew to trust her to make it right…But they also couldn’t stop it from occurring. The angel’s fire was more resistant…but it knew it didn’t belong. The burn started to recede. There may have been a light pain but it would have been brief and manageable. This wasn’t a severe wound. A tingling, some strain…then she was finished.

Daphne’s eyes opened. She smiled slightly, although she felt so suddenly tired. Her hand started to pull away but she felt a vice-like grip on her arm. Daphne didn’t look alarmed. The ebb and flow of Nefretiri’s body was still with her. She felt as though she would have sensed the violence (even if she might not have). Nefretiri turned her hand over so the palm was up. Daphne saw her glance at it. She knew what she was looking for. ”It’s not a trick. I promise. I will not develop an angel’s fire burn.” She said softly. Daphne felt a candy pressed into her hand. ”My pleasure.” She responded, ”Thank you for the candy. I love these.” With Nefretiri’s next phrase, Daphne could be sure she was not speaking to her, even as the older vampire closed her fingers around the candy.

Finally, Daphne was free to go. ”Thank you.” She said, her voice somewhat subdued. She gave a small bow and excused herself, making her way back toward her husband. Who was Priestess Eydís?
 

[psychotic__Gal]

Cian watched the exchange between Daphne and Nefretiri carefully. He didn’t like it…He was impatient for it to be over. He kept his arms at his side, hands open—trying to look relaxed in spite of the strained, tension of his muscles. When Nefretiri grabbed his mate’s wrist, Cian’s hands folded into a fist, his body almost catapulted forward. But, his mind caught up quickly. It stopped him. It wouldn’t be wise. He felt Veni’s light touch on his arm and he almost jumped. His body and mind were so tense that his movements were full of “almosts”. The only things inhibiting the movements were his iron will and his age. Without either, he would have surely attacked.

”Thank you. You are most kind.” Veni’s mother said…her attention seemed to shift just then…even as he watched her close Daphne’s fingers around the candy she was giving her. “I apologize for my rudeness,” Cian thought she was apologizing for grabbing his wife’s wrist. But it seemed like she had more to say… “But how fares Priestess Eydís?” He was confused for a moment…a brief moment. Priestess Eydís? In his mind’s eye he saw the figure of his maker speaking with someone…A long time ago. He heard a foreign name but didn’t think much of it. He couldn’t pronounce it at the time because of the language barrier… so why would he consider it? The name Nefretiri spoke now sounded just like the one he had heard in the memory. Could it have been the same? If it was…how did Nefretiri know her?

Vaguely Cian heard his wife exchange a small word of thanks. Her voice was quiet, somewhat sedated. She excused herself with a slight polite bow before returning to Cian. He noticed her eyes although curious, looked tired. Now with his mate back at his side, he could focus his attention solely on Veni’s maker. Still…He didn’t want to answer the question just yet. ”Priestess Eydís?” He asked, wanting to be completely sure they were speaking of the same individual.  

[psychotic__Gal]

Cian didn't seem to feel Veni's light squeeze on his arm as he was caught up in Nefretiri. Almost as soon as Nefretiri was describing the priestess Cian knew who she was talking about. It was his maker. Sophia. Senna. Lavinia. And now Eydís. My sire has many names. He was not surprised; many of their kind took different names. Afterall, Cian was not his original name, nor would it be his last.

The ending bit confirmed the identity even more. It really was her most prominent characteristic. She was a child. A young child. When he talked with his sire sometimes he forgot that about her. She was a force to be reckoned with stubborn as any child might be but as clever and strategic as an adult general. Her instincts were often above par and she was wise. Then, of course, there was the magic bit.

”Ah. I know her by a different name.” Cian allowed, he didn’t know where this conversation was going but he felt as though he should answer an unspoken question, ”She is my sire.” He paused before continuing, ”I believe she’s well. She does not like to leave home.” He spoke quickly, trying to find Nefretiri’s intention behind the question. He knew she must have smelled the letter on him. It was a distinctive smell that Sophia had had for centuries. The next question couldn’t be escaped. ”Now, I must apologize for my frankness but how do you know her?” As far as he knew, his maker was a recluse.

((Changed her Greek name from Sybil to Sophia. It fits her more))  

[psychotic__Gal]

Nefretiri answered the question right as Daphne got to Cian’s side. She looked curiously from her mate to Veni’s sire. Daphne could see Cian’s discomfort rising. The features the older vampire was describing were common in Eastern Europe. Daphne could not help but wonder if Cian would know whom Nefretiri was talking about…Until her last sentence. ”a petite, poppet witch.” A Witch child? Does Cian know a witch? She saw his expression become one of understanding and she watched as it became slightly more closed.

Finally, Cian responded. He was being far more open about it than Daphne would have thought. She knew he did not like giving out personal information. The child priestess was his maker. She did not remember Cian telling her that his sire was a witch though…It made sense, however. If she used runic magic. The “poppet” bit surprised Daphne as well. She had not known that Cian’s sire was a child…She could not help but feel some level of sympathy. The sympathy ran through her every time she saw Dan and Daisy as well. They were forever stuck inside a child’s body. She wondered how that would affect Sophia, if at all. Daphne glanced once at Veni, the next at Sephiroth. She wondered how they were taking this news.