2019-05 : Sunshine

[Vid]

Participants: Thomas, Fleur, Vid
Ingame date: later in May

There's a story, he remembers vividly from the way his uncle told it, about a man who travelled the entire world, in a distant past when monsters still existed. In this particular adventure, the man had to traverse a sea that was known to house sirens, who by their brilliant beauty and seductive song lure sailors to their death. Clever as always, he advised his crew to plug their ears, so their journey would not be jeopardised, however, their imaged wonder already worked on him. Wishing to witness this danger, to understand it deep inside his bones, he allowed himself to be tied to the mast, ears open, and cried and cried to be released as song swayed his soul to surrender.

The connection is tenuous, and all too real. A rope at the ready, and words in mind to convey this concept, he steps into the room where Thomas is. He needs to understand.

[Fleur]

Manó flies into the room and swirls around Thomas his head. Being all chattering and pulling on his hair.
Fleur steps into the room and look both stressed as very happy to see him.
"Hey Thomas, how are you doing?"
She is holding a fresh bunch of flowers and starts to walk to the kitchen while picking up the old flowers to throw those away.

[Thomas Parker]

Thomas was just reading a book, minding his own business while being terribly patient with the sprite yanking at his curls now and then, begging for attention he wasn't going to get.

His face lit up though when he saw Fleur walking in, greeting her enthusiastically while casually ignoring Vid. Vid had been looking very broody and was holding a rope and Thomas didn't know if he -wanted- to know what he was planning on doing.

[Vid]

He reads the atmosphere in the room, shifting from quiet relaxation to something more tense, and realises he should unwind for this to work. Thomas already tried to shoulder all the blame for how Dusza left them, and that's not something the traveller wants to allow to happen.

So he sighs and smiles, placing the rope some distance away on the table, and settles into one corner of the couch in lotus while waiting for the other two to go through their familiar rituals. He's yet to build those rituals with the younger gangrel himself - no hugs or other greetings ingrained in their habits.

Once the quiet returns a little, with flowers on the table and probably tea in Fleur's hand, he'll ask. "Dear Thomas, I wish to ask a favour..."

[Fleur]

In the kitchen they can hear Fleur making tea, she loves the smell and warmth of it.

When she comes back out she is indeed holding a cup, and the vase with fresh flowers. First putting the flowers away, she then sits down next to Thomas on the couch and rests her head on his shoulder. Reading a couple of lines in the book that is still open on his lap.

Mano is now pulling on her curls. Wanting to go back into his nest. When Vid speaks she looks at him from her comfortable position. She doesnt know if this is a good plan, but it is important to know

[Thomas Parker]

Something in Vid's tone and Fleur's behaviour made Thomas even more on edge. Something was going on. Even Mano stopped pestering him and returned back to Fleur, possibly to wait out the storm.

"What's going on?" Suspicion drenged every syllable in his tone as he closed his book and put it in front of him on the table.

[Vid]

It's odd, for knowing someone for over a half year, Vid has never had the sense of having such a fragile connection with anyone. He's tried, being gentle and patient, but for never having been in a human war, he finds it hard to understand what goes on in the mind of the young man sitting before him, trapped in his nightmares through unsolicited immortality.

So he's glad that Fleur agreed to come with, not knowing how their travel companion and surviving 'clan member' will respond. He shifts in his seat, and makes his request.

"Well, uhm. I see a pattern. With Duncan.. and then with Dusza.. She told me, how your blood smelled." He pauses there. Swallows. Remembers her. Those are not the important details. "I'm worried, because I don't understand. I want to understand, so that we can plan how we can keep you safe."

[Fleur]

Fleur breathes in deep and closes her eyes for a moment. When she starts to speak her tone is worried for so many reasons.

It is important to know...but what if one of them gets hurt? What if they both get hurt?!

With sad eyes she looks at Thomas.
"Dusza said something about your blood being so tasty she couldn't stop herself. That night when Duncan bite you he losed complete control"

She looks at Vid "What if there is something in your blood that makes you.....how do i say it....."

Her eyes go back to Thomas "Like candy?
Vid has a plan in which we hopefully can test this safely. If you want ofcourse"
Her hand is on his arm, her blacknails being the clearmark of their shared curse
"I dont want you to get hurt again" she whispers

[Thomas Parker]

Thomas was perplexed for a moment. Looking from one to the other and trying to see if he misunderstood. If there was any way to explain the things they said other than he was understanding right now.

"Guys, you saw what happened to Dusza. And Duncan. You really think this is a good idea?"

His voice was dripping with disbelief.

"Every time someone tried to feed from me they either went insane or extremely violent. Can't we just conclude something is going on?"

With a sigh he sat up straighter, hands raking his hair and his brain working overtime. Because of course they were right, they should look into it because he had no idea what was going on either and it would be very bad if his little secret came out. Well, came out even further than it already had because by now the whole of Haarlem must know with the scenes both Dusza and Dunc made.

And maybe it was good for the safety of others too. And he sort of owed them that, weird as it may sound.

"How do you propose to do this, and who's gonna taste it?"

[Vid]

He feels the moods shift in the room. Suspicion or disbelief, fearing for a moment that Thomas will not trust them with this. But he does, and the traveller feels grateful, compassion colouring his gaze. It helped that Fleur could clarify their feelings, making that connection with the youngest (?) member of their odd family of monsters.

"I thought that first we could talk. What do you think makes our kind lose their wits? And has it happened before this city?"

He tries to imagine what it will be like. So he can come up with reasons that aren't promises he might fail to keep. He looks down at his hands, fingers black. "I... have some experience tasting the blood of our kind. There was a time - in the past, that I found it hard to refuse its lure, seeking out that thrill, for how it let me feel alive again." It's a confession of weakness, but weakness overcome. Like the phoenix, he was allowed to rise stronger, and that confidence is in his eyes. "I've learned to resist. So my experience may allow us to learn something from your smell, or taste, and may allow me to keep my wits. If all else fails, there's that," and he points to the rope on the table.