socoolbrewster | { 08 } well you can try and change the world but you won't change me

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{ 08 } well you can try and change the world but you won't change me

Well that was pointless.

[There's an Ed giving the camera a very unimpressed look, though he's unsettled underneath; not obviously so, but those particularly adept at reading body language could pick it up with relative ease; he has the ragged look of someone who hasn't slept in days, a certain tenseness of muscles and looseness of movement that speaks to pain of some kind, though he's trying to spackle over it all with his usual cocksure attitude.

Anger seems to help.]

Like "I'm sorry" actually helps. Fuck you. Anybody who actually liked having Captain Douchenozzle around raise your hands high so I can murder you in your sleep.

[A/N: feel free to assume you (or the replacement) ran into Brewster while he was around; I dropped the ball in terms of bothering people, sooo I'll either backtag that or handwave depending on what's most convenient.]

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Sure.

[He kills the feed and stalks his way there, knocking twice and lurking at the door to wait to be admitted. Sure, he could force his way in, but Drac's an Elder. He gets respect. And an approximation of manners.]

[Dracula pushes the heavy oak door open one-handed, lets Ed in and then closes and locks it behind them. The room beyond is stone and heavy timber, with a sleeping alcove set in one wall, a window with a deep window seat set in another, and a small fire grate in a third. The fourth wall has a desk, chair and small table pushed against it to clear as much of the floor space as possible. Candles flicker in sconces on the walls, adding to the light cast by the fire.]

I am going to go over some things I have noticed, and then I am going to ask you a question and make a request. [He folds his arms and leans against the wall by the fireplace.]

The first thing I have noticed is that we are effectively alone now. Lestat and Jerry Dandridge have gone, and Aleera has proven...completely unreliable. The second is that the hunter filth are growing more and more numerous, and thus more bold. They are beginning to learn, to their grief, that attempting to schoolyard-bully me will get them nowhere. But my own safety is not my only concern. Have they been antagonizing you?

[He stalks over to one of the chairs, drops into it and watches, still by and large mutinous. Don't take it personally, Drac, he's feeling a little out of sorts at the moment.]

Not lately. I pissed a couple off my first few days but I've been careful after.

[That and he'd had Jerry to hide behind.]

Edited 2012-04-05 02:27 (UTC)

We all do that. [Dracula smiles a bit sadly, willing to be indulgent for the moment. He can sense the tension in the younger vampire, and knows he may have to get creative to be of help in this matter.] But it is wise to lie low. Never let on what you're doing, what you're planning. Let the damn fools keep guessing.

I...need to ask you a personal question. How...long have you been a vampire?

That's what Jerry said. Project what you want but stay consistent and keep what you're actually up to quiet.

[Not that he cares much right now; might want to keep an eye on him or he may act out in a...less than ideal way. He picks at his nails, digging out dirt that he'll never remove completely.]

Couple days before I got here. [A hint of wariness.] Why?

Smart man. Yes, exactly. It's going to be difficult to not want to lash out. It's going to be damn difficult in some cases. [He's remembering standing his ground in the pub while two hunters screamed invective at him at once.] The more numerous those genocidal maniacs get, the bolder, and the bolder, the crueler. But you must remain in control, as much as possible. Rising to their bait means that they beat you down and throw you in Zero. Or kill you, then drag you from your hospital bed to Zero. They are not above abusing their Warden power, and until I make certain gains it is going to be difficult for us to defend ourselves. Subtlety and secrecy must become watchwords.

I am more powerful than the average Inmate, for over the last year my Warden has relaxed my power restrictions twice. And I am very old and experienced. I do not imagine it will take me more than a few more months to graduate, but I am staying on afterward, so I can provide stability.

I like you. You show a lot of promise but you're going to have a wicked hard time of it if you have to learn the basics of being a vampire alone. [He pauses, letting the gist of what he is getting to sink in.]

They can throw me in Zero all they want, I don't give a shit. I'll just take it out on them later. And then you'll graduate, become one of them, and then what?

And anyway, I already know the basics.

[Knowing you need to feed and how to turn into a wolf aren't really the basics, Ed. But his Sire left, or disappeared, isn't HERE, and he's reluctant to accept much at face value right now.

It's one thing to SAY you'll be around, another thing entirely to actually BE around.]

You say that. But...

When I came here I was warned by a very wise being of the essential cycle of futility that far too many Inmates get into. We lash out, we are imprisoned, we lash out to avenge that, we are imprisoned again...some of the Inmates here have done that for years, and it ends up making them look rather ridiculous. Try it if you have to, but I guarantee you'll get bored with it. You're too smart not to.

And...do not insult me. Two vampires graduated from this place already, and one became a Warden, and she is neither fangless nor "one of them". Nor will I be. I will never cooperate with those who seek to destroy us. I'm not going to step in every damned time you get yourself in trouble, but I have no intention of letting anyone bully you or ruin your second chance.

I am certain that you were given a...how do you say..."crash course" in surviving as a vampire, but let me be very blunt. No one learns everything they need to in a few days or even a few months. Nor do any of us have an easy time controlling our impulses for a while. There are techniques of hunting and using one's powers, there is the anatomy of the human blood-system, there are feeding techniques that can preserve life or kill quickly in battle...there is much.

I am offering fosterage, and a trade of information. When I graduate, I will return within three days and continue said fosterage. If you are comfortable with a trial of the arrangement I am willing to give you a year and a day of commitment.

...Fosterage.

[Head tilted, suddenly losing his interest in his nails in favor of...whatever it was the other was offering. He wasn't an idiot, he knew what the word meant, but...]

You can do that?

[It wasn't agreement exactly, that would have felt too much like an outright betrayal. But Jerry was gone, it felt like a piece of him had been torn out and he didn't know what else to do. It hurt. And the few times he'd spoken with Dracula before he'd seemed like a decent guy. Experienced.

Maybe...it wasn't a bad idea.]

One of the reasons I am willing to stay here is that it gives me the time to rebuild my society and its laws from the ground up. If I choose for there to be room for fosterage then there is. In the absence of your natural sire, it makes sense.

I don't know your background. I am curious about it, and would exchange equal information, but...whether you chose this life or not, I do feel strongly that you should not go through your fledgeling life alone.

It's hard enough doing this even with help.

It's not that bad.

[But it seems false even to his own ears, not as convincing as he'd like. He hates what's provided in the kitchens, the stale aftertaste that comes from blood too long separated from the host, the chemicals from what preserve it, and what he's allowed to take for himself on ship is barely enough to make it worthwhile. Ports are the worst, freedoms given then taken away again without warning, and it's almost worse than not having the opportunity at all.]

...What do you want to know?

[There's the yes. He relaxes fractionally, slouching in his seat, though this time it's more like an inferior showing respect than a teenager asserting his independence. A slight difference, but important.]

I am not belittling you. You are clearly intelligent and adaptable, and I would have thought you had been at this for at least a year. [He spreads his hands.] Also the idea of an apprenticeship appeals. Too often, elder vampires cope with the high mortality of our new converts by making many and not getting too attached. But that is a wartime practice. I would rather focus on people one at a time and give them their due.

[He crossses to his book-piled desk.] Oh, well, besides things about you...things about your time period! Technology and American society and the motion pictures. I like them. [He gestures to a certain stash of DVDs on his desk which involves of course the entire line of MST3K.]

[Bah. Intelligent and adaptable; Jerry had made him feel like a child floundering in the deep end, but then that was where their whole relationship had started so he wasn't overly surprised.

The point is, he didn't really feel much of either, but he appreciates the praise nonetheless, straightening just a little in his seat.]

I'm not that exciting, honestly; went to school, got bit, the end. ...And now I'm here.

[Leaving out a few steps, but it's his choice.]

But I can see you like movies, yeah.

[And now he gets up out of the chair, stalks over to examine the stack, most which he at least recognizes, a few which he doesn't.]

Jesus, you're not kidding. Nice. Remind me to trade you for some of my stuff.

[Dracula sees he needs some shoring up. He's awkward about how, but...honesty seems the best policy.]

So you were a scholar. A perfectly respectable profession, though from what I have read of twentieth century education practices it must have been the antithesis of intellectually stimulating.

What do you wish to do when you leave here? [Treat it like a foregone conclusion that Ed will make it and not fade away or give up.] Besides be a vampire, I mean.

[Ugh, why are...he doesn't want to talk about this. At all.]

Haven't thought about it. It's not like there's anything there for me anymore, so what does it matter?

[He walks over, and looks down at Ed in that "I'm in your space because this is important" kind of way.]

You do have a future. I am investing in that future. Time, information, reputation, training. Once you graduate you can go anywhere you want, to any world you want. I know it seems very bleak right now. I spent my first four months here in a grand sulk that embarrasses me now to think about.

But...let's put me on the hook for a while. Ask me...whatever you want.

And then I am going to ask you to hit me.

...Fight Club. Right, because that makes sense.

[It does, kind of; it's basically how Jerry taught him how to shift to wolf, except...the other way around.]

How long have you been a vampire, how did you get that way, who would win if you fought a werewolf since I know apparently we don't get along, can you turn into a bat, or a wolf, if you can have you ever fucked an actual one of either by accident, and how does that whole thing work anyway since dead things can't exactly get hard-ons by definition.

[And then a smirk because it's probably not really the end of it, he just ran out of Important Questions.]

It makes perfect sense. Battle is in your blood now, you need an outlet and an opportunity to train, and I am the safest possible target.

As for your questions...

I have been a vampire for four hundred and twenty five years. In a fight I would beat the werewolf because I retain the intelligence to use weapons and tactics, while being equally strong and well armed.

I do not naturally assume the form of a bat or wolf; I can alter my body slightly and have natural weaponry but remain humanoid. [No point telling him about the Hellbeast, as he will likely give it up soon.] All my lovers have been human or vampire except for one goddess.

As for the workings of our bodies, as far as I have come to understand, desire moves the blood appropriately via a form of osmosis. This is also part of why feeding and being properly full both tend to trigger desire. There's suddenly the blood to spare.

[He smirks, and then wiggles his hands in a "bring it on" gesture.] I'm sure you have more curiosity than that.

...You never said how you were turned.

You screwed a goddess? Nice going. Although you do lose a few points for skipping out on the animal grab bag. Um.

[He picks at his nails, thinking, sorting out the stupid questions from the ones that might actually be useful.]

So how does your turning process work, is it like Buffy where you don't get a choice in it really or do you pick or...? And weaknesses. Sunlight, holy shit, the whole nine yards.

Oh. My sincere apologies. You started talking about sex and I got thoroughly distracted.

[His eyes narrow slightly and he chuckles.] Oh now you're getting clever on me.

I am the original for my world. I was once a great warlord, and worked for the church. Then they decided I was out of control and sent my best friend to murder me. As I slipped into darkness, I was offered a...deal. And I accepted it.

Let me give you a piece of advice...never do that. You are a vampire without such interventions, and you never ever want to make such a deal.

[A soft smile as he thought of Persephone.] She was magnificent. I still miss her. She gave me two good reasons to start learning to get along with other beings.

...but animals are rather off limits for me. I'd rather save my passions for thinking beings, though I am liberal regarding their race.

It seems that many vampires turn people whenever they kill, or sometimes whenever they bite. We must drain the blood and give some of our own. That allows us to choose our new converts carefully. I admit, I haven't always in the past. But I reserve the right to be...picky.

Your bite is not directly infectious, is it? That can be difficult to manage.

As for the rest, I don't know any vampires who don't fall to sunlight or that which is blessed. But in this case, I heal so quickly that it is quite difficult for anything to put me down for long.

Which reminds me. You're having thirst problems, yes?

...Pretty sure getting it without your actual permission's not much better.

[But he shrugs; it wasn't entirely against his will at the end, not really, and it's not like he's complaining now.]

Pretty sure my kind's catching; some end up pathetic idiots and some end up like me, but even food gets it if you drag it out enough. That's why I asked, I know they're not all like that.

[He's been careful so far. Mostly; ports don't get anywhere near the same care, but he never took enough from Lua to begin with, and now he's taking even less. So far it hasn't been a problem, though really it's only a matter of time.

He nods at the rest of the information, filing it away, but at the latest question he frowns, guarded.]

I'm hungry all the time, if that's what you mean.

[Full stop; he winces. A faint shudder goes through him.]

Not a year ago I would have told him to be grateful. That he was lucky to be given such a gift and he should simply accept it. But how terrifying to be taken against one's will! And...it is a practice I have heard of over and over again. It is...it is the norm for vampires. Being wicked and cruel seems to be the norm for vampires the multiverse over. The right to choose otherwise might be there but it is largely ignored. We might have the same moral capacity as humans, but vampire culture again and again turns out to be...

...evil.

Oh my God.

[The look of creeping horror in his eyes was not just for Ed; he blinked and then forcibly composed himself.]

I wasn't speaking of that. I was referring to the demonic pact. Never truck with demons or devils, Ed, it's no good for anyone involved.

But since you brought it up...I don't do that anymore. If someone is with me I want them there because they chose it.

[A tilt of his head.] Can you drink shallowly without conversion? [We'll ignore your calling humans "Food", Ed, cause you don't know better yet.] I ask because having a donor or two aboard can make one's stay here much more tolerable.

[He nods grimly.] The first few months you will be thirsty all the time, because your body is still changing in minute ways. It will be difficult not to hunt humans. I may have to supplement you. [Besides which he is wondering if enough of his blood will give Ed access to some of his abilities.]

...Okay, fine, whatever. Good to know. Check.

[He mimes a checkmark, but the cavalier attitude's mostly to cover the fact that he doesn't really want to talk about that whole...thing. Demonic pacts, involuntary turnings, any of it.]

I think we can? Jerry didn't really...teach me a whole lot. But we don't usually drain as a rule apparently, so I'm assuming yes; he had a bunch of holding cells upstairs for feeders. I've already got one donor so far. [Sort of.]

...Supplement?

[Try not to sound so eager there, Ed.]

{ 08 } well you can try and change the world but you won't change me

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