tushanshu_logs | I am flesh and I am bone

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I am flesh and I am bone | April Catchall

Characters: Pepper Potts, Devin Parker, and you!
Date: Throughout April
Location: Jade Dojo, Sky Sector, all over Keeliai.
Situation: Pepper's living her life, and Devin is getting dumped into Keeliai a little maimed.
Warnings/Rating: Possible mention of murder and probably blood, specific warnings in headers.

A. [Pepper] Jade Dojo | Backdated to end of March | Heather

As promised, Pepper got up early and made her way to the dojo at a time that was unusual for her. She normally trained in the afternoons, so this was a big change of pace. There was no guarantee that she and Heather would make good partners, but it would be interesting to try. It would also give her a chance to get a read on Heather, since Pepper hadn't interacted with her much before now. She hung up her jacket and pulled a set of long, thin cloth wraps and began to circle them around her hands; once they were secured, Pepper began to warm up, keeping an eye out for Heather's arrival.

B. [Pepper] House Spicy Iron Dragon | Early April | Gene

The weather is getting almost reasonable, and on one of the days where it's a bit sunnier, Pepper goes out into the backyard and does some practice summoning. She's getting better at it, and higher level monsters are slowly getting easier to summon, but she still has pretty strict limits. That doesn't diminish her determination - if anything, it makes her push harder. Vee is there, too, standing off to the side with less armor on, observing. Pepper will occasionally speak to her like her ka has said something, although the creature's lips never move.

C. [Pepper] KPD | Throughout April | Open

The new Guild system has definitely stirred things up in the city, and there's a rash of thefts hitting Foreigners that suggests it's systematic. The destruction of the spirit houses is also concerning, although fortunately it doesn't seem to be escalating badly. Pepper is pretty busy, spending a lot of time out on patrols and talking with kedan as well as Foreigners to see if they have any information. Busy or not, she's in a good mood most of the time if anyone bumps into her.

D. [Devin; CW: burns, possibly blood] Healer's Guild | April 5 | Raine

The ground is a lot smoother than he expects. There's a ringing in his ears and he can tell he’d be dead if he hadn’t known what was coming. As it is, his back is charred from the explosion. It was a small price to pay for getting the hunters and the dossier out. He can feel them start to heal, but his wounds must be worse than he thought – someone is saying something, putting a hand on his shoulder and Devin can only lay there, stunned. The person sounds worried, and Devin tries to tell them he'll be fine, to leave him here. To run. It doesn't come out particularly coherently.

Whoever it is doesn't listen, and two sets of strong arms are lifting him off the ground to a standing position, which he couldn’t have managed himself. This is bad, that he can't orient himself properly or see straight. At some point, he must have lost consciousness, because next he opens his eyes he's being led into a building and there's a flurry of activity that ends with him face-down on a gurney.

"I can't stay here," Devin mutters, trying to get out of the bed, but the hands keep pushing him back down. Devin is stronger, though, and he stumbles vertical again, searching for a door. "I don't need your help."

E. [Devin; CW: blood] Thoughout Keeliai | Throughout April | Open

As soon as Devin is fully recovered, he gets out into the city. The situation has him on edge, the fact that his agency has been violated again setting a semi-permanent frown on his face. Devin is familiar with a few different planes of existence, so the idea of Keeliai isn't something he outright rejects. After a week or two, he accepts that he's stuck. From what Devin can tell, he's the only one of his kind here.

That should have been something of a relief, Devin reflects, but it also meant that he's adrift without purpose. What is he supposed to do with himself? Almost all of his energy back home had been spent hunting. Devin can't remember the last time he took a vacation.

Long story short, Devin is not in a good mood most of the month, somewhere between lost and agitated. He does need to find a way to live, though, so when he's not at the Hotel (which he hopes he won't have to stay at for an extended time) he's wandering around and observing, taking in every detail he can, and looking for a niche to fit in.

F. [Devin] Turtle's Head | Mid April | Open

The rumors of the serenity of being near Tu Vishan's beak are appealing amidst the turmoil of Devin's arrival and the impending problem of finding a food source has him troubled enough that he hikes out there one day. The sight of it, actually getting confirmation of what it is he'd standing on, is grounding and the calming influence of a being so much greater than him is familiar in a way. At least this trip doesn't come with a migraine. He spends a few hours there, mostly standing at the shell's edge and staring out at the sea, thinking through his options.

(OOC: Let me know if you want a specific starter or feel free to write your own adventure!)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"They don't."

It was complicated, but that wasn't something she planned on sharing with him. It wasn't information he needed.

"That would be wise, I think." Yes, she was making an official offer of assistance. "You said you don't like feeding from the vein?"

Ah, so there was something to his observation. She just wasn't in the mood to share, and he didn't blame her for that. They barely knew each other.

Devin nodded. "It's too much of a temptation, and far less controlled. Restraint is not something my kind are best known for, and I've done my best to curate that above all else."

They barely knew each other and she didn't exactly like telling people about it. Besides, she was more stable than she had been since before Dante left, so, in her mind, it didn't really matter.

"I suppose we should find something to hold it then. I wouldn't want to have to kill you in self defense. Bad form."

"Generally speaking, I do prefer to remain breathing," Devin replied. Not alive, exactly, but something approximating it. "It may not be best to experiment here, either. If the sense of calm is anything to go by, it's a mitigating factor I won't have the luxury of elsewhere."

And it's not as though he carried glasses around on his person.

"That said, being far from other people if this has some adverse effect on me isn't a bad idea. I wouldn't need much to test, anyway." She could probably just bleed onto his hand and that would be enough.

"Yes, the Turtle's head does have a tendency to mask symptoms that would be concerning."

Such as the Void when it was unhappy.

"We can head toward the mountains and if you don't need more than a few drops, then I suppose it won't be too hard."

"That ought to be enough to start," he supplied. "Lead the way."

They didn't actually have to get to the mountains. There was plenty of open space and distance from the city between the turtle's head and the distant hills, and as long as they were reasonably far away from the population center, things ought to be alright.

When it seemed like the effect of the great turtle's influence had faded, and they'd gone another half mile from there, Devin reached into his jacket and held out a dagger. "It might be best for you to hold onto that until we know I won't use it on you," he said grimly.

Devin could still hurt people quite easily without the sharp implement, but there was no point in adding to the list of damages he could do. He did not like this even a little bit, and his agitation had only increased as they walked. Still, it would be necessary to avoid something far more unpleasant.

They moved without speaking. It didn't seem to be needed anyway and Valdis was far more focused on how his emotional state changed. He grew more agitated, partly because the agitation had probably been masked by the serenity of Tu Vishan and also the unwanted anticipation of the fact that he would have to drink blood. Valdis had the feeling that if he could get away with starving to death without killing anyone, he probably would.

Valdis took the dagger with a small, amused sigh, "Mine can do more damage than yours," she replied, gesturing to the sword on her hip. "But I appreciate the caution."

"At the very least, this limits the number of sharp things I can fight with. You have my permission to subdue me however necessary, should I become unmanageable," Devin said, not meeting her gaze. "Although I'd appreciate it if you can avoid breaking anything or cutting anything off."

He'd understand if she couldn't avoid it. The danger he presented to others wasn't worth keeping a limb.

The sword was interesting. Beautiful in construction, from what little he could see of it. It was probably as unusual as it's owner, if he had to guess, but that wasn't what they were here for.

"At your leisure," he added with a lightness he absolutely did not feel, holding his hand out palm up.

"I am perfectly capable of knocking out unruly men without doing too much damage," Valdis quipped, though she hadn't knocked out many vampires...or any for that matter.

The man was obviously well practiced at deception, his tone did not match his feelings, but she would pretend that everything was fine if that made him feel better. Without hesitation, she drew the sharp edge of the dagger across her wrist, keeping the edge in the wound to prevent it from healing too quickly, and let her blood drip into his palm. It pooled in his hand, not much, but enough for their purposes, then she moved the dagger away and the skin knit back together with ease.

Valdis wiped the excess blood off on her pants and took a step back, watching him closely.

Devin suppressed a grimace at the way his body reacted to the sight and smell of blood. Thinking on it would only make the experience worse, so Devin turned away and let his fangs extend. It wasn't strictly necessary since he wasn't biting her, but it made the process easier.

His eyes, brighter blue now, went wide almost as soon as her blood touched his tongue. His expression was more of surprise than anything else. It was undeniably different than any human's, a shock of something intense that Devin couldn't quite name, bitter at the edges but no less desirable for that. He might even be pressed to call it better, if he could get past how much he utterly hated how good it felt.

"Christ. Definitely not having that in large quantities," he gasped, and only by speaking did he realize he was breathing hard. But he was in control still, even if there was a wildness in his face that hadn't been there a moment before.

The mixture of emotions wasn't exactly unexpected, but the strength of the conflict, the hatred fighting the enjoyment, was somewhat fascinating. Though the fact that it was over her blood made it strange in an unwelcome way. Valdis didn't move, simply watched the change in his stature, the shock evident in every muscle, the struggle to stay in control both physically and emotionally. She couldn't quite tell if he could handle the strain he seemed to be under.

"Can you handle yourself?" She asked, her voice quiet. Because he certainly seemed on edge.

Devin balled his hand into a fist, nails digging into his palm. The tiny pricks of pain gave him something else to focus on than the sensations caused by Valdis' blood.

"I'm fine," Devin told her, and it was most of the way true. He definitely wasn't about to run amok. "It's just far more intense than I'm accustomed to." He drew his fangs back again, and everything dialed down a few notches. Maybe leaving them retracted would be best for the future. A few slow, deep breaths, and some of the tension ebbed out of him. "I'll need to build up tolerance, if there aren't any other options available to me."

Assuming he could build tolerance.

The tension didn't really drain from his shoulders for several more moments, but Valdis stood where she was, patient.

"If that's what a few drops does, I'm not sure you should have a pint, much less two."

Much as she found she disliked the idea of her blood causing such a reaction in anyone who wasn't insane, she didn't want the man feeding off of other people either. But it wasn't as if she could kill him and be done with it, besides, it wasn't his fault.

"But if it's more potent, then could you survive on less?"

"That would be why I said I won't be having it in large quantities," he said, more acidly than he meant. His hatred for the rush hadn't faded, slight as it was still. "But possibly. It would have to be more frequent."

If anything, Devin sounded more unhappy. He started pacing, shaking out his arms to get the sensation to pass. "I wonder if this is what it feels like the first time after someone's been turned," he muttered.

Valdis watched him pace, unmoving, unoffended by his tone, keeping her senses trained on his emotional state. She wasn't sure if it was that her blood was unique or if it had simply been a long time since he'd had fresh blood. Either way, even if it wasn't hers, fresh blood could be problem for him.

She tipped her head at his words, "What do you mean?"

"Drinking blood feels a lot like being on amphetamines," Devin explained, his tone a little more measured. "There's a strong sense of euphoria. I've heard it's most intense for newly turned vampires, in part because drinking blood is required to complete the process. I myself have never experienced that, or at the very least do not remember it, because I've always been a vampire," he told her bitterly.

Valdis didn't know about being high on drugs herself, but the sensation was familiar, though muted, thanks to her empathetic senses. In essence though, it could be comparable to how she had felt in the Palace after Malicant had abandoned it. Intoxicating, in a very bad way.

"You've always been a vampire?"

That didn't line up with what she knew of fictional vampires. But then again, Hellhounds actually existed in her world and there was nothing on them.

Devin slowed in his pacing, sighing as he put his hands on his hips. "Yes, I was born like this. It's exceptionally rare - the line has to be unbroken back to the original generation - but we're functionally no different from a turned vampire."

He gave her a sardonic smile. "Except for disproportionately large egos. We tend to all be members of what goes for nobility among vampires."

That sounded about as rare as Hellhounds actually, but less difficult in a very twisted manner of speaking. But tracing a line, uninterrupted, for however long vampires had been around, had to be difficult. It also sounded like he didn't appreciate such a difficult accomplishment.

"Nobility, hmm," Valdis repeated, arching a brow, "Your ego seems lacking for a noble, and I've met plenty of those pompous jerks."

"I shed the title when I was young," Devin explained. "It's not one I'm interested in. I don't associate with the rest of my kind."

Being social was something he only did by necessity, and if he was spending time among his own species, it was almost exclusively to kill them.

"I've gotten quite good at acting the part when needed, however."

"What a coincidence," Valdis said, a bitterly amused smile forming, "Neither do I."

Valdis avoided her kind at all costs, for reasons that she didn't explain to most.

"Most people who live long lives have good acting skills, but none of them can fool me."

The edge of the rush had mostly ebbed, and Devin stopped pacing a few feet from Valdis. He had a curious expression on his face, intrigued by her statement.

"Oh? And how is it that you can see through the best of all disguises?"

"People can learn to manipulate muscles, tone of voice, expressions. They can falsify these features and, with enough practice, can separate their emotions from their reactions."

He was genuinely curious, and calmer now than before, both those things were good.

"But the emotions are still there."

Devin took a moment to consider that information. If there were no tells to read, no way to physically identify a falsehood, and yet one could still do so based on emotion that couldn't possibly be felt--

"Ah," he said, realization dawning. "You're an empath of some kind?"

This information didn't please him, although he wasn't quite sure what to do with it yet.

"Of some kind," She repeated, "Unfortunate side effect of possessing a soul...I feel emotions alongside my own and it has taken years to learn how to separate and ignore those that don't belong to me. Strong emotions can be problem, however."

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