003. Ancient History

[faderbroderson]

[There's a small boy huddled beneath the desk in the office at the Raven. He looks simultaneously frightened, confused, and very, very alert and defensive. It wouldn't be wrong to assume that anyone bold enough to reach out will get their hand bitten. The boy's clothing is ancient in style and too large for his frame, but the tattoos peeking out

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the 'holy crap my maker is a kid' spam thread

[vikingvampire]

[Eric flips through paperwork as he saunters into the office, not noticing his surroundings enough to see the boy as he stands at the desk. He tosses the papers down and pulls out the chair, ready to go about the business of being a bar manager. He stops, however, when he notices a shape under there and instantly he's crouched on the floor with his fangs out ready to attack whatever dared to hide there.]

the 'holy crap what is this giant vampire' spam thread

[faderbroderson]

[Godric recoils immediately, eyes wide, curling into the desk as far away from Eric as he can. His heart pounds. His Master is a vampire, so he has certain assumptions about people with fangs, and none of them are good. One can only be so brave in the face of something one has learned to constantly fear.]

[vikingvampire]

[Eric's eyes widen in confusion and surprise, and his fangs retract when he sees that it's just a boy hiding there. It's too dark under the desk to see the tattoos yet.]

How did you get in here?

[It's not exactly said kindly, but Eric doesn't look like he's about to rip the kid's head off anymore. So that should say something.]

[faderbroderson]

[He just stares. English isn't a language he understands. After a few moments of confused, frightened silence, he tentatively tries Latin.]

Qua est is?

[Where is this, he asks. It's a bold question for a slave, and his tone is almost demanding, though very quiet. He puts up a brave front in the face of a vampire.]

[vikingvampire]

[Okay, he didn't expect to hear Latin. He is a little impressed by the kid's tone though.]

Get out of there.

[He says this as he stands up and impatiently motions for the boy to come out of hiding. He really doesn't have time for this.]

[faderbroderson]

[Godric doesn't understand the words, but the gesture is easy enough to understand. He freezes, torn between the decision to obey, knowing the vampire will probably hurt him as his Master does, and the decision to disobey, knowing he will be punished. He's confused, and understands nothing of the place in which he finds himself, but knows that the longer he hesitates, the worse his punishment will be. He can't fight one of the people with fangs.]

[Hesitantly, frightened, he eases forward a bit, his shirt sliding off one shoulder and revealing the tattoo on his upper arm. He doesn't seem to notice. His whole attention is fixed on Eric, waiting to be grabbed as soon as he's in arm's reach.]

[vikingvampire]

[It takes a moment for Eric to focus on the boy again, instead of at the door of the office where he wants to boot the kid out. But when he does, he immediately sees the extremely familiar tattoos of his maker. Eric's blinks in confusion and reaches for him slightly, but doesn't touch. He can tell the kid is skittish already and it wouldn't do any good if he accidentally cause him to run.]

.....Godric? Är det du?

["Is that you?" is not the most elegant question he could've thought of, but, maybe, just maybe, speaking the language they shared with each other would help get some answers out of him.]

[faderbroderson]

[Godric tenses further when Eric reaches for him, and freezes again. But Eric doesn't grab him, and then Eric speaks a language from his home, and Godric's eyes widen. No one speaks that language in Rome. The name Eric uses is not one Godric recognizes, not at such a young age, but he is oddly willing to let this vampire name him however he pleases if he'll keep speaking to him in that tongue.]

Vem är du?

[Who are you? Another bold question for a slave, but he's less demanding this time, more curious. His own version of Old Swedish is less practiced and even more ancient than Eric's, but understandable.]

[vikingvampire]

[That confirmed it for Eric. So, this had to be a curse or something, since there was no reason for Godric to be a ten year old child otherwise. It pissed Eric off that Godric had been affected like this, because that meant he was human for the time being and had no way to protect himself if he needed to.]

Jag är Eric. Vad är det sista du minns?

[He knelt down to Godric's eye level, this time not threatening.]

[translation: I'm Eric. What's the last thing you remember?]

[faderbroderson]

[Godric is not a naturally trusting creature, and especially not so at this stage in his life. He is less inclined to trust a vampire than anyone else, but this vampire is odd. He speaks to Godric in one of the tongues of Gaul, and there is nothing sinister in his tone. He kneels before Godric to look him in the eye as if they are equals.]

...Jag var i huset av en Romersk.

[I was in the house of a Roman. It's not a lie, but he omits that the Roman was his master. He fears he'll be sent back if he does, though he has little enough hope that won't happen anyway. There are few reasons a tattooed savage would be in the house of a Roman if that Roman didn't own him, so it's a shaky omission. The smarter omission is his negligence in telling Eric that his master is a vampire.]

[vikingvampire]

[He just nods at the information. Godric rarely spoke of that time to him, but Eric knew enough from Godric had told him.]

Ja, nu är du på mitt kontor. [Kind of an awkward pause.] Har du...ätit än?

[translation: Well, now you're in my office. Have you eaten yet? He wants to say "fed", but he doubts this Godric would have taken kindly to the vampiric wording.

[faderbroderson]

[Godric hesitates to answer for a few moments. It sounds like the kind of question someone might ask if they were trying to tempt him out from under the desk, but Godric is already within Eric's reach. Eric has made no attempt to grab him. If there's some other ulterior motive for asking after his wellbeing, he can't quite see it. Finally, he decides on honesty.]

Nej.

[He does wonder how he got to be here, though. And, curiosity winning out over caution, he asks...]

Har min herre sälja mig till dig?

[Did my master sell me to you? He can think of no other reason for him to be here.]

[vikingvampire]

Nej. Du har ingen herre här.

[No. You have no master here. The look on his face is completely serious and more than a little proud to know that Godric is subordinate to no one.]

Men jag är din vän.

[But I'm your friend. That's clearly an understatement.]

[faderbroderson]

[No master? There's a quiet viciousness that lights up Godric's eyes that suggests he would be very happy if his master is dead. He wonders if Eric has killed his master. If so, then Eric is a friend indeed, or so he hopes.]

[Emboldened by Eric's words, Godric ventures further out from beneath the desk, daring to come closer to Eric as he looks around this foreign office. It's nothing like he's ever seen, and he's not sure that he likes it.]

[vikingvampire]

[Eric watches Godric as he comes forward. He doesn't say anything, he doesn't do anything, he just watches. This child version of Godric reminds him a little of what his maker was like when Eric was first turned. There's a fierceness there that was only magnified as a vampire.]

Du är fri att göra som du vill, Godric. Men du bör veta att det finns andra vampyrer utanför detta rum.

[Not that they would harm Godric inside the club. House rules and all. Plus, Eric would never allow that.]

[translation: You're free to do as you like, Godric. But you should know there are other vampires outside this room.]

[faderbroderson]

[At that statement, Godric quickly retreats back under the desk. He has very little faith that the desk will protect him should some other vampire find him, but as long as he's in here and they're out there, maybe they won't find him in the first place.]

Därefter kommer jag att stanna här.

[Then I will stay here. The way he says it betrays no fear, though he is afraid. It only sounds as if he's making a logical decision, and in a way, that's exactly what he's doing. Godric is not unintelligent, and he knows how vampires are. Eric did say he's free to do as he likes.]