Out and About--A Day In The Life

[feels_no_love]

Who: Vladislaus Dracula and anyone
What: Vampire-sitting, gardening, deep thoughts and scheming
When: All day
Where: All over the Barge.
Warnings: possible violence, vampire bro-fisting, nibbly vampire on the make

Comments

After Lunch--Garden

[feels_no_love]

Dracula had asked to spend some extra time in the garden today. His purpose was threefold; one was to take some extra time to calm himself, two was because he was expecting at least one friend to come by, and three--to try out these strange new trousers he was now wearing for garden labor. They were made of rough-woven cotton, black of course, and he had grown used to them from the Breach. Terribly comfortable, especially for bending and stretching. Yes...Dracula was wearing jeans.

[congratulating]

"Quite a sight, isn't it?" Treize felt that he did not have to say as much since he was sure that the man was used to it just as he was. He walked through the garden before stopping to stare at all that it had. After what had happened, after losing his mind, he too wanted some time to clear and calm everything inside of him. Yet, it seemed like everything had calmed as soon as the flood was over. But the cause--?

"It is nice to always share something of this kind with someone." His head bowed lightly. "I am Treize Khushrenada, and you are?" He always felt that it was nice to introduce himself first -- regardless if they knew him -- whenever he met another face-to-face. Manners and courtesy were quite important to him, after all.

[feels_no_love]

"Sight, scent...a garden is a feast for several senses at once. It is one of the reasons I asked for this assignment." Dracula straightened, stepping carefully over the rows with the grace of a youth, though he looked perhaps forty.

He bowed back shallowly, very formal. "I am Vladislaus Dracula. I am pleased to make your acquaintance. Come, I can show you around if it is your wish."

[congratulating]

"We spoke once before." Treize recognized the voice and tipped his head in turn. "You were the one that said you were a vampire, yes?"

He bowed his head lightly in turn. "I would like to be shown around, yes." His smile widened that much more -- nice to see such return in manners. "Did you help make any of this, Vladislaus? Not just tending, but creating it, as well?"

[feels_no_love]

"Yes, I am. I have been one for quite a while, in fact. I do not know how much you know of our race, but I can give you the basics, if you wish."

He started the tour near the greenhouse. "Here the tools are kept, though I need them less than some. The more delicate or magically active herbs are there as well. These are the medicinal and spice-herbs in these beds over here...we just left the vegetable garden. The orchard is down this way...would you like some summer fruit? It is ripe for gathering." The garden always relaxed him more than any other place, and it showed in his relatively pleasant manner.

"I only started a few weeks ago, so no, I merely tend. Next season perhaps I will have greater contributions to make."

[congratulating]

"I do wish." He paused for a moment, before adding. "And it is good of you to be so forthcoming to me."

Treize nodded and took interest in everything that had been pointed out. It was nice to see that the man had this side to him. "I would not mind a bit of fruit. So long as you will be willing to join me. I feel bad in tasting it all on my own, is all."

Turning toward the orchard, he continued. "And, what is it that you would like to add to this garden?"

[feels_no_love]

"I do not mind. We are a nocturnal race, surviving on blood of humans or animals, although in this place we survive on blood stores. Some of us are antipathetic toward humans; others keep company with the living without trouble. Most of us are...somewhere in between. I am beginning to find my sojourn here, among so many living, to be pleasant in some respects. I appreciate the varieties of opinion and culture that I encounter.

"This place is pleasant enough that laboring here scarcely feels like labor." It helped that he was tireless. "But it becomes a bit monotonous. I welcome a diversion of effort now and again." And he was, as always, practicing being personable.

"I fear I cannot join you in eating. My people cannot digest normal food for the most part. But you are welcome."

He walked toward the trees...and paused a moment, his expression dimming. A forest of poles...on each, a man dying... A sudden, violent shake of his head. No, no more of that. And he tried to focus

[congratulating]

"I suppose I shall take it that you are the one that is mostly in-between." He hummed softly to himself, accepting that as if his companion was such toward humans then he doubted that he would be treated with such courtesy. "I am happy to be one who is able to offer such a diversion. Though, I wonder if I would have my blood taken ... would I become a vampire or a ghoul

[feels_no_love]

"Yes, I would call myself so." Actually he had very little use for the mass of humanity, but he had found very many individuals aboard who were exceptional in some way, and thus tolerable. "Oh that? If I drained you you would die, awaken in the Infirmary and probably be very annoyed with me. If I drained you and fed you my blood you would be as I am--a vampire of my Blood and court."

Dracula smiled and shrugged. "A small matter of brief memory intruding. It happens to one of my age on occasion." A lie; it had only been happening since the Flood.

He considered, pausing by the rose arbor and reaching out to caress a bloom as he would a woman's cheek. "All of us, of many races, are seeking not only our place here but to some extent, a new place in our own worlds once we return to them. So many changes, sometimes in so short a time...and yet what comes out may yet thrive." He nodded in brief agreement.

[congratulating]

"Hm, well, I'll keep that open as an option for me." An amused smile. "Should I ever get too tired of being part of humanity." He doubted that he ever would, given how much that he loved all people. Still, he had to wonder how many of his companion's kind were on the Barge. He supposed that it didn't matter so long as they all lived with one another, no one was really separate.

"Ah, I do know what that is like." He spent some time living with just memories while he was under house arrest, even heard their voices and saw their shapes as he walked through the manor. A soft smile to himself, then let it go.

"Then, so long as we block no one else's light, I believe we will do well with one another." Treize finally took a bite of the apple that he took. He continued to take the time to savor the taste of it, before stating with finality. "Delicious."

[feels_no_love]

"I think a man such of yourself would be...welcome by most lineages here, certainly mine." Actually he wanted to get to know the man better first, but that did not seem so unpleasant a task.

"Although there is much in my history that I savor, some memories are not worth bringing up. But I imagine that these will fade as new memories of note are made in this place." He peered up through the branches of the fruit trees.

Just the scent of the apple was pleasant--though not appetizing. More like smelling a perfume. "Good."

Not blocking each other's light. For some reason that reminded him again of the Flood, and of the image of his own smirking face looming over him before the torture had started. He had spent many, many years blocking the light of others. But here? Here he had not done so so very much, even if it had cost him sometimes. "A difficult practice, but a useful one in a small, closed community."

[congratulating]

"I'm grateful and flattered that you see me as such." Like how he said he was human, like how he said he was from Earth; he did not like the idea of separating himself too much from any race.

"Like any painting, the mind can always have something added to leave only beauty." Another bite of his apple. "Still, if you are feeling plagued with less than beautiful things, your Warden seems like he would be willing to offer a sympathetic ear, Vladislaus."

A beat. "Of course, I too would be willing to hear such things if you cannot share with him. To hide that would only bring eventual peeling across something that was once lovely." He smiled lightly at the agreement that his brief snack was good.

"It is." Treize did sigh once. "I feel some Wardens could learn to such a lesson even more than Inmates. To take the light of those that you are trying to teach, it will hardly bring the growth that they are hoping, yes?"

[feels_no_love]

He nodded along with Treize's assessment of Armand. "He is a decent man with good intentions, and we seem to be doing all right together. Though I admit...sometimes I am concerned that the brutal details of my past existence may cause him to lose some sleep."

He looked around. "At any rate, thank you for the offer. If it becomes necessary a confidant with a mastery of old school courtesy is always welcome." In truth he did not know how much to tell the man, but he was certainly enjoying the conversation as much as he was able.

"If inmates had some form of right of appeal, at least, in the case of those Wardens who oppress rather than teach, I would feel better about the situation." That was simplistic; the truth is that he felt no particular way, but he had in fact given the matter much thought after Franklin's captivity.

[congratulating]

"He does seem like a rather ... delicate sort." He was careful not to say anything unsavory about Armand, someone who showed him courtesy and said that he could be trusted was one that did not deserve to have any negative words said about them. "Still, he would not be a Warden if he could not handle such things. We should continue to have faith in him, yes?"

A slight bow of his head with a gesture of his free hand to say just how he appreciated those words. "I'm flattered, and you are welcome. I have no reason to judge you as I am also an inmate, after all. The only judgement I really ever make is that of those who cannot be courtesy to another individual."

Treize hummed softly, taking another bite of the apple. He remained silent for a time, before adding. "When the just become unjust, they should be taught how they should act. It seems like if that should happen, either a Warden or inmate should be told. Action must be taken to ensure that needless force is not used."

[feels_no_love]

"Yes, I shall." Actually his faith in Armand had been wavering, first on seeing his reaction to Dracula's file, then on being left alone with his suffering during the Flood. And he did not have faith in the position of Warden at all, not after seeing what Wardens could get away with. But he smiled and nodded politely.

"Courtesy is a dying art, and one which helps avoid a great deal of unpleasantness." And often set the tone for whether Dracula would bother with a mortal or not, but that was another story.

"The problem is that if Inmates take care of a justice problem aboard the Barge, it will likely be viewed as a rebellion and put down. Currently, we are dealing with an attempt to use social pressure to gain justice against one of the more corrupt Wardens, and it is not working very well."

[congratulating]

"It shows that we see one another rather than see through one another." He added, agreeing with what his companion was saying once more