It's good to hear from you, Tsuruno. I'm doing alright, despite everything that's happened. [ Minus the nightmares and also the suspicious timing of a forgotten photo. ] It seems like things are always lively around here, for better or worse.
But what about you? How've you been? Have you found some people to help you out with your goals yet?
I have a few leads that I need to look into. But then this happened, so I thought maybe I should wait just in case I accidentally made people talk about things they didn't really want to...
[ It's not hard to notice that people have been talking about their pasts with grimaces and great reluctance in some cases. She's also felt the urge herself, though hers isn't anything traumatic or upsetting. ]
Mr. Fell! A pleasure to hear from you again, and I hope you're doing well.
It has been rather exciting of late, hasn't it, though I think I'm starting to wish for a little less excitement in the upcoming weeks. Lending a hand with your data collection sounds like the perfect balance and I would be delighted to meet up whenever you have the time. Do you already have a location in mind?
[ He pauses here, wondering if he should also format his text like a letter. No harm in doing so, he supposes. ]
[ And, true to his word, Welt does show up in the lush city park fifty-five minutes later (because it would be terribly rude to make the other man wait), dressed in a light coat and snooping around the greenery once again.
Regardless of whether Aziraphale is already there or is ambling up at the actual alloted time, Welt gives him a friendly wave. ]
[ They've figured out by now that the most comfortable place to do this is with Welt lying slightly reclined on a sofa and Midnight next to him, sitting in a chair pulled from the table, holding Welt's arm steady as he sucks gently at the flow of blood from the inside of his elbow. There are snacks and fruit juice on the side table next to them, along with tissues and bandages. It's a pretty well-oiled machine by now.
The only awkward part on Midnight's part was having to send the first text, sitting down and making the initial explanation. "It's ice cream incident. It'll only be until there's no danger in taking the blood at the grocery store." And that's the truth! It really is. Midnight was even willing to call it a mental block, something that he'd get over at some point soon. Very soon. He never meant to make this someone else's problem, and he means it.
The actual process, though... Well, as long as Welt was willing, Midnight's done a couple of feedings before, enough to make figuring out logistics relatively easy. Is... is this normal now? Midnight's not really thinking about it in those terms, outside of not wanting it to be normal, but at least the process is smooth now. (He's serious about this being temporary. The only awkward part of this whole mess was having to show up at Welt's door in the first place.)
He pulls away, licks his lips, then grabs an alcohol wipe and presses it against the fangmarks. ]
Think I'm done. Phew.
[ He feels a lot better. Warmer. Less hungry.
(Does he think about this in terms of having his mouth on someone else's skin? Honestly, yes and no. Yes, in that it's necessary; no, as in... Come on, it's like sucking out poison from a scalebeast bite, except he's the one benefitting from the process. Midnight's good at focusing on the bigger picture.) ]
[ Somehow, despite the longevity of his life and the innumerable incidents he's experienced thus far that would sound like tales out of a science fiction novel to anyone else, Welt has never had a vampire drink his blood. It's...well, truthfully it's a much tidier and quicker affair than he'd imagined it to be. No blood dripping all over clothes and carpet, no violent impulses to sink fangs into delicate flesh and suck until there's nothing left.
So much for all the novels he'd read in his youth.
But, he thinks to himself as he takes over pressing the alcohol wipe to his skin and propping himself back up to a more seated position, he much prefers it this way. Less cleaning to do, for one. ]
How are you feeling?
[ Never mind that he'd been the one to get sucked on like some sort of juice box; if he can lose his whole body and still come crawling back then a little blood loss definitely won't kill him. ]
[ Well, that all sounds very messy! Despite Midnight's appearance, his personal habits are surprisingly fastidious. All that blood from an attack would definitely be way too hard to clean.
That's neither here nor there, though. Midnight licks his teeth, snags two cartons of juice from the table, and offers both flavors — orange and apple — before taking the remainder for himself, holding it in his hand. He'd... like a sip, if only to rinse his teeth off, but he's still antsy about the endeavor. (Sipping a sippy straw is an endeavor now. Incredible.) ]
Mm. Much better. [ Midnight leans back in his seat, tapping on his carton and watching Welt go about patching himself up. This is the same response as last time, and the time before, but this one seems more thoughtful than before. ]
Don't like the idea of squeezing you dry, though. I... want this to be the last time, at least for a little while.
[ He takes the apple juice box with a grateful smile, feeling only the slightest bit light-headed as movement after all that blood loss finally starts hitting him. He's never given blood before (though he's had plenty taken from him against his will) but Midnight has been so courteous about this whole affair that maybe it wouldn't be so bad to offer his blood up the next time a struggling vampire lands on his doorstep.
Then again, maybe this is just a Midnight special and he really shouldn't be so trusting of all other bloodseekers in the future. ]
It'll take a lot more than that to squeeze me dry, don't you worry. But I appreciate your consideration all the same.
[ He really means it; all his future experiences with vampires are going to be held up to this one and they are all probably going to fall short to be honest!! ]
Still, you should worry about yourself more. [ Or don't, because there are probably plenty of people worrying enough for him. ] If you need it, I'm sure there would be plenty of people here willing to assist. [ With being voluntary juice boxes, that is. ] Though....I guess that's not really the problem, is it?
Well, yes, but I'd like for you to walk around without a bandage for a bit, all the same.
[ Welt is far from clumsy, and he's the sort of person who tends to attract other good, sensible people who will eventually notice upward of six puncture marks on his arm. Really, even without Welt's personal comfort in mind, a change in plans is far overdue.
Does Midnight actually have a plan? Well... a few... multiple, because he hasn't thought any of them through enough to figure out if one is more likely to succeed than the other.
He sighs, punctures his orange juice, and takes a beat to stare at Welt's progress with his box before taking a cautious sip of his own. That's right. Baby steps. ]
It's... more than that, yeah.
[ He fiddles with his straw for a bit. ]
Bit of a belated question, I realize, but was there a particular reason why you decided to help me? I never did give you much in the way of an explanation outside of telling you that I needed blood for a bit. I was a bit surprised by your alacrity.
[ This isn't actually him avoiding the topic... It's more of a tangent he's aiming to loop back to the point. ]
[ Between the juice box in his hands and the bandaids on his arm, Welt feels a little like a child again being told to rest after a particularly bad tumble. It's a strange feeling but not entirely unpleasant, and his expression is clear as he listens to Midnight take the long way around.
Which is fine; he's got time and no desire to force answers out like toothpaste being squeezed out of its tube.
The question's something of a surprising one though, his eyes widening behind the rim of glasses as he takes another sip of his juice. Not entirely unexpected though given the strangeness of the situation; it's not every day a guy just casually lets a vampire suck their blood without any sort of explanation beforehand. At least the answer's easy enough to give. ]
I consider you a good friend. [ For all that they've known each other for a mere handful of months. ] Of course I'd help.
[ Okay, fine, he realizes how absolutely naive and guileless that sounds. ]
I haven't exactly had the easiest life—though I'm sure you could say that about a lot of folks around here. But I've always had people looking out for me, people offering me their hand even when they could have used more of a hand themselves. People who took me in when I was looking for a place to stay, and who never asked me about how or why I ended up where I did.
[ He shrugs, a crooked smile on his face. ]
I guess you could say I wanted to pay some of that forward. Do the same for others what those people did for me.
[ True to his word, he does arrive as soon as possible, barely stopping after that last message other than to grab a light coat. And despite her reassurances that she's fine, there's a decided look of worry on his face. ]
[ As promised, Tsuruno is fine! Hale and hearty, all limbs attached, lighting up with genuine happiness to see him even though the look on his face tells her she absolutely failed in assuaging his concerns.
Whoops. ]
No, nothing happened! There's just been something on my mind that I've been meaning to tell you about. I just... didn't want to worry you, so I've kept it to myself.
[ And then Robby went off on her for doing everything on her own and you know, she's trying to be better! ]
[ That's very mature of her, and honestly a lot better than he'd done when he was her age, so his expression softens a little. ]
Is that so? [ He thinks about mentioning how he would have worried anyway because that's what friends do, worry about each other, but holds onto that thought for now. ] I'm all ears though. What did you want to tell me about?
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audio; un: mightiest
[ Because! He is a friend! ]
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It's good to hear from you, Tsuruno. I'm doing alright, despite everything that's happened. [ Minus the nightmares and also the suspicious timing of a forgotten photo. ] It seems like things are always lively around here, for better or worse.
But what about you? How've you been? Have you found some people to help you out with your goals yet?
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[ It's not hard to notice that people have been talking about their pasts with grimaces and great reluctance in some cases. She's also felt the urge herself, though hers isn't anything traumatic or upsetting. ]
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[ The words themselves are joking, but there's a serious undertone to it all. ]
What about you? Have you been "encouraged" to talk about anything you didn't want to?
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[ Sigh. ]
But the item itself was totally fine!
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[ ... She loves this cup. ]
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text; un: fell
I do believe it's been far too long since we spoke last. I fear I've gotten a little distracted with all the exciting events as of late.
Would you still be interested in assisting me with my information collection endeavours? If so, I would love to cut to the chase and simply meet!
Please let me know.
Kindest regards,
A.Z. Fell.
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It has been rather exciting of late, hasn't it, though I think I'm starting to wish for a little less excitement in the upcoming weeks. Lending a hand with your data collection sounds like the perfect balance and I would be delighted to meet up whenever you have the time. Do you already have a location in mind?
[ He pauses here, wondering if he should also format his text like a letter. No harm in doing so, he supposes. ]
Speak to you soon!
Welt Yang
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How about the park? When are you free?
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That sounds wonderful. I'm free any time you are; I don't exactly have too much going on right now that can't be easily moved around
[ imagine not having a 9-5 job anymore....wild. ]
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Admittedly that is the perk of our current situation! Boundless free time.
Please meet me in the park in about an hour.
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[ And, true to his word, Welt does show up in the lush city park fifty-five minutes later (because it would be terribly rude to make the other man wait), dressed in a light coat and snooping around the greenery once again.
Regardless of whether Aziraphale is already there or is ambling up at the actual alloted time, Welt gives him a friendly wave. ]
It's good to see you again.
action; sometime in early September;
The only awkward part on Midnight's part was having to send the first text, sitting down and making the initial explanation. "It's ice cream incident. It'll only be until there's no danger in taking the blood at the grocery store." And that's the truth! It really is. Midnight was even willing to call it a mental block, something that he'd get over at some point soon. Very soon. He never meant to make this someone else's problem, and he means it.
The actual process, though... Well, as long as Welt was willing, Midnight's done a couple of feedings before, enough to make figuring out logistics relatively easy. Is... is this normal now? Midnight's not really thinking about it in those terms, outside of not wanting it to be normal, but at least the process is smooth now. (He's serious about this being temporary. The only awkward part of this whole mess was having to show up at Welt's door in the first place.)
He pulls away, licks his lips, then grabs an alcohol wipe and presses it against the fangmarks. ]
Think I'm done. Phew.
[ He feels a lot better. Warmer. Less hungry.
(Does he think about this in terms of having his mouth on someone else's skin? Honestly, yes and no. Yes, in that it's necessary; no, as in... Come on, it's like sucking out poison from a scalebeast bite, except he's the one benefitting from the process. Midnight's good at focusing on the bigger picture.) ]
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So much for all the novels he'd read in his youth.
But, he thinks to himself as he takes over pressing the alcohol wipe to his skin and propping himself back up to a more seated position, he much prefers it this way. Less cleaning to do, for one. ]
How are you feeling?
[ Never mind that he'd been the one to get sucked on like some sort of juice box; if he can lose his whole body and still come crawling back then a little blood loss definitely won't kill him. ]
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That's neither here nor there, though. Midnight licks his teeth, snags two cartons of juice from the table, and offers both flavors — orange and apple — before taking the remainder for himself, holding it in his hand. He'd... like a sip, if only to rinse his teeth off, but he's still antsy about the endeavor. (Sipping a sippy straw is an endeavor now. Incredible.) ]
Mm. Much better. [ Midnight leans back in his seat, tapping on his carton and watching Welt go about patching himself up. This is the same response as last time, and the time before, but this one seems more thoughtful than before. ]
Don't like the idea of squeezing you dry, though. I... want this to be the last time, at least for a little while.
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Then again, maybe this is just a Midnight special and he really shouldn't be so trusting of all other bloodseekers in the future. ]
It'll take a lot more than that to squeeze me dry, don't you worry. But I appreciate your consideration all the same.
[ He really means it; all his future experiences with vampires are going to be held up to this one and they are all probably going to fall short to be honest!! ]
Still, you should worry about yourself more. [ Or don't, because there are probably plenty of people worrying enough for him. ] If you need it, I'm sure there would be plenty of people here willing to assist. [ With being voluntary juice boxes, that is. ] Though....I guess that's not really the problem, is it?
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[ Welt is far from clumsy, and he's the sort of person who tends to attract other good, sensible people who will eventually notice upward of six puncture marks on his arm. Really, even without Welt's personal comfort in mind, a change in plans is far overdue.
Does Midnight actually have a plan? Well... a few... multiple, because he hasn't thought any of them through enough to figure out if one is more likely to succeed than the other.
He sighs, punctures his orange juice, and takes a beat to stare at Welt's progress with his box before taking a cautious sip of his own. That's right. Baby steps. ]
It's... more than that, yeah.
[ He fiddles with his straw for a bit. ]
Bit of a belated question, I realize, but was there a particular reason why you decided to help me? I never did give you much in the way of an explanation outside of telling you that I needed blood for a bit. I was a bit surprised by your alacrity.
[ This isn't actually him avoiding the topic... It's more of a tangent he's aiming to loop back to the point. ]
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Which is fine; he's got time and no desire to force answers out like toothpaste being squeezed out of its tube.
The question's something of a surprising one though, his eyes widening behind the rim of glasses as he takes another sip of his juice. Not entirely unexpected though given the strangeness of the situation; it's not every day a guy just casually lets a vampire suck their blood without any sort of explanation beforehand. At least the answer's easy enough to give. ]
I consider you a good friend. [ For all that they've known each other for a mere handful of months. ] Of course I'd help.
[ Okay, fine, he realizes how absolutely naive and guileless that sounds. ]
I haven't exactly had the easiest life—though I'm sure you could say that about a lot of folks around here. But I've always had people looking out for me, people offering me their hand even when they could have used more of a hand themselves. People who took me in when I was looking for a place to stay, and who never asked me about how or why I ended up where I did.
[ He shrugs, a crooked smile on his face. ]
I guess you could say I wanted to pay some of that forward. Do the same for others what those people did for me.
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text; un: mightiest
Privately somewhere?
Oh before you worry, I'm completely okay!
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Of course? Where are you? I can meet you there right away?
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Not too far in.
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[ True to his word, he does arrive as soon as possible, barely stopping after that last message other than to grab a light coat. And despite her reassurances that she's fine, there's a decided look of worry on his face. ]
Tsuruno? Did something happen?
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Whoops. ]
No, nothing happened! There's just been something on my mind that I've been meaning to tell you about. I just... didn't want to worry you, so I've kept it to myself.
[ And then Robby went off on her for doing everything on her own and you know, she's trying to be better! ]
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Is that so? [ He thinks about mentioning how he would have worried anyway because that's what friends do, worry about each other, but holds onto that thought for now. ] I'm all ears though. What did you want to tell me about?
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