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Welt? Can we talk?
Privately somewhere?
Oh before you worry, I'm completely okay!
Privately somewhere?
Oh before you worry, I'm completely okay!
The new park that just opened up!
Not too far in.
Not too far in.
Understood. I'll be right there.
[ 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?
[ 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?
[ 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! ]
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?
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?
... Well...
[ Well.
Tsuruno closes her eyes briefly. ]
I have something like that core you mentioned. It's a gem, actually. And if it's ever crushed or taken away, I don't just lose my ability to use any kind of power, I... I die.
[ Well.
Tsuruno closes her eyes briefly. ]
I have something like that core you mentioned. It's a gem, actually. And if it's ever crushed or taken away, I don't just lose my ability to use any kind of power, I... I die.
[ 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. ]
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.
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.
[ anything in the name of making his conversational partner feel more at ease. ]
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. ]
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. ]
[ Just right out with it, huh?
Because they don't have anything like magical girls where he comes from (outside of entertainment, that is, and who knows how much he even bothers to turn on the television these days), he takes the time to digest this new information instead of just barreling right ahead. ]
Is your gem easy to remove?
[ Like the fact that she just DIES if her gem is destroyed is real bad, but if it's not easily accessible then maybe it's a little less? bad?? ]
Because they don't have anything like magical girls where he comes from (outside of entertainment, that is, and who knows how much he even bothers to turn on the television these days), he takes the time to digest this new information instead of just barreling right ahead. ]
Is your gem easy to remove?
[ Like the fact that she just DIES if her gem is destroyed is real bad, but if it's not easily accessible then maybe it's a little less? bad?? ]
[ 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?
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?
Yeah.
[ And she holds out her left hand, where there's a silver ring on her middle finger, bearing a reddish-orange gem. ]
It can take a few different forms, but technically, it's always accessible. And I have to stay close to it.
[ And she holds out her left hand, where there's a silver ring on her middle finger, bearing a reddish-orange gem. ]
It can take a few different forms, but technically, it's always accessible. And I have to stay close to 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. ]
[ 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. ]
Will do! I'll see you then, Mr. Fell.
[ 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.
[ 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.
[ Look at that, they're almost matchies.
The sight of the ring has him frowning, because it seems dangerous to have something so important just laid bare in the open like that. What if someone steals it? What if it gets lost somehow? ]
How close is close? [ Concerning wording.... ]
The sight of the ring has him frowning, because it seems dangerous to have something so important just laid bare in the open like that. What if someone steals it? What if it gets lost somehow? ]
How close is close? [ Concerning wording.... ]
... It's bad if it gets more than one hundred meters from me.
[ well, there you go. ]
[ well, there you go. ]
[ 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.
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.
[ At some point in the conversation, Midnight picks up a leg and pulls his ankle to himself in a lazy half-crisscross, sipping quietly at his juicebox. Someone who, over the course of a life of hardships, relied on the kindness of others to pull through to the other side, someone now in a position to help others in kind. He knows kindness isn't especially rare... But it's not that common, either. ]
Then I have those people to thank as well, don't I? For caring for you so well, so kindly, that you now sit next to me, treating me with the same generosity.
[ Midnight sits for a moment, tapping his juicebox with a finger. ]
I suppose... I don't have quite the same relationship with others. I asked you somewhat out of convenience, seeing as how we live so close, but even if we'd been living quite a ways from each other, I think you still would have been high on a very, very short list. I'm... uncertain as to who else to ask, honestly speaking. Which is none of your concern, I realize. It's just.
[ Midnight gestures with his juicebox. ]
It's either this, or, ah, finding my appetite for the city's food again, and I can't tell which would be an easier endeavor.
Then I have those people to thank as well, don't I? For caring for you so well, so kindly, that you now sit next to me, treating me with the same generosity.
[ Midnight sits for a moment, tapping his juicebox with a finger. ]
I suppose... I don't have quite the same relationship with others. I asked you somewhat out of convenience, seeing as how we live so close, but even if we'd been living quite a ways from each other, I think you still would have been high on a very, very short list. I'm... uncertain as to who else to ask, honestly speaking. Which is none of your concern, I realize. It's just.
[ Midnight gestures with his juicebox. ]
It's either this, or, ah, finding my appetite for the city's food again, and I can't tell which would be an easier endeavor.
It's like I said. Take it too far away and I die. And maybe that's temporary, if it's brought back in time, but either way, it's...
[ She swallows, hard. ]
It's called a Soul Gem for a reason--it's literally my soul.
[ She swallows, hard. ]
It's called a Soul Gem for a reason--it's literally my soul.
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