The Stars Are Laughing (Private)

[Veranda Kingsford]

Veranda noted his unhappiness. Ringing up that topic hurt him. A lot. And her fake perkiness wasn’t helping. She disregarded it. Had she been of clear mind it would have looked genuine. Of course had she been clear headed she wouldn’t have brought it up. She felt guilty for asking. That must mean her head was putting itself back together. Or trying to.

“Oh, a few months now.” She said, reaching out and locking her arm around Jordan’s. She wasn’t flirting, this time she was simply being friendly. She wanted to express to him it was alright to hurt, but she didn’t know how, not without bringing it all up again.

“I came in on a ship. Being a new vampire trapped in a ship is…difficult. I was quite the burden on Julien and Coriander. Still am I guess, but I was bad before. Like a fitful infant I guess.” She said softly. “I still am pathetic in many ways. But I’m working on it.”

[Jordan Hielo]

He looked down as her arm locked with his, and he steadied his arm to fit more comfortably with hers. It calmed him down slightly, a part of his smile a bit more genuine.

Jordan remembered going to Avaleur on one of the boats. He didn't care to admit to anyone he had been seasick almost the entire time, not being used to the waves of the ocean. Ariving was one of the most exciting days of his life. Meeting a few knights, finding a new home.

He had almost forgotten he had been mute once. He wondered how he had ever gotten by, communicating without speaking.

He placed his other hand on top of her arm as her voice got soft once more. And, with a smile he spoke calmly.
"Pathetic? Oh, I think you're hardly that. The way you got those women out of my shop was magnificent. And you were real quick acting when you heard the guards coming."

He paused for a moment, thinking, before confirming to her, "You're damn good for a new vampire, Veranda."

[Veranda Kingsford]

Veranda looked at Jordan as he paid her compliments. She smiled at him before looking ahead again. He could really only say such thing because he hadn’t met Cori or Jules. Hopefully he’d never meet Cori. Julien, there was a chance, if they continued to do business. Though they seemed to be a bit beyond professionalism at this point.

“I’m just a bitch. I am really good at scaring people off. And I could hear the guards coming, it only made sense to get out.” She said. “Honestly, if you met Julien or Cori you’d realize how powerful they are. How dangerous and amazing. I’m nothing when compared to them.” She said softly. “But with time I could be something. Maybe I won’t be powerful in magic or able to become someone’s nightmare, but maybe I can at least be worthy enough to stand by their side. To stand by Julien.” She said, shrugging.

[Jordan Hielo]

The side of his mouth twitched; did she really feel so insignificant standing by those two? Or did they make her feel that way? Either or, Jordan didn't exactly feel comfortable with the thought.

"I'm assuming they've had a lot more time to practice. I wouldn't expect a person practicing ice magic to be at the level I am. Calling yourself nothing compared to them isn't exactly correct, now is it?" the ice elemental smirked, gently gripping her arm a little more tightly.
"I'm sure you're better at things than they are, even if it isn't power. Bet you can seduce lonely travelers much better than they can," he laughed. It was probably true; she had flirted with him constantly. He could only imagine what she could do if she really wanted something.

"And your boyfriend should be a person you always feel significant to stand beside anyways. If you feel like you're not, well, you should talk to him."
He was about to finish speaking, realizing he had already said quite a bit, when he had just one more thing to say. Trying to get his two cents in.

"As for being a bitch, I suppose that depends person to person. You haven't been anything of the sort to me," he shrugged slightly so as not to disturb her arm. "So really... you need to give yourself more credit."

He was being awfully nice. Jordan assumed it was because he was in a bad place himself. And if he could lift up her spirits, he might feel better himself.

[Veranda Kingsford]

Veranda blinked and smiled at Jordan’s words. She shrugged when he said she was better at the other two at something. Including seduction.

“I suppose I am. Julien could probably pull it off but he hasn’t had to coax people for as long as I have. Cori would scare them away. Period.” She said, giggling as she pictured the tall, dark vampire trying to flirt with a young maiden. She found the idea a tad funny.

“I’m also probably the best with blades too.” She added, patting the sword that was in its scabbard on her back. She paused though when Jordan said she should talk to Julien. Perhaps she should. When was the last time they had a meaningful conversation anyways? Well, it was due time. Perhaps when she returned home they’d have a chat, like old times.

“Thanks Jordan. You know how to cheer a girl up.”

[Jordan Hielo]

The smile on his face was now a true real smile; it wasn't big, but it was decent. The fact that his words had cheered the girl up made him feel much better about himself. It made him feel better than he had since Myra left.

In Jordan's mind, the best medicine was in fact making someone else smile. At least for the night, he would be much happier.

"It's not a problem Veranda."
He didn't have much else to say. She had helped him just as much as he had helped her.

They approached the forest, and walked down the forest paths built upon the feet of strangers and carriages of goods. The feeling of softer earth was welcoming to Jordan after that day of work. Stone and wooden floors were just too much for the man who preferred the forests.

"I suppose I'd better be your go-to guy now for those knives, hm?" the elemental smiled as he joked. He never expected a customer to come back, even now despite that this wasn't a normal situation a customer and her salesmen would be put into.

[Veranda Kingsford]

“Yes.” Veranda laughed, “I suppose you would be the man to go to for knives. I don’t know if I’ll run short on them as often as I did once before. I used them quite often as a human to defend myself. But now that I’m stronger and faster there doesn’t seem to be as great a need.” She said. Not that her knives did much good when the albino demon had come after her…

She looked around, noting the reached the forest. She smiled, waiting till they were several yards in before she tensed her legs and leaped easily, though not with as much of her usual grace, up to a tree branch. She balanced on the branch a moment before giggling. The freedom she had in the forest was nice. No pretending to be a human here. She jumped over to another branch, participating in an action that would be quite dangerous to her considering her state of mind, but she found the head rush pleasant.

“How much further from here?” She asked, looking down at the elemental. In the shadows of the forest her eyes seemed to glow in the night.

[Jordan Hielo]

He nearly had a heart attack when she jumped in the tree- lurching forward, arms slightly outstretched in case she were to fall. He was still tense, but sighed out a slight breath of relief when she was in balance.

Calm yourself... she's fine, he reassured himself. But his body stayed slightly tense.

He continued walking, careful to stay as close as possible in case she fell. Leaping from tree to tree seemed dangerous in her state of mind, but he knew he couldn't exactly boss her around.

But he found her gaze captivating in the night as they stared down at him. He had never really went out hunting in the night much. Most animals were sleeping, or too quick. So to see eyes so light was a fair difference.

"It really depends on the day," he called up, alternating between looking at her and looking on the road.
"Tonight at this time? I'd assume not long. Ten minutes at most, if we hustle. Why? That excited to see my mess of a home?"

He chuckled, his tense body lightening a bit as he scratched at his scruff with amusement.

[Veranda Kingsford]

Veranda laughed as Jordan mentioned his mess of a house. She sat down on a branch a moment, looking up at the stars.

“Messy? At least it is lived in. You should see the place I live in.” She remarked. Talk about your stereotypical horror house. Sometimes she just wanted to get some paints and throw it everywhere just to get some color. Maybe do some dusting. Something! She leaned back, and gravity took hold of her and she slipped from the branch, did one flip in the air, before landing neatly on her feet, like a cat.

“Let’s not waste any time then, hm? I feel like I could fall asleep and sleep forever!” She said, seeming lively despite the statement. It was true though. She felt if she stopped moving and got a moment’s comfort sitting somewhere she’d fall asleep. She knew the feeling well. She felt it often when she was drunk as a human. She paused. This was the first mind altering substance she consumed that didn’t make her want to kill everything. Perhaps…she found a replacement for her drink? She shook her head. No no, best not to entertain such ideas.

[Jordan Hielo]

He couldn't complain about that; Jordan would much prefer a messy home to a clean, plain home. He could never feel at home with little amounts of random things scattering the tabletops and floors.

As she began to fall back he tensed up, ready to go towards her, when she did a flip. Jordan sighed with amusement as she landed on her feet.
Talk about giving me a hemorrhage... he thought to himself as he rubbed at the back of his head. She would be the death of him, he couldn't help to think.

He nodded in agreement, moving a bit quicker now. He fixed the things on his back as he walked, the items beginning to fall off his shoulder.

"I sometimes get the feeling," he chuckled; maybe he was feeling like that now. He never used to work this late. He would have to force himself to home at a more usual time from now on.

After a moment of silence, Jordan asked, "So what're the people you live with like?"

[Veranda Kingsford]

Veranda spun, eying Jordan a long time. After a moment she turned around to walk forward again. She certainly couldn’t tell him much. Not without risking Coriander, or Julien. But she wouldn’t lay out a map to their front door.

“I live with monsters.” She said simply. It was the best way to describe them. Cori, the ancient vampire that wished to spread fear in his name. Julien, Cori’s apprentice and eager student of the kill. Veranda? Currently a bit of a nuisance. Hm.

“But let’s not talk about them. Talk about them makes me feel bad. Besides, you’d probably have nightmares.” She joked, falling back to walk beside Jordan. She gave his cheek a playful poke, smiling. Hm, she almost felt like her old self. Her human self…was that good? It wouldn’t seem like it, but she felt like her happy human self. Not her miserable and dying human self. That was something, right? Was it good? Considering the lessons she was taking, it seemed counterproductive, but it was nice to forget her troubles with Jules for a while.

[Jordan Hielo]

It seemed like a bad question to ask, as Veranda spung around. Jordan stopped in his tracks in weariness. He didn't think she would hurt him, only that he had upset her somehow. And things had been going so well. He was about to speak up, say to forget he asked anything, when she spoke.

It sent a slight chill down his spine. An uncomfortable chill. Did they treat her badly? Is that why they were monsters? Or were they killers of the night, like her?
He had to rethink that statement. A monster would have killed him in the night too. She was certainly not a monster to him, not yet. But maybe these people she lived with got amusement out of killing everything in sight.

He bit at the side of his lip when she said it would make her feel bad speaking of them. Jordan wondered why, but continued walking just as she came back to go with him.

He shut the eye of the cheek she poked, turning to look. But he had to smile as she did. If he didn't think too hard, it would seem as if that entire previous conversation had not happened, the way she was smiling.

Certainly, he could not bring that up again.

He shoved one hand into his pocket, the other hanging loose at his side.
"So how's your head feeling now? Better I hope?" he asked, amused slightly. He wondered if the stars were still giggling in her head.

[Veranda Kingsford]

“Actually, now that you mention it…” Veranda trailed off, staring off into the woods a moment. She thought she saw some weird glowing light, and it only took until the light morphed into a winged unicorn that she realized it was in her head. Well, it didn’t seem to be out of her system quite yet. She giggled and shook her head.

“Now that you mention it I think I’m getting better. The more it wears off, the more tired I feel.” She said, shrugging. Oh well. She’d fall asleep at Jordan’s place, wake up early, preferably before him, and leave. Maybe leave a note thanking him for his kindness. Then probably going running off through the woods or something. No way was she returning home with her head hanging like this. Plus, the woods were rather beautiful. Maybe spending a few nights out in the wilderness, practice her vampire powers. Find some strangling folk in the forest and try to use the boogie magic on them. She doubted it would work. But she would always try.

“You live alone?” She asked, stepping on a root in the path and nearly falling, colliding with Jordan. She laughed, enjoying the slight swimmy feeling in her head. “Oops.” She mumbled, righting herself and dusting herself off before continuing on like nothing happened. How clumsy she was! It was actually sad for a vampire like her to be so clumsy. She had quite the natural grace even as human. Oh what a night.

[Jordan Hielo]

At the very least he didn't have to be too worried anymore; she did seem better. He breathed a small sigh of relief at the knowledge of her getting better. He did hope that she would not pass out before they arrived; they were nearly there after all. It would be a slight pain to carry her the rest of the way, along with the things on his back.

He was about to answer her question, when he was thumped. Not on purpose of course. He didn't have time to catch her, to his disdain, but Veranda quickly caught hold of herself.

Really now, he thought to himself with slight amusement, I hope this is the only time she's been like this. Gods know what could have happened to her in this state without anyone around.

He couldn't, however, stop himself from muttering a small, "Be careful," as they walked.

For a moment there was silence, before he remembered.
"Oh yes, you asked me if I live alone," he laughed, rubbing at his head in a bit of embarrassment. It was as if he had ignored the lady's question entirely. Jordan felt it rather rude of him.

"Ah, yes. Not for very long, but yes. So you don't have to worry about intruding, I could certainly do with some company," he joked ever so slightly.

[Veranda Kingsford]

Veranda waited patiently for his answer, all while taking in the sights of the forest around them. The trees were so tall and old, the flowers closing up for the night, the settling dew. It was so lovely. She remembered, a long time ago, she had been a battered child walking a forest path like this one. Barefoot and bruised she wandered through a great forest all night, desperate to get away from those who pursued her. How long ago it now seemed. The things she saw and did since then.

“Well at least I won’t be waking anyone up. I don’t think I’m very quiet.” She said, looking up at the stars. Her favorite thing about the night. The beautiful stars. She’d have to try sleeping out in the woods, deep into the shadow of the trees, one night. It’d be nice. The stars didn’t shine so brightly in Merovech. Of course she didn’t have a vampire’s enhanced abilities to look at them either.

She smiled, seeing one bright star that burned red in the sky.

“Ah! See that one?” She pointed it out. “That one is special. A slave boy of my father’s once told me he’d pluck it from the sky one day and give it to me. When we were both children this was.” She said, smiling. Funny, if he came to her now with a star in his hands she’d probably say no. She’d prefer if Julien gave her that star.

[Jordan Hielo]

He thought about how he was lucky then, that he was a deep sleeper. He was much too tired to be woken up in the middke of the night by Veranda bouncing off the walls. He could see it happening in fact. But he did chuckle; a not so quiet vampire. Surely that was quite a weakness to the species, being loud.

Jordan continued to look ahead, the familiar paths guiding his way home. The chilly air felt welcoming to him, calming his nerves. The elemental couldn't help but feel at home here. He wondered if he would eved live in solitude, as he had dreamed of in past times?

That idea passed; he had grown attatched to other peoples company since he had moved to Avaleur. He probably couldn't live the way he had dreamed anymore. And to his surprise it didnt make him feel bad.

Jordan looked up at the star Veranda pointed to, admiring the beauty of the red star. He looked at the woman with an eyebrow raised, lips curved up; the love of a child was preciius. To promise so much, and to believe it too. He wondered if he had ever gave away promises such as those in his younger days.

"I would assume the that that is one of your favourite stars?" He asked, looking up to the beauty once more.

[Veranda Kingsford]

Veranda remained silent a while after Jordan asked his question. Was this star a favorite? Was it that special? She mused over this, watching the little red speck of light twinkle in the darkness.

“I don’t think so. It was special, and still is I suppose, like most childhood dreams are, but I don’t think it is my favorite.” She said softly. She lifted a hand, making a circle with her thumb and index finger, and she trained the red star in the middle of that circle, as if she were using a looking device to peer up at the star.

“I guess that slave boy was the closest friend I had in those days. He and I played in the apple orchards together all the time. He was even the one who let me escape from the locked wagon…” She said softly, trailing off. It had been terribly risky of that boy. But he had let her go, and she had ran and ran, so afraid they’d find her. She hadn’t stopped moving until the next morning, when she stumbled upon the little farm that contained the man who taught her everything she needed to survive. The farm where her horse, Roger, had been born. The memory of that black horse pained her. She missed Roger terribly.

A memory surfaced suddenly, of her at ten years old, laying on her back in the middle of a grassy, unkept field. Beside her was that man, the one who saved her, the old mercenary who took her in. Brom was his name. Despite his age he was still strong, his body riddled with scars from past battles. He pointed up to the same red star and spoke in his rough voice.

“See that ‘un there Veranda? That star is special to me. I promised that star to my lovely lass long ago.”

Veranda dropped her hand, eyes a bit wide. Brom’s star! How could she forget that the star was Brom’s star!

“Oh! I change my mind! It is my favorite.” She said, looking at Jordan, smiling. “I just remembered something. That star also belonged to someone very special to me.” She said, looking back up to it. Guess the drug in her system was good for something. She remembered Brom’s star after all these years.

[Jordan Hielo]

To have something as special as a star. Jordan couldn't help but feel both amusement and wistfulness. A star meaning so much to someone; it was a pleasant thought to Jordan. The elemental continued to stare up at the star.

He tried to think of anything so special to him, and could think of nothing. Only things that used to be special to him. The theater used to be special; now a distasteful memory.
Even the things in him home that he could not bare to throw out left him feeling bad, when they used to make him feel at home.

But he reassured himself that one day he would have something like a star to make him feel good.

He opened his mouth to ask Veranda what she meant by 'locked wagon', but shut it when she looked deep in thought. His head turned to look ahead of them, as he bit the inner sides of his cheeks.
Had she been a slave? A prisoner? She was a child during those times, so both thoughts seemed terrible. Maybe it was a nickname she gave her home. Any way, he had no idea.

Just what was her life all about?

He jumped slightly as she spoke again; but his deep thoughts vanished, and were replaced with a smile and a happy feeling. So it was her favourite star.
The elemental looked up and nodded.
"Aye. It's worthy to be someones favourite."

He chuckled, rubbing at the back of his head. Was he really so bland as to not have a favourite star? A favourite memory? Was his life that boring?
It is better to be boring than to be hurt, he thought to himself, as he looked at Veranda once more.

In the distance, a small village could be seen. No one wandered about, being too late in the night. A small river was before it, a bridge guiding their path.
Soon they would be in the comfort in Jordan's home.

"Veranda..." he began, biting at his cheek again, unsure of if he wanted to continue."What did you mean by the locked wagon?"

[Veranda Kingsford]

Veranda continued to gaze up at the star, watching it twinkle and sparkle its rose red color. She missed Brom dearly. He had been a rough man, a man many wouldn’t be able to love at first site, but he was a good man. He hadn’t taken Veranda in with hardly a second thought. He trained her in the way of the blade, taught her how to survive on her own. She had learned to steal and become a professional thief after he died. How strange it was for Brom to become ill and slip away so quickly. Or so it seemed to Veranda at the time. When she got older and thought it over, she realized he had been dying long before that awful month when he finally collapsed. Perhaps before she even met him. And he had known, but never told her. Not till it was too obvious to her.

Veranda paused in her steps and gazed down at the village. Small and tucked away in the dark. She wondered how many time Julian and Coriander went down there and terrorized people. Killed people. There was a thrill to what they did, and she herself felt it. But sometimes, when her insomnia was on the loose, she’d gaze up at the ceiling of the old house while morning light tried to squeeze it’s way in, and she’d wonder what was the point. She could become a legend, and goddess of horror so to speak. Then what? What does one do with the rest of that eternity? Perhaps it was best not to dwell. She was still a young vampire. She hadn’t even lived out the rest of her first life so to speak.

She turned and looked at Jordan as he spoke her name, followed by a rather hard question. The answer was simple actually, the implications and memories were not. She looked at Jordan a moment before turning her gaze back to the village.

“I meant what I said.” She said finally. “A locked wagon. You know, the big wagons horses pull with a cage on top?” She turned from the village and its shining lights and continued to walk on. She could go on. Satisfy whatever curiosity he had. But she was starting to come down from the high and felt less inclined to share such sensitive parts of herself. It wasn’t something she wanted to talk about. Not the whole thing anyways. She could tell him some of the story. Not all of it. Julian was the only one privy to all of it, and even then she didn’t dive into it with him.

[Jordan Hielo]

Jordan rubbed at his arm in discomfort; even as they neared his quiet forest village that always seemed to calm his nerves, the thought of someone he actually knew being held in a cage was unnerving, to say the least.
He followed her as he walked, looking at her with a mouth open. Ready to speak. But he could make no sound. He shut up; deciding that he had already dwelled deep enough into her past. They had only just met after all.

The ice elemental, always such a gentleman, had not exactly been one that night.

Still uncomfortable he walked on with the vampire, closer and closer until they were inside the village. Down the riverbed he spotted a large tree, a house built into it like art. He coughed.

"That's my house," he pointed to it, picking up his pace slightly. Eager to go home to his warm bed. Perhaps forgetting that there was no one at home waiting for him anymore.

"Sorry, by the way. About how many questions I've been asking," his hands once again got shoved into his pocket, items on his back becoming loose on his shoulder.
"It's not exactly kind of me, seeing as what situation you're in."

His body seemed to relax more as they got closer to his home.