Vampire Castle

Emrys' steps echoed as he walked down a massive hallway of the Vampire Castle. Hands shoved into his pockets, he kept his head down whenever he passed by another vampire. While at first glance he may not appear to be a danger due to his rather slim stature, his eyes revealed his identity clearly. Unlike the crimson eyes of the rest of his species, his were an unusual, bright turquoise, signifying that there was something special about him. He supposed the odd color was due to his special ability of creating illusions. He had heard other people tell him that his gaze was particularly alluring and, since many were afraid of being cast under his illusions, refused to look at him. Thus he had gained the habit of always looking to the ground to ease their fears somewhat.


His meek disposition didn't exactly help his status either. While no one dared to pick a fight with him due to his power, they made up for it by ordering him to do their tasks for them. Emrys did so without complaint; it allowed him to leave the castle more often, which was always a relief. There were very few people inside the enormous building that were willing to talk to him.
 
Artois was bored; he was running out of things to entertain him. Things you could do when you were living in a castle were limited after all. Playing pranks on other vampires, exploring the castle and setting up some (not so) harmless booby trap had gotten old fast. Maybe he should find someone to mess around with for the time being. He smiled as he walked in the dimly-lighted hallway. He passed by some vampires as he did so, and while they bowed their head in respect, they were quick to avoid eye contact with him. Silently, he sneered; it was quite entertaining, in a way, to see their discomfort and reluctance around him. After all, he had always known how much he could make others feel unease, especially since he owned the power to access and mess with their minds. It's just quite funny how they still stick to him despite that.


"The weak will always tend to follow the strong in the end, I suppose," he chuckled.


Artois contemplated on visiting the other beings; maybe create a few ruckuses here and there, when his sharp red eyes caught sight of the slim figure of a certain vampire in the hallway. Grinning, he swiftly walked towards the vampire in long, fast strides and stopped directly in front of him.


"My, haven't you gotten tired of always keeping your gaze down like that?" he sneered.


@WhimsicalWriter
 
Emrys nearly glanced up in surprise, but stopped himself at the last moment. Normal vampires didn't like it when he looked at them, so he highly doubted that Artois would either. He bowed his head to his leader, staring at the floor. Naturally, he was on edge slightly more than usual. He wasn't sure why the other was asking him a question like that, or even talking to him at all. Either way, he knew he had to answer.


Yes. Yes, he was extremely tired of it. "I've gotten used to it." He responded instead. There was no point in complaining about something that wouldn't change. While he despised the fact that no one trusted him enough to allow him to look him in the eye, it was just something he had had to accept. Vampires weren't known to be sympathetic creatures, after all.
 
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Artois raised his eyebrows, partly amused and partly irritated that the other didn't look at him. He was used to people avoiding eye contact with him, but this particular vampire always kept his gaze down with practically everybody. Well, this vampire -- what was his name again? Ah, yes, Emrys -- had the power to create illusion by making eye contact, after all. Knowing that, normal people probably wouldn't want to make eye contact with him.


But hell, Artois was anything but normal, wasn't he? Things like the danger of being affected by other’s power were like trivial stuff to him. Besides, whether he liked it or not, this vampire was more or less his follower, his subordinate. If the leader himself didn’t trust his subordinate about such trivial thing, then who would?


Sighing in an exaggerated way, he put his left hand on the other vampire's shoulder and leaned closer. "Oh, but that won't do all," he whispered, smiling cheekily. "Isn't it quite rude not to look at the other's eyes when he's speaking…Emrys?"


(...Okay, he actually just wanted to mess around, really)
 
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Tensing at the unexpected touch, Emrys swallowed when he heard his name roll off the other's tongue. "...I suppose." He replied, carefully keeping his voice level. The thought of it being disrespectful had crossed his mind before, but it was something that couldn't be helped.


He had no idea what to expect now. Was Artois insinuating that he wanted him to make eye contact? Surely not. Maybe this was some kind of test or introduction to a punishment. He glanced to the hand on his shoulder. His gaze traveled uncertainly up his leader's pale arm, shoulder, and then neck. However, he quickly looked back down again before he could directly look at his face. He wasn't sure if he should risk that just yet.


"Most prefer that I don't, though." He stated, and then waited to see what he would say.
 
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Artois smirked when Emrys tensed under his touch. He was smiling when the other slowly lifted up his gaze, but his smile dropped when the other quickly looked back down.


Boy, this vampire wasn't making this easy at all, now, was he? Artois thought.


Not that he really minded. He always loved a challenge.


"That doesn't mean you have to keep your gaze down all the time," he said calmly. "If they're so scared, then they should be the one avoiding eye contact."


"Or... is it you who's actually scared?" Artois smirked.
 
"I'm not scared." Emrys immediately defended before he could think better of it. However, the other's words had chipped doubt into his resolve. Was he afraid of looking? Afraid of the distrust he'd see on their faces if he did? Logically speaking, what Artois said was true. That was everyone else's problem, not his. Yet he chose to be the one that was affected by it. Maybe he had just taken the easy way out of not having to face their judgments. He bit his lip, his sharp fangs reminding him to not put too much pressure in the anxious gesture lest he split skin.


His thoughts were spiraling into a direction he didn't want to go. Pushing them aside, he vehemently focused his attention on the situation at hand.


"I'm not." He repeated, and then dared to take the conversation on a different course. "...why are you asking me this? It doesn't affect you."
 
Oh? Artois raised his eyebrows as his eyes carefully taking notes of the other's reaction. Well... that was unexpected. He hadn't actually meant what he had just said -- it was just a spontaneous thing -- but Emerys seemed to be more affected by it than Artois first thought he would be. Artois could tell easily that the other was actually thinking about his words. It seemed that he had just planted a seed of doubt into the other's mind without him intending to. How...amusing.


Artois tilted his head slightly at the other's question. Others had asked similar questions to him before, when he seemed to pry into their business more than he ought to. Why do you care or why are you doing this. Well. To him, the answer to such a question was always a simple one.


"Because it seems interesting," he grinned, fully showing his razor-sharp fangs as his eyes held a glint of mirth.


"Because I'm bored and you seem interesting enough to mess with," he said. Then he hummed lightly before he continued. "Or... do you prefer it if I said that I was asking because I actually care? You can choose whichever answer you prefer."
 
Emrys' defensive behavior calmed in resignation. Now that answer was exactly what he should have expected. There was no reason for Artois to bother him unless it benefited him somehow. Not that he was sad about this; it was common practice with vampires to play around. Hell, Emrys wasn't completely guiltless either. He had been known to screw around with humans' vision when hunting them down, too caught up in the thrill of the hunt to feel bad about it.


However, he couldn't help but feel oddly...disappointed. That was probably because Artois had actually spoken to him instead of ignoring him. He didn't get to interact with others often, so even this uneasy conversation was almost welcome. A silly sentiment to be sure, but there wasn't much he could do about it except suppress it.


"The first one makes more sense. It doesn't matter which one I prefer." He answered.
 
“Is that so?” Artois hummed in reply. Though the other’s calm reaction was expected, he still felt kind of disappointed. He knew some other individuals who had reacted just as calmly as Emrys did. Such reaction was just no fun at all. But then again, messing around with such calm people had their own merits, especially when they broke down.


Though, he felt rather curious. For a moment there, was it a sliver of disappointment that he sensed from the other? Surely, it was not. If it was… well. Perhaps it was kind of cruel of him to reveal his motive so openly, after being rather over-familiar with the other like that, especially since it was very clear that the other rarely made such contact with other people.


(But in a way, wasn’t he actually being kind enough by answering honestly? The other should’ve just knew better than getting his hopes up)


Sighing lightly, he wrapped his arm around the other’s shoulders and leaned against the other’s body.


“Well, it’s okay if you choose the second answer, you know.”


“It’s normal if people want to dwell or believe in some sweet lies now and then. Especially if it makes you feel better,” Artois said, smirking. “You should know. You’re The Illusionist, after all.”
 
Tensing once again and unsure of what to think of the increased physical contact, he remained still. He briefly wondered what any passing vampires would think of this sight, but when he glanced around, there were none to be seen. Whether that was due to coincidence or Artois' presence he couldn't be sure.


"Yeah, I do know." He admitted. It was a crime he was entirely guilty of as well. He couldn't name how many times he had looked into a mirror in order to use his illusions on himself, temporarily escaping reality. It was a coward's way out, and he knew it, but the temptation was always there.


"It's a lot easier to fool people with illusions if they want to believe it's real. But those who try to deny reality always end up paying for it later." He stated. One thing he had learned during his younger days as a vampire was that the most troubled humans were the easiest to trick with happy pictures. They had wanted so desperately to believe in the false, cheerful images he created that they refused to acknowledge the danger they were in. That denial had ultimately led to their deaths at his fangs.
 
Artois silently enjoyed how the other tensed again at the physical contact. It made him wanted to tease the other somehow, to test out how far he could go with it before the other would push him away. He noticed how Emrys glanced at the surrounding and knew that the other probably had just realized the absence of any vampires in the hallway beside the two of them. Artois himself had realized it from quite some time ago, and he could’ve care less about it. He rarely ever cared of others other than the object of his interest after all.


Humming lightly, he silently listened to Emrys's words. He nearly laughed at the other’s responses. He had expected such answers to come from the other that it felt somewhat funny to hear him actually saying it, and slightly disappointing. After all, such views and responses were just so typical.


(But perhaps, it was just him who always had a distorted view of everything from the start)


Smiling, he said, “Even so, a short-lived happiness is better than nothing, isn’t it?” Even if they brought ruins, death at the end of everything. Even if they were fake, fake, fake, and will never be real.


“To continuously accept the cruelty of this world…” Without turning his head, Artois stretched his free arm towards the nearest window. As if pressed by unknown force, the glass began to crack. With a twist of his hand, the window shattered, sending shards of glass everywhere. “… can make a person break apart, after all.”


He looked down towards the shards of glass scattered on the floor. They glinted as the sunlight hit them through the gap of the broken window. He picked up a shard, inspecting it between his fingers.


“Besides, to see their face of realization when they were broken out of the illusion…”


He clenched his fist around the shard, letting its jagged edges drew blood at his hand. Slowly, he opened his hand, looking at the blood-tainted shard of glass and his lips stretched into a grin.


“To see those once blissful faces suddenly tainted with despair… don't you think it's the most fun of all?”
 
Emrys barely managed not to flinch when the glass window shattered. He watched with a mix of confusion and growing unease as Artois squeezed the shard without any disregard for his own hand. Oddly, Emry found it hard to look away from it. The dark, thick blood gleamed on the edges, effectively ruining the pristine clearness of the glass.


His instincts were screaming danger at him. Despite knowing that it was unlikely that the other would actually harm him, there was never any guarantee. Just the words were setting him on edge. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to answer or if he should answer at all, but even so he found himself attempting to respond.


“No, that’s not…” He scrambled for words. “I don’t necessarily enjoy it…well, unless it’s a human, but…” As he spoke he warily tried to slip out of Artois’ grip. He suddenly felt the need to regain a safe distance between them.
 
Artois was very much aware of how his words and actions had affected the other, and he couldn’t really bring himself to care much about it. After all, he took quite a satisfaction from seeing how anxious the other became because of him. It was quite interesting actually, how he could make someone feel such unease from just simple acts and words. It was the same with most people too.


“Calm down, you’re faltering there,” he chuckled, amused at how the other seemingly couldn't form a proper sentence. His own blood was now dripping on the cold floor, yet he paid them no mind. He raised his bleeding hand holding the tainted glass shard and slowly, he pressed its sharp edges against the other’s skin.


“Hey, Emerys,” he whispered softly. “Are you afraid that I might hurt you?”


Smiling, he finally detached himself from the other and walked away a few steps.


“Well, let’s just end this here, for now,” he said as he threw away the tainted glass shard carelessly. “I think I’ve made you feel uncomfortable enough.”


“Besides, somehow I suddenly feel the need to go for a little meal,” he continued. He brought his bleeding hand to his lips and licked the blood oozing from the wound. His lips then stretched to a smirk as he turned towards the other. “Would you like to join me?”
 
Emrys froze when the glass pressed into his skin. Even after Artois had released him it took him several moments to get his tensed muscles to move. When he did, he fell into his natural stance; hands in pockets and shoulders hunched protectively.


The last thing he was expecting was for the other to offer him to join him. He immediately opened his mouth to respond negatively, but at the mention of food his body suddenly reminded him of his growing hunger pangs. It had been four days since he'd last fed, which wasn't bad considering that vampires could go a week, but that didn't mean he wasn't tempted.


Still, should he risk going with his dangerous leader? If he went with Artois then their rate of success would increase exponentially. Not to mention no other vampires would dare to mess with Emrys with Artois around. And, besides scaring him half to death--well, he was technically undead, but you get the point--the other hadn't actually tried to hurt him. All things considered, it was clear what he should choose.


Taking a deep breath and wondering about his own sanity, he hesitantly nodded. "...alright. I'll follow you. I can back you up whenever... or if you need it." He forced his voice not to tremble.
 
Artois raised his eyebrows slightly at the other’s answer. Oh? Now that’s a surprise. And here he was, thinking that Emrys would definitely reject his offer, after seeing how the other reacted to his actions and all. It seemed that people would always be unpredictable, after all.


“That’s great,” he grinned. “Although, are you sure you’re up for it? It’s still early afternoon, so if we go out now, our powers would probably weaken a bit.”


Not that he had any doubt about his own skills of course. Although they were normally nocturnal beings, it wasn’t like Artois hadn’t gone out to hunt when the sun’s still up sometimes. The sun didn’t affect him much, but it did lower his speed and dulled his senses slightly at most. While it might be crucial in battles, it shouldn’t matter much in a simple hunt.


He wasn’t really sure if the sun affected all of the vampires in the same way, though. He had never gone out in daylight with other vampires before. And he also wasn’t sure whether Emrys had any experience hunting in the daylight before or not.


“Also, I'm not saying that you’re weak, but I probably won’t be much of a help if you get in trouble,” meaning, unless I feel like it, I probably won’t immediately help you if you turn out to be a hassle. He smiled. “So if you’re not sure... you can back out. I'm fine with hunting alone, after all.”
 
Emrys hesitated. The other brought up some good points. He admittedly didn't have much experience with daylight, but in the few times he had, his strength and speed had been reduced. That wasn't much of a problem since he rarely used much force anyway. What was a problem, though, was that his illusions took more effort to be believable. Thankfully humans were easy to trick, but if they happened to come across someone from any of the other races, then there could be an issue.


He remembered hearing recently that many from the other races, such as the Demons and Grim Reapers, had been fairly active lately. If he came across one of them he honestly wasn't sure if he would be able to defeat them while the sun was still up. But then again, if push came to shove, he could always make an illusion and escape. That much he could do.


Shame twisted in his gut. He couldn't deny that he was a coward in most respects.


Despite that, he truly did want to leave. He didn't feel like being cooped up in the castle right now and he might as well hunt. "...that's fine. You don't need to help me. I can take care of myself, so...I'm going." While he sounded no less meek, his words held surety.
 
Well, if the other was determined like that, who was Artois to stop him? Besides, he didn’t force Emrys to go with him and had already given him an option to back out. So whatever might happen to the other later, it wasn’t really his problem. Emrys also had clearly said he could take care of himself. Artois should just enjoy the company.


(He suspected the other was feeling rather cooped up in the castle too, and he couldn't really blame him)


“I’ll be looking forward to see you use your ability then,” Artois said, giving the other a sort-of lazy smile. He turned and walked towards the broken window. His eyes squinted slightly as he looked up to the sky, eyeing the sun with slight irritation. With the sun out and about like this, it would be good if he didn’t encounter any troublesome fellows later, but there was always a probability of meeting them, especially in the human’s village. Well, if things were bound to happen, it would happen, and he would just have to make through somehow.


(Besides, maybe they would provide him with some entertainment. It's been quite a long time.)


“Now then, shall we go?” he smiled. "To the Human Village."


((Ok, I'm sorry for the very late reply. So, it's up to you whether you want to reply to this or not before we go to the Human Village. And by the way, who should post first in the Human Village, you or me?))


@WhimsicalWriter
 
Emrys' gaze turned to the shattered window. Now that the glass barrier was gone, sunlight was seeping into the castle. There were definitely going to be some complaints about that from other vampires in the near future. Not that it mattered, since they would shut up about it the instant they learned it was Artois' doing.


He attempted to glance at the bright circle of the sun but then quickly looked away. Being in the light was one thing, but looking directly at the bright circle was completely different. His eyes simply had a hard time handling such intense, focused brightness. He wasn't sure if that was a common thing among vampires or if it was only due to his ability. It's not like he couldn't do it, it was just incredibly uncomfortable. Since he highly doubted there would be any reason to look at the sun he doubted that would be a problem anyway.


"...yeah." He responded to Artois' question.


((That's alright. Since Artois is leading I think you should post first, if you don't mind.))
 
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