Leo is not new to being a vampire of the Red Court. He's not a noble or anything, but he's been around for a very long time. He's reached the ripe old age of 600, outliving his noble father and the vast majority of his bloodthirsty sisters, almost entirely by being a filthy coward. He has no pretensions to the blood of milk-pale virgins; he's perfectly fine getting his dinner for the week under a bridge. He occasionally keeps slaves, but only rarely. Most of the time, he occupies himself with reading, and painting, and delicious, delicious blood. On occasion he indulges in a good alleyway lurking.
This is one of those occasions. Chicago's alleyways are not particularly well maintained, but they're better than the slums of Toledo in 1632. Leo likes them. They're meditative, and often contain convenient homeless populations.
needle-in-echo-groove
needle-in-echo-groove
"That's good. The problem is that things that could get you killed here don't always look like things that could get you killed. I mean, there's reasonable precautions, like not telling your name to strangers, or never looking into people's eyes, but I don't know what counts as caution in your cotton candy world where kids get turned into bunny rabbits and back by the light of the full moon and a fairy's curse results in a birth defect instead of being profoundly dead, and I just want to make sure you understand just how fucking dangerous it is here. Because you gave me a soul, and you're, you're nice, and- I don't want you to die."
He's crying a bit again. Fucking souls.
He's crying a bit again. Fucking souls.
needle-in-echo-groove
"I'm just, I'm sorry, I just- I don't know how to protect you enough to, to make the little flashing light in my head stop saying 'WHY ARE YOU LETTING HIM WALK OFF THIS CLIFF', I don't know what I can- say, or do, or- I don't know. I'm, I'm sorry."
first-and-final
"I promise I'll be very careful," he says. "I don't mean to do anything much until I actually do understand this world well enough to protect myself. Even if getting to that level of understanding makes me bloody furious, which I expect it will."
Cath meows, somewhat at length. Milo listens to her, then translates, "She says that although I'm frequently a reckless idiot, I am actually very smart and will probably do just fine if I get a chance to sit down and learn what makes this place tick. Thank you, Catherine."
Cath meows, somewhat at length. Milo listens to her, then translates, "She says that although I'm frequently a reckless idiot, I am actually very smart and will probably do just fine if I get a chance to sit down and learn what makes this place tick. Thank you, Catherine."
needle-in-echo-groove
"Thanks," says Leo. "I- that's good. Thanks." He extends a hand to the filthy creature in a show of peace.
first-and-final
Milo smiles.
Cath pads daintily up to Leo and bumps her head against his fingertips. She is very soft and fluffy and not filthy at all.
Cath pads daintily up to Leo and bumps her head against his fingertips. She is very soft and fluffy and not filthy at all.
first-and-final
The soft fluffy abomination purrs. Milo decides that the 'I approve' translation probably doesn't need to be made explicit.
Here Ends This Thread