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Feran Corus
Junior Member
Aftergate
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Posts: 53
Race: Vampire
Character Type: Adventurer
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Post by Feran Corus on Oct 25, 2022 20:36:20 GMT -5
It was dawn as Feran had settled down at a table in a tavern near the edge of Paradin's vampire quarter. He had come off of his shift not long ago and had decided a meal was in order, something more satisfying than what was regularly served at the barracks.
Of course, it was nothing quite compared to what those higher up in the quarter got to eat but Feran wasn't about to complain about a bowl of beef stew and a pint of blood, magically treated so as to prevent coagulation. Sure, it was an unusual pairing but it had been about a week since he had last "partaken" and he had felt the beginnings of thirst while on shift.
In the end, he had decided that it was better to take care of it along with his meal and suffer the upturned noses of the few humans that took notice than go without or try buy some off of one of the dedicated peddlers before they closed up shop for the day. Hell, even the upturned noses weren't much of a bother since it was probably more to do with the natural human aversion to blood than anything to do with him. If it was, well, then it was their fault for choosing a tavern in the vampire quarter. After all, what did they think would be here? Unicorns?
He had just started tucking into his meal, the broth almost too hot for his taste, when his sensitive ears caught the sound of approaching footsteps and he glanced up with the spoon still gripped in his hand.
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Sebastian Eslen
New Member
Aftergate
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Posts: 26
Race: Vampire
Character Type: Adventurer
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Post by Sebastian Eslen on Oct 25, 2022 21:25:47 GMT -5
The footsteps belonged to a well-dressed man who Feran would be quite familiar with, a frequent visitor to establishments such as these, though this was a bit less expensive than his usual taste. The man's hair, worn long, cascaded across his shoulders and gave off a subtle scent of expensive perfume tailored to the senses of vampires and other races with keen scent, and he sat down next to Feran and signalled for a tavern maid. "Yes! A pint of your finest quality blood, if you please, and a rare steak if you have it. Hullo, Feran; I see you're off duty for the morning, eh?"
The last words were directed towards his tablemate, of course, and his golden eyes, accented with red cosmetics, echoed the bright smile on his face.
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Feran Corus
Junior Member
Aftergate
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Posts: 53
Race: Vampire
Character Type: Adventurer
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Post by Feran Corus on Oct 25, 2022 21:44:19 GMT -5
The man that he spotted was a familiar one despite their somewhat different backgrounds, something put on display by Sebastian's rather expensive-looking garments compared to his own downplayed style of dress even if it was still much better than what he'd worn in Kherton.
He ate a spoonful of stew as Sebastian sat down with no real greeting to his better-dressed friend but in such a way that spoke of this as a fairly regular occurrence rather than something that he was trying to ignore.
Sebastian's comments to the tavern maid were met with a smile as she gave him a small wave. "Coming right up, hon!" she replied before she flounced off to the kitchen in the back to relay the order.
"Hey, Seb," Feran finally greeted as he swallowed down the spoonful of stew, "and just got off shift actually. What about you?"
He had no doubt that Sebastian's routine was far different than his own, courtesy of being a governor's son, but that only made Feran more curious.
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Sebastian Eslen
New Member
Aftergate
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Posts: 26
Race: Vampire
Character Type: Adventurer
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Post by Sebastian Eslen on Oct 25, 2022 21:58:16 GMT -5
"Oh, you know, getting ready to greet the sunlight," he said with a sigh. "If one is to socialize outside the quarter, one must get used to late hours. Early hours?" He shrugged, not really caring about the actual accurate term. "I was planning on going into town by myself, but I saw you and started wondering if you were planning on turning in for the day or if you were up for a little bit of fun."
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Feran Corus
Junior Member
Aftergate
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Posts: 53
Race: Vampire
Character Type: Adventurer
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Post by Feran Corus on Oct 25, 2022 22:24:30 GMT -5
What Sebastian said certainly made sense. He'd learned from both Aedan and Sebastian after they'd initially met that much of the life of a noble was made up of socialising and forming advantageous connections. Of course, to make such connections outside the quarter it only made sense to be awake when the rest of the city was even if it was unnatural for a vampire. He was lucky that his superiors were willing to work with a vampire's natural sleep cycle but even he still had to work day shifts from time to time if it was needed.
Feran had taken a sip from his mug when Sebastian asked if he was up for a bit of fun. It made him glance to Sebastian but he set aside his half-full mug and swallowed what he'd imbibed. "I'm off tonight so I can be up a while longer. What'd you have in mind?"
If nothing else, running around with Aedan and Sebastian usually didn't get boring. Besides, fun was (almost) never a bad thing between shifts. All work, no play and all that.
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Sebastian Eslen
New Member
Aftergate
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Posts: 26
Race: Vampire
Character Type: Adventurer
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Post by Sebastian Eslen on Oct 25, 2022 22:49:29 GMT -5
"Well, I know you're not one for Aedan's usual manner of entertainment," he said with a suggestive and knowing chuckle, "so don't worry about any improprieties we might commit together... more's the pity. But some of the markets and human shops are opening right about now, and I might have arranged to meet some lovely ladies for breakfast - their breakfast - and promised to introduce them to a handsome soldier I'm acquainted with. And maybe show them around what passes for daylife around the quarter. Taverns. Drinks. A beautiful woman to hang off your arm. What do you say?"
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Feran Corus
Junior Member
Aftergate
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Posts: 53
Race: Vampire
Character Type: Adventurer
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Post by Feran Corus on Oct 25, 2022 23:15:08 GMT -5
"You wouldn't be either if you had to sit outside the door and listen," Feran replied with a gesture of his spoon towards his friend. Yes, he had been paid well to guard Aedan that day and but that hadn't made the experience pleasant. Especially since he discovered things about Aedan of which he'd have rather remained ignorant.
He had tucked back into his meal, the bowl now nearly empty, as he listened to Sebastian detail just what this fun entailed. For the most part it was fairly simple. Markets and human shops, though then came the mention of the women Sebastian had arranged to meet.
Feran wouldn't deny he was intrigued since in spite of his complaining about how to stand guard over Aedan at a brothel that didn't mean he was above a bit of carousing himself. Taverns, drinks, and conversing with a beautiful woman sounded like a good way to take the edge off after a long shift. "Sure," he finally said with a laugh as he set his bowl off to the side and reached for his pinto of blood, "sounds like it could be pretty fun."
Just then the tavern maid came back with a pint and the rare steak Sebastian had ordered. "Here you go, hun," she said as she placed both the plate and mug on the table in front of him. Complete with batted eyelashes, of course.
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Sebastian Eslen
New Member
Aftergate
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Posts: 26
Race: Vampire
Character Type: Adventurer
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Post by Sebastian Eslen on Oct 25, 2022 23:22:14 GMT -5
"Thnk you, dear," Seb told her with an appreciative smile. He took a sip, savoring the taste. "Excellent. Let's finish this excellent meal..." he winked at the waitress, "...and then head into town, shall we?"
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Feran Corus
Junior Member
Aftergate
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Posts: 53
Race: Vampire
Character Type: Adventurer
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Post by Feran Corus on Oct 25, 2022 23:52:59 GMT -5
"Sounds like a plan to me," Feran replied before he took another sip from his pint as the tavern maid sashayed away.
It didn't take them terribly long to finish their meals and pay for it so it wasn't even twenty minutes later that Feran found himself leaving the tavern at Sebastian's side.
Even though he had lived in Paradin since he was fourteen there were still moments where he found himself struck by the differences between Paradin and Kherton, particularly the vampire quarters. Kherton's streets had largely been muddy and unpaved with ramshackle homes that were built far too close together with few shops outside of those that could survive in such conditions. Compared to the cobblestone streets, well-built homes, and numerous businesses of Paradin's vampire quarter it was like night and day. He could easily still remember the feeling of shock and wonder when their family had first arrived and had been welcomed by the governor.
After a moment he shook such memories from his head and fell back into step alongside Sebastian. "Did you at least get the names of these women that we're supposed to meet?" Feran figured he should at least know that much before this arranged meeting, though he doubted it would be a dealbreaker if they were actually required to introduce themselves.
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Sebastian Eslen
New Member
Aftergate
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Posts: 26
Race: Vampire
Character Type: Adventurer
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Post by Sebastian Eslen on Oct 26, 2022 18:14:34 GMT -5
"What do you take me for, some sort of cad?" Sebastian teased, walking side-by-side with Feran. It always amused him the way Feran, after so many years, still looked at the streets of Vinhaven's Vampire Quarter as though they weren't quite real. He couldn't imagine the sort of place Feran had grown up - he had never seen anything but the miniature towns that sprung up alongside Vinhaven's larger cities. Feran acted as though he'd lived in glorified slums. He shook off his own thoughts, returning to the task at hand. "The woman whom I engaged in conversation is the beautiful Laurette, and she has a sister, Melanie, and another friend whose name I did not have the pleasure of knowing tht she will be inroducing to us when we get there."
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Feran Corus
Junior Member
Aftergate
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Posts: 53
Race: Vampire
Character Type: Adventurer
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Post by Feran Corus on Oct 26, 2022 18:56:17 GMT -5
When Sebastian asked if he was thought of as a cad Feran gave the other man a pointed look, the kind shared in jest between friends.
The topic quickly turned back to the women that they were due to meet, specifically by the names of Laurette and Melanie with a third friend whose name Sebastian didn't know.
Feran was briefly distracted by the sight of a preacher standing next to community shrine to Zer, spouting something about tenets that he didn't pay much mind to before he refocused his attention on Sebastian as they continued their journey. "Alright, sounds pretty promising then. And you'll be on your best behaviour?" His question was more a joke than anything, shown by the barely suppressed smirk on his face.
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Sebastian Eslen
New Member
Aftergate
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Posts: 26
Race: Vampire
Character Type: Adventurer
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Post by Sebastian Eslen on Oct 26, 2022 19:35:53 GMT -5
The preacher caught his attention as well, though he wasn't the most devout man, generally giving the gods their due tithe of respect and paying little attention otherwise. Stil, he tossed the preacher a coin for the donation bowl; it was generally good to keep one's karma positive, after all.
"Only until I'm asked to be on my worst," he replied to Feran's question. "After all, ladies only like so much of a gentleman."
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Feran Corus
Junior Member
Aftergate
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Posts: 53
Race: Vampire
Character Type: Adventurer
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Post by Feran Corus on Oct 26, 2022 20:23:50 GMT -5
At Sebastian's comment Feran let out a laugh. "Okay, fair enough," he conceded as he tossed a coin into the preacher's bowl as well. He actually wasn't certain what his stance on the gods was. He had certainly grown up believing in Zer at the very least, much like many of the others in his former community that had turned to Zer for protection, no matter how ineffective, when they could count on few others. How much of it for him was cultural and how much of that was genuine belief was unknown to him. He was still trying to find himself in that sense.
That said, belief was not in short supply in Paradin. It was something that was made very clear as they left the vampire quarter and passed one of the many churches around the city dedicated to Jasson. Hell, there was even a spectacular cathedral dedicated to the god somewhere near the city centre.
Eventually they reached the markets, larger than what was in the vampire quarter since it was meant to serve a larger number of people, and it wasn't hard to spot three women congregating near the tavern. "Is that them?" He asked with a nod of his head towards the women in question.
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Sebastian Eslen
New Member
Aftergate
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Posts: 26
Race: Vampire
Character Type: Adventurer
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Post by Sebastian Eslen on Oct 28, 2022 18:47:40 GMT -5
"Seb!" called out one of the women, and Sebastian looked at Feran, suggesting that the call answered Feran's question. The one who called was a beautiful, raven-haired human, and a redhead stood next to her. The third - apparently the friend, considering how much the sisters resembled each other - was a statuesque Vincent woman, sporting a golden skin tone and beautiful blonde hair.
"Seb, is this your friend?" asked the giggling redhead as the two human women ran over to the pair, followed at a more sedate pace by the Vincent.
"He's almost as handsome as you are," teased the raven-headed woman.
"Feran, meet Laurette," Sebastian nodded to her, "and her sister, Melanie," and he nodded to the redhead. "And you two must introduce me to your friend."
"Leila," said the Vincent. "Laurette's told me quite a bit about you." There was amusement in her deep voice, a soft chuckle in her throat.
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Feran Corus
Junior Member
Aftergate
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Posts: 53
Race: Vampire
Character Type: Adventurer
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Post by Feran Corus on Oct 28, 2022 19:28:25 GMT -5
Sebastian didn't need to answer his question aloud as one of the women chose to call out. He couldn't deny that all three of the women were quite beautiful and partially wondered just how it was that Sebastian met them. Another part knew that he was better off not finding out.
Either way, the intial certainly seemed to be Seb's type as they twittered over him, though that was hardly surprising.
Feran let out a chuckle of his own as he took in the spectacle. "It's nice to meet you all. My name's Feran," he replied by way of introduction with a friendly smile. He wondered what it was that Leila had heard about Sebastian from Laurette that had amused her so much but decided against speaking it aloud.
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