OTA

[miss_ives]

Vanessa had always had sharp instincts, and had long since learned to follow them. That night, as she walked home after dark, there was that odd pinprick on the back of her neck. Someone was watching. And as it lingered, she trusted that she wasn't simply being watched, but actually followed.

Her heart beat a little faster as she picked up the pace, cursing the fact that she was far from any busier street.

London, her home, the city she knew and loved, suddenly felt like a strange, dark, dangerous place. The lampposts felt less efficient than normal, and her steps on the pavement sounded louder than they ought to. She glanced back and saw three men a few yards behind her, hardly more than dark figures, doing nothing to hide themselves.

When she turned into the next street over and they were still following, her mind was made up. She stopped walking and turned around, a forbidding look on her pale features.

The three men slowed their steps but eventually came into clearer view, stopping a few feet from her. They were even paler than her, with sunken, abnormally clear eyes, and they felt wrong to her. Not, she reflected, unlike Mina had.

"What do you want with me?" she demanded.

They shared a look, and the one in the middle replied, "We don't want anything with you. We're not allowed. Our Master, however..."

Their Master. Mina had used that word as well. "Where is he?"

"Do you want to meet him?" the same one offered, stepping slowly nearer Vanessa.


((Feel free to stumble across Vanessa having a chat in a dark street with some vampires, Penny Dreadful style! They'll probably attack you if you try to jump in and get her away from them. Good times!))

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[miss_ives]

Vanessa had taken the time to more appropriately freshen up, in the bathroom adjoining her room. She'd washed any remaining blood off carefully, although there was nothing to do for the spatter on her clothes, for now. It was fortunate that she favoured dark colours. She left her hair loose for now, although she meant to tie it back up before eating.

She had then returned downstairs to finish her tea and look around his place - not snoop, truly, but get a better feel for it. She had been rather focused on other matters, earlier. She looked over when he called out to her, and smiled at seeing such a casual look on him. "Thank you."

[yves]

Old habits died hard, and there was always a slight bit of tension that formed in Yves' shoulders at the offer of thanks. It was usually hard to tell, but dressed as he was now, it was a bit more noticeable.

"You're welcome," he said a bit stiffly, forcing what passed for a smile on his lips.

[miss_ives]

While she had not noticed before, despite the number of times she had thanked him that evening, Vanessa certainly did now. Holding her mug in one hand, the fingers of the other resting lightly on it, she turned more fully to him. "Is something wrong?"

[yves]

"No," Yves said honestly, standing up a bit straighter. And there wasn't- His fae blood just didn't like certain words, and while he'd worked hard to rid himself of certain compulsions, it was never gone completely.

"I'll set the table. We'll dine and make an early night of it, hmm? I can speak only for myself, but I'm quite worn down."