A plan for the future

"No, some people smell more sweet, other's smell warm, like newly baked bread - Some even smell repulsive," she chuckled, looking at him as he was clearly trying to wring his head about all of this. She sighed, looking down at her hand, "our own blood is quite powerful too, but what we perhaps are more known for are our power of persuasion," she said, "would you like a demonstration?" It was an offer she didn't give many, but if he had truly never seen a vampyre before, then perhaps it would be good for him to experience a bit more of what they were capable of doing.

Josette didn't really like doing this, but she felt it was almost crucial for this person to know. The world was big and scary out there. As he consented she would breathe out slowly before her eyes were on him again. This time there was clearly something different about them. She leaned in closer, reaching her hands up to his face, touching it as if it was the most precious thing in the world. "Tell me your name, please," she whispered, her eyes almost hypnotic and her breath sweet. She looked at him as if she was looking in to his soul. "Are you afraid of me?" she asked, letting him feel how much her pheromones could truly work.

He seemed to give in so easily, and she wondered if he was really not afraid of her. As he offered his hand she let go of his face, breaking the eye contact. She took a step away, letting him return to normal, she was shaking a little, but it was only because her body worked the way it did. It was hard for her not to accept the offer of his hand, but she had to decline it. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so careless," she whispered, clearly surprised by her own abilities as well. It wasn't often that she used them. Mostly because she felt a little barbaric using them to her advantage when she had access to donor blood. "Are you alright?"

She could hear his heart beating away like a little drum within his chest. It sounded so beautiful. She had always envied those with heartbeats, as the sounds they produced were truly enticing. He asked her how she felt and she looked down, not sure anyone had asked her that before. "It's strange because ... In order for me to do it, I sorta have to believe part of my masquerade as well," she explained, but she wasn't sure it was coming across right. "It's fine if it's just for a little while, but I've heard of vampyre's getting obsessed with a person after persuading the same person multiple times," maybe she was spilling a bit more secrets than was good, and yet she just had to. It was like this guy drew it out with his curiosity. "Aurielan," she said in a soft voice, feeling out his name on her tongue. She chuckled softly, "it sounds so strange and yet welcoming."

"Well blood is nice, but I think it's because deep down we envy those who have a beating heart," she said, being rather honest with her own thoughts. "It's like a longing," she lifted her own hand up to her hollow chest, feeling nothing as always, but then again she had never felt anything there to begin with, "like we are looking for someone to make our heart beat just once in our lifetime." It was rather sad to think about, so she opted to figure out his name instead. "My name is Josette," she said in a soft spoken voice, smiling at him, "But I like your name better ... It's very nice to say ... Aurielan," she repeated his name, giggling a bit to herself as she looked down. She wasn't behaving much like a lady. That was for sure. But then again she didn't want to be the Parish heiress right now. Not after what happened with the elder lycan. Her eyes blurred for a bit, fixating on the ground as she felt small trembled down her back. This wasn't something she could let go, was it?

"Then you must teach me how to say it right," she encouraged him. She didn't want to butcher his name if it had a specific way of being pronounced that she was unaware of. No, she simply wouldn't have it.
He spoke about feeling alone, and it made her smile sadly. "I know that feeling," she sighed, turning her head to look out at the view. The city even a mystery to her. "I came here looking for my birth mother, but she's dead," she said, because there was really no way of hiding just how that made her feel. Was it odd to mourn someone you had never met? "Her brother has taken me in - my uncle - and he's said to adopt me so at least I'll have a parent," she explained, though it was much more complicated than that. "I had hoped to gain so many friends, get to meet a welcoming family," she stopped in her tracks, realizing how boring she must've sounded. Boohoo, poor rich girl not having a family. "Now I'm just heartbroken," she whispered, placing her hands on the windowsill, looking down to the pavement below. The wind was cold, autumn was surely there to stay, and soon enough it would turn in to winter. "Maybe we could be friends?"

She didn't have to ask? As he held out his hand to her she looked at it rather surprised before she smiled. Not just a sad one, but a genuine happy one. Instead of taking his hands, she wrapped her arms around him, pressing her cold cheek to his warm. "Friends," she muttered in relief, giggling a bit as she closed her eyes and held herself close to him. She had always been affectionate by nature, and it wasn't something that most vampyres liked to display. "Thank you," she whispered, pulling her face away to look at him. She had tears in her eyes, but she seemed happy.

A handshake was maybe a bit too formal. She hugged him and he gasped a little surprised at first. Affection wasnt really something he had come by often in the years of isolation and now when he was back around people it wasnt like it raining either. He however accepted it and wrapped his arms around her shortly, before she pulled away to look at him. "No need to thank me. I gained a friend too, you know?" he chuckled. He stood there holding her for as long as she needed but eventually he spoke. "I know you were running from someone. I'm not going to ask about it or anything if you dont want to talk about it. But you can trust me." he then said. Just to let her know that he could and would be there for her. "You can stay here and come by whenever if you feel like you need a place to hide."

She let go after a while, mostly because she realised that he might not want to be hugged, even if he was hugging her back. Though it had felt good, and what he told her made her very happy. "I do have a place to stay ... And I honestly should head home before a whole swat team comes barging throught the door," she sighed. She had calmed down now. No longer in fight or flight. And it was all thanks to him. She leaned in, placing a small kiss against his cheek, "merci," she whispered against his skin before pulling away. She went to grab the jacket, looking at it before she looked at him. "Are you sure you don't want it?" She asked. The jacket he had looked worn and torn from use.

It was good to hear that she had some place to stay but the mention of a SWAT team just made his smile fade just a slight bit in a thoughtful manner as he tried to figure out what that was. "Right. I hope they dont, they sound scary." he said, not sure whether to be worried or not. She leaned in and he was clearly surprised by how affectionate she was towards him. "You're welcome." he replied a little flustered, feeling his cheeks heat up a slight bit. The notion of the jacket made him shake his head. "Yeah, I am definitely sure." he assured her. It looked too fancy for his taste regardless. He had come to like his rags. "I'll be around here most of the time, so I guess you know where to find me."

He became flustered and it made her a little confused. Perhaps because she was so blind to what effect she could have on others. Or maybe it was because she was so used to no real reaction from Romeo. Either way she had to get going soon enough. His reassurance that he would be around here made her smile, putting on the jacket, just to be covered up a bit more. Maybe Eden would be happy to have it back, but she wasn't sure. One thing was for sure, she wanted to see Aurel again, because he was like an angel sent from above. "I'll come around at my earliest convenience," she said, curtseying sweetly as if she was talking to someone of a much higher rank than her, but mostly because he really seemed like someone regal. Maybe it was his appearance, but he looked so beautiful. She could've blushed at the thought, but she didn't, moving on as she bid him goodbye.
Getting out of the building, she turned, looking up to see if he was still in the window. If he was, she would lift her hand, waving at him with a smile on her lips. Yeah, he had really helped cheering her up, but now she was out in the cold once more. Opting to run home to Northern wasn't too bad. But she worried what might happen once she entered the mansion doors.

She made him chuckle as she seemed to speak so formally to him. He hadnt had anyone speak to him that way in many years. Sometimes he forgot that he had once been blood-related to the throne of his homeland. "I'll look forward to it. Maybe you can read the next chapter of that rabbit book." he said with a soft smile. She went and he remained in the window, grabbing his pen to finish up his journal, seeing her in the corner of his eye. He waved back and grinned at her as he saw her off from the window.

Eden was concerned. Very concerned for Josette's safety, for what was going to happen from here on out. Though whenever he thought of the old lycan, he didnt feel like he had done quite enough. When Josette arrived, a servant told him and he went to see her right away. Without saying a thing he just pulled her in and held her close. "I'm sorry." he just said, feeling like he should have been there for her before, wondered where she had gone earlier than he did.

The travel home hadn't been too bad, but as she headed up to her room she felt the dread in her stomach. How was Eden going to react? Was he going to be angry with her or maybe scold her for just running off like that? While she prepared herself, she took off his jacket, changing in to something that was her own and a bit more comfortable. As the elder vampyre entered she turned her head, her eyes telling so much with one gaze, but the last thing she had expected was to feel the arms that soon wrapped around her. Being pulled close, she felt her eyes water, hearing him apologize she whimpered. "I'm sorry too," she muttered, wrapping her arms around him in return. Her shoulders trembling a bit. She felt little in his arms, truly like a kid, and yet she felt happy that he was protecting her right now. "I know I shouldn't have run off, but I just, I just ..." she trailed off, not knowing where she had going with her words to begin with.

He just held her close, unsure of knowing where to begin. Her mutter made him sigh as she apologized. She had done nothing wrong. He couldnt believe that, not when it had been Lucius Trevino that he had seen throwing her around the way he had. "I understand that you had to get away, but it still makes me worry for you. I just want you to be safe at all costs." he said, not sounding angry at all. No, it was all worry. The anger he saved for the one that had assaulted her so carelessly. He pulled a bit away to look at her. "We'll find out what to do from here. But I'll always be on your side."

The way he genuinely seemed to care for her, it just made her feel so much at home. You couldn't fake this. Not even a great actor could pretend to care so much for another person, and as he promised to be on her side she nodded. "I feel like I need a bath," she whispered. She felt dirty still. Though having gotten out of the clothes from Aurel had helped too. Looking up at Eden she was clearly a bit out of it still. "Do you think you could ask someone to prepare one for me?" she was being careful, perhaps because she didn't want to demand things from him. Her eyes were still rather fluid, but alas there wasn't much to do when she felt like this. Being with Aurel it had felt like she could push reality away for a bit, but now she was back in the mess.

Her whisper made him hum, understanding that she felt that way. However her being so careful around him made him sigh as he lifted a hand to move some hair off her face. "Of course. It is the least I can do for you. If you need anything else, just tell me." he said, urging her to speak of her needs. He let go to go find a servant to tell them to prepare the bath. He returned and looked at her with a sad look in his eyes. "How do you feel?"

As he left to find a servant, she moved over, sitting down on the edge of her bed. She felt so weird. But she knew she was going to feel even weirder when she was taking a bath. Being confronted with her own naked body would without a doubt make her feel awful. Eden returned and she looked up at him with lost eyes, his question bore so much, and yet she wasn't sure she could find the words. "I feel disgusted by myself," she said rather truthfully, looking down to her fingers. She could feel her breath tremble a little. "I keep thinking about what happened and if I did anything to set him off," but that was when she froze. Remembering what she had said. "He-He got mad because Romeo and I haven't ..." she didn't even dare finish the sentence. No, she could not imagine any lycan touching her again, not after what had happened with Lucius.