A Witches Last Resort. (Closed for LanaEide)

Dusk, the time when darkness begins to wrap its tendrils around the world and chill the hearts of man, viewed by most as a sign to hide away in ones home and wait for the light of day to return, praying that one of the nights denizens doesn’t slink along and shatter the illusion of safety that their home represents. But for some, such as the good Lord Nikolai Von Carstein, dusk is heralded as though it were the dawn of a new day, Nikolai had been that way for a few hundred years now, the blood in his veins was as cold as the night he loved. Nikolai was a Vampire.

He yawned as he rose in his bed, hidden away in a lightless room at the centre of his estate, stretching out to force what little blood remained within him to pump its way though to his pale dead limbs. “Good morning ladies” he spoke, getting a unified response of 'good morning master' from two figures by the side of his bed, both appeared to be beautiful young women, Vampires as well by how pale their skin was, but upon closer examination they were mere dolls with bodies of porcelain and an unnatural look of sentience behind their painted eyes. He stepped out from his bed and allowed his peculiar attendants to dress him, the three of them acting with a fluid nonchalance despite the darkness that surrounded them all, as though they could either see somehow, or they had performed this task so many times before that it was pure muscle memory by this point... Well, porcelain memory anyway.

“That you” he said, getting only a synchronised nod from the two of them as he turned and left them to remain in the dark of the room. He on the other hand made his way to the double doors across the room, quickly opening them, light piercing the veil of darkness that held the room for a moment before he passed through and closed them behind him. In the light, Nikolai made for quite the sight, he was tall, a little over 6 feet, with soft but angular features and a short head of black hair, but what made him stand out was his skin, contrast to the darkness of his hair and the rich colours that made up the building around him, his pale flesh almost shined like a light.

“Mi, Milord” a squeaky voice chirped up beside him, the source was a small, and somewhat battered goblin, who looked positively out of place in his surroundings. “There’s someone coming, coming here, now!” Nikolai sighed, he hated goblins.

“Who is coming?” He asked, unsurprised when the goblins face betrayed how clueless it was “was it the person who attacked you?” He continued, the goblin agreeing emphatically “and why did they attack you?” This time the goblin froze, it had an answer for his lord and master, he just didn’t want to say it “You attacked them, which means they either had food, or were a woman” the goblin started looking very sheepish when the world woman was said, prompting a sigh from Nikolai “sometimes I wonder why I keep you idiot greenskins around, wait there.”

The doors he had just come from opened again, his two attendants reappearing, one with an ornate writing station in its hands, the other holding out a very expensive looking fountain pen for its master, who wasted no time taking the pen and setting about the task of writing a letter to his new guest.

'To begin, I would like to apologise for the behaviour of the green imbeciles who met you within my territory, should you wish revenge, I will have the offending idiots rounded up so that you may end their lives yourself. As recompense, I offer you one day and one night of hospitality within my own home, and a guarantee that no one will accost you from the moment you receive this letter, until the time of hospitality is over and you have safely exited my lands.

If you are here with ill intent, then the offer above is still valid, and you may attempt to harm or kill anyone within my domain, though be aware that the earlier offer will be void if you start any hostile actions.

I hope you enjoy your stay'

The letter complete, he sealed it with wax and handed it to the pathetic goblin beside him “Take that to whomever you attacked, and if they don’t receive it before they arrive, I'll flay you alive” the goblins eyes went wide at the threat and he quickly dashed away with the letter, not that he needed too, it was an empty threat, Nikolai couldn’t tell the difference between one goblin and the next and he wasn’t about to kill off the entire population to make sure the threat was carried out.

Natalie was annoyed. She had made a portal to get to the territory of a powerful vampire. To seek protection from the church. Not get attacked by a goblin. Ugh. She was able to handle herself, her bag was full of books and hitting the goblin with it had thrown him about 5 feet away. Then he and any other goblins had run away. Probably to the vampire so following the footprints Natalie started walking, still needing the protection. It was very important to get there before morning came. Natalie did a quick walk, sighing and thinking about what led her to this decision. Natalie had been in her private section of spell books when the church had came into her house, which was more of a mansion. They had tried to kill her and thankfully she had gotten away. Barely though. Natalie knew that she had to get somewhere safe and where she could be protected. Then she thought, why not a vampire lord? Yes they could be scary and didn't like people very much, at least that was the general perception but Natalie had no other choice. If she wanted to live she had to do this. Natalie had a generous amount of her spell books too.

Natalie was in her thoughts, about half way there when the goblin came back and Natalie scowled and got ready to throw her bag again before the goblin held up something and Natalie narrowed her eyes. It looked like a letter. Natalie gingerly took it and watched the goblin run of again before opening it and reading it. Natalie's eyes lit up. The vampire lord was offering one day and night of hospitality and that no one would hurt her in that time. This was perfect! She at least had time for the vampire lord to at least hear her out. Natalie bit her lip and again followed the goblin's foot prints, now walking faster and soon was at the door and Natalie took a breath, the letter in hand.

Then Natalie opened the door and stepped inside before just staring in awe at the place. Wow, Natalie knew the vampire lords were rich but seriously. This place was amazing. Natalie took a few steps in the place and looked around more, holding on tightly to her bag, and raised an eyebrow as she saw the frightened goblin run away again and Natalie sighed. Natalie wasn't into hurting people, she just didn't like being attacked. Then Natalie went back to her plan. Ask the vampire lord for protection in his castle like mansion and in return she would do anything, unless it involved turning into a doll or something like that. Natalie was trying to survive, and live. Not become something that had no mind. So Natalie looked around, knowing she was welcome as long as she didn't start anything hostile but had no clue what to do now, biting her lip. Natalie wasn't tired either though. She was a night owl anyway so. She would be up till about 5 am just wide away and then just lay in bed for another 2 hours just laying there awake. So now she had no clue what she was supposed to do, except say thank you. "Um Hello? I'm sorry for hurting the goblin but I don't like being attacked, I'm kind of running away from people wanting to kill me so I reacted quickly." Natalie now felt awkward but decided to walk in a bit more, looking around at the place more, just deciding to explore a bit.

Nikolai had seen to some small errands, feeding his hounds, inspecting the work of his underlings, nothing special, honestly the only thing he had to look forward to today was the new arrival who was now taking far too long for his liking to show themselves. Nikolai may be immortal, but impatience is one of his more frequent failings, but then again, when the most interesting conversation you've had in the past year is with a near mindless servitor, the idea of a visitor with new stories to tell is as tantalising as a drug.

He rounded the corner to the foyer, for the second time, already starting to plan up petty snubs to throw his guests way if they weren’t there again, but to his concealed delight there was an unknown figure slowly making its way through like a timid kitten exploring its new home. “Ah, you must be the young lady that my goblin tried to entertain himself with” he said, looking her up and down as he approached. She didn’t seem like someone who came to harm him, she didn’t look like someone who could really harm anyone, again she reminded him of a mewling kitten with how threatening she seemed at a glance “I apologise for him again, lesser creatures often forget their place, I'm sure his little altercation with you will remind him of it for some time to come.”

And with that he waited, he might be excited for company, but he didn’t forget that to him, she was just as much of a lesser being as the goblin was, and if she wanted to stay on the good side she had already lucked in to by the novelty of her mere existence here, she was going to have to show that she understood that. Than again, a proper adversary was something he rarely got to experience any more, and his word as law she was allowed a night and a day of safety, he couldn’t just punish her for a breach of etiquette, no matter how much of a little shit she proved to be.

Natalie was looking around when she heard a voice and immediately focused on the person who had spoke and she found it was the vampire lord, knowing because he said "my goblin". So that made him the lord. He actually looked quite handsome for a vampire and as he spoke Natalie found though he was handsome he spoke his mind, which actually made him all the more appealing to Natalie. He didn't seem like one to sugar coat things. Natalie didn't like to either. It kind of made her seem like a bitch sometimes though at first glance people said she looked like a tiny kitten. That actually helped her though, focusing on speed as her best physical attribute, being able to cast spells in little to no time. It was actually how she got away and how she had been able to quickly hit the goblin. Then he seemed to wait and Natalie smiled and bowed, a deep bow, to the waist before doing a quick curtsy, though she was worse at those, she didn't even wear dresses. "It's alright My Lord, I am sorry for hurting him as badly as I did, I only hit him with the bag once My Lord." Natalie then showed the bag. "Though it has a lot of spell books in it, so that might be why, also thank you very much for your hospitality My Lord, it is very much appreciated." Natalie then hesitated before continuing in her light voice. "Also do you like My Lord or would you rather like me to call you something else? If you do not like it I can address you as something else."

Natalie then stopped talking and fidgeted. She knew nothing of talking with other people, for most of her life really she had been alone. Her parents had been killed by the church when she was just 10 and was thrown out of the orphanage when they learned what Natalie could do. Natalie also was always running from the church, so she didn't every really start relationships. She learned after the one friend she had found in one city was killed by the church as they tried to get to her. It was very sad really. Anyway though Natalie was okay with it, but it made social situations like this awkward. Natalie also did not bring up why she was here in the first place, finding that would be rude to ask for more right off the bat. There was still enough time to talk about it afterwards. Though she hoped the addressing him as Lord had helped her stay on his good side, though who knew. Natalie didn't know much about vampires or even vampire lords, except that they were very powerful. Well most lords were at least.

Well, she definitely wasn't properly trained as a lady of the court, there was a time that such a amateurish curtsy would have made a girl the laughing stock of the land for weeks, what were they teaching the young these days? Oh well, didn't matter, Nikolai had long ago learned that he had to lower his expectations of the current generation, and as poorly executed as it was she had still shown him respect, and in civilized circles it was proper to meet respect in kind.

“My name is Nikolai Von Carstein, though it is traditional to address the master of the house with an honorific, so I wont protest if you so wish to use one.” He said, giving a bow that was little more than a tilt of the head, which she was lucky to get, if she hadn't mentioned that her bag was filled with spell books she would still be a simple human in his mind, anyone who could manipulate the winds of magic was at least a rung or two above simple human. “And what shall I call you?” He reached out and took her hand, savoring the delightful warmth it provided, a stark contrast to the chill of his own “I'm sure I can come up with quite a few names for such a quaint little creature as you” he turned her hand as he brought it up, exposing her wrist “but it would be polite to at least know your name before I ignore it.”

He continued gently bringing her arm up, his head lowering to it, he could so easily tear in to her veins and sate his thirst, he had been so eager to meet his guest that he had neglected to feed before he arrival, so he was rightly hungry. But Nikolai was no pathetic whelp of a vampire, he ignored the urge, bringing her wrist to his nose rather than his mouth, inhaling her scent, the smell of the blood beneath her skin, definitely a witch, this was no simple human dabbling with a stolen book of ritual, raw magic was entwined with the very blood that pumped through her.

Natalie smiled as she heard Nikolai's name. It was a very good name for him. Sophisticated. That was the one word to describe him Natalie though. Well and also fancy, with his house at least. Then he gave a little tilt of his head and Natalie's heart soared. That was a good sign from a Vampire Lord. They were known for looking down upon people, but they were one of the most powerful races. More powerful then elves even, though elves seemed to think they were all that. Natalie though knew that with one quick spell and she could drain a whole forest, weakening them to the point of them having no power to speak of. Natalie had never done so but knew she could.

Then he asked what shall he called her, and took her hand and instead of what would usually happen to a person and tensing, Natalie relaxed, becoming more nimble, it was actually a cunning way of fooling someone that you were comfortable. Natalie wasn't just fast, she was smart too. Smart enough to know about 10 way to get out of this situation. Though getting through the front door at the same time was another thing. Natalie was fast but her physical strength wasn't too good. She tried to work on it but still, it was hard to get the hang of. Especially when she was still working on being even faster and learning more spells and perfecting them. Natalie then heard Nikolai say he could come up with a few names for her but was trying to be polite enough to know her name before ignoring it. Then as he lowered his head to her arm she gulped and answered. "My name is Natalie my Lord, no last name." Natalie then gulped as he inhaled her scent and tried not to take her hand from his. One wrong move and that was it. Natalie knew that he could see anything as rude. "I wanted to thank you again for letting me stay here my Lord. Um, I also would like to ask you something if I may, please." If Nikolai looked close enough he could see the fear he had placed in her but she hid it well, her body relaxed and nimble, so much that with ease she could have had her hand out of his in one second, unless he held on tightly enough that there was no way without breaking her hand. Which Natalie wasn't into.

Try as she might though Natalie couldn't help her hand trying to slide out for just a second but she forced it to stay again, biting her lip and fidgeting more. "Um not to be rude my Lord, but if I could possibly have some food that would be nice? I've been traveling for awhile and ran out of food." It was true, Natalie had actually been getting ready to go from the place she had been staying when the church found her. Since she knew she couldn't stay in one place for too long.

She stayed calm under pressure, nicely done, not surprising given the life that she had led up until now, skill as a dissembler was vital when your life was one the line, but Nikolai was a different beast to the church, when you can hear the beating of a heart as it speeds up, no matter how slight, deception becomes a rather difficult task. “Food?” Nikolai responded, after allowing himself to ignore her for a few more seconds “Ah you're hungry, food may be foreign to me now but hunger I understand” he smiled, his fangs showing for a moment, two pearl white daggers mere centimeters from her wrist.

He enjoyed taunting her, but didn't want to break her so soon “well, Natalie, my little witchling lodger” he turned her hand, placing a gentle and gentlemanly kiss upon it “Its a pleasure to meet you, and I welcome you in to my home” and with that he finally released her hand, letting a slight smirk show on his face. “You can leave your things here, someone or something will move them along to your room by the time you get there.”

He turned on his heel and started off, leading her deeper in to the estate “we will dine in the second music room, I'm told my cooks are quite skilled, not that I can test the claim, haven't had any complaints before though.” He slowed his pace so she could walk beside him easily and turned his head to face her “tell me, what is your favorite food in the world, whatever it is, my people will make it for you.”

Natalie nodded about the being hungry. "Sorry my Lord, I'm used to saying food, not around vampires much." Natalie thought in her head though. 'Not around anyone much.' Even as Nikolai taunted her Natalie remained calm, her eyes seeming to say, you promised no one would hut me, I thought vampires were at least true to their word. Then Nikolai turned her hand, placing a kiss upon it, which Natalie didn't react to. Natalie was good at one thing, not reacting to things she didn't want to. Natalie knew vampires were great at charming women, humans and such but Natalie wasn't so easy. Yes she was a witch so sort of close to a human, but Natalie knew men weren't such gentle and nice creatures. Then he released her hand and she smiled as he said she was welcome, though she didn't know what the smirk was about, then he said she could leave her stuff here and Natalie put her big bag down, putting on a quick spell that no one could take anything out of the bag, just move it to a place.

Then Natalie followed Nikolai, walking beside him when he let her and she tilted her head thinking. "Hmm, well I like a lot of things, though not vegetables. I would have to say if I would pick something, spaghetti with Italian sausage and mushroom sauce and garlic bread with cheese on it. That sounds really good right now my Lord." Natalie's stomach even growled slightly and Natalie smiled a little before her face changed to neutral again. Natalie then decided when she was at least eating that she would bring up hoping to stay longer, and she looked around again. "I have to say my Lord you have a very lovely home, it's very beautiful. Big too." Natalie then fidgeted, not knowing what else to say. Natalie had always been better alone, it was how she was able to study and learn spells so much, she had nothing better to do. Except run from the church, the bastards.

Nikolai was less than pleased when she requested garlic bread, the old wives tale of it being able to supernaturally ward off a vampire was exactly as nonsense as it sounded, the reality was far simpler, the enhanced senses of a vampire included a sensitive sense of smell, for hunting by the scent of blood of course, so it took very little to induce the disgusting condition of 'garlic breath' as far as vampires were concerned. But Nikolai was a gracious host, and his guests needs and desires took place above his own... When he felt like it anyway.

“Why thank you, it started out quite humble believe it or not” he reached out and ran his fingers along the walls as they walked, the surface rippling like it was an image cast on to a thin sheet of water. “But as the scars of magic sunk in it grew and sprawled, shifting to meet the desires of its master and the many otherworldly guests” he scraped his fingers deeper before he pulled his hand away, leaving a trail that looked like blue ink, it spread slowly for a moment like cream on an incline, then in the space of a few seconds it burst across the walls, leaving them perfectly painted blue. “It makes for quite a nice place to stay as long as you stay on its good side.”

They arrived at a simple looking set of double doors, compared to most of the house anyway, and Nikolai moved forward to open them, revealing a room lit only by what looked like moonlight, standing aside and motioning for his guest to enter “after you witchling” he followed in after her and closed the doors. The room they found themselves in wasn't cramped by any means, but was definitely designed to be intimate in its size, gas lamps on the wall lit of their own accord, revealing a great many musical instruments along one wall, as well as a small audience area with several chairs and one table by the large window on the far wall.

On the table was a setting for two with a chilled bottle of some red liquid in a silver bucket, one of the placings appeared to have a meal waiting under a silver cover, while the other lacked cutlery altogether. “This way” he led her to the table and pulled out a chair for her, unsurprisingly it was the chair in front of the food. “As promised” he lifted the sliver cover from the food, revealing exactly what had been asked for “spaghetti and Italian sausage in mushroom sauce, and” he scowled, making no attempt to hide the distaste in his voice as he tossed the silver covering aside to land on one of the unused chairs in the room “a side of garlic bread with cheese.”

After his duty as host and a gentleman was done he sat down across from her, waiting for her to try her meal so he could hear what he expected would be praise at the quality. If it wasn't to her liking he was going to be quite displeased with the chef, using garlic without actually making the guest happy? Doubly unacceptable.

Natalie could tell Nikolai wasn't pleased but kept her smile inside. Oh she knew why he wasn't pleased but he would soon learn she wasn't so bad as he might think. Natalie didn't pursue the witch life for nothing. Natalie then did smile as he walked and talked, watching his fingers go along the wall, changing the color. Natalie nodded and smiled as he said it made for a nice place to live if you stayed on it's good side. "I will try to do that then my Lord." Then finally they were at the room and he opened the door, saying after you and Natalie blushed a little at the name, bowing her head and going in. Once inside she looked around. "Your home really is beautiful." Natalie did know what the chilled bottle was full of but if she was bothered by it or wanted to say anything about it she didn't, just looking around before eyeing her plate. She decided to wait for what she wanted to do as Nikolai followed her in and pulled out her chair. "Thank you my Lord. You are very gentlemanly. It is a compliment just so you know." Natalie then saw as he took the top off and made no attempt to hide his disgust as he went and sat across from her.

At this moment Natalie raised her hand over the dish and flicked her hand twice before lifting her index finger and swishing it a few times before pointing at the dish and Nikolai would find he could no longer smell the garlic and even and Natalie lifted the piece of bread and pulled off the crust he couldn't. Natalie was very particular in her spells. After all the crust was off she took a bite and smiled brightly before looking at Nikolai and putting the bread down, swallowing before talking. "It's very very good my Lord. Also I'm not stupid. I know why vampires don't like garlic and I'm not a witch for nothing. I may have asked for garlic bread but I'm at least going to make it so you don't have to smell it." Natalie then picked up her fork and took some of the spaghetti with sauce and ate it, smiling very brightly as she ate, very thankful for the food. Finally after eating about half the spaghetti Natalie talked again. "I kind of wish I could cook like this, no one ever taught me so I don't really know how to cook many things. What I do know I learned myself because it was easy to do anyway." Natalie then took another bite of bread, looking like she was in heaven as she ate.

The irritation in the back of Nikolais mind eased as the smell of garlic was banished from the room, and as Natalie explained why she had eased his mind so he couldn't help but to smile “well its nice to know the outside world hasn't become so foolish as to not do a little research before they come to a vampires lands.” He also noted the casual ease with which she used magic, it was about as much effort for her as it would have been for a mortal to shake a little salt upon their meal, not to mention the mindset of just magicking away her problems. His respect for her rose a notch, which is to say he now respected her for more than just the providence of not being a mundane human mortal.

“Skills like cooking are beneath you child” he said, looking genuinely amused at the idea of her fretting over such a thing “you have the power within you to walk in to a family home and declare yourself to be the favorite of their children, then be fed and doted on by them all until they bored you.” He took the idle bottle and began pouring a glass, though as it came from the bottleneck it didn't flow with the consistency of blood “with enough practice you could simply begin to subsist on the very fabric of the universe, dining on the ambient magic around you and only eating when you felt like remembering the taste.”

He brought the glass to his nose, inhaling the scent of its contents and licking his lips “here” he passed her the half full glass “don't worry, its not blood, only wine to compliment your meal.”

Natalie nodded at Nikolai's comment. Though that wasn't the truth. Natalie was just a big book worm. Always had been ad probably always would be. Then he complimented her and Natalie forced herself not to shake her head. It was rude to turn down insults from a vampire. Natalie had to remember vampires were fickle creatures. One wrong move and she would have come all this way for nothing. She had to stay on his good side, get him to let her stay here for longer. At almost any price. Natalie just wasn't willing to become a completely doll or kill others. Unless they truly needed it, but it still wouldn't be her place to do so. Getting someone for a vampire to feed on wasn't underneath Natalie though, since she really needed a place to say. Finally Natalie had her garlic bread and almost all of her spaghetti gone when Nikolai offer the wine.

"Thank you for the wine, and the compliments. I'm not really that good though. People are mostly scared or repulsed by me. Well were I should say." Natalie didn't finish that thought. She hadn't really tried to be around people since she was 6, even in orphanage. Then Natalie thought it was now or never. "Actually my Lord I was hoping I could get an extension of my hospitality. Not for free of course, I will do about anything you want, except for killing people. As you probably know I am being hunted by the church and I need someplace safe to stay and well. Vampires are known for being powerful and I was thinking you could help me? Allow me to live here in return for whatever you want. I'll even be a slave basically, cleaning the huge house and cooking, if I can learn to among other things. I'm good at cleaning at least." Natalie then stood. "Please let me stay. I will do anything." Natalie then went over to Nikolai's side and dropped to her knees and then her hands, in a dogeza type pose, meaning she was really begging, it was one of the most pleading poses ever, and the only time Natalie had ever done it. It was also a japanese style pose.

(OOC: the attachment is a picture of the pose, ignore the sword and girl in it please)

Nikolai turned in his chair to face her, looking down his nose at her, she was groveling like an insect and it in some ways disgusted him, but he understood why she did it, he would be lying if he said he wasn't hiding away here in his own way. “Raise your head witch” he commanded, waiting for her to comply before he continued “often when seeking asylum one will bring lavish gifts, shows of promise for future wealth when the time of strife has passed, but you, you have brought nothing.”

He sighed “nothing but yourself, you are trading your body to me, to hide your soul from the church, but I have no need of more house slaves.” His eyes bored in to hers, letting it sink in that she would be turned away, but when he smiled, there was no malice “luckily for you, your talents make you qualified for more than washing floors or warming a bed, though you are still welcome to the latter” that time his smile was a little less harmless.

“An opening has come up working at my personal blood bank, it is a roll you will fill for now, assuming I don't find you distasteful in the position” he grinned, moving forward in his chair “Now rise, it is time for you to do your duty and for me to feed.”

Natalie raised her head when Nikolai told her to, hope but also desperateness in her eyes. Then he cut her down and she grimaced inside, the hope fading from her eyes. Damn, there goes her chance. It was clear he was going to turn her away. Then he smiled, with no malice and a spark of curiosity lit in Natalie's eyes. Then he said what he did and Natalie smiled, rising like she was going to give her blood, but then took a step back. "You really think I'm that dumb? Oh boy." Natalie then clapped her hands, muttering a fast and almost unhearable incantation before making her hands go out, unveiling a scroll like paper and she took the top with one hand and showed it to him and pointed at the line. "If you want my blood, sign here. My deal is you take my blood, as much and how much you want whenever you want, except to the point of killing me, and you let me live here, in safety. I'm not dumb my Lord. I know you could easily take my blood and then kick me out once you were finished. I'm not that desperate to not have some caution against you my lord."

Natalie eyes then narrowed. Natalie was young, but she was smarter then most people. Also faster, as already seen. Only reason she was running from the church is cause they had such a large group after her and Natalie didn't like fighting when she didn't really have to. If this Vampire Lord rejected her offer, she would fight. Then Natalie remembered something and smiled. "My lord though, you may want to rethink me have NOTHING but my body and blood to offer." Natalie snapped her fingers and her bag appeared, and Natalie went into it, retrieving a small flask, filled with a sparkling blue liquid. Natalie then set the flask on the table. "Mermaid tears, said to be able to heal anything, and also an interesting ingredient in some spells, among other things." Natalie knew that a lot of vampires sought after Mermaid tears, though Natalie didn't know why. Natalie then flicked her hand, putting a spell on the flask. "Now, accept my offer and you can have my blood, as much as you want without killing me, and the mermaid tears, but reject and I leave here with my blood and mermaid tears." Natalie then snapped her fingers again and a quill appeared on the table beside Nikolai, dipped in a special ink, that would make it so he couldn't destroy the scroll, just as a precaution on Natalie's side. Natalie then matched Nikolai's gaze, her look like, take it or leave it but if you leave it, I'm taking it and leaving. Natalie didn't say this though, just holding Nikolai's gaze.

Nikolai smiled, true she had seen through his little scheme to steal away a taste of her blood, but his reaction befitted more someone who had been denied a humorous prank than the devious plan she seemed to think was in play. As she finished her little ultimatum, he laughed, loosing his composure for a few seconds as he let himself go “I'm sorry, its just its always funny when someone so young takes a hard line stance like that, its like a child thinking they have the upper hand on their parent.” He stood and gave her contract a cursory glance, then smiled again, withholding another laugh “I'm afraid you've misunderstood” he said as he took the contract and discarded it on the table “first, I could not 'take your blood then kick you out' as you so eloquently put it, the binds of hospitality mean I can take nothing from you that you do not give, nor can I expel you from my home until the period of hospitality ends.”

“Second, you have misinterpreted my statement about working in my blood bank, not your fault, I was purposely misleading you in an attempt to get a taste of you, had you let me feed upon you because you thought it would be buying your time here I would not be breaking the rules of hospitality as long as I left you in good order afterwards.” He smirked “think about it, I didn't actually ask for you blood, did I? I said you would work in my personal blood bank, not that you would be a part of it.”

“Though now that you're bringing it up, I like your ideas as well, contractually obliged to be my feedbag when I so desire, and some Mermaid tears to boot, always nice to have more of those for when I next play with alchemy.” He closed his eyes and clapped his hands together, then slowly pulled them apart, a scroll pulling from his hands like they were pools of liquid flesh rather than the solid palms that they were “my counter proposal.” He passed the scroll to her “it contains all that yours did, along with the stipulation that you will attend to the more unusual things I keep in my blood bank. In addition, it states that you may, once a week, have either a day off to use as you will in which you cannot be compelled to give blood against your wishes, or have one hour of unrestricted access to my library. However should you take the hour in my library, I will have an hour in which I may do whatever I wish with or to you.”

He turned to retrieve the quill she herself had summoned, holding it out for her to use “I'm ready to sign whenever you are.”

Natalie just watched as he laughed, even though it only lasted a few seconds it was actually kind of amusing. Natalie didn't know vampires could laugh, they seemed so stone cold. Then he spoke and infuriated her. How dare he call her a child? She was no child and he was no parent. Natalie had the urge to say if he was so powerful why not go out into the sun and see how long he lasted. Who knew though, maybe that was just myth or if not, maybe he was one who could get around it. Natalie wasn't about to find out though as she listened to him speak.

Then he finished speaking and held out a quill to her and Natalie tilted her head. There were two problems for her. One being, what unusual things did he mean? Second what in the world would he want to do with who basically called a child a minute ago? Well he probably didn't mean anything bad, just like he would make her do more chores or something like that. He basically had called her a child after all. After a minute more Natalie then took the quill, signing it and making it so that she couldn't destroy the scroll, the ink put a protection spell on the scroll, it couldn't be destroyed for any reason at all. Natalie then put the quill down and looked to Nikolai. 'I do have one question. What unusual things do you mean? You said about tending to the more unusual things in your blood bank so. I'm curious as I have no clue." Natalie then waited for her answer, her face expressionless.