゛݁ᛪ༙ ‍ 𝐌.͜͡—𖤐𝖓𝖘𝖙┄͡ ˖ 𐍂 ࣪ ‍๋ 𝙾𝚄𝚂 ࣭. ˎˊ˗

she shook her head. utterly pointless. she could hardly entertain his advice, not now. stepping back, she scoffed. “ i am no fool. ” perhaps sleeplessness had gotten the better of her. turning away, she retreated down the corridor toward her bedroom. “ wash my cup. i’m .c.

“ the ward would hardly approve of such words… ” perhaps duty had rendered her soulless. “ you’re mistaken. my duty binds me, from here to the ward, forevermore. ” feet lowered, shoulders slouching as she rose and leaned closer. perhaps for the best, before their time .c.

golden eyes tracked his every step. had she grown too comfortable? how peculiar. “ you know nothing… i grow weary of this talk of hunger, vampire. i’ve lived solely by what’s expected of me. desires yield nothing, so i’ve learned to place myself above such pointless things. ”

“ i… ” his bluntness left her speechless, exposing what she’d concealed for decades. her eyes betrayed little, her expressions even less. yet both told a thousand stories of something she’d been denied. or had she simply not yet wanted? “ a good question… ” golden eyes .c.

“ don’t give it to me so easily. “ her brow arched, hand folding across her chest. “ that’s where you’re mistaken. i have a daughter, leeches and a bag of unspeakable horrors. who else could make my world any different? and yet, even with their company, that loneliness you .c.

“ we? you mean mina and the other undead terrors infesting this city? ” harrow settled onto the couch, legs stretched across its cushions. “ do sit, but don’t get too comfortable. ” a hand gestured toward the chesterfield chair beside her. the choice was his.

“ suppose that should’ve been my first question upon your arrival. ” with his answer, she departed briefly, returning with a mug of warmed blood resting upon a saucer. “ you make that rather difficult. i prefer solitude, without the burden of someone’s persistence. ”

“ i stopped believing in fate long ago. nonsense, much like love, happiness and fulfillment. ” harrow scoffed, head tilting as she noticed his unfamiliar attire. “ but enough of that. i’ve fed the leeches, so i suppose it’s your turn. care for some warm blood? ”

“ a sinner and a saint. how quaint… ” she paused. “ because you haven’t, or weren’t. ” shoes slipped off, her apron following suit. both neatly folded, her movements unhurried. “ i swore to avoid your kind, lest i be forced to kill you. alas, this cursed apple had other plans. ”

“ you’re a creature of the damned. of course you’d know. ” harrow circled him, pondering his question. “ i’d imagine they’d be prayers. but can a sinner such as yourself even utter them in my name? ” raising her hands, she removed the winged wooden pin securing her unkempt bun.

“ depending on whom you ask, i’m far from what i perceive myself to be. only a matter of time before you curse my name, too. ” she chuckled. half-truth, half-lie. “ is that so? you hardly use the phrase enough to claim ownership of it. ”

always. there’s something deliciously thrilling about having death lurking just within reach. though… ( * she pouted. ) you’re awfully docile. someone must have trained you rather well. what a disappointment. sigh.

oh? and yet, you haven’t so much as bared those fangs at me. perhaps you ought to give me a glimpse of that insatiable hunger you speak of. ( * with long, deliberate strides, she maneuvers around him, pincers rising ever so slightly, poised to strike at the slightest .c.

obedience to my every desire. but you’re proving to be rather dull. how typical of a man of your ilk.

exactly. so you do possess some semblance of listening comprehension. but as i’ve already stated, you’re the one far from home. though, i hardly expect you to grasp my insults. very few ever do. ( * claws sweep across the flesh of her lips, a hum escaping her. )

never heard anyone refer to themselves as a natural disaster. so, no. but have i ever backed down from those who could wipe me out if they so desired? of course not. i lack both morals and fear. a bayou boy with no master? my, my—you’ve strayed so, soooo far from home.

seems you care more than you’d like to admit. though, i never intended to grace you with my name. devil? mm, i rather like the sound of that. ( * her pincers rattle behind her. ) but tell me, if i’m the devil, wouldn’t that make you my slave?

come now, darling. do you honestly think i care? you’re nobody to me. at best, another morsel to expand my rib cage and elevate my standing among demonkind. though, i must admit, there are no men quite like you in my world. how… intriguing.