damnpire | Kenos Inbox

[ When you the player are gungho about an idea but your character is so reluctant.....sad.

Which is to say that Eustace's soup spoon freezes in midair once he hears that casually stated offer, any relief he might have gained from Gray's reassurance about dinner sailing right through the window. The awkwardness of dinner suddenly seems like such a non-issue in the wake of this news. ]

'Move in'?

[ Hello?? They aren't running some sort of orphanage here. And while D seems like a perfectly polite young man, Eustace is unfortunately crotchety and set in his ways, and the idea of a stranger just invading a place he finally feels comfortable in has him tensing in dismay.

No offense D, it's not you it's him. 😔 ]

[Somehow, these dingdongs have managed to make D looked surprise more times than he's ever looked surprised in years probably. Why in the world would they ever want someone like him around?

See, Eustace is right. (Also, he understands Eustace might not want the dude Eustace smooched just in the house. Awkward.) He errs on the side of Eustace's mild grumbling because while it may be Dokja's house, they are all together in it.]

Your offer is kind, but I wouldn't want to intrude. The housing has enough for me.

[Well... not... a stable... but... it's fine.]

Move in.

[ Dokja reaffirms as he sits back in his chair with his arms crossed. His soup is abandoned as he takes on this very stubborn stance, and only Gray is on his side here, he sees, but he assumes Eustace is just being his usual difficult self. ]

You wouldn't be intruding, and we have an extra room.

[ Soon to be extra rooms plural if what Dokja has planned comes to fruition. After losing close companions left and right throughout these recent months, he's come to realize the importance of keeping an eye on those he has left and, rather than address his separation anxiety, his solution is to hoard people at his house. ]

And Gray's right. We have a stable. I think Erebus would appreciate that.

[ Dangles horse bait in front of D... ]

[ Are her parents fighting... Dokja seems to value D as a friend so she'd assumed Eustace felt the same, but apparently they aren't quite as close. It's hard for Gray to tell how D feels other than surprised, so she isn't sure if she should support Dokja in being insistent, or respect the possibility that D might not even want to move in in the first place...

Tactfully, she decides to go the back route and nudges Eustace with a shy bit of Communion. ]

Mr. Dokja seems really invested in making sure D is taken care of... Maybe he doesn't want D to feel lonely?

[ In his heart, he knows that Dokja's offer isn't an unreasonable one, made even more clear as Gray does her best to diffuse his ramping tension. He doesn't answer her immediately, though there is an acknowledgment of her words as he stares back into his soup.

He doesn't sound very happy when he finally relents, after finishing his current spoonful of quickly cooling soup, but what else is new with him. ]

It's your house.

[ Which is maybe not the most enthusiastic of agreements but it is a concession of some kind. Unfortunately (I am using this word so much, I hate this guy) that seems to be his only concession to this conversation, as he immediately goes back to drinking his soup in silence. Truly he is the worst conversationalist out of all of them. ]

[NOT THE HORSE BAIT!!!!!!!! Now that he knows the horse has a name, he feels a little more concerned about its well-being--more than usual.

The hesitation is mostly consideration. His rusty eyes glance briefly between the three of them. He does not want to inconvenience Eustace's space, but he also feels bad rejecting kind hospitality. Whether or not he's with other people doesn't bother him really. He's always been alone as a wanderer.

The damn horse...]

...I'll stay out of the way.

[ GRAY IS TRULY OUR ONLY HOPE

Dokja, blind and stupid that he is, only puzzles over Eustace's reaction for a moment before D finally agrees. And then the smile on Dokja's face widens, and had D been in shoulder clapping distance, he would have ended up with a hand smacking him in satisfaction. ]

Hey, don't worry about useless things. [ Says the man who worries about useless things. ] You can start moving what you have whenever you want, okay?

[ And then returns his attention to Gray and Eustace!! Eustace who he still doesn't realize he's upset!! ]

We can clear out the guest room in the meantime.

[ Things still feel a little tense to Gray, but this is a start... and Dokja doesn't seem to notice (or maybe care), because he's already happily ushering things along. Gray can only hope that as they spend more time together, Eustace and D will reach a peaceful understanding.

She looks back to blissfully(?) unaware Dokja. At least someone is completely happy in this situation... but honestly, she's happy that he's happy.

To D: ]

Will you need any extra space? And if you need help moving your things...

[ Maybe he has...... a couch he loves. ]

[ It's Eustace and Dokja who need to reach an understanding first. But alas they will not, because they're both stupid.

The other three seated at the table seem to be doing just fine without his input, so Eustace will continue to drink his soup in silence. If he gets pulled into moving a beloved couch then he will begrudgingly comply, but until then he will keep to himself.

Once again, I shove this man into a dumpster. ]

[Eustace is suffering, and D is feeling as awkward as Gray in being socially aware, and DOKJA is simply LIVING HIS BEST LIFE somehow being ignorant. Wow.

D worries they will go through too much trouble than needed for him.]

Just a room is fine. I don't need any help, but thank you.

[He is going to show back up literally with the same things he has currently both on himself and the horse outside. He has zero other belongings than what he can carry.

Now he has to think about how the heck he's going to repay them for this hospitality. Maybe he will keep leaving money under Dokja's door... Or do the equivalent of a cat bringing dead rats back to make sure the humans are eating.

He sort of glances between Dokja and Eustace, and then makes a point of looking at Gray. Teenagers, even 10,000 year old ones, are crafty.]

Would you like to meet Erebus?

[THEIR OUT!!! Time to see how fast Eustace or Dokja runs away from talking.]

[ D is being so Aware right now while Dokja simply vibes in his seat. He's nodding along, head empty, but as soon as he hears D asking Gray if she wants to meet his creepy horse, Dokja quickly looks to Gray, his eyebrows raised as he quietly waits for her answer.

It's clear what he is trying to telepathically tell her (he could literally telepathically tell her), all his efforts for this dinner coming down to a single moment where the teenagers will bond together without his interference. It's what he'd hoped for, it's what's happening now.

Of course, it's a total misunderstanding of what's actually happening, but Dokja is fully prepared to give himself credit where it really isn't due.

AND THEN POOR EUSTACE... me writing this tag like i wish dokja was a better boyfriend ]

[ As it turns out, Gray actually is interested in meeting Erebus properly and not by shouting out a window. Talking to animals, whatever their temperament, is a blessedly straightforward thing. Much unlike this dinner vibe.

Not noticing Dokja's overinvested stare, Gray nods in response to D, her hood punctuating the movement. ]

I'd like that.

[ Escape and a chance to talk... and to let Eustace and Dokja talk (OR NOT). D might be surprisingly clever. Gray feels it's a bit rude to leave before she's finished with her food, but since it'll save D from his food as well, she'll take the risk.

She has a last look at Eustace and Dokja. ]

Um, then if you'll excuse us...

[ (They will not talk.)

But at least someone's having a good time here, saving this dinner from ending up as a complete disaster. The imminent dispersing of the dinner party members has Eustace relaxing slightly in his seat, a little bit of vigor returning to his movements as he polishes off the rest of his soup. He still feels unsettled by the events of the last twenty minutes, but at least he too can take a brief sojourn outside after this to collect his thoughts.

He glances up as the two teenagers prepare to depart to the stables, expression softening a little as he looks at Gray. ]

Have fun.

[ He thinks D's horse is just a regular horse and not a creepy cyborg one....he would not be saying this if he knew. ]

[Suppose D should officially meet his own horse which he wasn't aware had a name some twenty minutes ago. Life is full of surprises.

Carefully, D scoops the black cat on his lap up and gently places it down on four feet by the chair. It arches into a drowsy stretch. The black fur blends into his outfit, but he will knock it off at the door and away from the table.

When he stands, he takes his hat in one hand and pushes his chair in.]

Thank you for the meal. [WHICH HE DIDN'T EVEN EAT!! GRAY HAD TO DO IT. To Eustace:] It's good to meet you again.

[And not being lovesick.

D doesn't want Gray to feel as if she should lead the way when he is the one who made the request, so he turns from the table, escorting her to the door where he can put on his boots. And his hat. And pat this cat fur off. GOODBYE TO THE TWO MEN WHO SHOULD TALK, BUT WON'T.]

[ She will have fun, thank you Eustace. This may be a creepy cyborg horse, but it isn't any more hellish than Slow Dancer.

Gray gets up to follow D to the door, where she similarly ties up her boots, pats her cloak down, and tugs her hood more deeply into place. The goth aesthetic demands no less than immaculate presentation. Before she heads out, she'll turn and call out softly to They Who Refuse to Communicate. ]

I'll be back soon.

[ To maybe finish her soup if it hasn't been fed to Raisin by then.

Gray quietly closes the door behind her. And then the teens are gone... ]

[ Good bye, teens... They grow up so fast...

Dokja offers a smile and a wave. They're not going too far, after all, and the backyard is a perfectly safe place to hang out. Also, there are plenty of windows to spy out of, should it be necessary, but he thinks the two of them will get along just fine.

Which leaves him with his own barely touched soup, and Eustace. ]

They've got similar temperaments, don't you think? [ He muses, his gaze drifting upward in thought. ] I think they'll be good company for each other.

[ Dokja blathers on, totally oblivious to Eustace's turmoil. ]

[ The teens were so nice and thoughtful leaving the adults alone to talk and for what.

Dokja blathers on, oblivious, and Eustace continues staring into his (empty) bowl of soup, solemn. At least things are slightly less awkward than before.

And while it would be nice if he could act like a normal human being, instead of continuing the conversation at hand and offering up his own opinion (irrelevant, because whether Gray and D get along is not up to him) he asks a question of his own. ]

Do you like him that much?

[ D, that is. In a platonic gen way and not romantic but hey! If that's what it is then Dokja should live his best life. ]

[Regret making D not know a sock as he puts his bare feet into his boots. He opens and holds the door for Gray until she's finished talking to They Who Refuse to Communicate, and he eases the hat on his head again only once outside.

Springstar is hell for a lil dhampir guy.

Erebus has not moved from where he was left in the backyard; he seems to be vibing with the chickens still, and is as out of place as D with his gloomy and fearful aesthetic. In addition, he's been forced to hold onto D's ridiculous pauldrons, cape, and scarf, as well as his sword. The energy here is an intimidating warhorse surrounded by fat, gentle fowl. He does lift his head to regard D and Gray with red eyes, and his tail flicks in a surprisingly organic way, so it must be one of the few natural things left about him.

With little reason to fear the horse, D approaches and takes the front of the reins. Erebus very rudely ignores D to stretch his neck and lean his head out to inspect the girl who had kindly spoken to him before at the window. D just... lets this happen because he is an emotional masochist.

D does say, though:] Thank you for learning his name.

[ As Gray follows D out into the great wide Dokja's backyard, she's not as anxious as she might have feared she'd be half an hour ago. She's always mixed well with taciturn temperaments; if she didn't, she certainly wouldn't get along with Eustace. After a childhood in which a graveyard was her refuge, she's become more than comfortable with silence.

D has only indicated that he minds silence just as little, so Gray lets the pressure of conversation take a backseat as she turns her attention to Erebus. For all his frightful appearance, the vestiges of his natural horse essence is charming to Gray. She approaches him as she might any other horse, slowly until she can offer a hand for him to sniff if he's so inclined. It's a bit funny to think that such an eldritch creature might want to, but manners are manners.

This predisposition toward looking at horrible-seeming things and latching onto their positive qualities is what allows Gray to get along with annoying people, which in turn has convinced Dokja that she needs better friends like D (the actual vampire). At least this time it seems like things are working out for the better...

When D addresses her, she looks to him with a small smile. She only learned Erebus's name out of desperation but she will gladly not mention that. ]

I'm glad he has one he likes. Sometimes horses dislike having names at all.

[ The mean, prideful ones. Like Slow Dancer........... More importantly, ]

I'm sorry if I put you on the spot. About, um, your condition.

I see.

[D ponders over this very peculiar statement about horses as Erebus dumps his whole nose down into the waiting hand like some kind of day-old foal. The horse rubs his nose in a palm, maybe a tiny bit disappointed there is no synthetic grass waiting.

On the other hand, D is looking at these chickens around their feet. It's been a very long time since he has seen a normal, old school chicken. The ones on the Frontier are six-foot, seven-hundred pound mutations with three heads to go along with the giant hares and the cow-pigs.

This is apparently what happens to livestock by 12,090 AD.

Erebus' head lifts, extending out so he can butt the front of Gray's shoulder. Get a load of this guy. Staring at chickens.]

You don't have to apologize. It doesn't bother me.

[He is so fucking gloomy, standing there saying this in a soft, low voice with dreary, Victorian eyes.]

I didn't mean for you to have to eat my portion.

[ Gray was fully prepared for Erebus to ignore her, so the nose in her palm is a pleasant surprise that softens her smile. This is a nice contrast to the last horse that lived here, which looked normal but maintained a considerable offensive zone. Noting that he was maybe looking for food, she will ask him later what treats he would like — and what he usually eats in general, just in case cybernetic horses are deathly allergic to organic carrots.

She carefully pets him on the neck, which is a weird and confusing sensation when his neck is metal, and then she follows his cue to look at D. Staring at chickens. He really is so gloomy. He'd look more at home in a graveyard than in this microfarm of a yard.

Gray shakes her head, her hood swaying gently. ]

It's alright. If anything, I imposed on you.

[ It's a polite-off... Also she really did rush in and gobble his soup like she came out of SkiFree. ]

I'm just glad Mr. Dokja seemed so happy. He was excited to have you over.

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