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Cam is dipping a grilled cheese sandwich into a bowl of tomato soup when he feels the summons. He goes ahead and grabs it. Doesn't even drop the sandwich.
Isabella summons Cam
from_scratch
"I'll make do."
And there comes to exist on the floor, lying down, wearing a sort of white sundress, a human.
She opens her eyes unfocusedly; her mouth falls open; she does not make a sound.
"Never made one of these before. Demons are really bad at making minds. We can't even make, like, a dog, that will act like a dog, let alone a person."
And there comes to exist on the floor, lying down, wearing a sort of white sundress, a human.
She opens her eyes unfocusedly; her mouth falls open; she does not make a sound.
"Never made one of these before. Demons are really bad at making minds. We can't even make, like, a dog, that will act like a dog, let alone a person."
kaolinandbone
Isabella takes a breath, then kneels down next to the basement-dweller, lifts her wrist to her lips, and bites.
A moment later she pulls away, shaking her head. Blood drips onto the woman's dress and spatters the floor as Isabella carefully places the arm back on the woman's chest.
"Still nothing."
She looks at the woman again.
"I'm honestly not surprised. She looks like someone who's been fed from too heavily already."
A moment later she pulls away, shaking her head. Blood drips onto the woman's dress and spatters the floor as Isabella carefully places the arm back on the woman's chest.
"Still nothing."
She looks at the woman again.
"I'm honestly not surprised. She looks like someone who's been fed from too heavily already."
from_scratch
"Right. Let's put her out of her disturbingness, then -" The already fairly limp basement-dweller goes still. "And now we have a corpse, that's delightful. Well, it was worth a try. I'm beginning to suspect the blood part is basically entirely cosmetic and you actually eat, I don't know, souls."
kaolinandbone
"Some shamans in Lupinia are supposed to be able to interact with souls, but I've never actually seen any sort of soul-based magic. There are the inexplicable things-vampires-can-do, but I have no idea if that's related."
She looks down at the corpse.
"... I'm sad to say that we will probably have absolutely no trouble disposing of this body."
She looks down at the corpse.
"... I'm sad to say that we will probably have absolutely no trouble disposing of this body."
kaolinandbone
"Allow me to demonstrate."
She steps up into the air, and stays there. There's a vague suggestion of shadowy wings in the way the light flickers around her.
"So yes, flight. Also, we can nudge people with our voices - vampires can make things they say sound naturally reasonable and sensible. Jumping off of cliffs is a good idea. The sky is pink. As you can hear, it doesn't make you actually believe the statement, but it makes you less likely to question it. Vampires that are skilled in its use can brainwash people by suggesting things that actually are on the cusp of reasonable, and then a little further, a little further..."
She shakes her head.
"Or, if they make direct eye contact, they can dominate you outright. Domination is a unsubtle but effective tool: it's obvious to everyone that someone's been dominated, but that doesn't prevent the dominating vampire from giving orders."
"I'm also generally stronger, faster, and tougher than the average human, though I wouldn't be able to quantify it for you."
She steps up into the air, and stays there. There's a vague suggestion of shadowy wings in the way the light flickers around her.
"So yes, flight. Also, we can nudge people with our voices - vampires can make things they say sound naturally reasonable and sensible. Jumping off of cliffs is a good idea. The sky is pink. As you can hear, it doesn't make you actually believe the statement, but it makes you less likely to question it. Vampires that are skilled in its use can brainwash people by suggesting things that actually are on the cusp of reasonable, and then a little further, a little further..."
She shakes her head.
"Or, if they make direct eye contact, they can dominate you outright. Domination is a unsubtle but effective tool: it's obvious to everyone that someone's been dominated, but that doesn't prevent the dominating vampire from giving orders."
"I'm also generally stronger, faster, and tougher than the average human, though I wouldn't be able to quantify it for you."
kaolinandbone
Isabella nods. "They are the primary reason why my security measures have to be so extensive."
kaolinandbone
"Unfortunately, yes. It's generally much more of a contest between two vampires, however, and I am happy to report that I have not yet met a vampire who wants to meet my eyes."
kaolinandbone
"Training. I developed my current capacity for this, I was not born with it. Vampires only have the advantage because they have had the opportunity to practice."
from_scratch
"I was thinking along the lines of, like, contact lenses, or background static, or running all the words through a recording before listening to them."
kaolinandbone
"Glasses don't affect it, nor does background noise. Listening to or watching a recording might well work, however."
from_scratch
"If necessary I can go around with a high-tech setup that turns everything I hear into a recording a moment before I hear it. I can probably even make it inconspicuous."
from_scratch
"I'll make you one too if you like. Worth testing. Gimme a sec." Cam fiddles with his computer. He adds a shirt to his ensemble; it has holes for the wings but looks like it won't come off without scissors. He tugs on one of his earlobes, and puts his computer in his pocket. "Try me. Gently, please."
kaolinandbone
"There isn't an adjustment dial on the effect: It's more a matter of phrasing things properly. I'll start with something blatantly wrong. I am not standing here in front of you."
kaolinandbone
"That's good. My dress is about the same color as the porch, and it makes it difficult to tell where I am in this half-light."
kaolinandbone
Isabella smiles. "Alright." Her tone shifts, becoming brighter and cheerier. "My father owns this castle, but he's away on business. Would you like to come in?"
from_scratch
"I'm already in your castle," Cam says. "And strongly suspect your father is dead or something, though you haven't mentioned him."
kaolinandbone
"Eighty years dead, yes. It appears that your device works, at least against voice alone. Would you care to look into my eyes for this next part? Also, can you tell when I'm trying to nudge you?"
from_scratch
"The eyes thing has a verbal component, right? I could set up something similar to my audio thing with a pair of glasses but it would be way more obvious. I can sort of tell, more of a tone of voice thing than anything else."