you haunt me

kaheer the haunted. 37. wicked.

[kaheerthehaunted-blog]

leonard-galahad :

“Come on, wait a few more seconds,” Leonard chided lightly as the canines around his legs paced and pranced. Both of their eyes were on what his hands were doing; intent and impatient. Some might think that the energy of which these animals continuously exude was tiresome, but he had always filled him with endearment. 

A large bowl was filled from the common well, and he took his time to crouch down and set it on the ground. Both dogs zipped over to lap at the water, even going as far to flick a few drops from the fervor. Leonard stayed squatted with his forearms rested on top of his knees while they drank. A chuckle left him and it morphed into a surprised laugh when Nox had his fill and went to lick the entirety of his face. He sputtered when a tongue came dangerously close to going up his nose. 

“Yes, okay, thank’ya- thank’ya.” He leaned away and patted the canine’s flank while he went to stand. Av was still going to town with the water, but he didn’t mind waiting for awhile longer so she could finish. Leonard rubbed the back of his head and heard a slight huff from Nox. It might’ve not have meant much to other people, but it caught his attention right away. The way the canine broke it’s breath had him look over to see who had wandered close. “Mornin’,” he greeted with a small wave. 

       The night had passed him by, his routine walks taking him past the borders of Sanctuary and back, the final stop was at the weavers workshop to continue working but they had turned him away. He’d only barely managed to get a basket of clothing in need of mending from them, just small work he could do at home. 

      He hadn’t registered where he was walking, half-tired, half-lost in his thoughts, but he stopped a bit away from where dogs were playing with their human. Kaheer stared, silent, still pondering this and that while he watched the dogs lap from a bowl of water. A span of a few seconds passed before Kaheer was noticed and even then he was convinced that he should still pretend to act like he wasn’t just watching Leonard. He moved to turn away, to head back towards his home with the basket of cloth he was going to sew together, when the human called out to him with a greeting.

       It wasn’t rare for Kaheer to seek out animals, their rarity among the Wandering tribe making them somewhat a comfort, one thing that was never apart of his time with his old tribe, but he still hesitated to approach their keeper, much less interact with him. The Wicked cleared his throat, his discomfort showing despite his best attempts at hiding it. 

       “Mornin’.” 

     A shade of a whisper, almost taken by the slight breeze, a cold mist parting from his lips. Snow had fallen and his hair was damp from where flakes had tangled and melted in it. His clothes were not so much better, but he scarcely felt the cold. The dark circles beneath his eyes seemed more pronounced and if not for the slight greeting, perhaps he might have been mistaken for a wandering spirit. “I’ll be goin’.” He shifted the basket up, looking towards his long trek home.

[kaheerthehaunted-blog]

dxrkchiild :

“No.”

Parnus didn’t know for certain, but there was a certainty in his voice as he answered Kaheer that betrayed his thoughts. If he really thought about it, deep down, Parnus had no doubts in the fact that had he been more in-tuned with the Vampire culture – had he been one of them, with a Maker and all – he would have been executed for his crimes of defying the King. 

Being an outsider had perks, apparently.

“But I’m never going to be ‘their kind,’ really. Not to them, not to the King, not even to the Humans or the Upyr. Because I don’t know who I am and there’s no real way of remembering… they’re content to lump me outside of their community and further. At the end of the day I’m nothing more than a gnat, probably.”

But the Wicked’s inquiry had Parnus curious – though he didn’t know if he had a right to ask just yet.

“Wickeds don’t live together, right? If you defied anyone, no one would care.”

      “To Kellen Shoar-Child as well?” He thought of the vampire, of their recent encounter by the edge of the woods and wondered. He thought of the ones he had met and of the others whom he only knew about, then of Sanctuary’s odd way of disrupting hierarchy and implementing a different system. Again, he thought of Wolfgang and the distaste in his expression shone through before he could stop it, derailing his thoughts altogether. “You shouldn’t have to be apart of the Blood King’s court.” Kaheer said the words, though he knew not why nor what gave him the right to speak on such matters. He exhaled to release some of the pressure in his chest and focused on Parnus’ question, latching onto it as if it might yank him out of his current thoughts. 

      He stopped walking, staring at something in the distance, though he could not see so well in the dark. His expression was hard to read, but the line of his mouth was curved downward, jaw clenched. “If I were a gnat, perhaps it would have been better.” He said this to no one in particular, hadn’t really meant to say it out loud, but it hung there, in the silence between them. He couldn’t talk about his time with the Wanderers, out of self preservation or shame over it all he could not speak to yet, but for now he formulated some type of response that would satisfy. “They tend not to, but even small groups...they have rules. If you endanger the group, you answer to the group.” At least, that’s what he thought might be the case for other tribes. He resumed walking. “You are brave for trying to change things.”

[kaheerthehaunted-blog]

ailes-de-fleurs :

She had expected him to be relieved, when she sampled the berries herself, and take at least one. Even as she tried not to smile in satisfaction - that her prediction was correct - the corner of her lips turned upward, just a hint. She was happy that he, at least, gave them a try. She usually liked it when someone tasted whatever she had experimented with.

His compliment made her smile properly, and wide. “Thank you! I’m glad you liked them. I just wanted to try something different,” she replied affably. She popped another into her mouth and kept her hand open for him to take more. “You’re welcome, have some more,” she offered. “I do. Usually, when there’s too much free time on my hands, I don’t know what to do with it. So, I play with my food.” She chuckled, remembering how the elders used to frown upon her and tell her not to play with her food when she was a child, or when she started hunting and would lead the game just for the sake of fun.

      Kaheer took another one at her insistence, savoring it just as much the second time. For a moment, his gaze darkened, the moonlight blocked from his face by his hair that had grown out, unkempt and curly, he felt a sadness well up inside of him, the knot in his chest tightening and then it was gone. He swallowed the sweet down with the emotions and continued to listen. 

      “It is good.” He re-affirmed with a nod, then added, “I cannot cook...I was never taught.”  Food had been brought to him back with the Wanderers. What little he knew of it was from his time on the road with Jaael, though he’d gotten significantly better as time passed within Sanctuary.

[kaheerthehaunted-blog]

dxrkchiild :

Unlike the first question – that one didn’t surprise Parnus all too much. He was used to getting asked that from people who weren’t entirely aware of the situation in the Blood District, and then sometimes from those within the District who liked stirring up trouble and spreading their wagging tongues.

He kicked a pebble on the ground with little effort – nothing personal against the rock, but it was near his foot.

“I disagree with… a lot of things the other Vampires do,” he explained after a moment, using his words with measured caution, “the… Blood Hunts, the violence… I don’t know why, but it just feels all too harsh for me. I can’t explain it well. But I… I had a public out with the King and even though Wolfgang and I have looked passed our differences, the unfriendly feeling lingers.”

He hesitated before adding, “That and they find me disgusting for wishing I was Human again.”

      “They only dislike you for these affronts?”  Kaheer had only outright defied the leader of the Wanderers once and he had not stayed to deal with the repercussions. The rest of his attempts of railing against them had ended with days he could scarcely remember, chunks of time taken from memory. Here was different though, or so Kaheer thought.

        “Does your kind overlook acts of defiance so easily?” What he knew of the other races was little by comparison, his interactions with them limited before he breached Sanctuary’s borders. 

[kaheerthehaunted-blog]

shoarkellen :

   Kellen, for all her faults, was not a cruel person. She had moments where it would seem as if she were, mostly given that she did pride herself above almost everyone else, but she was not cruel for the sake of it. Every moment of depraved behaviour — every time she trampled someone else to save herself — was merely that: survival.

   Most people saw a woman such as Kellen, who was decidedly — at least to the naked eye and those who were not as close to her as others could be concerned — unremarkable, but had somehow lasted so long. They drew their own conclusions as to why, and Kellen being the woman she was did nothing to dissuade those rumours or opinions from spreading. She could very well live within a life of abject, unfounded fear from others than to go around trying to make sure everyone liked her.

   She might be hated, but she’d live with that hate rather than dying trying to get others to love her. Those who did care about her were rare, special, definedly fewer and further between than those who hated her, and she didn’t mind it that way. You got used to being alone when you lived as long as she had.

   So, for her it came as no surprise that she was going out of her way to not make Kaheer uncomfortable. Her attention would draw to him out of respect, but her gaze was neither threatening nor predatory, it was merely to let him know she had listened and was not just using him as an idle tool to while away the time.

   “My king…” Kellen was careful to keep her tone casual — conversational, revealing nothing of her true thoughts or notions of Wolfgang and everything he stood for — and her head bowed. It could be taken as out of respect or a notion of pensive reprieve, but after a moment her head lifted and a neutral smile graced her lips, “That does sound like him… I doubt it was much for his own benefit as it was for others, as well.”

   Lies were like second nature to Kellen, but she always kept them close enough to the truth to be believable. No one would look at someone like Kellen and believe she would truly bow willingly to anyone — let alone a king — but that she would do so out of self-preservation was enough for most people to allow it to pass, “Does speaking to me give you unrest? I do not want to upset you.”

   That was truth, however. To have Kaheer on her side would prove useful, but if she made him feel terror — made him so uncomfortable that his life seemed unbearable — it would do neither of them any good. She would let the idea go and gladly allow him his peace…

   … again, because she’s not a monster.

     A diplomatic answer, one that that did little to warrant reading into, and still, Kaheer studied her expression, wondering if anything could be derived from the perfect mask of the immortal. He came away empty handed and all he could do was give a slight incline of his head. He thought of the Blood-King and his insistence to delight in all the things that had been denied Kaheer up until his arrival at Sanctuary and his blood boiled, his mouth bending on a frown. In the sudden spike of irritation, he nearly forgot his fear, but the echo of it still reared back at Kellen’s question.

       “No.” He supplied, a little too quickly for the easy conversation they had been having thus far.  Of course, Kaheer had always struggled with talking to other people, his previous encounters never much more than an exchange of pain for information. He parted with thoughts of Wolfgang, tucking the embers of his anger away for later. “You have not upset me.” Though something had and that was up to the vampire’s interpretation. There was a beat of silence. “Do I...make you uncomfortable?” He returned her concern, knowing that most of the inhabitants of sanctuary still treated him with caution.

[kaheerthehaunted-blog]

jaaelthesun :

She should have known it was inevitable. Should have steeled herself for it – more than thinking of it as a mere possibility. It would always happen, and now, it had. Comfortable silence began to stretch between them as they walked home, Jaael letting her internal pace mirror Kaheer’s until she felt steady again, until they were a matching set once more, inscrutable to anyone else.

Their odd little home greeted them with little preamble, worn for wear but theirs, and she said nothing as Kaheer opened the door, the sound of its familiar creak grounding her further. She let all else become background noise as they went through their routine, her mind focusing on the traps as she helped disarm them, never one to trust muscle memory alone.

Jaael began lighting the hearthfire as Kaheer told her how it had all shook out, and again she found herself wondering what Noah’s end goal was. No matter how she turned the puzzle, she couldn’t find the right angle – and all she was left with was suspicion, hissing and furious.

It stung more than she thought it would – more than she wanted to admit. So much time spent running, and then they had made their way here, to Sanctuary, and while she was still ready to pick up and run again…

Jaael had hoped they wouldn’t have to.

“.. I don’t know what he’s after,” she finally said, brows knitting together, furrowing the spot between her eyes as she stared into the flames – and then her gaze turned to Kaheer, and she let it soften, as she always did. “But I know I don’t want us to run. Not yet.” Not yet.

     Their entire journey since leaving the Wanderers had been everything Kaheer was warned it would be, but one thing he failed to feel after being freed from their grasp was regret. He had, in the few months underfoot, gained more than he had lost for once and it had changed him bit by bit. Even as he was learning exactly all he had been deprived of and what it meant, Kaheer could never have imagined anything so thoroughly drenched in freedom and his heart twisted in his chest, her words resting between his rib cage. He knew this feeling, knew it because he had felt it once before, been brave enough to trust someone else for the first time in years. He put his trust in her again.

       “Not yet.” He repeated, beginning to work on building a fire. “The others...do not know of this tribe-- not as we know it. If more come...” 

       Kaheer had promised himself to never take another life beneath any dictation other than his own. He had never wanted for vengeance or justice, or any shade of what had been inflicted upon him to come to those that had wronged him. He only wanted a simple life and even that seemed too far reaching, or at least it had, now it had grown closer to their grasp and with it a new desperation moved his hand to close the distance. The more he thought about it, the more Kaheer railed against leaving the best shot of survival they both had. With Noah’s recognition and the blow him and Jaael had served their former tribe by running away, thereby robbing the Wanderers of two prized possessions, every day they spent not on the run was a risk. And yet. 

      “I would like to stay.” Even if it cost the little bit of humanity he had managed to wrest from the Wanderers. He would kill every last one of them, not for anything so lofty as justice, but for her. For their limited days. He watched as smoke began to curl up from the nest of tinder, a small flame beginning to flick out over one of the sticks until he finally moved to Jaael. “I would keep them from ever making it here.” An entire tribe, winking out like a dead star, gone from the crawl of time.

[kaheerthehaunted-blog]

 ailes-de-fleurs :

She understood his wariness. They were practically strangers and she was offering him something to consume. It was logical to be wary of that. Still, it did strike her as odd for him to be so nervous that he practically flinched. Why was he so jumpy, she wondered.

The questions shouldn’t have amused her, yet she couldn’t help chuckling when he seemed so appalled at the sight of the berries. Shaking her head, she replied, “That’s okay. No need to apologise.” She paused, popping one of the berries into her mouth to prove that they weren’t poisoned.

“As I said, they were soaked in liquor - ale to be precise, then rolled in honey and left to dry, for some time,” she answered his question. Continuing, she explained, “I got tired of the normal taste. So, I thought I’d do something with them. I was bored, honestly.” After a moment, she added, “It’s okay if you don’t want to try. There’s no compulsion.”

     Kaheer still hesitated a few moments and when she didn’t collapse or begin frothing at the mouth, he carefully took one of the cranberries. He rolled it in his fingers, frowning at the sticky texture. He glanced at her when she said he didn’t have to try it, then back to it. They were keeping a steady pace, ground crunching beneath feet enough to fill the silence if it ever occurred, and it did frequently as Kaheer thought. 

     He slowly put one his mouth. He tasted the honey instantly, the sweetness of it coating his tongue as he moved to chew the berry. What came next was this bitter taste that had him scrunching his nose up but only slightly. The honey taste was quick to mix with it, though, and he nodded once. He hadn’t tasted anything like it ever sweets not a common thing for him, but he was happily surprised that he liked it. “It’s...good.” Kaheer had never thought about eating for enjoyment or taste, just survival, whatever it took to keep him on the road, to keep him standing upright. He found himself wanting another one soon after the first was swallowed. 

    “Thank you. It tastes good. Do you make things like this often?” He asked, licking the vestiges of honey from his fingers before dropping his hand to his side. 

[kaheerthehaunted-blog]

wolfgangarcturus :

The words strangled in his throat, the easy reassurance that all lives, before and after turning, had access to the things that made life bearable, desirable… the very reasons to keep moving once breath and heartbeat were gone. If he didn’t have Reg and the joy of the hunt… the pleasure of the game and music… why would he continue in the endless night? Even the most hidebound of ancient upyr had the things that gave them inner happiness even as they mocked with high disdain. Only humans could be so cruel as to deny even the concept to another.

He tossed the cloak aside and took a few steps closer to the weaver, unconsciously a little faster than he should but his intent was clearly not to cause harm. “Are you… you cannot… where did you come from that you didn’t experience them? Even Noah, raised in a tribe full of warriors, enjoys the rhythm of combat and dancing to music… Listen!” He raised a long finger and the air carried the faintest of notes from a nearby house, a soft lullaby sung to soothe a crying baby. “You didn’t even have that?”

@kaheerthehaunted

      Kaheer’s breath caught, a solid pebble in his throat, as the vampire moved towards him, bracing himself to be torn apart. He flinched back as if he might be struck but dared not to move away from the other being only to realize that the other intended no harm. He didn’t know to trust that, didn’t trust someone to not fall prey to quick temper the way his own Tribe leader had, but the tension in him eased just enough for his own anger to rise soon after. 

     The pang of jealousy was still there, humming beneath the surface of his skin, the uncomfortable feeling like needle pricks, weaving thread through his chest to pull it taut, to make it just hard enough to breathe. With every question the vampire asked, he felt heat rise up his chest, his neck, until he tugged a little at the collar of his shirt to abate it. 

    The mention of Noah and his experiences in the tribe snet another flurry of rage through him. Filled with warriors was how Wolfgang had heard of them. The Wanderers.The Wicked tribe in name and in virtue had been sold as warriors, the title serving more honor and prestige than Kaheer could comprehend. His very emotions on the subject turned him into a wretched ball of burning hatred and anger, the usual apathy and misunderstanding he faced his own past with fading to the back of his mind as his soul cried out in the wake of this slight. And perhaps it was this, Noah’s experiences in comparison to his own, the way he must have described these people to Wolfgang, a monster in his own right, that finally snapped the cord. Laughter and music and camaraderie had never been his to have, he had been nothing, a monster born and molded, killing weaklings to survive in his own right, to listen to them cry. His lullaby was the sobs of children, of parents, and loved ones lost, never the dulcet tones that Wolfgang demanded he listen to now. He made a noise, some muted animalistic agonized sound as he pulled away from the vampire, toppling his stool as he got up.

     “Stop.” and his words were ragged little things, dripping of ire and disdain uncommon from the meek Wicked who could barely look anyone in the eyes. “I have never had that and I do not need or want what you speak of.” The lies were acid on his tongue but he spat them out anyway, driving himself further and further into his own self-punishment. “I will find some other weaver to make your cloaks.” He made for the door.

[kaheerthehaunted-blog]

bloodydavvn :

Rory’s expression wavered, disappointment warring with dismay, the lightest flinch playing across her features for an instant, and her eyes lowered as she suddenly found something terribly interesting to pluck at the hem of her shirt. It shouldn’t have mattered – he certainly didn’t think it did – but she had enjoyed that part of their conversation more, and his dismissiveness, his moroseness, made her squirm uncomfortably, by turns dejected she’d pressed too hard as she’s often been told she did, and outraged he didn’t seem willing to open up to her.

“In theory,” she shrugged, a little colder than before, her smile waning as she looked at him again. “You poke ‘em with the stabby end,” Rory continued. “But…it gets complicated in practice.” Needlessly so, maybe, though she figured that her superior speed had so far aided her greatly against opponents, rather than any instinctive talent with a sword. “You have to pay attention. You use your whole body – like with anything that has to do with a fight, I suppose, though so far I’ve noticed it takes a bit more finesse than throwing punches.” She tilted her head on one side, watching him curiously.

“No offense, but you don’t look young enough to be…disallowed from having things.” if he’d never had access to a sword, she’d understand. It wasn’t a particularly easy to make implement, not even in wood, and metal was rare and took a long time to heat enough to be malleable. Most tribes, she’d always been told growing up, never stayed long in one place. But he’d said he hadn’t been allowed to have them – she took that to mean that wherever he was from, they’ve had swords and he had been prevented from using them. Perhaps he was an escaped prisoner of the Upyr, like Reg had been. But then, her brother didn’t escape on his own. Rory sat up a little straighter, her interest pricked, her determination to learn more about him – even if not the meaning of his name – once more at the forefront of her mind.

    He felt it, the change with which she regarded him, but could not trace the reason to its root, so he just listened. Kaheer was genuinely interested in what she had to say and, for a moment, he let himself imagine a time when he could learn such a thing himself. It was as if certain things were made possible if he forced optimism to filter over it. Jaael could live, free and happy, if the dream that Sanctuary held in the heart of it were realized, but such a thing was not forged from nothing. If he could see it realized, then perhaps...

     Kaheer had thought again and again of his time before this place and of the inevitability of having to leave. He thought of where they would go after, of how they would survive and drew up a blank canvas, unable to draw forth anything other than that they would make it happen, that he would adapt. He had no map in his mind, no other survival skill, no strength, no skill, he only had this ember in the chest of him, this wish to live so desperately it kept everything else from collapsing down around it. He curled his fingers into fists and imagined learning how to fight instead, of staying in Sanctuary, of flying too close to the sun. Something like want stirred in his throat and he slammed back down to earth before it could manifest anymore. 

     “It was less an allowance, I was never given anything to have. Clothes, perhaps, food and water as required. I was not of use as a warrior, nor was I trained in the art of the hunt.” He was used for a single purpose, to consort with the dead and to kill to make his power stronger. Her sudden movement has his gaze return to hers, all the more wary. “I had nothing.”

[kaheerthehaunted-blog]

 ofbuildingwalls :

“Definitely,” Anton nodded at the puppy. She was barely six months old and already ten times bigger than when he got her. “Probably much bigger,” her pelt shone, she was a good weight, she seemed quite sure on her legs, although a bit fumbling from the growth spurt, and while Anton still wouldn’t eat meat, he’d make sure to bring some for her every now and then. The smell of it sizzling in the pan had made him sick the only time he’d tried to cook it after more than a decade, but he was worried bread and bones and vegetable soup wasn’t a good enough diet. Sometimes, every few weeks, he could handle a few pieces of meat, but now that he’d actually brought custom to the butcher, the man had warmed up to him enough that he gave him it already cooked. Perhaps in anticipation to the treats, Summer had grown to enjoy those trips to the market the most.  

He glanced up at Kaheer’s answer, something flickering across his features – confusion, or apprehension, or a mixture of both – but he forced a smile on his face and gave a half shrug. “I sometimes put a bit of sugar in it. But mostly I drink it plain. Or with brandy,” of course, he drank his more alcohol than tea, but he refrained from pointing that out. “Milk for stronger tea, but not this kind,” he poured two mugs, and brought them to the table.

“You can pick her up, you know. She doesn’t mind being carried,” at first, he had barely noticed Kaheer was kneeling in his kitchen, but now they were close and he was craning his neck down to look at him, and while he kept to the opposite corner of the table, it still made him feel like he was looming over him. “Start with a spoonful, and see how it tastes,” he returned to the counter, grabbing the earthen bowl of sugar and a somewhat dented and deformed spoon and brought them over.

      Kaheer gently tried to lift the puppy into his arms and when there was no resistance he did so more confidently, standing only to sit in the chair Anton had pointed out. He used one hand to pet Summer’s head, while the other steadied her until the tea was ready, then he set her back down again, attention on the cup. He eyed it warily, much the same as he might had Anton been entirely a stranger, but the man wasn’t and another stab of guilt had his arm moving to hold the cup. It’s surface was hot to the touch but he paid it little mind as he sipped at it first without sugar. He would not make the mistake as he had with Ayanna and unnecessarily offend someone trying to be kind to him, no matter how foreign the concept was now. He took another sip of the scalding liquid then set it down. A spoonful of sugar went into it, then he waited. “It’s good...thank you.”

      “How long has it been since you knew you had power?” Kaheer startled himself, eyes widening at the question even as he was saying it. He cleared his throat, sipping another sip and finding it just the same if only slightly sweeter before he continued on. “You don’t have to answer that, it just seems...new.”

[kaheerthehaunted-blog]

shoarkellen :

   Kellen found the whole of Kaheer’s person both indescribably interesting and terrifying. Everything about him was both a mystery and written across his face and something in that made the hairs on her neck stand on end and her insides scream to get away as quickly as possible…

… so she ignored them.

Instead, she stepped forward to peer out into the shadows of the woods, seeing nothing and having not expected to, knowing Kaheer’s history. Instead she merely watched, fingertips pressing into the wooden slats of a broken down fence — not the only thing separating them from the woods but the nearest thing to her for her to lean on — and glanced only partially — carefully — towards the man now to her right, “Or in here… but I suppose you would know that as well if it were true.”

It hadn’t meant to sound as ominous as it had, and she dismissed it with a flick of her head, hair shifting over her shoulder faintly, before continuing on, “You need not be afraid of me. I believe you know of me, as I know of you, and should realize that to bring you harm would bring undue attention to me and others… so I don’t really need it… but…”

Information was power, and as much as it could seem as if she were just truly —  really and truly with her own best interest at heart — using Kaheer… the truth was always different shades of grey, and part of Kellen often felt lonely and gravitated towards broken people who didn’t know their strength to form bonds with; the powerful had no reason to worry about routes of escape, they thought themselves untouchable, but people such as she and Kaheer — powerful, but scared enough to know not to use it blatantly — would always be one step ahead, “Do you talk to many people?”

      When the vampire moved closer to the fence, she drew his focus once more. He felt the world tilt, felt its pull towards the opposite direction and held still, even as she neared him.  Fear, insistent to be noticed, numbed his insides until it threatened to drop him to his knees, his heart thudding painfully against his ribs. All at once, he felt like the rodent with a hawk overhead, though Kaheer noted she was careful not to fix too heavy a gaze on him. It was as if he had remembered what it truly felt like, had grown used to the dulled variations of such an emotion, but Kellen’s movements ripped it out of him. It was a brief eternity before he could understand what she was saying

...or in here....

      He had thought of that too, of the killers and monsters lurking inside the walls of Sanctuary, but thought it unwise to bring up the obvious, not with the risk of inadvertently upsetting her or her kin if she took the observation as accusation. The only thing the Wicked could manage was a slight nod, knowing better than to reveal the extent of his powers. He studied the worn wood beneath her fingers, tracing his gaze up her arms to her face, then out to the expanse of trees slowly getting used to her presence while keenly aware of every muscle in his body tensed and braced for attack. 

       It was not until her next words that Kaheer forced himself to relax, the barest reprieve from the terror. She could kill him, break him, even, but she wouldn’t, not while it did not suit her, not when there was more to lose than to gain, and that was enough for him. The Wanderer’s, the type of monsters that they were, received what they wanted out  of him, but never stopped at that, they delighted more in his suffering. It felt more powerful than whatever ability they had gained in their life, a different kind of sovereignty. “Thank you.” He meant the it, his fear ebbing, though the words fell dead between them.

      He remained still, even while the ghosts had long since disappeared. It was an odd development, Kaheer wanting to stay in the presence of someone else, but his feet remained planted, the desire to leave not there. He stayed and answered her questions instead. 

        “No.” A beat. “Your king came to me once.” The blue-eyed, fair-haired one who howled at the moon  had come into the weavers’ workshop. Kaheer had lost track of time, had not realized the sun had long kissed the earth goodnight before the Blood-King revealed himself. Thinking on it now, he had not felt the kind of terror he felt in Kellen’s presence, when faced with Wolfgang. “Requested more cloaks.” 

[kaheerthehaunted-blog]

ailes-de-fleurs :

His words made Ayanna bow her head humbly, offering him a smile. “That’s really kind of you, Kaheer.” Her response was of genuine gratitude. They continued to walk in silence again, for a few minutes.

Reaching into the pouch that hung from her waist, Ayanna pulled out a handful of cranberries. “Candied cranberries?” She offered her companion, holding her hand out for him to take some. “Soaked in liquor, rolled in honey. They’re a little sticky but very delicious.”

      Kaheer looked at her hand, questioningly, confusion written across his face as if it was the only expression he knew how to make. He only barely managed not to jump away from her offered hand, only flinching a little, a stutter in the steadiness of their walk. 

     “What did you do to them?” Guilt tore through him as he thought of every horrible thing that could have been done to the food in her hand, starting at poison and moving towards the more Wicked-like brews and concoctions then realized the rest of her words. It was a sweet, offered out of kindness. Something in his chest twisted painfully.

       “I apologize, I did not mean...” He glanced at the cranberries again but did not take one, still holding off until he saw her eat one.

[kaheerthehaunted-blog]

dxrkchiild :

The Vampire fully expected silence to be their only companion during the walk back to town. So when the man finally spoke, he couldn’t wipe the look of surprise from his face fast enough.

“Why what,” he asked, “why would I want to keep you safe, or why would we become friends?” If anything, the thought of it made him laugh. It was surprising enough to himself that Parnus had both of the answers on the tip of his tongue.

“Well, first, because I really care about Sanctuary and the people who live there. Even the cruel ones. And nothing is going to turn out right if we just care about ourselves and not our neighbors, right?” He gave Kaheer a look that prodded the man to answer, but when there was none he simply continued. 

“And second… because I guess I could use more friends. I… don’t know if anyone’s spread the rumor to the Humans yet, but I’m not exactly… well liked among my own kind.”

“And honestly, you look like you could use a friend, too.”

     Kaheer clocked the surprise, recognized it for what it was and stored it to think about later, as he did most things. His own expression was passive to say the least, the Wicked listening intently but not offering up any responses in return, not even a hum of understanding, just silent attentiveness. Parnus seemed genuine, and despite Kaheer not trusting his own judgement of anyone without discussing it with Jaael, he found himself not questioning the vampire’s words, for now, at least. Then, his curiosity was piqued once more and he surprised himself again. “Why are you disliked by the others?”

[kaheerthehaunted-blog]

jaaelthesun :

His answer brought a wide smile to her face, warm at the thought – they’d make their meal, and then they could sit on the roof, nestled under blankets. She’d tell him of all the stars she hadn’t already told him––

As soon as Kaheer mentioned Noah, her gait faltered, a syncopated rhythm taking the place of what had been a steady beat. She trained her gaze forward, trying to conceal the thunder within her chest. They’d known he was there: for their first few weeks, the two of them had play-acted the part of shadows, and it had been easy, the entire town’s attention paid towards the destruction wrought by the storm. Slipping out of focus hadn’t been an issue.. and while they’d known Noah was there, neither had bothered with approaching him.

They had been Wanderers too, yes… but they were the ones who’d escaped. Somehow, she didn’t think it was quite the same for Noah, and that– that made her grit her teeth. She had wanted him to remain busy with whatever it was that he did. Had wanted the two of them to remain out of his focus for as long as they could, even in the close quarters of Sanctuary.

“.. How did he act?” Hostile? Or perhaps playing dumb? Could she ever feel certain until Noah made his move?

     He caught the way she faltered and the sticks shifted in his arms as he automatically moved to do...something, he wasn’t entirely sure what, but caught himself, a small flinch of movement, faster than a wink. Not here, his mind echoed and he held himself back, unwilling to show the outside anymore than it had of their world. 

      “He said I looked familiar.” Kaheer’s face was a blank slate while his mind combed through the entire interaction with Noah, looking for the details. He thought it better to just describe everything instead, his own confusion over the entire thing altering his conjectures. They were close to home now, the sky going from dark to a warm orange at the horizon, he waited until they’d made it to their front door, hand propping the rusted metal open. Waited until after they disarmed the traps set up for trespassers, until the sticks were set down near what served as their stove before he began to speak again, telling her everything, every minute detail. “He wanted to talk with me.” 

[kaheerthehaunted-blog]

dxrkchiild :

In truth, Parnus was still unsure as to why he’d arrived to the forest so late at night. His building duties were finished and beyond that, his social efforts were solely occupied by Ayanna. Solitude in the woods hadn’t been his plan… but maybe something else had drawn him here. A force? Knowing that this man was… well not quite stuck in a tree but… perhaps the possibility of it.

“Well… I can’t leave you to roam in good conscience.” Parnus frowned softly at the man. “If you were hurt, I’d feel responsible.”

He gestured forward into the thicket. “Carry on then. Maybe we’ll become friends along the way.” He could do with a few more of those… even if they were as unusual as this fellow.

    Kaheer’s eyes widened slightly, head canting to the side at Parnus’ concern, wholly confused. He took the vampire’s words apart, piece by piece, looking for deceit, his paranoia always reigning supreme. What did he stand to gain by being nice to Kaheer? The Wicked could come up with nothing as an answer, nor with a reason for Parnus to do the opposite. He hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath, waiting for a blow that had yet to come, so he let it out, no longer bracing himself. He nodded walking what he believed to be the path towards Sanctuary. After a few quiet seconds, his curiosity once again won the battle over his preference for keeping to himself. 

      “Why?”

[kaheerthehaunted-blog]

dxrkchiild :

Parnus shook his head slowly – made sure to keep his movements such in order to keep the man at ease. He was glad to hear his heartbeat slowing down but that didn’t mean they were out of the woods, both literal and metaphorical, yet.

“No… no they don’t come near the town border,” Parnus answered for him, “don’t know if it’s because they know what we all are or that we’re in numbers but they keep their distance lucky enough.”

Nevertheless, it would make Parnus feel better if they got back closer to town soon. 

“Come – I’m friends with Keeper Ayanna. I’ll walk you back to Market.”

     Tension still defined his shoulders, curling and uncurling his fingers, as he thought of the threat beyond, but he nodded his acquiescence to the vampire. Ayanna. The image of the blonde came to mind, and he filtered through their conversation. He wasn’t sure if he could trust her, or anyone, but she had let them in and for that he was grateful. “I am not lost, but if you wish to accompany me, I care not.” It was not meant as unfriendly, only a statement, an out in case the Vampire needed to tend to other things.

[kaheerthehaunted-blog]

shoarkellen :

   It was true that Kaheer was probably the least lost person in Sanctuary, regardless of how anyone thought of him, he managed to know things and that was… without peer, to a degree. Kellen had always found him somewhat fascinating, but feared approach ‘lest he see through to the heart of her. She didn’t really understood how what he did worked, and also wasn’t keen on screwing up anyone else’s plans to avoid people… she did it enough on her own.

The vampire general instead tilted her head, deciding to pause in her movement and turn to look at him; she could tell his attention was fleeting, and for a moment wondered what it was he saw. Most would call it a gift, but Kellen knew how often curses disguised themselves as gifts to lure people in, and… she might have felt sympathy were she capable of allowing herself to.

Instead, her mouth formed a thin line and she shrugged, watching him – perhaps to make sure he knew her, to make sure he understood her regardless of how little they may have interacted before – and remarked, “What is it that you’re seeing?”

Curiosity killed the cat, but Kellen was neither feline nor afraid.

     “Children playing in the woods.” Kaheer spoke the truth, to his own surprise, his expression an open book as his dark eyes widened with the admittance.  He found himself able, but not wanting, to lie to her. “They are gone now.” Their voices which had carried on the wind  were now no more, muffled by the distance as they drew further and further into the woods. His heart careened painfully against his ribs, anxiety rising as he realized he had let slip something that had made others covet him, forced him into death dealing and subservience. He tamped down the rising panic for there was something much more menacing beyond, in the darkness.

     “They died recently.” His eyes were dead, and though the moon shone, there was no reflection of it in his eyes as his gaze turned to take in the trees draped in shadows. “Whatever killed them is still out there.”