someone who appreciates the comforts of a gilded cage

[backstitched]

[ truth be told, Chloe isn't sure how long he's been away from home anymore.

it's all been a blur since that peculiar man came into the shop. not that Chloe is usually even allowed to interact with customers, but his parents had gone to the next town over to buy fabric, and his sisters had run out to make a delivery just a few minutes before the customer had asked to be let in. Chloe complied with his request, because he couldn't see the harm in it, and he was sure his sisters would be back in a few minutes, anyway.

but it had taken less than that for the man to begin behaving ... oddly. remarking on Chloe's skin, the color of his eyes, and his scent— which was all very flattering, though not things Chloe's heard offered very often as compliments. he must've found them compelling, though, because the next thing he knew he was leaving his family's store with the man (something he was never, ever supposed to do, under any circumstances), and after that, he could hardly remember how he came to be in the tiny, windowless room.

it wasn't all that different from his 'room' at home. it could be worse.

the sounds that have been coming from the other side of the door for the last few minutes, however, are much more alarming. screams and guttural cries of pain and frantic movements that goes on until it doesn't, fading back into an eerie silence that Chloe can't help but call out into. ]

Hello? Is someone out there?

Comments

[quaremorito]

[Every once in a while, some absolute braindead idiot of a vampire decides that he's so strong and so important he can just go and do whatever he wants.

It wouldn't be the first of these vampires Owen's killed for encroaching on his hunting grounds and it wouldn't be the last.

This one certainly has quite the stock of humans, Owen has to admit. Not that he really pays attention most of the time, but they're all rather pretty and don't smell disgusting. Points to the corpse on the floor with his throat torn out for having decent taste, Owen guesses. He's hungry, but not hungry enough to eat any of these humans, and once they realize that Owen's not going to keep them captive or kill them, some of the braver ones bolt. And then more follow. Prey's the same anywhere.

He's wandering around the place, looking for something to make all this effort worthwhile, when he hears a voice. It's coming from the furthest door at the back of the hall. Owen doesn't like to listen to Bradley most of the time, but he remembers what the other said about where treasure is kept, and so Owen decides to see what's on the other side, just this once.

Well. In a manner of speaking. He doesn't do it nicely, and instead rattles the locked doorknob ominously for a minute before breaking it off and letting the door swing open, revealing him in the dim light of the hall.]

Boo.

[backstitched]

[ at first Chloe thinks maybe he imagined all the hubbub he was sure he heard just a few minutes ago, but then someone does respond. or something. he watches the doorknob wobble eerily for a few seconds hesitantly, not getting any closer but not drawing away either. he does jump, just a little, when the door swings open with a bang, revealing a person on the other side. he looks ... mostly normal, as far as Chloe can judge, so he tries his best smile, though he can't help but look somewhat nervous as he peers out at the stranger. ]

H-Hi there!

[quaremorito]

Hello.

[Owen's smile widens, and it becomes immediately apparent he is not a normal person whatsoever, since there's the glint of very sharp fangs there.

He stalks closer, curious, and a little irritated that the human isn't afraid of him like the others. He opens his mouth to say something to fix that, but by then he's close enough to catch the other's scent and he pauses. Oh. That dead idiot really was keeping the good stuff to himself. This one smells downright mouthwatering, leagues above all the others who already fled. The kind of taste those weirdos in the West covens breed humans for. And this one's all alone and unaccounted for. What a nice find.

Owen reaches out, runs his fingers and nails along the other's jaw and then down his neck, too gentle to be threatening harm but too immediately intimate to be comfortable. There wasn't a wound there that Owen could see, but, there were potions for that, for weirdos who didn't like their humans sporting bite marks.]

Did he get a taste of you before I killed him? If he didn't, this is why you always eat dessert first.

[backstitched]

[ Chloe eyes widen when Owen flashes his teeth, surprise open on his face. he's not quite sure what to make of it, honestly— Chloe's never met someone with fangs before, but then, he hasn't met very many people in general. perhaps a child who been raised under more normal circumstances might recognize the creature before him as a vampire, but it doesn't click for Chloe, who's barely been allowed off of his family's property for as long as he's been alive.

as it is, he watches Owen with hesitant curiosity, looking confused rather than shying away when he reaches out to stroke gently at his skin. ]

Did— did someone try to eat me? I don't think so. [ he's fairly certain he'd remember something like that. ]

[quaremorito]

He really was an idiot, then.

[To Owen's benefit. He keeps gently stroking the other's throat, relishing the flutter of a pulse he could feel under his fingers. It'd feel better under his mouth.

He debates with himself silently if he should wait until he got the human back to his place or have a meal now, and decides on the latter. The other will be more pliant and cooperative after being fed on, after all.

Owen leans closer, into the human's space now, eyes sharp and predatory, the slitted pupils of his eyes blown wide like a cat that's sighted a bird.]

What's your name?

[Owen doesn't particularly care, but entrancing someone for feeding was easier if he knew.]

[backstitched]

It's Chloe.

[ he responds brightly, despite the increasing oddness of the situation. vaguely, he remembers stories his parents would tell him about monsters that would devour him if he ever went outside (which made him such a burden to the family), but Chloe was always under the impression that they were hulking, terrifying creatures. this man looks relatively human, rather than anything Chloe would immediately associate with a monster.

the hand on his neck is a little unnerving, though, he has to admit. he's not used to being to touched by anyone, and the sensation is pleasant, Chloe is hesitant to relax too much into it ]

What's yours?

[quaremorito]

Owen.

[He pauses for a moment to see if recognition will flash over Chloe's face, although at this juncture he doubts it. Even if anyone even vaguely aware of vampires would recognize the name of one of the terrifying lords who stalked the Northern reaches. Chloe, he's beginning to suspect, isn't normal in that regard.

That's not Owen's concern though. A tasty meal is a tasty meal, and if Chloe, somehow, doesn't know what vampires are, he's about to learn.

Owen stops touching Chloe's neck, and instead wraps his fingers around the back of it, keeping the other in place.]

Chloe. [His voice is a croon, irresistibly cloying and suggestive.] Stay still. And tilt your head back.

[backstitched]

It's nice to meet you, Owen.

[ of course, as isolated as he's been from the rest of the world, there's no spark of recognition to be seen in Chloe from the given name. vampire lords are a vague and foreign concept, something he might've overheard of once, but was never so relevant to his life that he was told anything more than the basics.

something about Owen's words strike him as familiar. his immediate, pressing desire to obey they bring on similar to what had happened with the man when he'd come into the shop. while it's enough to make him hesitate for a brief moment, the pleasant timbre of Owen's voice sounds so nice, so calming after all the strange and frightening sounds he'd heard earlier, and it's not long before Chloe finds his head drifting obediently to the side, baring the pale line of his throat. ]

Like this?

[quaremorito]

Just like that.

[It's a little amazing how guileless this one is, and Owen has to wonder why a human like that hasn't died yet. Even animals, like deer and rabbits, know that being too trusting invites the chance of getting gobbled up. There's probably a reason behind that, but one Owen doesn't care about when he's able to step close enough that the warmth and inviting scent of Chloe's blood is just inches out of reach.

Owen's not the type to savor a meal before digging in, so he doesn't linger on breathing in more of how good Chloe smells. Instead, he opens his mouth, fangs scraping across Chloe's neck before Owen finally bites down. The blood flowing out is just as delicious as he anticipated--better than, actually. Warm and sweet and so good it's almost like the more Owen drinks the hungrier he feels.]

[backstitched]

[ it hurts when Owen initially bites down, enough to make Chloe jerk back with a weak whimper of pain. thankfully, the sensation doesn't last long, and is quickly replaced by a pleasant numbness that rapidly spreads through Chloe's body. he's vaguely aware that Owen is drawing out his blood, drinking it, something only a monster would do, but all of his limbs feel sluggish, incapable of moving away, even if he wanted to.

the dizziness that begins to overwhelm the more Owen drinks, however, is harder to ignore. it gets harder and harder to stay stable on his feet, and before long, Chloe finds himself reaching out to grab at Owen's coat, trying to steady himself. ]

I don't ... it feels ... [ draining, to say the least, after Chloe's been locked away without food or water for an uncertain amount of time, but the teeth in his neck make it difficult to sort out his thoughts. ]

[quaremorito]

[Owen is briefly taken out of his reverie when Chloe touches him, mostly because he isn't used to that sort of thing. Most humans he eats just go limp until he's done with them. It's probably a good thing, in the end, because Owen doesn't actually want to kill this one. Even if he doesn't usually keep humans around as blood sources like some other vampire, he does know it'd take forever to find another who's just as tasty.

So Owen stops drinking, swipes his tongue over the wound to get the last trickles of blood and to seal it over. Chloe is practically dead weight at this point, and it's going to be such a pain to lug him back to the manor but it's not like Owen has a choice.]

Was that scary? Are you feeling despair at realizing your shot at freedom was just another trap? Don't worry. Maybe if you close your eyes it'll all be a bad dream in the end.

[backstitched]

A dream?

[ Chloe echoes Owen's words, blinking drowsily. despite everything, his voice is still even, more dazed and dreamy than truly afraid. there's some sense in what Owen's saying, to Chloe's addled mind. he can't remember the last time he was allowed outside for more than a few minutes, let alone however long he's been spirited away to this place. the only times he can remember leaving his family's shop or the dingy little room he calls his own before this are just like Owen says— in his dreams.

he sways unsteadily on his feet, barely managing to stay upright by tightening his grip on the fabric of Owen's coat. ]

You don't feel like a dream, Owen.

[quaremorito]

Are you going to say it's more like a nightmare?

[He puts an arm around Chloe's shoulders, enough to keep the other upright as he starts moving out of the room. They'd spent enough time here and Owen's already tired of being in that other vampire's dingy safehouse. Maybe he could come back and burn it later, for being such an eyesore.]

You can. You wouldn't be wrong.

[backstitched]

[ already disoriented, Chloe isn't very coordinated as he's shepherded out of the room, tripping as they cross the threshold back out into the hall. Owen's hand around his shoulders and his own grip on the other's coat are all the stop him from falling flat onto his face. ]

Is this what a nightmare's like? I can't remember the last time I had one of those. [ they were things for children who had to dream up reasons to feel terrified, to jump out of bed and run crying to their parents. Chloe had slept alone, for as long as he could remember, with the door tightly locked, his mother and father sleeping soundly on the floors above him. he'd learned quickly that his tears were a worthless currency. ]

[quaremorito]

Huh. You must be sheltered if you don't know who and what I am, but I never, ever expected you to be so pampered you don't know what a nightmare is.

[Which is the obvious conclusion from what little information Chloe has given. He's naive, pretty, possibly well-bred if one believed the arguments of some vampires about how human aristocrats tasted better. A young master.

Outside the wind and snow are biting, a typical Northern blizzard, but Chloe doesn't have to spend that much time in the inclement weather. Owen will step up to something that looks like just empty air in front of them, but it ripples, revealing a door and a plush seated inside, just like a carriage. He hefts Chloe up, just shy of rough, and deposits him onto one of the seats before stepping after him inside.]

You can get the experience now. Although, I guess it doesn't count if you can't wake up from it.

[backstitched]

[ the sheltered part is right, but hearing 'pampered' sets Chloe on edge. he doesn't have much time to dwell on it, at least, when Owen is lifting him up and dumping him into a carriage seat that's appeared midair. between the blood loss and the remaining fuzziness in his head that comes with Owen's enthralling, he falls rather awkwardly into the cabin, planting face first into one of the plush cushions before trying to right himself.

it makes sorting out what else Owen is saying to him difficult, though once he has a general grasp of it he can't help blurting something out. ]

Are we going somewhere? You're not— taking me home? [ there is something in the way Chloe speaks, his distinctly hopeful tone in his voice at the prospect of being taken away, that doesn't quite align with what one would expect from a person living a waking nightmare. ]

[quaremorito]

No. You're never going back home again.

[Owen is so confused by the hope he hears, he thinks he's mistaken. He must be. Humans just aren't happy to be taken from one kidnapping situation to another, much less if their kidnapper is a vampire.

Owen sits down across from Chloe, his stare unnerving and inscrutable. Without looking away, he taps on the window and, inexplicably, the carriage starts to move.]

I don't even know where your home is. And don't tell me, I don't really care.

[backstitched]

That's all right, I don't really want to talk about it.

[ Chloe's next response is just as bright, a mix of nerves and something like excitement lighting up his eyes. he can't remember the last time he was as far away from his home as he must be now, not since he was a small child, most likely. the prospect of going somewhere, anywhere else fills him with a burning curiosity, one that's long been neglected for the many years he's spent locked away in his house.

still, the sight of the fangs that flash in Owen's mouth as he speaks reminds Chloe of an pressing issue he should probably address before anything else. ]

Owen, are you a vampire?

[quaremorito]

...are you stupid?

[Owen's eyes narrow. Even if Chloe was sheltered, surely he's put two and two together by now? After being fed on?]

Of course I'm a vampire. And now I'm going to keep you and drink from you whenever I want. You haven't realized that yet?

[backstitched]

I've never met a vampire before, and my parents always said I'd get killed by one right away if I did, so I wasn't sure ...

[ his expression turns sheepish at Owen's harsh words, but doesn't try to deny them. he's grown used to insults over the years, leveled at him by his family or impatient customers. having his intelligence questioned is far from the worst thing he's heard. ]

But— I'm going to stay with you? You're really not going to make me go back?

[quaremorito]

No, they're right. Most people who run into hungry vampires will get killed. You're lucky you're delicious and it'd be a shame to drain you dry too fast.

[The average vampire doesn't have the power or space to keep a human properly, so most of them do just get all they can when they can. The one who snatched up Chloe would have probably sold him to a higher bidder...after sampling the goods himself, of course.]

Well, I might kick you out if you get boring or stop tasting good, but taking you back to the humans is too much work.

[backstitched]

You just want me to give you blood? Not chores, or cleaning wherever a vampire lives?

[ Chloe's brow furrows, looking somewhat skeptical for the first time in their conversation. as sheltered as he is, he's unfamiliar with the concept of vampires keeping humans around as long term pets or livestock, but from his own limited experiences, it sounds too good to be true. the bite only hurt at first, and after a while it even began to feel nice. letting Owen do that on a regular basis hardly sounds scary. ]

[quaremorito]

If you want to clean things for no reason, I won't stop you.

[Owen stares at Chloe with increasing confusion. Humans don't usually think of the blood drinking as not a big issue. Or being kept in a vampire's abode.]

Don't break or touch my stuff.

[backstitched]

Okay! I can do that, or not do it, I guess.

[ Chloe gives a determined little nod, or tries his best attempt at one. between the blood loss and the gentle rocking motion of the carriage as it moves along, his eyes are starting to feel heavier by the minute. ]

[quaremorito]

...you're weird.

[Truly an odd human, who isn't afraid of a vampire and doesn't seem to mind being kept in some strange place.]

You'll have to stay until i get tired of you. If you suddenly want to go back home, you can't. You'll be living with a monster who wants to devour you. Aren't you afraid? Are you putting on a uselessly brave face?