RP:Blood Pact Questions

Summary: After some recent events, Lita seeks out Kasyr to ask him what he might know (if anything) about blood pacts or rituals. It seems more details may be needed at a later meeting...

Lita had not spent much time in Vailkrin in her limited years as a vampire thus far. Barely a decade since Hanan had sired her and she was still young in it. It left her impulsive and often reckless but also made life interesting. But she's of a particular goal this evening. Or rather, a particular someone. And the pirate had offered some friendly words for where the fellow vampire might be found. Dressed in the usual little black sundress and that new leather bracer, barefoot, hair still smelling a bit like smoke, she finds her way back into the Corpse Tavern. She spares a brief glance for the piano and takes stock of the room with little interest before heading towards the bar. At least if the vampire never showed, she could enjoy a decent drink.

Kasyr isn't quite sure what brings him to the tavern that evening. There's still paperwork to sort through, accords that need to be ratified, complaints to be mitigated- and ever a budget to be balanced. But a familiar weight settles into his gut, only shaking free when he finally withdraws from the bedroom he'd sequestered himself in. Wordlessly, he exits the room- as though trying to preserve that small niche of tranquility he'd etched for himself, despite the gradual encroachment of outside problems. And then he's moving through the halls, the only pause in his march out the castle- being a brief foray into the ruins of a clothes rack- ancient wood having been lain low under the considerable weight of his trenchcoat And thus he wanders, into Vailkrins everlasting evening, through the familiar twilit of the city- and invariably to the small edifice tucked near one of it's entrances. The place he and other cabalites had once called home- until at that were left, were the ghosts of ghosts. He doesn't even spare a glance for the room this evening, drifting over to the bartop and lifting his hand up to order a glass, "Blood wine. Just keep them coming." No doubt, it was going to be marked up with the recent blood shortage, but then, what wasn't these days?

Lita glances over her shoulder to see Kasyr's entrance in silhouette. He looks older, in as much a way as they can. Perhaps is simply a wary exhaustion she recognizes or a blatant sense of being done with the world, even for a moment. She hasn't settled on a drink, she's not entirely sure what might be safe to drink around these parts these days, but she lifts a hand after his order to motion towards the barkeep, "Two please." And then as she glances sideways at him, "On me." She fishes a few gold coins from a pocket and slides them across the bar's top before the tender procures two glasses and pours, leaving the bottle between the two. "I was hoping I might find you." She says finally, tapping a finger idly against the rim of her glass. "I'm sure you're busy but I hoped I might be able to pick your brain some?"

Kasyr afford the cyclopean bartender a look, as he turns to retrieve the drinks, the swordsman faintly gesturing at the top of the shelf, before his gaze flickers back towards Lita. There's a certain sense of familiarity there- but like so many others, time, and tragedy had slowly whittled away at recognition, leaving in it's wake a certain cautious suspicion. Still, it hadn't decimated his courtesies, obliging him to offer a faint nod, "J'apprecie. Or rather, I'm grateful. Though I have to wonder what business has you seeking me out." The swordsman actually takes a moment to scrutinize the woman, and while a hazy sense of recognition exists, it's more her recent exploits as the bloodbowl champion that loom his his mind, "But, what does a storied champion want from moi, par chance?" There's a playful lilt to his voice, unable to suppress the humour that exists there.

Lita will probably be grateful, later, that he doesn't remember much of their previous meetings. She didn't always leave kind first impressions with people. When he mentions her recent tournament win, she offers a brief smile, still not accustomed to either winning tournaments nor being recognized for such a thing. "A mutual acquaintance said you might know a bit about blood pacts and rituals and the like. Or perhaps might just be able to point me towards another with the same sort of expertise? Not looking to inflict one on another but if one had possibly, unwittingly even, partaken in one, curious as to what the fall out could potentially be for them." Straight to the point, with usual innocuous fanfare. Not that she had very many details to share. A handful of ingredients, some foreign words, the resulting goop having been used to heal her broken ankle and contributed to a weeks' worth of restless sleep and nightmares.

Kasyr isn't quite sure what to make of the vagueness, and it has him looking a bit closer at the woman, as though it might reveal something unsaid. There's too much to unpack there and sift through, honestly, and so, he simply sets his elbows on the table, and begins to sip at the drink, "You didn't go to the necromancers guild, despite this being the obvious choice- so I'm guessing . . ." The wine swirls in his glass, a sanguine whorl which slowly fills in as it settles back down, showcasing his tired reflection, "You're concerned about your sire, peut-etre? ...It's -true- that our house did manage to re-sire someone, but I'm not exactly sure that's what you're looking for." There's a pause, before the swordsman finally deigns to take a sip from his glass, before neatly settling it back down on the table, "Unless I'm off base- but it does seem curious you'd seek me out, specifically."

Lita furrows a brow at him for a moment before it finally clicks where he's heading and she shakes her head a bit at him. "Oh, well, no, not exactly, I just thought, what?" Vampires could be re-sired? This is an entire line of possibility and questioning she hadn't even considered. But she'd have to try and follow that another visit perhaps. "In truth, I came to you because you're really the only other vampire I've ever met and-" liked seemed a strange word to use, so maybe, "-respected. Hanan left not long after I was sired and having spent most of my time since on the island, well, I've made friends more easily with wolves, I guess." She shrugs briefly. It's not something she'd even considered strange, really. It just was. But back to the point. "A healer, supposedly human, but certainly not undead, positioned themselves to help a fellow vampire in a moment of need. He mixed his blood with the vampire's, a few other ingredients, dried flowers and the like, chanted some words and smeared the stuff over the vampire's injury. But there have seem to have been some adverse side effects in the aftermath. They reached out to me to see if I could help. I did a fair bit of traveling in my time before settling on the island, but studying vampires and their nuances was not in my repertoire. I asked our mutual friend about it, and he recommended I seek you out to see if you might be of further assistance." Kasyr didn't really need to know that she'd been the vampire daft enough to accept the healer's help, did he? She'd hope not.

Kasyr may have been off-base, but he still gets to enjoy a weird sort of pleasure from watching the other vampire go through a sort of logical brain melt as the reality of what he said hits her brain. For his part, he does his best to maintain an utterly cherubic and neutral expression as she properly elaborates on the trial facing her. "I recall Hanan." Less than fondly, really. That said, he hears her out nonetheless, even if his lips do purse together a few times- as he does his best to refrain from, "Your friend -thralled- them. Accidentally. Did no one teach them-?" There's a prolonged and agonized groan that slips out from his throat, before he claps his hands together, "That one I'm less certain of, because rewriting the bind still..had it's implications. Removing one though, fixing a thrall- that's. . . A necromancer might be your best bid. There es a reason that there were specific rules against doing so for members of my house, just to avoid situations like this."

Lita flickers a glance away from him for a moment. Something close to pride lingering briefly in dark eyes. So many rules, so many complications, how could anyone keep track of such things? It was exhausting. "I guess not..." she slowly, with consideration, mulling over the possibilities here. But the lack of teaching for her part was not of concern at this moment. "But alas, no, rather the healer is quite fine. It's the vampire who seems to have changed in some way. The healer has, as of yet, been uncooperative with information." Though with time, that might also change. And she had time. It was the patience she lacks. "Guess I was just thinking you might have come across something in the like at some point." Another shrug of bare shoulders here. "I don't need to be so vague." It's almost an apology, though it lacks the empathy necessary for one. "Or perhaps Xalious has traded up their tactics and we're moving towards pyres faster than expected." Dark humor, a comparison of the recent edicts to Cenril's not-distant-enough witch trials. Maybe she should spend more time in Vailkrin after all.

Kasyr isn't quite sure what he's seeing there, as his empathy allows him some sense of the conflict- of the misalignment between what's said. Except, it's not his business, really. He's aware of that, well enough. " -That- es a unique case. Normally, the mingling of blood would impact the human, not the other way around, so I'd have to wonder about the one who did it, unless there was something in the rite itself?" The swordsman mulls on that thought for a few long moments, before he takes another draught from the cup, "I can see about asking some of my ..." Acquaintances? Friends? " ...peers- if they might know something about the situation, but given that it broaches beyond the norms, this might be something unique to your comrade, or their sire- or to the person that did this. ...Are you sure their motivations were benevolent?"

Lita might have said yes to that question before that night. Maybe before the tournament entirely, even. She'd never been much of a fighter. She'd always been a better runner. As a human and even then as a vampire. But there was something primal she'd found in that arena and something, she feared, that she'd enjoyed. And it had nothing to do with the victory. "I'm not sure anyone's ever is." She offers a small smile and nudges her glass, still untouched, in his direction. "I don't want to take too much of your time, I'm sure you're busy. But I do appreciate the help. Though if you've ever time, I'd love to hear more about this... re-siring business you've managed."

Kasyr tilts his head off to the side, before gingerly nudging the drink back towards her, "Et bien, It would hardly do to accept more of your generosity if I couldn't solve your problem." The glass is tilted slightly towards her, even as he continues, "Though- I'd have to wonder if a shift in your nature would address the situation- given your bloodline wouldn't quite be the same." One of those curious lines of thought which still intruded, courtesy of a history spent alongside a 'family' of scholars, "But that's perhaps a question best left for the future, or hypotheticals. In the meantime, I'm glad that what I offered could be considered help. Though, I'd certainly not be contrary to discussing matters further when we both have time." That, at least, provokes something of a genuine smile from the swordsman, as he finally makes good of polishing off his glass.

Lita pauses briefly, wondering if Kasyr's not one of those who are able to view thoughts or intentions or the like. She's must a couple of those over the years. They always leave her a tad unsettled. But she's not sure that's the case here. She offers a playful wink as she slips from her seat. "I'll consider that a date, then." She tucks raven curls behind her ears and then turns to head for the door. Until next time.