Michael
The days seem to blur into each other to Vervain. Time had loss its meaning here and there was no way of telling how much time had passed since Vervain entered this dark forest. The hallucinations kept him company the deeper he had gone and at the very center of this magnificently large forest was his abode. An abode he had spent months building with the use of his manifestations and his bare hands.

Today was no different than any other day, the rays of the sun flittered down through the leaves and branches of the surrounding trees. Lightly landing on Vervain's drowsy figure. He sat on his front deck, leaning into his hand as his eyes grew heavy from exhaustion. Last night was brimming with activity... The hallucinations danced and sang, reminiscing melodiously to Vervain about their fond memories back in Celestia before the incident...

The hallucination he spent the most time last night was his deceased lover. How he missed, ached to be with them once more. It was only until the sun started to peek through the leaves that the hallucination faded, leaving Vervain in a drowsy state from staying up all night. It was strange though, Noctis hadn't alerted him of any intruders that night which puzzled him. But he didn't complain, it was a peaceful night and he enjoyed at least that much.

With the sway of the breeze, his hair swept over his shoulder as he nodded off. His consciousness slowly fading as he felt the warm sun on his face pulling him further into a deep sleep. Noctis flew to his master's side after surveying the area all night. There were no signs of anyone within a mile radius from Vervain's abode thankfully. And thus Noctis and Vervain rested from their energetic night of fervor.
Mindy
Time had passed by quickly. Her longing for attention, for conversation and to enjoy the presence of another calling her name. She had slept for most of the night. Or at least she tried to. Her jaguar which rested beside her was quite the clingy one, constantly wanting to be pet. He was starving just as much as she was. Her stomach growled and her ruby eyes flared, glowing in the dark of her bedroom. The sun was beginning to rise which meant so did she. Groggily she stood to her feet, stretching before turning towards her bathroom. Brushing her teeth, brushing out her hair and getting dressed. "What do you think we should do?" She inquired, looking down towards the feline that had followed her into the smaller bathroom. 

The cat simply purred and rubbed up against her leg. Her free hand reached down to gently pat Jynx's head. "Perhaps we'll try to see if anyone else is around, take you on a little walk. As long as you promise to be good." She laughed, glancing down to the animal which returned a hopeful look. "Collar." The Garcia spoke and the jaguar went running downstairs to retrieve its collar. She fixed up her makeup, making sure it was perfect which she has had plenty of practice... If only she could see herself in the mirror. It was pointless but made the bathroom look nicer. Once her animal returned she praised Jynx and set the collar upon her. "Alright, let's go. Shall we?"

Her curiosity grew. Who would be asleep at this time? Nonetheless on the front deck. Her full grown Jaguar was not as careful as she was, coming closer and closer to the pair. Sniffling around before finding its resting place by Vervain's feet, rubbing up against his calf in an attempt to get the strangers attention. "Uhm.." She figured it was time to speak before the male woke up to a strange woman and a large cat simply staring. "Excuse me? Sir?"
Michael
Having fallen asleep on his front deck, he hadn't noticed how much time had past before a strange presence entered into his domain. It wasn't just one presence either, but two. Vervain was exhausted to react to the slight change in the atmosphere, instead he was dreaming of a time from before. A time he missed dearly, how he used to entertain others and was indeed happy. Not like how he is now, devoid of any happiness and the only company he kept was his familiar.

His familiar Noctis was the first to react, at first these two strangers were pretty quiet, but it startled the familiar awake when the woman spoke up against her jaguar. The crow's loud cawing and the aggressive flapping of his wings, along with the Jaguar rubbing Vervain's calf, awoke the man. His eyes slowly fluttering open at the different sounds of his surroundings. With the leaves rustling in the wind, his eyes made contact with the woman in front of him.

It was strange, as if he were dreaming still. There was no way someone would have made it this deep within the forest, especially after his familiar had surveyed the surrounding area within a mile radius. The woman's white hair shone with much brilliance, almost blinding when the sun hit it just right. Squinting from the sheer brightness of the day, Vervain lifted a hand to block the sun from his face. There was a silence once Vervain calmed his familiar down with a simple scratch on the bird's head. One would think he was shutting off an alarm clock.

Exhausted and drowsy, Vervain turned his gaze from the woman to the jaguar at his feet then looked away slightly exasperated from being woken up. "...Do you need something?" He finally said after a long moment of silence, finally arising to his feet, only realizing then that he was a whole foot taller than this woman. She was much smaller than he expected, but it did not surprise him in the least and thus his expression remained neutral as he gazed down at her.
Mindy
The way he didn't seem to notice at first intrigued the vampiric woman. Her hands slowly coming to clasp behind her back. Her gaze fixated upon Vervain and his familiar. The bird being so wiled up hurt her poor sensitive ears. However she did not budge. She was nearly sure the bird would attack at one point however it didn't. A decent surprise that she welcomed. She whistled, short and low-pitched to get the attention of Jynx who had woken up the man. The jaguar slowly stood to his paws, stretching before returning to its owner's side. "My apologies about my animal. She does not understand personal space." Spoke the woman. Her voice on the lower scale, elegant sounding. 

"I was exploring and came upon what I assume is where you reside? A beautiful home. It looks small and cozy." In all honesty the woman wasn't sure what she was doing here. She had been following Jynx through the woods. When the male stood to his feet, he was a little over a foot taller than her. Her head tilted up to keep the eye contact the two had. Her ruby eyes staring into his. Once she noticed she was staring she looked away, towards the ground. Her voice felt caught in her throat, heart raced. What was she to say? It was odd she was a strange woman to walked up to a man in a peaceful sleep.

The sun harming her, causing pain. She couldn't help the small hiss that slipped past her lips. "Mm.." She took in a deep breath, her attention turning towards Vervain once more. "It is nice to know there are others to live within the forest." 

||
Michael
Vervain observed the woman as she stared at him for a moment too long before turning her gaze downward only to return to keeping clear eye contact. Her clothing, demeanor and overall appearance gave him pause. The forest was usually neutral when it came to the temperature unless it was raining or snowing. Her clothing covered a good portion of her, but like him, he also wore clothing that covered most of his body. Those ruby eyes of hers were what interrupted his thought process. A vampire.

With the jaguar called back to her side and her words of apologies, Vervain only observed in silence, Noctis perched calmly on his shoulder. He wasn't used to speaking to real people, Afterall it's been ages since he had spoken to another person in the flesh other than his own familiar. She introduced herself and explained how she stumbled upon him and his abode, his gaze dragging to her discreet movement of her hand in which covered the reddening skin. 

Another moment of silence as Vervain thought for a moment, closing his eyes as he let out a small sigh. "I see..." Was all he said before gesturing towards a wooden table surrounded by a couple stools and plants. This table had the most shade the forest surrounding his abode had to offer. Although he was coldhearted at night, at the very least the day warmed his heart at least a little bit, giving him a small amount of compassion for those who made it to him when he was at his weakest.

"...The sun is too bright." Vervain spoke as he guided her to the shaded area. Stepping over a small stream that ran through the area. Normally the sun made him extremely drowsy, and thus he was extremely drowsy, but awake enough to understand what was going on. "Why here?" He asked about why she decided to move here of all places. Not really enthused by the idea of having neighbors, but he will listen to her for now. Maybe he might change his mind.
Mindy
The silence was starting to kill her. It had been only a day since she met another who was within the forest but other than that she had spent years alone. The death of her lover haunted her, not as much but it was always sad to see them pass. It caused great pain and kept her from speaking to others until when she moved into the forest. She adored the nature, the shade most trees provided. It was isolated and not many roam out here. Making it a safe place for her if anything were to happen. 

Once he spoke she relaxed a little more, her behavior that of a hesitant, shy woman. Her heart raced. She was *Starved.* It had been so long since she had the delicious taste of ichor upon her tongue. It was tempting to jump at the man, pounce like her jaguar would've if it were not tamed and needed to hunt for its own food. Her tongue ran across her sharp vangs, however she lightly shook her head. Now was not the time nor the place. He was not a meal for her to feast upon. She would fulfill her thirst later on in the day. Her eyes taking on a gentle glow to them for only a moment. 

"That I agree." Myra nodded, allowing him to guide her towards the shaded area. Her hand still holding onto the burning part of her skin. To further protect it even if that meant her fingers would suffer. Once she took a seat she responded to his question. "It's.. Quiet. Far enough from civilization to keep it from being too loud, chaotic." The vampress hummed as Jynx made her way over to lay by Myra's feet. Purring quite loud. "I do wish for conversation but not that much. I also appreciate the nature.. The wild life." Her gaze turns to her beloved animal. "Jynx enjoys it too." Her hand reached down to pet the animal. "Why do you reside within the forest.." It went quiet for a moment. Realizing now he had not provided a name but she would not pry.
Michael
As much as he should be cautious, the drowsiness only muddied his perception of danger. Then again, when was the last time he ever felt in danger? It just seemed fruitless to worry about such things. But his familiar could sense the way the woman was leering at his master. The hunger in her eyes and the smallest shift in them... The familiar ruffled his feathers at the sight only to smooth them out when she took her seat across from Vervain.

Though Vervain did not show it, he listened carefully to her tale with eyes softly shut, enjoying the swift breeze that occasionally passed by. He could understand why she would choose the forest over any other part of the world. The calming of the forest tends to lure many individuals of various backgrounds, so there is no doubt she would be lured her as well. The rhythmic purring of the jaguar was slightly pleasing, almost sending him into another calming state of unconsciousness. 

The sudden movement of the vampress' hand reaching down to pet the animal provoked him to reopen his eyes, staring at her for a moment as she asked what his reasoning was. The man tapped his finger on the wooden table a couple times contemplating. "I reside here for a different reason than your own." He paused before snapping a finger, sending his familiar flying away towards the lodge. 

"You seem... Parched." He said, leaning against the wooden table now, his gaze never straying from hers. Just before she could speak, the familiar dropped a glass cup into Vervain's hand and perched upon his previous spot. Setting the glass down, Vervain finally broke eye contact and made a small cut on his palm deep enough to draw blood from. Clenching his hand into a fist, he squeezed a good glass worth of blood into the cup before offering it. He knew that if he left a starving vampire unfed, he would be the most likely target if she were to attack.
Mindy
The bird definitely was more aware than its master, she took notice in that. Vervain seemed to be struggling to stay awake which she understood. She did wake him from his slumber. He seemed exhausted and she couldn't help but to feel a little bit of guilt since she was contributing to his exhaustion, keeping him awake for a little bit of conversation even if half the time it seemed to be silent. Listening to the nature around them, the slight breeze and the loud purring of her jaguar. 

Her attention soon returned to the male after she was done providing attention to her clingy animal. Her hands clasping and resting by her lap, unsatisfied with his short answer but again, she won't pry. He would tell her what he's comfortable with. She was in no rush. Her curious gaze followed the man's familiar as it flew away until it was out of sight. She was going to question him, why the empty glass? It was a little odd however her silent questions were answered when he filled the glass up with his blood. It was a surprise, clearly shown on her expression. Who in their right mind would willingly give their blood up to a vampire? Let alone anyone. 

He was definitely a strange one but she would never complain. She carefully lifted her hands, mindful of the familiar's hesitation towards the woman. Slowly sliding it over to herself before lifting it to her lips and taking a small sip of it. It's been a while, this was definitely needed and wanted. It was as if he could see her hunger through her eyes. Which wasn't hard to notice, vampires weren't very good at hiding it since it caused their eyes to glow and mouths to become dry. "Thank you.." She spoke. Only taking a small sip of the man's blood from time to time, trying not to down the entire thing to remain polite and elegant.

One to attack or pounce on other person unless they tried something to the vampress. Truly a well tamed house cat. "You seem exhausted. Did you not sleep at all?" She wanted to keep talking but decided to stop while she was at it. The worst thing was to be too talkative. Especially to a man who hasn't slept. In all honesty she was debating on leaving but she didn't want to. Enjoying the small conversation the two were having even if it was mostly from her side. He seemed to be a man of very few words.

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Michael
The sting on his cut palm woke him up a bit more. As long as that pain remained, he would be able to stay more alert. Slowly, he leaned back and wrapped his hand up with a cloth he had on him. The blood seeped a bright red through the fabric while he tightened it; not at all wincing or showing any emotions of pain or agony. It had been a while since he had spoken with someone, so he wasn't much of a conversationalist. 

When she asked him about his name, he stopped tempering with his makeshift bandage and slowly looked at her. The silence was probably palpable at that exact moment. She seemed to be the curious type, why was she interested in knowing about him? Vervain wouldn't mind if she spoke for hours at a time. He was a listener Afterall and not much of a talker. But since she is asking.. He might as well speak up.

"... Vervain." The man finally spoke as he relaxed his tensed posture. "I am not usually awake when the sun is up." It wasn't because he feared the sun or stayed up all night, but because of the sun's warmth. It calmed him enough to allow him some respite. Memories of the warmth his loved ones gave him... His eyes dulled more than they were already thinking back on why. "Why do you walk under the sun despite it harming you?"

Was Vervain speaking more? To his familiar's astonishment, he was slowly getting into the conversation. The woman who sat in front of him seemed content with the small amount of blood he had offered her. Watching as she took small sips instead of downing it all in one go had puzzled him, but he did not show it on his face. Maybe she wasn't that starved afterall and he just harmed himself for nothing; he thought to himself.

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Mindy
She studied his facial expression, finding almost nothing. How? She didn't understand it. There had to be something. Not even pain from the cut which would've had anyone else at least saying 'ouch.' At first she thought she did something wrong, either annoying him or beginning to bother the poor lad. Her foot tapping at the floor beneath it in an anxious manner. 

"Vervain." She repeated with a small nod. A unique name. Did it have a meaning? Of course she kept that question to herself as most names were simply given without much thought. She lifted the glass to her lips, continuing the torture of slowly sipping it. It reminded her of her childhood. Her father always had glasses like this. Finding it distasteful to drink directly from the source. 

"I.." She hesitated. She couldn't find an answer to the question very quickly. It took her some time to respond. "Well.. I'm not entirely sure why I do it. I enjoy the sunlight. Even if it hurts. It's a beautiful pain I suppose you can say." She had dreamt of being able to lay under the sun, watch the clouds pass by. Cloud gazing she believed it was called? Whatever it was, it would be a dream come true if she wasn't cursed to hide in the shadows. "It gives me inspiration, the same way the moonlight does. I could sit for hours watching the stars. I wish I could do the same when it came to the sun or the clouds." 

"After spending most of your life hiding from light, you begin to crave it. Even if it burns you in the process." She shrugged. Not sure if it made sense but it did to her. "Something along the lines of wanting something you can't have. I feel like I'm missing out on one of the most beautiful parts of the world by hiding during the daylight hours." 

||
Patricia
|| just a reminder ping.
Michael
The sound of her foot tapping anxiously had caught his attention for a brief moment, but he did not move his sight towards it, instead he simply closed his eyes and took a shallow breath has if pretending to be in pain for the sake of easing her. Pain in itself was nothing more than an unnecessary response to outer and inner stimuli. One he had grown numb to after all these years of mourning. If he didn't show an ounce of pain, people would think him not human, in which, he technically was just with more natural borne prowess in magic.

When his name softly spewed out of her lips, his eyes opened slowly, it had been such a long time since someone had called his name. It almost felt... Foreign to him after so long. He wasn't staring at anything in particular when he opened his eyes, it was almost as if he was looking beyond that of reality. The memory slowly came to mind, distracting him from the woman as she continued to take small sips of the blood in her glass.

Without much confidence, Myra spoke up again in response to Vervain's previous question. What an intriguing answer from a vampire of her stature. Imagine, a vampire who can't enjoy the sunlight for what it truly is because of the harmful effects it has on them, but still goes out of their way to experience it because of its beauty.. It was something he could relate to but in an opposite manner. For him, painting had been a nightmare for years, but he still does it because in fact painting is something he had always truly enjoyed and appreciated.

"You are indeed strong.." Vervain responded quietly before getting up and brushing his hand across a hanging branch, its leaves withered and falling at his touch. Slowly fluttering to the ground below. "To brave the sunlight is a mighty thing for a vampire, I will admit that much.." It was true the sunlight was beautiful, though he didn't see much of it because the sun made him increasingly tired.. The warm embrace of it, almost felt like home..
Delia
|| Thanks for the reminder. Been busy sorry.
Mindy
That was much better. To her she thought he was genuinely expressing pain for a moment, it made the witch much more life-like rather than a porcelain doll. Slowly did she calm her anxious tapping, however it began because he seemed so closed off and she was afraid she was only a bother. She took a glance to his familiar before her attention returned to him. Her hands gently clasped and laid in her lap, her tongue slipped past her lips to clean up any blood that was left over from her sipping. She couldn't be a lady with a messy face. "Thank you.. It has been a while since I fed. I do hope I didn't drink it too fast.. Excuse my poor manners if I did.." 

This felt like good progress, while he wasn't talking much still she didn't mind. She was definitely a talker, preferred to be listened to anyhow. Her thumbs twirled around one another, the silence rather loud but she wasn't sure what else to say. Her gaze tilted down towards where her hands rested. Perhaps the two could be friends in the near future, especially since they lived so close. The thought warmed her heart, finally.. A friend. Or so she hopes. 

When he spoke her attention returned to him. He called her strong? She chuckled with a small shake of her head. "I wouldn't call myself strong.." Quickly she responded, her eyes followed Vervain as he got up. He seemed so gentle, fragile even. As if he could break into a million pieces at any moment. It had an elegant flare to it, each one of his movements but that could be due to the fact he's a sleepy guy. He gave her the same energy as a sloth. "What about you? I noticed you were enjoying a nap in the sun when I walked up." She inquired.
Michael
Vervain carefully caressed the withered leaves in his palm with the soft touch of his thumb, watching as it fell apart into many pieces. The thing that distracted him from such an unsightly display on his palm was the sound of a mild chuckle. Was she amused by what he said? His eyes flicked over to her in wonderment to what may have caused such a reaction. He was not one for humor, at least he just never understood it. "What else would you call yourself then?" He responded, scattering the withered pieces of the leaves off his palm.

His familiar cocked his head, blinking towards the woman in curiosity. With a swift ruffle of his feathers, he flapped away in an instant, a faint caw leaving him as he flew out of sight. Vervain watched as his familiar left briefly before returning the woman's gaze at her question. There was a silence as he pondered. "...My circadian rhythm is not like normal humans." Vervain started. "I sleep when the sun rises, and awaken when the sun sets.."

One might think he was a vampire based on what he had just stated. But no, he was not dead, but also not entirely alive either... "As you can see, I do not get much visitors... So I may not be the best of company for you Ms. Garcia." In his own way, he was trying to explain why he was a quiet host. "Do not get me wrong, it has nothing to do with how I feel about you.." He let out a small sigh, his familiar flapping back to his side with a small scroll tucked between his beak. 

"Do you not have any family to accompany you?" Vervain questioned as he took the scroll from his familiar and unraveled it. Not entirely saying that he wouldn't mind listening to her, he would if she'd like to. Afterall he was more of a listener than a talker, the polar opposite of our little dear Myra. The scroll on the other hand was a letter. One he had not opened yet in a couple months.

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Mindy
Her jaguar slowly stirs from its slumber, slowly getting up on all fours to stretch before leaning up onto Myra's lap. Purring and trying to get her attention, in which it received. Myra reached down, her gaze rested upon her animal to gently stroke the top of her head. "I'm not sure.. But I don't believe strong suits me well." She spoke with a small sigh as she continued to pet Jynx. "Most would consider it stupidity. To stand in the sun as a vampire? Knowing it'll hurt you.. But I'd rather have a thousand burns than never see the daylight again." 

She glanced up for only a moment as his familiar flew off. Her attention finally returning to Vervain while Jynx slowly made her way over. "Oh - Jynx, come back here." She whistled and the Jaguar returned to her side. "My apologies.. She only wants pets.. She's like this with anyone." She paused as he spoke - she nearly cut him off.. Thank goodness she didn't. "Hm.. Do you prefer the night over day?" 

Her hand reached up to comb her fingers through her silver hair, untangling a few knots that the wind had caused. "Don't worry about it.. I can tell you're not much of a talker. I hope you don't mind me talking your ear off.. It's been a while since I've had visitors myself." Myra had a smile on her expression, a little embarrassed of the fact. At the question of her family, it was a little bit of a personal question but she didn't mind. 

Overall she was an open book. It wasn't often she wouldn't answer a question about herself. "Well.. That's the reason I'm here, alone. My parents were.. Well, let's just say *Very* Strict. I don't have any kind of vampiric abilities. That didn't do well and so I'm on my own.. I have my Hu-" She quickly cut herself off. It had been so long she nearly forgot about her husband's death. He was often traveling.. It was odd, feeling like he was still here. She lightly shook her head before her gaze shifted towards her fidgeting hands. "It's been me, myself and I for nearly 80 years now."