William
The home was bare. It had basic furnishings which gave it the feel that someone was in the process of moving in. The dust that gathered beneath tables and chairs was the only thing that would contradict that assessment. The furniture that was there was well crafted, sturdy, and practical. Other than the personal garden there was very little personality to the place. Seeing all of this, she could picture him owning this place. He didn't strike her was a particularly stylish sort of man. His clothing was well made but it wasn't garish. The house seemed to be a very similar reflection of that. 

With a soft hum of approval, she followed Elias into the kitchen. As he immediately grabbed a pitcher of water and poured himself a glass of water, Amelia leaned against the doorway to the kitchen and crossed her arms. He only took a small sip before returning the cup to the tray. Water wasn't worth the pains and she wasn't about to follow his example. If it was a pitcher of wine he might have been able to coerce her into having a sip. One of the truly regrettable side effects of the transformation.

`
She cocked an eyebrow as he brought up mint. Good information and something she hadn't considered before. He gestured to the garden across the way and it occurred to her that she shouldn't have been surprised to find that it had a practical purpose as well. He needed to live a little as far as she was concerned. What is the point of having something if you're not going to enjoy it? 

The life tips portion of the tour was over, it seemed as he lead her out of the kitchen and into a small bedroom. She thought he was going to introduce it as the room she would be staying in but, to her surprise, he began removing his weapons and traveling gear and setting it on top of a small chest at the foot of the bed. She went over to the left side of the bed and sat down, placing her hands a little bit behind her so that she was leaning back. "Are you renovating the master bedroom?" She asked teasingly.
Imogene
*Elias gave a small laugh, looking out the crack in the window that allowed the faintest bit of moonlight to spill in. It was thin enough that it wouldn't bring him any harm in the morning, of course. A glimmer here and there was safe, as he had learned. Her posture and insinuation had lost none of its playful flirtation. If he had any competence with it, he might respond in kind, but he opted to be direct.* "No, as comfortable as I may seem here..." *He looked to Amelia now, slowing his confession. He* ***Was*** *Getting comfortable and almost began forfeiting information freely. He had momentarily forgotten the image he had began building of himself.* "...I rented it out more than a few months ago. I had recently turned in Salvainia, grabbed all my coin, and fled here." *He put a hand on the wall, faking some type of reminiscence.* "Of course, mercenary and bounty hunting jobs took me away from this place often enough to not really need it, so I opted to rent it to someone here. I'd occasionally stay in this lower room if I stayed in town too long for an inn to be ideal. The tenant was a private enough person, and loved the garden." *A slight pause after, only because he thought doing so would sell the lie better.*
-

*He looked back to Amelia, able to guess what question would likely come next.* "Killed by Yeti, though, which is what gave me the idea to start tracking down their victims." *Deception was not Elias' usual game, but he'd had to use it more and more these days. If they were leaving soon, the lie would eventually fade away, anyway. This way, it wasn't confessing to some slightly cleaner version of squatting. By this account, actually, he managed to generate a fictive amount of wealth he'd have to show later. He didn't delight in looting the safe in the spandrel, but now he'd probably have to. He was hoping to leave the tax collector's belongings mostly undisturbed, but that would not be the case after all. Especially if Amelia didn't feel like sharing a bed. Doubtful.* "You can sleep in the tenant's master bedroom upstairs. I never got around to sorting out his things, so everything will still be up there."

*Much of the truth was webbed up into his lie, making it more natural. She knew she'd be sleeping in a dead man's bed, at least. Elias doubted she would've really cared. He wondered if she'd play her usual irreverent tune, and he tried to think about how he should respond to it. Obviously, he wouldn't care, but should he feign some attachment for the fictional tenant? By the fucking Arcane Seas, lying was hard. Still, Amelia seemed relaxed, comfortable. She probably wasn't looking for any holes in his story.*
William
Amelia leaned back further so that she was resting on her elbows as Elias told his story. Apparently, he didn't own the place but was renting it. It honestly seemed like it was a good fit for him, so in her opinion, he should just leap into the breach and buy the house. As he went on to talk about the tenant that used to live up stairs, she took on a bemused expression. He hunts yeti because of his supposed tenant? More over, he doesn't own this house but subleases a room because he is hardly home? While concealing that he is a vampire? It strikes her as odd. Staying at an inn would be cheaper, even one of the more upscale locales, while affording him more privacy than what he would have while living here with a tenant. Amelia is certain that something is off with his story. 

"Mmmm, is that also part of your code? Not touching the things of the dead?" She asked, not addressing her suspicions. Her posture remained relaxed, still half laying on the bed. She was starting to get the sense that he was either the extremely cautious type or he was just an awkward person. The scarring on his face would allude to the fact that he is familiar with solving problems physical rather than with words. Yet, he hasn't been aggressive or boastful about himself, something that is a common trait for most mercenaries. Even stranger yet is that he isn't the cold hearted killer type either. It's quite the anomaly to find someone in this line of work that doesn't fall into either of those archetypes. She is not quite certain what Elias is. 

In the moment, she decides that at the very least he is intriguing. Amelia lays back on the bed so that her head is resting on the pillow, not in the least bothered that she is laying on his bed without permission. She looks up, scanning the ceiling for a few moments. Raising a hand to point lazily above her she asks, "Which room is directly above this one?"
Imogene
*Elias wouldn't rise to her joking remark about touching possessions of the dead, saying nothing as she laid back on the bed. Amelia was getting really rather comfortable, making him wonder if this was still one of her games or if she was getting as comfortable as he had been moments ago. Freely lounging made her seem somewhat young and brash, truly convincing Elias that she really was as young as she appeared (which could still be anywhere under 60). The image of who she was still needed filling in, but it was starting to make sense. Runaway was a word that hadn't left his mind.*

*He followed her finger up, looking to the ceiling as well.* "A small study," *He replied, walking around the bed to stand by her,* "With a small closet and the master bedroom towards the other side of the place." *Before he could continue, Elias heard a loud knock at the door of the house. Almost immediately, the spirits would reemerge to cover his skin again. He snatched his sword belt from the top of the chest and strode towards the window, peering out the crack. He'd see no one, though.* "Wait here," *Elias murmured, walking out of the room and to the front door, opening it slightly. On the front step were two identical letters on the ground, each with a rose in the seal. He didn't move for them, instead opening the door wider and looking around further. The sun would be up soon...*
William
Amelia rolled her eyes, pouting a bit, as he answered her question. Very cut and dry answers. It could be the fact that she is invading his personal space. Some people get rather uncomfortable with people in their bubble. She looked up at him as he came to stand over her, giving him a bright smile. Would he ask her to get up? 

She wouldn't be finding that out due to the loud knock at the door. Wait here? Pffft. She rolled her eyes again, before lazily getting out of bed and following after him. Maybe he was married or had a paramour. An amused grin slid onto her face. Wouldn't that be a treat! The scandal of it all. Unfortunately, for Amelia there was no secret lover standing in the doorway. In fact there was no one at all. Just two letters with roses. "Ahhh, do you have many admirers leaving you confessions at the break of dawn?" She teased snatching up the letter on the right. She quickly tried to retreat backwards into the house, trying to avoid him grabbing her or stopping her. On her second step backwards, however, a wave of nausea hit her. She would stumble and fall, hard on the floor. "Ughh." She rubbed her eyes as her vision began to blur. Poison. She hastily opened the letter, still sitting ungraciously on the floor. It took her a second but her vision cleared. "What the fuck is..." The letter would erupt into flames soon after she finished reading it, crumbling into ash in her hands. She looked at Elias expectantly.
Imogene
*As Amelia grabbed up one of the letters, Elias quickly took the remaining one, giving one last look out the door before shutting it. He turned to Amelia, about to lash out in some way, but stopped as he saw her fall to the ground. He squinted at her, confused as to what jut happened, then saw her scan through the letter. Once it burst into flames, Elias took a step back, looking at the copy in his own hands. He pulled the rose seal off and began reading the letter out loud.*

```Greetings,

We are pleased to announce that you have been scouted as a potential Thorn of the Rose. As you may understand confidentiality is key, so we can't afford any of this information getting out. That is what the rose is there for. The moment you touched that enchanted rose, deadly poison has entered your blood, if you come to the intersection between rivers Nien and Lur within 24 hours you shall receive the antidote. Failure to do so, will result in you going to the grave with our secret. Thank you for your understanding.

M.R```
*Elias would drop the letter after, allowing it to burst into flames, leaving no ash on the floor, and no evidence that it ever existed. Poison made sense, given Amelia's reaction. Something about his strain made him more resistant, though.* "Someone's been following us..." *Elias looked to the door again. If they wanted them dead, they could have used a much more potent dose. Damn, this was frustrating to be played like this. He looked back o Amelia now.* "Do you know any spell for daywalking?"
William
Amelia got to her feet as Elias read the letter out loud. She still felt nauseous but her vision had cleared. The letter said 24 hours but she couldn't help but wonder if the vampirism would speed the poison's time table. Whoever did this was clearly skilled but she wasn't about to take chances with her life. Elias seemed to share the sentiment. 
"Day walking? No, but if you do, you could teach me the base components of the spell and I can try to replicate it or do something similar."
 Usually if she was traveling during the day she would just remain covered up. During this time of year with the cold, it was hardly a suspicious way to dress. If they were going to fight during the day, she would rather not rely on her clothing to protect her.
Imogene
*Elias walked back to the guest room, strapping equipment back onto himself as he talked. He dispelled the Phantom Guard as well* "Well, my spell relies on both three different forms of magic, though not any physical spell components. It's similar to creating a summon, though has its base differences. Creating the actual rune can be done with a hand movement, though you have to focus and call upon Dark Magic as well to make it easier. As Vampires, it seems to bend to our will easier than it would for most. And of course, as you are conjuring something, it will drain your mana through Soul Magic." *If Elias sounded like a textbook, it was because he learned most of this through libraries. He knew how to read and write thanks to his time as a retainer and had gain access to one of the academies here early on. His own understanding of magic was novel, but he could learn. With his equipment now on, he returned to Amelia showing her his hand.*

*His thumb slowly circled the tips of his fingers before folding them over his thumb as he spoke.* "Phantoms past, guard me now," *He murmured, and the same blue tint shone on his skin.* "Whatever comes most natural will reveal itself when making the rune with the hand gesture." *He was decently sure this would work, as it was how he was taught the spell by the vampire who turned him. The curse had become a pathway to magical abilities, and Elias was still feeling his way around with it. He drew his cloak to mostly cover his skin anyway as he went to the front door, opening it.*
William
She followed Elias back into his small bedroom, listening intently to his explanation. She was surprised at how educated he sounded. His instructions were clear and concise. He knew what he was trying to say and relayed the information in a straightforward manner. Amelia took a deep breath and focused on the magical energy within herself. Her elven heritage allowed her to see the magical energy as he cast his spell. She tried to focus on how he was pulling and morphing the magic. 

For an hour she worked on this with Elias. First studying the energy. Then moving on to practicing the physical gestures necessary to manifest the spell. Lastly, she practiced combining the two. With Elias coaching she was able to get the spell to work. A cloud of darkness enveloped her, quickly fading and leaving an oil-like sheen on her skin. 

"Yes, it worked!" She laughed triumphantly and went to embrace him in a hug. If he avoided her embrace she would instead, cross her arms and roll her eyes. 

A small beam of light shone in the bedroom as daybreak had come. "Field testing it is. Lets go!"

Together, Amelia and Elias would travel to the intersection the letter spoke of. The streets of the city weren't terribly busy as it was first light so they were able to avoid a crowd as they exited the city. The spell that Elias taught her was holding. Halfway to their destination she would lower her hood ready to recast the spell at the first sign that it might fail. 

She eyed the water warily as they came to the river, careful not to get too close. Sunlight, water; two things that would have a vampire at a disadvantage. It was suspicious but if it was a ruse to kill them why not let the poison do it? A bit frustrated she turned to Elias. "Well, what do we do now?"
Imogene
*Elias said nothing as they traveled, hoping to avoid any interaction that wasn't completely necessary. He looked about the rivers, unsure of what to do now. A few hours had past already, which were already out of the supposed few they had left to receive the antidote. Elias summoned his soldier as they stood at the intersection of the rivers, unsure of what to do next.* "I'm not sure, but let's remain on guard." *He didn't want this end up as a fight, as it would be an unfair one for them. All the same, what he wanted didn't never really affected what happened. Elias' hands remained empty, ready to use his final spell if he had to.*
Alvin
*Hours had passed with noone coming to the intersection. Amelia and Elias would have started feeling the effects of the poison worsening, but not to a point where they wouldn't be able to function. Soon enough they would hear something sprinting their way. The steps of the runner were rather frantic and did not seem to be stealthy at all. It wouldn't take long before the masked man was in sight. He was tall and rather lanky, visibly not one that you would rely on for heavylifting. The notable feature about him however was his speed. He was running at easily twice an average humans speed and once he had reached them he could barely come to a halt, stumbling to the ground and rolling a few meters forward.*

"Damn it..." *He would mutter as he got up and brushed the leaves and dirt off his leather clothes. He would look up at the two people and let out an awkward chuckle, scratching his head through his long unkempt hair.* "Sorry about being late fellas! You didn't wait too long did you?"
Imogene
*Elias would have been watching the water warily until he heard the runner. He commanded his soldier to his side as the masked man made his entrance. He glanced to Amelia for a moment before responding.* "We're not dead yet, if that's what you mean, but I'd appreciate getting the antidote as quickly as we can." *Elias had seen many different types of magic casters capable of moving at extraordinary speeds, and wondered if that was this man's trick. Either way, this was definitely not the plans of this ruffian, magic or not. Undoubtedly a messenger of some kind, this seemed to be more complicated than he first thought. Likely an organization, or the start of one, if the aggressive recruiting tactics meant anything. Legally ambiguous and wealthy enough for various moving pieces. Interesting, to say the least.*
William
As the waiting stretch on Amelia could feel her stomach starting to cramp. She hadn't thrown up since contracting the blood plague and it wasn't something she wanted to start doing again. She had a feeling that this poison would be just as brutal. So when a figure could be heard rushing towards them she let out a held breath. Never in her life did she think she would be relieved to hear someone rushing out of the woods towards her. *Fucking hell. Thank Aventurr.*

She wasn't quite sure what she was expecting but the lanky masked man certainly wasn't it. As he parkour rolled to a stop, she took a half step back, on guard. Elias was quick to speak, and she nodded along in agreement.

 "Yes one...*Fella* To another, wasting away via poison is a bad way to go." She spoke in her typical teasing tone. The man seemed friendly enough and there was no ambush set to kill or capture them. No need to start being aggressive.
Alvin
"Woah, woah! You guys really don't like to chat do you? Makes me sad... They make me run around all over the place in a rush and then when I get here even the victims are in a rush... Bah, I guess I have to give you the antidote anyway... Where was it?" *He would start sticking his hand in each of his pockets, and he had -many- pockets. As he went down his clothing, the searching became more frantic as if he had lost something and even after reaching the last pocket he had still not found what he was looking far. His head jerked up towards the two people expecting the antidote, letting out an awkward chuckle.*

"N-not to worry... I must have missed it! Just let me go through them again!" 

*He would start again, one by one checking all his pockets. He would seem scared and nervous... Until he found it. A wave of relief washed over him as he felt the leather pouch in one of his pockets. He let out a loud sigh before taking it out and tossing a small vial from within the pouch to each of them.*
Imogene
*Elias fangs would definitely begun to show themselves as he waited for the antidote. If this poison would truly kill him, he wouldn't die hungry. However, he'd calm down once the vial was produced. He'd catch his, uncork it, and take a sniff. However, regardless of what it smelled like, he'd drink it anyone. His life was very clearly in the hands of this clown, and if this would kill Elias, they would have put it on the rose in the first place. As he finished drinking, Elias corked the vial once more, keeping it in the palm of his hand.* "The letter said that, presumably, we're both to be Thorns of the Rose. While not dying was most present on my mind when traveling here, I have to ask what you and your employers are all about. Is this some type of employment?"
William
Amelia would try to keep the panic off her face but anxiety was building in her has the mischievous little imp of a man rummaged through his pockets. If this was to be her legacy... No no no. She urged herself to calm down. She was not handling the lack of control over the situation well. Logically, it wouldn't make sense to lure them out here with poison just to watch them die. *Unless this dude is just a sicko working alone.* A small voice in the back of her head said. 

Fortunately, the ruse ended before she could run with that idea and he tossed both her and Elias an antidote. She gave Elias a sideways glance before downing the vial. Licking her lips she took a moment to assess the situation as Elias spoke. Whatever was in the vial wasn't making her condition worse so hopeful her stomach would stop cramping within a few minutes. 

"Yes, as *Charming* As you and this whole poisoning business has been, you must *Want* Something from us?" She eyed the stranger curiously, feeling more at ease. From his cavalier attitude this can't be the first time he's done this.
Alvin
"Well... I was going to tell you not to drink the vial if you have questions... Shame I can't move my mouth as fast as I can move my legs." *He would seem genuinely upset at the fact that they drank from the vials. It was bad to the extent that his whole body looked sad even though they couldn't see his face.* "It is my biggest regret that I can't explain anything to you... I was really hoping that maybe you would be up for a conversation..." *He would sniffle under the mask... Was he crying?*

*Not longer after, their vision would start to get blurry, but even vampires would not be able to resist the drowziness that the antidote gave, not at Elias' level anyway. It would take no longer than a minute for them to totally pass out, depending on how hard they were resisting it. In that time however they may have been able to see two large figures approaching them from behind the messenger that gave them the antidotes.*