Alfred
***Alas, good things lasting long are few and far between.***

**The peace was abruptly invaded by a stranger's noisy plight dead ahead, causing Mercy to stop dead in her tracks and peer onward at the man with a perplexed brow. She tensed up visibly, expecting the worst, but thankfully, her dread was based on the mistaken belief that everyone was out to get her. Once Arlas approached, Mercy eased up, seeing as how his condition and attitude warranted no such apprehension.**

"Oh... Thank goodness." **The elf's disheveled appearance served to ease the girl's senses furthermore. She did however hold her basket away, in case the man was a sneak thief making an attempt at distracting her. Now, judging him with large blue eyes, Mercy formed a half-moon smile.** "Hello... You're... Not well? What's the matter?"
Sammie
*The elf gave Mercy a once-over, readjusting his posture and attempting to dust off some of drier dirt, clapping his hands together to rid him of the rest. He at first made to scratch his cheek in thought, but thought better of it and let his arms rest on his hips as he glanced about.*

"Me? Oh, just dandy... One of my belongings and a few coins were stolen off me, throwing off my plans for today. I've been looking for the rat who took them, but..."

*He gestured to himself, drawing his lips thin as he grimaced, closing an eye at her and raising his chin haughtily.*

"And you, madam? What brings you out here on such a *Pleasant* Day?"

*While his voice dripped with sarcasm, the light smile on his lips was sincere - the last thing he wanted was to antagonise anyone, even if they were Macen.*
Alfred
"S-Sorry about that..." **Although Mercy wasn't the perpetrator in question, she felt obligated to express her sorrow nonetheless, dipping her head in reverence to the stranger. Anything to soften them up, just in case things went south and aggression bridled in either of them, their first interaction was warm at the very least. In truth, Mercy admitted her grief on behalf of the Lymian underbelly, knowing it was frequently treacherous.** "I decided to take a long walk today and spread those wildflower seeds. In a few weeks we'll have a beautiful blossom at our feet! – At least on this path."

**Mercy gestured below with her unused hand, them raised her basket for the elf to see inside; flower seeds galore, indeed. With a dainty inflection, Mercy approached.** "I'm Mercy Foxton! I'm a... Steward for the Blackspire Manor, if you've seen it."
Sammie
"Oh, raise your head, woman! Honestly, I should be apologising, appearing before someone in such a state... Though Macen might not care as much- Ah, apologies..."

*He caught himself near the end of his response, trying not to insult the stranger.*

*The elf gripped the tip of his flat cap, his eyes dropping to the basket, then to the field; nodding slowly as he felt his will drain from him. He cared little for flowers, but any ill will he could usually summon forth had been expended on chasing after that thief. A soft hum in acknowledgement is all he would respond with, giving a weak smile and replying in kind.*
"Arlas Tilrevres. A traveller, I suppose, though I'm not usually caked in filth... A steward, you say? You're young for such a title..."
Alfred
"U-Uhh...?" **The teen appeared perplexed at the man stifling the end of that statement, contemplating the direction it was going made Mercy more insecure than before. Had she already said something wrong to him? Was it the way she looked at him, or how she approached?...** ***"It was probably nothing. He's just mad he fell. He fell... That's all."***

**Mercy shifted her posture into that of a timid woman's, knowing that the man was skeptical about her age and title increased the load on her weary mind.** "I'm... Nineteen. Do you think it's strange that I can remember the day I was born every year? I don't even think my lord knows how old he is." **The teen strayed off into another conversation seemingly on her own, whether or not the elf was interested was up to him. He has no idea how verbose the girl can be... But he certainly will now.**

"I love him too. It's taboo of a handmaid to love her lord but what him and I have is different, I won't let anybody tell me otherwise."
Sammie
"Nineteen!? I'll never get used to how young you Macen are..."

*He gave a brief gasp, eyes widening a moment before returning to normal, folding his arms and pouting slightly as he mulled over this fact.*

"For us, the age of our contemporaries matters little - anywhere from 80 to 200 years old is what we consider an adult. I suppose I'm a little young, in that case..."

*His hand touched his chin in momentary contemplation, his eyes darting back to Mercy as she mentioned her master. Arlas gave a shrug, never having such relations with anyone - a lover nor a servant.*

"I imagine it would be improper, but who am I to dictate a noble's whims..."

*His self-satisfied expression quickly faded as he turned on the spot, his body language deflating once he realised he was well and truly lost.*

"Feh, years under my father's wing and for what? Some Ranger I am..."

*He grumbled to himself, turning back to Mercy with a renewed foul mood.*
Alfred
**Mercy is easily intrigued, finding elf conduct and lifestyle an entertaining and mysterious topic of which she knew little about, but desired to. Why?...Truth is, Mercy hasn't much else to do with her time, the majority of her day is divided into cleaning the manor, eating, and reading in the study room in front of the lit hearth at night. She listened to his words intently, giving nods in accordance to his speech pattern, and gentle coos to indicate she was still listening.** "Uh huh..."

"Mm..."

"Ahh... A-Are you sure you're okay mister? You look... Y-You look uncomfortable about something." **Mercy reached for the man's chest, an odd gesture she did without a clear reason. If he would let her, she'd simply feel it with an open hand in search of his beat; a sound that has resonated peculiarly well with her since becoming a vampire. A warm, beating heart, and if Arlas looked closely, he would in fact see little baby fledgling fangs as Mercy's mouth hung open in curiosity, revealing her curse.**
Sammie
*Despite his haughty bluster, Arlas was easily made bashful; his cheeks flushing as he noticed how intently Mercy was listening. Her lack of confidence calmed him, the low energy allowing him to regain his composure and return a gentle sigh, raising his hands in defeat.*

"To be entirely honest... I'm lost. I don't know these roads, and the chase has left me flustered..."

*He visibly deflated, a flicker of despair in his eyes as he lamented the situation he had 
Dragged himself into. The elf quickly shed this self-pity, his eyes meeting Mercy's once more.*

"If it isn't troublesome, could you show me the way back to town?"

*He asked with as little waver in his voice as he could manage, entirely embarrassed by having to ask a stranger - no less a Macen stranger of such a young age - directions to a place he had only just run out of. The fangs were peculiar, but Arlas knew little about Macen biology; simply assuming their canines were supposed to be that sharp and defined.*

*What he found more bizarre was the gesture she made with her hand, his eyes narrowing at her confusedly.*

"You've... Seen something on my chest?"

*He asked quietly, tilting his head very slightly, but not moving away just yet.*
Alfred
"Does an elf's heart beat like mine..." **Mercy spoke in a hushed undertone, leaving the rest of Arlas' questions unanswered for the moment, storing them for later while her hand touched his chest, splayed open, palm right over the spot where his beating heart would he. She herself took a step closer – closing their distance substantially, to where she has to lower the rest of her arm or it'd begin to push him away. Especially to Arlas, the girl was perhaps... Inexcusably close.**

**Feeling his life force thrumming beneath his clothes, vibrating from his skin, an impulsive urge called from the darkest recesses of Mercy's delicate mind... Her curse; it seemed to be a much darker conscience altogether, inquiring to know more about this man's blood, how it tasted right from the source. She was silent whilst feeling it, eyes honed in on the spot for a long moment until...**

"I'm sorry." **Mercy said with grief.** "Sometimes I... Think differently. It's because I'm a vampire, you know? I-I didn't exactly ask to be one, it just sort of happened to me and I have to life with it. Your heart is warm... A-and... Nice?" **The girl, swelled with angst peered upward into his eyes and gave him a projection of innocence. She was not looking to harm him at all, but simply... Inquisitive by nature. An expected behavior of a young lass coming of age.**