Hiding Who: Rémy and Elanna When: Anesus 4, 4:00 AM Where: the Oratory
To say that Rémy was unhappy at this moment in time would be a gigantic understatement.
He'd gone out at about midnight, wanting to supplement his last feed with animal blood of some sort, even though he knew what the consequences for him would be. He could usually find an amenable human, but thus far that night, those he traded with or who willingly fed him were otherwise occupied, and he'd lost patience with searching the castle. Also, he'd felt like being outside for a while even though the air was cool and damp with impending rain.
The Vrykola had found animals from which to feed deep in the forest, but almost immediately he'd begun to itch and his eyes had started to water. He knew without benefit of a mirror that alarming red welts were rising on his skin. The blood of the animals did not affect his digestion... it was their fur that marred his appearance. He hadn't yet found a way to feed from an animal without touching it, without getting it against his skin, and therein lay the problem. Full and yet petulant and just this side of angry-- he hated his allergic reactions more than anything-- Rémy'd gone back to the compound with the intention of hiding beneath his covers until the hives went away... only to find that the stairs to the basement were mysteriously missing.
He'd stormed over to the other stairwell, thinking that maybe he could find somewhere to hide on the second floor, but those stairs were gone, too. It was unthinkable to Rémy that he could sit out in the open with his eyes watering and the horrible red welts all over his face, so he'd taken refuge in the Oratory, which was dark and silent. Unfortunately, he'd have to leave it before daylight came and either find somewhere else to hide or figure out a way to get down to the basement.
The Vrykola sat on a bench in the corner, his back against one wall and his knees drawn up, his head resting on them. Sullen, angry and depressed were not typical emotions for Rémy, but he was feeling them now as he scratched the back of one hand with the fingers of the other, his face turned into the corner rather than out toward the room. He looked almost childlike in his huddled position with his face hidden and his smudged cape trailing on the floor as it hung off his shoulders.
Elanna, too, had ventured out to find food, though without the unfortunate consequences that had befallen Remy. Not having anything special to do afterward, and not yet having noticed the problem of the missing stairways, she chose the Oratory as her destination.
Her intention had actually been prayer, but once she arrived, she noticed a hunched figure in a corner, facing the wall. It seemed odd, to say the least, and not any form of worshipful stance with which she was familiar (though each to his own, she supposed...). It seemed a sullen position, anyway, and that prompted her to a level of concern.
"Are you alright?" she inquired softly, taking a step closer. Could she make out his features, she would have noticed that the hunched form belonged to a Vrykola she had seen around a number of times, but for now he remained simply someone wrapped in a cloak.
Rémy had heard the soft footsteps of someone entering the Oratory, and though he hadn't moved so much as a centimeter, he'd listened intently until he realized that it was another Vrykola. No heartbeat. He'd continued to sit where he was, thinking that maybe they wouldn't notice he was there. Normally Rémy loved attention, and he would have been eager to find out who it was and have some company through this peculiar night when they could not reach their rooms. But when his allergic reactions kicked in, he wanted to avoid everyone until he looked normal again.
A girl. When she spoke, the voice was vaguely familiar, though he couldn't have identified her by name. "No," Rémy mumbled. He didn't see any point in lying about it. She was here, she'd seen him, and once he lifted his head she'd see how hideous he looked. No amount of swiping the back of his hand over his eyes seemed to diminish their watering, and he was itching fiercely; he knew without having seen his face and hands that they were covered in hives. He looked ridiculous.
Finally he sat up a little and turned his head so he could see who was speaking to him, though there was no way avoiding her seeing him when he did that.
If Elanna was at all surprised by the other's appearance, it quickly faded in favor of pure concern. Frowning slightly, she gave him an intense look for a moment, trying to decide what the problem was. Some sort of rash, it seemed. Had he gotten into some sort of poisonous plant or something?
"What happened?" she inquired. Whatever was the matter with the other (who she now recognised, but whose name she couldn't quite place), it certainly didn't seem like a comfortable condition, and he was certainly upset about it. She wasn't sure if there was anything she could do to help in a physical sense, but perhaps she could cheer him up a little. And if there was anything she could do to help, she was definitely happy to try.
Rémy was not keen on getting into an involved discussion about his allergies, because he considered it a weakness. It didn't matter that it was not anything he could help. His standards for himself were exacting, and it made him furious that he was helpless to a quirk of nature. At the same time, he didn't want the girl-- who was quite pretty with that fiery red hair-- to think he was dumb or clumsy enough to have stumbled into a toxic plant or something similar. "Unfortunately, I'm allergic to fur," he said, his voice tight. He hated having to admit that.
He swung his feet off the bench and sat up straight, trying to summon at least a modicum of the manners that a Vrykola female would expect. Another furtive swipe at his eyes, and then he inclined his head to her. "I've seen you around, but I don't believe we've actually spoken. I'm Rémy Destrehan." Teeth gritting, he clawed at the back of one hand, finding the itching too much to be borne. The usually confident, self-assured Vrykola was blushing very slightly, something unusual for him. He absolutely hated to meet someone new in this state, but there was no help for it.
"I'd offer my hand, but it's unlikely you'd want to touch me right now," he added, forcing himself to stop scratching like a flea-ridden dog.
"Mm," Elanna nodded, putting together the pieces and realizing he must have gone out to find animals for food. She herself usually did that since she hated having to ask people for blood, but it seemed a shame that he would ever have to do that, given the circumstances. Though with how embarrassed he seemed, she doubted many people knew what it did to him.
"Elanna Evengalle," she replied when he introduced himself, and extended a hand. Figuring the gesture would be likely to cause confusion after his comment, she explained, "if it's an allergy, then it's no contagious, right? So shaking hands is okay." She left it up to him whether he wanted to agree with that or not.
A lot of the time, it was possible for Rémy to hide himself until the effects of his fur allergy had gone away. That was why there was only a small percentage of people here who knew about it, who'd actually seen him like this. To him, it was a tremendously big deal, probably because in his heart of hearts, the Vrykola felt that looks and charm were really the main things he had going for him. A minor, temporary physical alteration should not make a difference, but to him it did.
Rémy's green eyes held hers for a few long moments, as if he wanted to be sure she was serious, and then he smiled. Faintly, but it was discernibly a smile. "No, it isn't contagious," he said softly. He took her hand, very briefly squeezing it before releasing it. Normally he'd bow his head and kiss a Vrykola lady's hand upon meeting her, but he wasn't feeling especially suave at this moment. "I've seen you at a distance, I believe," he said. "What year are you?"
It was probably best that Remy wasn't feeling his most suave. Elanna's shyness occasionally got the better of her when faced with gestures like being kissed on the hand, and if she seemed freaked out, it would probably only add to Remy's present self-consciousness. As it was, she gave his hand a light squeeze in return.
"Fifth year now," she told him reminding herself that it was fifth and not fourth now that the new group had arrived, "and you?"
Elanna's manner was really very soothing under the circumstances. Normally Rémy could handle just about anything, but tonight he was far from being at his best. When he let go of her hand and sat back, he relaxed just a touch. He had no patience when it came to his allergies, but maybe he could try to forget about them for a few minutes. "Third year," he said. "Odd we haven't met before." Of course that could be due to shyness on her part and the fact that he didn't spend a great deal of time drawing people out unless he wanted to torment them in some form or fashion.
Elanna nodded in response to Remy's comment. She noticed with some relief that he seemed to be relaxing a bit from the state he had been in when she arrived. She knew his allergies must be frustrating for him, but moping in a dark corner was never really a good thing.
"I don't actually know very many people," she explained after a moment. She had friends in the compound, and she didn't mind talking to people, but she wasn't the type to go out of her way to meet someone unless something seemed wrong or she was very lonely or, in the occasional case of humans, she was desperate for food. "I know I've at least seen you at a distance before, though."
Had Elanna known him better, she would've known that he was a terrific brooder. Rémy had elevated it to an art form. There was nothing like a tragic mien to draw people to him, he'd found. Of course, there hadn't been any artifice on his part this time. He'd never try to attract anyone when he looked like this.
He'd been about to say, you don't? After three years?, but that might sound critical. She did seem awfully shy. He didn't know everyone, either. He hadn't known her, had he? "There's always someone new to meet, then," he remarked. A half-smile lit his face when she said she'd seen him. "Yes, I tend to get around." He was always wheeling and dealing in his own fashion, seeking blood or favors or promising things in return.
Ironically, his recent brooding had managed to draw Elanna to him despite his wishes. Although, Elanna wasn't drawn to tragic mien so much as people who looked like they might need help, and Remy sitting around pouting over his allergies certainly fell into that category. Not that there was much of anything Elanna could do about it, and he would get over it eventually without someone coming and pestering him, but at least she seemed to be improving his mood?
"There are quite a lot of new people to meet now," Elanna replied simply. "It's always odd when the new arrivals come. I get used to faces, and then there are a whole bunch of new ones." When she thought about it, it wasn't really the case that she didn't know people. She remembered faces, and attached names where she could, so in a sense she knew everyone in the compound. But as for having actually had a conversation with most of them, that was much less likely.
Actually Elanna was more help than she'd probably ever realize. What Rémy tended to expect from others was that they'd treat him harshly, the way he treated people a lot of the time. He'd expect to be scoffed at, made fun of. She was matter-of-fact about his condition (because for all his drama, it was temporary), and that made all the difference. It wasn't that he could forget it, exactly, but he could not dwell on it.
"I enjoy when our new compound mates arrive," the Vrykola said. "Something to look forward to each year." She didn't know him, so she might think it was because he had a fervent desire to make new friends. In a sense he did... in the sense that he could figure out who would be willing to feed or do other favors for him, who could he get on his side before one of the compound dwellers who knew him better could get to them? It was a challenge and a diversion every time.
"It does make things more interesting." Without the new group of arrivals every year, life in the compound would probably have gotten pretty boring by now. Of course, since Elanna didn't go out of her way to make friends with everyone, there would always be someone to learn something new about, but the new group helped keep the compound lively. A bit too lively for Elanna the first few days when everyone is settling in in a flock, but sort of nice after that.
As for Remy, she did assume that he meant new people to make friends with. He seemed like a perfectly nice person, so why would she have any reason to assume otherwise?
"Interesting," Rémy said, his tone thoughtful. "Yes, it is that." He smiled at her and began scratching at one of his arms again without really realizing he was doing it. He already had claw marks from this activity, a couple of particularly vivid ones on his neck that had almost bled. The scratching never helped for long, but still he did it. His green eyes assessed Elanna and he thought that she'd be a good friend to have. Shy, seemed to be genuinely nice, probably wouldn't believe bad things about him if anyone told her. Lovely.
Elanna, most people learned quickly, was always a good friend to have. That's why, despite the fact that she rarely talked to new people, those she did establish contact with ended up being friends very quickly. Though right now, she was still a bit more concerned with his health than whether he wanted to be friends. In an uncharacteristically forward move, Elanna grabbed hold of Remy's hand where he was scratching his arm. Of course, she let go as soon as she had stopped the scratching.
"Sorry," she muttered quietly. "Just it's probably not good to scratch it..."
Rémy was really quite surprised that she'd grabbed him. It wasn't something he would've expected from someone who seemed so shy. He scowled at her, but it was a much milder expression than it could have been. Rémy did not like being thwarted in any form or fashion, but he did recognize that she was trying to help, and there was no way she could possibly understand how much it itched. "I know," he said, the scowl shifting to a more pouty and hangdog look. His gaze shifted to the forearm he'd just been clawing; the red lines he'd made looked as ugly as the welts. "It's almost more than I can stand, though."
He exhaled a heavy sigh and then tucked his hands beneath his thighs, gamely lifting his head to look at her again. "Distract me," he said. "Tell me something about yourself that nobody else here knows." She might refuse to answer the question, might think it too personal, but what could it hurt to ask?
Elanna backed away slightly when Remy shot her a glare. She hadn't meant to invade his personal space or anything; it had been more of an instictual reaction. At least he didn't seem to be terribly mad at her. That said, she was a bit taken aback by the question.
"I... um... I don't know." Anything that came to mind that would be interesting about her generally involved her human origin or her Sire, and she was hesitant to say anything about that to another Vrykola in case he was a pureblood and would look down on her for it. People generally knew things relating to her being at the Compound, like what her chores were and that she didn't like to be left alone. She didn't mind answering, but the more she thought about it, the more she didn't think there was anything to say. She chuckled nervously. "I guess I'm just not very interesting..."