The charm didn't work on the vampire, but he did respond to the tone of voice, to the expression on the other man's face. He was a pretty little thing; Arkady had always had a soft spot for beauty. That explained Annabelle, didn't it? But this boy reminded him a bit of Ivan, a very lovely shepherd boy that Arkady had turned once while building his little family. Of course, Ivan had perished with the rest of them when the villagers had taken their turn at vengeance, but he had been so fragile and effeminate, soft-spoken and shy until his transformation.
"Anahita has been doing them recently. She's a member of the carnival, maintains a tattooing tent on the midway. She's extraordinarily talented, if you've any interest in ink at all you must see her," he said smoothly, glancing down at the bright ink on his forearm visible beneath the sleeve of his attire.
"I apologize that we haven't met, I'm usually much more engaged in my employees' arrival here," he said apologetically. "We've had such an influx of new people and since I've hired a personnel manager I've really become abysmally lax in my welcoming routine. How are you finding it here so far?"