Learning How Not To Die 101

[Existentially Odd]

Jeanne merely smiled as Kieran effectively answered his own ponderings regarding the districts and election. Like a mortal government but many races to coordinate? Yes. She didn't need to say anything to him about that. His question about her earliest memory struck her as unique, however. She tilted her head as she regarded him in surprise, momentarily silenced as her thoughts strayed to seeking an answer for him. It was as well she waited, for he followed his first, unusual query with numerous others.

What is your earliest memory, Jeanne? A curious notion, indeed.

"It is fine," she dismissed his apology for being so effusive and smiled at him. "I am greatly changed, yes. I would not refer to it as a birth, it was closer to death, as my human form died and I changed from one species to another. I have many abilities - not all of them supernatural - and it may take some time for me to tell you about all of them. My earliest memory... that is an interesting question. I am much like you, I suppose, in that my earliest memory is from my childhood, being with my brother (my twin) and my parents. We were perhaps... four? Our parents died when we were nine and we lived for a time with our aunt but the Sacramentum - our vampire family - became our guardians when we were twelve. My brother and I were embraced as vampires when we were twenty-two. But all that happened almost fourteen centuries ago, so I hope you shall forgive me for not having very specific and clear memories to describe to you after all this time?"

The expression on his face when she told him she was over fourteen hundred years old caused her to lean her head back and laugh with delight. She decided she would give him a moment to process that before she elaborated on her abilities.

[MementoMori]

Kieran nodded thoughtfully as her enigmatic smile answered his question about the district's and method of government. It was just so fascinating. He of course wanted to know more, but would be patient. For he wanted to hear Jeanne's story first. As she began, he wished that he had brought his trusty notebook to jot down a few notes. For he wanted to remember every part of what she was telling him. The word Sacramentum stood out amongst the rest. For he hadn't heard anything quite like it before. It made him wonder at who had come up with it and what was the origin of the vampire race.

His jaw dropped at Jeanne's admission of age and his bright green eyes went comically large with shock. Holy shit! She looked amazing. Vampirism was truly the fountain of youth. His face then inevitably reddened at the sound of her hearty laughter and he closed his mouth with an audible click. "Oh....my god... wow. You look...simply incredible." he breathed. "I can only imagine what things you have seen, Jeanne." he added softly.

[Existentially Odd]

"Why, thank you," she grinned at his compliment regarding how good she looked, primping her hair and waggling her eyebrows for effect as she purred at him. She relaxed after a moment, looking more serious. "It is true, I have watched the world shed its skin many times over, each time emerging changed - for the better or the worse came from the perspective of which side you were on when the dust settled, mostly."

She paused, giving a wistful smile as she contemplated where to start with her abilities.

"My abilities are a product of training. I have practised them through the years and they improved because of it. As I grow and continue to practise, they also improve and change. Physically, I have extraordinary strength, stamina and speed. My senses are all enhanced. Mentally I can explore, manipulate and alter minds in too many ways to mention. I can use my mind to move objects. I don't need to sleep or drink very often, I do not age externally and I am connected to my family through a bond of common blood that allows me to sense them easily. That is most of it, I believe."

Again, she smiled and waited for him to process and query, becoming accustomed to the rhythm of it now.

"Oh! And I am a classically trained dancer and accomplished musician," she added with a tinkling laugh, her finger raised as she added the extra points.

[MementoMori]

Kieran had to flush lightly at her reaction. He couldn't help it. For it was like being in the same room with a movie starlet. For Jeanne's features were both regal and at the same time classically beautiful. What didn't help was how she waggled her eyebrows at him so playfully. He felt sort of like a school boy with a crush in that moment. No matter one's sexuality he felt like anyone would react like this

Though before he could potentially get more embrassed she changed the subject and addressed some of what she had seen in a more serious tone. He could only imagine the people she had to have met over the years and all the changes she had witnessed. It was simply so fascinating. If she ever choose to write a book, he would have put good money on it being a best seller just from a history standpoint.

He then nodded as she moved on to describe her abilities. "Oh...wow. In many ways, it's like you are a super hero." he said amazedly. Honestly it sounded so cool, but there had to be drawbacks much like the legends had referred to. Like sunlight and the need for blood for starters. Though he had no idea what was truth from fiction. "I know how silly that sounds but for all your abilities it fits something straight out of a comic book or a epic legend." Kieran added. And to think his night could have turned out differently and their paths wouldn't have crossed. He counted himself damned lucky to learn this much.

Kieran then had to chuckle a little as she added her last two talents, "Damn, you keep on blowing my mind, Jeanne. Thank you for sharing this with me." he said genuinely, "Though let me ask you this, is there anything you can't do?"

[Existentially Odd]

Jeanne tinkled a flattered laugh at being told her abilities made her sound like a superhero. It wasn't something she recalled hearing before, not stated exactly like that. It was flattering and sweet, despite being silly. She was no superhero. She was an apex predator with lethal skills to dominate every form of prey... but it was so sweet he attributed her heroic qualities.

She sobered somewhat when he asked his challenging question. "Oh yes," she said softly. "I cannot walk in the sun, turn back time, reclaim lost love, resurrect the dead or heal a broken heart. I would give everything I can do to be able to do any one of those," she answered poignantly.

[MementoMori]

For all of his compliments, there was no doubt in Kieran's mind what Jeanne was. She was a very powerful being who could easily curb stomp him if she wanted to. He was grateful that she hadn't and had chosen instead to share with him a little about her life. It was just so fascinating. He still wished that he could chronicle some of it. Yes he knew that the public would never see it, but someone should even if it was just Jeanne herself. Kieran knew that for the most part it was his reporter's instincts that was doing the talking. And yet he felt like it was more than that.

As a result, he had to smile at the beautiful sound of her laugh. When the subject turned to what she couldn't do, his features turned more serious. And yet at the same time, there was compassion in his bright green eyes as he gazed back at her.

"Not being able to face the sun side, I think that no matter what species or race anyone is we all wish for all the rest. I know that I do." he said honestly. "I can only imagine the regrets and the triumphs you must have experienced during your long life, Jeanne. Thank you again for sharing with me." he added.

"I have one more question for you. Do you know your species origin? I know that there are many vampiric legends all over the world, but there must be some fact in all of the fiction."

[Existentially Odd]

Jeanne smiled enigmatically at Kieran as he asked about the origin of vampires. He really was an innocent little surprise. She was motivated to get out of her seat and move closer to him, perching on the front of her desk and pressing fingers beneath his chin to tilt his face up towards hers. She loomed over him a little, smiling as she delivered her disappointing news.

"Legend... fiction... I know nothing of any of it. My family line is over three thousand years old and we are not among the first, so make of that what you will," she advised, pinching his chin between her thumb and finger and turning his head gently from side to side to get a better look at him. Her gaze roved his countenance thoughtfully... like she was contemplating what he'd taste like.

[MementoMori]

A second before he had felt compassion for Jeanne's situation. He honestly didn't know what he would have done in her shoes. To have lived that long, it just boggled his mind. All the people she had to have met. All the people she had to have lost. If he thought about it for longer, he would make himself dizzy as well as damned morose. Now he wasn't sure what he felt. For the mysterious smile that crossed her features just then set his nerves on alert. Maybe it was the prey in him that recognized the predator in her. He didn't know what but when she stood and even loomed over him his pulse began to race.

"I...bet it would be interesting to find that out." he managed to get out quietly, feeling very much like a rabbit in front of a wolf as she turned his head from the side to side. He didn't dare move a hand up to try to stop her. Kieran wanted to live no matter what, but his gut feeling was if he tried to deny her that it would end badly.

"Are you going to eat me?" he had to ask softly, his bright hunter green eyes wary.

[Existentially Odd]

"Perhaps," she conceded to his insistence that finding out about the origin of vampires would be interesting. It wasn't something that had ever struck her as important. "But it does not change the way things are now and I doubt that history has that much to teach us that we do not already know. The future is a bigger mystery."

She released his chin and smiled at him, a husky chuckle emanating from her chest when he asked her if she was going to eat him. She shrugged lightly. "I was just looking you over," she answered guilelessly, her hands falling either side of her hips to grip the edge of her desk casually. She straightened away from him and tilted her head. "Do you want me to eat you?" she offered, the tip of her tongue prodding a fang thoughtfully.

[MementoMori]

"Touche." Kieran responded. Jeanne did have another good point. No matter the origin of the vampires as a whole, there was no way of knowing how they might eventually grow and change as a people. Darn it, it just made him want to do more research to play with the theoretical possibilities. His mind had already concocted an image of a one day future vampire wearing a spacesuit of all things. True, it was a bizarre image. And yes there were many practicalities that would need to be addressed for this to happen, but it wasn't out of the realm of possibility.

Out of anything, he didn't expect her next question as he was released. Part of him was terrified by the notion, but the other half of him wondered what it might be like. "I don't know. The idea definitely has me curious Jeanne, but I also value my life." he answered honestly, not knowing quite why he was saying this,

"So if I say yes will I live to tell the tale?"

[Existentially Odd]

Her predatory grin only widened but she tilted her head in silent agreement before she verbally responded.

"Contrary to the false legends and fanciful media representations, when we drink from people, they do not die. Well, unless the kindred in question wants to kill," she conceded, belatedly realising how her honesty might unsettle him. "I am not one of those kindred. I would drink from you and yes, you would absolutely live to tell the tale."

Jeanne smiled confidently at him, pondering warning him with an extra bit of information. He had been well behaved so far. It wouldn't hurt to show him a kindness - especially if it would help secure her an unexpected bonus; a virgin bitee.

"In fact... you should know that, not only will you live but you will enjoy it if I bit you. You would react one of two ways; with a quiet peace that will make you feel as if you have awoken refreshed and meditative from the best sleep of your life or... erotically. You will become aroused and desirous of sexual gratification. I usually ask the people I drink from whether they want to have sex with me before I bite because the feelings will generally steal your modesty and your will to refuse. Consent matters."

She smiled as contritely as she could after delivering the news, not wishing to influence his decision one way or the other. She also didn't elaborate on the implication that of course she would want to have sex with her victims.

[MementoMori]

Feeling like a deer in front of a hungry wolf, Kieran slowly nodded as he listened to her. He couldn't help the prey-like feeling because of her grin and yet he found himself believing her. Jeanne may have been the epitome of an apex predator but she didn't seem to be entirely ruled by her instincts. She could choose when and if she wanted to act on her hunger. Also it fit the classy and controlled image she had presented to him so far. So he decided to take her at her word, no matter how unsettling it should have been. Though instead of feeling more afraid, he found himself just that much more curious.

His bright green eyes widened as she described how the bite could go. Holy crap, on one hand his reaction could be mild but blissful and on the other...oh boy. His cheeks reddened as his mind mulled over the ramifications of her biting him. The notion of being so out of control with a woman of her caliber stole his breath away. Sex happening or not, the thought sorely tempted him. And who knew when or if the opportunity to learn from this would rise again.

"I believe you and appreciate you giving me the choice, Jeanne." he said honestly as he gazed back at her. It was then that he made his decision as crazy as it was, "I must be temporarily insane, but you've gotten me too curious to turn this down."