The Halfling and the Exile

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Isaac grumbled at her and swatted blindly at the hand that poked him. "I like waking up on my own." He murmured, and didn't raise his head until he heard the children running back in, assuming he probably shouldn't set a bad example for them by lounging on the dining table.

Felix just shook his head with a sheepish smile. "Lucy doesn't let me use the stove anymore. . ."

Ronan scoffed as he walked away to help bring food in. "If you wouldn't have set a towel on fire twice maybe she wouldn't kick you out so fast."

"It was an accident! Both times!"
 
Niari laughed at Isaac, nipping at his ear when he sat up before returning her attention to Felix and Ronan.

"Oh dear.. yes, setting fires is a good reason to stay out of the kitchen.." she agreed, giggling. "It's good of you to still help out, though. I'm sure she appreciates it."
 
Isaac made a surprised, irritated sound at her and pressed a hand over his ear where she'd bit him, as if to stop her from doing it again. "What's gotten into you..." Why was she being so playful all of a sudden? And using wolf mannerisms in human form? Maybe it really had been too long since she'd last shifted.

Felix was smiling oddly at the way Niari apparently played, sitting down across from them. "I haven't even broken a dish in months."

Ronan came back with Lucy, then, the children running ahead to sit down, and set out plates and serving dishes full with eggs, sausage, bacon, and biscuits. "Eat up, everyone. Careful, it's hot."
 
"Maybe if you keep it up, she'll let you back in the kitchen eventually," Niari suggested to Felix, ignoring Isaac's grumpy mood. She was sorely tempted to tackle him and tease him until he started smiling and playing with her, but she suspected that he would not like that. He seemed more prone to scowling this morning. Perhaps he was still upset with her about her previous anger. That would explain it. She frowned at the idea, but was immediately distracted by the arrival of breakfast.

"Bacon! Oh, yes, I was so hoping for bacon," she admitted, cutting off a tiny piece of sausage and offering it to Arcady to see if the pup had any interest. She sniffed at it and started licking it, then trying to chew on it. Good! Niari smiled and pet the little furbaby, then focused on filling her plate with what she wanted.

"Thank you, Lucy. And Ronan, and Felix. This all looks incredible."
 
Felix grinned, happy at the suggestion. "Maybe!" Ronan shook his head as if to say it would never happen, but didn't comment. He just helped set everything out and let their guests dish out food first, then Lucy for herself and her children, then Ronan got some for Felix and himself afterwards.

Isaac nodded as Niari thanked everyone. "Yes, thank you. It's very kind of you." They could have left he and Niari to go out and fend for themselves, but he supposed Casius wanted to keep them here as much as possible. It was all good, at least. Lucy was a very good cook.

((Sorry, making/eating dinner))
 
Niari munched contentedly, pleased to get some hot food in her belly. Her cravings for blood were nonexistent thanks to Casius' help the evening before. There wasn't even an inkling of hunger on that front, which delighted her. The longer it lasted, the better. She simply concentrated on the delicious food in front of her, alternating between bites for herself and tiny little bits for Arcady to sample. The pup was doing rather well with it. Perhaps she could slowly start converting off of bottles. That'd be good.

"This is so delicious. Sometimes I forget how nice cooked food is instead of raw," Niari murmured absently, forgetting for a moment that she and Isaac hadn't exactly come out and told anybody at the table that they were Werewolves. She didn't even think about it, instead finishing off her breakfast with a happy hum.

[it's okay ^^]
 
Felix was the first to react, besides Isaac. The blonde stopped with a fork halfway to his mouth and went still, eyes going wide. "Ewwww." He crinkled his nose in disgust, the egg sliding off his fork as he didn't continue lifting it up. "You can get sick from that!"

Ronan and Lucy seemed to understand a little, as Casius had more non-human guests than human, though he usually didn't let the, stay. Isaac was tense anyway, and gave Niari a scolding sort of look.

"Niari." He hissed under his breath, and tried to just shake it off and forget it for now, pretend like nothing had happened. "Ar - Arcady is eating well. . . Maybe she'll like solid food. But, I wouldn't give her things like this often." she was little and probably wouldn't quite tolerate uncooked meat yet, but all the fat in human foods wasn't good for her.
 
Niari blinked and looked up at Felix in confusion, then realized her error as Isaac glared at her. Oh. She frowned and looked down at her plate in silence, just nodding slightly as he pointed out that she shouldn't feed Arcady too much Human food. Well, so much for getting Isaac in a better mood. Now he was angry all over again. She poked her remaining bit of egg around on her plate, her appetite gone. After a minute of uncomfortable silence, she couldn't take it anymore.

"I'm going to go sit outside. Thank you for breakfast," she murmured, picking up her plate and taking it to the kitchen to set in the sink. She left Arcady in her chair to stay with Isaac, not going back to the living room once her dishes were taken care of. Instead, she went out the back door to go sit in the grass. Maybe sticking around here with Isaac was a bad idea after all. Sure, Casius might have more that he could tell her, but it didn't seem like anything good was going to come from it. She frowned sadly, plucking at pieces of grass with her fingers.
 
((I've gotta go a bit early today, unfortunately, so this will be my last post til I come home after you've gone to bed))

Isaac slapped a hand to his forehead when Niari was gone, the silence stretching long and uncomfortable. Even the children were quiet and confused. Felix started frowning and looking at the others, wanting someone to tell him what was wrong, but there were no answers forthcoming. Ronan only gave him little shushing gestures and pointed to his food, saying he should eat and they would explain later. Unhappily, Felix did start eating again.

Isaac finished quickly and said thank you again, then picked Arcady up to carry with him to put his plate in the sink and follow after Niari. When he walked outside it was with a bottle in hand that had the last of their formula mixed in it, and he went over to her and sat down nearby, cradling Arcady and letting her drink. ". . . I'm sorry for getting angry." He murmured softly after another awkward silence between them. "It wasn't really a secret. I - I should have realized and told you not to just spring things like this on humans. This place just . . ." He sighed and shook his head. "Has me on edge." He didn't want to be here anymore than she did. He just knew what was best, or thought he knew what was best, and was willing to sacrifice his own comfort for that.
 
"It's fine," Niari said after a few moments of silence, not looking over at him. She had made another mistake and wasn't really sure how to make it right. This wasn't the first time on their journey that her ignorance of the world had almost gotten them into trouble. She simply did not know what was acceptable for Humans and what wasn't. This was her only trek off of pack lands, and it seemed that she could not grasp the basics of what she was supposed to be doing. Isaac was moody and she had lost her sense of overwhelming affection that she woke up with. Instead, she just felt alone. She longed for the comfort of the familiar forests, but all she had was the short grass and cold walls of Casius' estate.

"I don't think I should stay here," she said after several minutes of silent thought. She plucked another piece of grass with her fingers, twirling it around for a moment before discarding it to the side. Leaving seemed like a logical decision. Staying here was only going to cause more issues. If she left now, while she still had a full belly, she could probably reach a forest for hunting before nightfall. Shifting would make travel even faster. She finally glanced at Isaac, hesitant.

[Awww okay]
 
He'd ruined things again, hadn't he? He should've gotten over his own feelings about this place - he'd wanted to make her happy, hadn't he? He shouldn't have questioned it when she was. But he was so used to questioning everything that was even a bit odd that he couldn't help it. An Alpha had to always be on the lookout, didn't he? It was his job.

". . . You won't even try for a little bit?" He asked softly when she suggested again that she wanted to leave. "I- I'm sorry I was being grumpy. . . You were happy again, and I ruined it." He rocked Arcady gently to get her to take the last bit of formula while it was there, not wanting her to be hungry before they could go out and get more. "Will you give me another chance? I know I don't deserve it." Still, he had to try. This was where they needed to be.
 
Niari didn't understand why Isaac would want her to try again. It was only going to lead to more disappointment and anger. She didn't fit in here and it was obvious that it frustrated him. She hated the feeling of letting him down and getting him upset. He obviously wanted more from her, which she did not know how to give. Now he was asking for another chance, but what was it for? Another chance to have her fail him? A chance to get hurt if she lost control again? She frowned sadly, feeling more like a reject than she ever had in her life. This was the life of a Halfling.

"I.. I-I'm sorry, Isaac," she said softly. "I tried.."

After forcing out the stuttering apology, Niari stood and walked past him, heading back inside. She avoided the dining room still, instead heading upstairs. It was difficult not to rub up against the railing as she walked, like a cat. What was wrong with her? She frowned, running a hand through her hair as she reached the top of the stairs and glanced around in an attempt to remember which one was theirs. After a moment she simply walked quietly down the hall, assuming she would know it when she saw it.
 
Arcady was done eating and beginning to whine at the tense atmosphere between them, and as Niari left he had to struggle to soothe the little pup and follow after her. He stopped by the dining room to say thank you, and apologize for their abrupt exit, and took Niari's pack with him when he followed her up the stairs.

"Niari. . ." He called softly when he saw her, walking to the right door and opening it for her. "It's here. I brought your things. . . Will you hold Arcady for a little while for me?" He led her into the room and transferred the pup to her arms, then sighed softly and stepped away. "I . . . We can't leave just yet." He admitted begrudgingly, a hand rubbing nervously over the back of his neck. "In exchange for teaching you, I promised Casius he could feed from me. . . I can't go back on our deal, so . . . I'll just go wake him now, and we can leave as soon as I've recovered."

He'd had such grand hopes for this place. He should have known better; nothing would ever go right when he was involved.
 
Niari eyed the doors before her, trying to decide which one was the right one. She barely remembered which one belonged to Casius, and walking in on him while he was sleeping was probably not a fantastic idea. Frowning at the thought, she pondered for several moments, then heard footsteps. She looked up as Isaac called to her, nodding once when he opened the correct door. It wasn't even one she thought was it. Why was she so out of it today? She sighed and walked into the room, accepting the whimpering Arcady. It seemed the pup was upset too. How many more people would she upset today? It was as if...

Wait. What did Isaac just say..?

"You did what?!" she exclaimed, nearly yelling in her surprise. That did no favors for Arcady, but Niari was too wound up in that moment to really care. "You are not doing that, Isaac. I will break your legs to keep you from going to his door if you try," she threatened, glaring at him. How dare he promise such a stupid, stupid thing?! To be fed from, in exchange for a teaching that had cost him ten minutes of his time? True, he may have more to say, but he hadn't exactly been proactive in seeking Niari out as a student. It seemed he had little interest in his guests at all, really. She absolutely refused to allow Isaac to uphold his end of the bargain.

"That is not happening. No, nope, not a chance. If he is so desperate for a fresh bloodbag, I will let him feed from me. A Halfling has got to be more interesting than a pure Werewolf anyway," she muttered, setting Arcady on the bed and facing Isaac to make sure he didn't run for it.
 
Isaac flinched a little when Niari snapped at him, blinking at her with wide, surprised eyes and generally feeling stunned. Still, far from backing down, he pulled himself up to his full height, out of the slumped posture he'd had before when thinking he needed to beg for her forgiveness. There was an instinctive part of him that screamed rebukes at her for questioning his authority, for trying to tell him what he could and could not do - but he pushed that down. He didn't want to be like that. He didn't want to be like his father.

"Nothing is for free, Niari." He said finally, tone firm but not angry or too loud. "Especially not out here. What are you going to do if he were even to agree to that? He would drink from you and then you would need to drink again, and from who? Me? We'd be right back where we started with a whole lot more trouble in between."

Isaac shook his head slowly, not making any moves for the door but also not moving away from it, not letting her past him, not letting her get away from the conversation even if he himself didn't want to have it. "I'm the one that taught you what you needed, but where do you think I learned it? Why do you think I brought us here and knew it would be safe? How do you think I know so much about this place?" He jerked his arms out at the house in general, at the land it sat on, bitter nostalgia in his voice. "I've been here before."

He'd been to this area. He'd been to this building. He'd even been in this room before. This was where he'd learned about vampires, all his father thought he needed to learn about them. This was where he'd been bitten before, and he wasn't afraid to make that sacrifice again now that it was his own choice. It was for his pack, no matter how little and broken it was now.
 
"Well, obviously, Isaac. I know you've been here before. Your name is what got us in here, remember?"

Niari shook her head and ran a hand through her hair, annoyed that he would think her to be so dense that she would not realize that he had already been there. Not only had he used his name to get in, but Casius had an extremely obvious familiarity with him when they arrived. The conversation had not been one that would have happened between a pair of strangers. She sighed and eyed Isaac with a frown.

"If I need to feed, I'll just feed from him again. I doubt he'll take enough that I'm drained to the point of needing another feeding, though. Even if he does, I'll recover faster than you would," she pointed out, forgetting that she hadn't exactly told him that she already fed from Casius, or that Casius had demanded that she drink only from him while they were here.
 
Isaac gave a frustrated groan, throwing his hands in the air. "You don't have any idea how this works!" He slapped his hands to his face, ran them down over his eyes and tried to keep calm and rational. "Blood is sustenance for vampires, so if they lose it they need more and to get more they drink it from others - if he drinks from you, you need it again, and if you drink from him, he needs it again, and on and on as an endless cycle until someone like me can come along and break it."

He stopped, frowning suddenly, and gave her a narrow-eyed suspicious look. "What do you mean again?" That would've explained everything! Her giddy behavior wouldn't have seemed so strange if she'd told him. "You're sitting here lecturing me about what I can't do but while I'm trying to help you you won't tell me what you've already done!"
 
Niari blinked and frowned at him, hands on her hips.

"I'm not the one keeping secrets here, I just forgot! I asked Casius for help and he helped me and I fed from him! It's not exactly a big deal," she snapped, getting more irritable the more he accused her. For some reason, she felt oddly out of control of her emotions. She was forced to simply roll with it, unable to backtrack and take a moment to think. "I drank from him and he didn't drink from me, which doesn't go along with your logic. He survived. Probably had a bag or something later, but whatever. The point is, it's not some sort of vicious cycle, and you don't need to be involved!"
 
Isaac gave his head a sharp shake and took three slow, deep breaths, striving for balance and rational thought. ". . . I'm not going to sit here and yell at you. I don't want to yell at you, or argue. . . What I need to get through to you is that he won't want to drink from you if you're only going to need to drink from him right after. It's not worth it. It's like eating your kill and throwing it back up after, it makes no sense."

He wasn't going to get through to her, that much was clear. She kept insisting on things she knew nothing about, and he didn't want to make her feel bad for not knowing things like he had already. "My mind is made up. I made a deal, and I won't go back on it no matter how little you'll let him teach you. I'm going to go and wake him so he can drink from me and we can leave as quickly as possible." He turned away from her to slide his coat off his shoulders and toss it onto a chair. "It won't be the first time."

The first time he'd let her feed from his wrist, he'd only known how much a vampire could take from him because he'd been bitten before. Bitten by Casius.
 
Niari was furious. Isaac didn't understand at all. If Casius hadn't needed to feed from her after she fed from him last time, then there was absolutely no reason to think that she was going to need to feed from him if he fed from her. Instead of being reasonable, Isaac was being stubborn and frustrating. He seemed to think that he knew best simply because he had been here before, but he was not even a fraction Vampire. At least she was half and had instincts.. somewhat. That still counted for more than his. She scowled at his back, watching him take his coat off as he informed her that he was going to go wake Casius up.

Suddenly her anger vanished, replaced by a cold detachment. If Isaac wanted to offer himself up as breakfast for the Vampire, that was his business. Why should she care? She didn't understand why she had even gotten upset about it. Isaac was not hers, and his actions were not her responsibility. He wanted to get bitten and drained enough to need to be in bed for several hours, if not a few days. Not her problem. She shrugged slightly to herself and picked up her bag, then glanced at the whimpering Arcady on the bed. Hm. The pup was partially her responsibility, but she was obviously going to have to take over Isaac's part as well since he was voluntarily going out of commission for a while.

"Okay. You go do that. I'm going to take Arcady and go to the town nearby," she decided, scooping up the pup and scratching her behind the ears.
 
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