He glanced back at the door before looking at the man again, giving a small nod in response. He didn't need to drink or eat anything anymore - that was only something the younger wraiths had to do. But he couldn't leave even though he wanted to; the man would certainly prevent him from going again.
Ciaran led the way into the kitchen, Kosumi bring up the rear, and set about making the kid a cup of hot chocolate. He kept one eye on the kid while Kosumi blocked the way out into the hall. He knew Kosumi could handle himself--and the kid--if anything happened.
"So," Ciaran said conversationally, "where do you come from that you don't know what hot chocolate is?" He set the cup before the kid and raised an eyebrow. "I've heard some crazy things, kid--and done them--so whatever you tell me, I'm not just gonna dismiss it, okay?"
"With friends like you, who needs a medical license?" - Paimon, Aether's Heart
“It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission.” - Grace Hopper.
It had been awhile since he had been on a world that didn’t know of other planets - almost everyone did, since the wraith came from space. But he'd have to do his best to explain at least some of the truth, because he knew he couldn't hide all of it.
"I'm not from here," he quietly said. His gloved and ungloved hand curled around the cup. "You...You know how there's countless stars in the sky? Each star is a sun, and around each sun are planets like this. I'm...I'm from one of those worlds."
"I knew about stars and suns and planets," he said carefully, taking a seat on a stool opposite the kid. "But I didn't know that there was life on some of those planets." He frowned down at the bench between them. "So you're, what? An alien, then?"
"With friends like you, who needs a medical license?" - Paimon, Aether's Heart
“It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission.” - Grace Hopper.
He looked down at the cup, then back up at the man.
If he wanted to drink from it, he'd have to take off some of his mask. There was no way he could get the liquid through it. The man already knew that he wasn't human after the feeding. Maybe...Maybe it was alright to take it off.
Not too quickly, though, and he would keep his face so the man couldn't easily see it.
He carefully removed the mask and set it down beside the cup.
Keeping his head down so the hood and his hair covered most of his face, he raised the drink up to his lips. His first sip was hesitant, but he quickly started drinking more of it. Wraith didn't need to eat or drink, but he wanted more of this - it made him feel warm and safe.
Ciaran watched kid drink the hot chocolate with a small smile. It seemed like the kid enjoyed it. He cleared his throat and glanced towards Kosumi. "So," he said, gaze darting back to the kid. "Do you have a name? And perhaps you could tell me what, exactly, you were doing on my doorstep?"
"With friends like you, who needs a medical license?" - Paimon, Aether's Heart
“It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission.” - Grace Hopper.
He faltered, most of the drink gone despite its hotness - thanks to feeding so recently, any burns he might have sustained healed themselves.
He placed the cup down on the table. His gaze didn't leave it, and his hood and hair continued to cover his face.
"My name's Zest," he said. "Zest Felsing. I'm...I'm not entirely sure how I ended up here. I was just holding an artifact, and I found myself here instead..."
"Well, Zest," Ciaran said softly, leaning on the bench in front of him. "That's a rather odd situation you've gotten yourself into, isn't it?" He smiled brightly and glanced down at the cup. "Did you like it? I can make more."
"With friends like you, who needs a medical license?" - Paimon, Aether's Heart
“It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission.” - Grace Hopper.
"...That would be nice..." he muttered. He wanted to be afraid of him - that was what his body was telling him to do. But the man, whatever he was, was being nice, and Zest wasn't used to that kind of mixed signals.
"Alright," Ciaran said, then turned back and started making another cup. "So, Zest, do you have any idea how long you'll be here for?" he asked, glancing towards Kosumi when he caught his fledgling's aborted movement from the corner of his eye. He narrowed his gaze at the younger vampire and Kosumi held up his hands, backing up a step. Ciaran could see that his fledgling's eyes had gone red and sighed. He added in Gaelic, "Go find one of the others to take your place and feed." Then, with another cup of hot chocolate made, he turned back and retook his seat at the bench. "Sorry, I know it's rude.. But, well, Kosumi wasn't feeling well."
"With friends like you, who needs a medical license?" - Paimon, Aether's Heart
“It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission.” - Grace Hopper.
He was trying to come up with an answer to the question - an answer he didn't have in the slightest - when the man spoke to his subordinate. It had been in another language; he could tell that much. But he also frequently traveled through stargates, and stargates had the habit of letting their travelers interpret other languages.
"Go find one of the others to take your place and feed."
Zest flinched when he sat down again a moment later - the words and the tone reminded him of the hive ship.
"...I'm not sure," he admitted, his voice hesitant and quiet.
"You're not sure?" Ciaran mused and then shook his head. "It doesn't matter. You'll be safe here. No vampire under my roof would dare hurt a guest in my home." He offered the kid a small smile and leaned forwards, planting his elbows on the bench-top so he could rest his chin in one hand. "And no secretive government agencies will attempt to kidnap and dissect you for science." Ciaran said the last part with such venom that the vampire who appeared to take Kosumi's place flinched. He scowled into the distance above Zest's head, eyes edging towards red.
"With friends like you, who needs a medical license?" - Paimon, Aether's Heart
“It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission.” - Grace Hopper.
Zest flinched at the sudden change in tone, but quickly regained his posture when he realized how scared he had been acting throughout the conversation. He wasn't a child - he had spent most of his life following his queen's orders, and now he lived on his own and went to other worlds. He was braver than this.
He had to be.
"Where exactly are we?" Zest slowly said, meeting the man's gaze despite every smart part of his body telling him not to. "What world is this?"
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